The JR Chess Report (Super Sunday Edition): Adams wins in Gibraltar; Zhukova takes ladies' top prize

[Jack Rabbit]

Mickey Adams Wins Gibraltar in Playoff; Zhukova Takes Ladies' Prize



The 2010 Master's Open of the eighth annual Gibtelecom Chess Festival ended Thursday with British grandmaster Mickey Adams winning a four-way blitz playoff against Paco Vallejo, Jan Gustafsson and Chandra Sandipan, while Ukraine's Natalia Zhukova, the wife of reigning Russian national champion Alexander Grischuk, won the tournament's coveted women's prize.

Adams had been at or near the top from wire to wire. His 7½ points out of the scheduled ten rounds were matched by eight other players, with the top four palyers by tie break going to the blitz rounds. The five players who scored 7½ points who did not qualify were grandmasters Gata Kamsky, Etienne Bacrot, Sergei Movsesian, Geetha Narayanan Gopal and American international master Alex Lenderman.

The playoff was held immediately after completion of the final round. In the first round of mini-matches, Mr. Adams was paired with Herr Gustafsson and el señor Vallejo took on Sandipan Shahib. El señor Vallejo won the first game and held Sandipan to a draw in the second, thus earning the right to go through to the final. Mr. Adams lost his first game to Herr Gustafsson, but took advantage of a blunder to win the second, setting up an armageddon game in which Adams played White and was obligated to win. Adams succeded in defeating Gustafsson in 46 moves, setting up the final match between Admas and Vallejo. Adams won the first game and drew the second to claim the tournament championship.

Ms. Zhukova played a whale of a tournament scoring 7 points to win the women's prize and a grandmaster norm. She played on the top board and drew against Adams in the seventh round and entered round eight still tied for first place when she lost to Gustafsson. She bounced back in round nine to defeat reinging world women's champion Alexandra Kosteniuk and drew her final game to edge out the second ranked woman in the world, grandmaster Koneru Humpy of India, for the top woman's prize.




Journeyman GM Wins Moscow Open



Russian grandmaster Konstantin Chernyshov, the tournament's 46th seed with an Elo score of 2556, won the Moscow Open today with 7 points in nine rounds after drawing his final game against young Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem.

Le, Russian veteran Evgeny Bareev and Russian GM Ernesto Inarkiev also scored 7 points with Chernyshov taking the tile on a superior tie break score.

In the women's tournament, sixteen-year-old Nazi Pakidze edged out her fellow Georgian Salome Melia on tie beaks to take first place. Both ladies scored 7½ points out of a passible nine. (Ms. Pakidze's first name is the Georgian equivalent of Natalie and not a practical joke played on her by her parents.) Both won their final games today; Ms. Pakidze defeated reinging Russian girls' champion Valentina Guinina while Ms. Melia took down Chinese grandmaster Zhao Xue, who entered the final round with 7 points, a half point ahead of the field.



Aeroflot Open Begins Tuesday



The ninth annual Aeroflot Open, the most prestigious open tournament on the chess calendar, begins Tuesday in Moscow.

As of now, the top seed is the defending tournament champion, French grandmaster Etienne Bacrot. Bacrot edged out Slovenian GM Alexander Moiseenko on tie breaks to win last year's edition. Moiseenko will also be present this year.

The winner of the Aeroflot Open will again be seeded to the Dortmund Sparkassen this summer.



Bundesliga: Baden Baden Storms through Berlin



The mighty team from the Baden Baden Chess Club played this weekend in Berlin and maintained its perfect score with 18 match points to lead the German Bundesliga with a perfect score after 9 matches.

Baden Baden defeated the Königs Tegel Chess Club from Berlin today by a score of 6½-1½. Yesterday, Baden Baden skunked the Berlin Chess Federation team, 8-0.

Etienne Bacrot, Jan Gustafsson, Arkadik Naiditsch, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and Fabiano Caruana each scored victories in both matches to contribute to Baden Baden's success this weakend.

The team from Solingen, whom Baden Beden defeated in the first round this season in October, is in second place with 16 match points. Mickey Adams, also in from Gibraltar, also scored a point and a half for Baden Baden over the weekend.

On the weekend of February 27 and 28, Baden Baden will be in Heidelburg to play against Breman and Hamburg.



Calendar

27th Ciudad de Linares 12-25 February. Aronian, Gashimov, Gelfand, Grischuk, Topalov and Vallejo.

Reykjavik Open 24 February-3 March.

Bundesliga 0910, Rounds 10-11, Mülheim, Heidelburg, Solingen, Trier. 27-28 February.

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

Melody Amber Rapid/Blindfold Tournament, Nice. 12-25 March. Aronian, Carlsen, Domínguez, Gelfand, Gashimov, Ivanchuk, Karjakin, Kramnik, Morozevich, Ponomariov, Smeets and Svidler.

Philadelphia Open 31 March-4 April. This replaces the Foxwoods Open after the Foxwoods Resort announced expected room rate hikes.

Russian Team Championships, Dagomys 1-12 April.

Women's Grand Prix, Nalchik 23 April-6 May.

Anand-Topalov Match for the World Title, Sofia 23 April-10 May.

Grand Prix, Astrakhan (Russia) 9-25 May.

US Championship, St. Louis 13-25 May.

Chicago Open 27-31 May.

Women's Grand Prix, Jermuk 23 June-6 July.

World Open, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 29 June-5 July.

Women's Grand Prix, Ulan Bator (Mongolia) 29 July-12 August.

World Junior Championships, Chotowa Czarna (Poland) 2-17 August.

Chess Olympiad, Khanty Mansiysk 19 September-4 October.

European Club Cup, Plovdiv 16-24 October.

Women's Grand Prix, Vina del Mar (Chile) 27 October-9 November.

World Youth Championships, Halidiki (Greece) 19-31 October.

FIDE Women's Knock Out (Women's World Championship), Turkey 2-25 December.

[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 downloaded free here.

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


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

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Gibraltar

Some of Gibraltar's native inhabitants know instinctively what to do with weapons of war
Photo: London Daily Mail

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Adams - Lemos, Round 9

Mickey Adams
Photo by Brittle heaven, Wikipedia (Creative Commons Copyright: Attribution/Share Alike)


Mickey Adams - Damian Lemos
8th Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Round 9
Gibraltar, 3 February 2010

Open Sicilian Game: Four Knights' Opening

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7

• This is the Morozevich Defense to the Tarrasch Opening.
• For 3...c5 (the usual move), see Topalov-Kamsky, Candidates' Match Rd 5, Sofia, 2009.

4.Ngf3

• If 4.Bd3 c5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Qe2 then:
• If 6...0-0 7.Ngf3 a5 8.0-0 then:
• If 8...Na6 9.e5 Nd7 then:
• If 10.c3 Naxc5 11.Bc2 b6 12.Re1 Ba6 13.Qe3 f6 then:
• If 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Nb3 e5 16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Ng5 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 then:
• 18...Qe8 19.Be3 Qf7 20.Qh4 h6 21.Rad1 Rab8 22.b3 Rb6 23.f3 is equal (Kudrin-Perelshteyn, US Ch, Tulsa, 2008).
• 18...Qf6 19.f3 Rae8 20.Qg3 Qf7 21.Bd2 Re6 22.Rad1 e4 23.f4 Rg6 is equal (Shen Yang-Abrahamyan, World Jr ChW, Yerevan, 2006).
• 14.b4 fxe5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.bxc5 Bxc5 17.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 18.Kh1 Bxe1 19.Qxe6+ Kh8 20.Qxe1 d4 21.Bb2 d3 22.Bd1 Qg5 23.Nf3 Rae8 24.Qf2 d2 25.Ba4 Re2 26.Qg1 Qe7 27.c4 Bb7 28.Rf1 Re1 29.Bd1 Rxf3 30.gxf3 Rxd1 White resigns (Kristjansson-Caruana, Op, Reykjavik, 2008).
• 10.Nd4 Ndxc5 11.N2f3 Bd7 12.Be3 Nb4 13.a3 Nbxd3 14.cxd3 a4 15.Rac1 b6 16.Rc3 f5 17.Qd2 h6 18.Ne1 Qe8 draw (Satyapragyan-N. Pert, Op, Hastings, 2007-08).
• If 8...Nc6 then:
• 9.c3 Nd7 10.exd5 exd5 11.Bc2 Nxc5 12.Nb3 Re8 13.Nxc5 Bxc5 14.Qd3 g6 15.Bg5 Qb6 16.Bb3 d4 17.cxd4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Rad1 Bxb2 20.Qf3 Be6 21.Rb1 Qc5 22.Bxe6 Rxe6 23.Be3 Bd4 24.Rxb7 draw (Cu. Hansen-Lputian, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
• 9.a4 Nb4 10.Nb3 b6 11.e5 Nd7 12.c6 Nxc6 13.Nbd4 Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxd4 15.Qh5 f5 16.Be3 Bc5 17.Rfe1 Bd7 18.Qd1 Nc6 19.Nxc6 Bxc6 20.Bxc5 bxc5 21.Rxe6 Qd7 22.Qe1 c4 23.Qe5 Rae8 24.Bxf5 Qf7 draw (Sadykov-Bhat, World Youth, Oropesa del Mar, 2001).
• If 6...Nc6 7.Ngf3 then:
• If 7...Bxc5 8.0-0 then:
• If 8...Qc7 then:
• If 9.c4 dxc4 then:
• 10.Nxc4 e5 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Nxe3 0-0 13.Nd5 Qd6 14.Bc4 Bg4 15.Qe3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 Nd4 18.Qd3 Rac8 19.Rac1 Qb4 20.b3 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Qa3 22.Re1 Rc8 gives Black the advantage in space (Estrada-Gormally, IT, Ockham, 2001).
• 10.Bxc4 Ng4 11.h3 h5 12.b4 is equal (Efimenko-Morozevich, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
• 9.c3 Bd7 10.h3 Nh5 11.Qd1 Nf4 12.exd5 Nxd3 13.dxc6 Bxc6 14.Nb3 0-0-0 15.Nxc5 Nxc1 16.Nd4 Bb5 17.Nxb5 Rxd1 18.Nxc7 Ne2+ 19.Kh2 Rxf1 20.Rxf1 Kxc7 21.g3 Rd8 22.Nb3 Rd5 is equal (Rizouk-Barsov, IT, Hampstead, 2001).
• 8...0-0 9.e5 Nd7 10.Nb3 Be7 11.c3 a5 12.Bf4 b6 13.Rad1 Nc5 14.Bb1 Ba6 15.Qc2 g6 16.Rfe1 Qc7 17.h4 b5 18.Ng5 Nxb3 19.axb3 Bxg5 20.hxg5 Rfc8 is equal (Hoekstra-V. Gaprindashvili, Op, Philadelphia, 2001).
• If 7...Nb4 then:
• If 8.Nb3 Nxd3+ 9.cxd3 a5 10.Bg5 a4 11.Nbd2 h6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 then:
• 13.exd5 Qxd5 14.Ne4 Bd7 15.d4 Bc6 16.Nd6+ Kf8 17.Ne5 Bxe5 18.Qxe5 Qxe5+ 19.dxe5 Bxg2 20.Rg1 Bd5 21.Rg4 gives White the more active game (Korbut-Tairova, Russian ChW, Moscow, 2001).
• 13.e5 Be7 14.Rc1 Qa5 15.Qe3 b6 16.cxb6 Bd8 17.Qc5 Qxc5 18.Rxc5 Bxb6 19.Rc2 0-0 20.Rc1 Bd8 21.Rc5 Bb6 22.Rc2 Ba6 23.Ke2 Bb5 24.Rhc1 give White more freedom (Godena-Morozevich, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
• 8.0-0 Nxd3 9.cxd3 Bxc5 10.Nb3 Be7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 Qb6 13.e5 Ng8 14.Bg3 Bd7 15.Bf4 Qa6 16.a4 Rc8 17.Nbd4 Bc5 18.Bd2 Qb6 19.Be3 White is slightly more active (Anisimov-Nepomniachtchi, Russian Ch HL, Krasnoyarsk, 2007).

4...Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 b6 8.0-0

• If 8.Qe2 then:
• If 8...a5 9.0-0 Ba6 10.c4 Nc6 11.cxd5 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 then:
• If 12...exd5 13.dxc5 Nxc5 then:
• 14.Qb5 Qd7 15.a4 0-0 16.Rd1 Qc7 gives Black a slight initiative on the e-pawn (Adams-Yemelin, Euro Club Cup, Ohrid, 2009).
• 14.Qe2 0-0 15.Nb3 Qd7 16.Nbd4 Rfe8 is equal (Stancak-Langrock, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2008).
• 12...Nb4 13.Qe4 exd5 14.Qg4 0-0 15.Rd1 Kh8 16.Nf1 is equal (G. Jones-Hou Yifan, TMatch, Liverpool, 2007).
• If 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 a5 then:
• 10.0-0 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.Nb1 0-0 is equal (Dembo-Hoang, Euro ChT, Crete, 2007).
• 10.Bb5 Ba6 11.a4 Qc8 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Rd1 Bxb5 14.axb5 Nb4 15.Nf1 Qc2 16.Bd2 0-0 gives Black the advantage in space (A. Kosten-N. Pert, British Ch, Great Yarmouth, 2007).

8...Ba6 9.Ne1

• If 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.Re1 b5 11.a3 Qb6 12.Nf1 c4 then:
• 13.Ng3 h6 14.h4 Qc6 15.h5 0-0-0 16.Nh2 Nc7 gives White a momentary edge in space (I. Smirin-Pelletier, IT. Biel, 2003).
• 13.h4 h6 14.h5 Nc7 15.Ng3 a5 16.Bd2 Qc6 gives Black the advantage in space (Timofeev-Nepomniachtchi, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).

9...Bxd3!?

• 9...Qc8 10.Qg4 g6 11.Ndf3 Nc6 12.Bh6 Qb7 13.Qf4 Bxd3 14.Nxd3 gives White the advantage in space.(Gorovykh-Poghosyan, Chigorin Mem Op, St. Petersburg, 2009).

10.Nxd3

• The game is equal.

10...Nc6 11.Qg4 g6

• Black could grab more space than he does.
• 11...g5 12.b3 cxd4 13.cxd4 h5 14.Qd1 Nxd4 15.Bb2 remains equal.

12.Nf3 h5 13.Qg3 c4 14.Nde1 h4 15.Qg4

• 15.Qh3 b5 16.Nc2 Rb8 17.b3 Qa5 18.Ng5 Rc8 remains equal.

15...Rh5!?

• 15...h3 16.g3 Rh5 17.Qf4 b5 remains equal.

16.h3 b5 17.Nc2 Nb6!?

• Black has more space on the queenside. He should press his vase there.
• 17...a5 18.Bf4 Rb8 19.Rfc1 b4 20.cxb4 Nxb4 21.Nce1 leaves White better on the kingside, but Black has practical counterchances on the opposite wing.

18.Qf4 Rf5

• If 18...a5 then after 19.Re1 b4 20.Bd2 Nd7 21.Reb1 White continues to enjoy a small advantage in space, but little else.

19.Qe3 Rh5 20.Qf4

• 20.Qe2 Kf8 21.b3 a5 22.bxc4 Nxc4 23.Ne3 gives White more freedom.

20...Rf5

• White is only slightly better and Mr. Adams out rates el señor Lemos by about 140 Elo points, so Black implicitly offers a draw by repetition.

21.Qe3

• Does Admas accept?

21...Rh5 22.b3

• Mr. Adams finally says, "No, thank you. We'll paly on a bit longer."

22...a6!?

• This is way too slow. Black should grab queenside space like there's no tomorrow.
• After 22...a5! 23.Rb1 Qc7 24.Nd2 cxb3 25.axb3 Na7 26.Ra1 Black will continue to push on the queenside while White must defend patiently.

23.Bd2!?

• White misses the opportunity to trade Bishops -- his bad one for Black's good one.
• 23.Ba3! Bxa3 24.Nxa3 Kf8 25.Rfb1 Kg8 26.Nc2 leaves Black weak on the dark squares.

23...Kd7

• 23...Bf8 24.Rfb1 Bh6 25.Qe1 Bg7 26.Qc1 allows White to strike at the kingside from a safe distance.

24.Qe2 Na5

• If 24...Ke8 25.Bc1 then:
• If 25...a5 26.Ne3 a4 27.Rb1 Rb8 28.Nc2 then:
• If 28...axb3 29.axb3 b4 30.cxb4 Nxb4 31.bxc4 Nxc4 32.Ba3! brings Black's queenside campaign to a harmless end.
• 28...Na5 29.bxa4 Nxa4 30.Qd2 Nb6 31.Rxb5gives White an extra pawn.
• 25...Kf8 26.Ba3 Bxa3 27.Nxa3 Kg7 28.Nc2 leaves Black weak on the dark squares.

25.Rfb1 Kc7!?

• Both side are launching flares on the queenside; it's no place for the Black King. Furthermore, the King is needed on the kingside to defend the backward f-pawn.
• 25...Ke8 26.Bc1 Qc7 27.Ba3 Bxa3 28.Nxa3 Kf8 29.Qe3! gives White's Queen and Knight the option to play on the kingside, but the King is still safer there.

BLACK: Damian Lemos
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 25...Kd7c7

26.Ne3!

• White's general plan is to renew his campaign on the kingside and specifically to target Black's f-pawn..
• Also good to this end is 26.Qe1 Qf8 27.Bf4 Nc6 28.Ne3 Na5 29.Qd2.

26...Qd7 27.Bc1

• White weighs his options well.
• 27.bxc4?! Naxc4 28.Bc1 Nxe3! 29.Bxe3 Kd8 is equal.

27...Qc6 28.Ng4 Nd7

• 28...Rg8 29.Be3 Kd8 30.Qd2 Nd7 31.Bg5 Bxg5 32.Nxg5 forces Black to invest his resources in the defense of a backward pawn.

29.Bf4 Kd8 30.Qe3 Ke8 31.b4!?

• White wins faster by attcking the kingside.31.Bg5! Rc8 32.Bxe7 Kxe7 33.b4 Nb7 34.Qf4 puts pressure on the f-pawn.

31...Nb7 32.a4 Nd8?

• 32...bxa4 33.Ra3 Na5 34.Bg5 Nb3 35.Bxe7 Kxe7 gives Black enough on the queenside to continue to fight, even if it is an uphill battle.

BLACK: Damian Lemos
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 32.Nb7d8

33.Bg5!

• White has a won game. With the center locked, he cannot win too quickly, but he can breakthrough long before Black can.
• Also good is 33.axb5! axb5 34.Bg5 Bxg5 35.Nxg5 when:
• If 35...Ra4 then after 36.Rxa4 bxa4 37.Qf4 Qb5 38.Nf6+ Nxf6 39.Qxf6 White will break through on one wing or the other.
• 35...Kf8 36.Ra5 Rxa5 37.bxa5 Qa6 38.Ra1 gives White power on both wings.

33...Nb6 34.axb5 axb5 35.Bxe7 Kxe7 36.Nf6 Rh8

• If 36...Rf5 then White wins quickly after 37.Qh6 Rxa1 38.Rxa1 Na4 39.Ra3.

37.Qg5 Kf8 38.Nxh4 Rxa1 39.Rxa1 Na4

• Although in the end White wins, Black could put up a better fight after 39...Qc7 40.Nf3 Nc6 41.Qg3 Kg7 42.Qf4 Na4 43.Qd2.

40.Ra3 Qc7 41.Nf3 Nc6
BLACK: Damian Lemos
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 41...Nd8c6

42.h4!

• White's plan is to open the kingside, bring his Rook to h1 via the back rank and launch a decisive kingside attack. Although it should consume at least seven moves just to bring the Rook to h1, because the center is locked and Black's pieces are posted on the queenside, there is no practical way Black can prevent this.

42...Ne7 43.h5!

• White opens the kingside.

43...gxh5 44.Nxh5 Nf5 45.Nf6 Ng7 46.g3

• White clears the back rank for the Rook.

46...Qe7 47.Kg2 1-0

• If 47...Qb7 48.Nh4 Qe7 49.Ra1 then:
• 49...Rh5 50.Qf4 Rh8 51.Rh1 wins for White.
• 49...Ne8 50.Rh1 Nxf6 51.exf6 threatens 52.Ng6+ and 53.Rxh8+, winning easily for White.
• El señor Lemos resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. López - Zhukova, Round 5

One way to keep track of the Gibraltar Masters' was to follow Natalia Zhukova's progress. She always seemed to be at the center of things.



Natalia Zhukova
Photo: Chess Tigers (Germany)


Josep Manuel López - Natalia Zhukova
8th Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Round 5
Gibraltar, 30 January 2010

Closed French Game: Four Knights' Opening

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 6.Bd3

• If 6.Ne2 f6 then:
• If 7.Ng3 fxe5 then:
• 8.Bb5 exd4 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Nxd4 Qd5 11.Nxc6 a6 12.Ba4 Bd7 13.c4 Qxd1+ 14.Kxd1 Bxc6 15.Bxc6+ bxc6 16.Re1 Bc5 17.Rxe4 Bxf2 18.Rxe6+ gives White a more active game (Zdebskaja-Zhukova, Russian ChTW, Sochi, 2009).
• 8.dxe5 Be7 9.c3 Nc5 10.Bb5 0-0 11.0-0 a6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 is equal (Yu Yangyi-Ngoc Tongsun Nguyen, Asian Ch Rd 1, Subic Bay, 2009).
• 7.exf6 Qxf6 8.Ng3 e5 9.Bb5 exd4 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Nxd4 Bd7 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Ba6 is equal (Biltoon-Sadorra, GMT, Manila, 2008).

6...Bb4 7.Bd2 Nxd2 8.Qxd2 Bd7

• If 8...f6 then:
• If 9.a3 then:
• If 9...Bxc3 10.Qxc3 fxe5 11.dxe5 0-0 then:
• 12.h4 Qe7 13.Qd2 Bd7 14.Qe3 b6 15.0-0-0 h6 16.c4 gives White the advantage in space (Hou Yifan-Toufighi, Asian Ch, Subic Bay, 2009).
• 12.0-0-0 Bd7 13.h4 h6 14.Rh3 Ne7 15.g4 Rc8 16.h5 c5 17.g5 c4 18.Bg6 hxg5 19.Rg1 Nf5 20.Bxf5 Rxf5 21.Rhg3 Qf8 22.Kb1 gives Black an extra pawn, but in this position it is of little matter (de Bie-Kerkmeester, Dutch ChT, Holland, 2001).
• 9...Be7 10.exf6 Bxf6 11.Bb5 0-0 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 c5 14.dxc5 c6 15.Rfe1 leaves White with an extra pawn (Shirov-Rosentalis, IT, Tilburg, 1993).
• 9.exf6 Qxf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.a3 Bd6 12.Rae1 Bf4 13.Qd1 Bd7 14.Ne2 Bd6 15.Ng3 Rae8 16.c3 h6 17.Nh5 Qf7 18.Ng3 Qf6 19.Nh5 draw (Zinchenko-Drozdovskij, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 2007).

9.0-0 f6!?

• If 9...0-0 10.a3 Be7 11.Ne2 f6 12.Rae1 fxe5 then:
• 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bc5 is equal (Nolte-Ngoc Truongson Nguyen, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 13.dxe5?! Rxf3!! 14.gxf3 Nxe5 15.Kg2 Bd6 16.f4 Nxd3 rips apart White's pawn structure and make vulnerable the White King.

10.Qf4

• The game is equal.

10...0-0 11.Qg3 fxe5 12.dxe5 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ne7

13...Qe7 14.Rfb1 b6 15.Ng5 g6 16.c4 Nd4 remains equal.

14.Rab1 Rb8 15.c4 c5 16.cxd5 exd5 17.e6

• White's advantage is on the kignside and center, where he already has a passed pawn. Black has more pawns and stronger pawns on the queenside.

17...Be8 18.c3 b5!?

• This move may be deliberately provocative.
• 18...Rf6 19.Rfe1 b6 20.a3 Bg6 21.Bxg6 Rxg6 22.Qh4 remains equal.
• If 18...b6!? 19.Rfe1 then:
• 19...Rf6 20.a3 Bg6 21.Bxg6 Rxg6 22.Qf4 Rf6 23.Qa4 Qc7 is equal.
• 19...Bh5?! 20.Ng5! Bg6 21.Bxg6 Nxg6 22.e7! gives White a strong initiative.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Josep Manuel López
Position after 18...b7b5

19.Ng5!?

• Instead of this move, White sould either fortify his e-pawn from a distance or take on Black's queenside.
• If 19.Rfe1 a6 20.a4 h6 21.axb5 then:
• 21...Bxb5 22.Bxb5 Rxb5 23.Rxb5 axb5 24.Ne5 gives White a small advantage in space.
• 21...axb5 22.Ne5 Rb6 23.Ng4 Kh8 24.Qh3 Ng8 gives White the advantage in space.
• If 19.c4! Bh5 then:
• 20.Ng5 Bg6 21.Bxg6 Nxg6 22.Nf7 takes full advantage of Black's weak f7 square.
• 20.Qh3? g6! 21.Rxb5 Rxb5 22.cxb5 Bxf3! 23.gxf3 c4 gives Black space and initiative.

19...Bg6 20.Rfe1 Qe8

• White has a strong square at f7. Black must be areful not to allow White to exploit it.
• Wrong is 20...Bxd3!? 21.Qxd3 Rf5 22.Nf7! Qb6 23.Qg3 when White has an impressive advantage in space.

21.Nf7

• The Knight cannot remains at f7.
• A better try is to eliminate the Bishop first: 21.Bxg6 Qxg6 22.Nf7 Rb6 23.Qxg6 Nxg6 24.g3 Rfb8 25.f4 Ne7 26.Kf2 gives White the Knight at f7, but the paw to which it is anchored is under some pressure.
• 24...Re8!? 25.f4 Ne7 26.Kf2 Reb8 27.Ne5 and if Black takes on e6 then White palys 28.Nd7 and soon recovers the pawn.

21...Bxf7 22.exf7+ Rxf7 23.Re5

• The game remains equal.

23...c4

• 23...Rb6 24.Rbe1 Qd7 25.Qh4 Kf8 keeps the game in balance.

24.Bc2 Qf8

• Black is attempting to freeze White pieces to defensive positions.

25.Rbe1 Rb7 26.Qe3 Qd8

• The attack on and defense of the Knight remains in balance. A pawn advance against the Knight is clearly unworkable.

27.Re6!?

• If 27.Bd1 b4 28.Bh5 g6 29.Bg4 then:
• If 29...Kg7 30.Be6! Rf8 31.cxb4 Qb6 then:
• If 32.a3 Qxe3 33.fxe3 Kf6 34.Bxd5 then:
• 34...Rb6 35.Rxe7 Kxe7 36.Rc1 wins the c-pawn and keeps the game equal.
• 34...Kxe5!? 35.Bxb7 Nf5 36.Ba6 gives White an extra pawn.
• 32.Qe2 a5 33.bxa5 Qxa5 34.Rd1 Rd8 remains equal.
• 29...Qb6 30.Qxb6 axb6 31.cxb4 Nc6 32.Rxd5 Nxb4 remains equal.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Josep Manuel López
Position after 27.Re5e6

27...Qd7!

• White cannot put more pressure on the Knight. Black can move her Queen back and forth all day and get a draw.

28.h4?!

• White blinks first.
• Better is 28.a3 h6 29.Qg3 Rb6 30.Rxb6 axb6 31.Qb8+ Nc8! giving Black an extra pawn, but White is partially compensated with more piece activity.

28...b4!

• ... and Black breaks through.

29.h5 bxc3 30.Qxc3 Rb6

• After 30...Qc7 31.Qd4 Qa5 32.a4 Qd8 Black' defense is holding.

31.R6e5 Rbf6 32.f3?

• If 32.Qa3 then:
• 32...Nf5 33.Qa5 Rf8 34.Qc5 Qf7 remains equal.
• 32...Rxf2 33.Rxe7 Rf1+ 34.Kh2 Rxe1 35.Rxd7 Rxd7 36.Qc5 leave the material theoretically in balance and White with more piece activity.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Josep Manuel López
Position after 32.f2f3

32...Nc6!

• Black takes over the initiative.

33.Ba4 Qd6 34.Re8+

• 34.Bxc6 Qc5+ 35.Kh1 Qxc6 36.Qe3 a6 37.a3 Rf8 leaves Black with her extra pawn in tact.

34...Rf8 35.Kf1 Qb4

• Also good is 35...a6 36.Bxc6 Qxc6 37.Rxf8+ Rxf8 38.Qd4 Rf5 when Black still has an extra pawn and two passers in the center.

36.Qc2 Nd4 37.Qd1 c3 38.Rxf8+

• 38.R8e5 Qc4+ 39.Kg1 c2 40.Bxc2 Nxc2 41.R1e2 Nd4 leaves Black a full piece to the good.

38...Rxf8 39.Kg1

• 39.Bc2 Nxc2 40.Qxc2 Qc4+ 41.Kg1 Qc5+ 42.Kf1 d4 offers White no way to salvage the game.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Josep Manuel López
Position after 39.Kf1g1

39...c2!!

• Black sacrifices his advanced passer for a huge material advantage. White could have resigned here.

40.Bxc2

• 40.Qc1 Qxa4 41.Qe3 Qc4 Black wins easily.

40...Nxc2 41.Qxd5+

• White is now up by a piece.
• 41.Qxc2 Qxe1+ 42.Kh2 Qh4+ 43.Kg1 Re8 threatens mate and leaves Black up by a Rook.

41...Kh8 42.Re4

• If 42.Re6 Rg8 43.h6 Qb2 then:
• 44.Qe5 Qxe5 45.Rxe5 gxh6 White continues to hold an extra piece.
• 44.Qe4 gxh6 45.Re8 Qd4+! forces an exchange of Queens which is obviously favorable to Black.

42...Qb6+ 43.Kh2 Ne3 44.Qe5 Nf1+ 45.Kh1 Qb8!

• Being up a piece, it is standard strategy for Black to exchange Queens.

46.Qxb8

• White has nothing better but to acquiesce.

46...Rxb8 47.Re7

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Josep Manuel López
Position after 47.Re4e7

47...Ng3+

• Somewhat better is 47...a5 48.Kg1 Nd2 49.Re5 Ra8 50.Kf2 Kg8 which doesn't allow White a passed pawn.

48.Kh2 Nxh5 49.Rxa7 h6 50.g3

• 50.a4 Rb2 51.Kg1 Nf4 52.g4 Nd3 53.a5 Ra2 wins for Black.

50...Rb2+

• If 50...g5 51.Kh3 Nf6 52.a4 Rb3 then:
• If 53.Kg2 Rb2+ 54.Kg1 Nd5 then:
• 55.Ra6 Kg7 56.a5 Ra2 57.Ra7+ Kf6 58.a6 Nb4 wins the a-pawn.
• If 55.a5 Ne3 56.Re7 Nf5 57.Rf7 Nxg3 then Black still has a winning advantage.
• 53.Ra8+ Kg7 54.Kg2 Rb2+ 55.Kg1 g4 56.fxg4 Nxg4 still leaves Black with an extra piece.

51.Kh3 Nf6 52.g4 Nd5 53.g5

• 53.Ra8+ Kh7 54.Ra7 Nf4+ 55.Kg3 Ne2+ 56.Kh3 Kg6 wins for Black; the White Rook cannot get out of the way of the a-pawn with a gain of time, therefore the a-pawn will fall.

53...hxg5 54.Kg4 Rg2+ 55.Kf5 Kh7 56.a4 Nf6 57.a5

• Whites fading hopes are in the a-pawn.

57...Rg3 58.Ra8

• No better is 58.f4 Kh6 59.a6 gxf4 60.Kxf4 Ra3.

58...Rxf3+ 59.Kxg5 Ra3 60.Kf5 Nd5 61.Ke4 Nb4 0-1

• If 62.Kf5 then after 62...Nc6 63.a6 Nb4 64.a7 Nc6 the a-pawn falls.
• El señor López resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Adams - Zhukova, Round 7

Mickey Adams and Natalia Zhukova
Photos: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6107">ChessBase.com


Mickey Adams - Natalia Zhukova
8th Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Round 7
Gibraltar, 1 February 2010

Moorish Game: Horseman Defense (Center Opening/Dragon Variation) (Alekhine Defense)

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6

• If 4...Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 Nb6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Be3 then:
• If 9...a5 10.b3 d5 11.c5 N6d7 12.a3 then:
• 12...Nc6 13.b4 axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 f6 16.b5 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 fxe5 19.Nxd5 exd4 20.Nxe7+ Qxe7 21.Qxd4 Nxc5 (Saint-Shabalov, North Bay, 1994).
• 12...f6 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Qd2 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 c6 16.Rad1 Na6 17.Bg4 e5 18.Na4 exd4 19.Bxd4 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Nf6 21.Be6+ gives White the early advantage in space (Littlewood-Alburt, Op, Hastings, 1981).
• If 9...Nc6 10.exd6 cxd6 then:
• 11.d5 exd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Bf6 14.Qd2 Qa5 15.Rfd1 Rfe8 16.Qc2 Bf5 17.Qb3 Qb4 18.Rd2 b6 19.Qxb4 Nxb4 20.Bg5 Nc2 21.Rad1 Bxg5 22.Nxg5 gives White excellent winning prospects (Gufeld-Grigorian, Soviet Ch, Baku, 1972).
• If 11.b3 d5 then:
• 12.c5 Nc8 13.b4 a6 14.Rb1 Bf6 15.a4 N8e7 16.b5 axb5 17.axb5 Bxf3 18.bxc6 Bxe2 19.Qxe2 bxc6 20.Rb6 e5 gives Black an extra pawn (Hoellrigl-Baburin, Op, Oberwart, 1991).
• 12...Nd7 13.b4 f5 14.b5 Na5 15.Qe1 Bf6 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 gives White the long term advantage of the distant majority on the queenside (Brat-Sefc, Chechoslovakian Ch, Prague, 1954).
• If 9...d5 10.c5 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Nc8 12.f4 then:
• 12...Nc6 13.b4 a6 14.Rb1 f6 15.Bd3 Qe8 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qh3 a5 18.b5 Nb4 19.Be2 gives White the advantage in space with some attacking chances on the kingside.(Short-Alburt, Match, Foxboro, 1985).
• 12...c6 13.Bd3 f5 14.Qh5 Nd7 15.b4 gives White an advantage in space, but no way to make anything from it.

5.Bc4 Nb6

• If 5...c6 6.exd6 Qxd6 7.0-0 Bg7 then:
• If 8.h3 0-0 9.Re1 then:
• 9...Nd7 10.Bb3 b5 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Ne4 Qc7 13.Bg5 e6 14.c4 bxc4 15.Bxc4 N5f6 16.Nxf6+ Nxf6 17.Rc1 h6 18.Bh4 Rad8 19.Bb3 Qb6 20.Qc2 Rde8 21.Bg3 gives White the advantage in space, but Black presents him with no easy targets (Svidler-Akopian, Euro ChT, Halkidiki, 2002).
• 9...Bf5 10.Bb3 a5 11.a4 Na6 12.Bg5 is equal (Venkatesh-Rozentalis, Op, Montreal, 2008).
• If 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Re1 Bg4 then:
• If 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 then:
• 11...Nd7 12.Bb3 e6 13.Bg5 b5 14.a4 b4 15.Qd2 a5 16.Rad1 Rfe8 17.Bh6 N7b6 18.Ne5 c5 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qh6+ gives White a small advantage in space (Christiansen-Vaganian, Op, New York, 1990).
• 11...e6 12.Bf1 b5 13.a4 b4 14.c4 Ne7 15.a5 c5 16.dxc5 Qxc5 17.Be3 Qc7 18.Nd4 Nbc6 is equal (Dr. Nunn-Vaganian, IT, London, 1984).
• 10.c3 Nd7 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Nxf3 Rfe8 13.Bg5 Bf6 14.Bh6 e5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Rxe5 17.Rxe5 Qxe5 18.Qf3 Rd8 19.Rd1 Bg5 20.Bxg5 Qxg5 21.a4 is equal (Brkic-Rudolf, Op, Oberwart. 2003).

6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2

• If 7.Ng5 e6 then:
• If 8.Qf3 Qe7 9.Ne4 dxe5 10.Bg5 Qb4+ 11.c3 Qa5 12.Bf6 Bxf6 13.Qxf6 0-0 14.Qxe5 Qxe5 15.dxe5 then:
• 15...Nc6 16.f4 Na5 17.Nbd2 Nxb3 18.axb3 Nd5 19.0-0 Kg7 20.c4 Nb4 21.Nf3 gives White the advantage in space (Qi Jingxuan-Alburt, Izonal, Taxco, 1985).
• 15...Bd7 16.Nbd2 Bc6 17.0-0-0 a5 18.f4 Kg7 19.h4 draw (Fedorowicz-Benjamin, IT, San Francisco, 1991).
• 8.f4 dxe5 9.fxe5 c5 10.c3 cxd4 11.0-0 0-0 12.cxd4 Nc6 13.Nf3 f6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Be3 Nd5 16.Bf2 Nf4 17.Kh1 b6 18.Nc3 Bb7 is equal (Arnason-Alburt, IT, Bunadarbanka (Iceland), 1984).

7...0-0

• If 7...Nc6 8.0-0 then:
• If 8...dxe5 9.dxe5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 Qxd4 11.e6 Bxe6 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Nd2 then:
• 13...0-0 14.Qxe6+ Kh8 15.c3 Qd6 16.Qe2 Nd5 17.Ne4 Qe5 18.Re1 Rad8 19.Bd2 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Rxf4 21.Rad1 gives White a tactical edge (Geller-Alburt, Soviet Ch, Yerevan, 1975).
• 13...e5 14.Ne4 0-0 15.Bg5 Qc4 16.Rfe1 Qxe2 17.Rxe2 Bf6 18.Rd1 Rad8 is equal (Nimtz-Tsoukkerman, Corres, 1999).
• 8...0-0 9.h3 Na5 transposes into the text.

8.h3 Nc6 9.0-0 Na5 10.Nc3

• If 10.Re1 a6 11.Bf4 c5 12.dxc5 dxc5 then:
• If 13.c3!? Nxb3 14.axb3 Nd5 15.Bh2 Qb6 16.Nbd2 Rd8 17.Ne4 then:
• 17...Bh6?! 18.Qc4! wins a pawn for White (Tringov-Dobrev, TT, Bankia, 1992).
• 17...Bf5! 18.Ng3 Bd7 19.Qc4 Nc7 20.Ng5 Ne6 gives Black a more active game.
• 13.Nc3 Nxb3 14.cxb3 Nd5 15.Qe4 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Qa5 is equal.

10...Nxb3 11.axb3 Bf5 12.Ne4 Qd7

• 12...dxe5 13.dxe5 c6 14.Ng3 Be6 15.Ng5 Qc8 16.Qe4 h6 17.Nxe6 Qxe6 18.Re1 Rfd8 19.Be3 draw (Braga-Bernstein, TT, Graz, 1981).

13.Ng3

• The game is equal.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 13.Ne4g3

13...a6

• 13...d5 14.Re1 h6 15.c4 c6 16.Bd2 Be6 17.c5 gives White the advantage in space.

14.Re1 h6 15.Nh4 e6 16.Ne4

• 16.Nhxf5 exf5 17.Qf3 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qd5 19.Qc3 Rac8 remains equal.

16...Bxe4 17.Qxe4 dxe5 18.dxe5 Qd5 19.Qe2

• 19.Qg4 Rfd8 20.Nf3 Qc6 21.Nd4 Qc5 22.c3 remains equal.

19...Qb5 20.Qe4 Qd5

• 20...Nd7 21.Nf3 Rad8 22.b4 Qd5 23.Qh4 remains equal.

21.Qg4 Qc6 22.c3 Nd7

• 22...Qb5 23.b4 Rfd8 24.Ra5 Qc4 25.Qg3 Qb3 gives Black the advantage with the threat of 26...Rd1!

23.Nf3 Nc5 24.Qh4

• 24.b4 Nd3 25.Rd1 h5 26.Qg3 Qe4 gives Black the advantage in space.

24...Nd3!?

• This move looks powerful, but Black should have stopped White's reply first.
• If 24...g5 25.Qh5 Rfd8 26.b4 Nd3 then:
• 27.Re3 Nf4 28.Qg4 Rd1+ gives Black a strong initiative.
• 27.Rd1 Qe4 28.Be3 Rd5 29.Rd2 Nxe5 30.Nxe5 Qxe5 wins a pawn for Black.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 24...Nc5d3

25.Bxh6!

• White wins the exchange.
• 25.Rd1!? Nxc1 26.Raxc1 Qb5 27.b4 a5 28.bxa5 Rxa5 remains equal.

25...Nxe1 26.Rxe1 f6 27.exf6 Rxf6 28.Ne5

tg

• If 28.Bf4 then:
• 28...Rf7 29.Ng5 Re7 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Nf3 e5 32.Bh6! forces Black to surrender the exchange.
• 28...Re8 29.Ng5 e5 30.Bxe5 Re7 31.Re3 wins the exchange for White.

28...Qe8 29.Ng4

• 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Qb4 Rb8 then:
• 31.Ng4 then after 31...Rf5 32.Qd4+ e5 33.Nxe5 Kh7 34.b4 White dominates the center.
• 31.Qd4 Rd8 32.Qc5 Rc8 33.Ng4 Rf5 34.Qd4+ gives White stronger pawns.

29...Rf5 30.Bxg7 Kxg7 31.Qh6+

• If 31.Re5 Qf7 32.Qh6+ Kg8 33.Qd2 then:
• 33...Kf8 34.Qe3 Rxe5 35.Nxe5 Qg7 36.Qf3+ Kg8 37.Qxb7 gives White the initiative.
• If 33...Qg7? then after 34.Rxe6! Kh8 35.Qd3 Raf8 36.Qe4 c6 37.Ne5 White's extra pawns trump Black's exchange.

31...Kg8 32.Re5 Qf7 33.Qh4!?

• White should try to keep his Queen more mobile.
• Better is 33.Re4! Rf8 34.Qe3! Rh5 35.Ne5 Qf5 36.Nxg6 when White has the initiative with Black's King out in the open.

BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 33.Qh6h4

33...g5!?

• Black allows White to return his Queen to h6 without the threat of ...Rh5.
• 33...Kg7! 34.f3 Rh8 35.Qe1 Re8 is equal.

34.Qh6 Re8 35.Rxf5 Qxf5 36.Qh5!?

• White misses 36.Nf6+! Kf7 37.Nxe8 winning the exchange.

36...Kf8!

• 36...Qb1+? loses in short order to 37.Kh2 Rf8 38.Qxg5+ Kf7 39.Ne5+ Ke8 40.Qg7.

37.Qh8+ Ke7 38.Qd4 Rd8 39.Qb4+ Ke8 40.Qxb7

• Material is now theoretically equal.

40...Rd1+ 41.Kh2 Qf4+

• 41...Kd8 42.Qa8+ Ke7 43.Qc8 Qf4+ is equal.

42.g3
BLACK: Natalia Zhukova
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WHITE: Mickey Adams
Position after 42...g2g3

42...Qd6!

• Very well played. Black has a mate in three, except for one tiny little detail.
• 42...Qc1? 43.Qc8+ Ke7 44.Qxc7+ Ke8 45.Qc6+ Ke7 46.Qf3! gives White the material advantage.

43.c4!

• If 43.Qf3 Ra1 44.Nf6+ Ke7 45.Nh7 then:
• If 45...Qe5 46.Qf8+ Kd7 then:
• 47.Nf6+ Kc6 48.Qa8+ Kd6 49.Qd8+ Kc6 50.Ne4 Qf5 is equal.
• 47.b4 Kc6 48.Qa8+ Kb6 49.Nf8 Qe2 50.Nd7+ Kb5 is equal.
• 45...Qd1 46.Qxd1 Rxd1 47.Nxg5 gives White a material advantage and some chances to push a kingside pawn to promotion.

43...Rb1 44.Qe4 Qd1 45.Qxe6+!

• White will be mated when he runs out of checks.

45...Kd8 46.Qf6+ Kc8 47.Qxa6+ Kb8 48.Qb5+ Ka7 49.Qa4+ Kb8 50.Qb5+ Ka7 51.Qc5+ Kb8 52.Qb5+ ½-½

• White never runs out of checks. The game is drawn.
• This was a hard-fought game of which both contestants should be proud.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Zhukova - Gustafsson, Round 8

Jan Gustafsson
Photo by Stefan64, Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Natalia Zhukova - Jan Gustafsson
8th Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Round 8
Gibraltar, 2 February 2010

Open Sicilian Game: Kan Defense (Chandler-Nunn Opening)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.e3

• If 3.g3 then:
• If 3...dxc4 4.Bg2 Nd7 then:
• If 5.0-0 Ngf6 6.Qc2 a6 7.a4 then:
• 7...Rb8 8.Na3 Bxa3 9.Rxa3 b5 10.axb5 axb5 11.d3 Bb7 12.dxc4 Be4 13.Qb3 bxc4 14.Qxc4 0-0 15.Ra7 c5 16.Ne1 Qb6 gives Black a slight initiative (J. Nikolac-Unzicker, Op, Almada, 1988).
• 7...Nc5 8.Na3 Nb3 9.Rb1 Bxa3 10.bxa3 b5 11.Bb2 Bb7 12.d3 0-0 13.axb5 axb5 14.dxc4 bxc4 15.Rbd1 Be4 16.Qxc4 gives White the advantage in space (Tomashevsky-Sjugirov, Russian Ch HL, Ulan Ude, 2009).
• If 5.Qa4 Ngf6 6.Qxc4 c5 7.0-0 b6 then:
• If 8.d4 Bb7 9.Nc3 then:
• If 9...Rc8 10.Bg5 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 0-0 13.Rfd1 Qe8 14.Ne5 Bxg2 15.Nxd7 Nxd7 16.Kxg2 f6 is equal (Leski-Christiansen, IT, San Francisco, 1987).
• 13.Rad1 Qe8 14.e4 h6 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Qxh6 Nh7 is equal (Andreikin-Vitiugov, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).
• 9...a6 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.Qa4+ Nd7 14.Rfd1 b5 15.Qf4 g5 16.Qd2 Qe7 17.Rac1 Rd8 18.Qc2 Rc8 19.Qd3 Nf6 20.Ne5 0-0 draw (Andersson-Tal, IT, Bugojno, 1980).
• If 8.b3 Bb7 9.Bb2 Be7 10.d3 0-0 11.Nbd2 a6 12.Rad1 b5 13.Qc1 then:
• 13...Rc8 14.Qa1 Qb6 15.Ne5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Rfd8 18.Nf3 Ne8 19.Bc3 Bf6 20.Rc1 Rd7 draw (Taimanov-Marjanovic, IT, Titograd, 1984).
• 13...Nd5 14.a3 Bf6 15.Bxf6 N5xf6 16.Qb2 Rc8 17.Rc1 Qe7 18.Rc2 Rc7 19.Rfc1 Rfc8 20.e4 Nb6 is equal (Meshkov-Desanjose, IBCA Euro Ch, Durham, 2007).
• 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.0-0 c6 6.a4 a5 7.Na3 Na6 8.Nxc4 is equal (Tomashevsky-Sjugirov, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

3...Nf6 4.b3 c5

• If 4...Be7 5.Bb2 0-0 6.Be2 then:
• If 6...c5 7.0-0 Nc6 then:
• If 8.d4 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.a3 dxc4 12.bxc4 then:
• 12...Na5 13.Ne5 cxd4 14.exd4 Nd7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.Nb1 Bf6 Black is threatening White's hanging pawns (Zukertort-Blackburne, German Chess Congress, Berlin, 1881).
• 12...cxd4 13.exd4 Na5 14.Ne5 Nd7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.Nb1 Ba6 17.Nd2 Bf6 18.Ne4 Be7 is equal (Janowski-Steel, Paris, 1893).
• If 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nc3 Bf6 10.Qc1 b6 then:
• 11.Rd1 Nxc3 12.Bxc3 Bb7 13.d4 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.Rxd4 draw (Darga-Pfleger, Bundesliga 8788, Germany, 1987).
• 11.Nxd5 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 Qxd5 13.a3 a5 is equal (Ivkov-Korchnoi, Op, Cannes, 1986).
• If 6...b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.d4 Nbd7 9.Nc3 c5 then:
• If 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12.Rc1 then:
• 12...Qb8 13.Bb5 Rd8 14.Qe2 Qb7 15.Ba6 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Qd5 17.Rfd1 Qg5+ 18.Kh1 Bf6 19.b4 cxd4 draw (Andersson-Miles, Ol, Lucerne, 1982).
• 12...cxd4 13.exd4 Rc8 14.Qd3 Bd6 15.Rxc8 Qxc8 16.Ne5 Qb7 17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.Rc1 Rc8 19.Rxc8+ Qxc8 draw (Gunsberg-Schlechter, IT, Hastings, 1895).
• 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.Qd3 Ne4 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Rfd1 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Bb4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Qb5 Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Bc5 18.Nf5 Nf6 19.b4 a6 20.Qc4 Bd5 21.Bxf6 Bxc4 22.Bxd8 Bxe2 23.bxc5 Rxd8 24.c6 Black resigns as he cannot stop the c-pawn (Hook-Dos Ramos, Ol, Calvia, 2004).

5.Bb2 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bb5 Bd6 8.d4

• 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bd7 11.Be2 Re8 12.Nc3 a6 13.Rc1 Rc8 14.h3 Nxd4 15.Qxd4 Be5 16.Qb4 b5 gives Black the advantage in space (Forintos-Paoli, Toth Mem, Kecskemet, 1972).

8...cxd4!?

• 8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Ne4 10.Rc1 0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Bg4 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Na4 f6 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.Qc2 gives White the initiative (Svidler-Jakovenko, Tal Mem Blitz, Moscow, 2009).

9.Nxd4

• The game is equal.

9...Bd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Nc3 Qe7

• 11...Rc8 12.Rc1 Re8 13.Nf3 a6 14.Be2 Be6 15.Qd3 remains equal.

12.Nf3 Be6 13.Be2 a6 14.Qd3

• The game remains equal.
• 14.Rc1 Rfc8 15.Na4 Bc7 16.Nc5 Ne4 17.Nxe6 fxe6 gives Black more space and more pawn weaknesses.

14...Rad8 15.Rad1 Rfe8 16.Qb1 Bb8

• 16...b5 17.a4 b4 18.Na2 a5 19.Bb5 Rc8 remains equal.

17.g3 Ba7 18.Nd4?!

• This saddles White with a weak pawn.
• Better is to follow up her 17th move by regrouping her pieces: 18.Rfe1 Rc8 19.Bf1 b5 20.Bg2 b4 21.Ne2 remains equal.

18...Nxd4 19.exd4
BLACK: Jan Gustafsson
!""""""""#
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/(((((((()
WHITE: Natalia Zhukova
Position after 19.ed4:N

19...Qd7!

• Black has overprotected his d-pawn while White still needs to rregroup to give her d-pawn more protection.

20.Rfe1 Bf5 21.Qc1 h6!

• This waiting move is played perhaps in a provocative mood. Black could play more actively here.
• 21...b5 22.b4 Re7 23.Qd2 Rde8 24.a3 Bg6 25.Rc1 Qd8 26.a4 bxa4 27.Nxa4 Ne4 gives Black a powerful center.
• 24.Bf1?! drops a pawn to 24...Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxe1 26.Qxe1 Bxd4.

22.Qf4

• White has waited too long to regroup. The e-pawn needs more protection before she can undertake such an operation.
• 22.Bf1 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Bxd4 24.Qf4 Bb6 25.Na4 Bc7 gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative.

22...b5 23.Bf3

• White finally gets her Bishop on the long diagonal where it attacks the d-pawn, but it's too late to do much good.
• 23.b4 Rc8 24.Rc1 Ne4 25.Nxe4 dxe4 26.Qe3 Qd5 gives Black the more active game.

23...Bb8 24.Qd2 Bg4 25.Qd3

• Black's position is passive.
• 25.Bxg4 Qxg4 26.Rc1 Rc8 27.a3 Ba7 28.f4 Qf3 gives Black a spledid game.

25...Bc7 26.Bxg4 Qxg4 27.Ba3!?

• The Bishop here strikes at the wind and nothing more.
• Better is 27.b4 Bd6 28.a3 Qh5 29.Kg2 Rc8 30.h3 Kf8 when White has a passive game featuring a very bad Bishop.

27...Ba5

• White must play carefully to preserve his advantage.
• If 27...Qh3!? 28.Qf3! Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1 then:
• 29...Bb6 30.Be7 Re8 is equal.
• 29...Ba5 30.Bb2 Rc8 is equal.

28.f3 Qg6 29.Rxe8+?!

• White misses her last best chance.
• If 29.Qxg6 fxg6 then:
• If 30.Bb2 then:
• 30...Kf7 31.a3 Bb6 32.Rxe8 Rxe8 is equal.
• 30...Rxe1+ 31.Rxe1 Bb6 32.Nd1 Kf7 leaves White's position passive, but for the moment defensible.
• If 30.b4!? then:
• 30...Rxe1+ 31.Rxe1 Bb6 32.Ne2 Rc8 gives Black a more active game.
• 30...Bb6 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 transposes into the text.

29...Rxe8 30.Qxg6 fxg6 31.b4

• 31.Bb2? drops a pawn to 31...Re3! 32.Rc1 Rxf3.

31...Bb6 32.Kf2?

• White might have saved her game here by breaking the pin at d4. By failing to do so, she gives Black an extra tempo when the pawn is taken with check that makes all the difference.
• 32.Kg2 Rc8 33.Rc1 Kf7 34.Ne2 Rc4 leaves White immobilized, but Black hasn't won the game yet.

32...Rc8! 33.Rd3

• White could put up better resistance after 33.Bb2 Rc4 34.Ne2 Rxb4 35.Rb1 Ra4 36.a3 b4.
• 33.Rc1 Bxd4+ 34.Ke2 Bxc3 wins a piece for Black.

BLACK: Jan Gustafsson
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Natalia Zhukova
Position after 33.Rd1d3

33...Bxd4+!! 0-1

• This beautiful shot caps the game.
• 34.Rxd4 Rxc3 wins the Bishop.
• Ms. Zhukova resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Guliyev - Koneru, Round 7

Koneru Humpy
Photo: ChessBase.com


Namig Guliyev - Koneru Humpy
8th Gibtelecom Masters' Open, Round 7
Gibraltar, 1 February 2010

Open Sicilian Game: Kan Defense (Chandler-Nunn Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5

• For alternative lines up to here, see Timman-Davies, Staunton Mem, London, 2009.

6.Nb3 Be7

• If 6...Ba7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.Be3 d6 then:
• If 9.0-0 Nf6 then:
• 10.Nc3 b5 11.Bxa7 Rxa7 12.Qe3 0-0 13.Rfd1 Rd7 14.h3 Bb7 15.a4 b4 16.Ne2 Qc7 17.a5 Rc8 18.Ned4 Ne5 19.Qe2 Nc4 20.Rdc1 e5 21.Nf5 d5 22.exd5 Bxd5 23.Nd2 Nxd2 24.Qxd2 Ne4 25.Qxb4 Nc5 26.Bf1 yields an extra pawn to White (Anand-Svidler, Blitz, Cap d'Agde, 2003).
• 10.N1d2 0-0 11.Bxa7 Rxa7 12.Qe3 draw (Stojanovic-Predojevic, Op, Bar, 2005).
• 9.Nc3 Nge7 10.0-0 e5 11.Bxa7 Rxa7 12.a4 0-0 13.Bc4 Be6 14.Rfd1 Ng6 15.g3 Ra8 16.Nd5 Rc8 17.c3 Nce7 18.a5 Nxd5 19.Bxd5 Qc7 20.Rac1 Ne7 21.c4 Bxd5 22.exd5 b6 23.axb6 Qxb6 24.Qe3 Rb8 25.Qxb6 Rxb6 26.Na5 f6 27.c5 dxc5 28.Rxc5 Rd8 29.Nc4 Rb5 30.Rxb5 axb5 31.Ne3 Rd6 is equal (Naumann-ConNers (computer), IT, Lippstadt, 1999).

7.Be3

• If 7.0-0 d6 8.c4 Nf6 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.f4 b6 then:
• If 11.Be3 Bb7 12.Qf3 Qc7 then:
• 13.Qh3 h5 14.Kh1 g5 15.fxg5 Ng4 16.Bf4 Nde5 17.Be2 0-0-0 18.Bxe5 Nxe5 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.cxd5 Kb7 21.dxe6 fxe6 22.Nd4 Rdg8 23.Rac1 gives White an extra pawn and multiple threats (Sanikidze-Nestorovic, Euro Ch U16, Urgup, 2004).
• 13.Rae1 h5 14.Kh1 Ng4 15.Bg1 g5 16.a4 gxf4 17.Qxf4 Nge5 18.Be2 Rh7 19.a5 bxa5 20.Ra1 Rb8 21.Ba7 Rc8 22.Bg1 Rb8 23.Ba7 Rc8 24.Bg1 Rb8 25.Ba7 draw (Ushenina-Javakhishvili, OlW, Torino, 2006).
• 13.Rad1 0-0 14.Qh3 Rfe8 15.Bb1 g6 16.f5 exf5 17.exf5 Bf8 18.fxg6 fxg6 19.Nd4 Qxc4 20.a3 Qf7 21.Ba2 d5 22.Nc2 Re5 23.Bd4 Bc5 24.Ne3 Qe7 25.Bxe5 Qxe5 26.Rfe1 gives White the exchange (Del Rio-Korneev, Op, Linares, 2003).
• 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.Bd2 Bb7 13.Rae1 Rd8 14.Bb1 0-0 15.Kh1 Rc8 16.e5 Ne8 17.Bd3 g6 18.exd6 Nxd6 19.f5 Nxf5 20.Bxf5 gxf5 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.cxd5 Qc4 23.dxe6 fxe6 24.Qxe6+ draw (Goginenni-Vachier Lagrave, YWCC U16, Belfort, 2005).
• 7.Qg4 g6 8.Qe2 d6 9.0-0 Nd7 10.Nc3 Qc7 11.Bd2 b6 12.Rae1 Bb7 13.Kh1 h5 14.Nd4 Ngf6 15.h3 h4 16.Nf3 Ne5 17.a4 Kf8 18.Bg5 Nh5 19.Bxe7+ Kxe7 20.Qe3 Nxf3 21.Qxf3 Qc5 22.Qg4 Rag8 23.Qe2 Nf4 24.Qe3 g5 25.f3 Qxe3 26.Rxe3 Rc8 27.Rd1 Rhd8 28.Kg1 d5 draw (Korneev-Epishin, Op, Reyjavik, 2004).

7...d6 8.N1d2 Nf6 9.f4 Nc6 10.Qe2

• 10.c3 e5 11.f5 d5 12.Qf3 g6 13.0-0-0 gxf5 14.exf5 Rg8 15.Bc2 Qc7 draw (Kritz-Horvath, TMatch, Budapest, 2004).

10...Nb4

• If 10...Qc7 then:
• If 11.g4 then:
• 11...0-0 12.g5 Nd7 13.c3 b5 14.Nd4 Bb7 15.0-0 Rfe8 16.a4 bxa4 17.N4f3 d5 18.exd5 exd5 19.Qf2 d4 20.Nxd4 gives White the advantage in space (Sawadkuhi-Murdzia, IMT, Hamburg, 2005).
• 11...e5 12.f5 h5 13.g5 Ng4 14.Nc4 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Nb4 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 gives White the advantage in space (Wippermann-A. López, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).
• 11.c3 b6 12.g4 Bb7 13.Rf1 Nd7 14.g5 b5 15.h4 Nb6 16.Nd4 Na5 17.f5 gives White the advantage in space (Battsetseg-Goletiani, US ChW, St. Louis, 2009).

11.0-0 0-0 12.a4!?

• 12.Bd4 Nxd3 13.cxd3 b5 14.Rfc1 a5 15.Bf2 e5 16.fxe5 dxe5 is equal (Nakamura-David, French ChT, Mulhouse, 2009).

12...Bd7

• The game is equal.

13.a5 Rc8

• 13...Nxd3!? 14.Qxd3 e5 15.Rad1 Qc7 16.Bb6! gives White the initiative and the advatage in space.

14.Bb6 Qe8 15.Nf3

• If 15.Rac1 Nxd3 16.cxd3 then:
• 16...Bc6 17.Nd4 Nd7 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.d4 Nxb6 20.axb6 remains equal.
• 16...Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Qa8 18.Nc4 Rc8 19.e5 dxe5 20.fxe5 gives White space and initiative.

15...Bb5 16.Nfd4!?

• Although the Knight is able to remain at d4 for a while, Black can expel it any time he wants. That's part of the beauty of the Sicilian Game where Black holds his center pawns back.
• If 16.Qd2 d5 17.e5 then:
• If 17...Bxd3 18.cxd3 then:
• 18...Nd7 19.Bd4 Nc6 20.Rac1 Qd8 21.Qe3 remains equal.
• If 18...Rc2?! 19.exf6! Rxd2 20.fxe7 Qxe7 21.Bc5! then:
• 21...Qf6 22.Nfxd2 gives White the material advantage.
• 21...Qc7 22.Nfxd2 Nxd3 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.Rf3 White has the active game.
• If 17...Nxd3!? 18.exf6 Bb4 then:
• 19.c3! Bd6 20.fxg7 Kxg7 21.Nfd4 Bc4 22.Rf3 gives White a strong game.
• 19.Qe3? Rxc2! 20.Nfd4 Rxb2 21.fxg7 Kxg7 22.Rad1 f6 leaves Black to pawns to the good.

16...Bxd3

• If 16...Ba4 17.Qd2 Nxd3 then:
• 18.cxd3 e5 19.Qb4 Bd7 20.Ne2 Rc2 21.Ng3 remains equal.
• 18.Qxd3 e5 19.Nf5 Bb5 20.Qg3 Nh5 21.Qg4 Bxf1 wins the exchange for Black.

17.cxd3 Nd7!

• 17...Qd7 18.Rac1 Nc6 19.Qe3 Bd8 20.Bxd8 Rfxd8 remains equal.

18.Rfc1

• If 18.Ra4 d5 then:
• If 19.Qd2 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Nxb6 then:
• 21.Raa1 Nc4 22.Rf2 dxe4 23.Qxe4 Qd7 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 21.axb6? dxe4 22.Qxe4 Qxa4 wins for Black.
• If 19.Rfa1 Nxb6 20.axb6 Qd8 then:
• If 21.f5 e5 22.f6 Bxf6 23.Rxb4 exd4 24.Nxd4 Qd6 then:
• 25.Qd2 then after 25...dxe4 26.dxe4 Bg5 Black wins a piece.
• 25.Rba4 dxe4 26.Qe3 exd3 27.Rd1 Qd7 28.b3 Rc3 leaves Black two pawns to the good.
• 21.Qe3 Qxb6 22.Kh1 dxe4 23.dxe4 Rc4 24.Rc1 Nc2! gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative.

18...Nxb6 19.axb6 Nc6 20.Qe3 Bd8 21.Ne2

• If 21.Nf3 Qd7 22.Rc3 f5 then:
• 23.exf5 exf5 24.Rac1 Ne7 25.Qf2 Rxc3 26.bxc3 Nd5 gives Black the initiative.
• 23.Rd1 e5 24.fxe5 Nxe5 25.Nxe5 dxe5 26.exf5 Rxf5 fives Black the more active game.

21...Ne7 22.Na5

• Black has a strategically won position.

BLACK: Koneru Humpy
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WHITE: Namig Guliyev
Position after 22.Nb3a5

22...Rxc1+

• Black will win a pawn.
• If 22...Qd7 23.Rc3 d5 then:
• 24.Rac1 Rxc3 25.Rxc3 Nc8 26.Nd4 Bxb6 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 24.Kh1 Rxc3 25.bxc3 Nc8 26.c4 Bxb6 gives Black an extra pawn.
• If 22...Qb5 23.Nc4 d5 24.Nd4 Qd7 then:
• 25.Ne5 Rxc1+ 26.Rxc1 Qd6 27.Ndf3 Bxb6leaves Black a pawn to the good.
• 25.exd5 Nxd5 26.Qe4 Bxb6 27.Nxb6 Nxb6 wins a pawn.

23.Rxc1 Qb5 24.Nc4

• This variation keeps the pawn the longest.

24...d5 25.Nd4 Qb4

• 25...Qd7 26.Ne5 Qd6 27.Nef3 Bxb6 gives Black an extra pawn.

26.Nc2

• 26.exd5 Nxd5 27.Nc2 Nxe3 28.Nxb4 Nxc4 29.dxc4 Bxb6+ gives Black an extra pawn.

26...Qb3 27.Nd4 Qa4 28.exd5

• If 28.b3 Qb4 29.exd5 exd5 then:
• 30.Nc2 Qxb3 31.Nd2 Qb2 32.Qe1 Bxb6+ 33.Kh1 Rc8 wins for Black.
• 30.Nd2 Bxb6 31.Nc4 Nf5 wins a piece for Black.

28...exd5 29.Nd6 Qd7 30.Qe5 Bxb6 0-1
BLACK: Koneru Humpy
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Namig Guliyev
Final Position after 30...Bd8b6:p

• Black finally wins the pawn (see note to Black's 22nd move). However White plays, Black emerges a piece to the good.
• 31.Kh1 Bxd4 32.Qxd4 Qxd6 33.Re1 Nc6 is hopeless.
• Grandmaster Guliyev resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Moscow Open

Red Square, Moscow
Photo by Adam Baker, flickr (Creative Commons Copyright, Attribution/Share Alike)

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Azarov - Motylev, Round 3

Alexander Motylev
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


Sergei Azarov - Alexander Motylev
International Open Tournament, Round 3
Moscow, 1 February 2010

Closed Caro-Kann Game: Short Opening

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nd7 6.0-0 Nh6 7.Nbd2 Bg6 8.Nb3

• See Ganguly-Antonio, Asian Ch, Subic Bay, 2009 for notes up to here.

8...Rc8!?

• If 8...Be7 9.Ne1 then:
• If 9...0-0 10.Nd3 Rc8 11.c3 b6 12.Nf4 c5 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.g4 c4 15.Nd2 g5 16.Bf3 b5 is equal (Ganguly-Antonio, Asian Ch, Subic Bay, 2009).
• 9...Nf5 10.Nd3 0-0 11.c3 Qb6 12.Bf4 Rac8 13.g4 Nh4 14.Bg3 Bxd3 15.Bxd3 c5 16.dxc5 Nxc5 17.Nxc5 Rxc5 draw (S. Zhigalko-Galkin, Euro ChT, Rethymnon, 2003).
• If 5...c5 6.Be3 then:
• If 6...Nd7 then:
• If 7.0-0 Ne7 8.c4 dxc4 9.Na3 then:
• If 9...c3 10.Nb5 Nd5 11.Nxc3 Nxe3 12.fxe3 then:
• 12...Be7 13.Qb3 0-0!? 14.Qxb7 Rb8 15.Qxa7 cxd4 16.exd4 Ra8 gives Black counterplay (Morozevich-Kamsky, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2008).
• 12...cxd4 13.exd4 Be7 14.Qb3 Rb8 15.a4 0-0 16.a5 b5 17.axb6 Rxb6 18.Qa2 is equal (Knebel-Johansson, Corres, 1994).
• 9...Nd5 10.Nxc4 b5 11.Bg5 Qb8 12.Ne3 h6 13.Bh4 Nxe3 14.fxe3 a6 15.a4 b4 16.Nd2 g5 17.Bg3 Qa7 18.Nc4 gives White a tactical edge in the center (Halsinger-Stratling, Op, Hoogeveen, 2008).
• If 7.Nbd2 then:
• If 7...c4 then:
• 8.a4 h6 9.b3 cxb3 10.Nxb3 Rc8 11.Ra2 Qc7 12.Bd3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Ne7 14.0-0 Qc4 15.Rb1 b6 16.Qf1 Nc6 is equal (Svidler-Topalov, IT, Nanjing, 2008).
• 8.c3 b5 9.0-0 Nh6 10.Ne1 Bg6 11.g4 f6 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Ng2 Nb6 14.b3 Nf7 15.a4 Nd6 16.axb5 Nxb5 17.Qc1 Qc7 18.bxc4 dxc4 19.Qb2 makes Black's King safety a major concern (Alekseev-David, Euro ChT, Kallithea, 2008).
• 8.0-0 b5 9.Ne1 Bg6 10.g4 Bb4 11.c3 Ba5 12.Ng2 Ne7 13.Nf4 b4 14.Rc1 bxc3 15.bxc3 Nb6 16.h4 h5 17.Nxg6 Nxg6 18.gxh5 Nxh4 19.Bg4 Qe7 also presents Black with some difficulty bringing the King to safety (Rublevsky-Dreev, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2005).
• 7...Ne7 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.Nb3 Bg4 10.Nfd4 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 Ndxe5 12.f4 Nc4 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bd4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qe7 is equal (Short-Adianto, IT, Djakarta, 1996).
• If 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 then:
• 8.Bg5 Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Bg6 10.Nb3 Qb6 11.Nb5 Nec6 12.Be3 Qd8 13.f4 a6 14.Nc3 Bb4 15.Qd2 0-0 16.a3 Be7 17.0-0 Nd7 18.Rad1 h6 19.Rfe1 Nb6 is equal (Staudler-Lauritsen, Corres, 1999).
• 8.c4 Nbc6 9.Qa4 a6 10.Nc3 dxc4 11.0-0-0 Bd3 12.Bxd3 cxd3 13.Rxd3 Qa5 14.Qxa5 Nxa5 15.f4 Rd8 16.Rhd1 h5 17.h4 Nec6 18.Nxc6 Rxd3 19.Rxd3 Nxc6 20.a3 Rh6 draw (Inarkiev-Ivanchuk, Euro Ch, Kusadasi, 2006).
• 8...Nf5 9.Bd2 Be7 10.g4 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.f4 f5 13.Bd3 Be7 14.Nc1 Qb6 15.Nb3 Qc7 16.c4 fxg4 17.Bxg6+ hxg6 18.Qc2 Nf8 19.cxd5 exd5 20.f5 0-0-0 21.Bf4 gxf5 22.e6 Bd6 23.Qxf5 Re8 24.Nc5 Bxf4 25.Rxf4 b6 26.e7+ draw (Radjabov-I. Popov, Russian ChT, Dagomys, 2008).

9.Bd2

• White has a small advantage in space.
• 9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.Bd3 Bg7 11.Re1 0-0 12.c3 gives White the advantage in space.

9...Be7 10.a4!?

• White provocatively plays on the wrong wing.
• 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Qd2 Rg8 12.c3 Bf8 gives White the advantage in space and spoils Black's kingside pawn structure; Black has a better chance of getting piece activity in compensation for his pawn weaknesses here than in the previous note.

10...0-0

• 10...Nf5 11.Ba5 b6 12.Bd2 a5 13.Ba6 Rc7 14.Bd3 is equal.

11.a5!?

• White insists on goading Black.
• There is no reason to take such provocative measures as 11.Bxh6 gxh6 12.Re1 c5 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.Nbd4 gives White a fine game at no risk.

11...Nf5

• The game is equal.

12.a6 b6 13.Re1 c5 14.dxc5

• 14.Bf4 Qc7 15.c3 Rfd8 16.Rb1 h6 17.Bb5 Bh5 remains equal.

14...bxc5 15.Ba5 Qe8 16.Bb5?!

• This move is thoughtless. The Bishop at b5 is unprotected and White has no way to cover it if it comes under attack.
• 16.c4 d4 17.Bd3 Nh4 18.Be2 Nxf3+ 19.Bxf3 remains equal.

16...Rb8 17.c4
BLACK: Alexander Motylev
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WHITE: Sergei Azarov
Position after 17.c2c4

17...Rxb5!!

• The exchange sacrifice takes the wind out of White's sails. It is a direct consequence of White's careless 16th move.

18.cxb5 Qb8 19.Nbd2 h5!

• White can do no more against the queenside for now, so he switches to the other wing.
• 19...Qxb5? 20.Qa4! Qxa6 21.Qxd7 Qc8 22.Qxa7 give White a Rook for a pawn.

20.Qe2 Rc8 21.b3 Nd4 22.Nxd4 cxd4 23.b4?!

• White entombs his Bishop. It couldn't move anyway.

23...Bg5 24.Nf3 d3!

• The d-pawn comes to life. It will be difficult to stop.

25.Qb2

• 25.Qd1 Bh6 26.h3 Qxb5 27.Nd4 Qb8 28.b5 Nxe5 theoretically balances the material gives and Black the advantage in space.

25...Bh6

• If 25...Bf4 then:
• 26.g3 d2 27.Nxd2 Bxe5 28.Rxe5 Nxe5 29.b6 axb6 gives Black an extra pawn and the advantage in space, but after 30.Bxb6 White has some counterplay.
• 26.Qd4 Rc4 27.Qb2 d2 28.Red1 Nxe5 29.Nxe5 Qxe5 destroys White's ability to resist.

26.Nd4

• 26.Rad1 Qxb5 27.Qd4 Qxa6 28.Qh4 Nc5 29.Qe7 Nb3 has Black with threats against a5 (which could net a pawn) and to advance the d-pawn.

26...Nxe5

• Also good is 26...d2 27.Red1 Nxe5 28.Qa2 Ng4 29.g3 when:
• 29...Nxf2!! 30.Kxf2 Qe5 31.Rxd2 Qe3+ 32.Kf1 Bd3+ wins the exchange.
• 29...Rc1 30.Nb3 Rxa1 31.Qxa1 Bc2! forces White to return the exchange.

27.Nc6?

• White may have the material advantage, but his house is on fire. The extra material isn't worth much when he can't move his Bishop, any way.
• In any case, even a better leaves White hanging by a thrread.
• If 27.Red1 h4 then:
• 28.h3 Bh5 29.Rf1 d2 30.Nc6 Nxc6 31.bxc6 Rxc6 gives Black multiple threats.
• 28.Re1 Ng4 29.g3 hxg3 30.hxg3 d2 31.Rf1 Qe5 Black wins easily.

BLACK: Alexander Motylev
!""""""""#
$ Wt+ +l+%
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WHITE: Sergei Azarov
Position after 27.Ne5c6

27...Nxc6!

• The skirmish at c6 levels the material balance and leaves Black with a clear winning advantage.

28.bxc6 Rxc6 29.b5 Rxa6

• The sacrifice pays off. Black has a material advantage equivladent to a pawn.

30.Reb1 Rd6 31.Bd2 Bxd2 32.Qxd2 Rb6 33.Ra5

• 33.Qd1 Rxb5 34.Rxb5 Qxb5 35.Rxa7 Qb2 36.Qf1 d2 is an easy win for Black.

33...a6 34.Qa2 Kh7 35.Rd1

• 35.Qa4 axb5 36.Qb4 Qc7 37.Raa1 e5 38.Qd2 Qc4wins for Black.

35...axb5 36.h3 Qc7 37.Rd2 Rc6 0-1

• If 38.g3 then after 38...Rc1+ 39.Kg2 Qb6 40.Qa1 Be4+ 41.Kh2 Qc6 that's all, folks!
• Grandmaster Azarov resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Najer - Shinkevich, Round 4

This game was awarded a daily prize for best game of the round.



Evgeny Najer
Photo by Stefan64, Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Evgeny Najer - Vitaly Shinkevich
International Open Tournament, Round 4
Moscow, 2 February 2010

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

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bd6

• For alternate lines up to here, see Anand-Leko, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2009.

13...e5

• If 13...a6 then:
• If 14.a4 e5 then:
• If 15.Bg4 exd4 16.e5 c5 then:
• If 17.Re1 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 0-0 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Ne2 f5 21.Bh5 f4 then:
• 22.Nxd4 cxd4 23.Re6 Bc8 24.Rg6+ forces the Black King into the h-file where his movements are limited (Anand-Leko, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2009).
• If 22.b4 cxb3 23.Qxb3 Qd5 24.Qh3 Bc8 then:
• 25.Qd3 Bf5 26.Qd2 Qd7 27.Rac1 Rac8 is equal (Radjabov-Anand, World Rpd Ch Match, Mainz, 2006).
• 25.Nc3 dxc3 26.Qxc3+ Qd4 27.Qf3 Ra7 leaves Balck two pawns to the good (Kramnik-Aronian, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2008).
• If 17.Bf3 then:
• If 17...Ra7 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Ne4 Nxe5 20.axb5 axb5 then:
• If 21.f4 then:
• 21...gxf4 22.Qh5 Rb6 23.Bxe5 Qd5 24.Rxf4 Rg6 25.Nd6+ Rxd6 26.Rxf7 Bxe5 27.Rb7+ Kf8 28.Ra8+ Black resigns facing mate in two (Iljin-Nepomniachtchi, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 21...Nd3 22.Nxc5 Nxc5 23.Bxc5 Qd5 24.Qe1+ Kd8 Black still has two extra pawns.
• 21.Re1 d3 22.Nxc5 Qxd6 23.Nxb7 Qb6 gives Black good winning chances.
• 17...Nxe5 18.Bxb7 Qxd6 19.Bxa8 0-0 20.Ne4 is equal (Deep Junior-Deep Fritz, Computer Game, Elista, 2007).
• 17...Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Nxe5 19.Qd5 dxc3 20.Rfe1 cxb2 21.Rad1 b1Q 22.Rxb1 Rc8 23.axb5 axb5 24.Rbd1 Qd7 25.Rxe5+ Bxe5 26.Qxe5+ Qe6 27.Qxh8+ Kd7 28.Bxc5+ Kc6 29.Qd4 Re8 30.Bb4 Qe4 Black resigns without waiting for a reply (Kuljasevic-Zhao Jun, IT, University of Texas at Dallas, 2007).
• If 15.d5 c5 16.b4 then:
• If 16...Qb6 17.bxc5 Nxc5 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Rxa8+ Bxa8 21.Qa1 0-0 22.Qa5 Rb8 23.Rb1 Bf8 then:
• 24.Rxb5 Rxb5 25.Qxb5 Qxb5 26.Nxb5 Bb7 27.Bxc4 gives White an extra pawn (Gustafsson-Aronian, World Cup Rd 2, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• If 24.Nxb5 f5 25.Qa6 Kh8 26.Nc3 Rxb1+ 27.Nxb1 Qb4 28.Qxa8 Qxb1+ 29.Bf1 Qb4 30.exf5 c3 then:
• 31.Qc8 e4 32.d6 Qxd6 33.Qxc3+ Bg7 gives White an extra pawn (Kramnik-Karajakin, Amber Blind, Nice, 2008).
• 31.Qc6 e4 32.h4 g4 33.g3 Qc5 is equal (Alekseev-Bareev, World Cup Rd 4, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• 16...cxb4 17.Bxb4 a5 18.Bd6 b4 19.Nb5 Rc8 gives Black an extra pawn (Gustafsson-Rodshtein, World Cup Rd 1, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• 14.Re1 Bf8 15.Bg3 Bg7 16.Bd6 Bf8 17.Bg3 Bg7 18.Bd6 Bf8 draw (Potkin-Motylev, City Op, Moscow, 2008).

14.Bg4?

• 14.d5 Nb6 15.dxc6 Bxc6 16.a4 bxa4 17.Nxa4 Nc8 18.Bc5 Qxd1 19.Rfxd1 Bf8 20.Be3 gives White a small advantage in space (Radjabov-Dreev, Spanish ChT, Sant Lluís, 2005).

14...exd4!

• Russian IM Vladimir Barsky, commenting on this game for the official website of the Moscow Open, quotes a game I am unable to find online, 14...h5 15.Bxd7+ Qxd7 16.dxe5 Qe6 17.Qd4 g4 18.f4 gxf3 19.Rxf3 with the comment "White is much better" (Izoria-Rianzantsev, Rpd, Corsica, 2005).
• The fact is that Black's pawn structure is awful -- something that goes with the territory of the Anti-Meran Gambit -- and he should seek compensation in activity for his pieces. The text move is much better in that regard than 14...h5!? of Izoria-Rianzantsev.

15.e5

• Barsky marks this with an bang, and it is unboubted White's best move. However, White is in deeper trouble than Barsky lets on.
• If 15.Ne2 then 15...Ne5 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.Ng3 d3! 18.Rb1 c5! makes a juggernaut of Black's pawn mass.

15...Nxe5!?

• Barsky gives this as the game novelty.
• He quotes 15...h5 16.Bxd7+ Qxd7 17.Qxd4 Qg4 18.Qc5 Rh6 19.Rad1 and evaluates it as favorable to White (Kurukin-Matsenko, Rybinsk 2007).

16.Qxd4

• Again, White finds his best move, but he is waist deep in hot water.
• 16.Ne4 Nxg4 17.Qxg4 Qd7 18.Qg3 0-0-0 19.Bc5 f5 gives Black a dominant position and three extra pawns.
• 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.Re1 Qe7 18.Qe2 f6 19.Bh5+ Kf8 leaves Black three pawns to the good.

16...h5?

• White lets up on his primary mission (activate his pieces) and the result in such a sharp position is fatal.
• If 16...Qb6 17.Qd2 Nxg4 18.Rfe1+ Ne5 then:
• 19.Bxe5 0-0 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Ne4 Rfd8 gives Black the more active game.
• If 19.Qc2? c5 then:
• 20.Rad1 Qc6! 21.f3 0-0-0 22.Bxe5 Rxd1 23.Qxd1 f6 gives Black activity and the more active game.
• 20.Bxe5 0-0 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Re2 Rfe8 23.Rae1 Qc6! threatens mate and covers the Rook, giving Black the more active game.

17.Rfe1!

• Black wins at least a pawn.

17...f6

• 17...hxg4 then White wins after 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Qxe5+ Kd7 20.Rad1+.

18.Bxe5 fxe5

• 18...Qxd4 19.Bxd4+ Kf7 20.Bf5 Bc8 21.Be4 Bd7 22.Rad1 gives White a winning position.

BLACK: Vitaly Shinkevich
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Evgeny Najer
Position after 18...fe5:B

19.Rxe5+!!

• The exchange sacrifice is best. White now wins quickly.

19...Bxe5

• 19...Kf8 20.Qc5+ Kf7 21.Rd1 Qc7 22.Be6+ Ke8 23.Bd7+ Black is soon mated.

20.Qxe5+ Kf7

• If 20...Kf8 21.Qxh8+ Kf7 22.Bxh5+ Ke6 23.Re1+ then:
• if 23...Kd7 then after 24.Qe5 c5 25.Qe6+ Kc7 26.Nxb5+ Black is soon mated.
• 23...Kd6 24.Qe5+ Kd7 25.Bg4#.

21.Be6+ Kg6

• If 21...Kf8 22.Qxh8+ Ke7 23.Qh7+ then:
• 23...Kd6 24.Rd1+ wins the Queen.
• If 23...Kxe6 then after 24.Re1+ Kf6 25.Ne4+ Ke5 26.Nc5+ Kd4 27.Qf5 Qd5 28.Ne6+ White delivers mate on the next move.

22.Rd1 Qf6

• No better is 22...Qxd1+ 23.Nxd1 Rhf8 24.Ne3 Bc8 25.Qe4+ Kg7 26.Nf5+.

23.Bf5+ 1-0

• If 23...Kg7 then after 24.Rd7+ Kg8 25.Qxf6 White mates on the next move
• Shinkevich resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee

A Beach on the North Sea near Wijk aan Zee
Photo: Kroegpagina (Holland)

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Carlsen - Domínguez, Round 11

Magnus Carlsen
Photo: ChessBase.com


Magnus Carlsen - Leinier Domínguez
72nd Corus Tournament (Group A), Round 11
Wijk aan Zee, 29 January 2010

Closed French Game: Steinitz Opening

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6

• If 7...Bg4 8.Be3 Nfd7 9.Qb3 Nb6 10.Rd1 Nc6 11.d5 Ne5 12.Be2 Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Bh5 then:
• If 14.Rg1 then:
• If 14...Qd7 15.Rg3 c6 16.dxc6 Qxc6 17.Nb5 Rfc8 18.Nxa7 Rxa7 19.Bxb6 Raa8 then:
• 20.Rd5 Qc1+ 21.Bd1 Kf8 22.Rd2 Qc6 23.Bd4 Bxd4 24.Rxd4 gives White an extra pawn and more space (Nickel-Bucciardini, Corres, 1999).
• 20.Bd4 Bxd4 21.Rxd4 Qc1+ 22.Rd1 leaves White with an extra pawn (Keene-Tarjan, IT, Torremolinos, 1975).
• If 14...Qc8 15.Rg3 c6 16.a4 Qc7 then:
• If 17.Qa3 f5 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.a5 Nc8 20.Qc5 fxe4 then:
• 21.Nd5 Qd6 22.Qc4 cxd5 23.Rxd5 Kh8 24.Rxd6 Nxd6 25.Qd5 gives White a dominant Queen for a Rook and a minor piece (Babula-Oral, Chech Ch, Luhacovice, 2003).
• 21.Nb5 Qxa5+ 22.b4 Qa4 23.Bd4 Bxf3 24.Bxg7 Bxe2 is equal (Ivanchuk-Timman, IT, Linares, 1993).
• 17.a5 Nc8 18.Qb4 f5 19.Bd4 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 c5 21.Qd2 f4 22.Rg5 Nd6 is equal (Korotylev-Knott, Op, Hastings, 2002-03).
• 14.f4 Bxe2 15.Nxe2 Qd7 16.Bd4 c6 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qc3+ Kg8 19.dxc6 Qxc6 20.Qxc6 bxc6 21.Rc1 Rac8 22.h4 c5 23.h5 c4 24.Nc3 Rc5 25.Ke2 draw (Giorgadze-Stohl, Euro ChT, Batumi, 1999).
• 7...Na6 8.Be2 c5 9.d5 e6 10.0-0 exd5 11.exd5 Bf5 then:
• If 12.Be3 Qb6 13.b3 Rfe8 14.Rad1 Rad8 then:
• 15.Na4 Qa5 16.d6 Rd7 17.Qb5 Qd8 18.Bxc5 Nxc5 19.Nxc5 a6 20.Qc4 b5 21.Qc1 gives White the initiative (Gyimesi-I. Smirin, Coatian ChT, Pula, 2001).
• 15.Rfe1 Qa5 16.h3 Nd7 17.Na4 Nb4 18.Bg5 Nc2 19.Bxd8 Qxd8 20.Rf1 Nd4 21.Nxd4 Bxd4 22.Rxd4 cxd4 23.Bg4 Bxg4 24.hxg4 Re4 25.f3 Ne5 26.Qb4 Nd3 27.Qc4 Ne5 28.Qb4 Nd3 29.Qc4 draw (Khalifman-Kasparov, IT, Linares, 2000).
• If 12.Bf4 then:
• 12...Re8 13.Rad1 Ne4 14.Nb5 Qf6 15.Bd3 Rad8 16.Rde1 Qxb2 17.Nc7 Nxc7 18.Bxc7 Nd2 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Nxd2 Qxd2 21.Bxf5 gxf5 22.g3 Bd4 23.d6 Re1 24.Kg2 Rxf1 25.Qxf1 Qxa2 gives Black two extra pawns which he soon converted to a win (Dzhandzhava-Kasparov, Baku, 1987).
• 12...Qb6 13.Be5 Rfe8 then:
• 14.Rfd1 Ne4 15.Bxg7 Nd6 16.Qf4 Kxg7 17.Rac1 Rad8 18.b3 Ne4 19.Na4 Qc7 20.d6 Rxd6 21.Rxd6 Qxd6 22.Qxd6 Nxd6 23.Bxa6 bxa6 24.Nxc5 Re2 gives White the advantage in pawn structure; the game ended in a draw 18 moves later (Bareev-van Wely, IT, Enghien-les-Bains, 2001).
• 14.d6 Nd7 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Nb5 f6 17.Bd3 Be6 18.Qc1 c4 19.Bxc4 Bxc4 20.Qxc4 Rac8 21.Nc7 Nxc7 22.dxc7 Rxc7 23.Qf4 Ne5 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 25.b3 Re2 26.Rae1 g5 27.Qf3 Rxe1 draw (Georgescu-Dragicevic, World Jr Ch, Gaziantep, 2008).
• 7...Nc6 8.Be2 Bg4 then:
• If 9.d5 then:
• If 9...Na5 10.Qb4 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 c6 12.0-0 Qb6 13.Qa4 Nd7 14.Rd1 then:
• 14...Nc5 15.Qc2 Nc4 16.Be2 Qb4 17.a3 Qb3 18.Qxb3 Nxb3 19.Rb1 Nb6 20.Be3 cxd5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Rxd5 gives White the more active game (Kasimdzhanov-Sutovksy, TMatch, Batumi, 2001).
• 14...Rfd8 15.Qc2 Rac8 16.Be3 Qb4 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.Be2 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Rac1 gives White more activity (Onischuk-Avrukh, IT, Biel, 2007).
• 9...Bxf3 10.gxf3 Ne5 11.Qb3 c6 12.f4 Ned7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.e5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.Qxd5 e6 17.Qd6 Nb6 18.Qxd8 Raxd8 19.0-0 Nd5 20.Rd1 f6 21.Bg4 Kf7 is equal (Timman-Korchnoi, Op, Reykjavik, 1988).
• 9.Be3 Bxf3 10.gxf3 e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Qb5 Nh5 13.Qxb7 Rb8 14.Qd5 Qf6 15.0-0-0 Nf4 16.Qd2 Nxe2+ 17.Qxe2 Nxf3 18.Rd5 c6 19.Rc5 Nd4 20.Qc4 Nb5 21.e5 Qf5 22.e6 Qxe6 23.Qxe6 fxe6 24.Rd1 Nxc3 draw (Bareev-Balashov, Soviet Ch FL, Irtusk, 1986).

8.e5

• If 8.Qa4 then:
• 8...Bg4 9.Be3 Nfd7 10.Qb3 b5 11.Be2 Nc6 12.Rd1 Nb6 13.e5 Nc4 14.0-0 N6a5 15.Qb4 Rc8 16.Bg5 gives White the advantage in space and an attack on the e-pawn (Pashikian-Kurnosov, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2009).
• 8...Nbd7 9.e5 Ng4 10.h3 Nh6 11.Qa3 Nb6 12.Bxh6 Bxh6 13.Bd3 Be6 14.0-0 c6 15.Rfe1 Qc7 16.Rad1 Rfd8 17.Ne4 Bd5 18.Bc2 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 e6 20.h4 Rd7 draw (Piket-van Wely, FIDE Knock Out, Gronigen, 1997).

8...b5

• 8...Nbd7 9.e5 Ng4 10.h3 Nh6 11.Qa3 Nb6 12.Bxh6 Bxh6 13.Bd3 Be6 14.0-0 c6 15.Rfe1 Qc7 16.Rad1 Rfd8 17.Ne4 Bd5 18.Bc2 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 e6 20.h4 Rd7 draw (Piket-van Wely, FIDE Knock Out, Gronigen, 1997).

9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Ng5!?

• If 10.Be3 c5 11.e6 then:
• If 11...cxd4 then:
• 12.exd7 Qxd7 13.Rd1 e5 14.Nd5 Qb7 15.Nxd4 exd4 16.Bxd4 Re8+ 17.Be2 Be6 is equal (Tegshsuren-J. Shahade, US Ch, Seattle, 2003).
• 12.exf7+ Rxf7 13.Bxd4 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Nc5 15.Qd5 Qxd5 16.Nxd5 Nbd7 17.b4 Bb7 18.Nc7 Rc8 draw (Marakov-Shikalov, Corres, 2002).
• 11...c4 12.exf7+ Rxf7 13.Qd1 Nb6 14.Ne5 Rf8 15.a4 b4 16.a5 bxc3 17.axb6 cxb2 18.Bxc4+ Kh8 19.Rb1 Qxb6 20.Qd2 Be6 21.Rxb2 Qd6 22.Bxe6 Qxe6 23.0-0 Nd7 24.Nxd7 Qxd7 25.Rfb1 is equal (Spirin-Horvath, Op, Krasnodar, 2003).
• 10.e6 fxe6 11.Be3 Nf6 12.a4 bxa4 13.Rxa4 Nd5 14.Bc4 c6 15.Ra3 Nd7 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5 Nc5 18.dxc5 Qxd5 19.0-0 Bb7 20.Rd1 Qc6 21.Ne1 draw (Beliavsky-Pentala, IT, Pune, 2004).

10...Nb6

• White has an advantage in development, but that is always transient.

11.Be3 Nc6 12.Rd1 Bf5 13.Be2 Na5 14.Qb4

• The game is equal.

14...Nac4 15.0-0

• 15.Bf3 Rb8 16.0-0 f6 17.exf6 exf6 18.Nge4 remains equal.

15...f6 16.Nf3 Nxe3!?

• 16...e6!? 17.Bxc4 Nxc4 18.d5 Nxe3 19.fxe3 fxe5 20.e4 the Bishop has no place to go other an g4, where its best course of action is to exchange itself for the Knight.
• Black's best is 16...Bc2! 17.Rc1 Bf5 18.Bf4 fxe5 19.dxe5 Rc8 20.Qb3 with equality.

17.fxe3 fxe5 18.dxe5!?

• White misses a chance to gain the advantage.
• If 18.Qb3+! e6 19.Nxe5 then:
• 19...Qg5 20.Rf4 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Rad8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.g4 leaves the Bishop with no good flight squares.
• If 19...Bxe5 then after 20.dxe5 Qg5 21.Rf3 Rae8 22.e4 Black's Bishop is once again in an ackward place.

18...Qe8 19.Qc5 Rc8 20.a4

• 20.b4 e6 21.Nd4 Nd7 22.Qc6 Nxe5 23.Qxa6 remains equal.

20...Nxa4 21.Nxa4 bxa4 22.Nd4 Rb8 23.g4 Be4

• 23...Bd7 24.Rxf8+ Bxf8 25.e6 Bc8 remains equal.

24.Ne6 Rxf1+ 25.Bxf1 c6 26.Ng5

• 26.Bc4 Kh8 27.Rd2 Bf3 28.g5 Bg4 29.Nxg7 Kxg7 30.Qd4 remains equal.

26...Bd5!?

• This Bishop has had a hard time staying of the way of Black's other pieces.
• If 26...Qc8 27.Bc4+ then:
• If 27...Bd5 28.Bxd5+ cxd5 29.Qxd5+ Kh8 30.Nf7+ Kg8 then:
• 31.Ng5+ Kh8 32.Nf7+ Kg8 etc. draws.
• 31.Nd6+ e6 remains equal.
• 27...Kh8?? 28.Nf7+! Kg8 29.Nd6+! wins the Queen.

BLACK: Leinier Domínguez
!""""""""#
$ T +w+l+%
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WHITE: Magnus Carlsen
Position after 26...Be4d5

27.e4!

• White finds the only move that leads to an advantage.
• 27.Bxa6 Rxb2 28.e4 then:
• If 28...Qd7! 29.h3 Bh6 30.exd5 Bxg5 31.Bc4 is equal.
• 28...Bb3 29.Bc4+ e6 30.Nxe6 Bf8 31.Nxf8+ Bxc4 32.Nxg6 is equal.

27...Bb3 28.Bc4+ e6 29.Nxe6 Bxc4 30.Qxc4 Kh8?

• Black allows White to decimate his defenses.
• 30...Qf7 31.Rf1 Qa7+ 32.Kh1 Kh8 33.Nxg7 Qxg7 34.Qxa6 leaves White up a pawn.
• Best is 30...Bxe5! 31.Rf1 Qe7 32.Nd8+ Kh8 33.Nxc6 Rc8 with equality.

31.Nxg7!

• White clears e6 for the pawn advance.
• If 31.Ng5!? h6 32.Nf7+ then:
• 32...Kh7! 33.Rd2 a5 34.g5 Rb4 35.Qf1 reamins equal.
• 32...Kg8 loses to 33.Nd6+.

31...Kxg7 32.e6

• White threatens to bring his Rook to the seventh rank.

32...Rb7
BLACK: Leinier Domínguez
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WHITE: Magnus Carlsen
Position after 32...Rb8b7

33.Qc3+!?

• White misses a faster win.
• 33.Rd6! Kf8 34.Qxa4 c5 35.Qa3 Kg8 36.Qd3 wins easily.

33...Kg8 34.Rd6 Re7

• If 34...c5? then 35.Qd2! Rb8 36.Qd5! Qe7 37.Rd7 wins.

35.Qf6 Re7 36.g5 a5 37.Qe5 a3 38.bxa3 leaves White a pawn to the good.

35.Rxc6 Qf8 36.Rc8

• If 36.Qc5 Kg7 37.Rxa6 then:
• 37...Qe8 38.Qd4+ Kg8 39.Qd5 Kg7 40.Ra8 wins Black's Queen.
• 37...Rb7 38.Qc3+ Kg8 39.Rxa4 leaves White three pawns to the good.

36...Re8 37.Rxe8 Qxe8 38.Qf6 Qc8

• Exchanging Queens gives White a won King-and-pawn ending.
• If 38...Qf8 39.Qxf8+ Kxf8 40.g5 then:
• If 40...Ke7 41.Kf2 Kxe6 42.Ke3 then:
• 42...Ke5 43.Kd3 Ke6 44.Kd4 wins for White.
• If 42...Ke7 43.e5 Kd7 44.Ke4 Ke6 then White wins by using his reserve pawn tempi: 45.h3! a5 46.h4!.
• If 40...a5 then after 41.Kf2 Ke7 42.Ke3 Kxe6 43.Kd4 Black has no remaining reserve pawn tempi and must give way with his King.

39.Kg2 Qc2+ 40.Kh3 Qc5 41.Kh4 Qb4
BLACK: Leinier Domínguez
!""""""""#
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WHITE: Magnus Carlsen
Position after 41...Qc5b4

42.Qf7+!

• Black could have resigned on seeing this move.

42...Kh8 43.e7 Qe1+ 44.Kg5 Qe3+ 45.Qf4 1-0

• El señor Domínguez resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

13. Anand - Kramnik, Round 12

The reigning world champion has been Kramnik's bete noir for several years.



Vishy Anand
Photo: ChessBase.com


Vishy Anand - Vladimir Kramnik
72nd Corus Tournament (Group A), Round 12
Wijk aan Zee, 30 January 2010

Epine Dorsal: Horseman Defense (Janisch Opening) (Petroff Defense)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5

• For moves and alternate lines up to here, see Motylev-Gashimov, IT, Poikovsky, 2009.
• 14.Bf4 Rc8 15.c5 Bf6 16.Qa4 a6 is equal (Motylev-Gashimov, IT, Poikovsky, 2009).

14...Qxd5 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3 Be4

• 16...h6 17.Nd2 Na5 18.Nf1 Qb3 19.Qd2 Nc4 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Ne3 Qb5 22.c4 Qd7 23.c5 Bg6 24.Rac1 gives White the advantage in space (Shirov-Smeets, Corus A Rd 4, Wijk aan Zee, 2010).

17.Qc1!?

• 17.a4 Bd6 18.Be3 Qa5 19.Qb3 Qf5 20.Nd2 Na5 21.Qb2 Bc6 22.c4 Qg6 23.Bf1 b6 is equal (I. Smirin-And. Volokitin, Euro ChT, Crete, 2007).

17...Na5

• The game is equal.

18.Qe3 Bf8!?

• The retreat gives Black's position a more p
• If 18...Bd6 19.Be5 Bg6 then:
• 20.Nh4 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Rxe5 22.Qxa7 Rce8 23.Nf3 remains equal.
• 20.Qg5 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Nc6 22.Bf1 Rcd8 gives Black a slight edge with his pressure on the d-file.

19.c4!


• White has the advantage in space and the initiative.

19...Qd8 20.Ne5 Bf5!?


• Black, by removing his presence in the center, gives White too free a hand there.
• If 20...f5 21.Rad1 then:
• 21...Nc6 22.Bh5 g6 23.Be2 Nxe5 24.dxe5 Qe7 25.Qxa7 Ra8 is equal.
• 23...Bg7? 24.c5 Qd5 25.Bc4! wins the Queen.
• 21...c5 22.Qc3 Qc7 23.Bh5 cxd4 24.Qxd4 Red8 25.Qa1 gives White the advantage in space.

21.Qc3 b6 22.Rad1

• White builds pressure in the center. An alternate plan is to weaken White kingside.
• 22.Bh5 g6 23.Bg4 Bxg4 24.Nxg4 Bg7 25.Be5 gives White a grip on Black's kingside dark squares

22...Qf6 23.Qg3 Nc6!?

• The Knight is unprotected at c6.
• If 23...Bd6! 24.Bh5 g6 25.c5 then:
• 25...bxc5 26.dxc5 Bxc5 27.Ng4 Bxg4 28.Bxg4 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1 is equal.
• 25...Bf8?! 26.Bd2! Bg7 27.Bf3 Nb3 28.Bg5 drives Black's Queen from f6.

24.Ng4!

• The text move indicates White will build up on the kingside.
• 24.Nxc6!? White can no longer put such great pressure on the kingside as he does; Black continues 24...Qxc6 25.Be5 Qg6 26.Bxc7 Qxg3 27.Bxg3 Bxa3 with equality.

24...Qg6 25.d5 Na5 26.Bxc7!?

• White wins a pawn.
• 26.Ne3! Bd6 27.Nxf5 Qxf5 28.Bxd6 cxd6 29.Bg4 wins the exchange for White.

26...Bc2 27.Rc1 Nb3?

• Black overlooks the power of White's reply.
If
• 27...Bc5! then:
• 28.Be5 28...Be4 29.Bf4 f5 30.Ne3 Qxg3 31.Bxg3 Bxa3 equalizes.
• 28.Rxc2 Rxc7 29.Qxc7 Qxc2 30.Qg3 Qb2 is again an equal game.

BLACK: Vladimir Kramnik
!""""""""#
$ +t+tV L%
$O B +oOo%
$ O + +w+%
$+ +p+ + %
$ +p+ +n+%
$Pn+ + Qp%
$ +v+bPp+%
$+ R R K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 27...Na5b3

28.Rxc2!!

• The exchange sacrifice seals the deal.

28...Qxc2 29.Nh6+!

• White can win back the exchange by 29.Nf6+ Kh8 30.Nxe8 Rxe8 31.Be5 f6 32.Qc3 , but the text does more to expose the enemy King.

29...Kh8 30.Nxf7+ Kg8 31.Nh6+ Kh8 32.Nf7+

• White could have expedited matters and won the game here.
• If 32.Be5! then:
• 32...Qd2 33.f4 Nc5 34.Nf7+ Kg8 35.Nd6 wins the exchange for White.
• 32...Qg6 transposes into the text;
• 32...Nc5 transposes into the note to Black's 34th move.

32...Kg8 33.Nh6+ Kh8

• Kramnik tried to claim a draw by repetition, but Anand pointed out that there was a pawn at f7 when the sequence began that is not there now, so this is only the second iterration of the position.

BLACK: Vladimir Kramnik
!""""""""#
$ +t+tV L%
$O B + Oo%
$ O + + N%
$+ +p+ + %
$ +p+ + +%
$Pm+ + Qo%
$ +w+bPp+%
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/(((((((()
WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 33...Kg8h8

34.Be5!

• If 34.Nf7+ then Black can claim a draw.
• Of course, Anand sees no reason for White to settle for a draw.

34...Qg6

• 34...Nc5 should be considered. Obsjectively, it still loses (as does every other move), but it offers a better chance for White to go wrong.
• If 34...Nc5!? 35.Bg4 Ra8 then:
• 36.Qf3! Qd2 37.Re3 Qc1+ 38.Kh2 Rxe5 39.Nf7+ White comes out two pawns to the good.
• 36.Bh5?! Nd3! 37.Bxe8 Nxe1 38.Qf4 Rxe8 39.Qf7 Nf3+! gets Black back in the fight.


• 34...Qd2 transposes into the note to White's 32nd move.

35.Bg4

• Also good is 35.Qxg6 hxg6 36.Bg4 Rxc4 when:
• 37.Nf7+ Kg8 38.Be6 Rxe6 39.dxe6 gives White a dangerous passed pawn.
• If 37.d6!? Nc5! 38.Kf1 then:
• 38...Kh7 39.Nf7 Kg8 40.Ng5 Rxg4 41.hxg4 Nd3 gives Black the means to stop the d-pawn.
• 38...Rxg4 39.Nxg4 Rd8 40.Rd1 Nb7 41.d7 Nc5 wins the passer and gives Black a reprieve, although perhaps nothing more.

35...Rxc4

• Black now loses quickly.
• If 35...Rcd8 then WHite is better after 36.Nf5 Nc5 37.Re3 Nd7 38.Bc7 when Black is fighting straight up a cliff, but still hanging on.

BLACK: Vladimir Kramnik
!""""""""#
$ +t+tV L%
$O + + Oo%
$ O + +wN%
$+ +oB + %
$ +p+ +b+%
$Pm+ + Qp%
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WHITE: Vishy Anand
Position after 35...Rc8c4:p

36.Qxb3!

• White wins a piece.

36...Rxe5

• This leaves White up by a whole piece and change.
• 36...Rc5 37.Nf5 Rd8 38.Nd4 Rdxd5 39.Qf3 is an easy win for White.

37.Rxe5 Rc1+ 38.Kh2 Bd6 39.f4

• No better is 39.Qe3 gxh6 40.Qxc1 Bxe5+ 41.g3.

39...Bxe5 40.fxe5 gxh6 41.Qe3 Qb1 42.d6 Rh1+ 43.Kg3 Re1 44.Qf4 Rf1 45.Bf3 1-0

• If 45...Qg6+ then after 46.Kh4 Rf2 47.e6 Qxe6 48.d7 Qe7+ Black cannot takethe pawn because of 49.Qf8#!.
• Vladimir Borisovich resigns.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. Update (Wednesday): Aeroflot is Flying

The ninth annual Aeroflot International Open Tournament began yesterday in Moscow with 80 competitors in the main tournament.

After two rounds, Chinese grandmaster Bu Xiangzhi and GM Le Quang Liem of Vietnam are tied for first place with perfect scores.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. Grooten's Chess Strategy for Club Players wins Book of the Year

The website Chess Cafe has awarded its Book of the Year award for 2009 to Chess Strategy for Club Players by Dutch master and trainer Herman Grooten, published by the Dutch Magazine New in Chess.

I picked up a copy of this book by chance in November and I recommend it without reservation. It is one of the clearest, most orderly exposes of the strategic ideas of the seminal chess strategist Wilhelm Steinitz printed in decades. Since reading it, I believe that there has been a marked improvement in the analysis of the games presented here. This book will help the club player (that's most of us) become a better player by being able to recognize the positional elements that lay before him on the board.

Congratulations to Mh. Grooten and New in Chess.