The JR Chess Report (October 25): Bundesliga 0910 Begins

[Jack Rabbit]

Music for reading the Chess Report (selected by my impressive and loyal staff).

Bundesliga 0910 Season Begins



The 2009/2010 Bundesliga season kicked off in four German cities on the weekend of October 16-18.

In Solingen, the defending champions from Baden-Baden started the season right by defeating the Solingen team 4½-3½ Saturday and then disposing of Remagen Sunday 5-3 Sunday. Also in Solingen, Remagen defeated Heidelburg Saturday by 5½-2½ and Solingen bested Heidelburg Sunday 6-2.

Other first and second round games were played in three other German cities. In Eppigen, on Saturday the host team split with Múlheim, 4-4, and Katernburg defeated Trier, 4½-3½; on Sunday Eppingen thrashed Katernburg 6½-1½ and Múlheim beat Trierm 5-3. In Wattenscheid on Saturday, Wattenscheid bested Munich, 4½-3½, and Emsdetten smashed Erfurt, 6½-1½; on Sunday, Wattenscheid gave Erfurt another 6½-1½ beating while Emdetten took down Munich, 5-3. Finally in Hamburg, Saturday's action saw Hamburg over Berlin, 4½-3½, while Bremen defeated Tegel, 5½-2½; and on Sunday, Hamburg beat Tegel, 5-3, and Bremen scored a 4½-3½ victory over Berlin.

On Friday evening, two matches from the floating seventh round, which is played out of order over the first half of the season, saw Eppingen defeat Trier, 5½-2½, and Emsdetten take down Wattenscheid, 4½-3½.

There are sixteen team in the Bundesliga. Each team will every other team once during the season. Typically, each team will play two matches over one weekend each month. The final weekend will be April 10 and 11.

In Bundesliga competition, each team plays on eight boards with the team accumulating the most individual points in each match awarded two match points. If the match is tied 4-4, each team is awarded one match point.

In addition to Baden-Baden, which has won the Bundesliga championship four years in a row, the strongest teams in the league are Bremen, Múlheim and, when it can get its best players in the lineup, Remagen.

Rounds 3 and 4 will take place on November 14 and 15, with Bremen hosting Hamburg for a seventh round match on Friday, November 13.


British GM Halsinger Takes Hoogeveen



English grandmaster Stewart Halsinger scored 7½ points in nine rounds to finish a clear first yesterday in the Univé Open, formerly the Essent Open, held in the Dutch city of Hoogeveen.

For most of the tournament, Halsinger was tied for first with Dutch GM Friso Nijboer, whom Halsinger defeated in the penultimate round to virtually nail down first prize for himself. Nijboer finished tied for second with 6½ points with Ukrainian GM Michail Brodsky, who was also in the running for the top spot for much of the tournament, and Israeli GM Israel Caspi.

The main event in Hoogeveen most years is the Crown Group Tournament, an annual double round robin quadrangular tourney. However, this year's champion, Dutch grandmaster Sergei Tiviakov, won by virtue of winning the only decisive game out of a total of twelve played. He defeated Hungarian GM Judit Polgar in the fourth round. To his credit, Mh. Tiviakov tried to avoid draws; his shortest game was his win over Ms. Polgar, which went 50 moves. In the third round, he played Vassily Ivanchuk to a draw in a marathon 146-move game.

It seems only just to give the top billing in this year's tournament to the open. Mr. Halsinger, a minor GM whose official Elo score is a modest-for-a-grandmaster 2529, won six games and drew three to win the open.


Volkov Takes First in St. Petersburg on Tie Breaks



Russian GM Sergey Volkov tied for first with four other competitors, but was awarded the championship yesterday on a superior tie break score in the Chigorin Memorial Open in St. Petersburg.

Volkov, his compatriots Andrei Rychagov and Andrei Deviatkin, Chinese GM Zhou Weiqi and GM Hrant Melkumyan of Armenia all finished with 7 points out of a possible 9.

The tournament's top seed, Indian GM Pentala Harikhrishna, was among the cluster of player who finished a half point behind the leaders.

This year's Chigoin Memorial featured 264 participants. The tournament is named for Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin (1850-1908), the greatest chess master produced by czarist Russia, who twice challenged Wilhelm Steinitz for the world title, narrowly losing the second time (1892).


Underway Now

European National Team Championships, Novi Sad (Serbia). After three rounds, Azerbaijan, Serbia 1 and Georgia have perfect scores in the general group while Georgia and Armenia have perfect scores in the women's group.

World Junior Championship, Puerto Madryn (Argentina). Yu Yangyi of China is 4 out of four in the general group followed by rating favorite Maxime Vachier Lagrave (France), Max Rodshtein (Israel), Michal Olszewski (Poland) adn Sergei Zhigalko (Belarus) at 3½ points each. In the girls' competition, Zhang Xiaowen (China), Betul Cemre Yildiz (Turkey) and Olga Kalinina (Ukraine) are tied for first with 3½ out of four. The story out of Puerto Madryn is that after four rounds the organizers are still unable to transmit live coverage of the game over the Internet.


Calendar


Tal Memorial Tournament, Moscow 5-14 November. Anand, Aronian, Carlsen, Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Kramnik, Leko, Morozevich, Ponomariov and Svidler.

World Youth Chess Championship, Antalya (Turkey) 11-23 November.

World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk 28 November-15 December.

London Chess Classic 7-16 December. Adams, Carlsen, Howell, Kramnik, McShane, Nakamura, Ni Hua and Short.

European Union Championship, Alicante (Spain) 9-20 December.

Hastings Chess Congress 26 December 2009-5 January 2010.

Rilton Cup, Stockholm 27 December 2009-5 January 2010.

Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 15-31 January 2010. Group A: Anand, Carlsen, Caruana, Dominguez, Ivanchuk, Karjakin, Kramnik, Leko, Nakamura, Shirov, Short, Smmets, Tiviakov and van Wely.

Gibraltar Chess Festival 26 January-4 February.

European Individual Championships, Rijeka (Croatia) 5-19 March.

Anand-Topalov Match for the World Title, Sofia Tentatively 5-24 April (will be finalized after consulting players).


Games will be posted in the morning. My impressive and loyal staff and I are going to bed.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. This week's games

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

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

BLACK
!""""""""#
$tMvWlVmT%
$OoOoOoOo%
$ + + + +%
$+ + + + %
$ + + + +%
$+ + + + %
$pPpPpPpP%
$RnBqKbNr%
/(((((((()
WHITE
White to move
(This position is a theoretical draw)


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

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Bundesliga First Weekend

Hamburg
Photo by Benutzer:Amcon, Wikipedia (Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike)

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Ragger - Gustafsson, Round 1

Jan Gustafsson
Photo by Stefan64, Wikipedia (GNU Free Documentation License)



Markus Ragger (Solingen) - Jan Gustafsson (Baden-Baden)
Bundesliga 0910, Round 1
Solingen, 17 October 2009

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Grand Anti-Meran Gambit

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6

• If 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 then:
• If 9.Ne5 h5 10.h4 g4 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 Nbd7 then:
• If 13.Qc2 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg7 then:
• 15.b3 0-0 16.bxc4 Nh7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Rad1 (Grischuk-Aronian, IT, Linares, 2009).
• If 15.Rad1 0-0 then:
• If 16.Bg3 Nd7 17.f3 then:
• If 17...c5 18.dxc5 Qe7 19.Kh1 a6 20.a4 Bc6 21.Nd5 exd5 22.exd5 Be5 23.f4 Bg7 24.dxc6 Nxc5 25.Rd5 Ne4 gives Black more activity (Aronian-Anand, World Ch Trmt, Mexico City, 2007).
• If 17...Qb6 18.Kh1 c5 19.d5 Ne5 20.fxg4 hxg4 21.Qc1 then:
• 21...Nd3 22.Bxd3 cxd3 23.Rxd3 b4 24.Ne2 exd5 25.exd5 Rae8 26.Rd2 Bh6 27.Bf4 is equal (van Wely-Kobalia, Areoflot Op, Moscow, 2005).
• 21...exd5 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.Rxd5 Rae8 24.Rf5 f6 25.Qd1 Nf7 26.e5 Nh6 27.Rh5 Qe6 28.Rd6 is equal (Avrukh-Novikov, Ol, Calvia, 2004).
• 16.f3 Nh7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.fxg4 Qxh4 19.gxh5 Ng5 20.Qd2 Nh3+ 21.gxh3 Qg3+ 22.Kh1 Qxh3+ draws by pertetual check (Estremera-Sayed, Op, Gibraltar, 2005).
• 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Be5 Qe7 15.Bxg4 Rg8 16.Bf3 Nd7 17.Bg3 0-0-0 18.Qc2 Nb6 19.a4 b4 20.a5 bxc3 21.bxc3 Nd7 22.e5 Ba6 23.Rfb1 Bb5 24.a6 Nb8 gives Black an extra piece, but White could stir up counterplay on the queenside (Werle-Fridman, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2008).
• If 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 then:
• 11.d5 cxd5 12.exd5 Nxd5 13.Nxb5 Qb6 14.Bxc4 Nf4 15.Re1 Rc8 16.Bf1 Be7 17.a4 a5 18.Rc1 Rxc1 19.Qxc1 is equal (Dzagnidze-Gaponenko, Euro Club Cup W, Kallithea, 2008).
• If 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxf7!? Kxf7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Ne4 Ke7 15.Nd6 Qb6 16.Bg4 Raf8 17.Qc2 then:
• 17...Rhg8 18.a4 Ba8 19.Rfe1 Nc7 20.d5 cxd5 21.axb5 a5 Black went on to win (Timman-Ljubojevic, Corus Honoary, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).
• 17...Qxd4 18.Qg6 Qxg4 19.Qxg7+ Kd8 20.Nxb7+ is equal since Black's extra pawn is rendered useless by his shotty pawn structure (Topalov-Kramnik, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).

6...Qxf6 7.e3

• If 7.Qb3 Nd7 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Qf4 10.Bd3 then:
• 10...e5 11.0-0 Be7 12.Rfe1 exd4 13.Nxd4 0-0 14.Bc2 Nc5 15.Qc3 Nxe4 16.Rxe4 Qf6 17.c5 gives White the advantage in space (I. Ivanesovic-Ragger, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).
• If 10...Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfe1 Rd8 13.Rad1 Qc7 14.Bb1 Nf8 then:
• 15.c5 b5 16.Ng3 Bd7 17.Qe3 gives White the advantage inspace (Smysolv-Petrosian, Moscow, 1971).
• 15.a3 Bd7 16.c5 Be8 17.Ne5 b5 18.Qc3 f6 19.Nd3 Rd7 is equal (van den Berg-Najdorf, IT, Amsterdam, 1950).
• If 7.g3 Nd7 8.Bg2 dxc4 9.0-0 Be7 then:
• If 10.e3 0-0 then:
• 11.Nd2 Nb6 12.f4 Qf5 13.Be4 Qa5 14.Qe2 c5 15.d5 exd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 Bg4 18.Qxg4 Qxd2 (deFirmian, in MCO-15, quotes this game this far and calls it equal; Fritz and I both think Black is better) 19.Qf3 Rad8 20.Bxc4 then:
• 20...Bf6 21.Rf2 Qb4 is equal (Zontakh-Borovikov, Op, Kazimierz Dolny, 2001).
• 20...Qxb2! 21.Rab1 Qc3 22.Qe4 b6 gives Black the more active game.
• 11.Qe2 e5 12.Qxc4 Nb6 13.Qb3 Be6 14.dxe5 Qxf3 15.Bxf3 Bxb3 16.axb3 Nd7 17.Rfd1 Nxe5 18.Be2 Rad8 19.Rxd8 Bxd8 20.Rd1 is equal (K. Georgiev-Erdos, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).
• 10.a4 0-0 11.a5 e5 12.d5 Bb4 13.Nd2 Nc5 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Qd8 16.Qa4 cxd5 17.Qxb4 dxe4 18.Bxe4 Bg4 is equal (Shulman-Savchenko, GMT, Minsk, 1996).

7...g6

• If 7...Nd7 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 g6 10.0-0 Bg7 then:
• If 11.b4 0-0 12.Rc1 then:
• If 12...Qe7 13.Qb3 then:
• 13...b6 14.b5 Bb7 15.bxc6 Bxc6 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Qb1 Bb7 18.Bd3 Rac8 19.Be4 Nf6 20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.Ne2 Ne4 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Nd2 Nd6 24.Rc1 draw (Ivanchuk-Karjakin, IT, Foros, 2006).
• 13...Rd8 14.Rfd1 Nb6 15.Be2 Bd7 16.Ne4 Be8 17.Nc5 Nc8 18.Ne5 Nd6 19.a4 Rac8 20.g3 Nf5 21.Bf3 gives White the advantage in space (Aseev-Korotylev, Petroff Mem Op, St. Petersburg, 2000).
• If 12.a4 then:
• 12...Qe7 13.Qb3 b6 14.a5 Rb8 15.Rfb1 Bb7 16.axb6 axb6 17.Ra7 c5 18.Rxb7 Rxb7 19.bxc5 Rc7 20.Nb5 Rc6 21.Na7 Rc7 22.Nb5 draw (Onischuk-Gelfand, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
• 12...e5 13.a5 exd4 14.exd4 Rd8 15.Re1 Nf8 16.Qb3 Be6 17.Rad1 Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Ne6 19.Ne5 Qf5 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Re3 Bxd4 22.Rf3 Qxf3 23.gxf3 Bxc3 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.f4 Rd4 White resigns in the face of further material loss (Stefansson-Carlsen, Euro ChT, Crete, 2007).
• If 11.e4 e5 12.d5 Nb6 13.Bb3 Bg4 then:
• If 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Qxf3 16.gxf3 Ke7 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.Rac1 then:
• 18...Rhd8 19.Rc2 h5 20.Nd1 Rd6 21.Ne3 a5 22.a3 a4 23.Ba2 Bh6 24.Rfc1 Rc8 25.Kf1 draw (Meier-Quattrocchi, Corres, 1998).
• 18...Rab8 19.Rc2 h5 20.Rd1 Rhd8 is equal (Vigorito-Ippolitom US Ch, San Diego, 2006).
• 14.Rc1 0-0 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Qxf3 17.gxf3 Rfd8 18.Rfd1 Bf6 is equal (Carlsen-Karjakin, Amber Rapid, Nice, 2009).
• 11.Qc2 0-0 12.Rad1 Qe7 transposes to Z. Rahman-Villamayor (see next note).

8.Bd3

• If 8.Qc2 Nd7 then:
• If 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Bg7 11.0-0 0-0 12.b4 Qd6 13.Rab1 then:
• 13...Nb6 14.Rfc1 Be6 15.Nd2 Rac8 16.Ne2 Rfe8 17.Nf4 Nd7 18.Qa4 a6 is equal (Khenkin-Potkin, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2004).
• 13...a5 14.bxa5 Rxa5 15.a4 c5 16.Rb5 Rxb5 17.Nxb5 Qe7 18.Nc3 Qd6 19.Nb5 Qe7 20.Nc3 Qd6 draw (Brodsky-Timofeev, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2005).
• If 9.Bd3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Bg7 11.0-0 0-0 then:
• 12.Ne4 Qe7 13.Bb3 e5 14.Nc3 Kh7 15.Rfe1 Re8 16.Rac1 e4 17.Nd2 f5 18.Ne2 Nf8 19.Qc5 Qxc5 20.Rxc5 Be6 21.Rc2 Bxb3 22.Nxb3 Ne6 is equal (Gupta-Palit, Op, Kolkata, 2009).
• 12.Rad1 Qe7 13.Rfe1 Nb6 14.Bb3 c5 15.a4 c4 16.Ba2 Qb4 is equal (Z. Rahman-Villamayor, Op, Calcutta, 2001).

8...Bg7 9.e4

• 9.0-0 0-0 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b4 then:
• 11...Bg4 12.Be2 Nd7 13.b5 Qd6 14.Rc1 Rfc8 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.h3 Be6 is equal (Ruck-Dreev, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 11...Be6 12.Na4 Nd7 13.Rc1 Rfc8 14.Nc5 Qe7 15.Nd2 b6 16.Nxe6 Qxe6 is equal (Wang Yue-Leko, IT, Nanjing, 2009).

9...dxe4 10.Nxe4 Qd8 11.c5!?

• If 11.Qd2 f5 12.Nc3 then:
• If 12...Na6!? 13.c5 e5 14.Bxa6 exd4 15.0-0-0 bxa6 16.Rhe1+ Kf7 17.Ne5+ Bxe5 18.Rxe5 then:
• 18...Qg5? 19.f4!! dxc3 20.Qe3 cxb2+ 21.Kb1 Qh4 22.g3 Rd8 23.Qb3+ Black resigns (Timman-Ree, Holland, 1975).
• 18...Be6 19.Qxd4 Qxd4 20.Rxd4 Rad8 21.Ra4 leaves White better, but Black has quite a bit of fight left.
• 12...Bxd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Rd1 Qf6 15.0-0 Nd7 16.f4 remains equal.

11...0-0

• The game is equal, as it stands, but neither side is fully developed.

12.Nd6 b6!?

• White has a lead in development and Black doesn't want the White Knight at d6 to become a permanent fixture in the landscape.
• 12...Nd7 13.0-0 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Re1 Nxd3 16.Qxd3 remains equal.

13.0-0!?

• White needs to keep the d-file closed for now.
• 13.b4! a5 14.a3 axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1 16.Qxa1 gives White the advantage in space.

13...bxc5!

• Naturally, if White needs to keep it closed, Black opens it up.

14.dxc5 Nd7 15.Qc2 Rb8!?

• Black is cramping his game.
• 15...Qa5 16.Rac1 Qxa2 17.Be4 Rb8 18.Bxc6 Rxb2 gives Black the initiative.

16.b3!

• White sacrifices the exchange for initiative..
• Better is 16.Rab1 Qa5 17.Rfc1 then:
• 17...Qxa2! 18.Be4 Rxb2 19.Rxb2 Qxb2 20.Bxc6 Qxc2gives Black an extra pawn.
• 17...Rd8 18.Be4 Ba6 19.a3 is equal.

16...Bxa1 17.Rxa1 Qf6 18.Rd1 Bb7

• The Bishop has no good squares for development.
• If 18...Rd8 19.a3 Bb7 20.Be4 a5 then:
• If 21.Nd4! Ne5 then:
• 22.Qd2! Qh4 23.f4 Ng4 24.h3 Nf6 25.Bxc6 gives White compensation for the material deficit on the queenside.
• 22.g3!? g5 23.Qc3 a4 24.b4 g4 25.Qc2 is equal.
• 21.Nxb7!? Rxb7 22.Bxc6 Rc7 23.Bxd7 Rcxd7 24.Rc1 Rd3 sets up an exchange sacrifice on f3 that would be to Black's benefit.

19.Qc1!

• White takes aim at the h-pawn.
• 19.b4 Ne5 20.Nxe5 Qxe5 21.Qa4 a6 22.a3 leaves Black up by an exchange, but White has enough extra space to compensate for at least paert of it.

19...Ba8!?

• 19...Rfd8 20.Be2 g5 21.Qa3 a6 is equal.

20.Qe3!?

• White misses an opportunity to equalize.
• 20.Qa3 Qc3 21.Bc4 Qb4 22.Qxb4 Rxb4 23.a3 Rxc4 is equal.
• 20.Qxh6!? Nxc5! 21.Bc4 Nb7 22.Ne4 Qh8 23.Qg5 Rfd8 is equal.

20...Kg7

• Black takes the opportunity to protect his d-pawn.

21.h4 Rbd8 22.b4 Nb6!?

• An interesting move, but Black misses a chance to wrap it up early.
• More aggressive is 22...Qc3 23.Ne4 Qxb4 24.Bc2 e5 25.a3 Qb2 giving Black good winning chances.

BLACK: Jan Gustafsson
!""""""""#
$v+ T T +%
$O + +mL %
$ Mo+oWoO%
$+ P + + %
$ P + + P%
$+ +bQn+ %
$p+ + Pp+%
$+ +r+ K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Markus Ragger
Position after 23.Nd6f7:p

23.Nxf7!

• White dodges the bullet and equalizes the game.

23...Rxf7 24.cxb6 Rd5 25.Re1

• If 25.bxa7!? Rfd7 26.a3 then:
• If 26...e5 27.g3 e4 28.Qxe4 Re7 29.Qg4 h5 Black continues with a powerful initiative.
• 26...c5 27.bxc5 Rxa7 28.Bc2 Rxd1+ 29.Bxd1 Qa1 is equal.

25...Qf4!

• Black seizes the initiative.
• 25...Qc3 26.Ne5 Rf6 27.Bxg6 Qxe3 28.Rxe3 axb6 maintains Black's material advantage.

26.Qe2?

• Black misses the saving move.
• 26.Ne5 Qxe3 27.Rxe3 Rf4! 28.Nxg6 Rxb4 29.Ne7 Rd8 White has only a pawn fo rthe exchange, but still has enough to carry on the fight.

26...axb6 27.Bc4 Rd6 28.Qb2+ Qf6

• If 28...Rf6 29.Qa3 then:
• 29...b5 30.Bd3 Rd8 Black remains an exchange up.
• If 29...Qxc4? then after 30.Qa7+! Rf7 31.Qxf7+!! Kxf7 32.Ne5+ Ke7 33.Nxc4! White wins an extra pawn.

29.Ne5

• Black has no further weaknesses that White can exploit for any serious counterplay.
• 29.Qa3 Bb7 30.Qe3 b5 31.Bb3 Re7 32.Qb6 Qc3 keeps White fighting a deserate battle still down by an exchange.

29...c5 30.Re3

• 30.bxc5 bxc5 31.Nxf7 Qxb2 32.Nxd6 Bd5 wins for Black.

BLACK: Jan Gustafsson
!""""""""#
$v+ + + +%
$+ + +tL %
$ O ToWoO%
$+ O N + %
$ Pb+ + P%
$+ + R + %
$pQ + Pp+%
$+ + + K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Markus Ragger
Position after 30.Re1e3

30...Rd4!

• Black avoids the last pitfall.
• If 30...Rd1+?! then:
• If 31.Bf1! then:
• If cxb4 32.Qe2 Rf8 33.Rg3 then:
• 33...Be4 34.Qxd1 Qxe5 35.Rb3 gives White counterplay agains Black's weak pawns.
• 33...Qf4? 34.Qxd1 Qxe5 35.Bd3 is equal.
• 31...Ra7 32.bxc5 bxc5 33.Qc2 Ra1 34.Rg3 gives White counterplay.
• If 31.Kh2 then 31...Qxh4+ wins like the text.

31.Qe2

• If 31.Re1 then Black wins easily after 31...Rxh4 32.Qd2 Rd4 33.Qb2 Rg4 34.g3 Bd5.

31...Rd1+!

• Now is the time for this (see not to Black's 30th move).

32.Kh2 Qxh4+ 0-1

• If 33.Rh3 then 33...Rh1+!! 34.Kxh1 Qxh3+ 35.Kg1 Qxg2#.
• Herr Ragger resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Polzin - Efimenko, Round 2

Zahar Efimenko
Photo: ChessBase.com


Rainer Polzen (Berlin) - Zahar Efimenko (Bremen)
Bundesliga 0910, Round 2
Hamburg, 18 October 2009

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Worrell Opening (Marshall Gambit)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Qe2

• This is the Worrell Opening, a good alternative to the Main Line 6.Re1. The idea is to bring the Rook to d1, giving White a queenside setup.
• It should be noted that the Worrell loses a move over the Main Line by putting the Queen behind the e-pawn and then moving the King's Rook, while in the Main Line only the Rook is moved. For that reason Black is more likely to get in 9...Bg4 after 8...d6 (see next note).

6...b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5

• That White has lost a tempo moving his Queen gives Black the opportunity to play the "Worrell Main Line" or, as is the case in the text, the "Worrell Marshall Gambit."
• Worrell Main Line:If 8...d6 9.Rd1 then:
• If 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.d5 then:
• If 12...c4 13.b4 Nb7 14.a4 Bd7 15.h3 then:
• If 15...Qc8 16.Be3 Ne8 17.Nbd2 g6 18.Ra3 Ng7 19.Rda1 Rb8 20.Nf1 Nd8 21.axb5 axb5 22.Ra7 is equal (Tiviakov-Norgaard, Op, Morelia, 2007).
• 15...bxa4 16.Bxa4 Rfc8 17.Bg5 a5 18.Bxd7 Qxd7 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Na3 axb4 21.cxb4 c3 22.Nc2 gives White the freer passed pawn (Morozevich-Kraidman, IT, Antalya, 2001).
• 12...Bd7 13.Nbd2 c4 14.Nf1 Nb7 15.Ng3 Rfe8 16.h3 Nc5 is equal (Short-Piket, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1997).
• If 9...Bg4 10.d4 then:
• If 10...exd4 11.cxd4 d5 12.e5 Ne4 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Qd7 15.h3 Bh5 16.g4 Bg6 17.Ne1 Na5 then:
• 18.f4 Nxb3 19.axb3 Be4 20.Nd3 f5 21.Nf2 a5 is equal (Rodríguez-Sisniega, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 1992).
• 18.Bc2 Qc6 19.Be3 Bxc2 20.Qxc2 Nc4 gives Black the advantage in space and better minor pieces (Spassky-Szabo, Match, Goteborg, 1955).
• 10...Qc8 11.h3 Bh5 12.a4 Rb8 13.axb5 axb5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Be3 Bg6 16.Nbd2 gives White a small advantage in space (J. Polgar-Short, Amber Blind, Monte Carlo, 1992).
• A "Worrell Zaitsev" has been tried, but with White's Rook opposing the Black on the d-file, it can be dicey: 9...Bb7 10.d4 then:
• 10...Nd7 11.Nbd2 Bf6 12.Nf1 Re8 13.d5 Ne7 14.g4 g6 15.h4 Nc5 16.Bc2 is equal (Barron-Haynes, Op, Edmonton, 2009).
• Continuing in Zaitsev style with 10...Re8? drops a center pawn to 11.dxe5! Nd7 12.exd6.

9.d3

• The Worrell Marshall Gambit is usually declined, but it can be accepted.
• If 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 then:
• If 10...Nxe5 11.Qxe5 Bb7 12.d4 a5 13.Be3 Ra6 14.Bc2 Re6 15.Qh5 g6 16.Qh3 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Bg5 is equal (Kashdan-Bisguier, Manhatten CC, New York, 1948).
• If 10...Nf4!? 11.Qe4 Nxe5 then:
• If 12.d4! then:
• 12...Bb7! 13.Qxb7 Ne2+ 14.Kh1 Nxc1 15.dxe5 Nxb3 16.axb3 Qd3 17.Kg1 gives White an extra pawn and Black the initiative (Dimitrijevic-Fr. Lombardy, Op, New York, 1987)
• If 12...Ne2+?! 13.Qxe2! Ng6 14.Nd2 Bb7 15.Nf3 Bd6 16.Ne5 Qh4 17.f4 Rae8 18.Bd2 c5 19.Qf2 then:
• If 19...cxd4? 20.cxd4 Qxf2+ 21.Rxf2 Nh4 22.Nd7 Nxg2 23.f5 then:
• If 23...Nh4 24.Bf4 Bxf4 25.Rxf4 Re2 26.Rxh4 Black resigns (Brinkmann-Schlage, IT, Berlin, 1928).
• No better is 23...Ne3 24.Nxf8 Kxf8 25.f6 Nc4 26.Bg5 gxf6 27.Rxf6.
• A more stubborn defense is 19...c4 20.Bc2 Qh5 21.Qg3 Re7 22.Nxg6 fxg6, but Black still stands much better.
• If 12.Qxa8? Qd3! then:
• If 13.Bd1 then after 13...Bh3 14.Qxa6 Bxg2 15.Re1 Qf3!! White resigns as mate is certain (Roesch-Schlage, Hamburg, 1910).
• If 13.Re1 Nh3+ 14.Kh1 Nxf2+ 15.Kg1 Nh3+ 16.Kh1 Bh4! then:
• If 17.Qd5 then after 17...Bxe1 18.Qxd3 Nxd3 19.gxh3 Bb7+ 20.Kg1 Bf2+ 21.Kf1 Re8 White cannot avoid mate with the Rook on e1.
• If 17.g3 then after 17...c6!! 18.Re2 Qf3+ 19.Rg2 Qf1+ Black mates on the next move.

9...Bb7

• 9...d4 10.cxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 Qxd4 12.Be3 Qd6 13.Rc1 Rd8 14.Nd2 Qxd3 15.Qxd3 Rxd3 16.Rxc7 Bd7 is equal (Tiviakov-Morovic, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1994).

10.Nbd2

• 10.Rd1 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Nf1 Na5 13.Bc2 c5 14.Ng3 Qb6 15.a3 c4 16.dxc4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Nxc4 is equal (Mamedov-Akopian, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).

10...Re8 11.Re1!?

• 11.a3 Bf8 12.Rd1 Nb8 13.Nf1 Nbd7 14.Ne3 c6 15.Nf5 Qc7 16.h3 Rad8 leaves Black at least equal (J. Polgar-Grischuk, TT, Moscow, 2002).

11...Qd7!?

• 11...Bf8 12.a3 h6 13.Ba2 Qd7 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Ne4 Nf4 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Qd2 Qf5 18.Re2 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Rxe5 20.f3 Re7 21.b4 Bd5 22.Rae1 Bxa2 23.Qxa2 a5 24.Qd2 draw (Reinderman-van der Werf, Corus C, 2008).

12.exd5!?

• If 12.Nf1 Rad8 13.Bg5 Na5 14.Bc2 dxe4 15.dxe4 Nc4 16.Ne3 then:
• If 16...Nxb2!? 17.Nxe5! Qe6 18.Nxf7 Qxf7 19.Bb3 Nc4 20.Nxc4 bxc4 21.Bxc4 then:
• 21...Nd5 22.Bxe7 Qxe7 23.exd5 Qxe2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Bxe2 Bxd5 26.a4 gives White an extra pawn (Keres-Geller, IT, Budapest, 1952).
• 21...Bd5? 22.exd5! Bd6 23.Qf3 a5 24.Re6 Rxe6 25.dxe6 gives White two extra pawns.
• 16...Nxe3 17.Qxe3 Ng4 18.Qa7 Qc6 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 gives Black the advantage in space.

12...Nxd5

• The game is equal.

13.Ne4 h6 14.Bd2 Rad8 15.Rad1 Qg4 16.h3

• 16.Ng3 Bf6 17.Qe4 Qxe4 18.dxe4 Nb6 remains equal.

16...Qg6 17.a3 Kh8 18.Qf1?!
BLACK: Zahar Efimenko
!""""""""#
$ + Tt+ L%
$+vO VoO %
$o+m+ +wO%
$+o+mO + %
$ + +n+ +%
$PbPp+n+p%
$ P B Pp+%
$+ +rRqK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Rainer Polzin
Position after 18.Qe2f1

• The e4 square should be overprotected on principle. The pawn at g2 is in no real danger.
• If 18.Bc2! then:
• 18...f5 19.Ng3 Bf6 20.b4 Re7 21.Qf1 Na7 22.h4 remains equal.
• 18...Bf8 19.Nh4 Qe6 20.Qf3 Bc8 21.d4 remains equal.

18...f5!

• White's inaccuracy makes this move more effective than it would have been otherwise.

19.Ng3 Bf6 20.h4

• If 20.Bc2 Kh7 21.b4 Nb8 22.c4 Nb6 then:
• If 23.d4 e4 then:
• If 24.c5 Nc4 25.Bc1 Bd5! 26.h4 Kg8 27.h5 Qf7 28.Nh2 Be6 gives Black the advantage in space and pressure on weak pawns.
• If 25...exf3? 26.Bxf5! Qxf5 27.Nxf5! then:
• 27...Rxe1 28.Qxe1 fxg2 29.Bf4 Rd7 30.Qe8 gives White a decisive material advantage.
• 27...fxg2 28.Qd3 Kg8 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Qg3 wins for White.
• 24.cxb5 axb5 25.Qxb5 Rd5 gives White an extra pawn, but White has more but Black has the active game, more space in the center, more freedom overall and the initiative.
• 23.cxb5 axb5 24.Qe2 Nc6 25.h4 Nd4 gives White the initiative.

20...f4

• If 20...Qg4 21.h5! then:
• 21...f4! 22.Re4 Qd7 23.Ne2 Nb6 24.Bc2 Nb8 puts White's Rook in a bad spot.
• 21...Nf4? 22.Nh2! Qg5 23.Nf3 Qg4 24.Nh2 Qg5 draws,

21.Ne4 Bc8 22.Bc2

• If 22.c4 Black builds pressure on White's position with 22...Nde7 23.cxb5 axb5 24.Rc1 Bg4.

22...Bg4 23.Qe2 Nde7 24.d4

• 24.b4 Nf5 25.Rc1 Nfd4 26.cxd4 Nxd4 27.Nxd4 Bxe2 Black gets a Queen for three minor pieces and is still a pawn to the good.

24...exd4 25.Bxf4 Nf5!

• White attacks the h-pawn.
• If 25...Nd5 26.Nxf6 Rxe2 27.Bxg6 Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 gxf6 then:
• 29.Be4 Nxf4 30.Bxc6 then:
• 30...d3! 31.Nd2 Ne2+ Black still has the initiative, but there is no win in sight.
30...dxc3?! 31.bxc3! Rd3 32.Re8+ is equal.
• 29.Bg3 Bxf3 30.gxf3 dxc3 31.bxc3 Ne5 Black is a long ways from winning.

26.Bxc7?
BLACK: Zahar Efimenko
!""""""""#
$ + Tt+ L%
$+ B + O %
$o+m+ VwO%
$+o+ +m+ %
$ + On+vP%
$P P +n+ %
$ Pb+qPp+%
$+ +rR K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Rainer Polzin
Position after 26.Bf4c7:p

• The final nail goes into White's coffin.
• If 26.h5 Qxh5 27.Qd3 Bxf3 then:
• 28.Nxf6 gxf6 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Qxf3 Qxf3 31.gxf3 Nd6 gives Black healthier pawns, but White still has hope of counterplay.
• 28.Qxf3? Qxf3 29.gxf3 Nh4 30.Re2 Be5 31.Bg3 Nxf3+ wins for Black.

26...Rc8!

• White has few options.

27.Bb6

• If 27.Qd3 Rxc7 28.h5 Bxh5 29.Nxf6 Rxe1+ 30.Rxe1 gxf6 doesn't give White much hope, either.

27...dxc3 28.Qd3 Ne5 29.Nxe5 Bxe5 30.f3

• If 30.Bc5 Nxh4 31.Nd6 Bf5 then:
• If 32.Qh3 Bxc2 33.Nxe8 Bxd1 34.Rxd1 cxb2 is lights out.
• 32.Qd5 Bxc2 33.Nxc8 Bxd1 34.Ne7 Rxe7 35.Bxe7 Nf3+ leaves Black with an easy win.

30...Qxb6+ 0-1

• Black has won a piece.
• Herr Polzin resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Pähtz - Cioara, Round 7

Elisabeth Pähtz
Photo: Frank Hoppe, Wikipedia


Elisabeth Pähtz (Eppingen) - Andrei-Nestor Cioara (Trier)
Bundesliga 0910, Round 7
Eppingen, 16 October 2009

Closed French Game: Nimzovich Defense (Winawer Defense)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7

• If 6...Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 then:
• If 8.Qb1 c4 then:
• If 9.Ne2 then:
• If 9...f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 then:
• If 11.Ng3 Nc6 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0 Bd7 then:
• 14.Qxb7 Qxc2 15.Bg5 Na5 16.Qc7 Qa4 17.Rae1 Nb3 18.Bf3 Rac8 19.Qd6 Rc6 20.Qb4 Ra6 21.Bxf6 Rxf6 22.Nh5 Rf7 23.Qb8+ Rf8 24.Qe5 Rf7 draw (D. King-S. Williams, GMT, Birmingham, 2000).
• 14.Re1 b6 15.Bg5 Rae8 16.Qd1 h6 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Bg4 g6 19.Qd2 Kg7 20.h4 Qa5 21.h5 g5 is equal (P. Smirnov-Rustemov, Russian Ch, Krasnodar, 2002).
• If 11.g3 Nc6 12.Bg2 0-0 13.0-0 b6 then:
• 14.Bf4 Bd7 15.Qb2 Rae8 16.Rae1 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nd4 Nf7 is equal (Pérez-Jacimovic, Euro Club Cup, Antalya, 2007).
• 14.Qb2 Bd7 15.Rae1 Rae8 16.Bg5 Ne4 17.Bf4 e5 18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.f3 Nf6 20.Nd4 Nf7 is equal (Luther-Jacimovic, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• If 9...Nc6 then:
• 10.Ng3 Bd7 11.Nh5 g6 12.Nf6+ Nxf6 13.exf6 0-0-0 14.Be2 e5 gives Black the advantage in space (Nijboer-Visser, Dutch Ch, Hilversum, 2008).
• 10.Nf4 Bd7 11.g3 0-0-0 12.Bh3 f5 13.0-0 Nge7 14.Bg2 Rdg8 15.Qb2 Nd8 16.Rfb1 gives White the advantage in space (Feygin-Lputian, Euro Club Cup, Antalya, 2007).
• If 9.Nh3 Nc6 10.Nf4 transposes into Feygin-Lputian, above.
• If 9.h4 Nc6 10.h5 then:
• 10...Bd7 11.Nf3 h6 12.Be2 0-0-0 13.Nh4 Nge7 14.Be3 Kb8 15.f4 Nc8 16.0-0 gives White the advantage in space (Najer-Al-Modiaki, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2006).
• 10...h6 11.g3 Bd7 12.Bh3 Nge7 13.Ne2 0-0-0 14.Nf4 Kb8 15.0-0 Nc8 16.Kh2 Nb6 17.Ng2 Qa5 18.Qd1 Na4 is equal (Shabalov-Ibragimov, US Ch, Stillwater, 2007).
• If 8.Qg4 then:
• If 8...g6 9.Qd1 b6 then:
• 10.h4 h5 11.Nf3 Ba6 12.Bxa6 Qxa6 13.Bg5 Nd7 14.Qd3 Qxd3 15.cxd3 Ne7 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.Bf6 gives White the advantage in space and thw initiative (Meszaros-Jacimovic, Euro Club Cup, Fügen, 2006).
• 10.Nf3 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.h4 h5 13.0-0 0-0-0 14.Bg5 Rd7 15.Rb1 Ne7 draw (N. Kosintseva-Hoang, Euro ChW, Dresden, 2007).
• 8...Kf8 9.Qd1 b6 10.h4 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.h5 h6 13.Rh4 Rc8 14.Rf4 cxd4 15.cxd4 Ne7 16.Qf3 Ke8 17.c3 Rf8 18.Nh3 Nb8 19.Qg4 Rg8 20.Qf3 Rf8 21.Qg3 Rg8 22.Qf3 draw (Cheparinov-Nikolic, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2005).

7.Nf3

• If 7.Qg4 then:
• If 7...Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 then:
• If 13.Qxc3 0-0-0 14.Rb1 Nf5 15.Rg1 d4 16.Qd3 then:
• If 16...Na5 then:
• 17.Rb4 a6 18.g4 Nh4 19.a4 f6 20.exf6 e5 21.f7 Rgf8 22.Rg3 Rxf7 23.Rh3 Bc6 is equal (Steflitsch-Poldauf, Euro ChT, Halkidiki, 2002).
• 17.g4 Ba4 18.c3 Bc2 19.Qxc2 d3 20.Qa2 Qc5 21.Rg2 Ne3 22.Bxe3 Qxe3 23.Rg3 d2+ 24.Kd1 Qf2 25.Kc2 d1Q+ 26.Rxd1 Rxd1 is equal (Hjartarson-Nogueiras, IT, Belfort, 1988).
• If 16...f6 17.g4 Nh4 18.exf6 e5 19.f7 Rxg4 20.Rxg4 Bxg4 21.Bh3 Qd7 22.Bxg4 Qxg4 23.Qg3 Qh5 24.Rb3 e4 then:
• 25.Qg7 d3 26.cxd3 Nf3+ 27.Kf2 Qxh2+ 28.Qg2 Qxg2+ 29.Kxg2 exd3 draw (Barnsley-Sinka, Cyberspace, 2001).
• 25.Qg8 Qh8 26.Qxh8 Rxh8 27.Rh3 Nf3+ 28.Kf2 Rxh3 29.f8Q+ Kc7 30.Ng1 Rxh2+ 31.Kg3 Rxc2 32.Qf7+ Black resigns as she must lose more material (Yu Ting-Gong Qianyun, Chinese ChTW, Suzhou, 2001).
• If 13.Nxc3 a6 14.Rb1 Na5 15.h4 Nf5 16.Rh3 0-0-0 17.h5 Nc4 then:
• 18.h6 Rg6 19.h7 Rh8 20.Ne2 Qc5 21.Bd2 Rg7 22.Bb4 Qb5 23.Rb3 gives White an extra pawn (Domínguez García-Muñoz Moreno, Op, Malaga, 2001).
• 18.Rb4 Bc6 19.Ne2 Bb5 20.a4 Qc5 21.Qc3 d4 22.Qb3 Na5 23.Rxb5 Nxb3 24.Rxc5+ Nxc5 25.Ng1 Rg3 is favorable to Black (Cheparinov-Grischuk, Grand Prix, Baku, 2008).
• 13...0-0-0 14.Rb1 Na5 15.g3 Kb8 16.Nb5 Bxb5 17.Rxb5 Rc8 18.Be3 b6 19.Bc5 Nf5 20.Bh3 Nb7 21.Bf2 Qxc2 22.Qxc2 Rxc2 23.0-0 Nh4 24.Rb3 Na5 is equal (Domínguez-Shulman, Amer Cont Ch, Buenos Aires, 2005).
• If 7...0-0 8.Bd3 then:
• If 8...f5 9.exf6 Rxf6 10.Bg5 Rf7 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qd1 then:
• If 12...Qa5 13.Bd2 Nbc6 14.Nf3 Qc7 then:
• 15.dxc5 e5 16.Ng5 Rf8 17.c4 e4 18.cxd5 exd3 19.d6 Qd7 20.dxe7 Qxe7+ 21.Be3 Rf5 22.Nf3 Be6 23.Qxd3 Bd5 24.0-0-0 Bxf3 25.gxf3 Rxf3 gives White an extra pawn (Kasimdzhanov-Berg, Keres Mem Rpd, Tallinn, 2006).
• 15.0-0 e5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qxe5 18.c4 d4 19.f4 Qc7 20.Qf3 Bf5 21.Rae1 Raf8 22.g4 Bxd3 23.cxd3 Qc6 is equal (Zhukova-Hryhorenko, Euro Club Cup W, Kusadasi, 2006).
• 12...Nbc6 13.Nf3 Qf8 14.0-0 c4 15.Be2 h6 16.Bc1 Qg7 17.a4 Bd7 18.Ba3 g5 19.Bd6 Nf5 20.Be5 Qf8 21.h3 Qe7 22.Bh2 Nd6 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.Bxe5 gives White the advantage in space (P. Smirnov-Halkias, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).
• If 8...Nbc6 9.Qh5 Ng6 10.Nf3 Qc7 11.Be3 c4 12.Bxg6 fxg6 13.Qg4 then:
• If 13...Qf7 14.Ng5 Qe8 15.h4 h6 16.Nh3 then:
• 16...b5 17.h5 gxh5 18.Qe2 Bd7 19.Nf4 Rxf4 20.Bxf4 Qf7 21.Be3 Be8 22.g4 hxg4 23.Qxg4 Qg6 24.Qe2 Ne7 25.Kd2 Qf5 26.Rag1 gives White a material advantage (Ruan Lufei-Mrktchian, FIDE Knock Out W, Ekaterinberg, 2006).
• 16...Ne7 17.Qe2 b5 18.g4 a5 19.h5 g5 20.f4 gxf4 21.Bxf4 Bd7 22.Kd2 Kh7 23.Rag1 b4 24.g5 bxc3+ 25.Kxc3 gives White the advantage in space (Airapetian-Abrahamyan, US ChW, Tulsa, 2008).
• 13...Bd7 14.h4 Rf5 15.h5 gxh5 16.Rxh5 Raf8 17.Rh3 Be8 18.Ng5 Qa5 19.Kd2 Rxg5 20.Qxg5 Bg6 21.Rhh1 Qa4 22.Ra2 b5 23.Rha1 Bf5 24.g4 Be4 25.f4 gives White the advantage in space (T. Ernst-Rylander, Swedish Ch, Umea, 2003).

7...b6

• If 7...Bd7 8.a4 Qa5 9.Bd2 Nbc6 10.Be2 c4 11.0-0 f6 then:
• 12.exf6 12...gxf6 13.Nh4 0-0-0 14.Bh5 Rhg8 15.g3 Ng6 16.Ng2 Nce7 17.Re1 Nf5 18.Bg4 Rde8 19.Bxf5 exf5 20.Rxe8+ Rxe8 21.Qh5 gives White the initiative (Bannik-Ivkov, TMatch, Rijeka, 1963).
• 12.Re1 fxe5 13.dxe5 0-0 14.Bf1 Ng6 15.g3 h6 16.h4 Rf7 17.h5 Raf8 18.Bg2 Nge7 19.Rf1 Kh8 20.Qe2 Qc7 21.Bc1 gives Black the advantage in space.
• 7...Qc7 8.a4 b6 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bd3 Nbc6 11.0-0 h6 12.Re1 0-0 13.Ba3 Na5 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.Nd2 Bxa4 16.Qg4 Bd7 17.Nf3 Rab8 18.Bc1 Kh8 19.Qh4 Ng8 gives Black an extra pawn while White has enough space and activity to compensate (Chandler-Hertneck, Bundesliga 9394, Germany, 1994).

8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bd3 Ba4

• 9...c4 then:
• If 10.Be2 Ba4 11.h4 h6 12.h5 then:
• If 12...Kd7 then:
• 13.0-0 Qg8 14.Nh2 Qh7 15.Ra2 Na6 16.Bg4 Nc7 is equal (Pähtz-Matveeva, Euro Club Cup W, Kallithea, 2008).
• 13.Bf4 Qg8 14.Nd2 Qh7 15.Ra2 Na6 16.Nf1 Nc7 17.Qd2 Nc6 18.Ne3 b5 19.0-0 a5 20.Bg3 Rhb8 21.Rfa1 Ne7 draw (Pähtz-Lahno, ITW, Biek, 2004).
• 12...Nd7 13.g3 Qc7 14.Bf4 0-0-0 15.Kf1 Kb7 16.Kg2 is equal (Shirov-Nikolic, Amber Rapid, Monte Carlo, 1996).
• 10.Bf1 Ba4 11.g3 h6 12.Bg2 Kd7 13.Nd2 Na6 14.Nf1 Nf5 15.h4 Rc8 16.h5 gives White the advantage in space (Firman-Kruppa, Ukrainian ChT, Alushta, 2004).

10.h4 h6 11.h5 Nd7!?


• 11...Qc7 12.0-0 Nd7 13.Re1 a6 14.Rb1 Qc6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.c4 Nb6 17.cxd5 Nbxd5 18.Bd2 gives White the advantage in space (Sadvakasov-Shulman, Op, Philadelphia, 2007).

12.Rh4!?


• White elects to keep her King in the center and attck on the kingside.
• 12.0-0 0-0 13.Re1 c4 14.Bf1 Nc6 15.Qe2 Qc7 16.Rb1 is somewhere between equal or favorable to Black.

12...a6!?


• The game is equal.
• 12...c4 13.Be2 0-0 14.g4 f6 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.g5 may be slightly favorable to Black.

13.Rg4!?

• White attacks the g-pawn, but her Rook is in a precarious position.
• If 13.c4 then after 13...dxc4 14.Bxc4 Qc7 15.Bd3 cxd4 16.Rxd4 Bc6 Black wins the pawn at e5.

13...c4 14.Bf1 Nf5 15.g3 Qe7!?

• Black misses the oppotunity to take a queenside initiative resulting in a fine game.
• 15...0-0 16.Rf4 b5 17.Bg2 Qa5 18.Bb2 Ne7 19.Qe2 Rab8 20.0-0-0 Qb6 gives Black a queenside initiative.
• 18.Ra2 f6 19.exf6 Rxf6 20.Qe2 Re8 21.g4 Nd6 gives Black leverage in the center.

16.Rf4!

• Black Knight cannot move forward and, with the Queen at e7, doesn't have a retreat square. Harrassing the horse is the best way to take back the initiative.

16...0-0-0?

• Black castles to the wrong side. On the kingside, the pawns in front of the castled king are well defended. White would stand better, but it would be a lot harder to convert the advantage to a win.
• 16...0-0 17.g4 Nh4 18.Nxh4 Qxh4 then:
• If 19.g5 Qxg5 20.Rg4 Bxc2 21.Qe2 Bd3 22.Qd1 then:
• 22...Qf5 23.Bxd3 Qxd3 24.Qxd3 cxd3 25.Bxh6 gives White an extra pawn.
• 22...Bc2 23.Qe2 Bd3 draws.

19.Qd2 f6 20.exf6 Rxf6 21.Qe2 Raf8 gives Black a strong kingside initiative.

BLACK: Andrei-Nestor Cioara
!""""""""#
$ +lT + T%
$+ +mWoO %
$oO +o+ O%
$+ +oPm+p%
$v+oP R +%
$P P +nP %
$ +p+ P +%
$R BqKb+ %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Elisabeth Pähtz
Position after 16...0-0-0

17.g4!

• Black is forced to exchange the Knight, which is fine and dandy with White, especially since she wins a pawn in the process.

17...Nh4 18.Nxh4 Qxh4 19.Rxf7

• White has an extra pawn.

19...Rdf8

• Being a pawn down, Black should avoid the exchange of Rooks.
• Nevertheless, the more "correct" 19...Rhg8 20.Be3 g6 21.hxg6 Rxg6 22.Be2 doesn't really do much for Black's position.

20.Rxf8+ Rxf8 21.Be3 Qh1 22.Kd2

• White's position is so harmonious that Black cannot gain any advantage by tossing his Queen into the back rank. The White King just escapes to the other wing.

22...Qe4 23.Be2 Nb8 24.Rc1

BLACK: Andrei-Nestor Cioara
!""""""""#
$ +l+ T +%
$+ + + O %
$oOm+o+ O%
$+ +oP +p%
$v+oPw+p+%
$P P B + %
$ +pKbP +%
$+ Rq+ + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Elisabeth Pähtz
Position after 24.Ra1c1

24...Nc6

• If 24...b5 25.Rb1 Kd7 26.Kc1 then:
• If 26...Nc6 27.Kb2 b4 28.cxb4 c3+ 29.Kxc3 then:
• 29...Bb5 30.Bd3 Bxd3 31.Qxd3 Qxg4 32.Qxa6 leaves White up by three pawns.
• 29...Ra8 30.Bd3 Qg2 31.Qh1 Qxh1 32.Rxh1 leaves White three pawns to the good.
• 26...Ke8 27.Rb2 Nc6 28.Qg1 Rf7 29.Kb1 Ne7 30.f3 gives Black the choice of retreating his Queen to h7, where she will be out of the maelstrom for a while, or sacrificing the exchange for that would be worth.

25.f3 Qh7 26.Qh1 Kc7

• If 26...Re8 then after 27.f4 b5 28.f5 Ne7 29.Qh3 exf5 30.gxf5 White breaks through with cvonnected passers.

27.f4

• White's objective is to break through with her pawns on the kingside.

27...Ne7 28.Qh4

• Also playable is 28.Qh3 Kd7 29.Qf3 Ke8 30.Bd1 b5 31.Rb1.

28...Kd7 29.Qh3 Kc7

• If 29...Ke8 then after 30.g5 hxg5 31.fxg5 Nf5 32.Rb1 b5 33.g6 White threatens to break through on the kingside.

30.Qf3 Kb8 31.Bf2 Nc6

• If 31...g5 then after 32.hxg6 Qxg6 33.Bh4 Nc8 34.Kd1 Qh7 35.f5 White will break through.

32.Bh4 Kb7 33.Bf1

• 33.f5 exf5 34.gxf5 Qxf5 35.Qxf5 Rxf5 36.Re1 gives White a passed pawn.

33...Na5

• This allows White's long awaited pawn break, but Black could not have waited much longer in any case.
• If 33...g5 then after 34.hxg6 Qxg6 35.Bh3 Qh7 36.f5 the White pawns break through.

BLACK: Andrei-Nestor Cioara
!""""""""#
$ + + T +%
$+l+ + Ow%
$oO +o+ O%
$M +oP +p%
$v+oP PpB%
$P P +q+ %
$ +pK + +%
$+ R +b+ %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Elisabeth Pähtz
Position after 33...Nc6a5

34.f5!

• White breaks through.

34...exf5 35.Qxd5+ Bc6 36.Qd6 Qg8

• The only argument for Black to take the g-pawn is that a dying man can eat any thing.
• 36...fxg4 37.Qe7+ Ka8 38.Qxf8+ Ka7 39.e6 wins for White.

37.e6

• Also good is 37.Qe7+ Kb8 38.gxf5 Rxf5 39.Rb1.

37...Be4 38.Qd7+ Ka8 39.e7 Re8 40.gxf5 Qf7

• 40...Rb8 41.Rb1 Qe8 42.Qxe8 Rxe8 43.Rxb6 leaves White three pawns to the good.

41.Qd8+

• Also good is 41.Rb1 b5 42.Re1 Bb7 43.a4 Bc6 44.Qd8+.

41...Kb7 42.Rb1 b5 43.Re1 Bc6 44.Bg3

• Black could resign here.

44...Qxf5 45.Qc7+ Ka8 46.Qxa5 1-0

• Black will not get the piece back.
• Il signore Cioara resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Univé Chess Tournament, Hoogeveen

Street Scene, Hoogeveen
Photo: Bentum Vastgoed (Holland)

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Friedel - Halsinger, Round 6

Stewart Haslinger
Photo: Hastings Chess Congress


Josh Friedel - Stewart Haslinger
Univé Open, Round 6
Hoogeveen, 21 October 2009

Epine Dorsal: Rat Defense (Lion Variation) (Phildor 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.Re1 c6 8.a4 a5

• If 8...b6 then:
• If 9.d5 cxd5 10.Nxd5 then:
• If 10...Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2 then:
• If 12...Nc5 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bd5 Qd7 then:
• 15.Ba3 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Rfd8 17.Rd1 Ne6 18.Qb5 Nf4 19.Red2 Qg4 20.Qf1 d5 21.exd5 e4 22.Ne1 Bc3 23.d6 Bxd2 24.Rxd2 Rc3 gives Black good winning chances (Kravtsiv-Ruck, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 15.a5 b5 16.Ba3 Bxd5 17.Qxd5 Rfd8 18.Rd1 Ne6 19.Red2 Nd4 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.g3 a6 22.Qf5 d5 is equal (Velcheva-Srebrnic, Euro ChTW, Crete, 2007).
• 12...Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nf6 15.Qd1 d5 16.exd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 Nxd5 18.Nxe5 Rfe8 19.c4 gives White an extra pawn (Kasparov-Azmaiparashvili, Rpd M, Crete, 2003).
• 10...Nxd5 11.Bxd5 Rb8 12.Qd3 Nc5 13.Qe3 Be6 14.Rd1 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 (Lahno-Collas, OlW, Calvia, 2004).
• If 9.b3 a6 10.Bb2 Bb7 11.Bd3 then:
• 11...Re8 12.Ne2 Bf8 13.Ng3 Qc7 14.Qd2 g6 15.c4 a5 16.Bc2 is equal (N. Kosintseva-Khurtsidze, Euro Club Cup W, Ohrid, 2009).
• If 11...g6 12.Qd2 Re8 13.Rad1 Bf8 14.Qc1 then:
• 14...b5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.axb5 cxb5 is equal (Pogonina-Kharashuta, Russian ChTW, Sochi, 2006).
• 14...Qc7 15.h3 exd4 16.Nxd4 Bg7 is equal (S. Zhigalko-Sebenik, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).
• If 9.Bg5 a6 10.Qe2 then:
• 10...Qc7 11.d5 c5 12.Rab1 Qd8 13.Nd2 Ne8 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.b4 is equal (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.Ba2

• If 9.h3 then:
• If 9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bf4 then:
• If 11...Be6 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.e5 Nd5 then:
• 14.Bxd5 Rxf4 15.exd6 Bxd6 16.Bxe6+ Kh8 17.Qe2 Qb6 18.Rad1 Bc7 19.Bc4 Qxb2 20.Rd4 h6 21.Rxf4 Bxf4 22.Qh5 Black resigns as he must lose material (Motylev-Yemelin, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).
• 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Rxe4 Rf4 18.Rxf4 Qxf4 19.Qe2 is equal (Stellwagen-Beliavsky, TT, Amsterdam, 2009).
• 11...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...Qc7 10.Ba2 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Nh4 Nf8 13.Qf3 Be6 transposes into the next note.

9...exd4

• If 9...h6 10.h3 Re8 11.Be3 then:
• If 11...Qc7 12.Nh4 Nf8 13.Qf3 Be6 14.Nf5 then:
• 14...Ng6 15.Qg3 Kh7 16.Qf3 Kh8 17.g3 exd4 18.Bxd4 Ne5 19.Bxe5 dxe5 is equal (Mamedov-Jobava, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).
• 14...Bxa2 15.Rxa2 Ng6 16.Raa1 Nh7 17.Qg3 Bg5 18.Bxg5 Nxg5 19.dxe5 dxe5 20.h4 Ne6 21.h5 Ngf4 22.Nxh6+ wins a pawn for White (Haugstad-Kandic, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).
• If 11...Bf8 then:
• 12.Nd2 exd4 13.Bxd4 Ne5 14.f4 Ng6 15.Qf3 Be6 16.Rad1 Bxa2 17.Nxa2 d5 gives White a more fortified center and the advantage in space (Nijboer-Bosboom, Dutch Ch, Hilversum, 2008).
• 12.Qd2 Rb8 13.Rad1 b5 14.axb5 cxb5 15.Qd3 b4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 Qc7 18.Bb3 exd4 19.Bxd4 Bb7 is equal (Tiviakov-Belkhodja, World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2005).

10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bf4

• 11.h3 Qb6 12.Qf3 Be6 13.Bxe6 draw (Palac-V. Georgiev, Op, Skopje, 2002).

11...Qb6!?

• If 11...Ne6 then:
• If 12.Nxe6 Bxe6 13.Bxe6 fxe6 14.Qe2 Qb6 15.Rab1 Rae8 16.e5 Nd5 17.Bg3 is equal (Asrian-Doostkam, Op, Dubai, 2004).
• 12.Be3 draw (Iordachescu-Bologan, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

12.Nb3

• The game is equal.

12...Ng4

• 12...Bg4 13.Qd2 Qb4 14.h3 Be6 15.Nd4 Rfe8 remains equal.

13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.Bg3

• 14.Qf3 Bf6 15.Red1 Ne5 16.Qe3 Qb4 17.Bb3 remains equal.

14...Ne5 15.Ne2 Bg4 16.h3

• 16.Qd4 Qxd4 17.Nxd4 Rfe8 18.f3 Bd7 19.Rad1 gives White more activity.

16...Bh5 17.Qd4 Qxc2!?

• Black rolls the dice.
• 17...Qxd4 18.Nxd4 Rae8 19.Nf5 b6 20.f3 gives White the advantage in space.

18.Rac1 c5

• White has the advantage in space.
• 18...Qd3 19.Bxe5 Bxe2 20.Bxg7 Qxd4 21.Bxd4 Bh5 22.f4 also gives White the advantage in space.

19.Rxc2 cxd4 20.Nf4?!

• The pawn is far from poisoned.
• 20.Nxd4 Nd3 21.Ra1 Bf6 22.Nf5 Nxb2 23.Bxd6 then:
• 23...Rfc8 24.Rxc8+ Rxc8 25.e5 Bg6 26.g4 White maintains the advantage in space.
• 23...Nxa4?! 24.e5! Bg6 25.exf6 Bxf5 26.Rc7 b6 27.Bd5! gives White a strong game with excellent winning chances.

BLACK: Stewart Halsinger
!""""""""#
$t+ + Tl+%
$+ + VoOo%
$ + O + +%
$O + M + %
$p+ OpN +%
$+ + + Bp%
$bPr+ Pp+%
$+ + R K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Josh Friedel
Position after 20.Ne2f4

20...d3!

• Black must now win the exchange.

21.Rd2

• If 21.Rc7 d2 22.Rf1 Bd8 then:
• 23.Nxh5 Bxc7wins the exchange.
• 23.f3? Bxc7 24.Nxh5 Nd3 wins the exchang and a pawn, giving Black excellent winning chances.

21...Bg5 22.Re3

• If 22.h4 Bh6 23.Re3 Be2 24.Bd5 Rac8! then:
• 25.Nxe2 dxe2 26.f4 Ng4 27.Rdxe2 Nxe3 28.Rxe3 wins the exchange.
• 25.Rdxe2 dxe2 26.Rxe2 Rc7 leaves Black an exchange to the good.

22...Be2 23.Rexe2

• If 23.Bd5 then Balck wins the exchange by 23...Rab8 24.b3 Rfc8 25.Nxd3 Bxe3 26.Rxe2 Bd4.

23...dxe2 24.Rxe2 Rfc8

• There is nothing that can stop the Rook from coming to White's back rank.

25.Nd5 Rc1+ 26.Kh2 Ra1 27.Bb3 Nc6

• Black threatens the powerful 28.Nd4.

28.f4?

• If 28.Nc7 Nd4 29.Nxa8 Nxe2 then:
• If 30.Bxd6 Rb1 31.Ba3 Bf6 32.Bc4 Bxb2 33.Bd6 Nc3 give Black either the a- or e-pawn.
• 30.Nb6 Rb1 31.Bd5 Rxb2 32.Nc4 Rb4 33.Nxd6 Be7 gives Black excellent winning chances.
• If 28.Rc2 Nd4 29.Rc3 Rb8 then:
• If 30.Bxd6 Rd8 31.Bc7 Re8 32.Bxa5 Bd2 33.Rd3 Nxb3 34.Bxd2 brings White to material equivalency and presents him a playable game.
• 30.Rd3 Nxb3 31.Rxb3 Rxa4 32.Bxd6 Re8 33.e5 Rd4 maintains Black's material advantage.

BLACK: Stewart Halsinger
!""""""""#
$t+ + +l+%
$+o+ +oOo%
$ +mO + +%
$O +n+ V %
$p+ +pP +%
$+b+ + Bp%
$ P +r+pK%
$T + + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Josh Friedel
Position after 28.f2f4

28...Nd4!

• Black eliminates the Bishop and wins the a-pawn.

29.Re3 Bd8

• Black prevents the Knight from coming any closer.

30.f5 Nxb3 31.Rxb3 Rxa4 32.Rxb7 Rxe4 33.Bxd6 h5!

• This is a very useful move for Black. It gives the King an escape route should it need to leave the back rank and it restrains White's kingside.

34.Kg3 Rd4 35.Rb5

• 35.Ne7+ Bxe7 36.Bxe7 a4 37.f6 Ra6 38.Rb8+ Kh7 maintains Black's advantage.

35...Bh4+ 36.Kf3

• 36.Kh2 Rd8 37.Ne7+ Bxe7 38.Bxe7 R8d5 39.Rb8+ Kh7 maintains Black's material advantage.

36...Rd8 37.f6

• 37.Ne7+ Bxe7 38.Bxe7 R4d5 39.Rxa5 Rxa5 40.Bxd8 Rxf5+ maintains Black's material advantage.

BLACK: Stewart Halsinger
!""""""""#
$ + T +l+%
$+ + +oO %
$ + B P +%
$Or+n+ +o%
$ + T + V%
$+ + +k+p%
$ P + +p+%
$+ + + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Josh Friedel
Position after 37.f5f6

37...Rxd5!!

• Black gives back the exchange for a pawn, but White is forced to defnd his b-pawn to maintain any hope of avoiding loss.
• 37...Rxd6 38.Ne7+ Kf8 39.fxg7+ Kxg7 40.Nf5+ wins back the exchange.

38.Rxd5 Bxf6 39.Rd2 Be5 40.Bb4!

• White forces the game into a Bishop and pawn ending, which is his best shot at salvaging a half-point (White cannot win the game unless Black does something really unfortunate). For the basic rule of Bishop-and-pawn vs. Bishop endings, Reuben Fine in Basic Chess Endings quotes the nineteenth century theoretician Centurini (I edit to substitute White and Black for more general terms):
1. The game is drawn when the defensive King is on ot can occupy any square from which it cannot be driven away by the Bishop.
2. If the defensive King is behind the pawn and the offensive King near the pawn, the the defense can draw if and only if his his King is attacking the pawn and has the opposition and if and only if his Bishop can maneuver on each of which it can occupy at least two squares.

40...Rxd2

• The exchange of Rooks cannot be avoided.
• 40...Bc7 41.Rxd8+ Bxd8 42.Bc3 makes White's task easier, but it's still an uphill battle.

41.Bxd2 a4 42.Bc1 f5

• Of course, Black wants to create a passed pawn on the kingside.

43.Ke2 Kf7

• If 43...g5 then:
• If 44.Kd3 g4 then:
• If 45.Kc4! gxh3 46.gxh3 f4 47.Kb4 then:
• 47...f3 48.Be3 Bg3 49.Kxa4 f2 50.Bxf2 Bxf2 51.b4 favors Black. Black can sacrifice his Bishop for the Kingside pawn and take the h-pawn with his King before White can bring his King to the other side of the board. Nevertheless, the problems assoiciated with queening a Rook's pawn come into play.
• If 48.Kxa4? then 48...f2! is lights out.
• If 45.h4 Kf7 then:
• If 46.Ke2 then:
• 46...f4 47.Ke1 Ke6 48.Ke2 Kf5 49.Kf2 Bd4+ 50.Kf1 puts the White King in position to stop the f-pawn, but there are other factors in the position working in Black's favor.
• If 46...Bg3 47.Bg5 f4 48.Bd8 Ke6 49.Bg5 Ke5 then:
• 50.Bd8 Ke4 51.Kf1 f3 52.Be7 Ke3 53.gxf3 Kxf3 gives Black the opposition and a passed pawn which the White King cannot block.
• 50.Kf1 f3 51.gxf3 gxf3 52.Be7 Kd4 53.Kg1 Ke3 54.Kf1 Ke4 55.Bf6 Be5 wins the b-pawn.
• 46.Ke3? Bg3! 47.Kd4 Bxh4 wins for Black.
• 44.Bxg5 Bxb2 45.Kd1 a3 46.Kc2 Kf7 47.Bd2 Ke6 48.Kb3 Kd5 Black must take the time to eliminate the a-pawn, which give Black time to win by eating White' remaining kingside pawns.

44.Kd3 Ke6 45.Kc4

• 45.Kc2 f4 46.b3 axb3+ 47.Kxb3 g5 48.Kc4 g4 presents a pawn dormation that is quite thematic of the rest of the game, although it never actually appears in the text.

BLACK: Stewart Halsinger
!""""""""#
$ + + + +%
$+ + + O %
$ + +l+ +%
$+ + Vo+o%
$o+k+ + +%
$+ + + +p%
$ P + +p+%
$+ B + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Josh Friedel
Position after 45.Kd3c4

45...f4!

• This is a key move to Black's victory. White is out of reserve pawn tempi.
• 45...g5 46.Kb4 f4 47.Kxa4 then:
• If 47...Kf5! 48.Kb4 g4 49.Kc4 gxh3 50.gxh3 Ke4 51.Bxf4 Kxf4 52.b4 Bf6 wins for Black.
• If 47...Kd5!? 48.b4! then:
• If 48...g4 49.hxg4 hxg4 50.Bd2 f3 51.gxf3 gxf3 then:
• 52.Be1! Kc4 53.b5 Bd4 54.Bg3 Bb6 55.Be1 Kd3 56.Kb4 Bd4 57.Bg3 Ba7 draws as neither side can make progress with his pawn.
• 52.Be3? Bd4 53.Bxd4 Kxd4 54.b5 f2 wins for Black by two moves.
• If 48...Bg7 49.Bd2 Ke4 then:
• 50.b5 Kd5 51.h4 f3 52.gxf3 gxh4 53.Be1 h3 54.Bg3 Be5 55.f4 Bc7 favors Black.
• If 50.Be1 g4 51.hxg4 hxg4 52.b5 Bd4 53.Kb4 Ke3 then:
• 54.Bh4! Kd3 55.Be1 f3 56.gxf3 gxf3 57.Bh4 draws.
• 54.Kc4? g3! 55.Kd5 f3 56.gxf3 g2 wins for Black.

46.b3

• White liquidates the queenside, allowing his King to defend against Black's pawn majority.

46...axb3 47.Kxb3 Kd5!

• The Black King move to shoulder his opposite number.
• If 47...Kf5? then after 48.Kc4! g5 49.Kd3 g4 50.hxg4+ hxg4 51.Ba3 f3 52.gxf3 gxf3 53.Bc5 the pawn can make no progress.

48.Kc2 Ke4 49.Kd1 f3!

• It is now unlikely that Black would make an error that would allow Black to draw.
• If 49...g5? 50.Ke2 g4 51.hxg4 hxg4 then:
• 52.Bd2 Bd4 53.Be1 f3+ 54.gxf3+ gxf3+ 55.Kf1 draws since the White King cannot be driven out of the queening square.
• 52.Ba3 f3+ 53.gxf3+ gxf3+ 54.Kf1 Bd4 55.Bd6 Kd3 draws.

50.Ke1 fxg2

• Where in other phases of the game one should as a general rule capture toward the center, in endgames one should capture away from one's opponent's pieces.

51.Kf2

BLACK: Stewart Halsinger
!""""""""#
$ + + + +%
$+ + + O %
$ + + + +%
$+ + V +o%
$ + +l+ +%
$+ + + +p%
$ + + Ko+%
$+ B + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Josh Friedel
Position after 51.Ke1f2

51...g1Q+!

• By queening thus, Black sacrifices a passed pawn to lure the White King to the Black rank, rendering White's h-pawn defenseless.

52.Kxg1 Kf3 53.Bh6!?

• White plays a clever little trap: if 53...gxh6?! White's chances of drawing increase somewhat, but they still aren't good.

53...g6!

• Black won't take the bait. It is easier to win with a healthy, connected pawns.

54.Bg5 Kg3 55.h4 Kg4 56.Kg2 Bg3 57.Be3 Bxh4

• The h-pawn falls.

58.Bd2 Bg3 59.Be3

• If 59.Ba5 h4 60.Bd8 h3+ 61.Kh1 Be5 then:
• If 62.Kg1 Kf5 63.Kh1 Bf6 then:
• If 64.Bc7 then Black wins after 64...g5 65.Bg3 g4 66.Be1 Ke4 67.Bg3 Kf3.
• If 64.Bxf6 then after 64...Kxf6 65.Kh2 Kg5 66.Kxh3 Kf4 Black wins by the book.
• 62.Be7 Kf5 63.Bh4 Bf6 64.Bf2 g5 wins for Black.

59...Bf4 60.Bb6 Kf5 61.Bd8 Be5 0-1

• If 62.Kh3 then 62...Bf6 63.Ba5 g5 one of the pawns will reach its goal.
• Mr. Friedel resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Nijboer - Lagrotteria, Round 1

Friso Nijboer
Photo: Utrect Chess Club


Friso Nijboer - Salvatore Lagrotteria
Univé Open, Round 1
Hoogeveen, 16 October 2009

Closed French Game: Nimzovich Defense (Winawer Defense)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

• For a survey of theory behind this opening, see Pähtz-Cioara, Bundesliga 0910, Eppingen, 2009, elsewhere in this thread.

4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 c4 9.Ne2 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Ng3 Nc6 12.Be2 Bd7!?

• If 12...0-0 13.0-0 Bd7 then:
• 14.Qxb7 Qxc2 15.Bg5 Na5 16.Qc7 Qa4 17.Rae1 Nb3 18.Bf3 Rac8 19.Qd6 Rc6 20.Qb4 Ra6 21.Bxf6 Rxf6 22.Nh5 Rf7 23.Qb8+ Rf8 24.Qe5 Rf7 draw (D. King-S. Williams, GMT, Birmingham, 2000).
• 14.Re1 b6 15.Bg5 Rae8 16.Qd1 h6 17.Bxf6 Rxf6 18.Bg4 g6 19.Qd2 Kg7 20.h4 Qa5 21.h5 g5 is equal (P. Smirnov-Rustemov, Russian Ch, Krasnodar, 2002).

13.0-0

• The game is equal.

13...0-0-0 14.Re1 h6

• The keeps White's dark-bound Bishop out of g5. Black can afford to weaken his light squares on the kingside becuase the light square pawn chain in the center make it difficult for White to do anything with his light-bound Bishop.

15.Qd1

• Now White threatens to attack the light squares from h5.

15...g6

• Black parries the threat, but weakens the h6 square in the process.

16.Bf3 Rdg8 17.h3

• This move is not as simple as it may seem when one's opponent has castled on the opposet wing. See the note to White's 11th move in Fan-Goletiani, US ChW, St. Louis, 2009, elsewhere in this thread. White has calculated that under the present circumstances, this move is perfectly safe.

17...Ne7!?

• Black does not see the coming strategic maneuver by which White get around and through Blacks pawn chain.
• If 17...Qa5 then White cannot immediately move his Bishop but must first set up a defense of the c-pawn:
• 18.Re3 Re8 19.Qe1 Qc7 20.Bc1 e5 21.Qd1 reamins equal.
• 18.Bf4!? Qxc3 19.Ne2 Qa5 20.Bd2 Qa6 gives Black an extra pawn.

BLACK: Salvatore Lagrotteria
!""""""""#
$ +l+ +tT%
$Oo+vM + %
$ + +oMoO%
$+ +o+ + %
$w+oP + +%
$P P +bNp%
$ +PB Pp+%
$R +qr K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Friso Nijboer
Position after 17...Nc6e7

18.Bf4!

• When one has a pawn chain on light squares and has exchanged the dark-bound Bishop, then one is probably weak on the dark squares. White uses his dark-bound Bishop to run a dark square thread the needle through an eye of light square.

18...Qc6

• 18...Nc6 19.Bd6 Ne8 20.Be5 wins the exchange.

19.Qe2 g5

• 19...Rf8 20.Qe5 (threatening mate on b8) 20...Kd8 21.Qb8+ Nc8 22.Rab1 gives White a strong queenside attack.

20.Be5 Rf8 21.Nh5 Nxh5 22.Bxh5

• White is rewarded for his patience by taking command of the kingside (see notes to White's 15th and Black's 15th moves).

22...Rhg8 23.a4 Be8 24.Bg4

• Black defends one diagonal; White simply switches to another.

24...Nf5

• Black is investing a lot on energy to keep the kingside closed.

25.Bh2!

• White opens the e-file to his pieces, attacking the backward e-pawn.

25...Kd7 26.a5 Bg6

• After the text, White wins quickly.
• 26...h5 27.Bxh5 Bxh5 28.Qxh5 is a more stubborn defense.

27.Rab1!

• White has command of all the open lines: the b-file, the e-file and the a2/b8 diagonal. Black is toast.

27...Ng7

• If 27...Rf7 28.Rb2 Re8 29.Qe5 h5 then 30.Reb1! is crushing.

28.Rb2 h5 29.Reb1! 1-0
BLACK: Salvatore Lagrotteria
!""""""""#
$ + + Tt+%
$Oo+l+ M %
$ +w+O+v+%
$P +o+ Oo%
$ +oP +b+%
$+ P + +p%
$ Rp+qPpB%
$+r+ + K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Friso Nijboer
Final Position after 29.Re1b1

• If 29...b6 then 30.axb6 a5 31.b7 hxg4 32.Rb6 ends all resistance.
• Throughout the game, the White forces directed by Mh. Nijboer have taken every advantage of open lines afforded him.
• Il signore Lagrotteria resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. US Women's Championship, St. Louis

Photo: Photo: Macphoto.se

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Zatonskih - Melekina, Round 6

Anna Zatonskih
Photo: New York Masters


Anna Zatonshih - Alisa Melekhina
US Women's Championship, Round 6
St. Louis, 10 October 2009

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

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.Nf3 Bd7

• If 6...Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 Qb6 then:
• If 10.d5 then:
• If 10...cxd5 11.cxd5 Nc5 then:
• If 12.Ne1 then:
• If 12...Bd7 13.Nd3 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Rfc8 then:
• If 15.Rb1 Nh5 16.Be3 Qb4 then:
• 17.Qe2 Rc4 18.Rfc1 is equal (Botvinnik-Tal, World Ch Match, Moscow, 1960).
• 17.Qd1 Rc4 18.Kh2 Rac8 19.Bf3 Nf6 20.a3 Qa5 is equal (Panczyk-Wojtkiewicz, Czestochowa ch, Poland, 1992).
• 15.Qe2 a5 16.Be3 Qb4 17.Rfb1 a4 18.Bd2 Rc7 19.Bf1 Rac8 is equal (Ashley-Hoyos, Op, New York, 1989).
• 12...a5 13.Nd3 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Qd8 15.Bg5 h6 16.Be3 b6 17.Qd2 Kh7 18.Rab1 Nd7 19.f4 gives White the advatage in space (Petrosian-Shiyanovsky, IT, Kiev, 1957).
• 12.Qe2 Bd7 13.Be3 Rfc8 14.Rfc1 a5 15.Nd2 Ne8 16.g4 Qd8 17.Nb5 b6 18.Na3 Rab8 19.b4 axb4 20.Nc2 Bf6 21.Nxb4 Bg5 22.Rab1 draw Rustemov-Korotylev, City Ch, Moscow, 1994).
• 10...Nc5 11.Re1 Bd7 12.Rb1 a5 13.Bf1 Qc7 14.a4 Na6 15.Be3 c5 16.Kh2 Rae8 17.Rc1 Nb4 18.b3 Kh8 19.Qd2 Ng8 20.Ng1 f5 21.exf5 gxf5 22.f4 e4 is equal (O'Kelly-Kavalek, IT, Caracas, 1970).
• If 10.Re1 exd4 11.Nxd4 Ne8 then:
• 12.Nb3 a5 13.Be3 Qb4 14.a3 Qxc4 15.Nd4 f6 16.Nd5 cxd5 17.Rc1 Qa2 18.b3 Nc5 19.e5 fxe5 20.Bxd5+ Kh8 gives Black an extra piece (Greenfeld-Candela, Euro ChT, Izmir, 2004).
• 12.Nf3 Ne5 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Qa4 Bf6 15.Be3 Qc7 16.Rac1 Ng7 17.h4 Rd8 18.b4 Ne6 19.Nd5 cxd5 20.cxd5 Qd7 21.Qxd7 Bxd7 22.dxe6 draw (Seres-Gladyszev, First Saturday, Budapest, 2001.03).

7.0-0 Qc8

• If 7...Nc6 then:
• If 8.h3 a6 9.e4 e5 then:
• If 10.dxe5 dxe5 then:
• If 11.Be3 Be6 then:
• If 12.Qa4 Qc8 13.Kh2 then:
• If 13...Rd8 14.Rfd1 Rxd1 15.Rxd1 h6 16.c5 Qf8 17.Nd5 Ne8 18.b4 Rd8 is equal (Borochov-Bologan, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2004).
• 13...h6 14.c5 g5 15.Nd2 Nd7 16.Nd5 gives White the advantage in space (Blagojevic-Popadic, Montenegran Ch, Cetinje, 2005).
• 12.b3 Re8 13.Qxd8 Rexd8 14.Nd5 draw (Stefansson-Shirov, Ol. Torino, 2006).
• 11.Re1 h6 12.Nd5 Nh7 13.Be3 Ng5 14.Nxg5 hxg5 15.Qd2 g4 16.hxg4 Bxg4 17.f3 Be6 18.Rf1 f5 19.exf5 draw (Vaganian-Kasimdzhanov, French ChT, Port Bacares, 2005).
• If 10.Be3 exd4 11.Nxd4 Re8 12.Re1 then:
• If 12...Rb8 13.Rc1 Ne5 14.b3 then:
• 14...c5 15.Nde2 b5 16.f4 Nc6 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Qxd6 b4 19.Na4 gives White the advantage in space (Galojan-Tan Zhongyi, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• 14...Nc6 15.a3 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 c5 17.Be3 Bc6 18.Bf4 Re6 19.Nd5 Nd7 20.Qd2 b5 21.Bg5 Qf8 22.Nc7 Re5 23.Nxa6 Rb6 24.cxb5 Rxb5 leaves White a pawn to the good, but the Knight is out of play (Vasilev-Passoni, Op, Kavala. 2001).
• 12...Qc8 13.Kh2 Ne5 14.b3 c5 15.Nde2 b5 16.Bg5 bxc4 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Qd8 19.bxc4 Nxc4 20.Rc1 Nb2 21.Nxf6+ Qxf6 22.Qd2 Rab8 23.Nf4 Qd4 24.Re2 Ba4 25.Qxd4 cxd4 26.Rd2 d3 27.Nxd3 Nxd3 28.Rxd3 Rb2 29.Ra3 Bc2 30.Kg1 Bxe4 31.Re1 Rb1 draw (Greenfeld-Gdanski, Euro ChT, Belgrade, 1999).
• If 8.d5 Na5 9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 a6 11.b3 b5 12.Bb2 Rb8 13.Rab1 then:
• 13...Qc7 14.Nd1 bxc4 15.bxc4 Rb4 16.Bc3 Rxb1 17.Qxb1 Nb7 18.Ne3 Rb8 is equal (Pentala-Wajih, Indian Ch, New Delhi, 2001).
• 13...e5 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Nce4 Nxe4 16.Bxg7 Nxd2 17.Bxf8 Nxb1 18.Bxd6 Na3 19.Qc1 Rc8 20.Qxa3 bxc4 21.b4 gives White more space and better pawn structure (Korchnoi-Ciocaltea, Euro ChT, Hamburg, 1965).

8.Re1 Bh3 9.Bh1

• 9.e4 Bg4 10.Be3 Nc6 11.Qd2 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Ng4 13.Bxg4 Qxg4 14.Qe2 Qd7 15.Rad1 a6 16.Kg2 e6 is equal (Brynell-Cicak, Swedish Ch, Gothenburg, 2006).

9...Bg4!?

• If 9...h6 10.e4 Bg4 11.Be3 Nc6 12.Qd2 then:
• 12...Kh7 13.d5 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Ne5 15.Be2 Qh3 16.f3 gives White a small advantage in space (Selezniev-Euwe, Marisch/Ostrau, 1923).
• 12...Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Ng4 14.Bxg4 Qxg4 15.Kg2 Kh7 16.f3 gives White the advantage in space (Gevorgyan-I. Agrest, World Youth, Vung Tau, 2008).

10.Bg5

• White has the advantage in space.

10...Re8 11.Qd2 c6

• If 11...Nbd7 then after 12.Bh6 Bh8 13.e4 c5 14.d5 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Ne5 White still has more space, but with a locked center it matters less.

12.Rad1 Nbd7 13.Bh6 Bh8 14.Ng5!?

• White plays to maintain her freedom.
• 14.b3 Qc7 15.e4 e5 16.d5 c5 maintains White's advantage in space.

14...Nf8!?

• Black misses the opportunity to equalize.
• 14...c5 15.h3 cxd4 16.Qxd4 then:
• 16...Ne5! 17.c5 Bxh3 18.cxd6 exd6 19.Qxd6 Nfg4 is equal.
• 16...Bh5?! 17.Qf4 e5 18.Qh4 d5 19.cxd5 gives White an extra pawn and a huge advantage in space.

15.Bg2

• 15.b4 a5 16.bxa5 Rxa5 17.Bxf8 Rxf8 18.Nd5 Qa8 is equal.

15...Ne6 16.f3 Nxg5 17.Bxg5 Bh3 18.Bxh3 Qxh3

• Black has equalized.

19.e4

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
$t+ +t+lV%
$Oo+ Oo+o%
$ +oO +o+%
$+ + + Bm%
$ +pPp+ +%
$+ N +pPw%
$pP Q + P%
$+ +rR + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Anna Zatonskih
Position after 19.e2e4

19...Nh5!?

• The position calls for action on the queenside.
• 19...a6 20.a4 b6 21.b4 Rac8 22.Bxf6 Bxf6 reamins equal.

20.Qf2 Bf6 21.Be3 b6 22.f4 c5

• 22...Bg7 23.Qf1 Qd7 24.Qf3 Rac8 25.g4 Nf6 26.f5 re-establishes White's advantage in space.

23.e5

• White has the advantage in space.

23...cxd4 24.Bxd4 dxe5 25.fxe5

• 25.Bxe5 Rac8 26.Nd5 Bxe5 27.Rxe5 Kf8 28.Qd4 gives White a solid center.

25...Bh8 26.Nd5

• After 26.e6! fxe6 27.Bxh8 Kxh8 28.Qe2 Rf8 29.Rd7 White continues to enjoy the advantage in space and now has a weak double pawn to target.

26...Rac8 27.b3 Qe6 28.Bb2 Ng7 29.Rf1 h5

• Black is cramped and is looking for a way to free her game.
• After 29...Nf5!? then White builds an attack on the kingside and center with 30.Nf4 Qc6 31.g4 Ng7 32.Nd5 Qe6 33.Qh4.

30.Nf4 Qf5 31.Qe2 Ne6 32.Nd5 Qg4 33.Qg2!?

• The best thing to do is to eliminate Black's Queen, her only truly active piece.
• If 33.Qxg4 hxg4 34.Ne3 then:
• 34...Red8 35.Nxg4 Bg7 36.Ne3 Rxd1 37.Rxd1 Rd8 38.Nd5 leaves White a pawn to the good.
• 34...Rcd8 35.Nxg4 Bg7 36.Ne3 Rxd1 37.Rxd1 Rd8 38.Nd5 is a transposition.

33...h4?

• Black should strike at the center in response to White's aggression on the flank.
• Better is 33...Nc5! 34.Qf2 Qe6 35.Qe3 Bg7 36.Rd2 a6 37.Rfd1 leaves White with a slight advantage in space, but Black has opportnities for counterplay.

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
$ +t+t+lV%
$O + Oo+ %
$ O +m+o+%
$+ +nP + %
$ +p+ +wO%
$+p+ + P %
$pB + +qP%
$+ +r+rK %
/(((((((()}}}}
Position after 33.h5h4

34.gxh4!

• White has more than one good move here. The plan is to give Black's Queen few options for getting out of the kingside.
• 34.Rd3! hxg3 35.Rxg3 Qh4 36.Rgf3 giving White a route into Black's King position.

34...Qxh4

• 34...Qh5 35.Qf3 Qxf3 36.Rxf3 Rc6 37.a3 Nc5 38.Rdf1 leaves White a pawn to the good.

35.Rd3 Bg7 36.Rh3 Qg5 37.Rg3 Qh5

• As White planned, Black's has few good options for her Queen.
• If 37...Qh4 38.Kh1 b5 then:
• If 39.Rh3 Qg5 40.Qf2 then:
• 40...Qf5 41.Rf3 Qe4 42.Re1 Qg4 43.Rxf7 Bf8 44.Rg1 gives Black an irresistable attack.
• 40...Nd8 41.Rg1 Qf5 42.Qxf5 gxf5 43.Nf4 bxc4 44.Rhg3 wins for White.
• If 39.cxb5 Rcd8 40.Rh3 then:
• 40...Qg5 41.Qf3 Qf5 42.Qxf5 gxf5 43.Rd3 White is a pawn up.
• 40...Qxh3 41.Qxh3 Rxd5 42.Qf3 is an easy win for White.

38.Rh3

• White repeats moves to gain on the clock.

38...Qg5 39.Rg3 Qh5

• See the note to Black's 37th move.

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
$ +t+t+l+%
$O + OoV %
$ O +m+ +%
$+ +nP Ow%
$ +p+ + +%
$+p+ + R %
$pB + Q P%
$+ + +rK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Anna Zatonskih
Position after (move)
40...Qg5h5
40.Qf2!

• 40.Rh3 allows Black to claim a draw.
• 40.Rgf3 Ng5 41.Re3 Ne6 42.Qf2 Nd8 43.e6! shatters Black's pawns.

40...g5

• 40...Ng5? loses quickly to 41.Nf4! Qh6 42.Qg2 Nh7 43.e6 Nf6 44.Rh3.

41.a4

• White's move has in mind sweeping aside Black's queenside paw to clear a path for the c-pawn.
• Even stronger is 41.Qf5 Qg6 42.Qxg6 fxg6 43.Rgf3 when:
• If 43...Nc7 then 44.Nxc7 Rxc7 45.Rg3 Rd8 46.Rxg5 gives White an extra pawn.
• 43...Rcd8 44.a3 Nf4 45.Nxf4 gxf4 46.Rxf4 leaves White a pawn to the good.
• If 43...b5 44.cxb5 Rc5 then:
• 45.Rd1! Rxb5 46.a3 g4 47.Rg3 Rb7 48.Nb4 the g-pawn falls.
• 45.Rd3!? Rxb5 46.Rd2 Rb7 47.Rfd1 Nf4 48.Kf2 gives White a superior game with more activity and fewer pawn weaknesses.

41...Rcd8 42.Qf5 Qg6 43.Qg4

• 43.Qxg6 fxg6 44.Rd3 Kh7 45.Rf7 g4 46.Ba3 the e-pawn falls.

43...Kh7

• 43...Rd7 44.Rgf3 Rf8 45.Ba3 Bxe5 46.Nxe7+ White wins the exchange.

44.h4 Bh6

• Black has no good defense.
• 44...Kg8 45.hxg5 Bf8 46.Ba3 Rd7 47.Qf5 Bg7 48.Qxg6 leaves White a pawn up.

45.Qf3 Rf8 46.h5 Qc2 47.Rg2 g4 48.Qxg4 Rg8

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
$ + T +t+%
$O + Oo+l%
$ O +m+ V%
$+ +nP +p%
$p+p+ +q+%
$+p+ + + %
$ Bw+ +r+%
$+ + +rK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Anna Zatonskih
Position after 48...Rf8g8

49.Rxf7+!

• White begins a simplification that leaves her two pawns to the good.

49...Kh8 50.Rxc2 Rxg4+ 51.Rg2 Rxg2+

• 51...Rdg8 52.Rxg4 Rxg4+ 53.Kf2 Bg5 54.Nxe7 leaves White three pawns up.

52.Kxg2 Nf4+ 53.Nxf4 Rd2+

• 53...Bxf4 54.Rxf4 Rd2+ 55.Rf2! wins immediately.

54.Kf3 Rxb2 55.Ng6+ Kg8 56.Rxe7 Rxb3+ 57.Ke4 Rb4 58.Rc7!

• The text is simplest, but 58.Rxa7 Rxc4+ 59.Kd5 Rc5+ 60.Kd6 still wins.

58...Rxa4

BLACK: Alisa Melekhina
!""""""""#
$ + + +l+%
$O R + + %
$ O + +nV%
$+ + P +p%
$t+p+k+ +%
$+ + + + %
$ + + + +%
$+ + + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Anna Zatonskih
Position after 58...Rb4a4:p

59.e6!

• The pawn moves beyond the Knight's protection, but is in no danger.
• 59.Ne7+ Kh8 60.e6 Bg5 61.Ng6+ Kg8 62.h6 assures that one of the pawns will queen.

59...Ra1 60.Rc8+ Kg7 61.e7

• The pawn is again under the protection of the Knight. Black must lose her Rook in order to stop it for queening.

61...Re1+ 62.Kd5 Kf7 63.Rf8+! 1-0

• If 63...Kg7 (the only legal move) then 64.Ne5 assures that the pawn will queen.
• Ms. Melekhina resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Baginskaite - Foisor, Round 9

Camilla Baginskaite
Photo: ChessBase.com (Spanish Language)


Camilla Baginskaite - Sabina Foisor
US Women's Championship, Round 9
St. Louis, 13 October 2009

Slav Queen's Gambit: Chameleon Defense

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

• This is the Chameleon Defense, which more recently has acquired the alternate named Chebenenko Defense (your humble hare finds the former easier to remember).

5.Qc2

• White goes off the beaten track.
• If 5.Nf3 (usually played as 4.Nf3 a6 5.e3) 5...b5 then:
• If 6.b3 then:
• If 6...Bg4 then:
• If 7.Be2 e6 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.h3 then:
• If 9...Bh5 10.Bb2 Bd6 11.Ne5 Bxe2 12.Nxe2 Qc7 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Rc1 Qb8 15.Nxd7 then:
• 15...Kxd7 16.f3 Qb7 17.Qd3 Ke7 18.Nc3 b4 19.Na4 Qb5 20.Qd2 Rac8 21.Nc5 Rhd8 22.Rfd1 h6 23.Rc2 Rc6 24.Rdc1 Rdc8 25.a4 bxa3 26.Bxa3 Nd7 27.Nxd7 Bxa3 28.Rxc6 draw (Zhaou Weiqi-Rodshtein, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2009).
• 15...Nxd7 16.e4 dxe4 17.d5 0-0 18.dxe6 Nc5 19.Nf4 Ra7 20.Bd4 Bxf4 21.Bxc5 Bxc1 22.Bxf8 Qxf8 23.Qxc1 fxe6 24.Qc6 gives White ample compensation for the pawn (Epishin-Kulaots, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2005).
• If 9...Bf5 10.Bd3 Bb4 11.Bb2 then:
• 11...Bxd3 12.Qxd3 0-0 13.Rfc1 bxc4 14.bxc4 Qe7 15.Rc2 dxc4 16.Qxc4 c5 17.Rac1 cxd4 18.Nxd4 Ne5 19.Qe2 Ba3 20.f4 Ng6 21.Nc6 Qd6 22.Rd2 Qxc6 23.Bxa3 Rfc8 is equal (Aronian-P. Smirnov, FIDE Knock Out, Tripoli, 2004).
• 11...0-0 12.Bxf5 exf5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Qd3 g6 15.Ne5 Qc7 16.a4 bxa4 17.Nxa4 Rfc8 18.Rfc1 Qd6 19.Rc2 Rxc2 20.Qxc2 a5 21.Qc6 Rb8 22.Rc1 Qxc6 23.Nxc6 Rb5 24.Nxb4 Rxb4 25.Nc5 draw (I. Sokolov-Movsesian, IT, Sarajevo, 2003).
• If 7.Bd2 Nbd7 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 then:
• If 9...b4 10.Na4 then:
• 10...e5 11.Rc1 Bd6 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Qd1 0-0 15.Be2 a5 16.Rc2 Qe7 17.Bc1 Rad8 18.Bb2 Ng6 19.0-0 Ne4 20.Bd4 Nh4 21.Bd3 Nf5 22.Bb6 Rb8 23.Bxe4 Qxe4 is equal (Carlsen-Wang Yue, IT, Linares, 2009).
• 10...Ne4 11.Bc1 e6 12.Bd3 f5 13.g4 g6 14.gxf5 exf5 15.h4 Bg7 16.Bb2 0-0 17.0-0-0 Ndf6 is equal (Bauer-Fontaine, French Ch, Chartres, 2005).
• If 9...e6 10.Bd3 then:
• 10...Ba3 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfd1 Re8 13.Be1 e5 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Qf4 Qe7 is equal (Bauer-Dorfman, French Ch, Val d'Isere, 2002).
• 10...Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rac1 Rc8 13.Rfd1 b4 14.Na4 a5 15.Qe2 Ne4 16.Be1 is equal (M. Socko-E. Atalik, ITW, Biel, 2006).
• If 6...Bf5 then:
• 7.Ne5 e6 8.g4 Bg6 9.h4 Ne4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.f3 f6 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.fxe4 dxe4 14.Bd2 Qb8 15.Rh3 f5 16.cxb5 axb5 17.gxf5 exf5 18.a4 bxa4 19.bxa4 Kd8 20.Bb5 Na5 21.Rc1 Bd6 is equal (Aronian-Kindermann, Bundesliga 0304, Germany, 2003).
• 7.Bd3 e6 8.Bxf5 exf5 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Qc2 g6 11.Bd2 0-0 12.Rfc1 Nbd7 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.a4 b4 15.Ne2 Rc8 16.Qd3 Qb6 17.Rc2 Qb7 18.Rac1 Nb6 19.Ne5 Rxc2 20.Rxc2 Rc8 21.f3 Nbd7 22.Nxd7 draw (Radjabov-Ivanchuk, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2003).
• If 6.c5 g6 then:
• If 7.Ne5 Bg7 8.Be2 then:
• If 8...Nfd7 9.f4 Nxe5 10.fxe5 f6 11.exf6 exf6 12.e4 then:
• 12...b4 13.Na4 dxe4 14.Nb6 Ra7 15.Qb3 Re7 16.Nxc8 Qxc8 17.Bf4 gives Black an extra pawn and White more space (Eljanov-I. Sokolov, IT, Sarajevo, 2009).
• 12...f5 13.exd5 Qh4+ 14.g3 Qxd4 15.Qxd4 Bxd4 16.Bf4 cxd5 17.Nxd5 Bb7 gives White a slight advantage in space (Cmilyte-Houska, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• If 8...0-0 9.0-0 then:
• If 9...Nfd7 10.f4 then:
• 10...f5 11.Nd3 a5 12.Bd2 Nf6 13.Be1 Nbd7 14.Bh4 Kh8 is equal (Moiseenko-Ni Hua, World ChT, Beer Shiva, 2005).
• 10...a5 11.Bf3 Nxe5 12.fxe5 f5 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Ne2 Bg7 15.Bd2 Bf5 16.Ng3 e6 is equal (Kempinski-Rustemov, Bundesliga 0809, Berlin, 2009).
• 9...Be6 10.f4 Qc7 11.g4 Ne4 12.Bf3 f5 13.Bd2 Nd7 is equal (Gelfand-Bareev, World Cup, Khanty Mansyisk, 2005).
• If 7.Bd3 Bg7 then:
• 8.h3 0-0 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.a3 a5 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nd5 13.Nc3 N7f6 14.Re1 Qc7 15.Bd2 Rd8 16.Re5 Ra6 17.Qe2 Bb7 18.Ng5 h6 is equal (Bellaiche-Benitah, Op, Guingamp, 2007).
• 8.b4 a5 9.bxa5 Nfd7 10.Bd2 e5 11.Be2 e4 12.Ng1 b4 13.Nb1 Na6 14.a3 Qxa5 15.Ra2 is equal (San Segundo-Pilaj, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).

5...g6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.0-0 Bg4 9.Ne5 Be6 10.c5

• 10.b3 allows Black more play on the queenside; if now 10...c5 11.Ne2 then:
• 11...cxd4 12.exd4 Nc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bf4 a5 15.Be5 Bc8 16.Nc3 Bh6 17.Rad1 Ng4 18.Bg3 Bg7 19.h3 Nh6 20.Be5 Bf5 21.Rfe1 e6 22.Qe2 draw (Radjabov-Ehlvest, FIDE Knock Out, Moscow, 2001).
• 11...Nfd7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bb2 cxd4 14.exd4 dxc4 15.bxc4 Rc8 16.Nf4 Bxc4 17.Bxc4 Nb6 18.Ne6 Rxc4 19.Qxc4 Nxc4 20.Nxd8 Rxd8 21.Bc3 Nd6 gives Black a pawn and some initiative for the exchange (Nielsen-L. B. Hansen, TT, Helsinge, 2001).

10...Nfd7

• If 10...Nbd7 11.Nxd7 then:
• If 11...Qxd7 12.Bd2 Bf5 13.Bxf5 Qxf5 14.Qxf5 gxf5 then:
• 15.Ne2 e6 16.Ba5 Nd7 17.Rac1 Bf6 18.Bc7 Rfc8 19.Bg3 Bd8 20.Rc3 Bc7 21.Nf4 gives White the advantage in space (Wang Yue-Lin Chen, TT, Jinan, 2005).
• If 15.f3 Nd7 16.Ne2 then:
• 16...Rfe8 17.Bc3 e6 18.Kf2 Kf8 19.b4 b6 20.a4 Rec8 21.Rfb1 gives White a little more space and better pawn structure (Moiseenko-Dolmatov, FIDE Knock Out, Tripoli, 2004).
• 16...Rfc8 17.Rfc1 b6 18.cxb6 Nxb6 19.Bb4 e6 20.b3 a5 21.Bd6 a4 22.Nf4 gives White a distinct advantage in space (Turov-Lintchevski, Russian Ch HL, Krasnoyarsk, 2007).
• If 11...Nxd7 transposes into the text.

11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.b4

• If 12.Bd2 f5 then White has a choice of playing on either wing:
• 13.b4 Bf7 14.Ne2 e5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Bc3 Qh4 17.Bd4 Nd7 18.Qc3 gives White the advantage in space (Macieja-Wojtaszek, Najdorf Mem, Warsaw, 2009).
• 13.f4 Qe8 14.Kh1 Qf7 15.b4 Nf6 16.a4 Ne4 17.Ne2 Qf6 18.Kg1 Qh4 19.Be1 Qh6 20.Ra2 draw (Soppe-Labollita, Op, Mar del Plata, 2001).

12...f6 13.Bd2!?

• If 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 then:
• 14...h6 15.Re1 Bf7 16.Ng3 f5 17.Bxf5 gxf5 18.Nxf5 Bg6 19.Qb3+ Kh7 20.Nxg7 Kxg7 21.Qe3 gives White a slight initiative (Milov-Kobalia, Op, Biel, 2001).
• 14...Bf7 15.Bf4 h6 16.Nc3 f5 17.Rad1 e5 18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.Be2 Qh4 20.g3 gives White the advantage in space (Toamshevsky-Yevseev, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2006).

13...Bf7

• White has the advantage in space, most of it on the queenside.

14.f4

• It would seem natural for White to expand on the queenside, but first she moves to limit Black's counterplay in the center.
• If 14.a4!? then Black counters in the center with 14...e5! 15.Qd1 f5 16.Ne2 Qh4.

14...e5 15.f5 e4 16.Be2 gxf5 17.Bd1

• White here has the option of switching to a kingside paln.
• 17.Rxf5 Bg6 18.Rf4 Qe8 19.Raf1 continues to geive White the advantage in space while she attacks a weak pawn.

17...Bh6 18.Ne2

• White needn't be in a rush to take on f5.
• 18.Rxf5 Qe8 19.Bg4 Be6 20.Bh5 Qe7 doesn't gain that much for White.

18...Kh8

• Conversely, Black doesn't do anything for herself by protecting the f-pawn.
• 18...Bg6 19.Nf4 Bf7 20.a4 Kh8 21.Be2 gives White a little more space than before.

19.Kh1 Rg8

• 19...Bg6 protects the lead f-pawn, but after 20.Nf4 Bf7 21.Be1 Rg8 22.a4 White still has a small advantage in space.

20.Ng3!?

• White takes aim at the foremost f-pawn.
• It might be better to just take it with the Rook; if 20.Rxf5 Qe7 then:
• 21.Ng3 Qe6 22.Rf2 Rg5 23.Be2 Rag8 24.Raf1 gives White more space than before.
• 21.Rf2 Rg5 22.Ng3 then:
• 22...Be6 23.a4 White continues to enjoy the advantage in space
• 22...Rxg3?! 23.hxg3 Rg8 24.Kh2! Be6 25.g4 leaves White an exchange to the good.

BLACK: Sabina Foisor
!""""""""#
$t+ W + L%
$+o+m+v+o%
$o+o+ O V%
$+ Po+o+ %
$ P Po+ +%
$+ + P T %
$p+ B +pP%
$R +b+r+k%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Camilla Baginskaite
Position after 20.Ne2g3

20...Rxg3!

• The sacrifice doesn't immediately equalize, but it is still the best move.
• 20...Rg5 21.Nxf5 Bf8 22.Ng3 Qe7 23.Bc3 Qe6 24.Qf2 gives White the advantage in space and more activity.

21.hxg3 Qc7 22.g4

• Advancing the g-pawn is the only way not to lose a pawn.
• 22.Be1 Bxe3 23.Qc3 Bh6 24.Rxf5 Bg6 25.Rf1 f5 is equal.

22...Qg3 23.Rxf5 Bg6 24.Rf1 Bxe3 25.Bxe3!?

• 25.Be1 Qc7 26.Qc3 Bf4 27.Bf2 Rg8 28.Be3 Bg3 29.a4 maintains White's advantage in space.

25...Qxe3!

• Black has equalized.

26.Qf2

• 26.Qb2 Nf8 27.Bb3 Ne6 28.Rad1 Kg7 29.a4 Re8 gives White a material adge, but Black now has more space.

26...Qc3 27.Be2 Re8 28.Rac1 Qa3

• 28...Qd2 29.Rce1 Qxa2 30.Qf4 Nf8 31.Qxf6+ Kg8 32.g5 remains equal.

29.Qf4 Re7 30.Rce1

• 30.Qc7 then:
• 30...Kg7! 31.Qxb7 Qe3 32.Rfe1 Qh6+ 33.Kg1 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Qh6+ 35.Kg3 Qe3+ draws.
• 30...Qxa2!? 31.Bxa6!! Qxa6 32.Qd8+ Re8 33.Qxd7 Qa8 34.Rxf6 gives White the exchange.

30...Rf7

• 30...Qxb4 31.Qe3 b5 32.cxb6 Qxb6 33.g5 remains equal.

31.g5 f5 32.g3 Qxb4 33.Qe3 Nf8

• If 33...b5!? 34.cxb6 Qxb6 then:
• If 35.Rb1! Qa5 36.Rfc1 then:
• 36...Qxa2 37.Ra1 Qb2 38.Ra4 Nb8 39.Ra3 gives White the initiative against Black's weak queenside pawns.
• If 36...Qa4? 37.Bd1! then:
• 37...Qa5 38.Bb3 Qb5 39.a4 Qa5 40.Rxc6 gives White good winning chances.
• 37...Qxa2 38.Ra1 Qb2 39.Rcb1! traps the Queen.
• 35.Rc1!? Kg7 36.Rc3 Re7 37.a3 Qb7 38.g4 remains equal.
• If 33...Qa4!? 34.a3 then:
• 34...b6 35.cxb6 Nxb6 36.Rf4 c5 37.Rd1 Nc4 38.Qc3 remains equal.
• If 34...Qa5!? 35.Rb1 Nf8 then:
• If 36.Rb6! Ne6 37.Rfb1 then:
• 37...Kg8 38.Bd1 f4 39.gxf4 Nxf4 40.Rxb7 wins a pawn and weakens Black's queenside.
• 37...Nd8? 38.Bd1 Kg7 39.R1b4 Ne6 40.Ra4 traps the Queen.
• 36.g4!? Kg7! 37.gxf5 Bxf5 38.Rf2 Qc7 remains equal.

34.Rb1

• White has no time to trap the Queen as in the last set of notes.
• If 34.Ra1? then 34...Ne6! 35.Rfb1 Qxd4! 36.Qxd4+ Nxd4 37.Rb2 Ne6 wins a pawn.

34...Qa4

• If 34...Qa5 35.a3 Qd8 then:
• 36.Rb6 Ne6 37.Rfb1 Qxg5 38.Qxg5 Nxg5 39.Rxb7 a5 remains equal.
• If 36.g4 f4 37.Rxf4 Qxg5! then:
• If 38.Rf3 Ne6 exf3!! 39.Qxg5 fxe2 40.Rg1 then:
• 40...Be4+! 41.Kh2 Rf2+ 42.Kh3 Rf1 wins for Black.
• 40...Rf1!? 41.Qe5+ Kg8 42.Qxe2 Be4+ still gives Black excellent winning chances.
• 38.Rxf7 Qxe3 39.Rxf8+ Kg7 40.Rc8 Qxe2 41.Rxb7+ Kh6 42.Rxc6 Qd1+ 43.Kg2 Qxd4 44.Rbb6 e3 is an easy win for Black.

35.Bd1!?

• White leaves the a-pawn unprotected.
• 35.a3! Ne6 36.Rb4 Qa5 37.Rfb1 Kg8 38.Bf1 remains equal.

BLACK: Sabina Foisor
!""""""""#
$ + + M L%
$+o+ +t+o%
$o+o+ +v+%
$+ Po+oP %
$w+ Po+ +%
$+ + Q P %
$p+ + + +%
$+r+b+r+k%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Camilla Baginskaite
Position after 35.Bg4d1

35...Qxa2

• Black has the material advantage.

36.Bb3 Qa5 37.g4

• If 37.Bc2? Qd8 then:
• 38.Rb6 Ne6 39.Rfb1 Qxg5! wins for Black.
• 38.g4 f4 39.Rxf4 Qxg5 40.Rf3 Qxe3 41.Rxe3 Ne6 wins for Black.

37...Qc7

• If 37...Ne6 38.gxf5 Bxf5 39.Bd1 Rf8 then:
• If 40.Qg3 Kg8 41.Rxb7 Qd2 42.Rb8! then:
• 42...e3 43.Kg1 Qxd4 44.Be2 Qe4 45.Rxf8+ is equal.
• If 42...Qxd4 43.Bh5! then:
• 43...e3! 44.Rxf5 Qe4+ 45.Rf3 e2 46.Rbxf8+ Nxf8 47.Qe1 is equal.
• 43...Qd3? 44.Rxf8+ Kxf8 45.Rxf5+ forces mate (e.g, 45...Kg8 46.Qb8+ Kg7 47.Qf8#).
• If 40.Rxb7 Qa1 then:
• 41.Be2 Qxd4 42.Qg3 e3 43.Rb8 Qe4+ gives Black good winning chances, but White still has some potential counterplay.
• If 41.Rb4? then 41...Bg4! wins.

38.gxf5 Bxf5 39.Bd1 Be6 40.Bh5 Ng6 41.Rf6!?

• White seeks to create a passed pawn with which she can conjur counterplay.
• If 41.Bxg6 then after 41...Rxf1+ 42.Rxf1 hxg6 43.Rf6 Bf5 Black still has a material advantage.

BLACK: Sabina Foisor
!""""""""#
$ + + + L%
$+oW +t+o%
$o+o+vRn+%
$+ Po+ Pb%
$ + Po+ +%
$+ + Q + %
$ + + + +%
$+r+ + +k%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Camilla Baginskaite
Position after 41.Rf7f6

41...Rxf6!?

• This only allows White to mount further pressure. It would have been better to allow the passed pawn on the g-file, which had little chance of survival.
• 41...Re7 42.Bxg6 hxg6 43.Rxg6 is equal.

42.gxf6 Kg8

• The King move is necessitated by Black's passer in the f-file rather than the g-file.
• 42...Qf7!? 43.Rf1 Bc8 44.Kh2 Kg8 is equal.

43.Qh6!

• With the tempo from Black's King move, White applies more pressure. The game is equal.

43...Qf7 44.Rg1 Bf5!?

• The way to relieve the pressure is to remove the White Queen from the vacinity.
• 44...Qf8! 45.Qg5 Bf7 46.Be2 Be8 47.Bg4 Qf7 48.Rf1 is equal.

45.Qg5 Bh3

• 45...Bc8 46.Kg2 Be6 47.Kf2 Bc8 48.Bxg6 hxg6 49.Ke1 wins for White.

46.Qg3 Bf5?

• Black had no options. There was only one saving move.
• If 46...Bd7! then:
• 47.Bxg6 hxg6 48.Qxg6+ Qxg6 49.Rxg6+ Kf7 50.Rg7+ Ke8 51.Re7+ Kd8 52.Kg2 a5 53.Rh7 Ke8 54.Kf2 draws.
• 47.Qb8+ Be8 48.Rb1 Kf8 49.Qd6+ Kg8 50.Qb8 Kf8 51.Qd6+ Kg8 52.Qb8 draws.
• 46...Be6? 47.Bxg6 hxg6 48.Qb8+ Kh7 49.Rg2 Bh3 50.Rh2 wins for White.
• 46...Bc8? 47.Qb8 Qe8 48.Bg4! wins for White.

BLACK: Sabina Foisor
!""""""""#
$ + + +l+%
$+o+ +w+o%
$o+o+ Pm+%
$+ Po+v+b%
$ + Po+ +%
$+ + + Q %
$ + + + +%
$+ + + Rk%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Camilla Baginskaite
Position after 46...Bh3f5

47.Qb8+!

• White wins.

47...Qf8 48.Qe5 Qc8 49.Rg5 Be6

• If 49...Qd7 then White wins after 50.Qxf5 Qxf5 51.Rxf5 Kf7 52.Rf1 a5 53.Bg4 when the Bishop goes to c8 and eats the pawn chain.

50.Bxg6 hxg6 51.Rxg6+ Kf8 52.Qd6+ Kf7 53.Rg7+ 1-0

• White mates on the next move.
• Ms. Foisor resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Fan - Goletiani, Round 8

Neither of these ladies fiished high in the standings. This is a tribute to the exciting, high quality chess played in St. Louis. These women came to play chess.



Yun Fan
Photo: ChessClub.com


Yun Fan - Rusa Goletiani
US Women's Championship, Round 8
St. Louis, 12 October 2009

Open Sicilian Game: Kan Defense (Maroczy Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6

• For a brief summary of theory concerning the Kan Defense, see Timman-Davies, IT, London, 2009.

5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Qc7 7.a3 Nc6

• If 7...b6 8.Be3 Bb7 9.f3 d6 10.Be2 Be7 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rc1 0-0 13.b4 Rac8 14.Qd2 Qb8 then:
• 15.Rfd1 Rfe8 16.Bf1 Bd8 17.Nb3 Bc7 18.Bf4 Ne5 19.Bg3 Rcd8 is equal (Kacheishvili-Safarli, Op, Istanbul, 2006).
• If 15.Kh1 then:
• 15...Bd8 16.Rc2 Bc7 17.Bg1 Rfe8 18.Rb1 Kh8 19.Na4 Ne5 20.c5 b5 is equal (Korbut-T. Vasilevich, Euro ChTW, Crete, 2007).
• 15...Rfe8 16.Rc2 Bd8 17.Na4 Bc7 18.Bg1 Ne5 19.c5 b5 20.cxd6 Bxd6 is equal (Salov-Flores, Ol, Torino, 2006).

8.Be2 Ne5!?

• 8...Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bd6 10.Be3 Be5 11.Qd2 0-0 12.Bd4 d6 13.Rd1 Bd7 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.Qd6 Qa5 16.Qb4 Qc7 17.Qd6 draw (Oratovsky-Hamdouchi, IT, Salou, 2000).

9.Be3

• The Maroczy bind gives White the advantage in space.
• 9.Bg5 b6 10.b3 Bb7 11.f4 Nc6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bf3 h6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.g3 gives White the advantage in space.
• 11...Ng6 12.f5 Nf4 13.0-0 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 Bc5 gives Black the initiative.

9...h5 10.h3 Ng6 11.Qd2

• If 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Bd3 Bh2+ 13.Kh1 then:
• If 13...Be5 14.Nf3 Ng4!? then:
• 15.Bd2 Bf6 16.Kg1 N4e5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf4 is equal.
• 15.hxg4? hxg4+! 16.Nh2 Rxh2+ 17.Kg1 Nh4 18.g3 Nf3+ wins for Black (cf. Tarrasch, The Game of Chess, diagram 261).
• 13...Bf4 14.Bxf4 Nxf4 15.Nf3 e5 16.Rc1 b6 is equal.

11...b6 12.f4 e5!?

• The pawn at e4 is a better target.
• If 12...Bb7 then after 13.Bd3 e5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.0-0 Nxd3 16.Qxd3 White maintains the advantage in space.

13.fxe5 Qxe5

• Black is already in serious trouble with no room for error.
• If 13...Nxe5!? 14.Bg5! then:
• If 14...Nxc4 15.Bxc4 Qxc4 16.Rc1 then:
• 16...Qc7 17.Bxf6 Qg3+ 18.Kd1 then:
• If 18...gxf6 19.Nf5 Qg5 20.Qc2 gives White command of the c-file and a nascient queenside initiative.
• 18...axb5 19.Rxc4 bxc4 20.Nb5 Kd8 21.Nd6 Rg8 22.Nxc4 gives White the material advantage and a more active game.
• If 16...Bc5? 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Ncb5! then:
• 18...Qa4 19.b3 Qa5 20.b4 Qa4 21.Nc7+ wins the Rook.
• 14...Bb7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.cxd5 Bh6 18.Qd1 gives White more space, but Black still has potential counterplay.

14.0-0-0 Bc5 15.Nf5 Bxe3?

• White is too strong in the center for Black to leave his King there.
• If 15...0-0 16.Bd4 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 then:
• 17...Bb7 18.Nd6 Qg5+ 19.Qd2 Qxd2+ 20.Kxd2 White stands better, but Black has counterchances against White's pawn weaknesses.
• 17...Re8 18.Rhf1 Nf4 19.Nd6 Re6 20.Qxe5 Nxe2+ 21.Kd2 Rxe5 22.Kxe2 gives White a strong game.

16.Qxe3 0-0

• If 16...d5 17.Rhf1 dxe4 18.Nd6+ then:
• 18...Kf8 19.Qxb6 Be6 20.Ndxe4 Nxe4 21.Rd8+ Ke7 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Qb7+ gives White the exchange.
• 18...Ke7 19.Nd5+ Kf8 20.Nxb6 Rb8 21.Ndxc8 Kg8 22.Nd6 gives White an extra piece.

17.g4

• If 17.Nd5! then:
• If 17...h4 18.Rhf1 Nxd5 19.Rxd5 Qc7 20.Rd6 then:
• 20...Re8 21.Qd4 Ne5 22.Qxb6 Qxb6 23.Rxb6 gives White an extra pawn and an overwhelming position.
• If 20...Qd8 then after 21.Qd4 f6 22.Qd5+ White wins.
• 17...Nxd5 18.Rxd5 Qc7 19.Qd4 f6 20.Bxh5 gives White a winning game.

17...Nf4 18.gxh5 d5

• If 18...Re8 19.Nd6 Re6 20.Rhf1 Rxd6 21.Rxd6 Nxe2+ 22.Qxe2 Qxd6 23.e5! leaves White a pawn to the good.
• 20...N6d5 21.Nxd5 Nxe2+ 22.Qxe2 Rxd6 23.Qf3 gives White an extra pawn and a comfortable advantage in space.

19.Ne7+ Qxe7

• If 19...Kh7 20.Nexd5 Nxe2+ 21.Qxe2 then:
• 21...Re8 22.Rhg1 Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.Qxe4+ Rxe4 25.Nxb6 gives White two extra pawns at least for the time being.
• 21...Nxh5 22.Qh2 Qg5+ 23.Kb1 b5 24.c5 turns White's extra pawn into a passer.

20.Qxf4 dxe4 21.Rhg1 Kh7 22.Qg5

• 22.Rd6 Ne8 23.Rxb6 Qc5 24.Rd1 Qxb6 25.Qxe4+ gives White two extra pawns.

22...Rg8 23.Nxe4 Bb7 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.Bd3+

• 25.Qxf6 gxf6 26.Rxg8 Kxg8 27.Rd6 Re8 28.Rxb6 leaves White two pawns to the good.

25...Kh8 26.Qxf6 gxf6 27.h6

• 27.Rgf1 Rac8 28.Rxf6 Bd5 29.Rh6+ Kg7 30.Rxb6 leaves White two pawns to the good.

27...Bg2

• 27...Bf3 28.Rxg8+ Rxg8 29.Re1 Bh5 30.b4 White pushes home with her queenside majority.

BLACK: Rusa Goletiani
!""""""""#
$t+ + +tK%
$+ + +o+ %
$oO + O P%
$+ + + + %
$ +p+ + +%
$P +v+ +p%
$ P + +V+%
$+ Kr+ + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Yun Fan
Position after 27...Bb7g2

28.h7!!

• This simple but crushing move decides matters.

28...Rg7 29.Rxg2 Rxg2 30.Be4!

• Black wins a Rook with a Bishop fork.

30...Rc8 31.Bxg2 Rxc4+ 32.Kb1 Kxh7 33.Rd6 b5 34.Rxf6 b4 35.axb4 Kg7

• If35...Rxb4 then after 36.Rxf7+ Kh8 37.Ra7 Ra4 38.Bc6 Black would have little motivation to continue.

BLACK: Rusa Goletiani
!""""""""#
$ + + + +%
$+ + +oL %
$o+ + R +%
$+ + + + %
$ Pt+ + +%
$+ + + +p%
$ P + +b+%
$+k+ + + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Yun Fan
Position after 35...Kh7g7

36.Rxf7+!! 1-0

• The best Black can do is take the Rook, allowing another Bishop fork.
• Ms. Goletiani resigns.