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[Jack Rabbit]

6. Ding Liren - Eljanov, Round 9

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[center]Pavel Eljanov[/center][font size="1"]Photo by Stefan64 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stefan64) from Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File awel_Eljanow.jpg)
(Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
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Ding Liren - Pavel Eljanov
28th International Open, Round 9
Reykjavik, 26 February 2013

Slav Queen's Gambit: Chameleon Defense (Tikhi Opening)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3

• For a more thorough survey of the Chameleon Defense, see Kramnik-McShane, IT, London, 2012.

5...Bf5 6.Qb3

• If [font color="red"]6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 e6 8.0-0[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]8...Be7 9.e4 0-0[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]10.Rd1[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]10...dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nbd7 12.Bf4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]13...Re8 14.Rd3 Rc8[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]15.Qe2 Qa5 16.Bd2 Qf5 17.h3 h6 18.Rd1 Red8[/font] is equal (Sakaev-Bryzgalin, Russian Ch HL, Tagnarog, 2011).
• [font color="burgundy"]15.Rc1 Qa5 16.a3 b5 17.Rdc3 Nf6 18.Qe2[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Bacrot-Erdos, Rpd Op, Mainz, 2006).
• [font color="#C08000"]13...Nf6 14.Qc2 Qa5 15.Ne5 Rac8 16.Rd3 b5 17.c5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Dreev-Starostits, Politiken Cup, Helsignør, 2012).
• If [font color="darkred"]10...b5 11.c5[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]11...dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Qd5 14.Qxd5 cxd5 15.Bf4[/font] (Kramnik-Morozevich, IT, Dortmund, 2001).
• [font color="magenta"]11...a5 12.Bf4 Re8 13.exd5 exd5 14.h3 Nbd7 15.Re1[/font] gives White a small advantage in space.
• If [font color="darkred"]10.Bf4[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]10...dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 Nd7 13.Rfe1 Re8 14.Rad1[/font] gives White a clear advantage in space (Dreev-Ramiriz, IT, Univ of Texas at Dallas, 2010).
• [font color="magenta"]10...Nbd7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.e5 Ne8 13.Nd2 Nc7 14.Be3[/font] gives White a slight advantage in space (I. Sokolov-Vallejo Pons, IT, Pamplona, 2002).
• If [font color="darkred"]8...Bb4 9.Bd2 0-0[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]10.Nxd5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Bxd2 12.Nxd2 exd5 13.b4 Qe7[/font] is equal (O'Connell-Baubarin, Irish Ch, Dublin, 2008).
• [font color="magenta"]10.Rfd1 a5 11.a3 Be7 12.e4 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nbd7 14.Nc3[/font] gives White a clear advantage in space (Bacrot-Rausis, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2008).

6...b5

• If [font color="red"]6...Ra7[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]7.a4 e6[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]8.a5 Nbd7 9.Be2 Bd6 10.0-0 h6 11.Bd2[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]11...Ne4 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.Bb4 Bxb4 14.Qxb4[/font] leaves White standing slightly better (Gustafsson-Sebenik, Op, Sarajevo, 2010).
• [font color="burgundy"]11...0-0 12.Rfd1 Qe7 13.Be1[/font] is equal (Oms Pallisse-Alonso Rosell, Op, Barcelona, 2012).
• If [font color="darkred"]8.Nh4 Be4[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]9.a5 Nbd7 10.cxd5 Bxd5 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.Nf3 Bd6[/font] is equal (Shabalov-Zhang Pengxiang, TM, Shanghai, 2002).
• [font color="magenta"]9.cxd5 cxd5 10.f3 Bg6 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.e4 dxe4[/font] gives Black stronger pawns (Bercys-D. Fernandez, US ChU18, Lindsborg, 2004).
• If [font color="darkred"]7.Bd2 e6 8.Nh4[/font] then:
• If [font color="darkred"]8...Bg6 9.Nxg6 hxg6[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]10.c5 Nbd7 11.Be2 g5 12.0-0-0 Qc7 13.h3[/font] is equal (Kraai-Kamsky, Op, Minneapolis, 2005).
• [font color="burgundy"]10.a4 Nbd7 11.g3 Bd6 12.Bg2 g5 13.0-0[/font] is equal (Berczes-A. Smith, Rilton Cup 0607, Stockholm, 2006).
• If [font color="magenta"]8...Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Nfd7 11.Ng2 Bg6 12.Nf4[/font] then:
• [font color="magenta"]12...Bd6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Bg2 Be7 15.Ne2 b5[/font] is equal (Salgado López-Movsesian, Ol, Istanbul, 2012 ).
• [font color="burgundy"]12...Be7 13.0-0-0 dxc4 14.Bxc4 b5 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Nxe6[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Ponomariov-Riazantsev, Russian ChT, Dagomys, 2008).
• If [font color="darkorange"]10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Be2 Ne4[/font] then:
• If [font color="magenta"]12.Nxe4 Bxe2 13.Nf6+ Qxf6 14.Kxe2 Nc6[/font] is equal (Houdini).
• [font color="purple"]12.Bxh5 Nxd2 13.Kxd2 Qxh4 14.Be2 Nc6[/font] is equal (Houdini).

7.c5

• If [font color="red"]7.cxd5 cxd5 8.a4 b4[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]9.Qxb4 Nc6 10.Qc5 Na5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]11.Qa3 e6 12.Qa2 Nc6 13.a5 Nb4 14.Qa4+ Nd7[/font] is equal (Barmidze-Simon, Op, Zürich, 2012).
• [font color="magenta"]11.Bxa6?! Rxa6 12.Qb5+ Rc6 13.Ne5 Bd7 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.Bd2[/font] gives White only two pawns for a Knight, but she has more activity and superior development in compensation (Radziewicz Rajlich-Konoenko, FIDE Knock OutW, Ekaterinburg, 2006).
• [font color="darkred"]9.Ne2 e6 10.Ng3 Bg6 11.Bd2 Nc6 12.a5 Bd6[/font] is equal (Landa-I. Popov, Russian ChT, Dagomys, 2009).

7...a5

• If [font color="red"]7...Nbd7 8.a4[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]8...g6 9.Qa3 b4 10.Qxb4 Rb8 11.Qa3 a5 12.Bd2 Bg7 13.Rc1[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Van Wely-Svidler, Amber Rapid, Monte Carlo, 2006).
• If [font color="darkred"]8...e5 9.Qa3 Rc8[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]10.b4 g6 11.axb5 axb5 12.Nxb5 cxb5 13.Bxb5[/font] gives White two extra pawns and a pin at d7 (Vallejo Pons-Svidler, Amber Blind, Monte Carlo, 2006).
• [font color="magenta"]10.Na2 exd4 11.exd4 Be7 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0[/font] gives White the advantage in space on the queenside, but he'll make little progress there for a while (Tikkanen-Krantz, Swedish ChT, 2010).

8.Ne5 a4 9.Qd1 g6 10.Bd2 (N)

• [font color="red"]10.g4 Be6 11.Bg2 Bg7[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]12.f4 Qc8 13.h3 h5 14.g5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]14...Nfd7 15.Nf3 Na6 16.a3 0-0 17.Ne2 Re8[/font] is equal (Lupulescu-Bologan, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2012).
• [font color="magenta"]14...Ne4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Qc2 Bxe5 17.fxe5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (David-Bologan, Op, Gibraltar, 2012).
• [font color="darkred"]12.0-0!? Qc8 13.g5 Nfd7 14.e4 Nxe5 15.exd5 Bg4[/font] leaves Black slightly better (Kopylov-Sviridova, Polugaevsky Mem, Samara, 2012).

10...Bg7

• White has a small advantage in space and should play on the queenside.

[center]BLACK: Pavel Eljanov[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ding Liren[/center][center]Position after 10...Bf8g7[/center]

11.g4!?

• After saying that White whould play on the queenside, this move seems counterintuitive.
• White should play on the queenside because:
  1. That is the direction his center pawns are pointing;
  2. He is already eying Black's weak pawn at c6; and
  3. White can sacrifice the Knight for two pawns and then advance his queenside pawns backed by his heavy pieces.
• If [font color="red"]11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.Bxb5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]12...Bd7 13.Nxa4 Na7 14.Be2 Bxa4 15.Qxa4+ Qd7 16.Qc2[/font] gives White a small advantge in space and two passed pawn for the Knight; White should castle and bring his Rooks to the queendise and advance his three connected passers; Black must labor to keep the pawns under restraint.


• [font color="darkred"]12...Qc8 13.a3 Qe6 14.0-0 Nd7 15.Bxa4 0-0 16.b4[/font] gives White ab excellent game.

11...Be6!

• The game is equal.
• More precise than the text is [font color="red"]11...Bd7![/font] (covering the base of the pawn chain) [font color="red"]12.Qf3 Be6 13.Nxc6 Nxc6 14.Bxb5 Rc8 15.h3[/font] with equality.

12.Bg2

• [font color="red"]12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.Bxb5 Qc7 14.f3 h5 15.g5 Nh7[/font] is equal.

12...h5! 13.h3 Qc7 14.f4!?

• White sticks to his plan of playing on the kingside, leaving Black to frolich on the opposite wing.
• If [font color="red"]14.Qe2[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]14...b4 15.Nd1 hxg4 16.hxg4 Rxh1+ 17.Bxh1 Nh7[/font] continues to give Black fair prospects for play on the queenside.
• If [font color="darkred"]14...Na6 15.g5[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]15...Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.f4 Bf5 18.Bc3 Qc8[/font] gives Black the advantage in space; White has fewer pawn weaknesses.
• [font color="magenta"]15...Nh7!? 16.e4! Bxe5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Bxd5[/font] is equal.

[center]BLACK: Pavel Eljanov[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ding Liren[/center][center]Position after 14.f2f4[/center]

14...hxg4

• Black has a slight edge.

15.hxg4 Rxh1+ 16.Bxh1 Nbd7 17.g5!?

• White weakens f5, making it available to Black's Bishop.
• Better is [/font color="red"]17.Bf3 Nxe5 18.fxe5 Nh7 19.Qe2[/font] when:
• [font color="red"]19...Ng5 20.Qg2 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Qd7[/font] when Black continues to stand slightly better.
• [font color="darkred"]19...a3 20.b3 Ng5 21.Qg2 0-0-0 22.0-0-0 Rh8[/font] still gives White a slight advantage as he shifts his point of entry to the kingside.

17...Nxe5

• Black has a clear advantage. He can continue advancing on the queenside and now opens the center for his minor pieces.
• [font color="red"]17...Ne4 18.Nxe4 Bxe5 19.fxe5 dxe4 20.Bxe4 a3[/font] leaves Black with a freer game.

18.fxe5 Ng4!?

• Black plays aggressively when the position insists on caution. Although he has built an impressive positional advantage, there is as of yet no justification to commence with attack.
• Pavel Volodimirovich may have had the same concerns about the text move that we express here. As the daredevil Tal said, "If you wait for Lady Luck to turn up, life becomes very boring.
• If [font color="red"]18...Nd7 19.Qe2 a3 20.b3 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Qxe5[/font] continues to give Black more space and freedom; Black threatens 22...b4, winning material.

19.Qf3?

• White is almost out of reserve pawn tempi, but he still has better moves than this.
• If [font color="red"]19.Qe2 a3 20.b3 Bxe5![/font] then:
• [font color="red"]21.0-0-0 Bg7 22.Rf1 b4 23.Nd1 Qb8 24.Rf4 f5[/font] still gives Black a small advantage, but White has halted the advance of Black's queenside and can now think about exchanging Knights and bringing the game to a peaceful conclusion.
• [font color="darkred"]21.dxe5?[/font] open the floodgates for Black center and now [font color="darkred"]21...Qxe5! 22.b4 Qg3+ 23.Kd1 Bf5 24.Kc1 Qg1+[/font] wins at least the e-pawn, giving Black connected passers in the center.
• [font color="blue"]19.a3[/font] (the only pawn move available to Black in the position) [font color="blue"]19...Bxe5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Qc2 Bg4 22.Bg2 Rd8[/font] still gives White a little wiggle room, but it's going to be difficult to hang on for a draw.
• If [font color="#008000"]19.Bf3 Nxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe5[/font] then:
• If [font color="#008000"]21.Qe2 a3 22.b4 Qxc3 23.Bxc3 Bxc3+[/font] then:
• [font color="#008000"]24.Kd1 Bxa1 25.Bg4 Bxg4 26.Qxg4 Be5 27.Kc2 e6[/font] gives Black a Rook, Bishop and two pawns for the Queen; as long as White can keep his Queen active, he has drawing chances.
• [font color="#808000"]24.Kf2 Bxa1 25.Bg4 Bxg4 26.Qxg4 Be5 27.Ke2 e6[/font] is not appreciably different from the [font color="#008000"]main line.[/font]
• [font color="#40C040"]21.a3?[/font] then Black wins after [font color="#40C040"]21...Qg3+! 22.Kf1 Bh3+ 23.Ke2 Qh2+.[/font]

[center]BLACK: Pavel Eljanov[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Ding Liren[/center][center]Position after 19.Qd1f3[/center]

19...Nxe5!!

• The Knight sacrifice seals the deal.
• [font color="red"]19...Bxe5?! 20.dxe5! Nxe5 21.Qf1 b4 22.Nd1 Bf5 23.Nf2[/font] still leaves Black dominating the game, but his queenside looks less formidable than it did earlier; White has fait hopes of survival.

20.dxe5 Qxe5 21.Qf4

• No better is [font color="red"]21.e4 a3 22.b4 dxe4 23.Qe3 Bg4 24.Rd1 Qh2[/font] when Black wins more material.

21...Qxf4! 22.exf4 b4 23.Ne2

• If [font color="red"]23.Rb1 Bf5 24.Rc1 Bxc3[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]25.bxc3 b3![/font] then:
• [font color="red"]26.c4 b2 27.cxd5 cxd5 28.Bxd5 Rc8 29.c6 bxc1Q+[/font] gives Black a permanent waterial advantage.
• If [font color="burgundy"]26.axb3[/font] then Black wins after [font color="burgundy"]26...axb3 27.Kf2 b2 28.Re1 Ra1.[/font]
• If [font color="darkred"]25.Bxc3 bxc3 26.Rxc3 Rb8[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]27.Bf3 Rxb2 28.Ra3 Bc2 29.Be2 e6 30.Ba6 Kd8[/font] gives Black two extra pawns.
• [font color="magenta"]27.b3 Rb4 28.Bf3 Rxf4 29.Bd1 axb3 30.axb3 Rb4[/font] leaves Black two pawns to the good.

23...a3

• After [font color="red"]24.Bxb4 axb2 25.Rd1 Bf5[/font] the b-pawn triumphs.
• Ding Xiangsian resigns.