The JR Chess Report (January 23): Wijk after Eight Rounds

Jack Rabbit

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Mon Jan-24-11 12:53 AM
Original message

The JR Chess Report (January 23): Wijk after Eight Rounds

Edited on Mon Jan-24-11 01:36 AM by Jack Rabbit

Music by which to read the Jack Rabbit Chess Report.

Anand, Nakamura lead Group A in Wijk aan Zee

The 73rd Tournament that began as Hoogovens in Beverwijk, then moved to the nearby Dutch fishing village of Wijk aan Zee where it became the Corus and now the Tata Steel Tournament has completed eigft rounds of the scheduled 13 with reigning world champion Vishy Anand and American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura tied form the lead in Group A with 5½ points each.

Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the top ranked player in the world, got off to a terrible start with only a point and a half in the first four rounds, but has come roaring back with 3½ points in his last four games for a total of 5 points. Magnus is tied with the world's third ranked player, Armenian GM Levon Aronian (Anand is number 2), former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russian and former world junior chamion Maxime Vachier Lagrave of France.

In todfay's action, Magnus defeated Nakamura, who started the day alone in first place, while Anand, who started a half point behind the American, drew his game against Aronian.

In Group B, British GM Luke McShane started with three successive victories and led the event by a full point after four rounds, lost today to Armenian GM Gabriel Sargissian to relinquish the top spot to 17-year-old Wesley So of the Philippines, who has 6 point out of eight after winning four straight. McShane is in second with 5½ points while Sargissian, Ukrainian GM Zahar Efimenko and Radislaw Wojtaszek of Poland are tied for third on 5 points.

Group C is also a tight race for number one, with Italian granmaster Daniele Vocaturo leading with 6½ points, a full point over Illya Nyzhnyk of Ukraine, at 14 the world's youngest and newest grandmaster, and Ukrainian GM Katya Lahno.

The action can be seen on the official website. Games begin atm 1:30 pm local time (6:30 am PST).

French Chess Federation takes action against Olympian, two others

The New York Times is reporting that the French Chess Federation, la Fédération Française des Echecs, is taking action against 19-year-old GM Sebastian Feller, the fifth-ranked player in France and member of France's 2010 olympic team In Khanty-Mansiysk and two other players in a cheating scandal.

The FFE's annoucement gave no details as to exactly what the three are alleged to have done other than it involved cheating at the 2010 Chess olympiad. M. Feller won an individual gold medal in Khanty-Mansiysk for his performance as a reserve player.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 24 January-3 February.
Moscow Open 28 January-7 February. This year the Moscow Open features a new format.
Aeroflot Open, Moscow 8-17 February.
27th International Open, Cappelle-la-Grande 26 February-5 March.
Reykjavik Open 9-16 March.

Some games will be posted later tonight, others tomorrow.

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Jack Rabbit

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Mon Jan-24-11 05:18 AM
Response to Original message

1. This week's games

Your humble hare acknowledges the assistance of Rybka 4 and Fritz 6.0 on analysis.

Diagrams on the Jack Rabbit Chess Report are made with Aquarium, a commercially available interface for Rybka.

Diagrams and other images are hosted on imgur.com.

BLACK

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

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

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Jack Rabbit

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Mon Jan-24-11 05:20 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Tata Steel Tournament, Wijk aan Zee

Dutch Windmill
Photo by Massimo Catarinella from Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution)

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Jack Rabbit

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Mon Jan-24-11 05:21 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Anand - Wang Hao, Round 4

Edited on Mon Jan-24-11 05:22 AM by Jack Rabbit

Vishy Anand
Photo by Ygrek in Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Vishy Anand - Wang Hao
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group A, Round 4
Wijk aan Zee, 18 January 2011

East India Game: Nimzo-Indian Defense (Sämisch Opening)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 Ne7 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qb3 Qc7 12.Bb5 Nec6 13.Ne2

For moves and variations up to here, see Lilienthal-Capablanca, IT, Hastings, 1935).
13.Rd1 e5 14.Qa2 Na5 15.Qd5 Bd7 16.Bxd7 Rd8 17.Qd6 Qxd6 18.Rxd6 Nxd7 19.Kf2 Nc4 20.Rd5 Nf6 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Ne2 Rc8 23.Rb1 gives White an extra pawn and a small advantage in space (Timman-Karpov, IT, Linares, 1990).

13...Na5

13...e5 14.0-0 Be6 15.Qa4 Na5 16.Rab1 Nd7 17.c6 is equal (Kis-Bodnar, Hungarian ChT 9899, Hungary, 1999).

14.Qb4

14.Qa4 a6 15.Bd3 Nd7 16.f4 e5 17.f5 Nxc5 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 is equal (Mevkovs-Mardell, Rilton Cup 0809, Stockholm, 2009).

14...e5 15.0-0 Be6

BLACK: Wang Hao

WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 15...Bc8e6

16.Nd4!! (N)

Introducing a new move, White sacrifices a Knight for another pawn.
16.Rfd1 Bb3 17.Rd6 Nbc6 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.c4 is equal (Cebalo-Marinkovic, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

16...exd4 17.cxd4

As British GM Daniel King pointed out out for PlayChess.com, for a small material deficit, White has a central pawn duo and the Bishop pair, although in light of White's central pawns the Bishops are playing an auxiliary role for the moment.

17...Nbc6

Black has the right idea, but executes the moves in the wrong order. 17...a6, which simply drives the Bishop away, should be played first (White's reply will be forced), then 18...Nbc6 (again because the reply is forced), followed by moves directed against White's center.
If 17...a6 18.Be2 then:

18...Nbc6! 19.Qc3 Ne7 20.Rad1 Rad8 21.Bg5 Nac6 22.d5 gives White only a small advantage in space.
18...Re8?! 19.Qc3 Bd7 20.Rab1 Nbc6 gives White more than enough extra space to compensate for the material deficit.

18.Qc3 Ne7!?

Once again. this is premature. Black still has time to play 18...a6.

19.Rfd1

If 19.Bg5 f6 20.Bd2 Nac6 21.d5! then:

21...Nxd5 22.exd5 Bxd5 23.Rfe1 Rad8 24.Rad1 gives White a small advantage in space.
21...Bxd5?! 22.exd5! Nxd5 23.Bc4 Rad8 24.Qb3 Nce7 25.Be3 returns the pawn to Black, but it also gives White the two Bishops against two Knights in an open center.

19...Rad8?!

With every move Black postpones the bing on the Bishop, the less likely it will have a good effect.
19...a6 20.Be2 Rad8 21.Bf2 Nac6 22.Bg3 Qc8 23.Rac1 gives White a small advantage in space.

20.Bf2 a6?

It's too late for this now. Black needs to challenge White in the center.
20...f5 21.d5 then:

If 21...Nxd5 22.exd5 Rxd5 then:

23.Rxd5! Bxd5 24.Rd1 Bc6 25.Bd3 Bd7 26.Bd4 gives White a clearly more active game.
If 23.Re1!? Bf7 24.Rad1 then:

24...Nc6 25.Rxd5 Bxd5 26.Qd2 Qf7 27.Qf4 Rd8 28.Ba4 gives White a small advantage in space.
If 24...Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Be8 then:

26.Bxe8 Rxe8 27.Bg3 f4 28.Bxf4 Qxf4 29.Qxa5 gives White an excellent game, threateing to bring the Queen to the seventh rank; if White did not face the threat of a snap mate on his back rank, he would be winning.
26.Bd3 Nc6 27.Qd2 Qc8 28.Qf4 Bg6 29.Bc2 gives White the Bishop pair when Black's Bishop is posted ineffectively, command of an open file and an active Queen.

21...Bxd5!? 22.exd5! Nxd5 23.Qc2 gives White the Bishop pair in favorable circumstances.

BLACK: Wang Hao

WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 20...a7a6

21.Bg3!

Call the buglar. White is ready for active moves.

21...Qc8 22.Bf1 b6

It could be worse for Black.
If 22...Nb3? then 23.Rab1! b6 24.d5 Nxc5 25.dxe6 fxe6 26.Qb4 attacks Black's b-pawn, which cannot be easily protected. White wins from this position by taking the b-pawn and then attacking Black's weak e-pawn.

23.Rab1 Nb3 24.Rxb3

Somewhat stronger is 24.c6 Nxc6 25.d5 when:

If 25...Nca5 26.Rxb3 then:

26...Nxb3 27.Qxb3 Bd7 28.Qxb6 Qc2 29.Re1 allows Black to play on a little longer.
26...Qxc3? 27.Rxc3! Rc8 28.Bc7 Bd7 29.Rb1 Nc6 30.Bxb6 leaves White up by two pawns and winning.

If 25...Nc5? 26.dxe6! Qxe6 27.Rxd8 Nxd8 then:

28.Qb4 Qf6 29.Qxb6 Nde6 30.Bf2 Qc3 31.Qb4 gives White an extra pawn and he still has the Bishops.
28.Bc7 Qc6 29.Bxb6 Nde6 30.Bxc5 Nxc5 31.Bxa6 gives White two extra pawns and wins.

24...Bxb3 25.Qxb3 bxc5

25...b5 would shorten Black's agony.
If 25...b5 26.a4 Nc6 27.d5 Na7 28.axb5 Qxc5+ 29.Bf2 Qe7 30.bxa6 wins for White.
If 26...bxa4 then White wins after 27.Qxa4 Qe6 28.d5 Qh6 29.Bxa6.

BLACK: Wang Hao

WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 25...bc5:p

26.d5!

White creates a passed pawn for himself and one for Black, but Black's is easily stopped and White's is very strong.
Bad is 26.dxc5? Rxd1! 27.Qxd1 Qxc5+ 28.Kh1 Qxa3 when Black takes the exchange and turns the game on its head.

26...Ng6 27.Qb6 f5

If 27...Qd7 28.Qxc5 f5 29.exf5 Rxf5 30.Qb6 then:

If 30...Kh8 then after 31.d6 Rff8 32.Qxa6 Ra8 33.Qb5 Qa7+ 34.Bf2 it will cost Black to stop the d-pawn.
If 30...Ne5 then White wins after 31.Qxa6 Rf6 32.d6 Nf7 33.Bc4 Kf8 34.Qb5.

28.Bxa6 Qd7

White wins in all variations.
If 28...Qa8 29.Bc7 Rd7 30.d6 then:

If 30...Nf4 31.Qa5 Qe8 32.Qa4 then:

If 32...Qg6 33.g3 Nh3+ 34.Kf1 then:

If 34...Qe8 35.Bb5 Qh5 36.Be2 Qe8 37.Rb1 then:

37...Rd8 38.Bc4+ Kh8 39.Qxe8 Rdxe8 40.d7 wins for White.
34...Qh5 35.Be2 Nf2 36.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 37.Ke3 f4+ 38.Kd3 gives White a material advantage equivalent to two pawns.

37...fxe4 38.Rb8 Qxb8 39.Bxb8 Rb7 40.Bc7 wins.

If 32...fxe4 33.Qxe4 Qxe4 34.fxe4 then:

34...Kf7 35.Bc4+ Kf6 36.g3 Ng6 37.Ba5 wins for White.
If 34...g5 35.e5 Kg7 36.Bc4 Rc8 37.e6 then:

37...Rcxc7 38.dxc7 Rxd1+ 39.Kf2 Rd2+ 40.Kf3 the c-pawn queens.
37...Nxe6 38.Bxe6 Rcxc7 39.dxc7 Rxc7 40.Bc4 leaves White a piece to the good.

If 30...Ne5 then after 31.Rd5 Re8 32.Qb5 fxe4 33.Rxe5 Rxe5 34.f4 Black is toast.

The rest needs no comment.

29.Bb5 Qf7 30.exf5 Qxf5 31.Qxc5 Rc8 32.Qd4 Rfd8 33.a4 1-0

33...Qg5 34.Qd2 Qf5 35.d6 Kh8 36.d7 leaves White with two passed pawns. and command of the d-file.
Grandmaster Wang resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

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Mon Jan-24-11 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. Nakamura - Shirov, Round 3

This is the best game of the tournament so far.

Hikaru Nakamura
Photo by James F. Perry in Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Hikaru Nakamura - Alexei Shirov
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group A, Round 3
Wijk aan Zee, 17 January 2011

Grand Spanish Royal Game: Neo-Classical Defense

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3

If 7.d3 then:

If 7...d6 8.c3 0-0 then:

If 9.Nbd2 h6 then:

If 10.Re1 then:

If Re8 11.h3 Bb7 12.Nf1 then:

12...d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Ng3 Nf6 15.Be3 Bf8 16.Rc1 Na5 gives Black a slight advantage in space (Mudongo-Mira, OlW, Torino, 2006).
12...Bb6 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Nxe3 Na5 15.Bc2 d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 is equal (Otorbaeva-Al Ali, OlW, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

10.h3 Bb6 11.Re1 Re8 12.Nf1 Be6 13.Bc2 d5 14.exd5 Qxd5 15.a4 Rad8 draw (Dr. Nunn-Turner, IT, Oxford, 1998).

9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bg4 12.Nbd2 Rb8 13.Re1 Nh5 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxg3 16.Qxg3 gives White more freedom (Akopian-I. Sololov, Masters', Gibraltar, 2007).

If 7...Bb7 8.a4 then:

If 8...0-0 9.Nc3 Na5 10.axb5 Nxb3 11.cxb3 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nxe5 d5 14.Bg5 dxe4 15.dxe4 Qxd1 16.Rxd1 b4 then:

If 17.Bxf6 bxc3 18.bxc3 gxf6 19.Nd7 Bd6 20.Nxf8 Kxf8 21.f3 then:

21...h5 22.h4 Ke7 23.Kf2 Bb7 24.c4 Be5 25.Rd2 Bc8 26.Rd5 gives White the advantage in space (Kasparov-Kramnik, World Ch Match, London, 2000).
If 21...Bc6 22.Kf2 then:

22...Ke7 23.Ra1 Be5 24.Ra6 Bd7 25.c4 h5 26.h4 f5 is equal (Timofeev-Inarkiev, Russian Ch Qual, Tomsk, 2005).

22...Kg7 23.g3 Kg6 24.b4 f5 25.exf5+ Kxf5 26.Ra1 gives White a small advantage in space (Nijboer-Pruijssers, Op, Gronigen, 2009).

17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 f6 19.Nd7 Bxf2+ 20.Kxf2 Rd8 21.Nc5 fxg5 22.d6 cxd6 leaves Black up by a pawn (Kotronias-Inarkiwev, Anal Op, Linares, 2003).

8...d6 9.Nc3 b4 10.Nd5 h6 11.Be3 0-0 12.Qd2 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Qf6 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.Qe3 Qd6 gives White the advantage in space (Bergsson-Houska, Masters' 0506, Hastings, 2006).

7...d6 8.a4 Rb8

If 8...Bb7 9.d4 Bb6 then:

If 10.Re1 then:

If 10...0-0 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 exd4 13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8 Bxa8 15.cxd4 Re8 then:

16.Qd3 Na5 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Bc2 g5 19.h3 Nc6 20.Qxb5 Rb8 21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Qxf3 23.gxf3 Bxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Rxb5 gives Black the initiative (Tukmakov-Dorfman, Soviet Army ChT, Leningrad, 1975).
16.Nc3 g5 17.Bg3 Na5 18.e5 Nxb3 19.Qxb3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Bxd4 21.e6 fxe6 22.Nxb5 Bb6 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kg7 Fritz says Black is better, but your humble hare says White has sufficient compensation for his ugly pawn structure (Kotranias-Dorfman, IT, Kvov, 1988). The game ended in a draw on the 48th move.

If 10...h6 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Na3 0-0 14.Nxb5 then:

14...exd4 15.cxd4 Na5 16.Bc2 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Nxe4 18.Nxc7 Bxc7 19.Qc2 Nxf2 20.Qxf2 Re8 is equal (Westerinen-Prakken, Op, Tromsø, 2009).
14...Na5 15.Bc2 Bxe4 16.Bxe4 Nxe4 17.Qe2 f5 18.b4 is equal (Megaranto-Stefanova, IT, Djakarta, 2004).

If 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Bd5 0-0 then:

If 13.Na3 exd4 14.cxd4 Ra7 15.Nc2 then:

If 15...bxa4 16.Rxa4 a5 17.Re1 Ne7 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Ne3 then:

19...Rfb8 20.h3 c6 21.Nc4 d5 22.exd5 cxd5 23.Nxa5 Bxa5 24.Rxa5 is equal (Berend-V. Georgiev, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
19...c6 20.Nc4 Bc7 21.Qc2 Rfb8 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qe6 is equal (Stellwagon-Stefanova, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2005).

15...Ne7 16.Bxb7 Rxb7 17.Qd3 Rfb8 18.Nb4 bxa4 19.Nxa6 gives White the initiative (Svidler-Tkachiev, Tal Mem Blitz, Moscow, 2008).

13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Qe2 bxa4 15.Nbd2 Rad8 16.Nc4 Bc8 17.Nxb6 cxb6 18.Bxc6 Qxc6 19.Nxe5 Qc5 draw (Vachier Lagrave-Tkachiev, French ChT, Le Port Marly, 2009).

If 8...Bg4 then:

If 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 then:

If 10...Na5 11.Bc2 b4 12.d3 0-0 13.Nd2 Rb8 then:

If 14.Qe2 Re8 15.Nf3 bxc3 16.bxc3 Nb3 then:

If 17.Bxb3 Rxb3 18.d4 exd4 19.cxd4 Rxe4 20.Be3 Bb4 then:

21.Qxa6 d5 22.Rab1 Rxb1 23.Rxb1 Re6 24.Qa7 Rb6 25.Ne5 Qc8 26.Nc6 gives White the active game (Kwiatkowski-Grover, Op, Hastings 2008-09).
21.Qc4 Rb2 22.Qc1 Rb3 23.Qc4 Rb2 24.Qc1 Rb3 25.Qc4 draw (David-Glavina, French ChT, Montpellier, 2001).

17.Rb1 Nxc1 18.Rfxc1 Bb6 19.g3 Ba5 20.d4 is equal (Nithander-Hector, Politiken Cup, Helsingør, 2007).

14.Re1 Qd7 15.Qd1 Qc6 16.Nf3 bxc3 17.bxc3 Ba7 18.Ra3 Rfe8 is equal (Vachier Lagrave-V. Georgiev, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2007).

If 10...0-0 11.a5 Rb8 12.d3 Nd7 13.Nd2 then:

13...Ne7 14.Qe2 Kh8 15.Nf3 h6 16.d4 Ba7 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Rd1 gives White more space and activity (Negi-Lahno, Match, New Delhi, 2006).
13...Ba7 14.Qg3 Nc5 15.Bd5 Ne7 16.d4 Nxd5 17.exd5 Nd7 18.Nf3 Qe7 19.Be3 exd4 20.Nxd4 Bxd4 21.Bxd4 draw (Voss-Plomp, Corres, 2002).

If 9.d3 0-0 then:

10.Nbd2 Rb8 11.h3 Bh5 12.Re1 b4 13.Bc4 Na5 14.Bxa6 c6 15.d4 bxc3 16.dxc5 cxd2 17.Bxd2 Nb3 18.Ra3 Nxc5 19.Bd3 Rxb2 gives Black an extra pawn (Rowson-Adams, Match, London, 1998).
10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Na5 12.Bc2 b4 13.Nd2 Rb8 transposes to the main line of this variation.

9.d4 Bb6 10.axb5 axb5 11.Na3 0-0 12.Nxb5 Bg4

13.Be3 Bd7 14.Nbd2 Re8 15.Qb1 gives White a small advantage in space (Kamsky-Z. Almasi, IT 0910, Reggio Emilia, 2010).

13.d5

If 13.Be3 exd4 14.cxd4 Nxe4 15.Qc2 Qe8 16.Ba4 Bd7 then:

17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.bxc3 Ne7 19.c4 c6 20.Rae1 Qd8 21.Bg5 gives White a small advantage in space (Domínguez-Shirov, IT, Sofia, 2009).
17.Rfe1 Nb4 18.Qc4 Ba5 19.Nc3 Bxa4 20.Rxa4 d5 21.Qf1 Nc6 draw (Leko-Anand, World Ch Trmt, Mexico City, 2007).

If 13.Bc2 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nh5 15.f4 then:

15...Qh4 16.Qf3 Nxf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Kh1 Ne7 19.Rg1 Ng6 20.b4 Qe7 21.Na7 gives White the advantage in space (Kamsky-Friedel, US Ch, St. Louis, 2009).
15...Nxf4 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Qg4 Qf6 18.b4 Ne7 19.Na3 Ng6 20.Nc4 gives White the advantage in space (Leko-Shirov, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2007).

If 13.Re1 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nh5 15.Kh1 then:

If 15...exd4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.cxd4 c5 18.Rg1 cxd4 then:

19.Bg5 Qe8 20.Qd3 Bd8 21.Bd2 Qe5 22.Rg4 Qb5 23.Bc4 Qxb2 24.Rag1 Kh8 gives Black an extra pawn (Short-Ganguly, World Cup, Hyderabad, 2002).
19.Rg5 g6 20.f4 Kh8 21.f5 gives White the advantage in space (Svidler-Shirov, Euro ChT, Novi Sad, 2009).

15...Qf6 16.Rg1 Nf4 17.Be3 Ne6 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Rg3 Kh8 20.Qd3 exd4 21.cxd4 e5 22.d5 gives White the advantage in space (Svidler-Shirov, IT, Linares, 1998).

13...Ne7 14.Bc2 Qd7

If 14...Qe8 then:

If 15.c4 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 f5 17.Bd3 e4 18.Be2 exf3 19.Bxf3 then:

If 19...Ng6 then:

20.b3 Nh4 21.Bxg4 fxg4 22.Bg5 Qh5 23.Bxh4 Qxh4 24.Ra2 gives White an extra pawn and Black more space and freedom (Hou Yifan-Adams, IT, Medida, 2008).
20.h3 Bxf3 21.Qxf3 Ne5 22.Qf4 Nd3 23.Qd2 Ne5 24.Qf4 h6 gives White the advantage in space (Videnova-Zimina, Euro Club Cup, Plovdiv, 2010).

19...Qh5 20.Ra3 Ng6 21.Bxg4 fxg4 22.Be3 Bxe3 23.Rxe3 Ne5 24.b3 gives Black an extra pawn and more freedom (McShane-Müller, Bundesliga 0203, Germany, 2003).

15.Na3 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 f5 17.Bd3 e4 18.Be2 exf3 19.Bxf3 Qh5 20.Nc4 draw (Motylev-Todorovic, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

15.Na3

15.c4 Ng6 16.h3 then:

16...Bxh3 17.gxh3 Qxh3 18.Ng5 Qg3+ 19.Kh1 Qh4+ 20.Kg2 leaves Black's Queen in an awkward position (Karjakin-Radjabov, Rpd, Cap d'Agde. 2006).
16...Bh5 17.Bd3 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 f5 19.Bb1 Nh4 20.Nxe5! Qe8 21.Ng4 returns Black's piece, but White has an extra pawn (T. Ernst-Hector, Swedish Ch, Umea, 2003).

15...Nexd5 16.h3

White has the advantage; he is attacking two Black pieces at once.
16.exd5 e4 17.Bg5 exf3 18.Qd3 fxg2 19.Kxg2 gives White better piece activity.

16...Bh5?!

Better for Black is to simply liquidate his Bishop.
If 16...Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Ne7 18.Bg5 then:

18...Qe6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qxf6 gxf6 21.Nc4 gives White the advantage in space.
18...Ne8 19.b4 h6 20.Ba4 Qd8 21.Bh4 gives White the advantage in space.

17.exd5

White is up a piece, but only temporarily.

17...e4

Pin it and win it.

18.Bg5!

White Black is recapturing the Knight, White has time to spoil Black's kingside pawns.
If 18.g4?! Nxg4! then:

If 19.Ng5 Nf6 20.Qe1 Ra8 21.Kh2 Rfe8 22.f3 then:

22...exf3! 23.Qh4 Bg6 24.Bxg6 fxg6 is equal.
22...e3? 23.Ne4! Nxd5 24.c4 Nb4 25.Rg1 Bd4 26.Qxb4 gives White the material advantage.

If 19.hxg4?? then Black wins after 19...Qxg4+! 20.Kh2 exf3 when White must surrender the Queen to prevent mate.

18...Bxf3 19.Qd2!

If 19.gxf3? then Black has a winning position after 19...Qxh3! 20.fxe4 Qg3+ 21.Kh1 Qxg5 22.Qf3 Ng4.

19...e3 20.Bxe3 Bxe3 21.fxe3!

White assumes the burden of a backward pawn in order to get the benefit opening the f-file with a gain of time.
If 21.Qxe3!? Bxd5! 22.c4 Rfe8 23.Qd4 Ba8 24.f3 c5 gives Black a small advantage in space.

21...Be4

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 21...Bf3e4

22.Rxf6!!

White proffers the exchange in hopes of reaping in huge dividends.
If 22.b4 Rfe8 23.c4 Re5 24.Rf4 then:

24...Qe8! 25.Qe1 Nh5 26.Rxe4 Rxe4 27.Bxe4 Qxe4 28.Qe2 leaves Black threatening two weak pawns and gives White only a slight advantage.
If 24...Ra8!? 25.Bxe4 Nxe4 26.Qd3! (a forceful move covering all importants squares.) 26...f5 then:

27.Rff1! c5 28.dxc6 Qxc6 29.Nb5 Rxa1 30.Rxa1 gives White an extra pawn and more freedom.
27.Nc2 Rxa1+ 28.Nxa1 Qa4 29.Nc2 g6 30.g4 maintains White's extra pawn.

22...Bxc2

Black knows that this gift horse needs to be stared in the mouth.
If 22...gxf6? 23.Bxe4 f5 24.Bd3 then:

24...c6 25.dxc6 Qxc6 26.Rf1 d5 27.Bxf5 gives White a material advantage equivalent to a minor piece.
24...Qe7 25.Bxf5 Qg5 26.Rf1 wins.

23.Rf4 Bg6

If 23...Bb3 then 24.Nc2 Ra8 25.Raf1 Qb5 26.e4 Bxc2 27.Qxc2 gives White an extra pawn and more freedom.

24.Nc4 Ra8 25.Na5

It doesn't look like it a first glace, but this is the best way to proceed.
If 25.Ra5 Rfe8 26.b4 Rxa5 27.bxa5 Be4 28.Nb2 leaves White with only a small advantage.

25...Rfe8 26.Ra3!

The Rook moves to a protected square, giving the Knight freedom to move.
If 26.c4 Qd8 27.Ra3 Qg5 28.Nc6 Rxa3 29.bxa3 gives White a remote passed pawn.
If 26.Rfa4 Re4 27.Rxe4 Bxe4 then:

28.Ra3! 28...Qb5 29.c4 Qb6 30.Qc3 h6 31.Nc6 gives White an extra pawn and dominace of the board.
28.b4!? merely maintains White's advantage after 28...Qe7 29.Rf1 Qg5 30.c4 f5 31.Kh2.

26...Be4 27.c4

27.Nc6 f5 28.c4 Qf7 29.Nd4 Rxa3 30.bxa3 gives White the remote passer.

27...g5!?

Black, being a member of the 2700 club for most of the last 20 years, no doubt sees the coming Na5c6, precipitating the exchange of Rooks giving White a passed pawn on the a-file. He should begin now to close the center in order to take counter measures.
27...f5 28.Nc6 Rxa3 29.bxa3 Ra8 30.Qb4 Bd3 31.Qb3 still gives White the remote passer, but with the center closed he is better able to take countermeasures..

28.Rf1!

White takes command of the f-file.

28...g4!?

Black best move is still is 28..f5.
28...f5 29.Nc6 Rxa3 30.bxa3 Ra8 then:

31.Qb4 Qg7! 32.Qb7 Re8 33.Nd4 g4 34.hxg4 Qxg4 gives Black much better chances than he would have otherwise.
31.Qb2 Qg7 32.Qb7 transposes.

29.h4?!

29.Kh2 f5 30.hxg4 fxg4 31.Nc6 Rxa3 32.bxa3 Qg7 33.Kg3 leaves White with a remote passer and more freedom.

29...Qe7

29... f5 is again to be preferred, but it has less effect now than it would have before.
If 29...f5 30.Nc6 Rxa3 31.bxa3 then:

31...Ra8 32.Qb4 Qg7 33.Nd4 Qe5 34.Ne6 Qg3 35.Qb2 threatens mate, but that is easily parried; nevertheless, White still has a healthy advantage.
31...Qg7?! 32.a4! Qh6 33.g3 Bf3 34.Re1 Qf6 35.a5 White must divert his resources to stop the pawn.

30.Qf2 Bg6

Better is 30...f5! (there it is again) 31.c5 Qf7 32.cxd6 Qxd5 33.Qf4 when White has only a slight edge.

31.b4 h5 32.Rc3!

The text is better and simpler than 32.Nc6 Qe4 33.Rc3 Ra6 34.b5 Ra4 35.Rfc1 Qf5 36.Qg3 leaving White with an extra pawn, but no pawn moves.
If 32.Qg3 Qe4 33.Qf4 then:

If 33...Qxf4 34.exf4 Kg7 35.Raa1 Re2 36.f5 gives White an extra pawn and a slight initiative.
If 33...Qc2 34.Qf2 then:

34...Qxf2+ 35.Kxf2 Re4 36.g3 Re5 37.Ke2 White continues to enjopy n extra pawn with the threat of 38.Rfa1 and 39.b5 looming.
34...Qe4 Rfa1 gives White a stong advantage with the threat of the b-pawn moving.

32...Qe5 33.Rb3 Qe4 34.Rc3?!

White will descend into an equal game.
If 34.Qe1 Re5 35.Qd2 then:

If 35...g3 then after 36.Rf4 Qc2 37.Qxc2 Bxc2 38.Ra3 Be4 39.Rf1 White continues to enjoy an extra pawn.
35...Rf5 36.Rf4 Rxf4 37.exf4 Re8 38.b5 White still has an extra pawn and Black must deal with the threat of the advance of the b-pawn.

34...Qe5 35.Rfc1

35.Qe1 Be4! 36.Kh1 f5 37.Kg1 Reb8 38.Rc1 Qb2 is equal as White must return his extra pawn.

35...Be4 36.Qf4

If 36.Ra3 g3 37.Qf1 Qb2 38.Rca1 Kg7 then:

39.R3a2 Qf6 40.Qxf6+ Kxf6 41.Ra3 is equal.
39.b5 Qd2 40.Kh1 Re5 gives Black the advantage.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 36.Qe4f4

36...g3!

Although Black will have more difficulty protecting the pawn at g3 rather than at g4, White will not be able to use f2 to cover his backward pawn at e3.
If 36...Kg7 then after 37.Qxe5+ dxe5 38.Ra3 Reb8 39.Ra4, White still has the advantage and an extra pawn.

37.Qxe5

White cannot avoid the Queen exchange.
37.Qh6 Qg7 38.Qxg7+ Kxg7 39.Ra1 Bg6 40.Rf1 Be4 is equal.

37...Rxe5 38.Ra3

38.Ra1 Bg6 39.Rf1 Be4 40.Ra3 Kg7 41.Re1 diminishes further White's advantage by retricting the mobility of the Knight

38...Kg7

38...Ree8! 39.Rcc3 Bg6 40.Nc6 Rxa3 41.Rxa3 is equal.

39.Rf1

39.Rca1 Bg6 40.Rf1 Be4 41.Re1 is equal.

39...Ree8 40.Rfa1 Re5 41.Nb3

Exchanging Rooks is the best alternative.
If 41.Rb3!? then 41...Ree8 42.Raa3 Bg6 43.e4 Rxe4 44.Rxg3 gives White only a slight advantage in space, if even that.

41...Rxa3 42.Rxa3 Bxd5!

Black sets a trap that does no harm if White fails to fall into it.

43.Nd2!

White does not succumb to the tempation to take the Bishop on d5.
If 43.cxd5?! Rxe3! 44.Kf1 Kg6! then:

45.b5 Kf6 46.Ra7 Rxb3 47.Rxc7 Rxb5 48.Ke2 Rb3 gives White the more active Rook.
If 45.Ra7 Rxb3 46.Rxc7 Rxb4 then:

47.Rc6 Rxh4 48.Rxd6+ Kg7 Black has an extra pawn, but this is mitigated by White's advanced passer.
47.Rc3 Rxh4 48.Rxg3+ gives Black an extra pawn.

43...Be6

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 43... Bd5e6

44.e4!

Black cannot save the pawn at g3.

44...Bg4 45.Rxg3 f5 46.Re3 Re8

If 46...fxe4 then 47.Rxe4 Kf6 48.Kf2 Rxe4 49.Nxe4+ Ke5 50.Ke3 gives White an extra pawn and the more active piece.

47.Kf2

47.b5 Re5 48.Kf2 Kf6 49.exf5 Rxf5+ 50.Kg3 Re5 51.Rd3 still gives White an extra pawn, but he's a long ways from converting it to a win. Neither side has a mobile pawn anywhere on the board.

47...Ra8 48.exf5 Ra2 49.Rd3 Bxf5 50.Rd5 Be6 51.Rg5+ Kh6 52.Ke3

If 52.Ke1 then:

If 52...Ra4! then:

If 53.Rb5! then:

53...Ra1+ 54.Ke2 Ra2 55.Kd3 Ra3+ 56.Kc2 Rg3 57.Rb7 White continues to enjoy an extra pawn, but it will be on the queenside.
53...Kg6 54.Ke2 Bg4+ 55.Ke3 Ra3+ 56.Kf4 Ra2 57.Rd5 gives White an extra pawn and a more aggressive posture.

53.b5?! Bxc4 54.Nxc4 Rxc4 is equal.

52...Ra1+ 53.Ke2 Rh1 54.g3 Bg4+ 55.Kd3 Rg1 56.Ne4 gives White an extra pawn and more activity.

52...Ra3+?!

This is a useless check. The King simply runs to safety at a more active post.
If 52...Ra4! 53.Rb5 then:

If 53...Ra3+ then:

54.Kd4 Rg3 55.Rb7 Rxg2 56.Ne4 Rg7 57.b5 gives White a little bit more active game.
If 54.Kf2 Rd3 55.Ke1 then:

55...Rd4 56.c5 Rxh4 57.cxd6 cxd6 58.Rb6 gives White more piece activity and the more remote passer.
55...Re3+ 56.Kd1 Rc3 57.c5 Bg4+ 58.Ke1 d5 59.Rb7 White continues to enjoty an extra pawn and more activity.

53...Bc8?! 54.Rb8! Be6 55.Rb7 Ra3+ 56.Kd4 Bf5 57.Ne4 gives White the opportunity to create a passed pawn.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 52...Ra2a3

53.Kd4!

The King is safe here and closer to the pawns.

53...Ra1

This is the best alternative.
If 53...Ra4? then:

If 54.b5! (the best defensive move) then:

54...Ra2 55.Kc3 Ra1 then:

56.Nb3! Rh1 57.Nd4 Bg4 58.Nf5+ Bxf5 59.Rxf5 then:

59...Kg6 60.Rg5+ Kh6 61.g3 wins for White.
59...Rc1+ 60.Kd4 Rd1+ 61.Ke4 Kg6 62.Rg5+ Kh6 63.Rg8 wins.

If 56.c5!? Rc1+ 57.Kb4 Rc2 58.cxd6 then:

If 58...c5+ 59.Rxc5 Rxd2 60.b6 then:

60...Kg6 61.Rg5+ Kh6 62.Kc5 Bd7 63.Rg8 then:

If 63...Rc2+ 64.Kd5 Rb2 then:

65.Rd8 Rb5+ 66.Kc4 Bc6 67.Rc8 Rxb6 68.Kc5 wins.
If 65.Rh8+ Kg6 66.Rd8 Bg4 67.Kc6 Rc2+ 68.Kb5 then:

68...Rb2+ 69.Ka6 Ra2+ 70.Kb7 Kf6 71.Re8 Rb2 72.Re3 Rxg2 73.Rd3 wins.
If 68...Rxg2 69.d7 Rb2+ 70.Ka6 Ra2+ 71.Kb7 then:

71...Bxd7 72.Rxd7 Ra4 73.Rd6+ Kf5 74.Kc7 Rc4+ 75.Rc6 wins.
71...Bf3+ 72.Kb8 Rd2 73.Rg8+ wins.

63...Rb2 64.Rd8 Rb5+ 65.Kc4 Bc6 transposes.

60...Rb2+ 61.Ka5 Ra2+ (Black has no hope of perpetual check) 62.Kb5 Bd7+ 63.Kc4 Rc2+ 64.Kd5 Rd2+ 65.Ke5 Re2+ 66.Kf4 Rf2+ then:

67.Ke3 Rxg2 68.Rc7 Bh3 69.b7 wins.
67.Kg3 Rb2 68.Rc7 Be6 69.b7 Kg6 70.d7 wins.

58...cxd6 loses to 59.Nf3 Rb2+ 60.Ka5! Bg4 61.Rd5.

54.Kc3 Ra1 55.Ra5 Rc1+ 56.Kd3 then:

If 56...Re1 57.c5 Bf5+ 58.Kd4 then:

If 58...Re2 59.Nf3 Re4+ 60.Kc3 Re3+ 61.Kd2 Rd3+ 62.Ke2 still gives White an extra pawn.
58...Rd1? 59.Ke3! Re1+ 60.Kf4 Bg6 61.cxd6! cxd6 62.Rd5 gives White the more remote passer.

If 56...Rd1 57.c5 Bf5+ 58.Ke3 then:

If 58...Re1+ 59.Kf4 Re2 60.cxd6 Rxd2 61.Kxf5 Rxd6 62.Re5 then:

If 62...Rd2 63.Re6+ Kg7 64.Rc6 then:

64...Rxg2 65.Rxc7+ Kh6 66.Rc6+ Kg7 67.b5 Rg4 68.b6 it will cost Black the Rook to stop the pawn.
If 64...Rd4 65.Rxc7+ Kh6 66.Rc6+ Kg7 67.Rg6+ Kh7 68.Rg5 then:

68...Rxb4 69.Rxh5+ Kg7 70.Rg5+ Kh6 71.g4 leaves White's pawns advancing on an immobile Black King.
68...Rxh4 69.g4 hxg4 70.Rxg4 Rh2 71.Ke6 Rd2 72.b5 wins.

If 62...Rd4 63.b5 Rxh4 64.Re6+ then:

64...Kg7 65.Re7+ Kf8 66.Rxc7 Rb4 67.Rb7 Ke8 68.b6 gives White a clear advantage
64...Kh7 65.Re7+ Kh6 66.Rxc7 Rg4 67.Rc6+ Kg7 68.Rc2 gives White a dangerous passed pawn.

58...Bg6 59.cxd6 cxd6 60.b5 gives White the more remote passer.

54.g3 Rd1 55.Kc3 Rg1 56.b5 Rc1+ 57.Kd3!?

White is understandably tired (as is Black) and perhaps raing against the clock (as is Black). More accurate is to attack the Rook while removing the Kig from check.
If 7.Kb2 Rd1 58.Kc2 Ra1 then:

If 59.Nb3! Rg1 60.c5 Bxb3+ 61.Kxb3 dxc5 then:

If 62.Kc2 Rg2+ 63.Kd3! then:

If 63...Rg1 then after 64.Ke4 c4 65.Kd4 c3 66.Rc5 Rxg3 67.Rxc7 the c-pawn can make mo progress and White wins.
If 63...c4+ then White wins after 64.Kxc4 Rd2 65.g4 hxg4 66.Rxg4 Kh5 67.Re4.
63...Rb2 then White wins after 64.Kc4! Rd2 65.Kxc5 Rc2+ 66.Kd5 Rc1 67.g4! hxg4 68.Rxg4.

Also good is 62.Kc4 Rc1+ 63.Kd5 c4 64.Kd4 c3 65.Rc5.

If 59.c5!? is premature and leads to a series of check driving the White King to the other side of the board:

If 59...Ra2+ 60.Kc3 Ra3+ 61.Kd4 Ra4+ 62.Ke3 Ra3+ 63.Kf4 Ra4+ 64.Kf3 then:

64...Ra3+ 65.Kf2 Ra2 66.Ke1 dxc5 67.Rxc5 Bd7 68.Ne4 Rb2 assures the fall of the b-pawn.
64...dxc5 is playable now: 65.Rxc5 Bd7 66.Ke3 Rb4 67.Rxc7 Bxb5 simplifies the game by leaving pawns on only one side of the board.

59...Ra4!? 60.cxd6 cxd6 61.Nf3 Bf7 62.Kd3 Ra3+ 63.Ke2 Bc4+! gives Black reaonable chances to draw.

57...Bf7 58.Nb3 Rd1+?!

Black misses his last good opportunity.
If 58...Rxc4! 59.Nd4 Rc5 60.Rxc5 dxc5 then:

61.Nc6 61...Kg7 62.Ne5 Be6 63.Kc3 Kf6 64.Nd3 Bf7 65.Nxc5 Kf5 is equal and likely drawn.
61.Nf3 Be6 62.Ne5 Kg7 63.Kc3 Kf6 64.Nd3 Bf7 65.Nxc5 Be8 is equal and likely drawn.

59.Ke2 Rb1

If 59...Rg1 60.Nd4!! (sacrificing a pawn for initiative, as he does in the text) 60...Bxc4+ 61.Kd2 then:

If 61...Rg2+ 62.Kc3 Be2 63.Ne6 Bd1 64.Kd3 Be2+ 65.Ke4 then:

65...d5+ 66.Kd4 Bxb5 67.Nf4! Rg1 68.Rxh5+ Kg7 69.Rxd5 followed by 70.Rg5+ leaves White a pawn up with conntected passers.
63...Bxb5? 64.Nf4! wins the h-pawn.

65...Bc4 66.Nd4 d5+ 67.Ke5 Rb2 68.Nf5+ Kh7 69.Rxh5+ leaves White a pawn to the good with connected passers and he will probably win.

61...Ra1 62.Nf5+ Kh7 63.Rxh5+ Kg6 64.Rg5+ Kf6 65.Ne3 is clearly better for White.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 59...Rd1b1

60.Nd4!!

White sacrifices a pawn for initiative.

60...Bxc4+ 61.Kd2 d5

If 61...Ra1 then 62.Nf5+ Kh7 63.Rxh5+ Kg6 64.Rg5+ Kf6 65.Ne3 recoups White's pawn and he still has the initiative.

62.Nf5+ Kh7 63.Rxh5+ Kg6 64.Rg5+ Kf6 65.Ne3!

White finds the optimum square for the Knight.
If 65.Nd4 (to blockade the pawn) 65...Rh1 66.Kc2 Ke7 67.h5 then:

67...Kd6 68.Kc3 Rc1+ 69.Kd2 Rh1 70.Nf5+ still gives Black drawing chances.
If 67...Kf6 68.Rf5+ Ke7 69.Kc3 then:

69...Kd6 70.Rf6+! Ke7 71.Rh6 gives White all the winning chances, but Black is still fighting for a draw.

If 69...Rh3 70.Rg5 then:

70...Kf6 71.Rg6+ Kf7 72.Kb4 Rxh5 73.g4 Kxg6 74.gxh5+ Kxh5 is equal.
70...Bf1 71.Kb4 Bd3 72.Rxd5 Rxg3 73.Rc5 Kd6 74.Rc6+ gives White an extra pawn with pawns on opposite wings, but Black can play on in hopes of a draw.

65...Rb2+ 66.Kd1

More accurate is 66.Kc1 Rxb5 67.Nxc4 Rc5 68.Rg4 dxc4 69.Rf4+ Kg7, giving White a clear advantage.

66...Be2+!?

Better is 66...Rb1+ 67.Kc2 Rxb5 68.Nxc4 Rc5 69.Rg4 dxc4 reaching a position very much like the previous note.

67.Kc1 Rxb5

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 67...Rb2b5:p

68.Kd2!

One should be pardoned for missing the importance of this move at first glance. Black will be given no time to play d5d4!.
68.Kc2? (preventing the check on b2) 68...d4! 69.Rxb5 Bxb5 is equal and very likely will result in a draw.

68...Rb2+ 69.Kc3 Rb5 70.Nxd5+!

It is important for White to keep the Rooks on the board. In addition, this move prevents the d-pawn from advancing once and for all.
70.Rxd5 Rxd5 71.Nxd5+ Kf5 72.Kd2 Bf3 73.Ne3+ gives White few winning chances.

70...Kf7

Any other move loses.

71.Re5 Bg4 72.Re7+ Kf8 73.Re4

If 73.Re8+!? then:

If 73...Kf7!! then Black is still fighting for a draw after 74.Re4 Rxd5 75.Rxg4 Rh5 76.Re4 Kf6.
73...Kxe8? loses to 74.Nxc7+!.

73...Bf5?

Black drops his pawn. White is winning from here on out.
Black is still fighting after 73...Rxd5 74.Rxg4 Rh5 75.Rc4 Rh7.

BLACK: Alexei Shirov

WHITE: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 73...Bg4f5

74.Nxc7!

No longer having to worry about the c-pawn, White can now concentrate on making progress with his two connected passers. That, however, is easier said than done.

74...Rc5+ 75.Rc4 Re5 76.Rf4 Ke7 77.Kd4 Ra5 78.Nd5+ Ke6 79.Nc3

If 79.Ne3 Bg6 80.g4 then:

If 80...Ra4+ 81.Nc4 Ra1 82.g5 then:

If 82...Rd1+ 83.Kc5 Rd5+ then:

84.Kc6 Be8+ 85.Kc7 Rd7+ 86.Kc8 Ke7 87.Ne3 Ra7 88.Nd5+ Kd6 89.Nc7!! Rxc7+ 90.Kd8! wins for White.
If 84.Kb4 Rf5! 85.Re4+ Kd5 then:

86.Rg4! Rf1 loses to 87.Ne3+!.
If 86.Re1? then after 86...Rf4! 87.Rd1+ Ke6 88.h5 Bxh5 89.Re1+ Kf5! White loses his last pawn and must settle for a draw.

If 82...Bf5 then White wins after 83.Ke3 Ra7 84.Kf3 Rh7 85.Ne3! Bd3 86.Rf6+.

80...Ra3 81.g5 Rd3+ 82.Kc5 Rc3+ 83.Nc4 Bf5 84.Rd4 threatens 85. Rd6+! followed by 86.Rf6.

79...Ra8 80.g4 Bh7 81.Ke3 Rc8 82.Ne2

Also good is 82.Nb5 Rc1 83.Nd4+ Kd5 84.Nf3 Rc3+ 85.Kf2 when the King escapes check, leaving White free to push his pawns.

82...Ke5 83.Ra4 Rb8

If 83...Bc2 then after 84.Ra5+ Kd6 85.h5 Bd1 86.Kd2 Bxe2 87.Kxe2 White wins easily and could win even without his Rook (see Fine, Basic Chess Endings, Diagram 344).

84.Nd4 Rb1

If 84...Re8 then White wins after 85.h5 Kd5+ 86.Kf4 Re4+ 87.Kg5 Re8 88.Kf6.

85.Ra5+ Kf6 86.Kf4

White wins faster after 86.g5+ Kf7 87.h5 Re1+ 88.Ne2.

86...Rf1+ 87.Nf3 Bc2 88.Kg3

If 88.g5+ then:

If Kg7 89.h5 Bd1 90.Ra3 Be2 91.Rc3 wins for White.
88...Kg6 89.Ra6+ Kf7 90.h5 Bd1 91.Ra7+ wins.

88...Rb1 89.Ra6+

If 89.h5 Kf7 90.g5 Rb7 91.Nd4 then:

91...Bb1 92.Kf4 Re7 93.Re5 Rb7 94.Re6 Kg7 95.Nf5+ pushes the King back and brings the pawns forward.
91...Bd1 92.g6+ Kg7 93.Kh4 Rd7 94.Kg5!! Rxd4 95.h6+ the pawns continue to creep forward.

89...Kg7 90.Nd4 Bd3

Just as futile is 90...Rg1+ 91.Kf4 Bd3 92.Ra3 Rd1 93.h5.

91.Rd6 Kf7 92.Kf4 Ra1 93.h5 1-0

If 93...Ke7 then after 94.Re6+ Kf8 95.Re3 Bc4 96.g5 White's pawns keep coming.
El señor Shirov resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jan-24-11 04:34 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. Carlsen - Giri, Round 3

Congratulations to 16-year-old Anish Giri on this spectacular trouncing of the world's número uno.

Anish Giri
Photo by Stefan64 from Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Magnus Carlsen - Anish Giri
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group A, Round 3
Wijk aan Zee, 17 January 2011

West India Game: Indian Queen's Gambit (Catalan Opening) (Grünfeld Defense)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nb6 7.Nc3 Nc6

If 7...0-0 8.0-0 Nc6 9.d5 Na5 then:

If 10.e4 c6 then:

If 11.Bf4 then:

If 11...cxd5 12.exd5 Nac4 13.Qe2 then:

If 13...Nxb2 then:

If 14.Qxb2 Na4 15.Nxa4 Bxb2 16.Nxb2 Qxd5 17.Rfe1 Qb5 18.Nd1 Re8 19.Nc3 Qa5 20.Rac1 then:

20...f6 21.Nd2 g5 22.Nb3 Qa6 23.Bf1 Qa3 24.Be3 b6 is equal (Urban-Staniszewski, Polish Ch, Polanica Zdroj, 1999).
if 20...Be6 then:

If 21.Rxe6 fxe6 22.Bh3 then:

If 22...Rec8 23.Bxe6+ Kf8 then:

24.Ne4 Rxc1+ 25.Bxc1 Rd8 gives Black a sturdy material advantage (Rogers-Yang Xian, ZT, Djakarta, 1993).
24.Rd1 Rd8 25.Nd5 Rd6 26.Bxd6 exd6 27.Rc1 is equal.

22...Rf8 23.Bxe6+ Kg7 24.Kg2 Rxf4 25.gxf4 Qa3 gives Black the material edge and the initiative.

21.Nd4 Bc8 22.Nd5 Bh3 23.Rxe7 Red8 24.Re5 gives White the kind of piece center of which most grandmasters can only dream.

if 14.Rac1 N2c4 15.Nb5 then:

If 15...Nd6 16.Nc7 Rb8 then:

If 17.Rfe1 Bf6 18.Bh6 then:

18...Bd7 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Rc2 Rc8 21.Ne6+ fxe6 22.Rxc8 Qxc8 23.dxe6 Bb5 Black goes on to win (Arsovic-Sarenac, Serbian Ch Qual, Belgrade, 2007).
18...Bg7 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Nd4 Bf5 21.Nxf5+ Nxf5 22.g4 gives White a healthy advantage in space.

17.Bg5 Bf6 18.Bxf6 exf6 19.Nd4 Bd7 20.Rc2 Na8 gives Black a slight advantage in space after the Knights are exchanged.

15...Bd7 16.Nc7 Rc8 17.Rxc4 Nxc4 18.Qxc4 Bf5 19.Rc1 Bb2 20.Re1 gives White a small advantage in space.

if 13...Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Rc8 16.Rac1 then:

16...Nd6 17.Rfe1 Re8 18.Qd3 Nf5 19.Be4 gives White a slight advantage in space (Neverov-Zezulkin, Op, Seidnica, 1997).
16...Qd7 17.Bg4 f5 18.Bf3 Nxb2 19.Qxb2 Rxc3 20.Rxc3 Na4 21.Rc7 Black, down a Rook and facing more material loss, resigns (Wojtkiewicz-Vegh, Op, Geneva, 1999).

if 13...Bf5 14.Rac1 Rc8 then:

If 15.b3 Nd6 16.Be5 Bh6 17.Rcd1 then:

17...Qd7 18.Bd4 Bg4 19.h3 Nf5 20.hxg4 Nxd4 21.Nxd4 Rxc3 22.Rfe1 Nc8 23.Bh3 Rc5 24.Ne6 fxe6 25.g5 Black resigns as he must lose material and allow White total command of the board (Kransenkow-Dvoirys, It, Podolsk, 1993).
17...Re8 18.Bd4 Bg4 19.h3 Nf5 20.Be5 Bxf3 21.Qxf3 f6 gives Black a Small advantage in space (Salo-Holmsten, Op, Turku, 1999).

15.Nh4 Bd7 16.b3 Nd6 17.Be5 Bg4 18.f3 Bxe5 19.Qxe5 gives White a slight advantage in space (Lin Weiguo-Ye Jiangchuan, IT, Beijing, 1997).

if 11...Nac4 then:

If 12.Qb3 then:

12...e5 13.Bg5 f6 14.Nd2 Na5 15.Qb4 fxg5 16.Qxa5 Bd7 is equal (Kidambi-Kuzubov, Op, New Delhi, 2011).
12...cxd5 13.exd5 Bf5 14.Rad1 Rc8 15.Bc1 Nd6 16.Rfe1 Nbc4 gives Black a slight advantage with stronger pawns (Szoen-Gluszko, Najdorf Mem Op, Grodzisk Mazowiecki, 2007).

12.Qe2 Bg4 13.h3 e5 14.dxe6 Bxe6 15.Rac1 h6 16.g4 gives White dome advantage in the center (Lin Weiguo-Ftacnik, IT, Beijing, 1996).

if 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bf4 cxd5 then:

If 13.exd5 Nac4 14.Qe2 g5 15.Bc1 then:

If 15...Bg4 16.h3 Bh5 then:

If 17.g4 Bg6 18.h4 then:

18...Qd7 19.hxg5 Qxg4 20.gxh6 Bf6 21.Re1 Rac8 22.Ne4 Qxe4 23.Qxe4 Bxe4 24.Rxe4 Nxd5 draw (Krogius-Hort, IT, Varna, 1969).
18...Bxc3 19.bxc3 f6 20.hxg5 hxg5 21.Nd4 Ne5 22.Ne6 gives White an impressive advantage in space (Tshekov-Chernyakhovsky, Corres, 1990).

17.Re1 Re8 18.a4 a5 19.g4 Bg6 20.h4 e6 21.hxg5 exd5 22.Qxe8+ Qxe8 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.gxh6 is equal (Krogius-Tukmakov, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1971).

15...e6 16.h4 g4 17.Nh2 exd5 18.Nxg4 d4 19.Nxh6+ Bxh6 20.Bxh6 dxc3 21.Rad1 Qf6 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 23.bxc3 Whites's pieces work in better harmony (Wojtkiewicz-Kindermann, Op, Debrecen, 1990).

13.Nxd5 Nac4 14.Nc7 Rb8 15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Rad1 Bg4 17.b3 Rxd1 18.Rxd1 Ne5 19.Bxe5 Bxe5 is equal.(Romanishin-Ftacnik, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).

if 10.Qc2 c6 11.dxc6 Nxc6 12.Rd1 then:

If 12...Qe8 13.Be3 Bf5 14.Qc1 Rc8 then:

15.Bh6 e5 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.b3 Qe7 18.Qb2 f6 19.Rac1 Rfd8 is equal (Ribli-Vachier Lagrave, Bundesliga 0809, Tegernsee, 2009).
If 15.Nd4 Bd7 then:

16.Ndb5 Nc4 17.Bf4 N6e5 18.Nd4 b5 19.b3 Nb6 20.Bxe5 Bxe5 is equal (Romanishin-Mamedyarov, Euro ChT, León, 2001).
16.Nd5 Na4 17.Rd2 Nc5 18.Bg5 Bg4 gives White the advantage in space (Chiburdanidze-T. Bae, Euro Ch, Batumi, 2002).

12...Bf5 13.e4 Bd7 14.Bf4 Rc8 15.Qe2 Qe8 16.h3 Be6 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Nb4 19.Ne1 Qd7 20.Qd2 Na6 draw (Tukmakov-Khalifman, Soviet Ch, 1st League, Simferopol, 1988).

8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1

If 10.d5 Na5 11.Nd4 Bd7 12.e4 c6 then:

If 13.Re1 cxd5 14.exd5 Rc8 then:

If 15.Bf4 then:

If 15...Nac4 16.b3 Nd6 then:

17.Qd2 Nf5 18.Nde2 h6 19.h4 h5 20.Rac1 gives White a slight advantage in space (Kuljasevic-Kozul, Croatian Ch, Zagreb, 2004).
17.Rc1 Bg4 18.Qd2 Rxc3 19.Qxc3 Nb5 20.Nxb5 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 Qd7 gives Black a slim advantage in space (V. Filippov-I. Johannesson, Euro Club Cup, Izmir, 2004).

15...h6 16.h4 h5 17.Bg5 Nac4 18.b3 Nd6 19.Rc1 Nf5 20.Nde2 Rc5 is equal (Romanko-Ushenina, Russian ChTW, Dagomys, 2010).

If 15.Rb1 Nac4 16.b3 Nd6 17.Bb2 then:

17...Na8 18.Nce2 Qa5 19.a4 Bg4 20.h3 Bxe2 21.Nxe2 Bxb2 22.Rxb2 Nb6 23.Nf4 Qb4 is equal (Tkachiev-Gopal, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
17...Rc5 18.Rc1 Qc8 19.Qd3 Bh3 20.Ba3 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Rc7 22.Ncb5 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Qg4 24.Nxd6 exd6 is equal (Bocharov-Predojevic, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2007).

13.Bf4 Bc8 14.Nde2 cxd5 15.exd5 e5 16.Bc1 Nac4 17.b3 Nd6 18.a4 Bg4 is equal (Smejkal-Khalifman, Bundesliga 9900, Germany, 1999).

10...a5 11.Qd2 (N)

If 11.Qe2 then:

If 11...Be6 then:

If 12.Rd1 Bc4 then:

13.Qc2 Nb4 14.Qb1 e5 15.a3 exd4 16.axb4 dxc3 17.Rxd8 Raxd8 18.Qc2 axb4 19.Nd2 is equal (Leitão-Caruana, Ol. Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).
13.Qd2 a4 14.Rb1 Ba6 15.b3 axb3 16.axb3 e5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bxe5 19.Qc2 gives White a slight advantage in space (Arsovic-M. Pavlovic, Serbian ChT, Vrnjacka Banja, 2010).

12.Nd2 a4 13.Rd1 Na5 14.Nde4 Bc4 15.Qc2 Nc6 16.Nc5 has Black tied up in knots attempting to defend unmoved pawns (S. Brunello-Alsina Leal, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

if 11...e5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.e4 then:

If 14...Be6 15.f4 then:

15...Bd4+ 16.Be3 Nc4 17.Bf2 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Qd2 19.Qxd2 Nxd2 20.f5 gxf5 21.exf5 Bxf5 22.Bxb7 gives White a small advantage with two Bishops patrolling an open center (Hirneise-Gopal, Masters', Gibraltar, 2010).
if 15...Bg7 16.Be3 then:

16...Qe7 17.e5 Rab8 18.Ne4 Red8 19.Bc5 Qd7 20.Rad1 Qe8 21.Nd6 cxd6 22.Bxb6 dxe5 23.Bxd8 Rxd8 24.Rxd8 Qxd8 25.fxe5 Bxa2 26.Kh1 Qb6 27.Rd1 draw (Rogozenco-Areshchenko, Bundesliga 0910, Bremen, 2009).
16...Nc4 17.e5 c6 18.Ne4 a4 19.Rad1 Qa5 20.Bd4 gives White a more solid center.

if 14...Bd7 15.f4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bc6 17.Bb2 then:

17...Qd6 18.c4 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Qxc4 gives Black the more active position (Potkin-Areshchenko, Bundesliga 0910, Katernberg, 2010).
if 17...Qe7 18.Rad1 Qc5+ 19.Kh1 Nc4 20.Rd4 b5 21.h4 Rad8 22.Red1 Qe7 is equal (Kazhgaleyev-Tomczak, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 2010)

11.d5 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Qxd5 13.Nd4 Qc4 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Qd4 Rb8 16.Bf1 Qa4 17.c4 Ba6 gives Black an extra pawn (Zhou Weiqi-Negi, Op, Dubai, 2008).

11...e5

The game is equal, at least according to the engines.

12.d5 Nb4 13.e4 c6

If 13...f5 14.Nh4 Bf6 15.a3 Na6 16.Qe2 Nc5 17.Be3 remains equal.

14.a3!?

This move allows White to uncork a beautiful combination that gives him the advantage.
Better is 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Rd1 Qxd2 when:

16.Rxd2 Nc4 17.Rd1 Nc2 18.Rb1 a4 remains equal.
16.Bxd2 Nc2 17.Rac1 Nd4 18.Be3 c5 remains equal.

BLACK: Anish Giri

WHITE: Magnus Carlsen
Position after 14.a2a3

14...cxd5!!

Black commits to a double sacrifice.
If 14...Na6 15.dxc6 Qxd2 16.Bxd2 bxc6 17.Bc1 Be6 remains equal.

15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8

Just like that, Black is down two pieces to two pawns.

16...bxc3 17.bxc3 Nxa8 18.exd5

Just like that, the material count is even, but White's pawns are weak and his minor pieces are poorly posted.

18...Nb6

Black has a slight advantage

19.Rd1?!

White mistakenly believes his Rook is poorly posted on the e-file, where it attack a well-protected Black pawn. However, Black must invest his recources into keeping that pawn covered and on the board.
Better is 19.d6! when after 19...Re6 20.Qe2 Rxd6 21.Ba3 Rd5 22.c4 Ra5 Black still has a slim advantage due mainly to an extra pawn. White has plenty of chances for counterplay.
19.Nh4!? Nc4! 20.Qc2 b5 21.Qb3 Qd7 22.Rd1 e4 leaves Black calling the tune.

19...e4!

White's Knight has few good squares to which it can escape.

20.Ng5?

White's position was sliding in any event, but this seals his doom. One should be careful about deliberately putting a piece en prise when one's opponent can attack another piece right away.
20.Nd4 Qxd5 21.Qe1 Bd7 22.Be3 Nc4 23.Nc2 Qe6 gives Black an extra pawn and greater freedom.
20.Ne1 Bd7 21.d6 Na4 22.Bb2 Qc8 23.Ba3 Nxc3 gives Black an extra pawn and a strong initiative.

BLACK: Anish Giri

WHITE: Magnus Carlsen
Position after 20.Nf3g5

20...e3!

Black attacks the Queen, and thus wins the Knight.

21.Qb2

White loses a piece any way he plays, for example 21.Qd3 Qxg5 22.Bxe3 Qf6 23.Qb5 Nd7.

21...Qxg5 22.Bxe3 Qg4 0-1

23.Qb3 Nd7 24.c4 Ne5 25.Bf4 Qe2 26.c5 Nd3 is crushing.
Magnus resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jan-24-11 04:44 PM
Response to Reply #2

6. Wang Hao - Nepomniachtchi, Round 2

The second round saw the duel between the reigning national champions of China and Russia.

Ian Nepomniachtchi
Photo by Stefan64 from Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Wang Hao - Ian Nepomniachtchi
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group A, Round 2
Wijk aan Zee, 16 January 2011

West India Game: King's Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d6 4.Nc3 e5 (N)

With this move, the book is closed already.
4...Bg7 5.e4 0-0 transposes into the Sämisch Opening.

5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.Bg5

7.e4 Be6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0-0-0+ Nbd7 10.Bd3 Kc8 is equal.

7...Be7 8.0-0-0+ Nbd7 9.Nh3

The game is equal.
If 9.e4 c6 10.Bh6 Kc7 11.Be2 Rd8 12.Nh3 Nb6 then:

13.Rxd8 Kxd8 14.Rd1+ Ke8 15.Nf2 Bc5 remains equal.
If 13.Nf4!? then:

13...Ng8! 14.Bg7 f6 15.Nh3 Bc5 16.Rxd8 Kxd8 gives Black a powerful gasme and he is essentialy a piece up since White cannot make use of the Bishop at g7.
13...exf4? 14.Bxf4+! Bd6 15.e5 wins back the piece with the net gain of a pawn.

9...h6 10.Be3 c6 11.Nf2 Kc7 12.Nd3 b6 13.g3 Ba6 14.b3 Rae8

14...Rad8 15.Bg2 Bb7 16.Rd2 g5 17.Rhd1 Rhg8 18.Bf2 gives White a slight advantage in space.

15.Bh3 Bc8 16.Kc2 Bf8 17.f4 exf4

17...e4 18.Nf2 Bc5 19.Bxc5 Nxc5 20.Bxc8 Rxc8 remains equal.

18.Bxf4+ Kb7 19.b4

19.Rhf1 Rh7 20.Rd2 Nc5 21.Bxc8+ Kxc8 22.Nxc5 Bxc5 remains equal.

19...g5 20.Bc1 Ne5 21.Bxc8+ Kxc8 22.Nxe5

22.Rhf1 Bg7 23.Nxe5 Rxe5 24.Rd6 Re6 25.Rxe6 fxe6 remains equal.

22...Rxe5 23.Rhf1 Re6 24.Kb3

24.b5 Bb4 25.bxc6 Bxc3 26.Kxc3 Rxc6 remains equal.

24...Be7 25.b5 Rd8 26.bxc6

26.Rxd8+ Kxd8 27.bxc6 Rxc6 28.h4 gxh4 29.gxh4 remains equal.

26...Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Rxc6 28.Nb5

This is White's best try for advantage.
If 28.Nd5 Re6 29.Rf1 Kd8 then:

30.h4 Nxd5 31.cxd5 Rxe2 32.Rxf7 Re5 remains equal.
30.e4 a6 31.Be3 Nxd5 32.cxd5 Rxe4 33.Bxb6+ remains equal.

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 28.Nc3b5

28...Re6

The game remains equal.
If 28...Kb8?! 29.Rf1 then:

29...Kb7 30.h4 a6 31.Nc3 gxh4 32.gxh4 h5 33.Bg5 gives White more freedom; the focus of the game is on f6 with Black unable to move his Knight as to do so would undo his game as easily as pulling the loose end of a shoelace undoes a knot.
29...h5 30.Bxg5 Ne4 31.Bf4+ Kb7 32.Be3 Rf6 33.Rf3 gives White more space.

29.e3!?

On his 29th move, White finally moves his e-pawn..
If 29.Nxa7+! Kb7 30.Nb5 Rxe2 then:

If 31.Rf1 Kc8 32.Nd6+ then:

32...Kd7 33.Nxf7 Rxh2 34.Ne5+ remains equal.
32...Kc7!? 33.Nf5! Ng4 34.h3 Nh2 35.Rd1 Bf8 36.Rd3 gives White more freedom.

31.Nd6+ Bxd6 32.Rxd6 Ng4 33.h3 Kc7 34.Rd3 Ne5 remains equal.

29...a6!

Black drives off the Knight.

30.Nd4 Re5!?

Black has a better chance of getting some advantage with 30...Re4 31.Nf5 Bf8 when:

32.Bb2 Nd7 33.Rd4 Re6 34.h4 Nc5+ is equal.
If 32.Ba3!? Bxa3 33.Kxa3 then:

33...Kc7! 34.Nxh6 Rxe3+ 35.Kb2 Re2+ 36.Ka3 Rxh2 gkives Black a Rook marauding in White's camp and stronger pawns.
33...Re5 34.Nxh6 Rxe3+ 35.Kb2 Re2+ 36.Kb3 Rxh2 gives Black a slight advantage in space.

31.Rf1!

The game is equal.

31...Kd7

31...Ng4 looks tempting, but after 32.Rxf7 Bc5 33.Nf5 Kd8 34.Bb2 Re6 35.Rh7 White has a small advantage.

32.Nf5 Ke6

32...Ra5 33.Nxh6 Ke6 34.Bb2 Ne4 35.Rxf7 Nc5+ remains equal.

33.Ng7+

33.Nxh6 b5 34.a4 bxc4+ 35.Kxc4 Re4+ 36.Kd3 Rxa4 gives Black a slight advantage with his passed pawn.

33...Kd7 34.Nf5 Ke6 35.Ng7+ Kd7 36.Kc2!?

White declines to play 36.Nf5, which is a draw by repetition.

36...Ne4

Black has a slight edge in space and proffers a pawn.
36...Ra5 37.Kb1 Ne4 38.Rxf7 Nd6 39.Rf1 Nxc4 gives Black a small advantage in space and stronger pawns.

37.Nf5?!

37.Kd3 Nc5+ 38.Kd2 Nb7 39.Bb2 Ra5 40.a3 Nd6 leaves Black enjoying a strong initiative and threatening 41...Nxc4+!
37.Rxf7 Nd6 38.Rf1 Nxc4 39.Nf5 Ba3 40.Rd1+ Ke8 gives Black a small advantage in space.

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 37.Ng7f5

37...Ra5!

Black threatens to crash into White's camp.

38.Bb2

If 38.Nxh6 Rxa2+ Crash!! then:

If 39.Bb2 Ba3 40.Kb3 Rxb2+ 41.Kxa3 Rxh2 42.Nxf7 Re2 then:

43.g4 Rxe3+ 44.Ka2 Re2+ 45.Ka3 Ke7 gives Black an extra pawn.
43.Rf3? Nd2 44.Rf5 Rxe3+ 45.Ka2 Rxg3 gives Black two extra pawns.

39.Kd3? Nc5+! 40.Kc3 Rxh2 41.Ng8 Bd6 leaves Black a pawn up with a menacing position.

38.Rd1+ Ke8 39.Nxe7 Kxe7 40.Rd4 Nf2 41.h3 Rxa2+ gives Black two extra pawns as the White's a-pawn is lost.

38...Rxa2

Please click here.

39.Rd1+!

White finds the best way out of the jam.

39...Ke8 40.Kb3 Ra5 41.Nxh6 Nc5+ 42.Kc2 Ra4 43.Nf5?!

Better is 43.Rf1 Rxc4+ 44.Kd2 Na4 45.Bd4 Rc7 46.Kd3 Nc5+ when White has an extra pawn.

43...Rxc4+ 44.Kb1

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 44.Kc2b1

44...g4!

The pawn paralyzes White's kingside.
Also good is 44...Ne4! 45.Ng7+ Kf8 46.Nf5 f6 47.Rd7 Bc5.

45.Rd5!?

Black's most effective piece is his Rook. White would do better to try to exchange it.
If 45.Rd4 then:

If 45...Nb3 46.Ng7+ Kf8 then:

47.Rd7 Bb4 48.Nf5 Ke8 49.Rd3 Na5 clearly gives Black the better game, but White may have some chances to liberate his kingside pawns.
If 47.Rxc4?! then after 47...Nd2+ 48.Kc2 Nxc4 49.Nf5 b5! Black marches his pawns forward.

Not as good is 45...Rxd4 46.Bxd4 Bg5 47.Nd6+ Ke7 48.Nc8+ Ke6 49.Nxb6 when White has taken one of Black's connected passers and get some initiative.

45...Ne6 46.Be5!?

White is in a pickle and now the Bishop occupies a square better used by White's Rook.
Better is the immediate 46.Re5 , but 46...Kf8 47.Bd4 Bg5 48.Re4 Rb4+ 49.Ka2 Rb5 still gives Black two connected passers and White has little way to stop them other than direct confrontation by the King.

46...Rc6!?

It's time to take advantage of the connected passers.
46...b5! 47.Bd4 Rb4+ 48.Ka2 Ra4+ 49.Kb2 Ba3+ gives Black's b-pawn good prospects for further advancement.

47.e4!

White buttresses his pieces.

47...f6 48.Bb2 Nc7 49.Rd3!?

White misses a chance to pick up a pawn and level the game.
If 49.Rd1! then:

49...Rc4 50.Re1 Nb5 51.e5 Bb4 52.Re2 Bf8 53.exf6+ Kf7 gives Black only a slight advantage.
The race is on after 49...a5!? 50.Ne3 b5 51.Nxg4 a4 52.h4 with eauqlity.

49...Rc4! 50.Rd4

If 50.Re3 then after 50...Nb5 51.Nh6 Nd6 52.Nxg4 Rxe4 53.Rxe4 Nxe4 Black remains a pawn to the good with two connected passers.

50...Rxd4 51.Bxd4

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 51.Bb2d4:R

51...b5!

The connected passers mobilize with less material on the board to hinder them.

52.Nh6

This is White's best move.
If 52.Ne3?! Ne6! 53.Bb2 Ng5 then:

54.e5 f5 55.Nxf5 Nf3 56.e6 Nxh2 gives Black two connected passers, while White's kingside pawns are effectively blockaded.
54.Nxg4 Nxe4 55.Ne3 Kf7 56.g4 a5 57.h4 a4 gives Black the better chance to make something of his pawns.

52...Ne6 53.Be3 Nc5

The text is better than 53...Ng5?! 54.Bxg5 fxg5 when:

55.Nxg4 Kf7 56.Ne3 Ke6 57.Kc2 a5 58.Nf5 Bf6 Black has the advantage with connected mobile passers.
55.Kc2 a5 56.Kb2 a4 57.Nxg4 Kf7 58.e5 Ke6 gives Black connected passers while White's pawn are immobile.

54.Bxc5 Bxc5 55.Nxg4 Kf7 56.h4 Kg6!?

Perhaps it is counterintuitive, but much better is 56...Ke6 (giving the Black King more room to maneuver) 57.Nh6 Ke5 58.Ng4+ Kxe4 59.Nxf6+ Kf5.

57.Kc2!?

White fails to punish Black's inaccuracy.
57.h5+ Kxh5 58.Nxf6+ Kg6 59.Nd5 Bd6 60.g4 a5 gives Black only a small advantage in space.

57...a5!?

This advance is a little premature.
Better is 57...Bd4 58.Kd3 Ba1 59.Kc2 Kh5 60.Ne3 a5 when Black's King and pawn haromiously prevent any advance by White's pawns.

58.h5+! Kg5 59.h6 Bf8!

Not as good is 59...Kg6 60.h7 Kxh7 61.Nxf6+ Kg6 62.Nd5 Bd6 giving Black only a small advantage in space.

60.h7 Bg7 61.Ne3 Kg6 62.Nd5!?

Better is to block the pawn rather than attack it.
If 62.Nf5 a4 63.Ne7+ Kxh7 64.Nd5 then:

64...Kg8 65.Nc3 Kf7 66.Nxb5 Ke6 gives Black not enough of an advantage to scratch a win from a minor piece ending.
64...a3?! 65.Kb3! Bf8 is equal.

62.Nd1 Kxh7 63.Nc3 b4 64.Nd5 Kg6 65.Ne7+ Kg5 gives Black a small advantage with an extra pawn.

62...Kxh7 63.Nc7

If 63.Kb3?! Kg6! (Black frees his Bishop by covering the f-pawn with the King)) 64.Nc3 b4 then:

65.Nb5 Bf8 66.Nd4 Bd6 67.Ka4 Bc7 gives Black a tremendous advantage with a position White cannot touch.
65.Nd1 Bf8 66.Ka4 Kg5 67.Ne3 Bd6 68.Nc4 Bc7 Black wins by taking White's pawns with the King and bringing the f-pawn home.

63...b4 64.Kb3?!

White puts himself in a deep hole, but it's not quite deep enough for him to be unable to climb out.
Better is 64.Nd5! Kg6 65.Ne7+ Kg5 66.Nc6 Kg4 67.Nxa5 Kxg3 , leaving Black with too small of an advantage to win.

64...Bf8 65.Nd5

If 65.g4 Bd6 66.Ne6 Kg6 67.Ka4 Be5 then:

68.Nc5 Bd4 69.Ne6 Ba7 70.Nd8 Bb6 71.Nc6 Bc7 White still cannot touch Black's pawns.
68.Kb3 Bg3 69.Ka4 Kf7 70.Nd4 Bc7 71.Nf3 Ke6 Black's position protects itself.

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 65.Nf4d5

65...Kg6! 66.Ka4!?

The King should remain at b3, where it does it best service in blockading Black's passers. White might have seen some trouble with 66.Nf4+, but that is a solid route to a draw as long as White doesn't get sidetracked.
If 66.Nf4+ Kf7 67.g4 Be7 then:

If 68.Ka4 Bd8 69.Ne2 Ke6 then:

70.Ng3 Ke5 71.Kb3 Kf4! wins for Black.
If 70.Nd4+ then:

If 70...Kd6 71.Nf3 Kc5 then:

If 72.e5 then Black wins after 72...Bc7 73.Ka4 Kc4 74.Nd2+ Kd3 75.Nb3 Kxe4.
If 72.Kb3 fxe5 73.Nxe5 Kd4 74.Nc6+ Kc3 75.Na7 then:

75...Kc4 76.g5 b3 77.Nb5 b2 78.Na3+ Kc3 leaves Black a little more work to do before he can call it a win.
If 75.Nxd8?? then 75...b3! leaves White no way to stop the pawn.

If 70...Ke5?! 71.Nc6+! Kxe4 72.Nxd8 Kf4 73.Nc6 Kxg4 74.Nxa5 draws.

68.Nd3 Ke6 69.Ka4 Bd8 70.Kb3 Kd6 71.Kc4 Bb6 brings White perilously close to Zugswang.

66...Bd6! 67.Kxa5 b3 68.Nc3 Be5!

Black now appears to be on his way to winning, but the move hjust made was critical.
If 68...b2 69.Nb1 then:

If 69...Bxg3 70.Kb4 Kg5 71.Kc3 Be5+ then:

72.Kd3 Kf4 73.Nd2 Kg5 74.Nb1 Kf4 etc. draws.
If 72.Kc2 Kf4 then:

73.Kd3 73...Kf3 74.Na3 Kg3 75.Nb1 Kf3 etc. draws.
If 73.Na3? Kxe4 74.Nb1 f5! 75.Nd2+ Kd5 76.Kd3 f4 then:

If 77.Kc2 Bd4 78.Kb1 Bc3 79.Nf3 Ke4 80.Nh2 f3 81.Ng4 Kd3 82.Nf2+ Ke2 then:

83.Nh3 f2 84.Nxf2 Kxf2 85.Kc2 Bf6 86.Kb1 Ke2 87.Kc2 Ke2 88.Kb1 Kd2 89.Ka2 Kc2 wins.
83.Ng4 Bd4 84.Kc2 f2 85.Nxf2 Kxf2 86.Kb1 Kf3 87.Kc2 Ke3 88.Kb1 Kd2 89.Ka2 Kc2 wins for Black.

If 77.Ke2 Kd4 78.Nb1 Ke4 then:

If 79.Nd2+ Ke3 80.Nf1+ Ke2 81.Nh2 Bg7 82.Kb1 f3 83.Ng4 Bd4 then:

84.Ka2 f2 85.Nxf2 Kxf2 86.Kb1 Kf3 wins.
84.Kc3 f3 85.Nxf2 Kxf2 86.Kb1 Kf3 87.Kc2 Ke2 88.Kb1 Kd2 89.Ka2 Kc2 wins.

79.Kd2 f3 80.Kd1 Ke3 81.Ke1 Bc5 82.Kf1 Bb4! wins.

69...Kg5 70.Kb5 Bxg3 71.Kc4 Kg4 72.Kc3 Be5+ 73.Kd3 Kf3 gives Black a clear advantage because his pawn, at the brink of promotion, is unassailable to White and the White King cannot attack the Black pawn and defend its own at the same time.

69.Kb4 b2 70.Nb1 Kg5 71.Kc4

The King can't do nothing except attack the b-pawn, tying the Black Bishop to its defense.
71.Kb3 Kg4 72.Kc2 Kxg3 73.Na3 Kf3 74.Kd3 Kf4 presents Black difficulty in winning.
Black's biggest obtacle is the White pawn. Black needs both pawns to win a Bishop against Knight ending, and he also needs to capture White's pawn. Looking at it that way, it's a tall order.

71...Kg4 72.Kd3 Kxg3 73.Ke3

This is White's best move, doing the most to restrain Black from making progress.
If 73.Na3 Kf2 74.Kd2 Kf3 75.Kd3 then:

If 75...Bb8 76.Kc2 then:

76...Bd6 then:

77.Nb1 Be5 78.Kd3 picks up where we came in, with Black hold the extra pawn but struggling to make progress.
If 77.Kxb2? then Black wins after 77...Bxa3+ 78.Kxa3 Kxe4.

76...Kxe4 77.Kxb2 Kd3 78.Kc1 f5 79.Kd1 Bd6 80.Nc2 leaves Black with the3 obvious advantage, but White doesn't need to concern himself with preserving the Knight if he can sacrifice it in order to take the pawn.

If 75...Bf4 then:

76.Kc2? 76...Kxe4 77.Kxb2 Kd3! 78.Kb3 f5 79.Nc4 Bc7! wins for Black with the best play.
If Ifont color="magenta"]76.Nb1 then Black wins after 76...Bd6 77.Kc3 Kxe4 78.Kxb2 Kd3.

73...Bf4+ 74.Ke2 Bc1 75.Nc3

If 75.Kd3?! Kf3 76.Na3 Bf4 then:

77.Nb1 Bc7 78.Kc3 Kxe4 79.Kxb2 Kd3 wins for Black if he can keep White away from the pawn.
If 77.Kc3? Kxe4 78.Kxb2 Kd3! then:

79.Kb3 f5! 80.Nc4 Bc7 81.Nb2+ Ke2 then:

82.Kc4 f4 83.Kd4 f3 84.Nd3 Bb6+ 85.Ke4 Be3! 86.Ne5 f2 wins outright for Black.
If 79.Nb5 f5 80.Na3 Be3 then:

81.Kb3 f4 82.Nc4 Bd4! 83.Nd6 f3 84.Nf5 f2 85.Ng3 Be5 86.Nf1 Ke2 wins outright.
82.Na4 Be5 83.Kc4 f4 84.Nc5 f3 85.Nd3 Bb8 86.Kc3 Bc7 87.Kc2 Be5 88.Nxe5 f2 wins outright.

If 81.Nb5 then:

81...f4 82.Kb3 f3 83.Nc3 f2 wins outright.
81...Ke4?? then 82.Nd6+! draws.

75...Kf4 76.Kd3 Kf3

If 76...Be3 77.Nd5+ Kf3 78.Nc3 then:

If 78...Bh6 79.Kc2 Bf4 then:

If 80.Kd3 Bd6 81.Nb1 Be5 82.Na3leaves neither side able to make progrsss.
If 80.Kxb2? then Black wins after 80...Be5 81.Kc2 Bxc3 82.Kxc3 Kxe4.

If 78...Bf4 then after 79.Nb1 Be5 80.Na3 Kf4 Black can make no progress.

77.Kc2?!

The King should remain where it was, protecting the e-pawn which in turn retards the advance of Black's f-pawn. The Knight is then used to blockade the b-pawn.
If 77.Nb1 Be3 78.Nc3 Bf4 79.Nb1 then:

79...Be5 80.Na3 Kf4 81.Nb1 Kg5 82.Na3 Kg4 as long as the situation remains as it is, Black cannot make progress.
If 79...Bd6 80.Nc3 then:

80...Bg3 81.Nb1 Be5 82.Na3 Kf4 83.Nb1 Kg5 gives Black better chances on paper, but he still can't break this defense.
80...Be5 81.Nb1 Kf4 82.Nd2 Kg3 83.Nb1 Kf2 leaves White still fighting for a draw.

77...Bf4 78.Nb1?

If White had any chance of drawing, he just threw it away.
If 78.Kd3 Be5 79.Nb1 Kf4 80.Nd2 Kg3 then:

81.Nb1 Kh4 82.Kd2 Kg5 83.Ke3 Kg6 gives White long odds of survival.
81.Ke2 Bd6 82.Nb1 Kf4 83.Kd3 Bc7 leaves White's chances hanging by a thread.

BLACK: Ian Nepomniachtchi

WHITE: Wang Hao
Position after 78.Nc3b1

78...Kxe4!

Please click here.

79.Kxb2

There is nothing better.
79.Nc3+ Kf3 80.Kd1 Bg5 81.Kc2 f5 82.Nd5 Bc1 83.Kb1 f4!! brings about the reductio ad absurdem of White position: the pawn at f4 cannot be taken becuase that would leave only White's King, which can be easily forced away; yet the pawn must be taken because otherwis it keeps going to its promotion square. In other words, Black wins in all variations.

79...Kd3!

80.Kb3 Be5 0-1

The pawn cannot be stopped.
Grandmaster Wang resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jan-25-11 04:20 AM
Response to Reply #2

7. de Jong - Vocaturo, Round 4

Daniele Vocaturo
Photo by Stefan64 from Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Jan-Willem de Jong - Daniele Vocaturo
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group C, Round 4
Wijk aan Zee, 18 January 2011

Symmetrical English Game: Reti Opening

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 b6!?

This is very unusual and my staff and I judge it to be not very good in that it opens Black's immobile Queen's Rook to a discovered attack from White's fianchettoed Bishop.
The usual move here is 3...Nc6 with White's usual reply being 4.0-0 Bb7 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3, a typical Symmetrical English Game. For what it's worth, my recommendation after 3...Nc6 is 4.c4, a very typical English Symmetrical Game.

4.Ne5

This move could not have been made except in this move order.
Here the usual continuation is 4.0-0 Bb7 5.c4 e6 6.Nc3 which is also a typical Symmetrical English Game.

4...d5

Forced. White has a slim advatage in space.

5.c4 e6

If 5...Qc7 6.d4 e6 7.Nc3 cxd4 8.Qxd4 Bc5 9.Qf4 Bb7 is equal.(Aijal-Agopov, Op, Espoo, 2002). For the curious, Espoo is in Finland.

6.Nc3 Be7!? (N)

6...Bb7 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Qa4 Qc8 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 is equal (Gauss-Meissner, Op, Pforzheim, 1999).

7.Qa4+!

White has the advantage in space and development.

7...Kf8

7...Bd7 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 9.Qxd7+ Nbxd7 10.d3 gives White more freedom.

8.cxd5!?

White opens the center prematurely.
If 8.d3 Bb7 then:

9.0-0 Qc8 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Qb3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 gives Black much of what he needed: an exchange of Bishops on the long diagonal and a route for his pieces to develop, but White still has the advantage in space and devekopment.
If 9.cxd5 then:

9...Nxd5! 10.Nf3 Qd7 11.Qg4 Nc6 12.Bg5 Nf6 is equal.
9...exd5!? 10.Bf4 Nh5 11.Be3 Qd6 12.d4 gives White dominace in the center.

8...exd5!

Black can now develop his Bishop actively.

9.d4

BLACK: Daniele Vocaturo

WHITE: Jan-Willem de Jong
Position after 9.d2d4

9...Bb7!?

This move is inconsistant. Black is trying to overprotect the d-pawn while blocking the attacking lane to the yet immobile Rook, but with the exchange on d5, Black's Queen's Bishop got access to active squares. Black develops it to the more passive post at b7 anyway.
If 9...Be6! (still passive, but with more potential than the text move while still overprotecting the d-pawn) 10.0-0 then:

If 10...cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nbd7 12.Nc6 Bc5 then:

13.Qa4 Qc7 14.Nb4 Bxb4 15.Qxb4+ Qc5 16.Qf4 Rc8 leaves Black still defending the isolated d-pawn, but doing so ably.
13.Qd1 Qc7 14.Nd4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Re8 16.Rd1 Qc4 17.Be3 gives White only a small advantage, base mostly on Black taiing up the bursden of an isolated pawn.

If 10...Qe8?! then 11.Qxe8+ Kxe8 12.e4 cxd4 13.exd5 Bd7 14.Ne2 gives White a clear advantage.

10.dxc5!?

White does better to postpone the capture and punish Black for slow development.
10.Bf4! cxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qd3 Bd6 13.0-0 gives White an impressive advantage in space.

10...Bxc5

Black is definitely getting the gettng of it as a result his his inaccurate play.
If 10...bxc5 11.0-0 Nfd7 12.Qb3 then:

12...Qb6 13.Nxd5 Qxb3 14.axb3 Nxe5 15.Nc7 White wins the exchange.
If 12...Nb6? then White wins after after 13.Rd1! N8d7 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qxb7 Nxe5 16.Rxd5.

11.0-0!?

Again, White fails to take advantage of Black's isolated d-pawn.
If 11.Bg5 (threatening to undermine the pawn by removing a defender) 11...Qd6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.f4 then:

13...Bc6 14.Qd1 Qe6 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Qxd5 17.Nxd5 gives White an extra pawn and an impressive piece center.
If 13...Qd6 then White wins after 14.0-0-0 a6 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Rxd5.

11...Qe7 12.Nf3 Nbd7 13.Bf4 Ne4

13...a6 14.Rfd1 Rc8 15.Rac1 Kg8 16.Nd4 gives White an impressive advantage in space.

14.Rad1 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Nf6 16.Nd4 Ne4 17.Qb3

If 17.Rd3 a6 18.Rfd1 then:

18...Re8 19.Qb3 Qf6 20.a4 Kg8 21.Rb1 is equal.
18...Rc8 19.Bxe4 Qxe4 20.Re3 b5 21.Qb3 Qg6 22.a4 gives White a more active position.

17...Re8!

White, who has not taken as great of an advantage of his opportunities as he might, now has oly a slim advantage in space.

18.Be3 h5 19.Nf5 Qc7 20.c4 Bxe3

If 20...dxc4 21.Qxc4 then:

21...Rh7 22.Rc1 Qe5 23.Bxc5+ Nxc5 24.Bxb7 Nxb7 remains equal
If 21...Qc8?! 22.Bxc5+! Qxc5 23.Qxc5+ bxc5 24.Bxe4 then:

24...Bxe4 25.Nd6 Re6 26.Nxe4 Rxe4 27.Rd8+ gives White more active Rooks.
If 24...Rxe4?? loses to 25.Nd6! when:

25...Rh6 26.Nxb7 leave White a piece to the good.
If 25...Bc6 26.Nxe4 when:

26...Ke7 27.Nxc5 gives White a prohibitive material advantage.
If 26...Bxe4 then 27.Rd8+ wins the Rook.

21.Qxe3 Qxc4?

White swallows the pawn with the Queen and comes down with ptomaine.
If 21...dxc4 22.Qd4 f6 23.Rc1 Rd8 then:

If 24.Rxc4 Nc5 25.Qc3 then:

25...Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Qe5 27.Qc2 is equal.
25...Ba6!? 26.Rd4! Bxe2 27.Re1 Rxd4 28.Qxd4 gives White an advantage in space that more than compensates for his pawn minus.

If 24.Qxc4?! Qxc4 25.Rxc4 Nd2 then:

26.Rc7 Bxg2 27.Kxg2 Nxf1 28.Nxg7 is equal.
26.Rc2?! Nxf1 27.Bxb7 g6 28.Kxf1 gxf5 29.e3 leaves Black up by the exchange and in possession of the queenside majority.

BLACK: Daniele Vocaturo

WHITE: Jan-Willem de Jong
Position after 21...Qc7c4:p

22.Rc1!

White seizes and avenue of attack.

22...Qb4 23.Bxe4 dxe4

If 23...g6 then:

24.Qg5 Qxe4 25.Nd6! Qe7! 26.Qf4 g5 27.Qd4 is equal.
If 24.Rc7? gxf5! 25.Rxb7 h4 then:

26.Rd1 Qxe4 27.Qxe4 fxe4 28.Rxd5 is equal
26.Rxa7 Qxe4 27.Qxb6 h3 28.f3 is equal

24.Rc7 Bd5 25.Qg5 Qb2

25...Rh7 26.Nxg7 Rxg7 27.Qxd5 Qa5 28.Qxa5! wins at least a pawn.

26.Nxg7??

What a shame!
White wins easily after 26.Rd1 e3 27.Re7 exf2+ 28.Kxf2 Qf6 29.Rxe8+ Kxe8 when:

30.Qf4 Be6 31.Qb8+ forces mate.
30.Qxf6 gxf6 31.Rxd5 wins a piece.

BLACK: Daniele Vocaturo

WHITE: Jan-Willem de Jong
Position after 26.Nf5g7:p

26...Qe5!

Now Black wins.

27.Nf5

27.Qxe5 Rxe5 28.Nxh5 Rexh5 leaves Black a piece to the good.

27...Be6!

White could have resigned on seeing this move. Black wins a piece.

28.Rfc1 Qxf5 29.Qe3 Kg7 30.Rxa7 Rc8 0-1

If 31.Rb1 then after 31...Rc2 32.Rb7 Qg4 33.Qd4+ Kh7 White cannot recover the lost piece.
Mh. de Jong resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jan-25-11 04:21 AM
Response to Reply #2

8. Lahno - Siebrecht, Round 5

Katya Lahno
Photo by Stefan64 from Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Katya Lahno - Sebastian Siebrecht
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group C, Round 5
Wijk aan Zee, 20 January 2011

Epine Dorsal: Rat Defense (Black Lion Variation) (Philidor Defense)

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4

If 5.Be2 Be7 6.0-0 c6 7.Re1 then:

7...h6 8.h3 0-0 9.Bf1 Re8 10.a4 a5 11.Be3 Qc7 is equal (Mohota-Panjwani, Op, Montreal, 2008).
7...0-0 8.a4 Qc7 9.Bf1 Re8 10.Bg5 Nf8 11.h3 h6 12.Be3 a5 13.Qd2 Ng6 14.Rad1 Bf8 15.Qc1 Bd7 16.g3 is equal (Shrentzel-Adams, London, 1989).

5...Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4

If 7.Re1 c6 8.a4 then:

If 8...b6 then:

If 9.Bg5 a6 10.Qe2 then:

10...Qc7 11.d5 c5 12.Rab1 Qd8 13.Nd2 Ne8 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.b4 gives White a slight advantage in space (Hoang-Mkrtchian, Euro ChW, St. Petersburg, 2009).
10...h6 11.Bh4 Nh5 12.Bg3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Qc7 14.Rad1 exd4 15.Nxd4 Ne5 16.Nf5 Bxf5 17.exf5 Nxc4 18.Qxe7 Qxe7 19.Rxe7 d5 20.b3 Nd6 21.g4 Rfe8 22.Rd7 Red8 is equal (Roberts-Ellenbrook, Op, Hoogeveen, 2001).

9.d5 cxd5 10.Nxd5 Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2 Nc5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bd5 Qd7 15.Ba3 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Rfd8 17.Rd1 Ne6 18.Qb5 Nf4 is equal (Naiditsch-Eljanov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2006).

If 8...a5 9.h3 then:

If 9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bf4 Qb6 12.b3 Re8 13.Qf3 Ncd7 14.Nf5 Ne5 15.Bxe5 dxe5 16.Nxe7+ Rxe7 17.Rad1 Be6 18.Bxe6 Rxe6 19.Rd2 Rd8 is equal (Hracek-Piket, Ol, Moscow, 1994).
9...Nb6 10.Bd3 Nfd7 11.Ne2 exd4 12.Nexd4 Ne5 transposes into Jelecevic-Biti, Op, Pula, 2010) in the note to White's ninth move.

7...a5 8.h3 c6 9.b3 (N)

9.Re1 Nb6 10.Bd3 Nfd7 11.Ne2 exd4 12.Nexd4 Ne5 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Nf3 Bf6 15.b3 gives White a small advantage in space (Jelecevic-Buti, Op, Pula, 2010).

9...Nb6 10.Bd3

The game is equal.

10...exd4 11.Nxd4 d5!?

The text isn't the best move, but then he not have wanted to make the "best" move.
11...Re8 12.Bb2 Nfd7 13.Nf5 Bf8 14.Re1 Ne5 15.Ng3 remains equal.

12.e5!

White assumes a slight advantage in space.

12...Nfd7?!

There are two reasons the Knight should go to e8 rather than d7:
- At d7, the Knight is blocking the Bishop's development; and
- At e8, the Knight can go to e6 via c7 and blockade the pawn at e5.
If 12...Ne8 13.Qh5 g6 then:

If 14.Qe2 f6 then:

15.f4 Ng7 16.Bd2 gives White a slight advantae in space.
15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ne6 Bxe6 remains equal.

14.Qh6 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ba3 Nd6 remains equal.

13.Re1?!

White allows her opponent to equalize.
If 13.Nf5! then:

If 13...Re8 14.Nxg7!! Kxg7 15.Qh5 then:

If 15...f5 16.Bxf5 Nf8 17.Bh6+ then:

17...Kg8 18.Bxf8 Bxf5 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Qxf5 Qxe5 21.Qxe5 Rxe5 22.Rad1 gives White an extra pawn, the passer at f2.
17...Kh8?? loses on the spots to 18.Qf7!.

If 15...Nf8? then White wins after 16.Bh6+! Kg8 17.Bxf8 f5 18.exf6.

13...Nxe5 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Ba3! wins the exchange.

13...Nc5!

The game is again equal.

14.Nf5 Nxd3!

Black eliminates the Bishop and with it the possibility of White playng the fireworks of the last note.
Another benefit of this move for Black is that, since White's reply is virtually forced, he has secured opposite colored Bishops, which could come in handy later if he is content with a draw.

15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.cxd3 Re8 17.d4

If 17.Qf3 Qb4! then:

18.Bd2! (the only good move) 18...Nd7 19.Qg3 Re6 20.Ne4 gives White a slight initiative.
18.d4?! Qxd4! 19.Ba3 Qh4 20.Rad1 Qg5 21.Bd6 Bf5 gives Black an extra pawn, more space and more aggressively posted pieces.

17...Bf5 18.Ne2 Nd7

The game remains equal.
If 18...Qh4 19.Be3 Nd7 20.Rc1 then:

20...f6! 21.f4 Re6 22.Qd2 b6 23.Bf2 Qh6 24.Ng3 is adjudicated by Fritz to be equal, but my staff and I prefer the slightly better Black Bishop, although it's hardly an overwhelming advantage.
20...h6!? 21.Ng3! Bg6 22.Qg4 Qxg4 23.hxg4 Ra6 24.f4! gives White the advantage in space on the kingside at the cost of making her Bishop a very bad Bishop; she should build up her position there.

19.Ng3 Bg6 20.f4!

White asserts her spatial advantage on the kingside.

20...Qe6?!

This is a passive move that protects nothing that isn't already protected and makes no demands at all on White.
If 20...Qh4 then 21.Kh2 f5 22.Be3 Qe7 23.Qc2 gives White a slight initiative against Blaxk's f-pawn.

BLACK: Sebastian Siebrecht

WHITE: Katya Lahno
Position after 20...Qe7e6

21.Ba3!

White actives her Bishop by getting it around the center.

21...b6

Black has no good moves now.
If 21...Rac8 then:

22.Qf3! f5 23.Qc3 b6 24.Rac1 Bf7 25.Qc2 leaves White in command of the dark squares and Black unable to protect his f-pawn without making his situation worse.
Good, but less efficient, is 22.Bd6 when after 22...b6 23.Rc1 f6 24.Rf1 f5 25.Qd2 White sets up a liberation lever on the Queenside (26.b4) that frees the Bishop (for example, 26...axb4 Bxb4).

If 21...Ra6 22.Qf3 then:

22...f5 23.Rac1 Raa8 24.h4 gives White a huge advantage in space.
If 22...Bf5 23.Qh5 g6 24.Qf3 Rb6 25.Bd6 then:

25...h5 26.Bc7 Ra6 27.Qc3 h4 28.Nxf5 Qxf5 29.Rf1 leaves White's position safe while she still threatens Black's a-pawn.
25...Bc2 26.Qc3 Be4 27.Bc7 Ra6 28.Bxa5 wins a pawn.

22.Rc1 Rac8 23.Qf3 f5

This is necessary to prevent a pawn fork at f5.
If 23...Bf5?! then 24.Qh5! g6 25.Qf3 Kh8 26.Bd6 Rg8 27.Qf1 severely restricts Black's freedom.

24.Re2

White is building up her attack before striking.
If 24.Qd3 c5 25.h4 cxd4 26.h5 then:

26...Bf7 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Nxf5 Nc5 29.Qh3 ()keeping the b-pawn and the Knight protected 29...Re8 30.g4! leaves Black only feeble attempts to find couterplay, for example, 30...d3 h6!! or 30...Qd7 31.h6! g5 32.Ng7!.
26...Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Bf7 28.Nxf5 Bxh5 29.Qh3 g6 30.Nxd4 gives Black a strong initiative against what is left of Black's position.

24...Bf7

Better is 24...Nf8 25.h4 Qd7 26.h5 when:

26...Bf7 27.Rec2 g6 28.hxg6 hxg6 29.Ne2 gives White the better game on either flank while the center is locked.
26...Ne6 (threatening 27...Nxd4, winning the exchange) is easily parried with 27.Rd2 and after 27...Bf7 28.Nxf5 c5 29.Qg4 White is winning.

25.Rec2 Nf8

Black continues to teeter, as he has since the since his 20th move.
If 25...c5 26.Kh1 Rc6 27.dxc5 then:

If 27...bxc5 28.Bxc5 then:

If 28...Rec8 29.Qf2 Be8 30.Bd6 Nb8 31.Rxc6 then:

31...Rxc6 32.Rxc6 Nxc6 33.Qf3 Bd7 34.Ne2 Black isn't quite done, but he's wearing round heels.
If 31...Nxc6 then after 32.Ne2 Nd8 33.Rc7 Rxc7 34.Bxc7 Black hangs by a thread.

28...Rcc8 29.Bd6 Rxc2 30.Rxc2 Nf6 31.exf6 Qxd6 32.fxg7 leaves White up by two pawns for if 32...Kxg7 then 33.Nxf5! wins immediately.

If 27...Rec8 28.Qf2 bxc5 29.Bxc5 then:

29...Nxc5 30.Rxc5 Rxc5 31.Rxc5 Rxc5 32.Qxc5! White wins more material.
29...h6 30.Bd6 Nb8 31.Rxc6 Rxc6 32.Rc5! leaves White a pawn up with Black running out of opportunities for counterplay.

26.Qd3

BLACK: Sebastian Siebrecht

WHITE: Katya Lahno
Position after 26.Qf3d3

26...Qd7!

Black gets some much needed breathing room. That other moves give Black only a narrow path to even hope for a draw is shown in the following variations:
If 26...g5 27.Ne2 c5 28.Qg3 Qg6 29.fxg5 then:

29...Ne6 30.Nf4 Nxf4 31.Qxf4 Rb8 32.dxc5 bxc5 33.Rxc5 leaves White two pawns up.
If 29...Nd7 30.Nf4 then:

If 30...Qg7 then after 31.Bb2 Be6 32.dxc5 bxc5 33.Nxd5!! Bxd5 34.e6! no matter how Black plays, he must lose material.
30...Qc6 31.Re2 Nf8 32.dxc5 bxc5 33.Rxc5 Qb6 34.Qe3 wins.

If 26...g6 27.Bd6 then:

If 27...Qd7 28.Qa6 c5 29.Qxb6 then:

29...cxd4 30.Rc7 d3 31.Nf1 Qd8 32.Bxf8 Rxc7 33.Rxc7 wins for White.
If 29...c4 30.Ne2 cxb3 31.Qxb3 Rxc2 32.Rxc2 then:

If 32...Rc8 33.Rxc8 Qxc8 34.Bxf8 then:

34...Kxf8 35.Qb6 Qc2 36.Qd6+ Kg8 37.Kf2 Qxa4 38.e6 the price of stopping the pawn is too dear for Black.
If 34...Qxf8 35.Qb6 Qb4 36.Qxb4 axb4 37.a5 then:

If 37...Be8 38.a6 b3 39.Kf2 Kf7 40.Ke3 the relative King positions render Black's resistance futile.
37...Kf8 38.a6 Ke7 39.a7 wins.

If 32...Ne6 33.Qb5 Qa7 34.Bc5 Qa8 35.Bb6 Rb8 leaves Black holding on by the skin fo his teeth.

27...Nd7 28.Ne2 c5 29.Qb5

If 29...Ra8 30.dxc5 bxc5 31.Bxc5 Nxc5 32.Rxc5 then:

32...Qe7 33.Rc7 Qd8 34.Rd7 Qh4 35.Rcc7 easily wins for White.
If 32...Reb8 then after 33.Qd3 Qa6 34.Qxa6 Rxa6 35.Rc8+ Rxc8 36.Rxc8+ White wins more material.

If 29...Rcd8 30.dxc5 bxc5 31.Bxc5 Nxc5 32.Qxc5 Qa6 33.Nd4 then:

If 33...Rb8 34.Nb5 Red8 35.Qc7 then:

If 35...Qb6+ 36.Qxb6 Rxb6 37.Rc8 then:

If 37...Rf8 38.R1c5 g5 39.Nd6 Be6 40.R8c7 d4 41.Rxa5 then:

If 41...d3 42.Raa7 Rd8 43.Kf2 gxf4 44.Rg7+ then:

44...Kf8 45.Rxh7 Kg8 46.Ke1 Ra6 47.Rag7+ Kf8 48.Rg6 Raxd6 49.exd6 Rxd6 50.Kd2 wins for White.
44...Kh8 45.Rxh7+ Kg8 46.Ke1 Rc6 47.Rag7+ Kf8 48.Rg6 wins.

41...Rd8 42.Raa7 gxf4 43.Kf2 Rxb3 44.Rg7+ Kf8 45.Rxh7 Rg3 46.Rh6 wins.

37...Rb8 38.Rxd8+ Rxd8 39.Nd4 Kf8 40.Rc5 Ra8 41.g4 wins.

If 35...d4 36.Nxd4 then:

36...Be6 37.Rc6 wins easily for White.
If 36...Rxd4?? then 37.Qxb8+ leads to a quick mate.

If 33...Qd3 34.Qc3 Qa6 35.Qe3 then:

35...Rc8 then White wins after 35...Be6 then after 36.Rc6 Qa7 37.R1c5 White wins more material.

27.Bxf8 Rxf8 28.Qxf5!?

White appears too anxious to wind down to an endgame. She still has some aggressive moves available that make it easier once more materila leaves the board.
If 28.Qa6! then:

If 28...Qd8 29.Rxc6 Rxc6 30.Rxc6 Qh4 31.Nxf5 then:

31...Qxf4 32.Qd3 Be8 33.Ne7+ Kh8 34.Rc7 then White has the active game, but she hasn't won yet.
If 31...Qe1+ then White wins after 32.Qf1 Qe4 33.Ne7+.

If 28...c5? 29.dxc5! bxc5 30.Rxc5 Rxc5 31.Rxc5 d4 then White wins after 32.Qd3 Qd8 33.Ne2.
31...g6 32.Rc6 Qd8 33.Kh2 Be8 34.Rd6 wins.

28...Be6!

An excellent retort.

29.Qg5 h6

If 29...Rf7? then White wins after 30.Rc3! Rff8 31.Nh5 h6 32.Qg3 Qf7 33.Qh4.

30.Qh4 c5 31.Rf2?!

White throws away some of her advantage protecting a pawn that is in no danger.
If 31.Kh2 Qa7 32.Ne2 Bf5 33.Rc3 Be4 34.Ng3 when White drives the Bishop back to an ineffective square.

31...c4?

Black may have underestimated the power of White's reply.
Black is still fighting an uphill battle for a draw after 31...cxd4 32.Rd1 Bf5 33.Rxd4 Rc1+ 34.Kh2 Bc2 35.Ne2.

BLACK: Sebastian Siebrecht

WHITE: Katya Lahno
Position after 31...c5c4

32.bxc4!!

White concedes a passed pawn to Black; in returns, she gets onnected passers in the center that will steam over Black.

32...Rxc4

Black is toast.
If 32...dxc4 33.f5 Bd5 34.f6 Be6 35.Ne4 then:

35...Rc7 36.Nc3 Qc6 37.Rd1 Bd5 38.Rb1 Rd7 39.Rb5 Zugswang!
35...Qxd4 36.fxg7 Rxf2 37.Nf6+!! wins the Black Queen.

33.Rxc4 dxc4 34.f5 Bd5 35.Nh5

White wins faster after 35.Qg4! Bc6 36.e6 Qe7 37.Nh5 then:

37...Kh8 38.f6 gxf6 39.Qg6 Qh7 40.e7 wins for White.
37...Qg5 38.f6 Rxf6 39.Qxg5 hxg5 40.Nxf6+ gxf6 41.Rxf6 wins.

35...c3

Black could put up more resistance after 35...Qd8 36.Qg4 Qg5 37.Qxg5 hxg5 38.Ng3 Bc6 39.Rc2 , but the result will be the same.

36.Qg3 Qc7

no better is 36...Qf7 37.Nf6+ Kh8 38.Nxd5 Qxd5 39.Qxc3 when White is two pawns up with connected passers in the center.

37.Rc2 Rxf5 38.Rxc3 Qf7 39.Nf6+ Rxf6

If 39...Kh8 then White wins with 40.Rc8+ Qg8 41.Qg6! Qxc8 42.Qh7#.

40.exf6 Qxf6 41.Rc8+ Kh7 42.Qd3+ g6 43.Qe3 1-0

If 43...Bf7 44.Rb8 g5 then:

45.Qe5 Qxe5 46.dxe5 Bb3 47.Rxb6 Bxa4 48.Ra6 Bb3 49.Rxa5 leaves White up by the exchange and a passed pawn. She wins.
45.Qe4+ Bg6 46.Qb7+ Bf7 47.Qxb6 wins.

43...g5 44.Rc7+ Bf7 45.Qe5 Qxe5 46.dxe5 is similar to the main variation, only more convincing.
Herr Siebrecht resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

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Tue Jan-25-11 04:23 AM
Response to Reply #2

9. Nyzhnyk - Pruijssers, Round 5

Illya Nyzhnyk
Photo by Gerhard Hund from Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Illya Nyzhnyk - Roeland Pruijssers
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group C, Round 5
Wijk aan Zee, 20 January 2011

West India Game: King's Indian Defense (Catalan Opening)

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.c4 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5

For a study of this opening, see Maiorov-B. Socko, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010.[/li>

8.e3

If 8.e4 c6 then:

If 9.h3 9...Qb6 10.Re1 then:

If 10...exd4 11.Nxd4 then:

If 11...Ne8 then:

If 12.Nb3 a5 13.Be3 Qb4 then:

14.a3 Qxc4 15.Nd4 f6 16.Bf1 Qf7 17.b3 Nc7 18.Bc4 d5 19.exd5 Ne5 is equal (Kashlinskaya-Kryakvin, Russian ChT HL, Dagomys, 2009).
14.Nd4 a4 15.a3 Qa5 16.f4 Nc5 17.Qc2 Bxd4 18.Bxd4 Nb3 19.Rad1 gives White the advantage in space (Zatonskih-Ambrust, Op, Gibraltar, 2009).

If 12.Nf3 Ne5 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Qa4 Bf6 15.Be3 Qc7 then:

16.Rac1 Ng7 17.h4 Rd8 18.b4 Ne6 19.Nd5 cxd5 20.cxd5 Qd7 21.Qxd7 Bxd7 22.dxe6 draw (Seres-Gladyszev, 1st Saturday, Budapest, 2001.03).
16.c5 Ng7 17.Rad1 Ne6 18.h4 Be7 19.b4 Bd7 20.Qb3 Ng7 21.b5 Rfd8 22.b6 Qc8 23.Na4 Be6 24.Qb2 f6 25.a3 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Qf8 27.Qc3 axb6 28.Nxb6 draw (Lahiri-Thispay, Indian Ch, New Delhi, 2001).

If 11...Re8 then:

12.Re2 Ng4 13.Rd2 Nge5 14.b3 Nc5 15.Rc2 a5 16.Be3 a4 17.Rb1 axb3 18.axb3 Qb4 19.Na2 Qa3 is equal (Fridman-Schaefer, IT, Essen, 2001).
If 12.Nc2 Ne5 13.b3 Nfd7 14.Na4 Qa5 then:

15.Bd2 Qc7 16.Re3 Nc5 17.Nxc5 dxc5 18.f4 Nd7 19.Bc3 Bxc3 20.Rxc3 gives White the advantage in space and pawn structure (Damljanovic-Lechtynsky, IT, Vrnjacka Banja, 1984).
15.Nb2 Nf6 16.f4 Ned7 17.Qxd6 Qc3 18.Qd3 Qxd3 19.Nxd3 Nh5 20.g4 Bxa1 21.Nxa1 Ng7 gives White more space and Black a material advantage (Pizzi-Najdorf, IT, Mar del Plata, 1947).

If 10...Re8 11.d5 then:

If 11...Nc5 12.Rb1 a5 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Nd2 Bd7 then:

15.Bf1 Reb8 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Bxc5 dxc5 18.Nb3 Bf8 19.Na4 Qa7 20.Qf3 gives White more space and better pawn structure (Ribli-H. Olafsson, Ol, Buenos Aires, 1978).
15.Qe2 cxd5 16.cxd5 Rec8 17.Rec1 Qd8 18.Nc4 Bf8 draw (Gligoric-Ivkov, ITZ, Sousse, 1967).

11...c5 12.a3 a6 13.Rb1 Qc7 14.Be3 b6 15.Bf1 Nf8 16.b4 Bd7 17.Kh2 Reb8 18.Qc2 gives White a small advantage in space (Sherwin-Fischer, US Ch, New York, 1966).

If 9.b3 Re8 10.h3 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nc5 12.Re1 a5 then:

If 13.Rb1 Nfd7 14.Be3 Ne5 then:

15.Qc2 a4 16.Red1 axb3 17.axb3 Qe7 18.f4 Ned7 19.Bf2 Nf8 20.b4 Nce6 21.Na4 Nxd4 22.Bxd4 gives White the advantage in space (Smejkal-Hausner, IT, Hradec Kralove, 1981).
15.Re2 Qc7 16.f4 Ned7 17.Ncb5 cxb5 18.Nxb5 Qb8 19.Nxd6 Rf8 20.Qd5 Ne6 21.Rd1 compensates White in space for his material deficit (Luna-Movsesian, World Youth, Bratislava, 1993).

13.Bf4 Nh5 14.Be3 Qe7 15.Qd2 Nf6 16.Rad1 Qf8 17.Qc2 Bd7 18.f4 gives White the advantage in space (Panno-Mecking, ZT, Brasilia, 1993).

8...Re8 9.a4

If 9.b3 c6 10.Bb2 e4 11.Nd2 d5 12.f3 then:

12...exf3 13.Qxf3 Nb6 14.c5 Bg4 15.Qf2 Nbd7 16.e4 leaves White's Bishop more ready than Black's to exploit the venter when it opens (Soloviov-Shkuro, IT, Kishnev, 2001).
12...Bh6 13.fxe4 Bxe3+ 14.Kh1 Bxd4 15.exd5 cxd5 16.cxd5 is equal (Malakhov-Bassim, World Cup, Khanty-Masiysk, 2009).

9...c6

9...a5 10.b3 c6 11.Ba3 exd4 12.exd4 d5 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Rc1 Ra6 16.Re1 Rxe1+ 17.Qxe1 Rc6 18.Rxc6 bxc6 19.Bc1 (Matnadze-Bromberger, Op, Banyoles, 2005).

10.a5

If 10.b3 e4 11.Nd2 d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Ba3 Nf8 then:

14.Nb5 Bg4 15.Qc1 Re6 16.Qc7 a6 17.Qxd8 Rxd8 18.Nc7 Rc6 19.Rac1 (Houska-Krush, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
14.b4 Bg4 15.Qb3 Qd7 16.Rfc1 a6 17.a5 Qf5 18.b5 (Lachique-Akopian, Rpd, Aubervilliers, 2002).

10...e4 11.Ng5

11.Nd2 d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.f3 exf3 14.Qxf3 Qe7 15.Re1 Qe6 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Qxd5 18.Bxd5 Bxd4 19.Ne4 gives White a healthy advantage in space(Khotenashvili-Motoc, Euro ChTW, Novi Sad, 2009).

11...d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.f3 h6 14.Nh3! (N)

If 14.Nxf7!? then:

If 14...Qe7 15.fxe4 dxe4 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5 then:

18.Qb3+ Be6 19.Qxb7 Bc4 20.Rf2 Reb8 21.Qc6 Rc8 is equal(Kengis-O. Sepp, Keres Mem Op, Tallinn, 2001).
18.Ra4 Bd7 19.Rd4 Bf5 is equal.

14...Kxf7?! 15.fxe4 dxe4 16.Qb3+! Kf8 17.Bd2 leaves White with a healthy advantage in space.

14...exf3?!

Black gives White an assist in opening up the f-file. and at the same time takes on the burden of defending an isolated d-pawn.
If 14...Nb8 15.fxe4 then:

15...Bxh3 16.Bxh3 dxe4 17.Bg2 Nc6 18.Qa4 Rc8 19.Bd2 gives White the advantage in space and more activity for his pieces, but also more pawn weaknesses.
15...dxe4!? 16.Nf2 Nc6 17.a6 bxa6 18.Nfxe4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 gives White the advantage in space and more active pieces.

15.Qxf3!

This is the best way to recapture the pawn. The added pressure on the f-file immobilizes White's pieces.
If 15.Bxf3!? Nc5! then:

If 16.Nf4 Nce4 17.Qb3 Be6 18.Qxb7 then:

18...Re7 19.Nxe6 Rxb7 20.Nxd8 Rxd8 21.a6 gives White an extra pawn.
If 18...Nd6 19.Qa6 Nde4 20.Nxe4 then:

20...dxe4 21.Bg2 Bd7 22.Qe2 a6 23.Qf2 Bb5 24.Rd1 gives White only a small advantage.
20...Nxe4 21.b4 Qb8 22.Qc6 Rc8 23.Qa4 Qd6 24.b5 gives White a significant advantage on the queenside.

If 16.dxc5?! Bxh3 17.Re1 Rc8 18.Nxd5 then:

18...Nxd5 19.Bxd5 Rxc5 20.Bxb7 Qxd1 21.Rxd1 Bf5 is equal.
18...Rxc5 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Qxd8 Rxd8 21.Bxb7 Rc2 gives Black more activity for his piece; White has an extra pawn, but it's a weak pawn.

15...Nf8 16.Nf4 Bg4

16...Be6?! 17.Nfxd5! Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Rc8 19.Rf2 gives White an extra pawn.

17.Qf2 Ne4!?

Black cuts off one attacker from the pawn and gains time by attacking White's Queen, but Black's pawn was attacked three times and is only protected by the Queen.
If 17...Be6 18.Bd2 Rc8 19.a6 b6 20.Rac1 Qd7 21.Bf3 maintains White's advantage at its present level.

BLACK: Roeland Pruijssers

WHITE: Illya Nyzhnyk
Position after 17...Nf6e4

18.Qc2!

The Queen is heading for b3, where it will join in the attack on the pawn.

18...Rc8

This protects the pawn by pinning the White Knight at c3, one of the attackers, to the Queen.
18...Bf5 19.Qb3 Rb8 20.Nfxd5 wins the pawn.

19.Qb3!

White breaks the pin and adds a third attacker on the d-pawn.

19...Ne6 20.Nfxd5

The pawn falls.

20...Nxd4?

This move is sheer desperation.
Of course, the correct move is 20...Nd6 when thngs at least don't get worse for Black after 21.Bd2 Ng5 22.a6 b6 23.Qa2 Qd7 24.Qa4.

21.exd4 Bxd4+ 22.Kh1 Nf2+

Black tries to justify his 20th move by conjuring up counterplay.

BLACK: Roeland Pruijssers

WHITE: Illya Nyzhnyk
Position after 22...Ne4f2

23.Rxf2!!

White sacrifices the exchange in order to take the wind from the sails of Black's counterattack.

23...Bxf2 24.Bxh6 Rc6

If 24...Bf5 25.Rf1 then:

25...Bd4 26.Qb4 Be5 27.Qxb7 Rb8 28.Qxa7 Rxb2 29.Qc5 gives White a material advantage, command of the board and a remote passer.
25...Bc5 26.Qxb7 Rb8 27.Qc6 Bd4 28.Qa4 Be5 29.b4 leaves White the equivalent of two pawns up with complete command of the board.

25.Qb4

More accurate is 25.Ne4 Rxe4 26.Bxe4 g5 27.Rf1 Rxh6 28.Rxf2 leaving White a piece to the good.

25...Bf5

Black dodges a bullet, but it doesn't matter now.
If 25...g5 then after 26.Qxg4 Rxh6 27.Ne4 Bd4 28.Rc1 Bxb2 29.Rc8! wins the Queen ( 29...Qxc8 30.Ne7+ Rxe7 31.Qxc8+ ).

26.Qf4 Re1+

If 26...Bc5 27.Bg5 Qd7 28.Qh4! then:

28...Be7 29.Nxe7+ Rxe7 30.Bxe7 leaves White two pieces to the good.
28...Bf8 29.Nf6+ Rxf6 30.Bxf6 Bg7 31.Nd5; 28...Ree6 29.Rd1 Kg7 30.b4 Qd8 31.Bh6+ wins the Queen.

27.Rxe1 Bxe1 28.Bg5 f6

If 28...Bd2 then it hurts to watch 29.Qxd2 Qxa5 30.h3 Be6 31.Nf6+.

BLACK: Roeland Pruijssers

WHITE: Illya Nyzhnyk
Position after 28...f7f6

29.Nxf6+!!

White sacrifices a Knight and the walls come tumbling down.

29...Rxf6 30.Nd5 1-0

If 30...Kf7 then White quickly wins back the sacrificed piece and after 31.Nxf6 Bd2 32.Qe5 Bxg5 33.Bd5+Black must lose more material or submit to mate.
Mh. Pruijssers resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

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Wed Jan-26-11 04:23 AM
Response to Reply #2

10. McShane - Tkachiev, Round 3

Luke McShane
Photo by Stefan64 from Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)

Luke McShane - Vlad Tkachiev
Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Group B, Round 3
Wijk aan Zee, 17 January 2011

Grand Spanish Royal Game: Neo-Classical Defense

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.d3 h6 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Re1 Ne7 (N)

For moves up to here, see Nakamura-Shirov, elsewhwere on this thread.
If 10...Re8 11.h3 Bb7 12.Nf1 then:

12...d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Ng3 Nf6 15.Be3 Bf8 16.Rc1 Na5 gives Black a slight advantage in space (Mudongo-Mira, OlW, Torino, 2006).
12...Bb6 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Nxe3 Na5 15.Bc2 d5 16.exd5 Nxd5 is equal (Otorbaeva-Al Ali, OlW, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

11.Nf1

The game is equal.

11...Ng6 12.Ng3 Re8 13.h3 Bb7 14.Nh2

14.d4 Bb6 15.Bc2 c5 16.d5 remains equal.

14...d5 15.Qf3 Nh4 16.Qe2 Ng6 17.Ng4

If 17.Qf3!? a5 18.Ng4 Nxg4 19.Qxg4 then:

19...a4! 20.Bxd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Qxd5 22.Ne4 Be7 gives Black the advantage in space.
19...Ra6!? 20.a4 b4 21.Bxd5 Bxd5 22.exd5 Qxd5 23.d4 remains equal.

17...Nf4

The game remains equal.

18.Qf3 dxe4 19.dxe4 Nxg4 20.hxg4 Qf6!?

This is not objectively the best move. The Queen's communication with the Knight is easily severed allowing the Bishop at c1 to take the Knight so that the pawn must repature, weakening Black's center and removing the blockade of White's e-pawn.
Better is 20...Ne6 21.Rd1 Qe7 22.Nf5 Qf8 with equality.
Less good is 20...Qg5!? 21.a4! Bc8 22.Nf5 Be6 23.Bd5 Bxd5 24.exd5 giving White a respectable advantage in space.

21.Nf5!

As mentioned in the previous note, White cuts the line of communication between Black's Queen and Knight.
21.Rd1?! Rad8! 22.Nf5 Rxd1+ 23.Bxd1 Bf8 gives Black a small advantage in space.

21...Rad8!?

Black should either fortify the Knight or move it.
Fortification works better: If 21...g5 then after 22.Bxf4 gxf4 23.Qh3 Bf8 24.Qh5 Rad8 25.Rad1 White's small advantage remains small.
Moving the Knight doesn't work well at all: If 21...Ne6 22.Nxh6+! then:

22...Kf8 23.Qxf6 gxf6 24.Bd5 Bxd5 25.exd5 gives White an extra pawn.
22...Kh8? 23.Nxf7+ Kg8 24.Ng5 Qxf3 25.gxf3 will cause Black to lose material from the coming exchange on e6 because the Knight is pinned.

22.Bxf4!

White forces Black to lift the blokade of the e-pawn.

22...exf4 23.Qxf4 Bd6?!

Black either missed White's reply or underestimated it.
If 23...Rd7 24.Rad1 then:

If 24...Red8 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 when:

26.a3! a5 27.Rd1 Rxd1+ 28.Bxd1 gives White an extra pawn and the initiative.
26.Kf1!? a5 27.e5 Qc6! 28.e6 Qxg2+ 29.Ke2 gives White only a small advantage

If 24...Bd6? invites catastrophe as after 25.e5! Rxe5 then:

White wins afrter 26.Qxe5!! Bxe5 27.Rxd7 White's active pieces trump the Queen.
26.Re3? Rxe3! 27.Qxe3 Qd8 the game is again equal.

BLACK: Vlad Tkachiev

WHITE: Luke McShane
Position after 23...Bc5d6

24.Nxh6+!!

The sacrifice of the Knight is the harbinger of a combination that leave White on the brink of victory.

24...Qxh6 25.Bxf7+!!

This sacrifice is the only move for advantage.
If 25.Qxh6? gxh6 26.f3 Bc5+ 27.Kf1 Rd2! 28.Re2 Red8 leaves White in a big pickle.
If 25.Qxf7+ Kh8 26.Bc2 Qh2+ 27.Kf1 Re5 28.Qf3 Rde8 gives Black a Bishop and a powerful initiative for three pawns.

25...Kh7 26.Qxh6+ Kxh6

White has three pawns for a minor piece.
26...gxh6 27.Bxe8 Rxe8 28.f3 gives White a material advantage equivalent to two pawns.

27.Bxe8 Rxe8

White now has in fact a material advantage equivalent to two pawns.

28.f3 Kg5 29.Kf2 Bc5+ 30.Kg3 Kf6

If 30...Bd6+? then White wins after 31.e5 Bxe5+ 32.Rxe5+!! Rxe5 33.f4+!.

31.Rad1 Bd6+ 32.Kf2 Bc5+ 33.Kg3!?

This is a minor inaccuracy. 33.Ke2 is safer for the White King.

33...Bd6+ 34.Kf2 Bc5+?!

Black invites a draw by repetition, but White sees it as a do over.

BLACK: Vlad Tkachiev

WHITE: Luke McShane
Position after 34...Bd6c5+

35.Ke2!

Instead of repeting 35.Kg3 White plays the move he should have played in the first place. White's advantage is completely secure.

35...Bd6 36.Rh1 Bc8 37.a3

If 37.Rd3!? Be6! 38.b3 Be5 then:

39.Ke3 g5 40.Kd2 c5 41.Kc2 c4 42.bxc4 Bxc4 gives White only a small advantage.
39.Kd2?! c5 40.Kc2 c4 41.Rd2 is equal.

37...Be6 38.Kf2 Bb3 39.Rde1 Bc5+ 40.Kg3 Bc2!?

This may hinder the advance of White's f-pawn, which is guarding the e-pawn. Nevertheless, the more active move is to seize the open file.
If 40...Rd8! 41.Rh5 Bb6 then:

42.Kf4 Rd2 43.Rf5+ Kg6 44.Rh1 Re2 then:

45.Rh8 Rxb2 46.Rg5+ Kf7 47.Rh7 gives White only a small advantage.
If 45.Rhh5 Rxb2 46.Rfg5+ Kf7 47.Rh7 transposes.

If 42.e5+ Kf7 43.Rf5+ Ke6 then:

44.Rg5 Rd2 45.Rh1 Rxb2 equalizes.
44.Kf4 Rd2 45.Rg5 Kf7 46.e6+ Bxe6 is equal.

BLACK: Vlad Tkachiev

WHITE: Luke McShane
Position after 40...Bb3c2

41.Rh5!

White restricts the King to his own territory.

41...Bd6+ 42.Kf2 g6 43.Rh7!?

More aggressive is 43.g5+! Kg7 44.Rh4 Re5 45.b4 Be7 46.Reh1 when White still has a material advantage and now has command of the h-file and a locked up center while Black's light bound Bishop is still passively posted.

43...Bc5+ 44.Kg3 Bd6+ 45.Kf2

45.Kh4 g5+ 46.Kh5 Bb3 47.Rh6+ Kg7 48.Rg6+ wins the g-pawn.

45...Bc5+ 46.Kg3 Bd6+

Black invites a draw by repetition.

47.Kh3

Natually, White declines.

47...g5 48.Rh6+

Just as playable is 48.g3 when 48...Kg6 49.Rh5 c5 50.Rh1 Be5 51.Kg2 maintains White's material advantage, which is still equivalent to two pawns.

48...Kg7 49.Rh5 Kg6 50.g3!

White prepares to mobilize his kingside pawns.

50...Rd8?

Black takes his eye off the center and allows White to mobilize his kingside.
If 50...c5 51.Kg2 Be5 52.Reh1 then:

52...Bg7 53.Kf2 c4 54.Ke2 a5 55.Kd2 Bd3 56.Ke3 Black is still fighting uphill for a draw, but as lon as White isn't clearly winning, that is a possibilty.
If 55...Rd3? then White wins after 56.Rxc5! Ke6 57.Rf1 Kd6 58.Rc8 Kd7 59.Rg8!.

If 52...Rd8 53.Rh6+ then:

If 53...Kf7 54.Rc6 Rd2+ 55.Kh3 then:

55...Bd1 56.Rxc5 Ke6 57.Rc6+ Kd7 58.Rxd1 Rxd1 59.Rxa6 gives White five pawn against a Bishop, but under conditions less favorable to that above.
If 53...Kg7 54.Re6 Bb8 55.Rxa6 Rd2+ then:

56.Kh3 Bd1 57.Rxd1 Rxd1 58.Rb6 Bd6 59.Rxb5 gives White five pawns against a Bishop.
If 56.Kg1!? then 56...Bxg3! 57.Ra7+ Kg6 58.Rhh7 Bf4 hinders the pawn advance White had in mind.

BLACK: Vlad Tkchiev

WHITE: Luke McShane
Position after 50...Re8d8

51.f4!

White mobilizes his pawns.
Also good is 51.e5! Be7 52.f4 when:

52...c5 53.Rf1 Rf8 54.Rf2 Bd3 (if the Bishop moves off the h7/b1 diagonal, then White plays f3f4+!) 55.b4 Be4 56.bxc5 gives White a winning position.
If 52...Rf8 then after 53.Rf1 c5 54.Rf2 Bd3 55.b3 a5 56.Kg2 White's pawns are ready to advance with decisive effect.

51...gxf4 52.e5 Bc5 53.gxf4

White has three connected passed pawns enveloping the Black King.

53...Rd3+ 54.Kg2 Rd2+ 55.Kf3 Rf2+

Black has seen enough and plays a harikari move.
M. Tkachiev could drag the game out with 55...Bd1+ 56.Rxd1 Rxd1 57.f5+ Kg7 58.g5 c6 59.g6 when the Black King flees the oncoming pawn trio.

56.Kg3 1-0

Black is out of checks.
M. Tkachiev resigns.

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Jack Rabbit

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Wed Jan-26-11 08:21 PM
Response to Original message

11. Update (Wednesday): Vishy, Naka tied in Wijk; Gibraltar Chess Festival begins

Edited on Wed Jan-26-11 09:08 PM by Jack Rabbit

Vishy and Naka Share Lead in Wijk aan Zee

Reining world champion Vishy Anand and American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura continue to share first place in the A Group with seven points each after ten rounds of a scheduled 13 in the Tata Steel Tournament in the Dutch fishing village of Wijk aan Zee.

Tomorrow is a rest day for players in al three grandmaster groups in Wijk aan Zee. The tournament resumes Friday with the eleventh round.

Nakamura, who suffered a defeat in Monday's eighth round at the hands of Magnus Carlsen, the world's top rated player, bounced back today to score a win from French grandmaster and former world junior champion Maxime Vachier Lagrave. Meanwhile, Anand, who has shared the lead with Nakamura most of the tournament, today scored an spiffy 26-move victory over Alexei Shirov to keep pace. Anand and Nakamura faced each other yesterday in Round 9 and played 41 moves to a draw.

Magnus was making a mid-tournament charge that brought him into contention after an abysmal start when he took down Nakamura Monday. However, his charge has since stalled as Magnus drew in Round 9 and dropped his game today to reigning Russian national champion Ian Nepomniachtchi in 66 moves.

In Group B, 16-year-old Filipino GM Wesley So and Zahar Efimenko of Ukraine share the lead with 6½ points each in ten rounds. Grandmaster Luke McShane of England, who started the tournament with three straight wins, has faltered since and is in a four-way tie for third with six points.

Italian GM Daniele Vocaturo appears to be headed for the championship of Group as his 7½ points is good for a one-point lead over grandmaster Katya Lahno of Ukraine. However, il signore Vocaturo will play White against Kateryna Oleksandrivna when the tournament resumes Friday in what will be a must win game for the lady.

Gibraltar Chess Festival Underway

The Gibraltar Chess Festival began yesterday at the Caleta Hotel on the famous rock that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.

This year's top seed is Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk, followed by England's Mickey Adams and reigning Italian nation champion Fabiano Caruana.

Gibraltar is famous for lucrative prizes for women players. This year's top seeded women are Tatiana Kosintseva, her sister Nadezhda, and former women's world champion Antoanetts Stefanova.

The most notable early round upset came in today's Round 2 when Viktor Korchnoi, the grand old man of chess who will celebrate his 80th birthday in March, took down the third-seeded Caruana in 46 moves. Congratulations, Viktor Lvovovich.

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Jack Rabbit

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Jan-29-11 03:13 PM
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12. Update (Saturday): Yank Nakamura leads Wijk aan Zee Group A going to final round

Stay tuned tomorrow . . .

73rd TATA STEEL CHESS FESTIVAL, GROUP A
WIJK AAN ZEE, 2011
Standings after 12 Rounds

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+ .- .= Pts
Hikaru Nakamura . . . . . . .6 .1 .5 .8½
Vishy Anand . . . . . . . . .4 .0 .8 .8.
Magnus Carlsen. . . . . . . .5 .2 .5 .7½
Levon Aronian . . . . . . . .3 .0 .9 .7½
Vladimir Kramnik. . . . . . .3 .1 .8 .7.
Maxime Vachier Lagrave. . . .3 .1 .8 .7.
Anish Giri. . . . . . . . . .3 .3 .6 .6.
Ruslan Ponomariov . . . . . .2 .2 .8 .6.
Ian Nepomniachtchi. . . . . .3 .4 .5 .5½
Wang Hao. . . . . . . . . . .3 .4 .5 .5½
Jan Smeets. . . . . . . . . .2 .6 .4 .4.
Alexander Grischuk. . . . . .1 .5 .6 .4.
Erwin L'Ami . . . . . . . . .0 .4 .8 .4.
Alexei Shirov . . . . . . . .1 .6 .5 .3½

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