The JR Chess Report (September 13): Aronian Runs away in Bilbao

[Jack Rabbit]

Aronian Runs away with Grand Slam Final



Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian won the second grand slam final in Bilbao, Biscay Province (Spain) yesterday by a convincing margin with 4 wins, one loss and one draw.

Aronian scored 13 points in the tournament's unique scoring system where three points awarded for a win and one point for a draw.

The quadrangular tournament was to be played among the winners of four of the most prestigious events on the chess calendar during the previous year. Aronian was not supposed to play in Bilbao, but was named to replace Veselin Topalov, who won the Pearl Spring Tournament in Nanjing in December.

The other three competitors are Alexander Grischuk, who won this year's Linares International Tournament in March; Sergey Karjakin, now designated a Russian grandmaster, who won the Corus Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in January; and Alexei Shirov, playing in his adopted home country, who won the MTel Masters' Tournament in Sofia in May.

Grischuk emerged as the early leader when he won his first two games, including a first round victory over Aronian. Aronian then won his next four games in a row and had first place cinched by the end of the fifth round.

Grischuk finished second with 8 points (two wins, two losses and two draws) and Karjakin third with 7 (one win, one loss and four draws).


Tomashevsky Wins Russian Higher Leage; Five GMs Qualify for National Title



Reigning European champion Evgeny Tomashevsky took 8 points out of a possible 11 to finish in first place in the Russian Championship Higher League which ended today in Ulan-Ude, Buryat Republic (Russia).

The top five finishers qualified to compete in the Russian National Championship, colloqually called the Superfinal, in December.

Alexander Riazantsev, who lead for most of the tournament, also qualified by finishing in a tie for second with Nikita Vitiugov and Denis Khristmatullin with 7½ points each.

Five grandmasters finished tied for fifth with 7 points each, but it appears that Artyom Timofeeev will get the nod as the final qualifyer on tiebreak points over Konstantin Landa, Alexander Lastin, Vadim Zvjaginsev and Sanan Sjugirov.


Le Wins 4th Koltata Open



Promising young Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem won the fourth annual international open tournament in Kolkata, the former Calcutta, with 8 points in ten rounds in the event completed Thursday.

Top seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Anton Filippov of Uzbekistan finished tied for second with 7½ points each.

Le took over first place with a victory over six time Indian national champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly in the seventh round and did not relinquish first place after that.


China Wins Second World Women's Team Championship



China scored a narrow win over Russia and Ukraine in the second annual World Women's Team Championship which finished Friday in Ningbo, China.

The Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian teams each scored 12 match points out of a possible 18, but China claimed first place 21½ individual points out of a possible 36 to 21 for the Russians and 20½ for Ukraine.

Poland, which held the early lead in the tournament, faltered in the late round and finished sixth out of ten.

The brightest point for the American team was eighteen-year-old Alisa Melekhina who won a gold medal for her performance on board four.


Naiditsch Wins Empresa in Montreal



German GM Arkadij Naiditsch scored a last round victory Monday over Vinay Bhat of the United States to win the 10th Montreal Chess Festival's Empresa International Tournament with 7½ points out of a possible 11.

Grandmaster Etienne Bacrot of France, who held first place along with Niaditsch almost wire to wire, finished second a half point behind.

Another Frensh Grandmaster, Sebastien Mazé, finished in a clear third with 6½ points.

The tournamet was a single round robin among twelve players, mostly from Canada and the United States.



Calendar


Second Pearl Spring Tournament, Nanjing 27 September-9 October. Topalov, Anand, Carlsen, Radjabov, Jakovenko and Wang Yue.

Women's FIDE Grand Prix, Nanjing 27 September-9 October.

World Junior Championship, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 16-29 October.

European Club Cup (Team Championship), Novi Sad (Serbia) 21-31 October.

World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk 28 November-15 December.

London Chess Classic 7-16 December.

Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 15-31 January 2010. Nakamura has been invited to play in group A.

Anand-Topalov Match for the World Title, Site TBA c. April 2010.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. This week's games

Your humble hare acknowledges the assistance of Fritz 6.0 on analysis.

Diagrams on the Jack Rabbit Chess Report are made with Chess Mérida, a true type font that can be downlaoded free here.

BLACK
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WHITE
White to move
(This position is a theoretical draw)


I would like to thank my impressive and loyal staff: Buccaneer, Spitfire, Swashbuckler, Pancho and Robin Hood

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Second Grand Slam Final, Bilbao

Bilbao, Biscay Province (Spain)
Photo by Doomenicvs, Wikipedia

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Shirov - Aronian, Round 3

Levon Aronian
Photo: ChessBase.com


{link:www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1556260|Alexei Shirov - Levon Aronian]
2nd Grand Slam Masters, Round 3
Bilbao, 8 September 2009

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Marshall Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5

• For a survey of the Marshall Gambit, see Shabalov-Vescovi, Pan-Am Ch, São Paulo, 2009.

9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Be3

• If 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 then:
• If 17...f5 then:
• If 18.Bd1 Qh6 19.Re1 f4 20.Ne4 then:
• If 20...Bc7 then:
• 21.Bf3 Bh3 22.Qd3 Rf7 23.Bd2 Raf8 24.Bh1 Rg7 25.Bf3 Rgf7 26.Bh1 Rg7 27.Bf3 Rgf7 draw (Svidler-Leko, IT, Morelia-Linares, 2007).
• 21.f3 Bh3 22.Qf2 g4 23.fxg4 Qg6 24.Qc2 Rae8 White has two extra pawns but Black has the active game (Negi-Kosteniuk, Rpd, Cap d'Agde, 2006).
• 21.Bd2 Bf5 22.Nc5 Bd6 23.Bf3 Kh8 24.Nb7 Bb8 25.a4 White retains the extra pawn (Galkin-Nielsen, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 20...Bh3 21.Qe2 Rae8 22.Qh5 Qxh5 23.Bxh5 Re6 White still has an extra pawn while Black leads in development and space (Shabalov-Vescovi, Pan-Am Ch, São Paulo, 2009).
• 18.Re1 f4 19.Bd1 f3 20.Ne4 Bh3 21.Qd3 Rae8 22.Bd2 Rxe4 23.Qxe4 Bxg3 24.Bxf3 Bxh2+ 25.Kxh2 Bg4+ 26.Kg1 Bxf3 27.Qe6+ Kg7 28.Qe5+ Rf6 29.Qh2 Rh6 White resigns (Vachier Lagrave-Svidler, IT, San Sebastián, 2009).
• 17...Bf5 18.f3 Nf6 19.Qg2 Qg6 20.Re3 Nd5 21.Re1 Rae8 22.Qf2 Nf4 23.gxf4 gxf4+ 24.Kh1 Rxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Kh8 26.Qg1 Qh5 27.Qf2 Rg8 28.Bd1 Bh3 29.Be2 Be7 30.Bd3 Bh4 31.Qe2 Qg5 32.Qe5+ Qxe5 33.dxe5 Bf2 White resigns (Shomoev-Grischuk, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
• If 15.Qe2 Bg4 16.Qf1 then:
• If 16...Qh5 17.Nd2 Rae8 then:
• If 18.f3 Rxe1 19.Qxe1 Bxf3 20.Nxf3 Qxf3 21.Bd2 then:
• 21...Qg4 22.Qd1 Qd7 23.Qf3 Nb6 24.Rf1 Nc4 25.Bc1 c5 26.Bxc4 bxc4 is equal (Volokitin-Kurnosov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
• 21...h5 22.Qd1 Qf5 23.Bc2 Qh3 24.Qf3 g6 25.Bh6 Re8 26.Rf1 is equal (Caruana-Negi, Corus C, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).
• 18.Rxe8 Rxe8 19.f3 Bf5 20.Ne4 Bc7 21.Bd2 Qg6 22.Re1 Bxe4 23.Rxe4 Rxe4 24.Bc2 f5 25.fxe4 fxe4 26.Qg2 Nf6 is equal (Svidler-Leko, World Ch Trmt, Mexico City, 2007).
• 16...Rae8 17.Rxe8 Qxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Rxe8 gives White an extra pawn, but Black bewtter development and the more active game (Volokitin-Inarkiev, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

15...Bg4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Nd2 Qh5

• 17...f5 18.f4 Kh8 19.Bxd5 cxd5 20.Qf1 Qh5 21.a4 bxa4 22.Qxa6 Re6 23.Qb5 g5 24.Qf1 Rfe8 gives White an extra pawn and Black more space (Leong Mun Wan-Jenni, Ol, Calvia, 2004).

18.a4 Re6 19.axb5 axb5 20.Nf1

• 20.Qf1 Bh3 21.Qe2 Bg4 22.Qf1 Bh3 23.Qe2 Bg4 draw (J. Polgar-Dr. Nunn, Munich, 1991).

20...Bf5 21.Qd2 Bh3!?

• 21...Rfe8 22.Bc2 Bh3 23.Qd1 Bg4 24.Qd3 Qh3 25.Bd2 Re2 26.Rxe2 Bxe2 27.Re1 Bxd3 28.Rxe8+ Bf8 29.Bxd3 Qd7 30.Re1 draw (Svidler-Jakovenko, IT, Foros, 2008).

BLACK: Levon Aronian
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WHITE: Alexei Shirov
Position after 21...Bf5h3

22.Bd1

• White has an extra pawn; Black has more space.

22...Qg6

• 22...Bg4 23.Ra6 Bc7 24.Bxg4 Qxg4 25.b3 Rfe8 26.c4 remains unclear with one side have a material advantage and the other a spatial edge.

23.Bf3 Qf5

• If 23...Rfe8!? then 24.Ra5 Qf5 25.Qe2 Bc7 26.Ra6 b4 27.c4 begins to squeeze Black's spatial advantage.

24.Bh1 Rfe8 25.Re2!?

• The Marshall does not give rise to positions that afford any place to timid moves.
• If 25.Ra6 Bc7 26.b4 Bg4 27.f4 Qg6 28.Bg2 Bf5 29.Bf2 Rxe1 30.Qxe1 squeezes enough out of Black's spatial advantage as to give White a clear advantage with the extra pawn.
• 27.Qb2 Bf3 28.Bxf3 Qxf3 29.Nd2 Qh5 continues to be unclear.

25...h5!

• Black begins a very subtle kingside campaign.
• 25...Nxe3?! 26.fxe3 c5 27.e4! Qg6 28.Ne3 cxd4 29.cxd4 gives White a clear advantage.

26.Qc2 Qg4

• Even in an unclear position, Black does not want to exchange Queens while he has the advantage in space.

27.Ree1?!

• The focus of the game is in the center, specifically on the e4 square.
• Better is 27.Rae1 Qf5 28.Qxf5 Bxf5 29.Bf3 g6 30.Bh6 when after the exchange of Rooks White's extra pawn tips the balance in his favor.

27...h4!

• White prepares to open Black's kingside.

28.Qd1

• If 28.Qd2? then:
• 28...hxg3! 29.hxg3 Bxf1 30.Kxf1 Bxg3 31.Bxd5 cxd5 wins for Black.
• 28...Bxf1?! 29.Kxf1! Qh3+ 30.Bg2 Qxh2 31.gxh4 Qxh4 is equal.

28...Qf5 29.Qf3?

• It appears that White has only one good move here and this isn't it.
• If 29.Ra7 then:
• 29...hxg3 30.Nxg3 Nxe3 31.Rxe3 Bxg3 32.hxg3 Rxe3 33.fxe3 Rxe3 wins for Black.
• 29...Bxf1? 30.Rxf1! hxg3 31.hxg3 Qg6 32.Bxd5 cxd5 33.Qf3 evaporates Black's spatial advantage, leaving White with an extra pawn.
• 29.Bxd5 Qxd5 30.f3 Bxf1 31.Kxf1 Rxe3 32.Rxe3 Rxe3 leaves Black an extra piece.
• The analyst on ChessBase.com suggests 29.Qb1 but does not elaborate; 29...Qh5 30.Qd1 Qf5 31.Qb1 invites a draw by repetition.

BLACK: Levon Aronian
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WHITE: Alexei Shirov
Position after 29.Qd1f3

29...Qg6! 0-1

• Resignation may look premature, but that is an optical illusion. Black need only break down White's kingside, which White is helpless to prevent, and then attack the denuded King.
• 30.Qd1 hxg3 31.hxg3 Nxe3 32.Rxe3 Rxe3 33.fxe3 Bxf1 34.Kxf1 Rxe3 35.Bxc6 Rxg3 36.Kf2 Qf5+ is lights out.
• El señor Shirov resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Karjakin - Grischuk, Round 3

Sergey Karjakin
Image: ChessBase.com


Sergey Karjakin - Alexander Grischuk
2nd Grand Slam Masters, Round 3
Bilbao, 8 September 2009

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Zaitsev Defense

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3

• If 12.a4 h6 then:
• If 13.d5 Nb8 14.c4 c6 then:
• If 15.axb5 axb5 16.Rxa8 Bxa8 then:
• If 17.cxb5 cxd5 18.exd5 then:
• If 18...Nxd5 19.Ne4 then:
• If 19...Nf6 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 then:
• If 21.Re3 e4 22.Bd2 d5 23.Bc3 Qd8 24.Nd4 Bc5 25.Rg3 is equal (Svidler-Janssen, Bundesliga 0809, Eppingen, 2009).
• 21.Nh2 Nd7 22.Ng4 Qh4 23.Bd5 Bxd5 24.Qxd5 h5 is equal (Haznedaroglu-Dervishi, Ol, Calvia, 2004).
• 19...Nb4 20.Bg5 Qd7 21.Bxh6 d5 22.Bd2 Nd3 gives Black a full pawn center and a Knight on the sixth rank (Svidler-Grischuk, Euro ChT, Panormo, 2001).
• 17.dxc6 b4 18.Ba4 Nxc6 19.Nf1 Bb7 20.g4 is equal (Vasiukov-Razuvaev, Frunze, 1979).
• If 18...Nbd7 19.Nb1 Nc5 then:
• 20.Nc3 Nxb3 21.Qxb3 is equal (Svidler-Z, Almasi, IT, Dortmund, 1998).
• 20.Bc4 Qc7 21.Nc3 gives White the advantage in space.
• If 15.dxc6 Nxc6 16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 then:
• 17...Qxa8 18.cxb5 Nb4 19.Bc4 Nxe4 is equal (Mestal-Short, Esbjerg, 1984).
• 17...Bxa8 18.cxb5 Nb4 19.Qe2 gives White an extra pawn.
• If 13.Bc2 exd4 14.cxd4 Nb4 15.Bb1 c5 16.d5 Nd7 17.Ra3 then:
• If 17...f5 18.Nh2 Nf6 19.Rf3 Re5 20.Rxf5 Rxf5 21.exf5 Bxd5 22.Ng4 then:
• 22...Bf7 23.Ne4 Nxg4 24.Qxg4 d5 is equal (Morozevich-Grischuk, Grand Prix, Dubai, 2002).
• 22...Ra7 23.Nxf6+ Qxf6 24.Ne4 Bxe4 25.Bxe4 Re7 is equal (Haba-Dervishi, Austrian ChT, 2003).
• 17...c4 18.axb5 axb5 19.Nd4 Qb6 20.Nf5 Ne5 21.Rg3 g6 22.Nf3 Ned3 23.Be3 Qd8 24.Nxh6+ Bxh6 25.Bxh6 Qf6 is equal (Timofeev-Inarkiev, Russian Ch HL, Novokuznetsk, 2008).
• If 12.Bc2 g6 13.d5 Nb8 14.b3 c6 15.c4 then:
• If 15...Nbd7 16.a4 Qc7 17.Ba3 Rec8 18.Bd3 cxd5 19.cxd5 Qb6 20.b4 Rc3 21.Nb1 Rcc8 22.Bc1 bxa4 23.Qxa4 Qd8 24.Bg5 gives White the advantage in space (Smyslov-Gligoric, IT, Bugojno, 1984).
• 15...a5 16.dxc6 Bxc6 17.cxb5 Bxb5 18.Nc4 Na6 19.Bg5 Nb4 20.Bb1 Bxc4 21.bxc4 h6 22.Be3 Qc7 23.a3 Na6 24.Nd2 Nc5 25.Bc2 Reb8 26.Rb1 Qc6 27.Qf3 Bg7 28.Rec1 Nfd7 29.Qd1 is equal (Ljubojevic-Karpov, Euwe Mem, Amsterdam, 1991).
• 12.d5 Nb8 13.Nf1 Nbd7 then:
• If 14.N3h2 then:
• If 14...Rc8 then:
• 15.Bg5 h5 16.a4 g6 17.Nf3 Nc5 18.axb5 axb5 19.Bc2 gives White the advantage in space (Ni Hua-León Hoyos, IT, Reggio Emilia, 2008-09).
• 15.Ng4 Nxg4 16.Qxg4 Nc5 17.Bc2 c6 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.Ne3 g6 20.Rd1 Bh6 21.b4 Ne6 22.Bb3 Kh8 23.Nd5 Bxc1 24.Raxc1 Rf8 25.Rc2 f5 is equal (Leko-Ivanchuk, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2008).
• If 14...Nc5 15.Bc2 c6 16.b4 Ncd7 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Bg5 then:
• 18...h6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Ng4 Nxg4 21.Qxg4 Bd7 22.Qf3 Rc8 23.Bb3 Be6 24.Red1 Re7 25.Qd3 Rec7 26.Rac1 Qg5 27.Rc2 d5 28.Ng3 draw (Gashimov-Inarkiev, IT, Poikovsky, 2008).
• 18...Qc7 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Ng4 Nxg4 21.hxg4 Bb7 22.Re3 Be7 23.Bb3 Bg5 24.Rf3 Rf8 25.Qe2 Bc8 26.Rd1 Be6 27.Ne3 Bxe3 28.Rxe3 a5 29.Bxe6 fxe6 is equal (Carlsen-Navara, Grand Prix, Baku, 2008).
• 14.Ng3 g6 15.Be3 Nc5 16.Bc2 c6 17.b4 Ncd7 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.Bb3 Nb6 20.Qd3 Rb8 21.Rad1 Rb7 22.Nh2 Bd7 23.Bxb6 Rxb6 24.Ngf1 Bh6 25.Ne3 Bxe3 26.Qxe3 Be6 27.Nf3 Kg7 28.Rd3 Qc7 is equal (Short-Ivanchuk, Euwe Mem, Amsterdam, 1994).
• If 12.Ng5 Re7 13.d5 then:
• If 13...Nb8 14.Nf1 Nbd7 15.Ng3 then:
• If 15...g6 then:
• If 16.Be2 h6 17.h4 Qd7 19.Nh2 Bg7 20.h5 is equal (Kamsky-Topalov, Candidates' Match Rd 4, Sofia, 2009).
• 16.Be3 Qc8 17.Rc1 Nc5 18.Bc2 c6 19.b4 Ncd7 is equal (Romanishin-Beliavsky, Soviet Ch, Minsk, 1979).
• 15...h6 16.Nf3 g6 17.Nh2 Re8 18.Ng4 Nxg4 19.hxg4 Nc5 20.Bc2 c6 21.Be3 Qh4 is equal (Bartel-Grabarczyk, Polish Ch, Warsaw, 2001).
• 13...Na5 14.Bc2 c6 15.b4 Nc4 16.Nxc4 bxc4 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.a4 Bb7 19.Nf3 gives White a slight advantage in space (Timman-Karpov, IT, Bugojno, 1980).

12...h6

• If 12...g6 then:
• If 13.Ba2 Bg7 14.b4 a5 15.d5 Ne7 then:
• 16.Bb2 Nh5 17.Nb3 axb4 18.axb4 Bc8 19.Na5 Nf4 20.c4 g5 21.cxb5 g4 22.Nh2 gxh3 23.g3 Neg6 24.Bb1 Qg5 25.Bc1 is equal (Adams-Grischuk, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2002).
• If 16.Nb3 axb4 17.cxb4 Nxe4 18.Rxe4 Bxd5 19.Nfd2 then:
• 19...Bxe4 20.Nxe4 h6 21.Bb2 Kh7 22.g4 Rf8 23.Rc1 f5 24.gxf5 Nxf5 is equal (Iordachescu-Nikolic, IT, Valjevo, 2007).
• 19...f5 20.Re1 e4 21.Na5 Qd7 22.Bxd5+ Nxd5 is equal (T. Kosintseva-Shen Yang, TMatch, Ningbo, 2008).
• 13.Bc2 Bg7 14.d5 Nb8 15.c4 c6 16.b4 Qc7 17.Bb2 bxc4 18.dxc6 Nxc6 19.Nxc4 Rad8 20.Ba4 Nxe4 21.Qc2 d5 draw (Sax-Short, Intrznl, Biel, 1985).

13.d5 Nb8 14.Nh2 Nbd7!?


• 14...c6 15.dxc6 Bxc6 16.Qf3 Nbd7 17.Ng4 gives White the advantage in space (Topalov-Morozevich, Amber Rapid, Nice, 2009).

15.Qf3


• The game is equal.

15...Qc8 16.Ndf1 c6


• 16...c5!? 17.Bc2 c4 18.Ne3 Qc7 19.Nhg4! Nxg4 20.Qxg4 gives White tha advantage in space.

17.dxc6


• 17.Ne3 Nc5 18.Bc2 cxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Be7 remains equal.

17...Qxc6 18.Ng4 Re7!?


• Black shouldn't make a waiting move like this until he has put maximum pressure on the e-pawn.
• 18...d5 19.Qg3 Kh8 20.exd5 Nxd5 21.Nfe3 Nxe3 22.Nxe3 remains equal.

BLACK: Alexander Grischuk
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WHITE: Sergey Karjakin
Position after 19...Re8e7

19.Ng3!


• White finds a quick Knight circuit to attack the Knight.

19...d5


• This will not be as effective now as on the previous move.

20.exd5 Nxd5 21.Nf5!


• Forcing the Rook to move.

21...Re6


• If 21...Ree8 22.Rd1 N7b6 then:
• White wins after 23.Rxd5! Nxd5 24.Nfxh6+ Kh8 25.Nxf7+ Kg8 26.Ngxe5.
• If 23.Qg3 Kh7 then:
• White wins after 24.Bxh6! gxh6 25.Bxd5 Nxd5 26.Rxd5 Re6 27.Rxe5.
• If 24.Nxe5!? Rxe5 25.Qxe5 then:
• 25...Nxc3! 26.Nh4 Nxd1 27.Qf5+ g6 28.Qxf7+ Bg7 29.Bxd1 gives Black more freedom in compensation for the pawn.
• If 25...Re8? then White wins after 26.Qg3 g6 27.Nd4.

22.Qg3 Kh8 23.Be3


• If 23.Nfe3 then:
• If 23...Qc5 24.Nxd5 Bxd5 25.Be3 then:
• White wins after 25...Qc6 26.Bxd5 Qxd5 27.Rad1 Qc6 28.Re2 Bd6 29.Red2 is equal.


• If 25...Qd6!? then after 26.Rad1 Bxb3 27.Rxd6 Bxd6 28.Qf3 Rf8 29.Qb7 White has a strong game and a material edge.


• 23...Nxe3 24.Bxe6 Nxg2 25.Bxd7 Qxd7 26.Rf1 Bd6 Rd1

23...h5


• If 23...Ree8 then after 24.Rad1 Qe6 25.Qh4 Qxf5 26.Bxd5 Bxd5 27.Rxd5 White is still better, but not as much as before.

24.Rad1 Nxe3 25.Ngxe3 Rg6!


• Black gooses the Queens and puts pressure on g2 with a mating threat.

26.Qh2 Rf6?!


• The Rook is poorly placed here and Black's position begins to deterriorate.
• Better is 26...Kg8 27.Bd5 Qc7 28.Bxb7 Qxb7 when Black maintains pressure on g2.

27.Bd5 Qc8 28.Qg3


• If 28.Ng3 g6 29.Ne4 then:
• If 29...Rf4? 30.Bxb7 Qxb7 then:
• 31.Nd5! Rxe4 32.Rxe4 Rd8 33.Qg3 Nb6 34.Rxe5 wins for White.
• 31.Nd6? Qc6! 32.g3 Rf6 33.Ne4 Qxe4 34.Rxd7 is equal.
• Black can still put up some resistance after 29...Rb6 30.Qg3 f5 31.Bxb7 Qxb7.

28...g6 29.Qg5 Bg7?

• Too passive.
• 29...Bxd5! 30.Rxd5 Re6 31.Nh4 Qc7 32.Nf3 Bg7 Black saves the e-pawn and makes it a fight yet.

30.Ne7! Qc7 31.Ng4 Rf4 32.Nh6 Rf8

• If 32...Nf8 then:
• 33.Nxf7+ Rxf7 34.Bxf7 Qb6 35.Nxg6+ gives White an easy victory.
• 33.g3 Rd8 34.gxf4 Bxd5 35.Rxd5 f6 36.Nxg6+ also wins for Black.

BLACK: Alexander Grischuk
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WHITE: Sergey Karjakin
Position after 32...Ra8f8

33.Nxf7+!!

• The sacrifice turns out the lights.

33...R4xf7 34.Nxg6+ Kh7 35.Qxh5+

• The text wins faster than 35.Nxf8+ Nxf8 36.Qxh5+ Kg8 37.Bxf7+ Qxf7 38.Qxf7+ Kxf7.

35...Bh6 36.Bxf7 Rxf7 37.Rxd7 Rxd7 38.Nf8+ Kg7 39.Ne6+ 1-0

• White wins the Queen.
• Alexander Igorovich resigns.

Sergey Karjakin walking to the tournament hall with Ukrainian WIM Katya Dolzhikova
The couple were married in late July
ChessBase.com

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Grischuk - Shirov, Round 2

Alexander Grischuk
Photo: ChessBase.com


Alexander Grischuk - Alexei Shirov
2nd Grand Slam Masters, Round 2
Bilbao, 7 September 2009

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Meran Defense (Wade Variation)

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3

• If 8.Be2 Bb7 9.0-0 then:
• 9...a6 10.e4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.a4 b4 13.Ne4 then:
• 13...cxd4 14.Bg5 Qa5 15.Qxd4 h6 16.Bd2 Qb6 17.Nd6+ Bxd6 18.exd6 Qxd4 19.Nxd4 Nc5 20.Bf3 Kd7 21.Bxd5 draw (Piket-Haba, Bundesliga, Germany, 2001).
• 13...Qc7 14.Re1 h6 15.a5 Be7 16.b3 0-0 17.Bb2 Rac8 18.Bc4 Rfd8 19.dxc5 Nxc5 20.Nd6 Bxd6 21.exd6 Qxd6 22.Qd4 Qf8 23.Qg4 Nc3! gives Black a comfortable advantage in space (Schuurman-Tisser, Op, Gibraltar, 2007).
• If 13...h6 14.Nfd2 Be7 15.Nc4 0-0 16.Ncd6 Bxd6 17.Nxd6 Bc6 then:
• 18.a5 cxd4 19.Qxd4 f6 20.f4 Qc7 21.Bd2 Qa7 22.Qxa7 Rxa7 23.Rfc1 Nb8 24.Rc4 fxe5 25.fxe5 Bb5 26.Nxb5 axb5 27.Rc5 Black resigns as he must lose at least a pawn (Piket-Brenninkmeijer, Groningen, 1991).
• 18.Qd3 Qh4 19.f4 cxd4 20.Bd2 N7b6 21.a5 Nc8 22.Qxd4 Nxd6 23.exd6 Rfb8 24.Rfc1 Bb7 25.Bf3 gives White a considerable advantage in space (Comas-Nadera, Ol, Instanbul, 2000).
• If 9...Be7 10.e4 b4 11.e5 bxc3 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.bxc3 then:
• 13...c5 14.dxc5 0-0 15.Ba3 Be7 16.Qd4 Qc7 17.Rab1 then:
• 17...Rab8 18.c6 Bxa3 19.cxd7 Bc5 20.Qd3 Be7 21.Rfd1 Rfd8 22.Qe3 Rxd7 23.Rxd7 Qxd7 24.Ba6 Qc8 25.Qf4 gives White the advantage in space (Volkov-Khalifman, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2007).
• 17...Bc6 18.Qe3 Bxf3 19.Bxf3 Rab8 20.c6 Bxa3 21.cxd7 Qxd7 22.c4 Qe7 23.Rb5 Rxb5 24.cxb5 Rd8 is equal (Brynell-Carlsen, Bausdal, 2005).
• If 13...0-0 14.Rb1 Qc7 15.Bf4 Qxf4 16.Rxb7 Nb6 17.g3 Qf5 18.Bd3 then:
• 18...Qd5 19.Qe2 c5 20.Be4 Qd6 21.Qa6 cxd4 22.Nxd4 g6 23.a4 Bxd4 24.a5 Nc8 25.Bc6 draw (Comas-González, Team Trmt, Barcelona, 2003).
• 18...Qa5 19.Qc2 draw (Lputian-Anand, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).

8...Bb7

• Black is palying the Wade Variation. The main alternative is 8...a6.
• If 8...a6 then:
• If 9.e4 c5 then:
• If 10.e5 then:
• If 10...cxd4 11.Nxb5 axb5 12.exf6 then:
• If 12...gxf6 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 b4 15.Rd1 Bc5 then:
• 16.a4 bxa3 17.bxa3 Bb7 18.Be4 Ba6 19.Qe1 Rd8 20.Bd2 Qd6 21.Bb4 d3 22.Qc3 Qb6 23.Qd2 is equal (Hillarp Persson-Hector, IT, Malmø, 2004).
• 16.Bf4 h5 17.Rac1 Kf8 18.Bb5 Ra5 19.Nxd4 e5 20.Bxd7 Bxd7 21.Nb3 Bg4 is equal (Gómez-Korneev, Euro ChT, Fügen, 2006).
• 12...Qb6 13.fxg7 Bxg7 14.0-0 Bb7 15.Re1 0-0 16.Bf4 Bd5 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qh5+ Kg7 21.Qg5+ Kh7 draw (Nogueiras-Beliavsky, World Cup, Belfort, 1988).
• 10.d5 c4 11.dxe6 fxe6 12.Bc2 Qc7 13.0-0 Bb7 is the Reynolds Variation (see below).
• If 9.0-0 then:
• If 9...c5 then:
• If 10.a4 then:
• If 10...b4 11.Ne4 Bb7 12.Ned2 Be7 13.a5 0-0 then:
• If 14.Nc4 Qc7 15.Qe2 Ng4 16.e4 cxd4 17.h3 Nge5 18.Nfxe5 Nxe5 (Black has an extra pawn and a small advantage in space) 19.Bf4 Bd6 20.Bxe5 Bxe5 21.Nb6 Ra7 22.Rac1 Qd6 23.Rc4 then:
• 23...f5? 24.exf5 exf5 25.Re1 Qg6 26.f3 Re8 27.f4 Bxg2 28.Qxg2 Bc7 wins for White (Dr. Alekhine-Bogolyubov, World Ch Match, Baden-Baden, 1934).
• The opening of the K's file leads, owing to Black's multiple pawn weaknesses, to a rapid catastrophe (Alekhine); 23...Rd8 24.Re1 b3 25.g3 Qb8 26.f4 Bc7 maintains Black's advantage.
• 14.Qe2 Qc7 15.Rd1 Rfd8 16.Nc4 Be4 17.b3 cxd4 18.exd4 Bxd3 19.Rxd3 Nd5 is equal (Jakobsen-Khenkin, Op, Germany, 2001).
• 10.Qe2 Bb7 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Bd2 Bd6 13.Rac1 Qb6 14.Be1 0-0 15.Bb1 Rac8 16.e4 cxd4 17.Nxd4 Bb8 18.a3 Qc7 19.g3 Qb6 gives Black fewer pawn weaknesses (Brunoehler-Palme, German Ch, Bad Oeynhausen, 1941).
• 9...Bb7 10.e4 c5 11.d5 is the Reynolds Variation, (see note to Black's ninth move).

9.e4 b4

• If 9...a6 10.0-0 c5 then:
• If 11.d5 (White is playing the Reynolds Variation) 11...Qc7 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 c4 14.Qe2 Bd6 then:
• If 15.Ng5 Nc5 16.f4 h6 17.Nf3 Nd3 18.e5 Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Ng4 20.Bxd3 cxd3 21.Qxd3 Nf2+ wins the exchange for Black (Danner-Korchnoi, IT, Ostrava, 1994).
• 15.Nd4 Nc5 16.f4 e5 17.Nf5 0-0 18.Rd1 Nd3 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.Bxd3 cxd3 21.Rxd3 Qc7 22.f5 b4 23.Nd5 Nxd5 24.exd5 Rxf5 giving Black better placed heavy pieces (Koneru-Stellwagen, Corus B, 2008).
• If 11.e5 Nd5 12.Ng5 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Be7 then:
• 14.f4 Bxg5 15.fxg5 Nb6 16.Rf2 Na4 17.Qh5 g6 18.Qh6 Qd5 19.Bd2 0-0-0 20.Bf1 Rd7 21.Rc1 gives White the advantage in space and a more active game (Kozul-D. Gurevich, ITZ, Biel, 1993).
• 14.Ne4 Rc8 15.Qg4 Nxe5 16.Qxg7 Ng6 17.Nxc5 Bf8 18.Nxb7 Qe7 19.Nd6+ Qxd6 is equal (Dr. Alekhine-Grigorieff, SX, Geneva, 1925).

10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.0-0

• 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.0-0 h6 15.Nd2 0-0 16.Ne4 Bd4 17.Nd6 Bc6 18.Bh7+ Kxh7 19.Qxd4 f6 20.Bd2 Qd7 21.Rac1 a5 22.Qd3+ f5 23.Rc5 Ne7 24.Rfc1 gives White a tremendous advantage in space (Mamedyarov-Topalov, IT, Hoogeveen, 2006).

12...cxd4 13.Nxd4

• If 13.Re1 g6 14.Bg5 Qa5 then:
• If 15.Nxd4 a6 then:
• 16.Bd2 Qd8 17.Rc1 Bg7 18.Be4 Bxe5 19.Nf3 Bd6 20.Bh6 N7f6 21.Qd4 givwes Black an extra pawn and White more space (Morozevich-Anand, Amber Blind, Nice, 2008).
• 16.Rc1 Bg7 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Rxc6 0-0 19.Bc4 h6 20.Bxd5 Qxd5 21.Qxd5 exd5 22.Bf6 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Rae8 24.f4 f6 25.Nb6 fxe5 26.Nxd5 exf4 27.Rxe8 Rxe8 28.Rxg6 Kh7 29.Rxa6 Re2 30.Kf1 Rxb2 31.Nxf4 draw (Piket-Kramnik, Euwe Mem, Amsterdam, 1993).
• 16.a3 bxa3 17.bxa3 Bg7 18.Bd2 Qd8 19.Rb1 Rb8 20.Rxb7 Rxb7 21.Bxa6 Rc7 22.Ba5 0-0 23.Nc6 Qa8 24.Ne7+ Nxe7 25.Bxc7 Nd5 gives White the advantage in space and an extra pawn.(Bruzón-Domínguez, YM, Cuernavaca (Mexico), 2006).
• If 15.Nd2 Ba6 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.Bxc4 Bg7 then:
• If 18.Qxd4 Qxa4 19.Bxd5 exd5 20.Qxd5 Nb6 21.Qd6 Qd7 22.Qxb4 Bf8 23.Qh4 Bg7 24.Rad1 Qa4 25.Rd4 Qxa2 26.Be7 Qe6 27.Bb4 a5 28.Red1 f6 29.Bc5 then:
• 29...Rb8? 30.Rd6 Qxe5 31.Rxb6 Rxb6 32.Qa4+ Kf7 33.Qd7+ Kg8 34.Qc8+ Kf7 35.Rd7+ Ke6 36.Rd8+ Black resigns facing mate in two (I. Rajlich-Muir, Fisrt Saturday, Budapest, 2006.02).
• 29...Rc8 30.exf6 Bxf6 31.Qe4 Rc6 32.Bxb6 Bxd4 33.Qxd4 0-0 is equal.
• 18.a3 Nxe5 19.axb4 Nxb4 20.Nc3 Qb6 21.Qa4+ Kf8 22.Bb5 Nbd3 23.Bxd3 Nxd3 leaves Black up by two pawns (Kuligowski-Matlak, Polish ch, Wroslaw, 1987).

13...Be7 14.Re1 0-0 15.Qg4 Re8 16.Bb5

• If 16.Bh6 Bf8 then:
• If 17.Rad1 Qa5 18.Bb5 Rad8 19.Bg5 Be7 20.Nxe6 Qxb5 is equal (I. Sokolov-Predojevic, IT, Sarajevo, 2008).
• 17.Bg5 Be7 18.Bh6 Bf8 19.Bg5 draws.

16...Kh8 17.Bd2

• 17.Nc6 Bxc6 18.Bxc6 Rc8 19.Bb5 Rb8 20.Qe2 Qc7 21.Bd2 Red8 22.Bd3 Nf8 is equal (Suvrajit-Sriram, Indian Ch, Mumbai, 2003).

17...a6 18.Bc6 Qc7!?

• If 18...Bxc6 19.Nxc6 Qc7 20.Rac1 Qb7 21.Nxe7 Rxe7 22.b3 a5 23.Nb2 N7b6 24.Nc4 Nxc4 25.bxc4 then:
• 25...f5 26.Qh4 Nb6 27.Re3 Rf7 28.Rh3 gives White the initiative (Kramnik-Shirov, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
• 25...Nb6 26.Re3 Nd7 27.Rh3 Ree8 28.Bg5 Nxe5 29.Qh4 h6 30.Bf6 Black resigns (Tarasova-Baciu, Euro ChW, St. Petersburg, 2009).

BLACK: Alexei Shirov
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WHITE: Alexander Grischuk
Position after 18...Qd8c7

19.Rac1

• The game is equal.

19...Nxe5 20.Bxb7

• 20.Rxe5 Qxe5 21.Bxb7 f5 22.Qe2 Qxd4 23.Bxa8 Rxa8 remains equal.

20...Nxg4 21.Rxc7 Nxc7 22.Bxa8 Rxa8 23.Nc6 Nd5 24.Nxe7 Nxe7 25.Bxb4

• The game remains equal.
• 25.h3 Nf6 26.Bxb4 Ned5 27.Ba3 Rd8 28.Nc5 Rd6 also remains equal.

25...Nd5 26.Bd2 Rc8 27.Rc1 Rxc1+ 28.Bxc1 Ne5 29.Nc5 Nb4

• 29...a5 30.f4 Nc6 31.Bd2 Kg8 32.a4 remains equal.

30.b3 Nxa2!?

• While the pawn isn't really poisoned, it isn't part of a healthy diet, either.
• Better is 30...Ned3 31.Nxd3 Nxd3 32.Bd2 e5 33.Kf1 e4 with equality.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov
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WHITE: Alexander Grischuk
Position after 30...Nb4a2:p

31.Bb2!

• Harrassing the Knight is a very active move.

31...Nc6 32.Nxa6!

• Apart from taking a pawn, White has imprisoned Black's Knight at a2.

32...Kg8 33.Kf1 f6 34.Ke2 Nab4

• Exchanging Knights is Black's only way out of the problem, but now passed pawn looms large.

35.Nxb4 Nxb4 36.Ke3 Kf7 37.Kd4 Nc2+ 38.Kc5 Ne1!?

• 38...e5 39.Bc3 e4 40.b4 e3 41.fxe3 Nxe3 42.b5 wins for Black.

39.Kc6!

• The first thing this move does is to prevent the fork at d3. The other thing is that if the Knight captures on g2, that will give White two moves to advance the pawn before the Knight can return to the queenside, by which time the little fellow is under royal protection.

39...Nxg2?

• This gives White a big head start in advancing the pawn.
• Black would have done better to leave the kingside pawns be and use the Knight to stop the passer, but White still has the advantage after 39...Nc2 40.Bc3 e5 41.Kd5 Na3 42.Kc5 Nb1 43.Be1.

40.b4!

• Time to roll.

40...Nf4 41.b5 Nd5 42.Kd6

• The immediate 42.Bd4 is more direct.

42...Kg6 43.Bd4 Kg5

BLACK: Alexei Shirov
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WHITE: Alexander Grischuk
Position after 43...Kg6g5

44.b6!

• Black can only stop the pawn by sacrificing his Knight. This is not a good sign.

44...Nxb6 45.Bxb6 e5 46.Ke6 e4 47.Kf7 f5 48.Kxg7 h5

• Black's pawn can make little progress.

49.Kf7 f4 50.Ke6 Kg4 51.Ke5 Kf3 52.h4! 1-0

• Zugzwang! Black is out of reserve pawn tempi.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov
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WHITE: Alexander Grischuk
Final Position after 52.h2h4

• 52...e3 then after 53.fxe3 fxe3 54.Kf5 e2 55.Ba5 Kg3 56.Kg5 White wins.
• El señor Shirov resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Russian Champion Higher League, Ulan-Ude

Odigitrievsky Cathedral, Ulan-Ude, Buryat Republic (Russia)
Photo: Wikipedia

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Tomashevsky - Sjugirov, Round 6

Evgeny Tomashevsky
Photo: Official Website of the 10th European Individual Chess Championship


Evgeny Tomashevky - Sanan Sjugirov
Russian Championship Higher League, Round 6
Ulan-Ude, 7 September 2009

English Game: Agincourt Defense

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 dxc4 4.Bg2 Nd7 5.0-0

• If 5.Qa4 Ngf6 6.Qxc4 c5 7.0-0 b6 then:
• If 8.d4 Bb7 9.Nc3 then:
• If 9...Rc8 10.Bg5 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 0-0 then:
• 13.Rfd1 Qe8 14.Ne5 Bxg2 15.Nxd7 Nxd7 16.Kxg2 f6 is equal (Leski-Christiansen, IT, San Francisco, 1987).
• 13.Rad1 Qe8 14.e4 h6 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Qxh6 Nh7 is equal (Andreikin-Vitiugov, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).
• 9...a6 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.Qa4+ Nd7 14.Rfd1 b5 15.Qf4 g5 16.Qd2 Qe7 17.Rac1 Rd8 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Qd3 Nf6 20.Ne5 0-0 draw (Andersson-Tal, IT, Bugojno, 1980).
• If 8.b3 Bb7 9.Bb2 Be7 10.d3 0-0 11.Nbd2 a6 12.Rad1 b5 13.Qc1 then:
• 13...Rc8 14.Qa1 Qb6 15.Ne5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Rfd8 18.Nf3 Ne8 19.Bc3 Bf6 20.Rc1 Rd7 draw (Taimanov-Marjanovic, IT, Titograd, 1984).
• 13...Nd5 14.a3 Bf6 15.Bxf6 N5xf6 16.Qb2 Rc8 17.Rc1 Qe7 18.Rc2 Rc7 19.Rfc1 Rfc8 20.e4 Nb6 is equal (Meshkov-Desanjose, IBCA Euro Ch, Durham, 2007).

5...Ngf6 6.Qc2 a6 7.a4 Nc5!?

• If 7...Rb8 then:
• 8.Na3 Bxa3 9.Rxa3 b5 10.axb5 axb5 11.d3 Bb7 12.dxc4 Be4 13.Qb3 bxc4 14.Qxc4 0-0 15.Ra7 c5 16.Ne1 Qb6 gives Black a slight initiative (J. Nikolac-Unzicker, Op, Almada, 1988).
• 8.a5 c5 9.Qxc4 b5 10.axb6 Nxb6 11.Qc2 Bb7 12.b3 Be7 13.Bb2 0-0 14.Ng5 Nbd5 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Bxb7 Rxb7 17.Nc3 h6 is equal (Suba-Ioseliani, Op, Baden-Baden, 1988).

8.Na3

• Black has an extra pawn and a modest edge in space.

8...Nb3

• If 8...b5 9.axb5 axb5 10.Ne5 Nd5 then:
• 11.Nc6 Qf6 12.e4 Nb6 13.e5 Qg6 14.Qxg6 hxg6 Black continues to enjoy an extra pawn.
• 11.Rb1 Bd6 12.d4 cxd3 13.Nxd3 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 b4 Black remains a pawn to the good.

9.Rb1 Bxa3 10.bxa3 b5

• 10...Na5 11.Ne5 Nd5 12.Nxc4 Nxc4 13.Qxc4 0-0 is equal.

11.Bb2 Bb7 12.d3 0-0

• If 12...Bd5? 13.axb5 axb5 14.dxc4 then:
• 14...bxc4 15.Rfd1 Ra4 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.e4 Bb7 18.Nd2 0-0 19.Nxc4 leaves Black's advanced pieces hanging on the queenside, waiting to be captured.
• If 14...Bxc4 15.Ne5 Rc8 16.Rfd1 then:
• 16...Qe7 17.Nxc4 bxc4 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.Bc6+ wins for White.
• 16...Nd5 17.Nxc4 bxc4 18.Bxg7 Rg8 19.Qxh7 wins for White.

13.axb5 axb5 14.dxc4 bxc4 15.Rbd1 Be4 16.Qxc4

• The game is equal.

16...Na5 17.Qb4 Bd5 18.Nh4!?

• A Knight on the rim is grim. White surrenders his spatial advantage.
• 18.Rfe1 Ne4 19.Nh4 f5 20.Qd4 Nf6 21.Qe5 maintains White's advantage in space.

18...c5!

• Black seizes the initiative.
• 18...Nc4 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.e4 c5 21.Qxc5 Rfc8 22.Qd4 gives White the initiative.

19.Qc3 Qb8?

• Black proposes a pawn sacrifice.
• 19...Qb6 20.e4 Bc4 21.Rfe1 Bb3 22.Rd3 c4 23.Rd2 is equal.

BLACK: Sanan Sjugirov
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WHITE: Evgeny Tomashevsky
Position after 19...Qd8b8

20.Bxd5!

• White takes the pawn.
• If 20.e4 Bb3 21.Rb1 then:
• 21...c4 22.e5 Nd5 23.Bxd5 exd5 24.e6 f6 25.Nf5 gives White more freedom.
• 21...Rc8 22.Rfc1 Nc6 23.Qd2 c4 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Rxc4 gives White a clear tactical advantage.

20...exd5 21.Rxd5 Nc4

• If 21...Nb3 then:
• 22.Re1 22...Re8 23.e4 Re6 24.Nf5 Ra4 25.f3 gives White more activity.
• 22...Rxa3 23.Rxc5 Ra6 24.Rc4 Rd8 25.Nf5 gives White a strong position with excellent winning chances.

22.Ba1 Rxa3

• 22...Nd6 23.Nf5 Nde4 24.Qe3 c4 25.Bxf6 Nxf6 26.Qg5 leaves White a pawn to the good with mating threats.

23.Qxc4 Nxd5 24.Qxd5 Qa8 25.Qd1 f6

• This move neither attacks nor defends.
• 25...Qe4 26.Qd2 Rfa8 27.Bc3 h6 28.f3 Qc4 29.Rc1 leaves White with two minor pieces against a Rook and little else in the way of an edge.

BLACK: Sanan Sjugirov
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WHITE: Evgeny Tomashevsky
Position after 25...f7f6

26.Nf5!

• Black goes for the jugular.

26...c4

• Black puts up a stiffer resistance after 26...Kh8 27.e3 Rd8 28.Qg4 Rd7 29.Bb2.
• If 26...Rd8 then after 27.Qc1 Qa4 28.Bxf6 gxf6 29.Qh6 Rd7 30.Qxf6 Black is toast.

27.Qd4 Kh8 28.Bc3 Ra4 29.e4 Qc6 30.e5 Raa8 31.Qg4 1-0

• 31...Ra7 32.exf6 gxf6 33.Rd1 Raf7 34.Qg5 crushes Black.
• Grandmaster Sjugirov resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Borachov - Khrismatullin, Round 9

Denis Khrismatullin
Photo: ChessBase.com


Dmitry Borachov - Denis Khrismatullin
Russian Championship Higher League, Round 9
Ulan=Ude, 11 September 2009

East Indian Game: Nimzo-Indian Defense (Rubinstein Opening)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3

• If 5.Nge2 d5 6.a3 then:
• If 6...Bd6 7.c5 Be7 8.b4 then:
• If 8...Nbd7 then:
• 9.Ng3 a5 10.b5 e5 11.Be2 exd4 12.exd4 Re8 13.0-0 b6 14.c6! Nf8 15.f4 Ne6 16.Kh1 Ne4 17.Ncxe4 dxe4 18.Be3 Bf6 19.f5!! Nxd4 20.Bc4 gives White the initiative (Milov-Kotronias, Op, Gibraltar, 2009).
• 9.g3 e5 10.Bg2 e4 11.f3 exf3 12.Bxf3 c6 13.0-0 Re8 14.Nf4 Nf8 15.Ra2 Ne6 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.g4 Ne4 18.Bxe4 dxe4 19.Rg2 Bc4 20.Rf4 is equal (D. Gurevich-Dzindzichashvili, IT, Fort Worth, 1986).
• 9.Bd2 e5 10.Ng3 Re8 11.Be2 Bf8 12.0-0 g6 13.b5 Bg7 14.Qb3 c6 15.Rfe1 Nf8 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Qa4 Qc7 18.dxe5 Rxe5 19.Bf3 N6d7 gives White more space, but Black has a target in the weak pawn at c5 (Kharlov-Landa, EU Inet Ch, Cyberspace, 2004).
• If 8...b6 9.Nf4 then:
• If 9...c6 10.Nd3 Nbd7 11.Bd2 a5 12.Be2 Ba6 13.0-0 Qc7 14.cxb6 Nxb6 15.bxa5 Nc4 16.Nb4 is equal (Volkov-Khairullin, Russian Ch, Moscow, 2006).
• 9...a5 10.Bd2 c6 11.Be2 Ba6 12.Nd3 Nfd7 13.f4 Bc4 14.0-0 Na6 15.Rb1 axb4 16.axb4 Nc7 17.Qc2 Nb5 18.Nxb5 draw (Jacimovic-Thorfinnsson, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).
• If 6...Be7 7.cxd5 then:
• If 7...exd5 8.g3 c6 9.Bg2 then:
• 9...a5 10.0-0 Na6 11.Bd2 Re8 12.Qc2 Bf8 13.Rad1 b5 14.Na2 Bd7 15.f3 c5 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Nd4 Qb6 18.Qd3 Bf8 is equal (Kharlov-Poluljahov. Russian Ch, Krasnodar, 2002).
• 9...Na6 10.0-0 Nc7 11.b4 a5 12.bxa5 Rxa5 13.Bb2 Nce8 14.f3 Bd6 gives Black an advantage in space Ayupov-Najer, Russian Cup, Togliatty, 2001).
• 9...Bf5 10.0-0 Re8 11.f3 Bd6 12.e4 dxe4 13.fxe4 Bxe4 14.Rxf6 Bxg2 15.Rxd6 Qxd6 16.Kxg2 is equal (Evans-Maccioni, Ol, Dubrovnik, 1950).
• If 7...Nxd5 then:
• 8.Qc2 Nd7 9.Bd2 N5f6 10.g3 e5 11.Bg2 exd4 12.Nxd4 Ne5 13.0-0 c5 14.Nde2 Qd3 15.Qxd3 Nxd3 16.Nf4 Nxb2 17.Rfc1 Rd8 18.Ncd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Bf8 gives Black an extra pawn (Knoll-Santagata, Cyberspace, 2004).
• 8.g3 Nxc3 9.Nxc3 c5 10.d5 exd5 11.Nxd5 Nc6 12.Bg2 Be6 13.0-0 Rc8 14.b3 Bf6 15.Ra2 Bxd5 16.Bxd5 b5 17.Rd2 Qb6 18.Qh5 Na5 is equal (Romanov-Xie, World Jr Ch, Istanbul, 2005).

5...c5 6.Nge2

• If 6.Nf3 d5 7.0-0 then:
• If 7...Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 then:
• If 9...dxc410.Bxc4 Qc7 then:
• If 11.Bd3 e5 12.Qc2 Re8 13.e4 c4 14.Bxc4 exd4 15.cxd4 Na5 16.Bd3 Qxc2 17.Bxc2 Nxe4 18.Re1 Bf5 19.Bf4 Nd6 20.Ba4 b5 21.Bxd6 bxa4 22.Re5 Rxe5 23.dxe5 Nb3 24.Re1 Rc8 25.h3 h6 26.Re3 Rc1+ 27.Kh2 Rc4 28.g4 Be4 29.Kg3 Bd5 30.Nh2 Nd4 then:
• 31.Nf1? Rc1! 32.Nd2 Rg1+ 33.Kh4 Ne6 White resigns as after 34.Nf3 g5+ he must either lose material or submit to checkmate (Donner-Larsen, Match, The Hague, 1958).
• 31.h4 Nc2 32.Rd3 Be4 33.Rd1 Rc3+ 34.Kf4 is equal.
• If 11.Bb2 e5 12.h3 then:
• 12...Bf5 13.Qe2 Rad8 14.Ba2 Rfe8 15.d5 Rxd5 16.Bxd5 Nxd5 17.Rfd1 Nb6 18.a4 gives White the material edge (Kasimdzhanov-Alekseev, Grand Prix, Elista, 2008).
• 12...e4 13.Nd2 Na5 14.Ba2 c4 15.f3 Bxh3 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qg3 18.Qf3 Qxf3 19.Rxf3 Bg4 20.Rf4 Be2 21.e5 b5 portends some trouble for White in activating his Bishops (Cherepkov-Tseshkovsky, Soviet Ch, Alma Ata, 1968).
• If 9...Qc7 10.cxd5 exd5 then:
• 11.a4 Re8 12.Ba3 c4 13.Bc2 Ne4 14.Bxe4 Rxe4 15.Nd2 Re8 16.e4 Be6 17.Re1 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Bd5 19.Nd6 Red8 20.Nf5 Be6 21.Ne3 f5 22.Qf3 Qa5 23.Rec1 Rac8 24.Qg3 Qc7 draw (Gligoric-Komarov, Yugoslav ChT, Vrnjacka Banja, 1998).
• 11.Nh4 Ne7 12.g3 Bh3 13.Re1 Ng6 14.Ng2 Qd7 15.f3 Bf5 16.Bf1 h5 17.Ra2 Rac8 18.Rb2 Rc7 draw (Nowak-Balashov, Op, Berlin, 1988).
• If 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 then:
• If 9.Qe2 b6 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.exd4 Bb7 then:
• 12.Bd3 Rc8 13.Bd2 Be7 14.Rac1 Nd5 15.Ba6 Nxc3 16.Bxc3 Bxa6 17.Qxa6 Rc7 18.d5 exd5 19.Rxd5 Bf6 20.Qd3 gives White the advantage in space (Smyslov-Darga, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 1964).
• 12.d5 Bxc3 13.dxe6 Bxf3 14.gxf3 fxe6 15.bxc3 Qc7 16.Bxe6+ Kh8 17.Be3 Nc5 18.Bd5 Nxd5 19.Rxd5 Ne6 20.Qd3 Nf4 21.Bxf4 Qxf4 22.Kg2 Rad8 23.Re1 Rxd5 24.Qxd5 Qf6 25.Re5 Qg6+ draw (Gligoric-Unzicker, Ol, Leipzig, 1960).
• If 9.a3 cxd4 10.axb4 dxc3 11.bxc3 Qc7 then:
• 12.Qb3 Nb6 13.Be2 e5 14.Ra5 Be6 15.Qc2 Nbd7 16.c4 b6 17.Ra6 Rfc8 18.Nd2 Qb7 19.b5 Nc5 20.Ra1 a6 21.bxa6 Rxa6 22.Bb2 Rxa1 23.Rxa1 Nfd7 24.Bc3 Ra8 is equal (Kasimdzhanov-Nielsen, Bundesliga 0304, Germany, 2003).
• 12.Be2 Nd5 13.c4 Nc3 14.Qc2 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 b6 16.Bb2 Bb7 17.Rfd1 Rfd8 18.Nh4 Nf8 19.Rxd8 Qxd8 20.Qg4 f6 21.b5 Qe7 22.h3 Qf7 23.Ba3 is equal (M. Gurevich-Nielsen, Ol, Torino, 2006).

6...d5 7.cxd5

• If 7.0-0 then:
• If 7...Nc6 then:
• If 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 cxd4 10.exd4 Bd6 then:
• 11.h3 h6 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Qd3 Be6 14.Be3 Ne7 15.Ng3 Ng6 16.Nf5 Bc7 17.Ng3 a6 18.Rfe1 Qd6 19.Bd2 Nh5 20.Nce2 Nf6 21.Nc3 Nh5 22.Ra2 draw (Korchnoi-Pinter, IT, Haninge, 1988).
• 11.f3 h6 12.Kh1 Nh5 13.Qe1 f5 14.Nxd5 Bxh2 15.Kxh2 Qxd5 16.Qh4 f4 17.Bg6 Qe6 18.Qxh5 Qxe2 19.Bxf4 Rxf4 20.Rfe1 Qc4 21.Re8+ Rf8 22.Rc1 Bg4 23.Rxc4 Bxh5 24.Rxa8 Rxa8 25.Bxh5 Rd8 26.Kg3 Kf8 27.d5 Rxd5 28.Rf4+ Ke7 draw (Tal-Sax, ITZ, Subotica, 1987).
• If 8.a3 then:
• If 8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 11.Bb2 then:
• 11...Qc7 12.Ba2 Rd8 13.Qc2 Bg4 14.Rad1 e4 15.f3 exf3 16.gxf3 Be6 17.c4 cxd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Ne8 20.Rc1 draw (Chandler-Kavalek, West German Ch, Bochum, 1981).
• 11...Qe7 12.Qc2 Be6 13.Bxe6 Qxe6 14.c4 exd4 15.exd4 Rfe8 16.Nf4 Qe4 17.Qxe4 Rxe4 18.Nd3 cxd4 gives Black an extra pawn (Saidy-Savon, City Op, Moscow, 1990).
• 8...cxd4 9.exd4 Be7 10.c5 e5 11.b4 exd4 12.Nb5 a5 13.Rb1 axb4 14.axb4 Ne4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Nexd4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 Bf6 18.Be3 Ra3 is equal (Glek-Schlosser, Op, Budapest, 1989).
• If 7...cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 then:
• 9...Nc6 10.a3 Be7 11.Qd3 a6 12.Bg5 b5 13.Ba2 b4 14.Bb1 g6 15.axb4 Nxb4 16.Qf3 Bd7 17.Rd1 Bc6 18.Qh3 Re8 19.Bh6 a5 20.Bf4 Nbd5 21.Be5 Qb6 is equal (Sulypa-Haba, Op, Swidnica, 2000).
• 9...Nbd7 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Rc1 Nb6 12.Bb3 Bd7 13.Qd3 Bc6 14.Rfe1 Nbd5 15.Nf4 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Nd5 17.Bxe7 Nxf4 18.Qg3 Qxe7 19.Qxf4 Rad8 is equal (Teske-Kveinys, Bundesliga 0708, Tegernsee, 2008).

7...cxd4 8.exd4 Nxd5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.a3

• 10.Bc2 Re8 11.Qd3 g6 12.Rd1 Bf8 13.Qf3 Bg7 14.Be4 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bd7 16.Rb1 Qc7 17.Bg5 gives White the advantage in space (Fedorowicz-Whitehead, US Ch, Estes Park, 1987).

10...Nxc3

• 10...Be7 11.Bc2 b6 12.Qd3 g6 13.Bh6 Re8 14.Rad1 Bb7 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Nf4 Qd6 17.d5 Ne5 18.Qb3 exd5 19.Nxd5 Bh4 20.Qh3 gives White the adva0ntage in space (Lefebvre-Muller, French ChT, Mulhouse, 2001).

11.bxc3 Bd6 12.c4

• 12.Qc2 g6 13.Ng3 b6 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Bb2 Bb7 16.Rad1 Rc8 is equal (Polak-Haba, IT, Zlin, 1995).

12...b6

• The game is equal.

13.Bb2 Bb7 14.Rc1 Rc8 15.f4

• 15.c5 Bc7 16.f4 bxc5 17.dxc5 Rb8 remains equal.

15...Na5 16.d5?

• As always, the opening of the center benefits the better developed side. The problem with this move is that White isn't the better developed side.
• 16.Rc3 Qd7 17.Qc2 h6 18.f5 remains equal.

16...exd5 17.Ng3

• 17.cxd5 Bc5+ 18.Rxc5 Rxc5 wins the exchange.

BLACK: Denis Khristmatullin
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WHITE: Dmitry Borachov
Position after 17.Ne2g3

17...Nxc4!

• Black pounces on the oppostunity like a cat on a helpless mouse.

18.Bxg7

• If 18.Bxc4 Rxc4 then:
• 19.Qg4 g6 20.Nf5 Bc5+ 21.Kh1 Re8 22.Qh3 Re2 gives Black a winning attack.
• 19.Rxc4 dxc4 20.Qg4 g6 21.Rd1 Bc5+ leaves Black two pawns to the good.

18...Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Ne3! 20.Qh5 Kxg7!

• If 20...Nxf1?? leads to the catastrophic rejoinder 21.Qxh7#.

21.Qxh7+ Kf6 22.Qh6+ Ke7 23.Rfe1 d4! 24.Nf5+ Kd7 25.Rxc5

• If 25.Nxe3 dxe3 26.Bf5+ Kc7 27.Bxc8 Kxc8 then:
• 28.Rcd1 Qe7 29.Re2 Rd8 30.Qh3+ Kb8 wins for Black.
]
• If 28.Qh3+ Kb8 29.Rxc5 bxc5 30.Qxe3 Rg8.

25...Bxg2+

• If 25...Rxc5? then 26.Qd6+! Kc8 27.Ne7+ Qxe7 28.Qxe7 levels the game.

26.Kg1 Rxc5 27.Rxe3

• 27.Qd6+ Kc8 28.Ba6+ Bb7 29.Ne7+ Qxe7 wins in a way similar to the text.

27...dxe3 28.Qd6+ Kc8 29.Ba6+ Bb7 30.Ne7+ Qxe7!! 0-1

• A cool Queen sacrifice ends the game.

BLACK: Denis Khristmatullin
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WHITE: Dmitry Borachov
Final Position after 30...Qd8e7:N

• 31.Qxe7 Rg8+ 32.Kf1 Bxa6+ 33.Ke1 Rc1#.
• Grandmaster Bocharov resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Nepomniachtchi - Zvjaginsev, Round 6

Vadim Zvjaginsev
Photo by Stefan64 Wikipedia


Ian Nepomniachtchi - Vadim Zvjaginsev
Russian Championship Higher League, Round 8
Ulan=Ude, 10 September 2009

Open Sicilian Game: Taimanov Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bd7 6.Bc4 e6 7.Qe2

• If 7.Be3 Nc6 then:
• 8.Qe2 Be7 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.Bb3 Rc8 11.Rhg1 Na5 12.f3 Nxb3+ 13.axb3 Qa5 14.Kb1 e5 15.Ndb5 Rc6 16.Qd2 Ra6 gives the initiative against White's King position (Sengupta-Greenfeld, Op, Gibraltar, 2007).
• If 8.Bb3 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.f4 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 then:
• If 12.Qd3 b5 then:
• 13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nd7 15.Ne4 Bxe4 16.Qxe4 Nc5 is equal (Christiansen-Yermolinsky, US Ch, Seattle, 2000).
• 13.a3 a5 14.Rae1 b4 15.axb4 axb4 16.Nd1 Nd7 17.f5 e5 18.Bf2 Nc5 gives Black the advantage in space and the initiative (Christiansen-Yermolinsky, US Ch, Seattle, 2002).
• If 12.Qe2 b5 13.Nxb5 Bxb5 14.Qxb5 Nxe4 15.f5 then:
• If 15...e5 16.Be3 Bg5 17.Qe2 Bxe3+ 18.Qxe3 Nf6 19.Rad1 Qc7 then:
• 20.Rd2 a5 21.a4 Rab8 22.h3 h6 23.Rfd1 Rfd8 is equal (Krivtsiv-C. Balogh, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 20.h3 a5 21.a4 Rab8 22.Rf2 Qb6 23.Re2 Rfc8 24.g4 draw (Chandler-Rachels, ITZ, Manila, 1990).
• 15...Bf6 16.Qd3 d5 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.c4 dxc4 19.Qxd8 Rfxd8 20.Bxc4 e5 is equal (Fischer-R. Weinstein, US Ch, New York, 1958).

7...Be7 8.Be3 a6 9.Bb3 b5

• 9...Nc6 10.0-0-0 Qc7 11.g4 Nxd4 12.Rxd4 Bc6 13.g5 Nd7 14.f4 Nc5 15.Rf1 0-0 16.f5 Rfc8 is equal (Vasilevich-Dzagnidze, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).

10.f3 0-0 11.g4!?

• 11.0-0-0 b4 12.Nb1 Qc7 13.Qc4 Qb7 14.g4 d5 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Qe2 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Nc6 Black's Bishop pair will serve him better in the open center than will White's minor pieces (Khomenko-Karjakin, Ukrainian ChT, Alushta, 2000).

11...b4

• The game is equal.

12.Nd1 Nc6 13.Nf2 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bb5 15.Qd2 a5 16.c3 bxc3!?

• 16...d5! 17.Rd1 Rc8 18.g5 Nd7 19.f4 dxe4 gives Black an extra pawn.

17.Bxc3

• The game is now equal.

17...Nd7

• 17...a4 18.Bc2 Bc4 19.g5 Ne8 20.f4 d5 21.Ng4 remains equal.

18.a4!?

• White's strength is on the kingside. He should play there.
• 18.f4 Nc5 19.Bc2 Bc6 20.Rd1 Qb6 21.g5 Rfc8 remains equal.

18...Ba6 19.Bd1

• 19.Bxa5 Qb8 20.Bd1 Ne5 21.Bc3 Nc4! gives Black the advantage in space and the initiative.

19...Bf6?!

• Better for Black is to pressure White's kingside rather than offer to exchange dark-bound Bishops.
• After 19...Bb7! 20.Rc1 d5 21.exd5 Bxd5 22.0-0 Bf6 Black is attacking White's weakness at f3.

20.Bxa5!

• White seizes the initiative.

20...Qe7 21.Rc1

• 21.f4 Bh4 22.b4 Bb7 23.Bf3 f5 24.0-0 Nf6 25.Rac1 is equal.

21...Ne5

• 21...Rfc8!? 22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 23.f4 is equal.

22.g5?

• Black sets up a pawn fork.
• Better is 22.Rc7! Qe8 23.Qxd6 Nc4 24.Rxc4 Bxc4 25.Bb4 when White threatens exchanges on f8 that will leave him two pawns to the goiod.

BLACK: Vadim Zvjaginsev
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WHITE: Ian Nepomniachtci
Position after 22.g4g5

22...Bxg5 23.f4 Bh6!

• White's tactics backfire. The pawn is pinned and cannot safely take the Knight.

24.Qe3 Ng6 25.Rc7 Nxf4 26.Qg3

• 26.Rg1 Qxc7 27.Bxc7 Ng2+! 28.Rxg2 Bxe3 leaves Black an exchange to the good.
• 26.Rxe7?? Ng2+! 27.Kd2 Bxe3+ wins for Black.

26...Qg5 27.Qxg5 Bxg5 28.Rg1 Bh4 29.Rg3

• White has nothing to lose by making this move.
• 29.Bc3 Bxf2+ 30.Kxf2 Nh3+ wins the exchange.

BLACK: Vadim Zvjaginsev
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WHITE: Ian Nepomniachtci
Position after 29.Rg1g3

29...Rfc8!

• Before taking the exchange, Black prunes the board of material.

30.Rxc8+ Rxc8 31.Kd2

• The loss of the exchange is forced.
• If 31.Rf3? then after 31...Ng2+! 32.Kd2 Bg5+ Black mates on the next move.

31...Bxg3 32.hxg3 Ng6

• Black emerges from the combination with a decisive material advantage.

33.Ng4

• Black gets more stubborn resistance from 33.Bc3 f5 34.b4 Bc4 35.exf5 exf5 36.Bc2.

33...Bb7 34.Bc2 h5 35.Ne3 Ne5 36.Bc3 g5

• 36...Nf3+ 37.Ke2 Ng5 38.e5 dxe5 wins another pawn.

37.Ke2

• If 37.b4 h4 38.Bxe5 then:
• If 38...h3!! 39.Ng4 dxe5 40.b5 Kg7 41.a5 f5 then:
• 42.exf5 exf5 43.Bxf5 Rf8 44.Be6 h2 45.Nxh2 Rf2+ wins the Knight.
• If 42.Nf2 h2 43.exf5 exf5 44.Bxf5 Rb8 then:
• 45.g4 45...Bg2 46.b6 Ra8 47.Bd3 Rxa5 is an easy wins for Black,
• 45.Kc3 Kf6 46.g4 Ke7 47.Kc4 Kd6 wins for Black.
• 38...dxe5 39.gxh4 gxh4 40.Ng4 h3 41.b5 Rc5 wins for Black.

37...Kf8 38.Kf2 Ke7 39.a5 Ba6 40.Bd1

• If 40.Kg2 then Black wins after 40...Bd3 41.Bxd3 Nxd3 42.Kf3 g4+ 43.Ke2 Nc1+.

BLACK: Vadim Zvjaginsev
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WHITE: Ian Nepomniachtci
Position after 40.Bc2d1

40...h4!

• Black theatens to push his h-pawn supported by pieces.

41.gxh4 gxh4 42.Ng4

• 42.Kg2 then after 42...Rg8+ 43.Kh2 Rg3 44.Ng2 Ng4+ Black wins in a walk.

42...Nxg4+ 43.Bxg4 Rg8 44.Bh3 e5 45.Bd2

• If 45.Be1 Rg3 46.Bg2 Bb7 then:
• 47.b4 f5 48.b5 Bxe4 49.Bxe4 fxe4 50.a6 Rg8 wins easily for Black.
• 47.Bb4 Rb3 48.Bc3 d5 49.exd5 Kd6 also wins for Black.

45...Bc8 46.Bg5+ f6 47.Bxc8 Rxc8 48.Bxh4 Rc2+ 0-1

• 49.Ke3 Rxb2 50.Be1 Rb3+ 51.Ke2 Ke6 wins for Black.
• Nepomniachtchi resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Fourth Kolkata Open

Kolkata
Photo by Hopelessxl, Wikipedia

[Jack Rabbit]

13. Le Quang Liem - Hossain, Round 6

Le Quang Liem
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


Le Quang Liem - Enamul Hossain
4th Open Tournament, Round 6
Kokata, 6 Spetember 2009

West India Game: King's Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7

• For a survey of this opening and moves up to here, see Ivanchuk-Grischuk, Grand Prix, Nalchik, 2009.

9.Ne1

• If 9.b4 then:
• If 9...Nh5 then:
• If 10.c5 Nf4 11.Bxf4 exf4 12.Rc1 h6 then:
• If 13.Nd4 then:
• If 13...a6 14.h3 Kh8 15.Qd2 Ng8 16.Rd1 Whaite has the advantage in space and a more imposing center (Ivanchuk-Grischuk, Grand Prix, Nalchik, 2009).
• If 13...g5 14.Bh5 then:
• 14...c6 15.Nb3 cxd5 16.exd5 a5 17.Nb5 a4 18.Na5 dxc5 19.d6 gives White the initiative (Bekiavsky-Romero, IT, Leon, 1994).
• 14...Kh8 15.Re1 Ng8 16.h3 Nf6 17.Bf3 Re8 18.cxd6 cxd6 19.Ncb5 Re7 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 is equal (S, Ivanov-I. Smirin, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2003).
• 13.h3 g5 14.a4 Ng6 15.a5 Re8 16.Nd2 f5 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.Nb5 Bb2 20.Rc4 is equal (Sosonko-van Wely, Dutch Ch, Hilversum, 1995).
• If 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.Bf3 c6 then:
• 13.Be3 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 fxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 d5 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Bc2 b6 20.Qg4 e4 21.Rad1 Qc7 22.Bb3 Rad8 draw (Nyback-Radjabov, Euro ChT, Plovdiv, 2003).
• 13.Bb2 cxd5 14.cxd5 fxe4 15.Ngxe4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Nf5 17.Rc1 Bd7 18.Qb3 Bh6 19.Rc6 bxc6 20.dxc6+ Kh8 21.cxd7 Qxd7 22.Nf6 gives White compensation for the sacrificed exchange (Laznicka-G. Jones, Euro ChT, Crete, 2007).
• If 10.g3 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 then:
• 12...f4 13.b5 fxg3 14.hxg3 Nh5 15.Kf2 Nf4 16.gxf4 exf4 17.Qd3 gives White the advantage in space (van Wely-Dyachkov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
• If 12...c6 13.b5 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 then:
• 15...Ne8 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Ba3 c5 18.Qa4 Nc7 19.Qd7 Qxd7 20.exd7 Nc6 21.Bd1 f4 22.Ba4 Nd4 23.Kg2 Bf6 24.Bc1 gives White the advantage in space and an advanced passer under protection (van Wely-Lenz, Op, Munich, 1992).
• 15...c5 16.Nd5 Ne8 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Rb1 Nc7 19.Nxc7 Qxc7 20.g4 Rf6 21.gxf5 Nxf5 Black must win the e-pawn (W. Schmidt-Antoniewski, Polish ChT, Suwalki, 1999).
• If 9...a5 10.Ba3 then:
• If 10...axb4 11.Bxb4 Nd7 12.a4 Bh6 13.a5 f5 14.Nd2 then:
• If 14...Nf6 15.c5 Bxd2 16.Qxd2 then:
• If 16...fxe4 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Nb5 Nf5 19.Rac1 Rf7 20.g4 Nd4 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Qxd4 Bxg4 23.Bxg4 Nxg4 24.Qxe4 Nxf2 25.Qe3 is equal (Kobalia-Ulko, Aeroflot Open, Moscow, 2002).
• 16...Nxe4 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.Bc3 Nf5 19.Ra4 e3 20.fxe3 Bd7 21.Raa1 Qg5 22.e4 Qxd2 23.Bxd2 Nd4 24.Bc4 gives White a small advantage in space (Savina-Bodnaruk, Russian ChU20W, St. Petersburg, 2008).
• 14...Kh8 15.Bd3 Ng8 16.Qc2 Rf7 17.Na4 fxe4 18.Nxe4 Ndf6 19.Nac3 Bf5 20.Ng3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Qf8 22.Rab1 Qc8 23.Rb3 Qg4 24.f3 Qd4+ 25.Qxd4 exd4 26.Nd1 Bg7 27.Bd2 gives White the advantage in space (Pelletier-Renet, EU ChT, Pula, 1997).
• 10...b6 11.bxa5 Nh5 12.Re1 f5 13.Bb4 bxa5 14.Ba3 Nf4 15.Bf1 fxe4 16.Nd2 Nd3 17.Bxd3 exd3 18.Nde4 Nf5 19.Qxd3 Nd4 20.Nb5 Rb8 21.Bc1 Bf5 22.a4 is equal (Borsuk-Schoene, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• If 9...Ne8 10.c5 f5 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 then:
• 14.a4 Ng6 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.b5 Bf8 17.b6 dxc5 18.bxc7 Rxc7 19.Nb5 Rg7 20.d6 Be6 21.Bb2 Ne8 22.Nxe5 a6 23.d7 Nf6 24.Nxg6 hxg6 is equal (Rasmussen-P. H. Nielsen, Politiken Cup, Helsignor, 2007).
• If 14.Ba3 Ng6 15.b5 then:
• 15...Ne8 16.b6 axb6 17.cxb6 cxb6 18.Qb3 h5 19.Rab1 g4 20.Nxb6 Qh4 21.Nxc8 Rxc8 22.Rfc1 Qg5 23.Nb5 Rd8 24.Nc7 gives White the advantage in space (Shirov-Akopian, Soviet Ch ½-final, Daugavpils, 1989).
• 15...dxc5 16.Bxc5 Rf7 17.a4 h5 18.a5 g4 19.b6 g3 20.Kh1 Bf8 21.Bg1 Nh4 22.Re1 Nxg2 23.Kxg2 Rg7 24.Nxe5 gxh2+ 25.Kh1 Nxe4 White resigns (Roussel Roozmon-Charbonneau, IT, Montreal, 2008).
• If 9.Nd2 then:
• If 9...a5 10.a3 then:
• If 10...Nd7 11.Rb1 f5 12.b4 Kh8 13.f3 Ng8 14.Qc2 Ngf6 15.Bd3 f4 16.Nb5 b6 17.Bb2 then:
• 17...Ne8 18.Be2 h5 19.c5 bxc5 20.bxc5 Nxc5 21.a4 Rf7 22.Rfc1 g5 23.Ba3 Bf8 24.Bxc5 dxc5 25.Nb3 g4 26.Nxc5 gives White the advantage in space (Gurevich-van Wely, Op, Wijk aan Zee, 1993).
• If 17...g5 18.Be2 h5 19.c5 bxc5 20.bxc5 Nxc5 21.Bxe5 then:
• 21...g4 22.fxg4 Nxg4 23.Bxg7+ Kxg7 24.Nb3 Na6 25.Qc3+ gives Black a strong game on the queenside (Gurevich-Khalifman, IT, Munich, 1992).
• 21...dxe5?! 22.Qxc5 Ne8 23.Rfc1 Rf6 24.Qc3 White must win a pawn.
• If 10...Bd7 11.b3 c6 12.Bb2 then:
• 12...Bh6 13.c5 dxc5 14.Nc4 cxd5 15.exd5 Nf5 16.Nxe5 Nd4 17.Bc4 Bf5 is equal (SherbakovKorotylev, Op, Pardubice, 1996).
• If 12...c5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1 16.Qxa1 Bh6 17.Nxd6 Nxd6 18.bxc5 Bxd2 19.cxd6 Nc8 20.c5 f6 21.Rb1 b6 22.c6 Nxd6 23.cxd7 Qxd7 24.Bd3 Rc8 25.Rd1 gives White a more active game (Hefka-Kazoks, Corres, 1999).
• 9...c5 10.Rb1 Ne8 11.b4 b6 12.bxc5 bxc5 13.Nb3 f5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Na5 Nf6 17.Nc6 Qe8 18.Bd3 Rf7 19.Rb3 f4 20.Be2 Bf8 21.Qc2 Bd7 22.Rfb1 is equal (Gurevich-Hebden, IT, Clichy, 2001).

9...Ne8 10.f3

• If 10.Nd3 f5 11.Bd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.c5 g5 then:
• If 14.cxd6 cxd6 15.Nf2 then:
• If 15...h5 16.h3 Ng6 17.Qc2 Rf7 18.Rfc1 then:
• If 18...g4 19.fxg4 hxg4 20.hxg4 Ne8 21.a4 Bf6 then:
• 22.Ncd1 Bh4 23.Nh3 Rg7 24.Ndf2 Nf8 25.Ra3 Nh7 26.Rc3 Bd7 27.Bb5 gives White the advantage in space (Sosonko-Ye Jiangchuan, IT, Hong Kong, 1989).
• 22.Bf3 Bh4 23.Ncd1 Bg3 24.Nh3 Qh4 25.Ndf2 Nf6 26.Qd1 gives White an extra pawn (Valden-Tsanas, Op, Glyfada, 2001).
• 18...a6 19.a4 Bf8 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 hxg4 22.hxg4 b5 23.axb6 Qxb6 24.Na4 Qa7 25.Ba5 Rb8 26.Bc7 Rb7 27.Bxd6 Bxd6 28.Qxc8+ gives White two extra pawns (Sosonko-Rogic, Op, Bled, 1997).
• 15...Ng6 16.Qc2 Rf7 17.Rfc1 Bf8 18.a4 h5 19.Nb5 Ne8 20.h3 Nh4 21.Ra3 a6 22.Rc3 Bd7 23.Na3 gives White more freedom (Kozul-Srebrnic, Op, Nova Gorica, 1999).
• 14.Rc1 Ng6 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nb5 Rf7 17.Qc2 Ne8 18.a4 h5 19.Nf2 Bf8 20.h3 Rg7 21.Qb3 Nh4 22.Rc2 g4 23.fxg4 Nf6 24.Be1 hxg4 25.hxg4 gives White an extra pawn (Ivanchuk-Cheparinov, IT, Sofia, 2008).
• If 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 13.a4 Ng6 14.a5 then:
• 14...h5 15.Nb5 Nf6 16.Nxa7 Bd7 17.c5 g4 18.c6 g3 19.hxg3 fxg3 20.Bxg3 Rxa7 21.cxd7 h4 22.Bf2 Ra8 23.Nc2 Bh6 24.Ne3 Bf4 25.Nf5 Nh5 26.Bb5 gives White two extra pawns and more space (Korchnoi-Xie Jun, TMatch, Prague, 1995).
• 14...Rf7 15.c5 dxc5 16.Bc4 Kh8 17.a6 Rf6 18.axb7 Bxb7 19.Nd3 Bf8 20.d6 Qe7 21.h3 gives White more freedom (Vigorito-Fedorowicz, US Ch, San Diego, 2006).

10...f5 11.g4

• 11.Nd3 f4 12.Bd2 g5 13.g4 Rf6 14.h3 h5 15.Kg2 Rh6 16.Rh1 Ng6 is equal (Rodshtein-Coleman, World Youth, Oropesa del Mar, 2001).

11...Kh8 12.Kh1

• 12.Nd3 Ng8 13.Be3 Qh4 14.Qe1 draw (Ja. Bolbochán-Yanofsky, IT, Tel Aviv, 1966).

12...fxg4

• The game is equal.

13.fxg4 Rxf1+ 14.Bxf1 Ng8!?

• This would make sense if Black were regroupi, but there no place for the Knight to go from g8. Better is to hit at WEhite's center in an attmept to give the Knights room to maneuver.
• 14...c6 15.g5 Qb6 16.Qf3 Kg8 17.Rb1 remains equal.

15.g5

• White cramps Black's kingside.

15...Bf8?!

• Black embarks on a somewhat Byzantine and ultimately unsuccessful method of eliminating White's g-pawn.
• Better is the simple 15...h6 16.Nf3 Bg4 17.Qd3 c6 18.Bg2 Qb6 19.Be3 Qb4 gives Black some freedom, but White will call the tune for a while.

BLACK: Enamul Hossain
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Le Quang Liem
Position after 15...Bg7f8

16.Qf3!

• White takes the advantage in space.

16...Ng7

• By now, Black has simply acquiesced to having no good squares for his minor pieces.
• If 16...Bg7 17.Bg2 then:
• 17...Bd7 18.Nd3 c5 19.Be3 Qe7 20.Rf1 White dominates the kingside.
• 17...Ne7 18.Nd3 b6 19.Be3 Bb7 20.Rf1 gives White solid command of the f-file.

17.Nd3 Be7 18.Qg2 Bd7

• Black still needs to hit at White's pawn center.
• If 18...c6 19.Be3 Qa5 20.c5 Bd7 21.a3 then:
• 21...Rf8 22.cxd6 Bxd6 23.b4 Qc7 24.Ra2 Ne7 25.Rf2 Black's position is greatly imroved, although White is still better.
• If 21...Rc8 then after 22.cxd6 Bxd6 23.b4 Qc7 24.Nc5 Be8 25.Qf3 Black will not be able to free himself on the queenside before White asserts himself on the opposite wing.

19.Be3 c5

• Black will attempt to expand on the queenside.

20.dxc6

• Black nips the idea in the bud.
• 20.Be2 a6 21.Rf1 b5 22.cxb5 axb5 23.a3 leaves Black unable to make further progress.

20...Bxc6 21.Nd5!

• The Knight take the place of the pawn in bottling up Black's position.

21...b6 22.h4 Qd7 23.Qh3 Qxh3+?

• The queen is Black's most developed piece and should be preserved.
• 23...Qb7 24.N3b4 Bd7 25.Qg2 Rf8 26.Be2 keeps Black's problems to a minimum.

24.Bxh3 Nh5

• 24...Rf8 25.N3b4 Bb7 26.Bd7! Bd8 27.Bc6 Bc8 28.Bb5 takes away Black's reserve pawn tempi.

25.Kg2 Rf8 26.a4

• If 26.Bg4 then:
• If 26...Bd8 then after 27.Bxh5 gxh5 28.b4 the dark-bound Bishop cannot break through his own pawns.
• 26...Ng7?! 27.b4 Bd8 28.b5 Bb7 imprisons Black's dark-bound Bishop.

26...Bd8 27.Be6

• If 27.b4 then:
• Black's best effort is to consolidate the kingside with 27...Kg7! 28.Be6 Ne7 29.c5 Bxd5 30.exd5 Nf5 31.Bxf5 gxf5 32.cxd6 gives White only a slight advantage with the more advanced passer.
• Reacting on the queenside with 27...Bb7!? 28.Rc1! Ne7 29.Bg4 Nxd5 30.cxd5 only puts Black deeper in trouble.

27...Ne7 28.Bd2 Bb7!?

• This move, prophylactic against 29.N3b4, could have waithed.
• If 28...Ng7 29.Bg4 then:
• 29...a6 30.N3b4 Nxd5 31.cxd5 Bb7 32.Rc1 gives White the active game.
• 29...a5!? 30.b4 Kg8 31.b5 Bb7 32.Rf1 leavews White's piece much better placed.

BLACK: Enamul Hossain
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Le Quang Liem
Position after 28...Bc6b7

29.Bb4!

• White hits Black's weak point.

29...Nxd5

• This is necessary in order to protect the d-pawn.

30.exd5 Be7 31.a5 Ng7 32.Bd7 b5 33.a6

• Also good is the spiffy tactical shot 33.Nxe5! dxe5 34.Bxe7 Rf7 35.Rf1!.

33...Bc8 34.Bxc8 Rxc8 35.cxb5 Nf5

• If 35...Rb8 drops another pawn to 36.Nxe5 dxe5 37.Bxe7.

36.Rc1 Rf8

• If 36...Rxc1 then after 37.Nxc1 Nxh4+ 38.Kh3 Nf3 39.b6 White must queen a pawn.

37.Rc7 Nxh4+ 38.Kh2 Bxg5 39.Bxd6 Rf3

• 39...Nf3+ 40.Kh3 Rf6 41.Bc5 e4 42.Nb4 Bd2 43.b6 is no better.

BLACK: Enamul Hossain
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Le Quang Liem
Position after 39...Rf8f3

40.b6!!

• White sacrifices the Knight in order to promote a pawn.

40...Rxd3 41.Bxe5+!

• This check is very important.
• 41.bxa7? Bf4+! 42.Kg1 Rd1+ 43.Kf2 Rd2+ 44.Ke1 Nf3+ draws.

41...Kg8 42.bxa7 1-0

• A pawn must queen.
• Hossain Sahib resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Second Women's World Championship, Ningbo

Zhao Bao Shan Bridge, Ningbo
Photo by smartneddy, Wikipedia

[Jack Rabbit]

14. T. Kosintseva - Hou Yifan, Round 5

Still growing at fifteen: Hou Yifan
Photo: ChessBase.com


Tatiana Kosintseva (Russia) - Hou Yifan (China)
2nd Women's World Team Championship, Round 5
Ningbo, 6 September 2009

Open Sicilian Game: Scheveningen Defense (Keres Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 Nge7

• If 6...Nf6 7.g5 Nd7 8.Be3 then:
• If 8...a6 9.h4 then:
• If 9...Qc7 10.Qe2 b5 11.Nxc6 Qxc6 12.Bd4 Bb7 13.0-0-0 then:
• 13...b4 14.Nd5 a5 15.f4 0-0-0 16.Bxg7 Rg8 17.Bxf8 exd5 18.exd5 Qc7 19.Be7 Rde8 20.Rh3 Nb6 21.Re3 Nxd5 22.Bh3+ Black resigns asa after 22...Kb8 23.Bxd6 she loses her Queen (Vasilevich-Mijovic, Euro ChW, Plovdiv, 2008).
• 13...Rc8 14.Rh3 b4 15.Nd5 a5 16.c4 Kd8 17.Kb1 Nc5 18.Rf3 Rc7 19.Re3 Rd7 20.Bh3! gives White a tactical edge (Dr. Nunn-J. Howell, IT, London, 1990).
• 9...Be7 10.Qd2 transposes to Kasperski-Svenn, below.
• If 8...Be7 9.h4 0-0 10.Qd2 a6 11.0-0-0 Nxd4 then:
• If 12.Bxd4 b5 13.f4 b4 14.Ne2 then:
• 14...Bb7 15.Ng3 a5 16.Bg2 Qc7 17.Kb1 Nb6 18.f5 Nc4 is equal (Kasperski-Svenn, Corres, 2002).
• 14...Qa5 15.Kb1 e5 16.Be3 Nc5 is equal (Velcheva-Mijovic, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• 12.Qxd4 b5 13.Kb1 Rb8 14.h5 b4 15.Ne2 e5 16.Qd2 Nc5 17.f3 is equal (Stammberg-Nitsche, Corres, 1989).

7.Be3 a6 8.Nb3 b5 9.a3

• 9.f4 Bb7 10.Qd2 Na5 11.Nxa5 Qxa5 12.Bg2 b4 13.Ne2 h5 14.h3 Ng6 15.Bf2 Be7 16.g5 e5 17.f5 Nf4 is equal (Carauana-Stellwagen, Op, Vlissingen, 2007).

9...Ng6!?

• 9...Bb7 10.g5 Rc8 11.f4 Na5 12.Nxa5 Qxa5 13.Bd2 Qb6 14.Bg2 h6 15.gxh6 Rxh6 16.Qe2 Rg6 is equal (Seps-Klauser, Swiss Ch, 2005).

10.Qe2

• The game is equal.

10...Nge5 11.Bg2 Bd7

• 11...Qh4 12.h3 Bb7 13.Nd2 g5 14.Nf3 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 remains equal.

12.Rd1 Be7 13.0-0 g5

• 13...Nc4 14.Bc1 Bf6 15.Rd3 0-0 16.f4 Rc8 17.g5 remains equal.

14.Nd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 0-0 16.f4 gxf4

• 16...Nc4!? 17.f5! Qc7 18.f6 Bd8 19.e5 gives White an excellent game.

17.Rxf4 Bg5 18.Rff1 Qe7

• The game reamins equal.
• Black could elect to play on the queenside with 18...Qc7, but after 19.Be3 f6 20.Kh1 Bxe3 21.Qxe3 Nc4 the game is still level.

19.Be3!?

• White could have opened the center to the benfit of her heavy pieces.
• 19.Bxe5 dxe5 20.Qf2 Rad8 21.Kh1 Bc8 remains equal.

BLACK: Hou Yifan
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Tatiana Kosintseva
Position after 19.Bd4e3

19...Nc4!

• Black seizes the initiative.

20.Bxg5 Qxg5 21.e5 d5 22.Rde1

• 22.Rd4 Rac8 23.Nd1 Qxe5 24.Qxe5 Nxe5 gives Black an extra pawn.

22...Rac8! 23.Rf3 Nxb2 24.h4 Qxh4 25.Rh3 Qg5 26.Bxd5

• No better is 26.Nd1 Nxd1 27.Rxd1 Rc4 28.Bf3 Rc3.

BLACK: Hou Yifan
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Tatiana Kosintseva
Position after 26.Bg2d5:p

26...Rxc3!

• By sacrificing the exchange, Black avoids a trap.
• 26...exd5? opens the center enough to let White fight back: 27.Nxd5 Bxg4 28.Rg3 f5 29.exf6 Rc4 30.Qe7 is equal.

27.Rxc3 exd5 28.Qg2 Nc4 29.Qxd5 Qxg4+ 30.Qg2

• 30.Kf2 Qf4+ 31.Qf3 Qd4+ 32.Kg3 Nxe5 is lights out.

30...Qxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Re8 32.Rg3+ Kf8 33.Rg5 Re6 0-1

• 34.Rh5 Nxa3 35.Rxh7 Nxc2 36.Re2 Nb4 gives Black two connected remote passers and a material advantage.
• Tatiana Alexeiyevna resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Huang Qian - Majdan, Round 8

Huang Qian
Photo: ChessBase.com


Huang Qian (China) - Joanna Majdan (Poland)
2nd Women's World Team Championship, Round 8
Ningbo, 10 September 2009

Benoni Game

1.d4 e6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 exd5 4.cxd5 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.e4 Bg7 7.Nf3 a6 8.a4 Bg4 9.Be2 Bxf3

• 9...Nf6 transposes into a main line Tal-Indian.

10.Bxf3 Nd7

• Even after the exchange on c3, something akin to the Tal-Indian set up is preferable to the one employed by Black.
• 10...Nf6 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Bf4 Qe7 13.Re1 0-0 14.a5 Rab8 15.Qc2 then:
• If 15...Ne8 16.Be2 Nc7 then:
• 17.Bf1 b5 18.axb6 Rxb6 19.Na4 Rb7 20.Bd2 Nb5 21.Bc3 Ne5 22.Kh1 Qh4 23.g3 Qh5 24.Bxe5 draw (Vukic-Tringov, IT, Borovo, 1980).
• 17.Rab1 b5 18.axb6 Rxb6 19.Bf1 Rfb8 20.Bd2 R6b7 21.Kh1 Bd4 22.f3 Qf6 23.f4 Nb5 24.Bxb5 axb5 gives both sides moble pawns (Fedorowitz-Kudrin, Op, New York, 1983).
• 15...b5 16.axb6 Rxb6 17.Ra2 Ne8 18.Rea1 Nc7 19.Be2 Rfb8 20.Bc1 gives White a small advantage in space (Gupta-Ravi, Indian Ch, Visakhapatnam, 2006).

11.0-0 Ne7 12.Be2!?

• The novelty gives White a transient advantage in space.
• 12.Bf4 Ne5 13.Be2 0-0 14.Qd2 Rb8 15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 f5 is equal (Lomineishvili-I. Rajlich, Euro CHW, St. Petersburg, 2009).
• 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 0-0 14.Be2 f5 15.exf5 g5 16.Bg3 Nxf5 is equal (Bartholomew-Izoria, IT, Richardson, Texas, 2007).

12...0-0 13.Bf4

• 13.Re1 Qc7 14.a5 f5 15.Bg5 Rae8 16.Bd3 fxe4 17.Bxe4 is equal.

13...Qc7 14.Qd2 f5 15.Rac1 Rae8 16.b4 c4!?

• The pawn becomes artificially isolated after this thrust.
• 16...Qb6 17.b5 Bxc3 18.Qxc3 fxe4 19.a5 Qc7 gives Black an extra pawn.

17.Rfe1!

• White takes the advantage in space.
• Also good is 17.a5! b5 18.axb6 Nxb6 19.f3 Rf7 20.Be3, likewise giving White the advantage in space.

17...Ne5 18.b5!?

• 18.a5 b5 19.axb6 Qxb6 20.Rb1 Rc8 21.b5 maintains a small advantage in space for White.

18...Qa5 19.Bf1

• The game is equal.
• 19.Be3 Qb4 20.Rb1 Qa3 21.bxa6 bxa6 22.Rec1 is also equal.

19...fxe4?

• Black opens the e-file for White's benefit.
• 19...Rc8 20.h3 Qb4 21.Bg5 Rce8 22.Be2 remains equal.

BLACK: Joanna Maidan
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Huang Qian
Position after 19...fe4:p

20.Nxe4!

• White targets the weak pawn at d6.
• 20.Rxe4 Nc8 21.Bxc4 Nxc4 22.Rxc4 Nb6 23.Rc7 remains equal.

20...Qxd2 21.Bxd2 axb5 22.Nxd6

• White has a strong advantage.
• Also playable is 22.axb5 Nxd5 23.Nxd6 Ra8 24.Nxc4

22...Rd8 23.Bg5 Rd7

• 23...Rxd6 24.Bxe7 Rxd5 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.axb5 Bh6 27.Rc2 gives White the exchange.

24.Bxe7 Rxe7 25.Nxb5 Ref7

• 25...Rd7 26.Bxc4 Nxc4 27.Rxc4 Rxd5 28.Rc7 leaves White a pawn to the good and threatening more.

26.f3 Rf4 27.Red1 Bf6

• 27...Ra8 28.d6 Rxa4 29.d7 Bf6 30.Nc3 Ra8 31.Nd5 wins for White.

BLACK: Joanna Maidan
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Huang Qian
Position after 27...Bg7f6

28.Nc7!

• The Knight will land on a splendid outpost at e6.

28...Rc8 29.Ne6 Rf5 30.d6

• 30.f4 Ng4 31.d6 c3 32.d7 wins for White.

30...Kf7 31.Nc7 Rf4 32.Nd5 Rh4 33.f4 Ng4

• 33...Nd7 34.Rxc4 Rc6 35.g3 Rh5 36.Be2 Rf5 37.g4 wins for White.

34.Rxc4 Rd8 35.h3 Nh6 36.g3 1-0

• The Rook is trapped.
• Ms. Majdan resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

16. Mkrtchian - Zawadaka, Round 6

Lilit Mkrtchian
Photo: ChessBase.com


Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenia) - Jolanta Zawadzka (Poland)
2nd Women's World Team Championship, Round 6
Ningbo, 7 September 2009

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.b3

• 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 is the Meran Defense.

5...Bb4+

• If 5...Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0 then:
• 8.Nbd2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Ne5 c5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.f4 Qe7 13.Rf3 cxd4 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.Bxd4 g6 16.Rh3 Bc5 is equal (Rodshtein-T. L. Petrosian, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
• 8.0-0 Ne4 9.Nbd2 f5 10.Ne5 Qe7 11.f3 Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bc5 14.f4 dxc4 15.Bxc4 b5 16.Be2 Rd8 is equal (Smokina-Sudakova, Euro ChW, Dresden, 2007).

6.Nbd2 c5

• 6...Nbd7 7.Bb2 0-0 8.Bd3 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Qe2 Qe7 11.e4 Bxd2 12.Nxd2 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 gives White the advantage in space and the initiative on the kingside (Kasparov-Bicchierai, SX, Bastia, 2008).

7.Bb2 cxd4 8.exd4 0-0

• 8...b6 9.Bd3 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.a3 Be7 12.Qe2 0-0 13.Rad1 Qc7 14.Rc1 Qf4 15.Qe3 Qxe3 16.fxe3 Rac8 17.Kf2 Bd6 is equal (Wang Yue-Beliavsky, IT, Pamplona, 2007).

9.Bd3 b6!?

• 9...Nbd7 10.0-0 b6 11.a3 dxc4 12.bxc4 Bxd2 13.Nxd2 Bb7 14.a4 Re8 15.a5 e5 16.a6 Bc6 17.Nb3 exd4 18.Nxd4 Ne5 19.Be2 Rc8 is equal (Boersma-Kuijf, Dutch ChT, Holland, 2001).

10.a3

• The game is equal.

10...Be7 11.0-0 Bb7 12.Qe2 Nc6 13.Rac1 Rc8

• 13...dxc4 14.bxc4 Rc8 15.Ne4 Na5 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Ne5 remains equal.

14.Rfd1 Re8 15.Qe3 Nd7!?

• Black voluntarily removes a defender from the kingside.
• 15...Qc7 16.Ne5 dxc4 17.Rxc4 b5 18.Rc2 Qb6 remains equal.

BLACK: Jolanta Zawadzka
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Lilit Mkrtchian
Position after 15...Nf6d7

16.cxd5

• White has a small advantage in space.
• Stronger is 16.b4! dxc4 17.Nxc4 a5 18.b5 Na7 19.Nce5 giving White a huge advantage iin space.

16...exd5 17.Ne5 Nf8 18.Qh3

• 18.Ndf3 Qd6 19.Re1 Bf6 20.Qf4 maintains White's advantage in space.

18...Bg5 19.Rc2 Bf6

• If 19...Bf4 20.Ndf3 f6 then:
• If 21.Nxc6 Rxc6 22.Rxc6 Bxc6 then:
• If 23.Qh4 then after 23...Qc7 24.Qh5 Qf7 25.Qg4 Bd6 iWhite maintains the advantage in space, but it is a small one.
• If 23.Re1 then after 23...Rxe1+ 24.Nxe1 Qc7 25.Qh5 g6 26.Qh4 Kg7! White can do nothing with her advantage in space.
• 21.Ng4!? Na5! 22.Bc3 Rc7 23.Bxa5 bxa5 24.Qh5 Rxc2 is equal.

20.Ndf3 Na5 21.Nd7

• 21.Bf5 Rxc2 22.Bxc2 Qc8 23.Bf5 Qc7 24.Nd7 Nxb3 25.Nxf8 when White continues to enjoy the advantage in space.

21...h6 22.Nxf8!?

• After 22.Rxc8! Bxc8 23.Nxf6+ Qxf6 24.Qh5 Bb7 25.Nd2 White still has a narrow advantage.

22...Kxf8

• Black has equalized. . .

23.Ne5 Rxc2?!

• . . . only to give the initiative back to White.
• 23...Bxe5 24.dxe5 Nxb3 25.Rxc8 Qxc8 26.Bf5 remans equal.

24.Bxc2!

• Now the pawn at b3 is protected.

24...Bc8 25.Qd3 Qd6

• 25...g6 26.Bc1 Bf5 27.Bxh6+ Kg8 28.Qe2 Bxc2 29.Qxc2 leaves White a pawn to the good.

26.a4

• Stronger is 26.Qh7 Be6 27.Re1 Ke7 28.f4 Qc7 29.Bd3.

26...Nc6 27.f4

• 27.Nxc6 Qxc6 28.Ba3+ Be7 29.Bxe7+ Kxe7 30.b4 is equal.

27...Ne7?

• The correct move in this position is by no means easy to find, but the text loses.
• More harmonious with the position is 27...Be6 (allowing the Rook wider latitude) 28.Qh7 Rc8! then:
• 29.Rc1 Bxe5 30.fxe5 Qb4 31.Qd3 Ne7 32.Kf2 Bf5 equalizes,
• 29.Qh8+?! Ke7 30.Qh7 Nxe5 31.fxe5 Bxe5 wins a pawn for Black.

BLACK: Jolanta Zawadzka
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Lilit Mkrtchian
Position after 27...Nc6e7

28.Qh7!

• White threatens a fierce attack against Black's back rank.

28...Ng8 29.Nxf7 Qxf4

• 29...Kxf7 30.Bg6+ Kf8 31.Bxe8 wins the exchange.

30.Ba3+ Be7 31.Bxe7+ Rxe7 32.Ne5 Qe3+

• 32...Rxe5 33.dxe5 Qe3+ 34.Kh1 Qe2 35.Qd3 leaves White an exchange to the good.

33.Kh1 Re6

• If 33...Ba6 then White wins the exchange with 34.Ng6+ Kf7 35.Nxe7 Kxe7.

34.Bf5 Rf6 35.Bxc8 Qxd4

• 35...Qxb3 36.Nd7+ Kf7 37.Rg1 Qxa4 38.Ne5+ wins for White.

36.Nd7+ Kf7 37.Qb1 1-0

• 37...Qe4 38.Nxf6 gxf6 39.Bb7 leaves White a Rook to the good.
• Ms. Zawadzka resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. Huang Qian - Melekhina, Round 6

Alisa Melekhina
Photo: ChessBase.com


Huang Qian (China) - Alisa Melekhina (United States)
2nd Women's World Team Championship, Round 6
Ningbo, 7 September 2009

Indian Game: Trompowsky Opening

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 g6

• If 2...d5 3.Nf3 e6 then 4.c4 transposes to the Orthodox Queen's Gambit or 4.e3 into the Torre Opening.

3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 f5 5.Ne2 Bg7 6.g3

• 6.Nf4 d6 7.Nd2 Nd7 8.Bc4 Nf6 9.h4 Bd7 10.c3 c6 11.Qb3 d5 12.Be2 Qb6 13.Qc2 Ne4 14.Nf3 0-0-0 15.c4 dxc4 16.Bxc4 gives White the advantage in space (Christensen-Chekhov, World ChU20, 1975).

6...d6 7.Bg2 0-0 8.0-0 Nd7 9.c4 Nf6 10.Nbc3 h5

• 10...c6 11.b4 Be6 12.Qd3 d5 13.c5 Ne4 14.b5 g5 15.Rab1 h5 16.Rb3 h4 17.f3 Nxc3 18.Qxc3 hxg3 19.hxg3 gives White the advantage in space (Kozul-Bukic, Slovenian ChT, Slovenia, 2000).
• 10...Re8 11.Qd3 c6 12.b4 Qe7 13.a4 Ne4 14.a5 h5 15.b5 h4 16.a6 gives White a visable advantage in space (Kovalevskaya-Solomatov, Op, Novosibirsk, 2001).

11.h4!?

• 11.b4 h4 12.a4 hxg3 13.hxg3 Ng4 14.a5 Qg5 15.Re1 Qh6 16.Qd3 gives White the advantage in spaceBuhmann-Poldauf, Op, Nuremberg, 2006)

11...Ng4

• White has a small advantage in space.

12.Nf4 g5?

• White has the Knight restrained and needn't weaken her pawns to chase it off.
• 12...c6 13.Qb3 Re8 14.Rac1 Nf6 15.Qc2 remains equal.

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Huang Qian
Position after 12...g6g5

13.hxg5!

• To add insult to injury, the Knight isn't even chased away.

13...Qxg5 14.Qf3 c6 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.Rad1 h4 17.Nce2

• Another good plan is for White to play on the queenside.
• If 17.b4 Be6 18.c5 a5 19.a3 axb4 20.axb4 then:
• 20...d5 21.Ra1 Nf6 22.gxh4 Qxh4 23.Nce2 Ne4 24.Ng3 is equal.
• 20...Ra3 21.Nce2 hxg3 22.Qxg3 dxc5 23.bxc5 Rea8 24.Rc1 gives Black the advantage in space, but also more weak pawns to be exploited by her opponent.

17...Bf6

• If 17...Kf8 18.b4 Ke7 19.d5 Bd7 20.Nd4 Rac8 then:
• 21.c5 dxc5 22.d6+ Kd8 23.bxc5 gives White the advantage in space.
• If 21.dxc6 bxc6 22.Nh3 then:
• If 22...Qf6 23.e4 Ne5 then:
• 24.Nxf5+ Bxf5 25.exf5 Kd7 26.Qe4 Ng6 27.Qb1 gives White a small advantage in space.
• 24.exf5!? c5 25.bxc5 Rxc5 26.Qe4 hxg3 27.fxg3 Rxc4 is equal.
• 22...Qh5 23.c5 Be5 24.gxh4 d5 25.b5 gives White an extra pawn.

18.Nh3 Qg7 19.Qf4 Re6 20.Nc3 hxg3 21.fxg3!?

• The text move riddle White's kingside with pawn weaknesses.
• 21.Qxg3 Be7 22.d5 Rg6 23.Nf4 Rg5 24.Qh3 maintains White's advantage in space.

21...Bd7!

• Black's position is now solid. She can complete her deployment to the center with fear.

22.Rd3

• 22.Qxf5?! Nxe3! 23.Rxe3 Rxe3 24.Qxd7 Rxg3 gives Black the more active game.

22...Rae8

• Black has equalized.

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Huang Qian
Position after 22...Ra8e8

23.Nd1

• White must fortify the weak pawn.
• 23.d5!? Rxe3! 24.Rexe3 Rxe3 25.Rxe3 Nxe3 26.Nf2 Nxg2 gives Black an extra pawn.

23...Bc8 24.Re2 c5 25.Bd5!?

• Black now has a small advantage in space.
• 25.d5 Re5 26.Kf1 Kf8 27.Ke1 Ke7 28.Ra3 a6 remains equal.

25...R6e7!

• This waiting move preserves Black's advantage, small though it may be.
• The pawn at d6 cannot be taken: if 26.Qxd6?? loses immediately to 26...Be5!.

26.dxc5 dxc5 27.Qf3?

• White, running short on time, misses Black's deadly rejoinder.
• If 27.Red2 then:
• If 27...Be6! 28.Ra3 a6 then:
• If 29.Rb3 b5 30.Bxe6 fxe6 31.cxb5 Rd7 then:
• 32.Rxd7 Qxd7 33.Nhf2 Nxf2 34.Nxf2 axb5 Black clearly stands better.
• 32.e4?! axb5! 33.Rxd7 Qxd7 34.Ndf2 c4 gives Black excellent winning chances.
• If 29.Ra5? Bxd5! 30.cxd5 Re4 then:
• 31.Qxf5 Nxe3 32.Nxe3 Rxe3 33.Kh1 Bd4 34.Rg2 Rxg3 Black should win.
• 31.Qd6 Ne5 32.Rc2 Be7 33.Qc7 Bd8 wins for Black.
• 27...Be5!? 28.Qf3! Nf6 29.Nf4 Ne4 30.Rg2 Bc7 31.Nc3 is equal.

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
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WHITE: Huang Qian
Position after 27.Qf4f3

27...Ne5! 0-1

• White loses a heavy piece.
• Ms. Huang resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. !06h Empresa International Tournament, Montreal

Biosphere, Montreal
Photo by Cédric Thevenet, Wikipedia

[Jack Rabbit]

18. Naiditsch - Bhat, Round 11

Arkadij Naiditsch
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


Arkadij Naiditsch - Vinay Bhat
Empresa International Chess Tournament, Round 11
Montreal, 7 September 2009

German Exchange Game: Accelerated Panov Opening (Caro-Kann Defense)

1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5

• The Accelerated Panov Opening has become in recent years recognized as a debut independent of and distinct from the Panov Opening (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4). White gets rapid development and more space; the bad news is that he is saddled with an isolated d-pawn.
• For 3.cxd5 cxd5, see K. Lie-Bu Xiangzhi, Ol, Dresden, 2008.

3...cxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Qb3

• For 6.Nf3, see Carlsen-Smeets, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2009.

6...Bg7 7.cxd5 0-0 8.Nge2

• If 8.Be2 Nbd7 9.Bf3 Nb6 then:
• If 10.Nge2 Bg4 11.Bxg4 Nxg4 12.a4 a5 13.0-0 Nf6 14.Nf4 Qd6 then:
• 15.Rd1 Rfd8 16.Nb5 Qd7 17.d6 exd6 18.Nc3 Ra6 19.Be3 Rc8 20.h3 Rc4 21.Nd3 Qd8 22.Ne5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qe8 24.exf6 Rb4 is equal (Sax-Gipslis, IT, Valby, 1994).
• 15.Nb5 Qd7 16.d6 exd6 17.d5 Rfc8 18.Qd3 Ne8 19.Ra2 Nc4 20.b3 Ne5 21.Qd1 Nc7 is equal (Su. Polgar-Gipslis, Op, Brno, 1991).
• 10.Bg5 Bf5 11.Rd1 Qd7 12.Nge2 Bg4 13.Bxg4 Qxg4 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.0-0 Rfd8 16.Rfe1 Qd7 17.Nf4 gives White the advantage ins space (Hall-I. D. Wells, British Ch, Morecambe, 1981).

8...Re8

• 8...Na6 9.g3 b5 10.a3 Nc7 11.Bg2 Bb7 12.Nf4 Rb8 13.0-0 a5 14.Re1 Re8 15.Bd2 Ba8 16.h4 b4 is equal (Meier-al Sayed, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 8...Nbd7 9.g3 Nb6 10.Bg2 Bf5 11.Nf4 Qd7 12.a4 Rac8 13.a5 Nc4 14.0-0 g5 15.Nfe2 is equal (Shadina-M. Turov, Russian ChT, Bor, 2000).

9.Nf4

• If 9.g3 e6 10.Bg2 exd5 11.0-0 Nc6 then:
• 12.Bg5 Bg4 13.Nf4 Nxd4 14.Qxb7 Nf3+ is equal (Arslanov-Arvola, Euro ChU16, Herceg Novi, 2008).
• 12.h3 h6 13.Be3 Na5 14.Qd1 Nc4 15.Bc1 g5 is equal (Adams-Chely, Op, Cannes, 1990).

9...Nbd7!?

• 9...e5 10.dxe5 Rxe5+ 11.Be2 Ne4 12.Be3 Qf6 13.0-0 Nd6 14.Nb5 Nxb5 15.Bxb5 a6 16.Be2 gives Black an extra pawn, better development and a healthy advantage in space (Kobalia-Kornev, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).

10.Be2

• White has an extra pawn and the advantage in space.

10...Nb6

• In the Kobalia-Kornev game quoted above, Black's plan was to play in the center. That didn't work too well. Black in this game tries to play on the queenside.

11.0-0 h6 12.a4 a5 13.h4!?

• White, on the other hand, plays on the kingside, using his queenside pieces to protect his isolated twin d-pawns.
• Better is to simply protect the center by 13.Be3 Bf5 14.Rac1 Rc8 15.Rfd1 g5 16.Nh5 Nxh5 17.Bxh5 when White remains a pawn to the good.

13...Bf5 14.Be3 Qd6 15.Nb5!

• 15.Rfc1 Rec8 16.Bf3 Qb4 17.Qxb4 axb4 18.Nb5 Rxc1+ 19.Rxc1 Rxa4 is also equal.

15...Qd8 16.Rac1 Nfxd5 17.Bf3

• 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Bc4 Be6 19.Bd2 Rc8 remains equal.

17...Nxe3

• Black's best shot is to undermine White's d-pawn.
• If 17...Nxf4!? 18.Bxf4! then:
• 18...Be6 19.Qd1 Nd5 20.Bxd5 Qxd5 21.Nc7 wins the exchange for White.
• 18...e5 19.Bxe5 Be6 20.Qe3 Nc4 21.Qf4 Nxe5 22.dxe5 leaves White a pawn to the good.

18.fxe3 e5!?

• Black's queenside is not secure enough for him to challenge White's center.
• 18...Rc8 19.Rxc8 Qxc8 20.Nd5 Na8 21.Na3 remains equal.

BLACK: Vinay Bhat
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WHITE: Arkadij Naiditsch
Position after 18...e7e5

19.dxe5!

• The time is ripe for White to open the center.

19...Bxe5 20.h5!?

• Better is the immediate 20.Bxb7 Rb8 21.Bc6 Be6 22.Qa3 Bd7 23.Rcd1 when White has an extra pawn.

20...Kg7?

• After this, Black's position slowly deterriorates.
• 20...Bxf4 21.exf4 Be6 22.Qd1 Qxd1 23.Rcxd1 is equal.

21.Bxb7!

• There will be no second chance.

21...Rb8 22.Bc6 Rf8

• Black gets better resistance from 22...Nd7 23.Rcd1 Re7 24.hxg6 fxg6 25.Qd5 when:
• If 25...Qb6 26.Nd4 Bxd4 27.exd4 Nf6 28.Qd6 then:
• 28...Qc7 29.Qxc7 Rxc7 30.Bb5 Rc2 31.b3 Black is enjoying some productive counterplay that have much improved his chances to salvaging a half point.
• If 28...Rc7 then after 29.Rc1 Rf7 30.Qe5 Qxb2 31.Rc4 White is much better, but Black is keeping him too busy to take the a-pawn.
• 25...Bg4 26.Rd2 g5 27.Bxd7 Bxd7 28.Nh5+ Kg6 29.Qf3 leaves White a pawn up.

23.hxg6 fxg6

• No better is 23...Bxg6 24.Qa3 Kg8 25.b4 axb4 26.Qxb4.

24.Be4 Qh4 25.Bxf5 Rxf5

• White now has a choice of checking the Black King or attacking the Rook at f5.

BLACK: Vinay Bhat
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Arkadij Naiditsch
Position after 25...Rf8f5:B

26.Nd4!

• White chooses wisely.
• 26.Ne6+?! opens the b8/h2 diagonal for Black so that now 26...Kh7 27.Rxf5 Qh2+! 28.Kf2 gxf5 29.Ned4 is equal.

26...Rh5

• 26...Rxf4 27.Ne6+ Kh7 28.Nxf4 Qf6 29.Nd3 leaves White an exchange to the good with an easy win.

27.Nf3 1-0

• 27...Qg4 28.Nxh5+ Qxh5 29.Qb5 Bg3 30.Qxh5 gxh5 31.b3 leaves White up by an exchange and Black's King exposed.
• Mr. Bhat resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

19. My hero . . .

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