SURVEYING THE SICILIAN
Chapter 1 Variation 2 … e6 3 b3 – page 1
Chapter 2 2 c3 Sicilian, pages 2 - 8
Chapter 3 A sort of King's Indian Attack, in Yee - Dorobanov
Chapter 4 Sveshnikov Variation, a defensive novelty in Anand – Kramnik
Chapter 5 The Kalishnikov, in Fritz3 vs Anand
3 b3 section
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3
A move with unique application against 2 ... e6, because on, for
example, 3 ... Nf6 4 e5 Nd5 5 Bb2, Black may have some dark-square problems
after a later ... d7-d6 is met by e5xd6.
Nc6 4. Bb2 d5
We are following A. Ivanov - Khmelnitsky from rd. 4, US Championship ___. More circumspect
was 4 ... d6 5 Bb5 Bd7.
5. Bb5 dxe4 6. Ne5 Qg5
Conceptualizing 7 Nxc6 a6, but White is not forced into this, and the
queen is badly needed on the queenside.
7. O-O Bd7 8. Nxd7 Kxd7 9. d3
With a winning position. 1-0 in 19.
Chapter __, the 2 c3 Sicilian
Game 1 Rohde – Dlugy, ICC Grandmaster Challenge, ??/??/??
B22
1.e4 c5 2.c3
The very trustworthy 2 c3 Sicilian.
d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Na3
This is highly recommended in one of Chandler's early books on the
2 c3 Sicilian.
Be7
A good system is 6...Qd8! 7.Nc2 (there is no point venturing out to
b5 anymore!) Qc7 8.Bd3 Nbd7 establishing a hedgehog in Rohde - Kudrin,
Philadelphia 1992.
7.Nb5 Na6 8.Be3 cxd4?!
It seems that the calm 8...0-0 is better.
9.Qxd4 0-0 10.Bc4
White has a very comfortable game, with the central and queenside
initiative.
Qh5 11.Qe5 Qg6 12.Qg3 Bc5?!
I think 12...Nc5 13.0-0-0 is better than the text, which allows
White to invade d6.
13.Bxc5 Nxc5 14.0-0 b6 15.Ne5 Qxg3 16.hxg3 Bb7 17.Nd6 Bd5 18.Bxd5 Nxd5
19.Nc6!
The box of knights is very amusing. Black's rooks are paralyzed.
f5 20.c4 Nf6 21.f3 Nh5 22.b4 Nd7 23.Kf2 e5
Overlooking the fork which wins a pawn.
24.Ne7+ Kh8 25.Nexf5 e4 26.g4 Nhf6 27.Kg3 Ne5 28.Rae1 Nd3 29.Re3 Nxb4
30.Nxe4 Rae8 31.Nfd6 Nxe4+ 32.Nxe4 Nc2 33.Re2 Nd4 34.Ree1 Rc8 35.Nd2
Nc2 36.Re7 Rfd8 37.Ne4 Rxc4 38.Rxa7 Kg8 39.Rb1 Rb4
Of course White is winning easily, and now I attempted to play 40
Rc1.
40.Rd1?
Apparently I moved with a little too much of a flourish, and Slics
recorded the move as Rd1. This obvious mouse slip was reported by ICC
in its match summaries as a blunder in a bad position! Of course 40
Rc1 is easily winning, and I never intended to move the rook to d1 ...
in over-the-board play, I have never made a move like Rd1 no matter
how much time pressure might have been extant.
Rxd1 41.Ng5 Rd8
0 - 1
In the final game, I had some chances, but was unable to
capitalize, and Dlugy moved on to the semi-finals.
Game 2 Benjamin - Browne
[Event "US Championship (Gp 1)"] [Site "Chandler"] [Date
"1997.08.31"] [Round "7"] [White "Benjamin, Joel"] [Black
"Browne, Walter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B22"] [WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2540"] [PlyCount "115"] [EventDate "1997.08.23"]
1. e4 c5 2. c3
The 2 c3 Sicilian, although somewhat of a drawish opening, is
particularly good to use when Black must win. White gets a super-solid position with a slight advantage in many of the lines, and over-aggressive attempts by Black to wrest the initiative can be very risky.
Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3
A bit of move-order finessing. 4 d4 cxd4 5 cxd4 (or 5 Qxd4) has
been superseded by 4
d4 cxd4 5 Nf3, but Benjamin delays d2-d4 altogether.
Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 d5
Black should consider 6 ... c4, cutting off the advance of
White's d-pawn at the pass.
Then 7 Bc2 d6 8 exd6 Qxd6 9 Na3 Bg4, for example, is very interesting.
7. exd6 Qxd6 8. O-O Be6
A common maneuver in this variation.
9. Na3 Bxb3 10. Qxb3 Qd5
Black would be more passively placed on 10 ... e6 11 d4 cxd4 12
Nb5 Qd7.
11. d4 cxd4 12.
Nb5 Rc8 13. Nfxd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 e6 15. Rd1 Bc5?!
Unnecessary. Black had easy equality with 15 ... Be7.
16. Qb5+ Ke7
White is also more comfortable on 16 ... Qd7 17 a4.
17. Qe2 Rhd8 18. Be3 Qe5 19. Qg4 h5 20. Qh4+ f6 21. Nf3 Rxd1+ 22.
Rxd1 Qf5 23. Bxc5+ Rxc5 24. Qg3 Kf7 25. Qb8
An exploratory mission which ends up winning a pawn.
Qc2 26. Qxb7+ Kg8
27. Re1 Qxb2 28. Qxa7 Rxc3 29. Qe7 e5 30. Qe8+ Kh7 31. Qxh5+ Kg8
32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Qe6 Rc1 34. h3 Rxe1+ 35. Nxe1 Qb1 36. Kh2 Na4
37. Nf3 Nc3 38. a3 Qb2 39. Qf5+ Kg8 40. Qc8+ Kh7 41. Qf5+ Kg8
42. Nh4
Giving back the pawn to start an attack on the Black king.
Qxa3 43. Qe6+ Kh7 44. Qf7 Qc1 45. Qg6+ Kg8 46. Qe8+ Kh7
47. Qg6+ Kg8 48. Qe8+ Kh7 49. Ng6 Kh6 50. g4 Qg5 51. Ne7 Qf4+
52. Kg1 Ne2+ 53. Kf1 Ng3+ 54. Kg2 Kh7 55. Qg8+ Kh6 56. Qh8+ Kg5
57. Qxg7+ Kh4 58. Ng6+ 1-0
Game 3 Shaked - Yermolinsky
Many games opened 1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3. Then -
(a) 5 ... g6
Unusual. Now Shaked - Yermolinsky (rd. 9), a nice theoretical nugget,
continued:
6. Na3
The alternative here is 6 Be3 forcing 6 ... cxd4 7 cxd4 and White has
cleared c3 for his knight; Black's hopes would be based on his play against the
isolated queen's pawn.
Bg7 7. Nb5 Na6 8. Be2
Very quiet. I would prefer 8 Be3 envisioning 8 ... cxd4 9 Qxd4 Qxd4 10
Bxd4 with well-posted pieces.
cxd4 9. Qxd4 Qxd4 10. Nfxd4 0-0 11. 0-0 Bd7 12. Nb3 Rfc8 13. Rd1 Nc5
Black has liberated his a6 knight and stands well, as White lacks a
central foothold. 0-1 in 43.
Game 4 Shabalov - Dzindzihashvili
(b) 5 ... Bg4
(b)(1) 6 Nbd2
A new attempt to generate complications. The standard plan is 6 Be2 with
potential for h2-h3 and g2-g4. Now Shabalov - Dzindzihashvili (rd. 1) saw:
6 ... cxd4
In Shaked - deFirmian (rd. 5) the more accurate 6 ... Nc6! was played,
leading to a pawn sacrifice. Black was better after 7. Bc4 Bxf3 8.gxf3 Qf5 9.
Qb3 O-O-O 10. Bxf7 Nd5 11. Bxd5 Rxd5 12. Rg1 e6 13. Rg3 cxd4, 1/2-1/2 in 47.
7. Bc4 Qd7
Of course not 7 ... Bxf3? 8 Bxd5 Bxd1 9 Bxb7.
8.Qb3 e6 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. Bb5+ Nc6 11. Ndc4
White has the makings of a very dangerous initiative. However, the Dzin
escaped with 11 ... Bc5 12. Bf4 0-0 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. h3 Bf515. Ng6 e5 16. Bxe5
Rfe8 17. 0-0 Qd7 18. cxd4 Bxd4 19. Rad1 c5 1/2-1/2, but don't try this at home!
Khmelnitsky - Christiansen
(b)(2) 6. dxc5
A specialty of Khmelnitsky's which he tried against Christiansen in rd.
5. A fascinating and unclear endgame ensued after 6 ... Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 e5 8.b4
Nc6 9. Kc2 Nd5 10. Bb5 f6 11. Kb2 Be7 12. Be3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 a5 14. a3 0-0-0,
1/2-1/2 in 54.
Benjamin - Yermolinsky
(c) 5 ... e6
A solid move, essayed by Yermolinsky against Benjamin, rd. 2.
6. Be2
Chandler champions the maneuver 6 Na3 Qd8 [rendering an excursion to b5
with the knight pointless] 7 Nc2 shoring up the center and planning Bf1-d3 and
Qd1-e2, but Kudrin has shown that 7 ... Qc7! (stopping Bc1-f4) 8 Bd3 Nd7 9 O-O
b6 with a hedgehog setup is very comfortable.
Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Be3 cxd4 9. cxd4 0-0 10. Nc3 Qd6 11. Rc1 Rd8 12. Qd2 Nd5 13.
Ne4 Qb4 14. Qc2 Nxe3 15. fxe3 Qa5
The chances are balanced: Black's two bishops make up for White's
greater freedom of movement; 0-1 in 41 in another sterling performance by the
Yerminator.
Interesting move-order questions arose in two Khmelnitsky games -
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 exd5 5. d4
In this roundabout move order, Khmelnitsky - I. Ivanov (rd. 11) has
transposed to the solid 2 ... e6 variation of the 2 c3 Sicilian. By exchanging
on d5, the position becomes very similar to a Tarrasch French.
Nf6
Most common is the development scheme from the Tarrasch: Nb8-c6, Bf8-d6
and Ng8-e7 so as not to get hit with the following pin which softens the defence
of d5.
6. Bg5 c4 7. b3 cxb3 8. axb3Nc6 9. Bb5 Be7 10. Ne5 Bd7 11. Nxd7 Qxd7 12. O-O O-O
13. Re1
Advantage for White; Black's minors are too passively placed for this
pawn structure. 1/2-1/2 in 61.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6
In rd. 7, Benjamin engineered this transposition to the 2 ... Nf6
variation of the 2 c3 Sicilian against Khmelnitsky.
4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. a3
Reaching a position once thought to be quite favorable for White
because of the easy attack with Bf1-d3 and Qd1-e2, but Black's following
maneuver generates light-square counterplay.
Bd7 8. Bd3 Bc6 9. O-O Nd7 10. Re1 dxe5 11. dxe5 g6 12. b4 Ne7 13. Nbd2 Bg7
The pressure on e5 gives Black the better game. I am not quite sure
where White's improvement is. 1/2-1/2 in 34.
The game I. Ivanov - Gurevich (rd 1) illustrates the old main line of the 2 c3
Nf6 variation, an appropriate subject of discussion when the tournament is just
warming up.
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8.
Bb5dxe5 9. Nxe5 Bd7 10. Bxc6 Bxc6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. 0-0 e6 13. Be3 Be7 14. Nd2
0-015. Nf3 Nd5
The position is equal. 1/2-1/2 in 35.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 g6
Our final permutation is Benjamin - Kaidanov (rd. 4). Technically, this
is not a 2 c3 Sicilian at all, because White cannot force the move d2-d4. Note
that had White played 4 Bd3, we would be in the Kopec System. After 4 Be2, I
think Black's most accurate is 4 ... Nbd7!! as White then has to stop and defend
the e-pawn (of course not 4 ... Nxe4?? 5 Qa4+). On the other hand, not very good
is 4 ... Nc6, as White has good tactical possibilities after 5 d4! cxd4 6 cxd4
Nxe4 7 d5 Qa5+ (otherwise White plays 8 Qa4+) 8 Nc3.
5. O-O Bg7 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. d4 O-O 8. d5 Na5
In many King's Indian positions, this is a satisfactory posting, but
here, White's c-pawn is on c3, and the knight is just out of the game.
9. Re1 e6 10. dxe6 Bxe6 11. Ba4 d5 12. e5 Ne4 13. Nbd2 Bf5 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qxd8
Raxd8 16. Ng5 Rd5 17. e6 fxe6 18. Nxe4
Benjamin has a significant advantage which he converted; 1-0 in 42.
Overall, the 2 c3 Sicilian performed miserably in this event, and is no
longer the automatic bailout that it used to be.
Kotliar – Moulin, Kmelnitsky – Rohde
Kotliar - Moulin, Eastern Masters, May 1992, B22
1 e4 c5 2 c3 d6 3 d4 Nf6
[An antidote to the 2 c3 system that is now used frequently. If now 4 dxc5 (with the idea 4 ... Nxe4?? 5 Qa4+ or 4 ... dxc5? 5 Qxd8+) Nc6, intending 5 cxd6 Nxe4, 5 Bd3 dxc5, or the pawn sac 5 f3 d5!]
4 Bd3 Nc6
[Black can also play 4 ... g6, avoiding the inconvenience of a later d4-d5 hitting the knight on c6. An interesting line is 4 ... g6 5 Nf3 Bg7 6 O-O O-O 7 Re1 Nc6 8 d5 Na5!?]
5 Nf3 Bg4
[5 ... g6 6 d5 is not so appetizing now for Black.]
6 d5 Bxf3
[Of course not 6 ... Ne5? 7 Nxe5 Bxd1 8 Bb5+]
7 gxf3 Ne5 8 Be2
[Kotliar preserves the 2 bishops and bases his strategy on his space advantage.]
g6 9 c4 Bg7 10 Nc3 O-O 11 f4 Ned7 12 Qd3 a6
DIAGRAM
[White's original play has given him a good game, and he is about to embark on a kingside attack. But before staking everything on a direct attack, it is imperative to deny Black the chance for Benko-Gambit-style counterplay. Clearly correct is 13 a4! and if then 13 ... Qa5, then 14 Ra3!]
13 h4? b5 14 cxb5 axb5 15 Nxb5 Ra4!
[The position has transformed, and Black has the superior practical chances.]
16 Nc3 Rb4
[It is hard to find a concrete follow-up to 16 ... Rd4 17 Qc2.]
17 a3 Rb3 18 Qc2 Rb7 19 h5 Qa5 20 hxg6 fxg6
[The correct recapture, despite the weakening of e6. Moulin now has the unusual task of combining Benko Gambit play with pressure on the f-file. But Kotliar's pawn center and control of the light squares is not to be underestimated.]
21 Kf1 Rfb8 22 Nd1
[Moving into a defensive mode. Things could have gotten wild on the sealer-sweeper 22 e5! dxe5 23 f5!]
Nb6 23 Nc3 Ra7 24 Ra2 Na4 25 Nd1 Nb6
[After all that work to get the knight to a4, he should have left it there and played 25 ... Rab7.]
26 b3 Nbd7 27 Bc4 Nh5 28 Qe2 Rf8 29 Bd2 Qc7 30 Rh4 Ra8 31 a4 Qd8 DIAGRAM
[White has built up a fantastic position. Perhaps it was time for a4-a5-a6, but Kotliar decides that the time is ripe for a positional exchange sacrifice.]
32 Rxh5 gxh5 33 Qxh5 Kh8 34 f3 Nb6 35 Bd3 Qe8 36 Qh3 Bd4 37 Nf2 c4
[Suddenly Moulin becomes very active.]
38 bxc4 Rxa4 39 Rc2 Ra1+ 40 Ke2 Na4 41 e5 h5 42 Qe6 Qf7 43 Qh6+ Kg8 44 Ne4 Qg7
[The position is unclear after 45 Qxg7+ Kxg7 46 Ng5.]
1/2 - 1/2
I had just lost to Kudrin in the penultimate round and it seemed that I had nothing left to play for but to get my entry fee back upon completing my schedule. But my opponenet in the last round, a recent arrival to the Philadelphia chess scene, had a half-point more than me and could win a major prize if he defeated me. Meanwhile, Fedorowicz, who had the same score as me, asked me if we could win anything by winning. I advised him that we couldn't, and he drew instantly with Valvo. I knew I had a long game in store, and was unable to console myself for my loss against Kudrin by going home early ...
Khmelnitsky - Rohde, Philadelphia (Atlantic Open) 1991 B26
1 e4 c5 2 c3 e6 [I have been playing the 2 c3 Sicilian myself lately and I am convinced that this is the best reply.] 3 d4 d5 4 ed ed 5 Be3 [Although this is the standard move here, it only forces Black to play a clearly good system. White's best is to play 5 Nf3 and try to steer the game into Tarrasch French channels.] c4 6 b3 cb 7 ab [White has achieved the exchange of his a-pawn for Black's c-pawn, but Black has no problems because a) his development is easy, and b) White's center is immobile - if White plays c4 then the b4 square is weakened.] Bd6 8 Bd3 Ne7 9 Qc2 Nbc6 10 Ne2 [So far it has all been very amusing, and now I should have ended the games by playing 10 ... h6, followed by castling. But I could hardly resist playing the same "joke" on my opponent.] Qc7?! 11 Na3 [Threatening the embarassing 12 Nb5, which 11 ... a6 will not prevent!] Qd8! [I know I just wasted two tempi, but I had to save the dark-squared bishop.] 12 Nb5 Bb8 [How strong is his knight on b5 anyway? It can only go back to a3, unless he weakens b4 by playing c3-c4. And after I play a7-a6, my rook on a8, the "pinnee", will be no more useless than his rook on a1, the "pinner".] 13 h4?! [Much better was 13 Ng3 threatening 14 Nh5 and if 13 ... Ng6 14 0-0 with the idea f2-f4-f5.] a6 14 Nf4 Ng6! [Effectively bullying the knight off f4.] 15 Nh5 0-0 16 f3! [The battle for king-side space begins in earnest.]
Closed Sicilian Yee - Dorobanov
Yee (2325) - Dorobanov (2365) [A04]
NY Open, Manhattan (4), 1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.g3
Black is not yet threatening the e-pawn, as 4 ... Nxe4?? runs into 5
Qa4+. However, 4 g3 is not particularly congruous with 3 c3, as the
idea of building a big pawn center is immediately scuttled. More
common are 4 Be2, and 4 h3 followed by 5 Bd3 (the Kopec System).
Nc6 5.d3 g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.h3
I would prefer 8 Re1 to prevent Black's next.
c4! 9.Na3 cxd3 10.Qxd3 Nd7
An active move which is better than the routine 10...Bd7 11.Rd1
Qc8 12.Kh2.
11.Rd1 Nc5 12.Qe2
12 Qc2 can also be played - on 12 ... f5 13 Ng5 is a good
answer, as 13 ... h6 can be met by 14 Be3!
12...b6!
An enterprising move which should turn out ok. Again, 12 ... f5
seems to merely weaken Black's position.
DIAGRAM
13.Bg5
Nick Dorobanov gives the following variations after the
challenging move 13 e5 - "13.e5?! Ba6 A) 14.Nb5 Bxe5 (14...d5÷)
15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Bh6 Re8 (16...Bxb5 17.Qxb5 Re8 18.Bf4 Qd7 19.Qxd7
Nexd7 20.Bxa8 Rxa8) 17.Bxa8 Qxa8 18.f4 Nf3+! (18...Qf3 19.Qxf3 Nxf3+
20.Kf2 Bxb5 21.Kxf3 Bc6+ 22.Ke3=) 19.Kf1 (19.Kf2 Ne4+! 20.Ke3 Nxg3
21.Qxf3 Nf5+ 22.Kf2 Qxf3+ 23.Kxf3 Bxb5 24.Bg5 h6-+) 19...Ne4 20.Qd3
Nxg3+ 21.Kf2 Nf5; B) 14.Qc2 Bxe5! 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Bxa8 Qxa8;" Nick
also mentions 13 c4 as possibly White's best.
13...Ba6?!
13 ... h6 was indicated here, while Black had the chance. Also
the simple 13 ... Bb7 should be considered.
14.Qe3 f6!?
A move motivated by the sudden twin menaces of 15 b4 and 15 e5.
15.b4
Better was 15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 Ne5 17.Nd4 with a slight edge. Yee
decides to use his threat of b2-b4, rather than holding it in
abeyance, becuase of the resulting tactical possibilities.
fxg5 16.bxc5 bxc5 17.Nxg5 Qa5 18.Nb1
Probably White should play the main idea with 18.e5 Nxe5
19.Bxa8 Rxa8 although Black clearly has good compensation for the
Exchange.
18...Qa4
Beginning the process of shoring up Black's light-square weaknesses.
19.Nd2 Nd4?!
Dorobanov later criticized this move, which gives up two pieces for a
rook and pawn, and gets Black to an endgame, preferring instead 19 ...
Bc8, slowly but surely consolidating his middlegame edge.
20.cxd4 Bxd4 21.Qb3+ Qxb3 22.Nxb3
Not 22.axb3 Rxf2
Bxa1 23.Rxa1 c4 24.Nd4 Rab8 25.Nc6
Black still seems to have good chances in the endgame, because of the
monster c-pawn. Possibly defensive measures with 25 Nge6! Rfc8 26 Bf1
Rb6 27 Rc1 would have been better.
Rb2 26.f4 c3 27.e5 Bd3!
Driving home the point about the c-pawn. Ineffective would be
27...Rxg2+?! 28.Kxg2 Bb7 29.Rc1 Bxc6+ 30.Kh2, and 27...c2 is met by
28.Be4.
28.Bd5+ Kh8 29.Nd4 c2 30.Nxc2 Bxc2
Finally Black is up a clean Exchange.
31.exd6 exd6 32.Re1 Rb1 33.Rxb1 Bxb1 34.Kf2 Rb8 35.Bb3 Bxa2 36.Bxa2
Rb2+ 37.Ke3 Rxa2 38.Nf7+ Kg7 39.Nxd6 Ra3+ 40.Kf2 a5 0-1
Sveshnikov Variation
B33
A Defensive Novelty
Novelties are mainly conceived as new methods of putting pressure on one’s opponent, or moves backed up by previously unforeseen tactical ideas. In the game between Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik from the recent Wijk aan Zee International, Anand demonstrated a defensive novelty – a move previously considered too naïve as Black is challenged to embark on an immediate attack. Kramnik obliged, but Anand was able to show that White’s position had enough tactical resources of its own to withstand the assault. The end result was an accurate game by both players, each responding to the unique demands of the position. The pleasing thing about modern chess is that now, a typical draw between world-class players is a sharp tangle of shots and countershots, rather than the yawns of yesteryear.
[Event "Hoogovens"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "1998.01.26"]
[Round "09"]
[White "Anand,V"]
[Black "Kramnik,V"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33"]
[WhiteElo "2770"]
[BlackElo "2790"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5
The Sveshnikov Variation.
6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5
DIAGRAM
Bg7
This move is recommended in my forthcoming book on the Sveshnikov from Hays Publishing as Black’s most practical, as the lines 10 … f5 11 Bxb5, 10 … f5 11 Nxb5 and 10 … f5 11 Bd3 are completely avoided.
11. Bd3
The move which gives 10 … Bg7 its most distinctive flavor, as the push … f6-f5 is stopped for now. Instead, 11 c3 generally transposes to comparatively quiet lines after 11 … f5 12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Nc2. An unusual line is 11 Ne3 radically preventing ... f5. Klinger - Vaiser, Szirak 1985 was a good example of the explosive possibilities in Black’s position: 11 ... Ne7 12 Qh5 (if 12 g4 h5!) f5 13 exf5 e4 14 O-O-O O-O 15 f3 Qb6 with a good game for Black. Another important alternative on White’s 11th is the widely overlooked immediate 11 c4. Then Beliavsky - Dolmatov, Yugoslavia 1992, continued 11 ... f5 (not 11 ...b4 12.Nc2 a5 13.Bd3 and White just stands much better due to his solid control over d5 and f5) 12.cxb5 Nd4 13.Bd3 0-0 with decent compensation for the pawn.
Ne7
The point of 10 … Bg7. Black aims to eliminate the White knight on d5, and then advance in the center, even at the cost of a pawn.
12. Nxe7 Qxe7 13. O-O
A strange variant was seen in Furlan, Ankerst, Bled, 1995: 13.c3 f5 14.Nc2 (14 exf5 e4 is just good for Black) Qb7?! (14 ... Bb7!, meeting 15 exf5 with 15 ... Qg5, is the right way to handle the slow 13 c3) 15.Qf3 d5 16.exf5 e4 17.Qg3 Bf6 18.Be2 and
White has the more reliable position.
O-O
If Black wants to avoid Anand’s treatment of this position, he can play 13 … f5 instead, after which White would usually respond with 14 c4 (see the next note). In Enders - Kalinichev, Budapest, 1995, White instead played passively with 14 f3 0-0 14.Kh1 d5 15.c3 Rd8
16.Qe2 dxe4 17.fxe4 f4 with advantage for Black.
DIAGRAM
14. Qf3!?
Nearly universally played here is 14 c4 f5!, and then White has a choice between 15 Qe2, 15 Re1, 15 Qf3, 15 Qh5, and the naïve-looking captures 15 exf5 and 15 cxb5. With the text White tries to stifle Black’s counterplay, but the Black pawns are on the march now anyway. Of course, Anand and Kramnik are several levels above this – Anand just believes that he will have good chances of holding on to the booty in the face of Black’s attack.
f5! 15. exf5 d5!
Kramnik does not hesitate to offer a double-pawn sacrifice. Not 15 … Bb7? 16 Be4 and White immediately neutralizes the long diagonal.
16. Qxd5 Bb7 17. Qb3 e4 18. Be2 Qg5
This is the critical position for judging Black’s play. Less good would have been 18 … Qe5 19 Nc4 and White radically solves his main problem – the poor position of the knight on a3. Here 19 Nc4 loses to 19 … Bd5.
19. Rad1
While Black has two fearsome bishops, White can still try to establish piece play in the center, as it will at least take Black some time to recoup some material. For example, 19 … Qxf5 can now be met by 20 c4!, although White can also simplify with 20 Nc4 Bd5 21 Ne3. Kramnik decides to focus his attention more directly on White’s kingside.
e3 20. f3 Be5!
Threatening to start real trouble with … Qg5-h4.
21. Nc4 Bf4
Not 21 … bxc4 22 Qxb7 Qh4? 23 f4 Bxf4 24 g3 and White wins.
22. Rd4
DIAGRAM
Bd5!
Taking advantage of the unique overloading of the White rook on d4: it needs to be on the fourth rank to deal with the threat of … Qg5-h4, and it also has been performing the job of preventing … Bb7-d5.
23. Rxf4
Simpler was 23 Rxd5 Qh4 24 g3 (White just loses after 24 h3?? Qg3) Bxg3 25 hxg3 Qxg3+ with a perpetual. Anand is looking for a little more out of the position. First he eliminates Black’s kingside play.
Qxf4 24. Qxe3
White currently has three pawns for the Exchange.
Qxf5!
An accurately calculated defensive series.
25. Bd3 Qf6 26. Nb6 Rad8 27. Nxd5 Rxd5 28. Qe4 Qd4+
Stopping all of the threats. The endgame is even, as although Black has rook against bishop, White has solid pawn majorities on both sides of the board.
29. Qxd4 Rxd4 30. Re1 1/2-1/2
Kalishnikov
The Prototype
Fritz3's breakthrough performance in tying for first with Kasparov in the Intel Express Chess Challenge blitz tournament in Munich was accomplished running on Intel's new Pentium processor. Fritz3's ability to calculate very fast got it out of trouble in numerous situations. Its game against superblitz palyer Viswanathan Anand shows in archtypical fashion how strong humans lose to computers:
1) Computer gets a silly position
2) Human builds up strong attack
3) Computer gobbles one or two pawns
4) Human fails to deliver the checkmate
5) Computer is merciless in technical endgame
One of Fritz3's most notable moves in the tournament occured in the game Lobron - Fritz3, which opened: 1 c4 e5 2 e3! Bb4?!, and Fritz3 later struggled to a draw.
B34
Fritz3 - Anand
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5 5 Nb5 d6
[Arriving at a mutated form of the Pelikan Variation which has become increasingly popular. A totally different concept is 5 ... a6, the Lowenthal Variation.]
6 Be3
[White has a lot of options at this point. It is doubtful that 6 c4 leads to an advantage after 6 ... Be7 7 N1c3 a6 8 Na3 Be6 because of the potential weakness on d4 and the possibility of ... Be7-g5. On the direct 6 N1c3 a6 7 Na3 b5 8 Nd5, looking to transpose to the Pelikan after 8 ... Nf6 9 Bg5, Black has the strange idea 8 ... Nge7. A wild line is 6 Bc4 Be7 (not 6 ... Nf6? 7 Bg5) 7 O-O Nf6 8 Bg5!? planning 8 ... Nxe4 9 Bxe7 Nxe7 10 f3. The text move encourages Black to play 6 ... Nf6 (because after 6 ... Be7 7 N1c3 a6 8 Na3 there is too much pressure on the queenside due to the double threat of Nc3-d5 and Na3-c4) at a time when White can force the doubling of the f-pawns. This justifies White in moving the queen's bishop twice in a row. Note that this position could arrive via the Taimanov Variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nb5 d6 6 Bf4 e5 7 Be3.]
Nf6 7 Bg5 Be6 8 N1c3
[The continuation 8 Bxf6 gxf6 9 Nd2, which avoids the tangling of the knights on the queenside, proved quite effective for White in Kengis - Rohde, Tilburg 1992.]
a6 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Na3
DIAGRAM
Bg7
[The modern way, maintaining the latent energy of Black's center. Anand avoids the explosive 10 ... d5 11 exd5 Bxa3 12 bxa3 Qa5, introduced in the Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Match of 1971, because it is better to engage the computer in positional rather than tactical warfare at first, because it is impossible to know the extent of Fritz3's usable theoretical knowledge, and becuase the line is not that great anyway - see a recent U.S. Championship game between A. and I. Ivanov(s).]
11 Bc4
[It is better to take it easy with 11 Bd3, with the maneuver Na3-c4-e3 in store.]
O-O 12 Bxe6 fxe6 13 Nc4 Nd4
[The knight on c4 is left functionless.]
14 Ne2 f5 15 Nxd4 exd4 16 exf5 Rxf5 17 Qe2 Qe7
DIAGRAM
18 O-O-O?
[Admirable fighting spirit, but unjustified. White's position is not as bad as it looks after 18 O-O d5 19 Nd2 e5, as it can use the c-pawn to chip away at Black's center. Now a more serious problem is the pressure on the c-file.]
Rc8 19 Rhf1!
[A good defensive move preparing to block the h6-c1 diagonal and distract Black by gaining space on the kingside. This kind of tenacious defence in blitz is a particularly strong aspect of computers.]
Rfc5 20 Na3 b5 21 Rd2 Qf6 22 Qd3
[Making sure no accident happens on the long diagonal.]
d5 23 f4 Kh8 24 g3 b4 25 Nb1 a5
[This general advance is well motivated. If the position opens up, something good has to happen for Black.]
26 Re1 a4 27 h3 Qf7 28 Kd1 Qh5+
[Finally Anand finds a target in the pawn on f4.]
29 g4 Qf7 30 Rf1 Rf8 31 Rff2 Rcc8 32 Qb5
[A foraging mission which Anand probably discounted in his calculations, as he in banking on the opening of the kingside and center now.]
Qc7 33 Qxb4 Rxf4 34 Qxa4 Rxf2 35 Rxf2 Qg3
DIAGRAM
36 Qa6!
[Irritatingly accurate tactical defence. Through judicious counterthreats, the computer retains its extra material.]
Rb8 37 Qf1!
[Fritz3 retains its extra pawn and beings to dig out, but Black is still better because of the looming central mass.]
h6 38 b3 e5 39 Rf3
[A better idea was 39 Qg2 Qh4 40 Rf5 trying to hold up the pawns. After the text, White is in big trouble.]
Qh4 40 Rf7
[Making room for the activation of White's other pieces.]
e4 41 Nd2
DIAGRAM
Qg3
[A creeping move, but the straightforward 41 ... Re8! would have been very strong. Of course, it is useless to talk about time pressure in a 5-minute game, but up to here the play has been very strong.]
42 Qf4 Qg1+ 43 Nf1 Rg8?
[Again, big problems would be posed by 43 ... Re8!]
44 Qd6
[Now White has the situation under control as 44 ... Re8 45 Qg6 accomplishes nothing, and 44 ... e3 45 Qxd5 Re8 46 Ke2 is fine. Given the new state of affairs, Anand decides to abandon the central mass and open up some more lines.]
d3! 45 Qxd5 dxc2+ 46 Kxc2 Qg2+
[The only checking square on the rank, but now the e-pawn is immobile.]
27 Nd2 Rc8+ 48 Kd1 Qh1+
[Black would be unable to grab any material on 48 ... Qg1+ 49 Rf1.]
49 Ke2 Re8 50 Qd7
[Finally the queen establishes control over the Black rook's possible attacking squares.]
Qh2+ 51 Kd1 Rg8 52 Re7!
[Accurately surrounding the e-pawn without jettisoning other pawns unnecessarily.]
Qg1+ 53 Ke2 Qg2+ 54 Ke3 Qxh3+ 55 Kxe4 Qg2+ 56 Kd3 Qa8
DIAGRAM
[Anand has been angling to pick off the a-pawn for a while. Now he is also threatening 57 ... Rd8, but Fritz3 will not let Anand revive the attack.]
57 a4!! Rd8 52 Rxg7 Rxd7+ 59 Rxd7 Qc8?
[Much better was 59 ... Qa6+ 60 Nc4 Qg6+ 61 Kc3 Qxg4 with a fascinating race in store. Now Fritz3 marches to victory.]
60 Rd4 Kg7 61 b4 Kf6 62 Ne4+ Ke5 63 Nc5 Qc6 64 Kc4 Qg2 65 Nd3+ Kf6 66 a5 Qc2+ 67 Kb5 Qc8 68 a6 Qb8+ 69 Kc4 Kg5 70 b5 Qc7+ 71 Nc5 Qf7+ 72 Kb4 Qa7 73 Rd7 Qb6 74 a7 1 - 0
Accelerated Dragon
Polgar, J. - Dzindzi, NY INt. 1992 B34
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 c4 Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 Be2 Nxd4 8 Qxd4 Bg7 9 Bg5 O-O 10 Qd2 Be6 11 O-O Rc8
[Also possible is 11 ... Qa5 12 f3 Rfc8, eliminating White tricks based on Nc3-d5 because a Nd5xe7+ could be answered with ... Kf8.]
12 Rad1
[Preparing 12 ... Bxc4? 13 Bxc4 Rxc4 14 e5 Ne8 15 Nd5. The straightforward 12 b3 Qa5 13 Rac1 was the alternative.]
Qa5 13 b3 a6?!
[Black would be comfortable after the precautionary 13 ... Rfe8. Then play might proceed 14 f3 a6 15 Nd5 Qxd2 16 Rxd2 Nxd5 17 exd5 Bd7 with equality.]
14 Nd5! Qxd2 15 Nxe7+ Kh8 16 Bxd2 Rce8
DIAGRAM
17 Bb4!! Rxe7
[Black seems to have play on the e-file after 17 ... Nxe4, but with 18 Bf3 Nc3 19 Rd3 Rxe7 20 Bxc3 White will exert strong pressure against the backward d-pawn. The text submits to an unpleasant endgame where White's rook + two pawns is much stronger than Black's two minors.]
18 Bxd6 Ree8 19 e5 Ng4 20 Bxf8 Rxf8 21 Bf3 Rb8 22 h3
[A nice finesse. 22 Bxb7 would have been met by 22 ... Bxe5.]
Nxe5 23 Bxb7 a5 24 Bd5 Bxd5 25 Rxd5 Nc6 26 Rfd1 Bf8 27 Rb5 Re8 28 Kf1 Kg8 29 g3 h5 30 Rdd5 Bb4 31 Rd1 Kg7 32 Rb7 Re6 33 Rb6 Nd4?
[A blunder in a bad position.]
34 Rxb4 1 - 0
Kan Variation
B43
Shabalov – Smirin B43
New York Open 1998
Best Case Scenario
An early piece sacrifice by GM Alexander Shabalov against GM Ilya Smirin on one of the top boards in the middle phase of the 1998 New York Open had the spectators buzzing, as Shabalov tried to smash open the position to get at Black’s uncastled king. In the cold light of hindsight, however, it appears that in every variation, while appealing tactical themes would surface in the notes, White was struggling to get truly sufficient compensation for his missing knight, in his boardwide search for opportunities. Shabalov was able to execute further combinations, reducing his material deficit to bishop and pawn versus rook. This probably was the best that his original sacrifice had to offer, and earned him the task of trying to defend a demoralizing endgame.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6
The Kan Variation.
5.Nc3
A popular alternative is 5 Bd3 (much less appealing is 5 c4 Nf6 6 Nc3 Bb4), as then 5 ... b5 6 a4 is good for White (6 ... b4 would not gain any time). Meanwhile, 5 ... Nc6 6 Nxc6 renders Black's early ... a7-a6 useless, and White has a comfortable lead in development. Therefore, Black usually responds with 5 ... Nf6 6 O-O d6 7 c4, and White has the "Maroczy Bind" formation against a Scheveningen-like setup.
b5 6.g3
The coming opposition of bishops does not cause Black any problems. I would prefer quicker development with 6 Bd3. Amazingly, the quiet move 6 g3 embroils the position with difficult complications almost immediately.
Bb7 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0-0!?
A sacrifice of at least a pawn. 8 Qe2 was a viable alternative, but Shabalov instinctively selects the sharpest continuation.
b4 9.Nd5
DIAGRAM
The knight sacrifice is definitely thematic in that it arises frequently in this type of position – the e-file is opened, Black will lose the right to castle, and his queenside pieces become bottlenecked. However, White’s compensation for the piece is questionable, because he is not able to cause a permanent breach in Black’s position. For example, one would like to already have the queen bishop on g5 [to play the fracturing Bg5xf6 at the right moment] to make such a sacrifice. In any event, White would not have sufficient compensation for the pawn after 9 Na4 Bxe4.
exd5 10.exd5 Bc5
The only move. Not 10 … Be7?? 11 d6, 10 … Bd6 11 Nf5, or 10 … d6 11 Re1+.
11.Re1+ Kf8 12.Nf5
The question here is whether anything is to be gained from the move order 12 Bf4! d6 (not 12 … Bxd4? 13 Qxd4 d6 [13 … a5 14 Bd6+] 14 Qxb4 and White has too much) 13 Nc6 Qb6. This would lead to the same position as the game continuation, had Black played 15 … Bb7 instead of 15 … h6. In this way, 12 Bf4 actually cuts down Black’s options.
d6 13.Bf4 Bc8 14.Nd4 Qb6 15.Nc6
DIAGRAM
Now after 15 … Bxf2+ 16 Kh1, Black’s defensive task is just harder because d6 is loose: then 16 … Bc5 17 a3! is rough, while 16 … Bxe1? is very bad after 17 Bxd6+. A more sensible choice for Black is 15 … Bb7 (transposing to the position which White could have forced – see the note to White’s twelfth with the continuation 12 Bf4 d6 13 Nc6 Qb6). Then White has the diabolical 16 Qd4??! with the idea of making a draw after 16 … Bxd4 17 Bxd6+ Kg8 18 Ne7+ Kf8 19 Ng6+, etc. And 16 … Bxc6 fails to 17 Bxd6+, while 16 … Nxc6 may be unclear after 17 Bxd6+ Kg8 18 Qxc5 Qxc5 19 Bxc5. However, simply 16 … Nbd7! Refutes the absurd idea behind 16 Qd4, as Black then threatens to follow up with 17 … Bxc6. Much more logical after 15 … Bb7 is 16 Qf3 (not very convincing is 16 Qe2 Nxc6), simply jamming up the long diagonal, with some compensation after 16 … Nbd7 17 a3.
h6!
A very fine defensive move. Now 16 Qf3? is very bad due to 16 … Bg4, while on 16 Qe2 Black can stabilize with 16 … Nxc6 17 dxc6 Be6.
16.Qd2 Bb7
Now Smirin can focus his energies on dislodging the knight from c6.
17.a3!
This consistently pops up as a theme, trying to poke at the bishop on c5 which is holding the precious d6 square.
a5 18.axb4 axb4 19.Rxa8 Bxa8 20.Ra1
DIAGRAM
Nxc6!
This is much better than 20 … Bxc6, as then after 21 dxc6, 21 … Nxc6? is impossible as after 22 Bxd6+ Kg8 23 Ra8+ Kh7 24 Qd3+ g6, White recovers his piece with 25 Ra6, winning.
21.Bxd6+!
A unique type of interpolation to get Black to commit to taking on d6. If instead 21 dxc6 Bxc6 22 Bxd6+, Black would just play 22 … Kg8, while on 21 Rxa8+, Black holds the fort with 21 … Nd8.
Bxd6 22.dxc6
Shabalov is now two pieces down, but he is attacking two bishops
Qb8 23.Rxa8
A narrow miss is 23 c7 Qxc7 24 Rxa8+ Ne8 25 Qe2 Qe7 and Black holds on to his extra material.
Qxa8 24.Qxd6+ Kg8 25.c7 Qc8
DIAGRAM
26.Bf1 Ne8
Not 26 … Kh7? 27 Bd3+ g6 28 Ba6 and White emerges ahead.
27.Qd8 Qxc7 28.Qxe8+ Kh7 29.Qe4+ g6 30.Bc4 Rd8
Black firmly takes over the initiative, as he has all the chances with a rook against a bishop and pawn.
31.Bb3
Shabalov elects to preserve his option to later play c2-c3, liquidating the queenside, but I think it would have been better to play 31 b3, shuttling the bishop between d3 and c4.
Rd1+ 32.Kg2 Rd2 33.Qf3 Kg7 34.h4 Rd6 35.Kh2 Rf6 36.Qe2 Qc5 37.Kg1 Qd4
Eliminating any vestige of White counterplay.
38.c3 bxc3 39.bxc3 Qxc3 40.Bd5 Rd6 41.Qa2 Qe5 42.Bf3 Qe1+ 43.Kg2 Rd2 44.Qa7 Qe5
Because the position is lost for White if the queens are exchanged, he has a very difficult defensive task.
45.Qa6 Qd4 46.Qf1 Ra2 47.Qe1 Kf6 48.Qf1 Qd2 49.Kg1 Ke7 50.Kg2 Kf8 51.Bg4 Rc2 52.Bf3 Kg8 53.Be4 Rc1 54.Qb5 Qe1 55.Qe8+ Kg7 56.Qe5+ Kh7 57.Kf3 Qc3+ 58.Qxc3 Rxc3+ 59.Kf4 Kg7 60.g4 Rh3
0 - 1
Taimanov Variation
B46
Lost Weekend
On the Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend, I hopped into the fast
schedule of the CCA's
National Chess Congress in Philadelphia. In the penultimate round, I
was paired with the talented
former US Junior Champion Boris Kreiman, who seems to alternate between
solid positional
chess and wild attacking play. This time Kreiman teed off and, with a
convenient pawn sacrifice,
obtained a great position. After somehow escaping by returning the
pawn, I agreed to a draw in a
still-crazy position. My idea was to bank everything on the last round
instead, although, as it
turned out, I then lost a grueling six-hour battle against IM
Ziatdinov.
Boris Kreiman - Michael Rohde, Philadelphia (National Chess Congress)
1997 B46
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6
The Taimanov Variation.
5 Nc3
The only other real choice here is 5 Nb5 d6 6 c4 (or the sharp 6
Bf4), establishing a
"Maroczy Bind" but losing time with the knight. The immediate 5 c4 Nf6
6 Nc3 Bb4 is thought to
give Black fairly easy equality.
Qc7
I prefer this move order because on the straight Taimanov 5 ...
a6, White gets a very
comfortable attacking position with 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 Bd3.
6 a3!?
Kreiman is anxious to avoid lines involving ... Bb4. Now the task
for me is to find a
formation where White's a2-a3 is useless. If instead White had played 6
g3, 6 Be2, 6 Be3 or 6 f4,
my replly would have been 6 ... a6, a necessary precaution. But right
now 6 Ndb5 Qb8 achieves
nothing for White.
Nf6 7 Be3 Be7 8 Be2
On the spike 8 g4, a la the Keres Attack against the
Scheveningen, 8 ... d5 is decent for
Black, accepting an isolated central pawn, but leaving White with a
kingside weakness.
d6
This was a good moment for 8 ... a6, as 9 g4 is still met by 9
.. d5. But this was also a
decent time to finally transpose to the Scheveningen formation (with
.. e6 and ... d6), as now 9
O-O Bd7 allows Black to play for ... Nc6xd4 and ... Bd7-c6 without ever
bothering with ... a7-a6.
9 g4
During the game, I did not think this was that strong, for two
reasons: (1) White has
spent a tempo on a2-a3, and I thought I could find a line where that is
irrelevant, and (2) White's
bishop does not definitely belong on e2 in a Keres Attack.
a6
The alternative 9 ... h6 does not appeal, because, even though
White's g4-g5 is held up
a couple of moves, it comes with greater effect after 10 h4 a6 11 Rg1
with the idea g4-g5-g6. As
White's bishop is on e2, Black cannot meet 11 Rg1 with the typical
counter ... h6-h5.
10 g5 Nd7 11 h4 Na5
It seemed that only White would have good attacking prospects
after 11 ... b5 12 Nxc6!
Qxc6 13 Bd4 O-O 14 Qd2. Besides, I was still trying to prove that a2-a3
was a waste of time.
12 f4
DIAGRAM
Nb6?!
Fixated on the c4 square. But Black should have gained space
instead with 12 ... b5!
and White's queen cannot find a good developing square - 13 Qd2 Nb6, or
13 Qd3 Nc5. If
instead 13 O-O Bb7 14 f5 e5 15 Nf3 Nc4 Black has a good game.
13 Qd3 Nac4
Black would be too cramped on the waiting move 13 ... Bd7 14 b3!
Rc8 15 Bd2 Nc6 16
Nf3.
14 Bc1 e5
This followup is mandatory. Else 15 b3 followed by Bc1-b2 with an
overwhelming attack
shaping up.
15 Nf5 Bxf5 16 exf5 exf4
DIAGRAM
17 Bxf4!
An obviously strong pawn sacrifice which I underestimated when
embarking on the
mission to c4 with 12 ... Nb6. Kreiman simply lets the b-pawn go in
return for a very strong
presence in the center. Of course not 17 Nd5? Qc6 18 Bf3? Ne5 19 Nf6+
Kf8, and 17 O-O can
be met by the wild 17 ... h6!?
Nxb2
Black's kingside would be destoryed on 17 ... O-O 18 f6!, and 17
Ne5 18 Qd4 is bleak. At
least the text stops queenside castling by White, and softens up the
knight on c3.
18 Qxd4 Qc6
Probably best was the cold-blooded 18 ... O-O-O as if 19 Rb1 Qc6!
20 Rh3 (20 O-O d5!
allows too much counterplay) N2a4.
19 Rh3
DIAGRAM
d5??
I had to play 19 ... O-O-O! with the possible continuation 20 Rb1
N2a4 21 Nxa4 Nxa4 22
Bf3 d5 23 f6 Bd6 24 Bxd5 Qxc2 with incalculable complications.
20 Qxg7??
Returning the favor. Black is simply flattened after 20 Re3 N2c4
(20 ... Kf8 is splattered
by 21 f6! and a bishop check on h6 will end matters) 21 Bxc4 Nxc4 22
Re2 and the bishop on e7
is terminal.
O-O-O 21 Nb5?!
I thought White still had the better of it on 21 Qxf7! Bd6 (to
stop the trade of queens with
Qf7-e6+) 22 Bxd6 Rxd6 23 Qg7! and the queen returns to the blockading
square d4.
axb5 22 Qxb2 Nc4 23 Qb3 Rhe8
DIAGRAM
24 a4!
Kreiman accompanied this move with a draw offer. Black seemed,
for the first time, to
be clearly better, but I only had 5 minutes left for the next 17 moves,
while Boris had about 45
minutes. After 24 ... b4 Black would stand better because of his strong
knight and White's airy
king, but there would be nothing concrete. I spent 3 minutes analyzing
24 ... Qc5 25 O-O-O (the
only response to the threatened ... Qc5-g1+; not 25 Kf1 Bd6) Qa3+ 26
Kb1 (White's bishop is
hanging on 26 Qxa3 Bxa3+) bxa4 27 Qxa3 Nxa3+ 28 Ka2! and White is ok
because of 28 ... Nc4
29 f6 Bd6 30 Bxc4.
Waitzkin - Tate
Eastern Open 1996
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4
Tate is known for his very sharp and uncompromising opening
repertoire. Having recently defeated Waitzkin in another sharp
Sicilian in the National Congress in Philadelphia, here he employs the
Pin Variation, which does not have the best theoretical reputation,
but can be very scary to deal with. By the way, if White wants to
avoid this line, he can play 3 Nc3 instead of 3 d4. After 3 Nc3, 3 ...
Nf6 transposes to the Alapin Sicilian after 4 e5, and after other
moves (say, 3 ... Nc6) White can play 4 d4 and the Pin Variation is
longer a possibility.
6.Bd3
The main line is 6.e5 Nd5 (this is better than 6...Ne4 7.Qg4!! Nxc3 8
Qxg7 Rf8 9 a3!, and, although the play is very complex, in many lines
White's Bc1-h6 will be a killer, e.g., 9 ... Nb5+ 10 axb4 Nxd4 11 Bg5
Qb6 12 Bh6 Qxb4+ 13 c3 Nf5 14 cxb4 Nxg7 15 Bxg7 with a great endgame
for White, Szabo - Mikenas, Kemery 1939) and now 7.Bd2 is probably
best; then one line is 7 ... Nxc3 8 bxc3 Be7 9 Qg4.)
6...Nc6
Another challenge to get in the move e4-e5 is issued! After 6 ... e5,
I once won a nice game with 7 Ne2 d5?! 8 exd5 Nxd5 9 O-O Nc6 10 f4!?,
not satisfied with the routine 10 Nxd5 played in Yates - Alekhine, The
Hague, 1921. But I do not see the need for Black to rush the move ...
d7-d5 in this line.
7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.0-0
ECO gives the cryptic variation 8.e5 Nd5 9 Qg4 Qa5 10 O-O with a
large plus for White.
8...Qc7 9.Bd2
I still like White on 9 Qe2, with ideas such as 9 ... e5 10 f4, 9 ...
d6 10 Na4, and 9 ... d5 10 exd5 cxd5 11 Bg5.
9...Rb8 10.Kh1 Bd6
DIAGRAM
11.Na4
Now on 11.f4 e5, Black's threat against b2 is very distracting.
11...h5 12.h3 Be5 13.c3
A passive move falling in with Black's plans. I think White would have
decent compensation for the pawn after 13.f4! Bxb2 14.Nxb2 Rxb2 15.e5
Nd5 16.Qf3 in Black's weak dark squares and disorganized position.
This exchange series would negate Tate's attacking gestures on the
kingside.
13...Bf4!
Appealing now that White does not have the reply Bd2-c3.
14.c4
This may be a tactical mistake. On 14.Qe2, 14 ... Ng4? would not work
because of 15.Bxf4 Qxf4 16.g3.
DIAGRAM
14...Ng4
Mike Atkins reports that, in the post-game analysis, the players
agreed that White was lost after this shot. In fact, Tate stated that
he did not think that anyone could find a defense for White. The
immediate threat is 15 ... Bxd2, leaving the diagonal so that the
queen can make her way to h2. And the knight on g4 will always be
immune to capture because the h-file opening will be decisive.
15.Bc3?
Well, what about 15 g3 (but not 15 Bxf4? Qxf4 with the double threat
of mate on h2 and 16 ... Nxf2+). Then 15 ... Bxg3 16 fxg3 Qxg3 and
White can choose between 17 Qe2 allowing a draw by perpetual with 17
... Qxh3+ 18 Kg1 Qg3+, or the riskier 17 Bf4 Qxh3+ (bad is 17 ... Nf2+
18 Rxf2 Qxf2 19 Bxb8) 18 Kg1 e5 19 Rf3 Qh4 20 Bg3 Qg5.
Be3! 16.f4 Bxf4 17.Qf3
DIAGRAM
Bd2!!
A nice finish. Establishing the pathway to h2 takes priority over
everything. The next moves are virtually forced.
18.Qxf7+
On the defensive 18 g3 Bxc3 19 bxc3 Ne5, Black is a pawn up with an
overwhelming position.
Kd8 19.e5 Bxc3 20.Qxg7
A pretty maneuver which staves off immediate disaster. White
threatens mate via 21 Rf8+.
Qxe5 21.Rf8+
This is needed to liquidate the rook on h8 which has been holding
up the knight on g4.
Kc7!
Much better than 21 ... Rxf8 22 Qxf8+ Kc7 23 hxg4, and things are
not so clear.
22.Qxe5+ Bxe5 23.Rxh8 Nf2+ 24.Kg1 Nxh3+ 25.gxh3 Bxh8
Tate emerges in a winning endgame a solid pawn up, with the advantage
of the two bishops.
26. Rb1 d5 27. Rf1 Bxb2 28. Rf7+ Bd7 29. Nxb2 Rxb2 30. cxd5 cxd5 31.
a4 Kd6 32. a5 e5 33. Rf6+ Kc5 34. Rf7 Bxh3 35. Rxa7 e4 36. Bc2 Kd4 37.
Ba4 e3 38. a6 Rg2+ 39. Kh1 Ra2 40. Bb5 Bg2+ 41. Kg1 Be4 42. Ra8 h4 43.
Rh8 Ra1+
0-1
B48
CRUNCH AND COUNTERCRUNCH
In the super-tournament at Tilburg, [date], run as a double round-robin, Garry Kasparov bounded back into form, winning his first major tournament of 1991! One of the players chasing him for top honors was the 21-year-old star from India, Viswanathan Anand. The two games between Kasparov and Anand, were, without exaggeration, brutal. Both games were Sicilians which featured slashing attacks, wandering kings, and hammering blows. Both games ended on the 29th move. This brevity allows me to include both games in this column, which may have to be renamed "Crunch of the Month"!
Kasparov's efforts to popularize chess in the United States are now well recognized. But in the past few months, Kasparov has returned to a daily regimen of chess studying with his trainer, Sergei Makarychev, despite his exhausting schedule. Meanwhile, Anand has become one of the most feared players in the world. His incredible speed is both a source of strength and weakness, inducing as it does blunders in both his opponents and himself.
Recently, Kasparov visited New York and Washington, D.C, both to promote chess and to discuss the current world political situation. Kasparov was particularly anxious to prove that Anand had not outplayed him, and he showed the rapt audience both games. Those who did not follow his analysis at least enjoyed the Q & A period which followed.
B48
Kasparov - Anand Tilburg 1991, Rd. 5 B48
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cd 4 Nd4 Qc7 [There are some interesting transpositional effects to this early posting of the queen. First of all, 5 Nb5 Qb8 accomplishes nothing for White. More promising is 5 c4 which allows 5 ... Qe5?! 6 Nb5 Qe4+ 7 Be2 with a nice game for White - this is reminiscent of the Scotch Steinitz 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 ed 4 Nd4 Qh4 5 Nb5. But after 5 c4 better is the simple 5 ... e6 with possible transposition to Kamsky - I. Gurevich, New York Open 1991 (see Chess Life ____). It is also important to distinguish the different possibiilities of 4 ... Qc7 5 Nc3 e6 from 4 ... e6 Nc3 a6. On 4 ... e6 White can play the "Karpovian" 5 Nb5 d6 6 c4. And on 4 ... e6 5 Nc3 a6 White can play Sax's annoying 6 Nc6 bc 7 Bd3. But one advantage of the move order 4 ... e6 5 Nc3 a6 is that White can not so profitably get Kasparov's setup with bishops on e3 and d3 - if then 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Bd3 Black has no need to play ... Qc7 and can play 7 ... d5 or 7 ... e5.] 5 Nc3 e6 6 Be3 a6 7 Bd3 [White could still have played the more usual move order 7 Be2 Nf6 8 O-O with a main line Taimanov after 8 ... Bb4 or a Scheveningen after 8 ... d6.] Nf6 8 O-O Ne5 [A move which requires some thought. Black threatens 9 ... Neg4, forcing White to spend time defending against it. But since Black will not want to open the c-file with a later ... Nxd3, ultimately the knight will have to retreat. The real point is to get the Black bishop to c5, which cannot be accomplished immediately - 8 ... Bc5 9 Nxe6.] 9 h3 Bc5 10 Kh1 d6 11 f4 Nc6? [This move allows Kasparov's following shot because the bishop on c5 may become undefended. Most logical was 11 ... Ned7 12 Qf3 b5, as in Tal - Najdorf, Belgrade 1970. Placing the knight on g6 would be uncomfortable because Black could then never respond to White's f5 with ... e5.] 12 e5!! [A comparable situation, in which White ignores a picec on d4 in order to get in the push e4-e5 arises after 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cd 4 Nd4 e6 5 Nc3 a6 6 g3 Qc7 7 Bg2 Nf6 8 0-0 h6 9 Re1 Nd4 10 e5!, as in DeFirmian - Rohde, New York Open 1988.] Ne5 [A tough move to play, as it temporarily sacs a piece while leaving White with options as to how to throw it back. But Anand clearly saw the alternatives were demoralizing: 12 ... dxe5 13 Ndb5! axb5 14 Bxc5 Nd4 15 fxe5 Qxc5 16 exf6 0-0 17 Ne4 Qe5 18 Qg4 is grisly; 12 ... Nxd4 13 exf6 gxf6 14 Ne4 f5 15 Bxd4! Bxd4 16 Bb5+ axb5 17 Qxd4 0-0 18 Nf6+ Kh8 19 Ne8+ wins; 12 ... Bxd4 13 Bxd4 and now 13 ... Nxd4 14 exf6 gxf6 15 f5! or 13 ... dxe5 14 fxe5 Nd7 15 Ne4! with the amusing triad 15 ... Ndxe5 16 Bc5 and 17 Nd6+ is unstoppable, 15 ... Nxd4 16 Nd6+ wins - if 16 ... Ke7 or 16 ... Kf8 then 17 Rf7+ and 18 Qg4, or 16 ... Kd8 17 Nxf7+, and 15 ... Ncxe5 16 Qh5 with a continuing attack: 16 ... 0-0? 17 Bxe5 followed by 18 Nf6+, or 16 ... H6 17 Ng5 0-0 18 Bh7+! Kh8 19 Nxf7+ Rxf7 20 Rxf7 Kxh7 21 Raf1! threatening 22 Rxg7+ and if 21 ... Nxf7 22 Rxf7 e5 23 Qf5+.] 13 fe de 14 Bb5+! [Much better than 14 Ndb5? axb5 15 Nxb5 Qb6 which is not special.] ab [Black cannot delay the recovery of the piece. If 14 ... Bd7 15 Bxd7+ Nxd7 16 Nxe6! fxe6 17 Bg5 and Black's king is cut off, e.g. 17 ... Nb6 18 Ne4, or 17 ... Be7 18 Bxe7 Kxe7 19 Qh5. On 14 ... Kf8 15 Rf6 hurts: 15 ... gxf6 16 Bh6+ Ke7 17 Nf5+! wins, or 15 ... exd4 16 Bf4 Qe7 (16 ... Bd6 17 Nd5 Qd8 18 Bxd6+ Qxd6 19 Qh5!) 17 Ne4 axb5 18 Be5 (Kasparov) with a crushing bind - if 18 ... b6 19 Qg4 Bb7 20 Raf1. On 14 ... Ke7 15 Rxf6! wins - 15 ... gxf6 16 Nf5+, 15 ... Kxf6 16 Qg4, or 15 ... exd4 16 Bf4 Qa5 (16 ... Bd6 17 Nd5+) 17 Qh5.] 15 Ndb5 Qb6 16 Bc5 Qc5 17 Nd6+ Ke7 18 Rf6! [Only this thematic shot retains the attack.] gf 19 Nce4 Qd4 [Not 19 ... Qe3? 20 Nf5+!] 20 Qh5 Rf8 21 Rd1 [Better than 21 Qh4 Ra6 22 Nc8+ Kd7!] Qe3 22 Qh4 Qf4 23 Qe1! [A pretty switch. Now 23 ... f5 24 Qb4 is devastating.] Ra4 24 Qc3 Rd4 25 Rd4 Qf1+ [Necessary. Not 25 ... ed 26 Qc7+ Bd7 27 27 Nc8+.] 26 Kh2 ed 27 Qc5 Kd7 28 Nb5 Qf4+ 29 g3 [29 ... Qe5 30 Nf6+! Qf6 31 Qc7+ Ke8 and mate is delivered on the key d6 square.] 1 - 0
THE BARNACLE
It was said of Alekhine that to defeat him one had to outplay him "once in the opening, once in the middlegame, and once in the ending". In modern chess lingo, this type of fierce resistance is known as being a "barnacle" - literally, a "marine shellfish that clings to rocks, ship's bottoms, etc." (the Oxford Dictionary). See Chess Chow, vol. 2, issue 1, p. 1 for the etymology of the term "barnacle" as it relates to chess.
English GM William Watson convincingly won the Prague Bohemians 1992 International, a Category ___ tournament. In his game against Czech IM A. Pekarek, Watson found himself, after wild opening complications, with only 2 knights for a queen. Watson proceeded to give an object lesson in how to barnacle. His strategy consisted of 1) freezing the kingside pawns, 2) liquidating the queenside pawns, 3) avoiding piece exchanges, 4) establishing a fortress-like blockade, and 5) engaging in annoying tactical skirmishes. Pekarek, in frustration, became obsessed with breaking down the blockade, or forcing a tactical solution.
Watson - Pekarek, Prague 1992 B50
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 [3 Bb5 is considered a more viable option for the initiative against 2 ... Nc6 than 3 Bb5+ against 2 ... d6.] g6 4 0-0 Bg7 5 c3 e5 [A sharp and risky line, inviting White's following pawn sacrifice. The main line is 5 ... Nf6 6 Re1 Qb6, or 6 e5 Nd5.] 6 d4 ed 7 cd cd [Better than 7 ... Nxd4 8 Nxd4 cxd4 9 Bf4, or in this line 8 ... Bxd4 9 Nc3.] 8 Bf4 a6 [8 ... Nge7 9 Bd6 0-0 10 Nbd2 is more popular these days.] 9 Bc4 [White had many choices at this point. 9 Bd3 d6 10 Nbd2 Ne5, as in a 1972 game Meduna - Hort, is unimpressive. Interesting is 9 Qa4 Nge7 10 Bd6 0-0 11 Qa3, J. Whitehead - Zueger, Cagnes Sur Mer 1977. After the positional 9 Ba4, Black should probably accede to 9 ... Nge7 10 Bd6, as he has too many targets after 9 ... b5 10 Bb3 d6 11 a4. Watson, typically, chose the most aggressive continuation.] d6 10 Re1 [This may be too slow. Ciocaltea - Ghitescu, Romanian Champ. 1975 saw instead 10 Qb3 Qe7 11 Nbd2 Be5 12 Bg3 with decent compensation for the pawn.] Nge7 11 Ng5 [11 Nbd2 0-0 12 Nb3 Bg4, or 12 h3 b5, does not work.] 0-0 12 Qb3 [The crude-looking 12 Qf3 should be met by the cold-blooded 12 ... h6! Then 13 Nxf7 Rxf7 14 Bxd6 (not 14 Bxh6? d5!) Qxd6 is better for Black. With the text Watson embarks on a fascinating combination.] d5 13 ed [After this move, there is no turning back. If White wanted merely to recover the pawn, Black would be quite comfortable after 13 Bxd5 Na5 14 Qf3 Nxd5 15 exd5 Bf5.] Na5 DIAGRAM 14 d6!! [Hopeless was 14 Qc2 Bf5 15 Bd3 Rc8 16 Qe2 Bxd3.] Nd5! [Deserting e7 while attacking more White pieces, Pekarek has no appetite for 14 ... Nxb3 15 dxe7. If then 15 ... Nxa1 16 exd8(Q) Rxd8 Black is up the Exchange, but 17 Nxf7 Rf8 - or 17 ... b5 18 Nxd8+ bxc4 19 Re8+ Bf8 20 Bd6 - 18 Re7! contains the vicious threat 19 Ng5+ Kh8 20 Be5. But what about, after 14 ... Nxb3 15 dxe7, 15 ... Qa5! hitting the rook on e1? DIAGRAM The position is then so complicated that it is worthy of inclusion in Dvoretsky's Candidates training course. When working through the following variations, one must not only watch out for all tactical nuances, but one must also keep count of the pieces! Right now Black is up a queen for a knight. White has three tries: 1) 16 e8(Q)? loses to 16 ... Be6!! which defends f7 and the back rank and threatens mate and all of WHite's major pieces! 2) 16 exf8(Q)+ Bxf8 17 Bxf7+ Kg7 18 Re5 Nc5 leaves White with a rook and a knight for the queen but Black strongly threatens 19 ... Bd6 and 19 ... h6. White can try to improve this with 17 Re5! (instead of 17 Bxf7+) Nc5 18 Nxf7. But then Black is beautiful after 18 ... b5! 19 Bd5 Bb7. 3) 16 Bxf7+ (best) attempts to drive Black's king into the corner so as to win with a variation such as 16 ... Kh8 17 Re5! Nc5 18 e8(Q) and White is a piece ahead. But Black plays 16 ... Rxf7! 17 e8(Q)+ Rf8, and with even material Black is attacking White's major pieces. DIAGRAM After 18 axb3! Qxa1, if 19 Bd6?! Black can draw with 19 ... Rxe8? 20 Rxe8+ Bf8 21 Rxf8+ Kg7 22 Rf7+ Kg8 (not 22 ... Kh6?? 23 h4 Qxb1+ 24 Kh2 Kh5 25 Rxh7+ Kg4 26 f3+ Kf5 27 Rf7 mate) but 19 ... Bf5! 20 Qe2 d3! is strong, so White is better off playing 19 Qe4 or 19 Qe2!?] 15 Bd5?! [Caught up in the excitement of the previous variations, White continues with a speculative queen sacrifice. Better was 15 Qf3! after which Black might take either bishop: 15 ... Nxc4? 16 Qxd5 Nb6 17 Qb3 h6 (the threat was 18 Re7) 18 Nxf7!! Rxf7 19 Re7 Qf8 20 Nd2! and Black has big problems; 15 ... Nxf4! 16 Bxf7+! (not 16 Nxf7 Qf6!) Kh8 (16 ... Rxf7 17 Nxf7 Kxf7 18 Re7+ Kg8 19 Qf4 Bf5 - 19 ... Qf8? 20 Qe4 - 20 g4 Nc6 with rough equality) 17 Qxf4 Nc4 (or 17 ... h6 18 Ne6) 18 Qg3 with a complex game.] Nb3 16 ab Bf6! [Stopping a later Re7.] 17 h4 h6 18 Ne4 Bg7 19 g3 [The combination has not worked out, and White is down material. The barnacle phase begins.] Be6 [The only way to break White's hold on the center. Black is now hoping for 20 Bxe6 fxe6 21 Nc5? e5.] 20 Bb7 Rab8 21 Ba6 Bb3 [21 ... Rxb3? 22 Nc5 Rxb2 23 Nxe6 fxe6 24 Bc4 would be messy.] 22 Nbd2 Bd5 23 Rac1 Qa5 24 Bf1 Rb2 25 Bg2 [Winning back control of the center, with the threat 26 Rc5 Qa2 27 Rxd5.] Be4 26 Ne4 d3 [Of course, Black has to expand sooner or later, but now the d-pawn may require defence.] 27 Red1 Rc2 28 Rb1 f5 [The knight on e4 was very irritating.] 29 Nd2 Rd8 30 Rb7 Qc5 31 Rc7 [Now both sides have protected passed rooks.] Qd4 32 Re1 [Preventing any exchange with 32 ... Be5.] g5 [To eliminate White's d-pawn and stop seventh rank counterplay.] 33 hg hg 34 Bg5 Rd6 35 Rb7 Rd7 36 Re8+ Kh7 37 Be3 Qd6 38 Rb5 [There has been only one exchange of pieces in the last 20 moves.] Qg6 39 Ra8 Rc1+? [Correct was 39 ... Qh5 preventing White from getting his bishop to h3 and meeting 40 Rxf5? with 40 ... Rc1+. If 40 Rb1 Rdc7 41 Nf3 Bh6 is strong, and 40 Nf3 d2 is curtains. White must try 40 Raa5!! with bizarre complications after 40 ... Rxd2 41 Rxf5 Qd1+ 42 Kh2.] 40 Kh2 Rd1 [On 40 ... Rdc7, threatening 41 ... Qh5+ 42 Bh3 Rh1+, 41 Rxf5 is possible.] 41 Nf3 Bf6 [If 41 ... d2 42 Ng5+ Qxg5 43 Bxg5 Rh1+ 44 Bxh1 d1(Q) White is OK with a rook, bishop, and pawn for the queen. But after the text it will become impossible to hold the f5 point.] 42 Bh3 Qh5 43 Kg2 d2 44 Bd2 Rfd2 45 Nd2 Qe2? [He had to play 45 ... Rxd2, with a potential draw after 46 Bxf5+ Kh6 47 Ra6 Qg5 48 Rbb6 Rxf2+ 49 Kxf2 Qxf5+, etc.] 46 Bf5+ Kh6 47 Ra7! [A winning shot, as 47 ... Be7 loses to 48 Rb6+ Kg5 49 Nf3+ Kf5 50 Ra5+ Ke4 51 Re5+.] Qb5 48 Rh7+ Kg5 49 Nf3+ Kf5 50 Rh5+ Kg6 51 Rb5 [White has converted his sudden initiative into a simple endgame win. Rc1 52 Rb6 Kg7 53 Rb7+ Kg8 54 g4 Rc2 55 Kg3 Bb2 56 Nh4 Bd4 57 f3 Bf2+ 58 Kh3 Rc3 59 Nf5! Rf3+ 60 Kg2 Rf4 61 Ne7+ Kg7 62 Nd5+ 1 - 0
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 e5 6. Nc3 g6
This is Shaked - Kaidanov (rd. 11). In this position, White has the
better remaining bishop; Black has chances for a kingside expansion because his
f-pawn is unblocked. Kaidanov employs the most agressive system.
7. O-O Bg7 8.Rb1 Nc6 9. d3 Nge7 10. Bd2 O-O 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. cxd5 Nd4 13. b4 f5
14. bxc5dxc5 15. Nxd4 exd4 16. Qb3 b6 17. f4
Shaked has played thematically, and has a large advantage based on his
more mobile and more threatening pawn majority. However, he blundered; 0-1 in
29.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Bxc6
As played in Khmelnitsky - Gurevich. Theory concerns itself most with 5
c3 Nf6 6 Re1 or 6 e5, and 5 Re1, as in a 1992 Fischer- Spassky match game which
saw the introduction of 5 ... e5 6 Bxc6 bxc6 7 b4!
dxc6 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. d3 b6 9. Be3 e5 10. Qd2 Qd6 11. Bh6 Be6 12. b3 Nh5
13. Ne2 f6 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Qc3 g5
Black's space-grabbing policy has blunted White's initiative. 1/2-1/2 in
49.
Crowd-Pleaser
Before the opening ceremony of the Reshevsky Memorial, hosted by Milbank, Tweed in New York City from July 13 - 24, the arbiters had set up the tables, name tags and flags at random, of course not knowing who would play who until the drawing of lots. These "pairings" proved to be startlingly psychic, as only two names had to be switched after the real match-ups were determined! A ripple went through the audience when it became clear that Judit Polgar had selected the lottery number that forced her to play (as "predicted") her sister Zsuzsa in the first round.
Judit essayed a relatively new attacking continuation in the 3 Bb5 Sicilian. Zsuzsa parried with a continuation which gains space at the cost of perilously slow kingside development. While Judit commenced a direct assault against Zsuzsa's uncastled king, Zsuzsa was able to centralize and create some threats of her own. Neither side could back down from the confrontation, and the position seemed to take on its own momentum.
J. Polgar - Zsu. Polgar, Rd 1, Reshevsky Mmemorial
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5
[Avoiding Zsuzsa's expertise in the Sveshnikov and Taimanov variations. Judit also plays the Taimanov as Black, although she exclusively uses the 2 ... e6 move order.]
e6 4 O-O Nge7
[This is the standard follow-up to 3 ... e6.]
5 c3!
[A strong move which has been long overlooked. The idea is to develop a Ruy Lopez pawn center with d2-d4 and let the bishop drop back to c2; Black's awkwardly placed minors might then give her problems. The old move is 5 b3, trying to utilize the long diagonal. Then Black's best is probably 5 ... Nd4! 6 Nxd4 cxd4 7 Bb2 a6! (Better than 7 ... Nc6 8 c3 Bc5 9 Qh5.) 8 Bd3 Nc6 with equality. A sharper alternative, inviting White to complete her plan, is, after 5 b3, 5 ... a6 6 Bxc6 Nxc6 7 Bb2 b5 8 d4 cxd4 9 Nxd4 Bb7 or 9 ... Qf6!?]
a6 6 Ba4 b5
[A radical way to stop d2-d4 is 6 ... c4!? as tried in Psakhis - Rohde from the 6th round of this event. One of the ideas is illustrated by 7 Qe2 b5 8 Bc2 Ng6 9 b3 Bc5! 10 bxc4 Nf4, etc. In the game Psakhis played the uninspiring 7 d4 cxd3 8 Qxd3, obtaining little. More dangerous would have been 7 Bc2! followed by 8 b3.]
7 Bc2 d5 8 e5
DIAGRAM
[White plans on getting a nice Advance French with d2-d4 next where Black's ... a6 and ... b5 are irrelevant compared to White's secure center and kingside space advantage. Zsuzsa correctly prevents this possibility.]
d4 9 Be4 Nd5
[Perhaps Black can dispense with this and simply play 9 ... g6. Now White develops irritating pressure.]
10 a4 Rb8 11 axb5 axb5 12 Qc2 h6 13 cxd4 Nxd4 14 Nxd4 cxd4 15 d3 Bb7 16 Qe2 g6!
[Seemingly risky, but White would be very happy after 16 ... Be7 17 Nd2. The text provides needed counterplay against the e-pawn.]
17 Nd2 Bg7 18 Nb3!
[Eyeing c5 and a5. It would be tough to make forward progress on the mundane 18 Nf3 Qb6.]
Bxe5!
[Typical of Zsuzsa's practical style: she eliminates her positional disadvantage, figuring she has better equity in a tactical battle.]
19 Bxg6
[Of course not 19 Nc5? Bxh2+. The text is the beginning of a campaign to break down the e6 square.]
Qd6 20 f4
DIAGRAM
Nxf4
[Again seeking the most complicated route. But Black's position would finally have been cohesive after the judicious retreat 20 ... Bg7. Then after 21 Be4 an interesting positional problem arises. Black doesn't want to allow f4-f5, so she should play 21 ... f5 22 Bf3 O-O 23 Bd2 Rfe8, after which she is ready for e6-e5. The point is that the Black pawn on f5 stops White from sealing the e-file with her bishop on e4.]
21 Bxf7+ Ke7
[Not 21 ... Kxf7? 22 Bxf4 Bxf4 23 Rxf4+ Qxf4 24 Rf1 and the White queen and knight combo will be deadly.]
22 Bxf4 Bxf4 23 Rxf4!
[Judit breaks through on e6 after all, at the cost of the Exchange. At first, White's threats seem overwhelming, but she has to watch out for potential queen exchanges and threats on the long diagonal.]
Qxf4 24 Qxe6+ Kf8 25 Re1 Qg5
[In turn, each sister threatens total destruction.]
26 g3
DIAGRAM
Rd8!!
[The threat was 27 Re5, and 26 ... Kg7 would not have helped. But the text prepares the vicious sequence 27 Re5 Bc8! and wins! Note also that if White tries instead 27 Rf1, then 27 ... Kg7 is strong as 28 ... Qe3+ is coming.]
27 Bg6 Bd5 28 Nxd4!!
[Amazingly, on 28 Rf1+? Kg7 29 Rf7+ Kg8 White has overreached. But now, with her queen in a hlding pattern (i.e., still hovering on e6), 28 ... Rg8 is refuted by 29 Rf1+ Kg7 30 Nf5+ Kh8 31 Qe5+. So Black must exchange.]
Bxe6 29 Nxe6+ Kg8 30 Nxg5 hxg5 31 Re5
[Judit has 2 pawns for the Exchange, and intends to clean out her opponent's remaining pawns. Zsuzsa scrambles for counterplay.]
Rc8 32 d4 Rc1+ 33 Kg2 Rd1
[The arrival of the rook on the seventh rank ensures the draw.]
34 Rxg5 Rd2+ 35 Kf3 Rhxh2 36 Bd3+ Kf7 37 Ke3 Rxb2 38 Bxb5 Kf6 39 Rc5 Rb3+ 40 Bd3 Rh1 41 Rf5+ Ke6 42 Rf3 Kd5 43 Rf5+ Kd6 44 Rf6+ Kd5 1/2 - 1/2
Bb5+ variation
B50
Shirov, A. - Polgar, J.
Vienna, 1996
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6
In the 1996 U.S. Championship, Kaidanov employed the central lock-up 5
... e5 against Shaked. Although that cedes to White the permanently better
bishop, the idea is that Black, with his unblocked f-pawn, has good chances for
a kingside expansion. Play continued 6 Nc3 g6 7 O-O Bg7 8 Rb1 Nc6 9 d3 Nge7 10
Bd2 O-O 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 cxd5 Nd4 13 b4 and White had a significant edge. A
radically different approach is the pawn-grabbing 5 ... Qg4, which has been
frowned on since Browne-Quinteros, Wijk aan Zee 1974, where White's lead in
development was overwhelming after 6 O-O Qxe4 7 d4 cxd4 8 Re1! Qc6 9 Nxd4 Qxc4
10 Na3.
6.Nc3 g6
[6...Nf6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qg4 is a line for players who are for some
reason highly motivated to trade queens; White keeps his small edge in space and
development after 9 O-O.]
7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.Nde2
A new approach to the position; there is no need to maintain the knight
on d4 with the old 9 Be3 - Shirov's move allows the later development of the
bishop to the more active g5.
9...Nf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.f3 a6 12.a4 e6!
Setting in motion a plan to obtain active piece play on the queenside.
13.Bg5 Qc7 14.b3 Nd7 15.Kh1 Qa5 16.Qd2 Nc5 17.Rab1 Qb4!
A good defensive move, which inhibits 18 Bh6 because the reply 18 ...
Nxb3 becomes possible.
18.Qc2
[18.Qxd6? Rad8 19.Bxd8 Rxd8 20.Qc7 Be5]
18...Qa5
An implicit offer of a draw which Shirov rejects. The move was indicated
anyway, as otherwise Bg5-d2 might have been very annoying. Note that White still
might build up an advantage, as all of Black's potentially freeing pawn breaks
have been stymied.
19.Bh4 Nb4 20.Qd1
A very enterprising choice, typical of Shirov. There was nothing wrong
with the normal 20 Qd2. But with the text, Shirov forces the issue, as he is
menacing 21 Bh4-e1.
20...Ncd3
Accepting White's kind invitation - and hoping not to be thrown out
later!
21.Qd2 Qc5 22.f4
The e5 escape route for the knight has been closed, and 23 Rf1-f3 is in
the air.
22...b5! 23.f5!
[If 23.cxb5 Rfc8, or 23.axb5 axb5 24.Nxb5 (24.cxb5 Rfc8) 24...Ra2 is
very good for Black.]
23...exf5
The players are in agreement that Black cannot allow her bishop to be
buried as in the line 23 ... bxc4 24 f6.
24.exf5 Rfe8 25.f6 Bf8 26.cxb5
With the long diagonal pressure gone, this move becomes the capture of
choice. However, Polgar can now use the open e-file to generate counterplay.
26...axb5 27.Nxb5 Re4 28.Bg3 Rae8 29.Nf4
[Better than 29.Nec3?! Re3 30.Bf4 Nxf4 31.Rxf4 Bh6 32.Rc4 Qf5 and Black
is threatening 33 ... Qxb1+ among other things.]
29...Qg5!!
White would be allowed a more favorable type of simplification after 29
... Re3 30 Bf2! To avoid this, Polgar is willing to sac the d-pawn as well.
30.Rbd1 Re3 31.Nxd3 Nxd3 32.Bxd6 Bh6 33.Be7 Qh5
This is the position that had to be evaluated to judge the strength of
29 ... Qg5.
34.Qxe3!
Forced but strong; Shirov eliminates the threats against his king (not
34 Qc2? Bf4) and banks on his queenside passers and strong Be7/Pf6 bind to give
him winning chances, with rook, knight + 2 pawns against the queen. However,
Polgar's queen can roam the open board and may be able to tie down White's
pieces to the defence of his king.
34...Bxe3 35.Rxd3 Bg5
Polgar figures that the bishop would only be a target if it tried to
stay on the a7-g1 diagonal.
36.Nc3
Stopping a queen incursion into e2, and heading for a more useful post
at d5 where it can help to shepherd in the queenside pawns.
36...h6 37.a5 Qg4 38.h3 Qe6 39.b4 Qa6 40.Rff3 Rc8 41.Bc5
He simply cannot hammer through with 41 Rd6 Qc4 42 a6 Bf4 and Black is
becoming alarmingly active.
41...Re8 42.Bf2
This illustrates Shirov's determination. On 42 Be7 Rc8 would amount to a
draw offer predicated on the inability of the White bishop to shut the Black
rook out of the game. Shirov decides to give the rook free reign, and use the
bishop to shield his king instead.
42...Bc1
Looking to dislodge the guardian of the square e2.
43.Rd1 Bb2 44.Nd5 Qc4 45.Bc5 Re2
Allowing White the following small combination in return for engineering
a trade of rooks which will give her queen additional operating possibilities.
46.Nf4 Rc2 47.Nxg6 Rc1 48.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 49.Kh2 Qa1
The opening of the g-file is very dangerous, but Polgar is now angling
to land a bishop check on e5.
50.Ne7+ Kh7 51.Nc6 Qa4 52.Nd4
A necessary defensive maneuver.
52...Bxd4 53.Bxd4 Qxb4 54.Bb6 Qd6+ 55.g3 Kg6 56.h4 h5 57.Rf4 Qd2+ 58.Rf2 Qb4
59.Kg2 Qe4+ 60.Kh2 Qb4
1/2-1/2
Richter-Rauzer
Event "US Championship (Gp 1)"] [Site "Chandler"] [Date
"1997.08.30"] [Round "6"] [White "Ivanov, Alexander"] [Black
"Zamora, Jorge"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B63"] [WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2390"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "1997.08.23"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6
7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6
This move, after the exchange of knights, is a bit slow. More
usual is 9 ... O-O 10 f4
Qa5.
10. f4
White does not achieve anything after 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 Qxd6 Qxd6
12 Rxd6 Bxc3.
However, an interesting possibility was 10 e5! dxe5 11 Qxe5 Qb6 12 Be3
Qc6 13 Be2.
b5 11. Be2
11 e5 was still food for thought.
Bb7 12. Bf3 Rc8 13. Bxf6 gxf6
Dangerous for Black was 13 ... Bxf6?! 14 e5! Bxf3 15 exf6 Bxd1 16
fxg7 Rg8 17 Rxd1
and Nc3-e4 is threatened.
14. Kb1 O-O 15. f5
White has a typical advantage, but Black has his full complement
of Sicilian counterplay.
Rc4 16. Qd3 Qc7 17.
fxe6 fxe6 18. Ne2 Rc5 19. Nd4 Re5 20. Rhe1
Also not bad was the immediate 20 Bg4 Bxe4 21 Bxe6+.
Re8 21. Bg4 Bf8 22.
Nf3 Rc5 23. Qb3 Qf7 24. Nd4 Re5 25. Qd3 Qg6 26. Qh3
Enterprising. If 26 Bf3 it would be very hard for White to make
progress.
Bxe4 27. Re2 d5
Also unclear was the defensive try 27 ... Qf7 (not 27 ... f5? 28
Bh5).
28. Bxe6+ Kh8 29. Bg4 Bc5 30. a3
Time out for luft, but Black has some sneaky threats. 30 Nb3 was
passive but probably
necessary.
h5! 31. Nf3
Since 31 Bf3 Bxf3 wins after 32 Qxf3 Bxd4 or 32 Rxe5 Bxd1, 31 Bd7
had to be played,
but White is in trouble.
Qxg4 32. Qxg4 hxg4 33. Nxe5 Rxe5 0-1
Smirin,Ilya (2575) - Yermolinsky,Alex (2630) [B66] NY Open (4), 1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6
8.0-0-0 h6
A very popular line nowadays. For many years, Maxim Dlugy
championed this line.
9.Be3
The main alternative is 9 Bf4, putting immediate pressure on d6,
which forces 9 ... Bd7 (not 9 ... Nxd4? 10 Qxd4 e5? 11 Bxe5) 10 Nxc6
Bxc6 and then White usually selects 11 Qe1 or 11 f3.
Be7 10.f4 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b5 12.Qe3
In Short - Salov, Madrid 1995, play continued 12 Bd3 (White would not
keep any advantage after 12 Bxf6 Bxf6 13 Qxd6 Qxd6 14 Rxd6 Bxc3 15
bxc3 Bb7) b4 (the less forthright 12 ... Bb7 13 Rhe1 O-O 14 Kb1 was
seen in Santo-Roman - Van der Wiel, Moscow, 1994) 13 Ne2 Qa5 14 Bxf6?!
(better is the normal 14 Kb1) Bxf6 15 Bc4 O-O! 16 Qxd6 Bb7 with great
compensation for the pawn.
Bb7
DIAGRAM
13.Bxf6
An interesting idea. Perhaps the most logical follow-up to 12 Qe3
is 13 Be2 followed by settling the bishop on f3.
Bxf6 14.e5 Be7 15.exd6 Bxd6 16.Qd4
An imposing-looking move, hitting both the bishop on d6 and the
pawn on g7.
b4!! 17.Na4
White does not get anything on 17 Qxd6 Qxd6 18 Rxd6 bxc3 as Black
has good activity in the endgame.
Bc7!
DIAGRAM
18.Bb5+?
The idea of this move is to connect the White rooks with tempo, as
right now 18 Qxg7?? loses to 18 ... Bxf4+. However, Yermo deals
efficiently with the unsound bishop sacrifice. Perhaps best was 18
Qxb4, although 18 ... Qe7!, protecting the b7 bishop indirectly and
offering the trade of queens, still seems to leave Black better off
due to the extreme weakness of the pawn on f4. For example, 19 Qxe7+
Kxe7 20 Rd4 g5! gives Black a nice initiative to work with.
axb5 19.Qxg7 Bxf4+ 20.Kb1 Qc7
That's all! Black is up a piece but calmly gives back his h8 rook,
as White's knight on a4 is also finished.
21.Qxh8+ Ke7 22.Qd4 Rxa4 23.b3 Be5 24.Qh4+ Bf6 25.Qg3 Qxg3 26.hxg3 Ra8
0-1
B66
[Site "1997 New York Open (Weekend)"] [Site "Manhattan, New York
City"]
[Date "1997.03.29"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Shabalov, Alexander "]
[Black "Ashley, Maurice"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B66"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2465"]
[PlyCount "82"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2
a6 8. O-O-O h6 9. Be3 Bd7
In Smirin - Yermolinsky from round 4 of this event, 9 ... Be7 was
played.
10. f3
This setup envisions an "English Attack" with g2-g4-g5 using a
lever against the h6 pawn should Black castle on the kingside.
b5 11. Kb1 Ne5
A provocative move which Ashley has experimented with several
times, figuring that White has already committed his f-pawn to f3.
However, White's powerful knight on d4 is no longer marked, and White
can try to push through in the center.
12. Bd3
It is true that 12 f4 b4! is not that impressive for White, but
preparing with 12 a3! instead gives White good possibilities after 12
... Rc8 13 f4.
b4 13. Nce2 d5!?
An "efficient" defense of the pawn on b4, although the opening of
the center can be harrowing. Also possible was 13 ... a5.
14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nf4
Shabalov is looking to exploit his superior development by ridding
the board of Black's centralized knights. 15 Be4 would not have been
threatening due to loss of control of the c4 square.
Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Bd6
DIAGRAM
17. Ndxe6!
White has to strike before Black's positional trumps (strong
dark-squared bishop, good central control, possible queenside
counterattack) become the dominant factors.
Bxe6
Not 17 ... fxe6 18 Ng6 recovering the material as 18 ... Nxg6 19
Bxg6+ Ke7 20 Qd4 is crushing.
18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. f4 Nxd3
Best. By huddling his pieces together, Black will just barely be
able to preserve his extra piece.
20. Rxd3 Qe7 21. Qb6 Rd8 22. Rhd1
DIAGRAM
Qc7 23. Qxa6 Ke7
White has picked up a couple of pawns for the bishop, and Black
has lost the right to castle. Black has the better practical chances,
as he may be able to untangle.
24. Re3 Rhe8 25. f5
It is a very good idea to both open the position, and reduce the
number of pawns on the board.
Kf7 26. fxe6+ Rxe6 27. Rxe6 Kxe6 28. Qd3 Be7 29. Qg6+ Bf6 30. Re1+ Kd6
31. a3 Qc5 32. Qf7 Kc6 33. Re6+ Rd6 34.
Rxd6+ Qxd6 35. Qc4+ Qc5 36. Qxb4 Qg1+ 37. Ka2 Qxg2 38. Qc4+ Kd6 39.
Qb4+ Kc6 40. Qc4+ Kd6 41. Qb4+ Kc6 1/2 - 1/2
EXCITING FINISH
Going into the 10th and final game of the Candidates Match between Nigel Short and Anatoly Karpov, Karpov needed to win as Black to avoid losing the match. Since the Sicilian may be the only defense against e4 that prevents White from obtaining a risk-free position, Karpov had to venture it. Some players in Short's position, needing only a draw to win the match, might have essayed a quiet or drawish system. Indeed, how to draw as White against the Sicilian is a subject that I have been wrestling with for some time. But Short made no attempt to duck out, and instead engaged Karpov in an opposite-sides-castling battle.
The line of the Richter-Rauzer which Karpov selected concedes doubled pawns on the kingside but ensures a complex middlegame. The only problem was that Short obtained a great position. He threw his kingside pawns forward menacingly, and stymied Karpov's queenside play. When Karpov tried to break in the center, Short sacked a pawn to disorganize Karpov's forces. When Karpov rushed to defend the kingside, Short invaded the queenside, winning material. Suddenly, Karpov freed his game with a desperate and brilliant combination. At the critical moment, however, he misfired, and Short was home free.
B63
Short - Karpov, Candidates, B63
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4
[Resisting the temptation to play the "safe" 3 Bb5 which , for example, I used to secure a draw as White against Benjamin to make a GM norm in the 1987 New York Open.]
cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 d6 6 Bg5
[The signal move of the Richter-Rauzer, essentially committing White to an opposite sides castling situation. 6 Be2 would have led, after 6 ... g6 to the Classical Dragon, after 6 ... e6 to the Scheveningen, or 6 ... e5 to the Boleslavsky.]
e6 7 Qd2 Be7
[The leading American exponent of this system is D. Gurevich. The other main lines are 7 ... a6 8 O-O-O h6 (popularized by Dlugy), and 7 ... a6 8 O-O-O Bd7 (as played the Zaltzman variation).]
8 O-O-O O-O
DIAGRAM
9 Nb3
[The main line is 9 f4 h6 10 Bh4 (Not 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Qxd6 Qb6 with good play) e5 with tremendous complications. The text 9 Nb3 is recommended by Nunn in his classic Beating the Sicilian, and was once played by Karpov against Kasparov! That game, from the ____ World Championship, continued with Kasparov innovating 9 ... a5 10 a4 d5, and after 11 exd5 Nxd5 Black soon equalized. Later, however, Vitolinsh and Tal discovered 11 Bb5! which has scored well for White. Note that after 9 ... a5, in contrast to the game, 10 Bxf6 would not be good because of 10 ... Bxf6! 11 Qxd6 Qxd6 12 Rxd6 a4.]
a6 10 Bxf6 gxf6
[Karpov has obtained a very double-edged position, where White can not play to keep the draw in hand for fear of simply losing the initiative. With his next move, Short commences a general and fearless kingside advance. A good alternative plan was demonstrated in Adams - Frias, London 1990: 11 Qh6 Kh8 12 Qh5! (to inhibit ... Rg8) Qe8 13 f4 Rg8 14 Bd3 Rg7 15 g4 b5 16 h4 b4 17 Ne2 e5 18 f5 and White has slightly better chances. And in Vitolinsh - Smirin, USSR championship 1989, wild complications ensued after 11 f4 b5 12 Bd3 Kh8 13 Rhe1 Rg8 14 Nd5!? exd5 15 exd5 Ne5!? 16 fxe5 fxe5 17 Kb1 Bg4 18 Be2, and though Black's position has some nice features, again White is more comfortable.]
11 h4 Kh8
[Black can also try dispensing with this standard precautionary move. In Jansa - Sax, Biel Interzonal 1985 play continued 11 ... b5 12 g4 b4 13 Ne2 a5 14 Nbd4 Ne5 15 g5 (a pawn sacrifice which Black ignores) a4 16 Ng3 b3. Black seems to have gotten there first but White took twice on b3 (17 axb3 axb3 18 Nxb3) and later prevailed. Sax was so impressed that he then tried the White side of this line, against Van der Wiel, in Brussels 1985. Van der Wiel diverged with 14 ... Nxd4 15 Nxd4 Bb7 16 g5 f5. After 17 Rg1 White was planning a vicious attack: for example 17 ... Bxe4 18 h5, etc. But Black found 17 ... f4! shutting off White's queen's access, and after 18 h5 e5 the players agreed to a draw, in view of 19 Nf5 Bxe4 20 Nxe7+ Qxe7 21 Qxd6, etc.]
12 g4 b5
[In several games Black has tried first 12 ... Rg8 here. Campora - Zueger, Dubai Olympiad 1986 continuted 13 g5 (White is always willing to sac a pawn to open the h-file) fxg5 14 hxg5 e5 15 f4 Rg7 (Not 15 ... exf4? 16 Rxh7+!) 16 Kb1 exf4 17 Qxf4 Ne5 18 Bh3 Bxg5 with an unclear position. In Judasin - Aseev, USSR 1987, after 12 ... Rg8 13 g5, Black played 13 ... b5 14 f4 Bb7 15 Kb1 b4 16 Ne2 a5 17 Bg2 a4 18 Nbd4 Na5, and White started munching with 19 Qxb4 d5 20 Qxa4 and somehow survived.]
13 g5 b4
DIAGRAM
14 Na4!
[Although the knight is a potential target here, it is also quite annoying. Moreover, it stops the advance of the a-pawn. Karpov may have been surprised by this placement.]
Rg8 15 f4
[Only Black would be helped by 15 gxf6 Bf8! and if 16 Qf4 Rg6.]
Rb8 16 Kb1
[Now 16 gxf6 would lead to an unclear situation after 16 ... Bxf6 17 Qxd6 Qe8, as White's pieces seem disorganized.]
Bf8 17 Be2 e5
[It is easy to be suspicious about this move in light of what later transpired, but Black's position was already difficult. On 17 ... Bd7 18 Nac5 Be8! 19 Nxa6 Rb6 gives compensation, but instead White plays 18 gxf6! Qxf6 19 e5, or 18 ... Na5 19 Nac5. And 17 ... f5 18 exf5 exf5 19 h5 is dangerous.]
18 f5!
[Short is willing to sacrifice a pawn to deny Karpov the use of the e5 square, open the h-file, and cut the board in half, so as to concentrate threats on one side or the other.]
fxg5 19 hxg5 Rxg5
[Black is too passive after 19 ... Qxg5 20 Qd5 Nd8 21 Na5! and 22 Nc4.]
DIAGRAM
20 Qe3!
[Preparing the re-entry of the knight via b6. Since Be2-c4-d5 is in the air, Karpov allows Na4-b6 and hurries to prepare counterplay.]
Qf6 21 Nb6 Ne7
[Of course, Nb6-d5 had to be stopped also.]
22 Nxc8 Rxc8 23 Bxa6 Rd8 24 Qb6 Ng8
[Karpov must have had this position in mind when he played 20 ... Qf6. 25 ... d6-d5 is in the air.]
25 Na5!?
[Stalking the rook on d8 ... Simpler was 25 Qxb4.]
d5 26 Nc6 Rd6 27 exd5 Ne7 28 Qxb4?
DIAGRAM
[Correct was 28 Qc5 untangling and keeping an eye on g1. Then 28 ... Nxf5 29 Bd3 and Black is in bad shape. But after the text Karpov embarks on a very unusual combination in which he sacs a piece and then converts his pinned rook into a battery:]
Nxd5 29 Rxd5
[Probably better, although very unclear, was 29 Qh4 h6 30 Bb5.]
Qg7?
[Threatening 30 ... Rg1+ and 30 ... Rxd5. A pretty move, but as Seirawan points out, he should have played 29 ... Rxd5! Then after 30 Qxf8+ Rg8 31 Qe7 (to answer 31 ... Qxc6 with 32 Qxf7; if 31 Qb4 Qxc6 32 Qh4 h6 33 f6 Rg6 34 Bd3 Qxf6!) Black has the stunning 31 ... Qh6!! 32 Re1 Qxc6.]
30 Rxd6 Rg1+ 31 Rd1 Rxd1+ 32 Rxd1 Bxb4 33 Nxb4 Qg4
[The sting at the tail end of the combination, which, however, works only to the extent of picking up the pawn on f5, as Short scrambles away from the double attack on his rook and knight, and simultaneously makes luft, preserving his 3 pieces vs. the queen material edge.]
34 Rd8+ Kg7 35 a3 Qxf5 36 Rd1 h5 37 Re1 Qe6?
[Time trouble becomes a factor. Short's last move was designed to control the e4 square next with 38 Bb7, and Karpov reacts to that. Although White was probably winning in any event, there was no excuse not to play 37 ... h4, just to see if the h-pawn can do any damage.]
38 Bb7 f5 39 Bd5 Qf6
[Better was 39 ... Qd6.]
40 c4 e4 41 c5
[Time pressure is over, and the c-pawn will score a touchdown after 41 ... h4 42 c6 Qd8 43 Be6 or 42 ... Qe7 43 Na6. 1 - 0
Tate - Ashley, NY Open Rd. 9
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 a6 8 O-O-O h6
[The popular "Dlugy Variation" of the Richter-Rauzer.]
9 Be3 Qc7
[Another line is the immediate 9 ... Nxd4 followed by 10 ... b5.]
10 f3 Rb8
[This unusual move reserves options, lends strength to ... b5-b4, and avoids problems concerning the sensitive b6 square.]
11 g4 Ne5
DIAGRAM
[A very provocative move. The centralized White knight on d4 is no longer "marked", and White is tempted by ideas of f3-f4 and e4-e5. On the other hand, the knight pressurizes the White pawns, and aims for c4. If White stops to defend the h-pawn with 12 h3, then 12 ... b5 13 f4 Nc4 14 Bxc4 bxc4 brings the rook on b8 to life.]
12 f4!
[Sidetracking the Black knight and getting his own attack started.]
Nexg4 13 Bg1
[It seems that 13 e5 Nxe3 14 Qxe3 dxe5 15 fxe5 Nd7 is not good enough. Now 14 h3 is threatened.]
e5
[Of course not the passive 13 ... h5? 14 h3 Nh6 15 e5, etc. Very interesting was I. Gurevich's suggestion 13 ... b5! Then 14 h3 b4 is good for Black, so White probably has to stop for 14 a3.]
DIAGRAM
14 Bb5+!!?
[Another wild line is 14 Nf3! exf4 15 e5 dxe5 16 Bb5+ with 16 ... Bd7 17 Bb6, or 16 ... axb5 17 Nxb5 Qd7 (not 17 ... Qe7 18 Bc5) Qa5 and continuing complications.]
axb5 15 Ndxb5 Qd8
[Better was 15 ... Qc6, but Ashley wanted to avoid the irritant 16 Na7.]
16 Bc5
[Not good enough was 16 h3 exf4 17 hxg4 Bxg4.]
d5!
[This defuses the pressure on d6.]
17 Ba7 Ra8
DIAGRAM
18 Nxd5?
[Tate finally overcombines. Later he recommended 18 Rhe1 to stop ... Rxa7 followed by ... Bc5, but Black can reply 18 ... Bb4! 19 h3 O-O! Instead, now was a good moment for 18 h3! Rxa7 19 Nxa7 Bc5 20 hxg4 Bxa7 21 g5 Ng4 22 Nxd5 and Black is in trouble.]
Nxd5 19 Qxd5 Qxd5 20 Nc7+ Kd7 21 Nxa8 Qd6!
[Cleaner than the also possible 21 ... Qxd1+ 22 Rxd1+ Kc6 23 Rd8 b5! 24 Rxc8+ Kb7.]
22 Bb8 Kc6 23 Bxd6 Bxd6 24 Rd3!
[A good way to create chances in this lost ending.]
b5 Rhd1 Bc5 26 Rd8 Rxd8 27 Rxd8 Bb7 28 h3 Nf2?
[The crusher was 28 ... exf4! 29 hxg4 f3 30 Kd2 f2 31 Ke2 b4.]
29 fxe5 Nxh3 30 c3 Nf2 31 b4 Be7 32 Rb8 Bg5+ 33 Kc2 h5?
[Overlooking White's threat. 33 ... Bxa8 was still convincing. After White's next, he is back in it, and we need Pal Benko to figure out what is going on.]
34 a4! Bxa8 35 axb5+ Kd7 36 Rxa8 Bf4 37 Rf8 Ke7 38 Rh8 h4 39 Rxh4 g5 40 Rh8 Bxe5 41 Rg8 f6 42 b6 Kf7 43 Ra8 g4 44 Ra1 g3 45 Rg1 Nxe4 46 c4 Ke6 47 Kd3 f5 48 Ke3 Ng5 49 c5 f4+ 50 Kd3 f3 51 Re1 f2 52 Rxe5+ Kxe5 53 Ke2 Nf3 54 b7 Nd4+ 55 Kf1 Nc6 56 b5 Nb8 57 c6 Kd6 1/2 - 1/2
DRAGON
[Event "US Championship (Gp. 2)"]
> [Site "Chandler"]
> [Date "1997.08.27"]
> [Round "4"]
> [White "Shabalov, Alexander"]
> [Black "Kudrin, Sergey"]
> [Result "1-0"]
> [ECO "B76"]
> [WhiteElo "2555"]
> [BlackElo "2515"]
> [PlyCount "126"]
> [EventDate "1997.08.23"]
>
> 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3
> Nc6 8.
> Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O d5
>
> A well-known pawn sacrifice, and the reason that White often
> plays the lines 9 Bc4 or 9
> g4 rather than 9 O-O-O. Now the main line runs 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 Nxc6
> bxc6 12 Nxd5 (or 12 Bd4
> e5 13 Bc5) cxd5 13 Qxd5 Qc7.
>
> 10. Kb1
>
> DIAGRAM
>
> Shabalov has made a specialty of this tricky move of late.
>
> Rb8
>
> Again offering a pawn sacrifice through 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 exd5.
> More frequently seen
> than 10 ... Rb8 is 10 ... Nxd4 (not 10 ... dxe4?? 11 Nxc6 and White
> wins) 11 e5 (the point) and
> then one treatment is 11 ... Nxf3 12 gxf3 Nh5 13 Qxd5 although White
> should have the edge in
> this endgame.
>
> 11. Nb3
>
> Forcing the following exchanges.
>
> dxe4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Rxd8+ Nxd8 14. Bxa7 Ra8 15. Bb6 Bf5 16. Be2
>
> Not 16 g4 Be6 17 g5 Nd5 and White has horribly weakened his own
> position.
>
> Nc6 17. Rd1 exf3 18. gxf3!
>
> A recapture designed to slow down the advance of Black’s kingside
> majority. 18 Bxf3
> would have been met by 18 ... e5.
>
> Nd7 19. Be3 Rc8 20. Ne4 Be5 21. Ng3 Be6 22. f4 Bb8 23. Bd3 f5 24. Ne2
>
> A complex strategical and tactical battle in the endgame has
> emerged.
>
> Nb4 25. Bb5 Nf6 26. c4 Na6 27. Na5 Nc7 28. Ba4 Nce8 29. c5 Bd5 30. Nc3
> Bf3 31. Bb3+ Kf8
> 32. Be6 Bxd1 33. Bxc8 Bf3 34. h3 Nh5 35. Bxb7 Bxb7 36. Nxb7 Nxf4 37.
> Bxf4 Bxf4 38. b4 g5
> 39. Nd5 Be5
> 40. Ne3 e6 41. b5 Bf4 42. Ng2 Bg3 43. b6 Nf6 44. a4 Nd7 45. Kc2 h5 46.
> Kd2 h4
> 47. a5 Nb8 48. Ne3 Ke7 49. c6 Na6 50. Ke2 Bf4 51. Kf3 Bg3 52. Nc2 e5
> 53. Ne3
> e4+ 54. Ke2 Ke6 55. Nc2 Be5 56. Ne3 Bf4 57. Nc2 Be5 58. Ke3 Bf4+ 59.
> Kd4 Be5+
> 60. Kc4 g4 61. Kb5 g3 62. Kxa6 g2 63. Nd8+ Ke7 1-0
Here are some preliminary thoughts on the
Kan variation.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6
The Taimanov Variation. Resurging in popularity is the Kan 4 ... a6;
then White has 5 Bd3! (developing the kingside quickly), and if 5 ...
Nc6 then 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 c4 is very good, as in Fischer- Petrosian,
Candidates, 1971. A bizarre possibility, and a favorite of IMs Mark
Ginsburg and Eugene Meyer, is 5 ... g6 fianchettoing the bishop to put
pressure against d4 and get to a hedgehog type of position, figuring
the d-file and d6 will not be too weak because White has blocked the
file by 5 Bd3.
5 Nc3 (Black also has to be prepared for 5 Nb5 here) then I prefer 5
... Qc7 - not allowing the Sax line 5 ... a6 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 Bd3 - now 6
Nb5 Qb8 is nothing for White, and 6 Nxc6 is silly (as Black has not
wasted a tempo with ... a6), so White plays either 6 Be2, 6 Be3 or 6
g3, and then I play 6 ... a6.
Below is an amateur Kan game which you might be interested in:
5 Be3 Qc7
This move is not bad; more critical is 5 ... Nf6 and if 6 Nc3 Bb4; but
White should play 6 Bd3 instead, and a transposition is possible.
6.Bd3 d6
[6...Nf6 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nc3 Normally this position is reached through a
Taimanov, where the White knight is committed to c3 at a much earlier
stage, but 8 c4 would be good for White. After 8 Nc3 Ne5 9.h3 Bc5
10.Kh1 d6 11.f4 Nc6? (11...Ned7; 11...Ng6) 12.e5 White was much better
in Kasparov - Anand, 1991]
7.0-0 Nf6 8.f4 Nbd7?!
This is a dubious move. Better to head for a fairly normal
Scheveningen, although White's bishop is on d3 and he might play c2-c4
before Nb1-c3, with 8 ... Be7, and look to develop the b8 knight to c6,
with the maneuver ... Nc6xd4 followed by ... e6-e5.
9.Nc3 b5
This is not a bad move.
10.f5?!
[10.Qf3! Bb7 11.f5 e5 12.Nde2 with good chances for White.]
10...e5
This is correct, you cannot save this square for a knight, because you
need to close the center. Meanwhile, ... Bc8-b7 is coming to help guard
d5; White has a slight edge.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nb3 A very passive move by your
opponent; there is no reason to retreat this knight now. 6...Nf6 7.Be2 b5 8.a3
Bb7 9.Be3 Qc7 10.0-0 Be7 This is probably better than 10 ... b4 11 axb4 Bxb4 12
f3 and Black has not accomplished anything. 11.f3 Passive, better is f2-f4 and
Be2-f3. 11...0-0 12.Rc1 Rfd8 13.Nc5 Bxc5 I do not like giving up either bishop
at this point. Better was 13 ... Bc8 with ideas of ... d6, ... d5 or ... Na5 and
Black is better. 14.Bxc5 d6 15.Bf2 h6 Not a bad move. Also possible was the
immediate 15 ... d5, leading to rough equality. 16.g4 I would anyway prefer 16
Bh4 g5 17 Bf2 and the unopposed dark-squared bishop proves to be a real pain.
16...d5 17.Bg3 Qb6+ 18.Bf2 d4 19.Nb1 Much better was 19 Bd3! followed by 20 Ne2.
19...e5 20.Qd2 Qc7 21.g5 In the game, you prove that this is premature. Probably
Black is better again due to White's inactive pieces. White should just mellow
out with 21 Bd3. 21...hxg5 22.Qxg5 Nh7 23.Qg3 Nf6 24.Qh4 Ne7 25.Kh1 Ng6 26.Qg5
Nh5 It seems you considered 26 ... Nxe4 but did not play it because you were not
sure it was a forced win. It does win after 27 fxe4 Bxe4+ 28 Kg1 Nf4 29 Bg4
(forced) and now, for example, 29 ... f5. Practice in combinations and analysis
is all that is needed. [26...Nxe4 27.fxe4 Bxe4+ 28.Kg1 Nf4 29.Bg4] 27.Bd3 Nhf4
More accurate is 27 ... Ngf4, keeping the other knight to deny the queen the g3
square, and you threaten ... Bb7-c8-h3 as in the game, but also ... f6 and the
queen cannot go to h4 because of ... g5. This would be winning. 28.Qg3 Nh5
29.Qg1 Bc8 30.Bg3 Bh3 31.Rf2 White has struggled but succeeded in not losing to
the first wave of the attack. By the way, the most important part of improving
is being incisive in winning positions. Here you still have a big edge but
suddenly you have your work cut out for you if you want to crash through.
31...Rac8 32.Nd2 Nhf4 33.Bxf4 A mistake that allows your following rooklift.
33...Nxf4 34.Bf1 Rd6 35.Qg3 Rg6 36.Qh4 Bxf1 White seems to be paralyzed on 36
... Be6 - one threat you have is ... f6, ... Rg5 and ... Ng6, trapping the
queen! 37.Nxf1 d3 38.Ng3 Qc5 39.Nf5 Rc7 Correct was ... f6 with a large
advantage. 40.Qd8+ Kh7
The Najdorf is very much like the Scheveningen if Black plays ...
e7-e6 instead of ... e7-e5. White has a tremendous number of 6th move
alternatives in the Najdorf. But if Black plays the straight
Scheveningen 5 ... e6 instead of 5 ... a6, then White can play the
Keres Attack 6 g4. In the Najdorf:
6 Be2 e6 [Kasparov's favored transposition into the Scheveningen
from the Najdorf] or
6 Be2 e5 [Considered to be a Najdorf]
6 Bc4 virtually forces ... e7-e6 now or later to block the
diagonal; however, this is not considered a transposition to the
Scheven.
6 Bg5 e6 (6 ... Nc6 is a Richter-Rauzer) 7 f4 [main line] and now 7
... Qb6 (poisoned pawn), 7 ... b5 (Polugaevsky), 7 ... Qc7 (nameless
and very sharp), 7 ... Be7 (main line), 7 ... Nbd7 (will probably
transpose to main line).
6 a4 e6 - Schev. Here 6 ... e5 is not very good because White's
bishops are still ready to go to both c4 and g5, controlling the d5
square.
6 f4 e6 - Schev. Also played is 6 ... e5 7 Nf3 Qc7, or 6 ... Qc7.
6 Be3 e5 [ok here] 7 Nf3 or 7 Nb3; 6 ... e6 is like a Schev but
White can try 7 g4 e5 8 Nf5 g6 9 g5. Also after 6 ... e6 is the
English Attack 7 f3 with g4 in mind later.
The second game, 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 e6 3 g3 - this is a good system for
White, as the move 3 ... d5 is really not reliable because of 4 exd5
exd5 5 Bg2 followed by Ng1-e2-f4. In the true King's Indian Attack,
White's knight in on d2, not c3, e.g. 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3 d5 (here
White is not able to put such pressure on d5) 4 Nd2 - I have found
that a decent setup for Black now is 4 ... Nc6 5 g3 Bd6! 6 Bg2 Nge7 7
O-O O-O 8 Re1 Rb8 9 e5 Bc7 10 c3 b5 - there is pressure against
White's e5 outpost. In the game after 3 g3 I don't like 3 ... b6 as
there is no real pressure against e4, and whenever (as in the game)
Black plays ... d5, White will respond e4-e5 with a dangerous kingside
attack. A better system is 3 ... Nc6 4 Bg2 Nf6 and if 5 Nf3 d5 is
fine, whereas if 5 Nge2 d6 White should probably transpose to a
Scheveningen with 6 d4; White's only other plan is h2-h3 and g3-g4 but
this should not be too great.
I have usually responded to the Smith-Morra with 3 ... d3, tossing it
back. I actually do not think accepting the Smith-Morra is any great
problem for Black either. In your Alapin line, you have already
committed to the exchange ... c5xd4; therefore after 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cd 3
c3 d5 4 ed Qd5 had White played 5 cxd4, then you probably would have
to play the 5 ... e5 line; otherwise Nb1-c3 is fairly good.
In the next game 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 c3, I do not like 3 ... a6 (better
are 3 ... d5 and if 4 ed than 4 ... ed is reasonable, as well as 4 ...
Qxd5; or 3 ... Nf6) because after 4 d4 you have the elements of a
Birmingham (1 e4 a6 2 d4 b5 3 Nf3 e6 4 c3 c5 - Black has insufficient
counterplay against White's center. In the game you ended up in an
inferior Advance French type position with little counterplay,
although White certainly made it unclear with his 11 Qe3 and 12 Bxh7+.
Rowson,Jonathan - Hodgson,Julian [B76]
Match, Rotherham ENG (03), 1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
The Dragon Variation. Kasparov used this risky defence to great effect
in his 1995 World Championship Match against Anand. Hodgson is known for his
dynamic opening repertoire, so this choice is not surprising.
6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3
The signal move of the Yugoslav Attack, in which White castles
queenside, and throws his kingside pawns forward.
0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Bd7
More popular is the gambit 9 ... d5 (allowing 10 exd5 Nxd5 11 Nxc6 bxc6
12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Qxd5), and also possible is 9 ... Nxd4 (or the immediate 9 ...
Be6) 10 Bxd4 Be6. The reason 9 ... Bd7, which is the normal move against 9 Bc4,
is not favored against 9 O-O-O, is that if Black follows up with the maneuver
... Nc6-e5, ... Ra8-c8 and ... Ne5-c4, then White gets to save 2 tempi by
playing Bf1xc4, as the White bishop has not bothered with the moves Bf1-c4 and
Bc4-b3.
10.Kb1
In Huebner - Hort, Hamburg 1979, White was able to get an advantage with
10 g4 Rc8 11 h4 Qa5 12 Kb1 Rfd8? (better was 12 ... Nxd4 13 Bxd4 Rfd8) 13 Nb3
Qc7 14 h5.
Rc8 11.h4 Ne5
A dangerous concept, as White's d4 knight is left unchecked, and as
alluded to above, the trip to c4 is unproductive.
12.Nd5?
Also bad is the direct 12 h5 Nxh5 13 g4 Ng3 14 Rh3 Nxf1 15 Rxf1 Nc4.
However, 12 g4, eliminating the ... Nf6-h5-g3 idea, seems strong.
Nh5! 13.Qe1 e6 14.Nc3 f5!
This safeguards the position of the knight on h5.
15.Ka1?
With no kingside attack, Rowson has run out of ideas. I would have tried
to introduce an element of confusion into the situation with 15 exf5! gxf5 16
Be2, and if Black then tries to gain space with 16 ... f4 17 Bf2 d5, then 18 g4!
is not bad for White.
f4 16.Bf2 a6
Now Black has a dominating position.
17.Nb1 b5 18.Qb4
A useful sortie, hassling the one weak spot in Black's position - d6.
Rc5 19.Qb3
If 19 c3 with the idea of Nd4-b3, then 19 ... Qb8! 20 Nb3 Nc6 21 Qa3 b4
is very strong for Black.
Qf6 20.Nd2 Ng3 21.Bxg3 fxg3 22.c3
Rowson is playing carefully to neutralize Hodgson's pressure on the long
diagonal.
Rfc8 23.Be2 Nc6
It turns out that White's knight on d4 is as well-placed as Black's was
on e5.
24.Nxc6 R8xc6 25.Nb1 Rh5
The h4 pawn is the first concrete target that Hodgson has been able to
find. However, a more consistent approach was 25 ... a5 looking to break down
the long diagonal with ... b5-b4.
26.Na3 Qf4
Unfortunately, the immediate 26 ... Rxh4 is met by 27 e5! wrecking
Black's structure.
27.Nc2 Rhc5?!
A change of heart. But here I think Black may as well have grabbed the
h-pawn - after 27 ... Rxh4 28 Rxh4 Qxh4 29 Nb4 Rb6 White has no clear followup.
28.Nd4 Bxd4 29.Rxd4 Rh5
It may have been better to completely dispense with this and cover the
center with 29 ... Kf8.
30.Qd1 Kf8?
It seems that Black could have held equality with 30 ... Rxh4 31 Rxh4
Qxh4 after 32 Rxd6 Rxd6 33 Qxd6 Qh1+, or 32 e5 Qh2.
31.e5!
This shot works because after 31 ... Qxe5 32 f4 wins as the bishop on
e2 is defended now.
Qe3 32.f4 Rf5 33.Rxd6
Black's position is wrecked.
Rc7 34.Bg4 Rf7 35.Rd4!
Closing the door on Black's queen.
h5 36.Re1 Qf2 37.Re2
Wins the queen, but stronger was 37 Bf3! and the game is over after 37
... Bc6 38 Bxc6 Rxc6 39 Re2.
hxg4 38.Rxf2 gxf2 39.g3 g5!!
A brilliant shot. Now if 40 hxg5 Bc6!! and then 41 Qf1 Rh7, or 41 Rd2
Rfd7! winning for Black!
40.Qf1 gxh4 41.Qxf2 h3
Hodgson has forged a different, and protected, passed pawn.
42.f5
To get some central play. 42 Qe2 Rg7 does not get anywhere.
Rxf5 43.Rf4 Rc4 44.Rxf5+ exf5 45.Qb6
Rowson hopes that his roaming queen can do some damage, but one eye
must always be kept on the pawn on h3. Meanwhile, Hodgson sets up a defensive
wall along the third rank.
Rc6 46.Qd8+ Be8 47.Qg5 Bg6
Not 47 ... h2? 48 Qh4. Black needs to try to create a bridge for his
rook to get to h6.
48.b3 Re6 49.Qh6+ Kg8 50.Kb2 Bf7 51.Qg5+ Bg6 52.Qh6 Bf7 53.Qg5+ Bg6 54.Qh6
½-½
Bologan,Victor (2575) - Krazenkov,Michal (2615) [B30]
NY Open (4), 1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6
The generally accepted treatment these days is 4 O-O and then if
Black doubles his knights with 4 ... Nge7 then 5 c3 trying to build a
big center. Bologan's immediate exchange 4 Bxc6 is thought to give
Black too early a heads up as to how to plan his development.
bxc6 5.d3 Ne7
DIAGRAM
6.Nh4
A radical means of stopping the Black knight from arriving at g6.
More intuitive is the plain vanilla development 6 Nc3 Ng6 7 O-O (in
this line 7 h4 h5 does not seem to benefit White).
Ng6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Be3 d5
With doubled c-pawns, Black has to be careful about making this
advance, as the pawn on c5 can become weak. Here, however, White's
relative lack of space prevents him from targeting that pawn
effectively.
9.Nd2 Bd6
Threatening to trap the White bishop with 10 ... d4, so White is
unable to "fix" the Black c5 pawn as a weakness with a move like 10
c4.
10.c3 Ba6 11.Qc2 f5 12.e5!
Finally initiating play on the dark squares. Now 12 ... Bxe5 13
Bxc5 Bd6 14 Nb3 will establish a secure grip on c5.
Be7 13.0-0-0 Kf7
Continuing his dynamic play, this move has the virtues of
connecting the rooks and defending e6 with his king. This would be
important if White starts to make inroads with this knight, perhaps
after 14 Nb3 c4 15 dxc4 Bxc4 16 Nc5.
14.Nf3 g5
Black needs to get this in before the kingside is fixed with h2-h4
and Be3-g5.
15.h3 c4 16.dxc4 Bxc4 17.Nd2
Putting the knight back to this defensive work is an admission that
he has been strategically outplayed.
Be2 18.Rde1 Bb5 19.f4 Qa5 20.Kb1 Qa6
The involvement of Black's heavy wood in the queenside press is
quite ominous.
21.c4 dxc4 22.Rc1 Rhd8 23.Nxc4
Not 23 fxg5 c3! 24 Qxc3 Rd3 and Black wins.
gxf4 24.Bf2
Because 24 Bxf4?? Rd4 would spear a piece.
Rab8 25.Qc3 Bxc4 26.Qxc4 Qa5 27.Bd4 Qd2
Now White loses more pawns.
28.Bc3 Qxg2 29.Qxf4 Bg5 30.Qa4 Bxc1 31.Qxa7+ Kg8 32.Rxc1 Qe4+ 33.Ka1
Ra8 34.Qc5 Qc2! 35.Bb4 Qa4 36.a3 Rd1 37.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 38.Ka2 Qd5+ 39.Qxd5
exd5 40.e6 f4 41.Bd6 f3 42.b4 Re8 0-1
Bologan,Victor (2575) - Yermolinsky,Alex (2630) [B81]
NY Open (6), 1997
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6
The Scheveningen Variation. Because of the strength of 6 g4 (the
Keres Attack), many GMs prefer to arrive at the Scheveningen by an
alternative move order. For example, Kasparov plays the Najdorf 5 ...
a6 (instead of 5 ... e6), and will reply to quiet moves such as 6 Be2
with a transposition into the Scheveningen with 6 ... e6. Another
popular method of "backing into" a Scheveningen is to play a Taimanov
setup (e.g., 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3) with a later
... d7-d6.
6.g4 h6 7.h3
Again Bologan deviates early from usual practice. The main line is
7 h4 Nc6 8 Rg1 (preparing g4-g5) h5 9 gxh5 (if 9 g5 Ng4) Nxh5 10 Bg5.
Instead, White has renounced all intentions to play g4-g5, and shores
up the g4 pawn, looking to quietly fianchetto.
Nc6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Bg2 a6 10.Qe2
DIAGRAM
Nxd4
In conjunction with his next move, this may be an overly optimistic
approach by Yermolinsky. I think the non-committal 10 ... Qc7 was
best, as then if 11 O-O-O Bd7 followed by ... b7-b5 with a good game
for Black.
11.Bxd4 e5 12.Be3 Be6 13.0-0-0
Now because White can jam up the d5 square and establish a space
advantage, there is no danger in his king living on the queenside.
Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 Nd7 16.Kb1 0-0 17.Be4
White has a nice edge here; although Black can trade off his "bad"
bishop and his knight has a square on c5, there are no levers against
the White king, whereas White can strive to open some lines against
Black's king with g4-g5.
Bg5 18.h4 Bxe3 19.fxe3 Nc5 20.Bf5 Rc7 21.c3 e4
If 21 ... g6 22 Bc2, then Black will have to make some concessions
after White plays h4-h5.
22.g5 g6 23.gxh6 Qf6
DIAGRAM
Yermo is looking to repel the White bishop, and after 24 Bh3 Kh7 25
Rdf1 Qe5, Black can try for a counterattack on the queenside.
24.Rdf1!!
Now the threats are 25 Bxe4 or 25 Bxg6; if 24 ... Qe5 25 h5! gxf5
26 Rxf5! is very strong (26 ... Qxf5? 27 Qg2+). Therefore, Black
accepts the piece sacrifice.
gxf5 25.Qh5 Kh8
A key point of the sacrifice is that Black cannot establish his
queen on g6.
26.Rxf5 Qd8 27.Rg5!
This is much stronger than 27 Rg1 f6!
Nd3
The alternative here was 27 ... Rg8 (27 ... f6 28 Rg7! does not
help) but after 28 Rg7!! Rxg7 29 hxg7+ Kxg7 30 Rg1+ Kf8 31 Qh8+ Ke7 32
Rg8 Qd7 33 Rb8!! White is winning, as the Black queen cannot venture
out due to 34 Qd8 mate, and meanwhile there is no defence to the
threat of 34 Qf8+ Kf6 35 Rd8.
28.Rhg1 Ne5 29.h7 Ng6 30.Qh6
All White needs to do is dislodge the knight from g6 to unleash a
hurricane on the g-file.
Rxc3 31.h5 Rc7 32.hxg6 fxg6 33.Qxg6 Rxh7
1-0
34 Qxh7+ would bring it to a close.
No Way Out
The Velimirovic Attack is a prototype for modern Sicilian Defence
variations in which the position becomes so complicated, and the rival attacks
so dangerous, that accidents are bound to happen. When seasonsed GM A. Fedorov
met the rising young star R. Kasimdhanov in Moscow, 1996, the fireworks started
when Kasimdhanov chose an offbeat defence to the Velimirovic which denies White
all the early sacrificial possibilities but allows him a concentrated buildup in
the center. Fedorov found a neat series of moves which paralyzed Black's army.
However, he started the final wave of the attack without taking the necessary
precautions, and Kasimdhanov sprung back by exploding open the center, even
though his king was still living there.
Fedorov,A (2555) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2435) [B89]
Russia Cup II, Moscow RUS (08), 1996
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6
The so-called "Classical Sicilian", for lack of a better name.
6.Bc4
The introduction to the Sozin / Velimirovic complex. Other White tries
include:
6 Bg5, the Richter-Rauzer; 6 Be2, which can lead into the Boleslavsky after 6
... e5, the Classical Dragon after 6 ... g6 or the Scheveningen after 6 ... e6;
and the eclectic 6 Be3, which invites 6 ... Ng4, but otherwise prepares the move
f2-f4.
e6
A popular method of sidestepping the Velimirovic is 6 ... Qb6, favored
for many years by GM John Fedorowicz. Then White usually plays 7 Nde2, 7 Nb3 or
GM Nick deFirmian's preference, 7 Ndb5.
7.Be3 a6 8.Qe2
The signal move of the Velimirovic attack. White aims to castle
queenside and jumpstart his kingside attack with the spike g2-g4-g5. In the
Sozin, which the young Bobby Fischer was partial to, White plays 8 O-O with
f2-f4 in mind.
Qc7
The main line so far. An interesting attempt to dispense with the queen
move, by creating d-file congestion, is the immediate 8 ... Na5 (in our game,
Kasimdhanov will play this on move 9), as played in Yudasin - Garcia Ilundain,
Pamplona 1992. Then 9.Bd3 Be7 (9...b5 10.b4! Nb7 11 O-O was very good for White
in Mestrovic - Polugaevsky, Varna 1972; better in this line is the offering 10
... Nc4, but after 11.Bxc4 bxc4 12.a3! Bb7 13.Bg5, White will again castle
kingside with the more active game) 10.0-0-0 [ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 0-0?! (Yudasin
gives 10...b5 11.g4 b4 12.Na4 [ perhaps better is 12 Nb1, analogous to the game
Hernandez - Adla below] Bd7 13.g5 Ng8 14.b3 as nice for White, which is true,
except that I do not see why Black cannot play 13 ... Bxa4 14 gxf6 Bxf6) 11.g4
b5 12.g5 Nd7 13.f4. By comparison to Fedorov - Kasimdhanov, this was good for
White, as he has not needed to play the cautionary a2-a3. For example, here 13
... b4 (Ilundain actually continued 13 ... Nc5!?) would be met by 14.Na4 Nc5
15.Nxc5 dxc5 16.Nb3 and White's kingside pawn storm will come with great effect.
9.0-0-0
White played the un-Velimirovic-like 9 f4 in Conquest - Tukmakov,
Iraklion, 1992. After 9 ... Be7 (not so good is the fork trick 9...Nxe4 10.Nxe4
d5 11.Bd3 dxe4 12.Bxe4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Qxf4 14.Be5!) 10.0-0 O-O 11.a4!? Nxd4
12.Bxd4 e5 13.Be3 Be6!, White's mix of systems has allowed Black to achieve easy
equality.
DIAGRAM
Na5
The main line is 9 ... Be7 10 Bb3 (on 10 Rhg1 O-O 11 g4, the fork trick
11 ... Nxe4 12 Nxe4 d5 usefully disrupts White's attack) and only then 10 ...
Na5, when the exchange of the knight is assured. One of the points of 9 ... Na5
instead, is that if White now plays 10 Bb3 looking to transpose to the usual
lines, then Black has 10 ... b5 11 g4 Nxb3+ 12 cxb3 Bb7, and the quick hit on e4
forces White to waste time with 13 f3.
10.Bd3 b5 11.a3
Reasonable, although White has a couple of interesting alternatives
here. 11 Bg5, a prelude to a piece sacrifice, was tried in Milu - Nevednichy,
Bucharest 1994. Play continued 11 ... b4 (although in Rublevsky - Salov, Oviedo
1992, Black did not want any part of this and varied with 11 ... Be7 12.a3 Bd7
13.f4 Nc4 14.Rhf1 Rc8 with a complicated battle in store) 12.Nd5 exd5 13.exd5+
Be7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rhe1 Ra7 16.Qh5 Qc5 [ANALYSIS DIAGRAM] and now White took a
misstep with 17.Qh6 (Stoica gives 17.Bf5! Rc7 18.Re2 (not 18 Bxc8? b3!) as good
for White) and went down in flames after 17...Qxd5 18.Qxf6 Rg8 19.Bf5 Be6!
20.Nxe6 Qxd1+ 21.Kxd1 Bxf6 0-1. Less impressive in my view is to let Black get
the move ... b5-b4 in unhindered. An example is Hernandez - Adla, Capablanca Mem
B 1992 which saw 11 g4 b4 12.Nb1 Bb7 13.Nd2 d5 14.f3 Be7 15.Kb1 0-0 16.g5 Nd7
17.h4 Nc5 and Black seems to be ok.
Bb7 12.g4 Rc8
Very amusing was Nunn - Sosonko, Thessaloniki, 1984, wherein Sosonko
reacted thematically to White's flank attack (g2-g4) with the central blow ...
d6-d5, which also acts against g4-g5 because of the pressure applied to the e4
square. However, Black is not well enough developed for this action, and got
blown away after 12 ... d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 [ANALYSIS DIAGRAM] 14.Ndxb5! axb5
15.Bxb5+ Kd8 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Rd3 Nc4 18.Rc3 Bb4 19.Rxc4 dxc4 20.Rd1+ Kc8 21.Rd4
Bd5 22.Rxd5 Bd6 23.Rd4. Judging when ... d6-d5 is good is one of the central
questions in Sicilian middlegames.
13.g5 Nd7
DIAGRAM
14.Rhe1!
14 f4 was first played in Hawelko - Inkiov, Warsaw 1987. The critical
continuation was 14 ... Nc4! 15.Ndxb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Qb8 17.Bxc4 Bxe4 18.Rhe1 d5
19.Bd3 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Be7. After 21.f5 (here Wolff - Inkiov, Saint John, 1988 saw
21.Nd4 0-0 22.f5 Ne5 23.Qb5 Qc7 24.Bf4 with the better game for White, but an
obvious improvement in this line is 22 ... Nc5 23 Qb5 Qa8 and Black may develop
a strong counterattack) Ne5 22.Qb3 Nc4 23.fxe6 fxe6 24.Kb1 0-0 25.Bc1 Rc6 26.a4
Rf2 Black obtained a very serious initiative for the pawn, which he soon
converted into a winning attack. Fedorov's move, on the other hand, requires
Black to use his second knight if he wants to get a knight to c4, and this may
cost valuable time.
Be7
The next test of this line for Black should certainly involve either 14
... Ne5 or 14 ... Nb6.
15.Qh5! g6
White's fifteenth was an irritating exploratory mission. The threat was
16 Nxe6, and if 15 ... O-O?, then 16 Nxe6!! fxe6 17 e5 breaks open the path to
h7. The conclusion could be 17 ... g6 18 Bxg6 hxg6 19 Qxg6+ Kh8 20 Rd4.
16.Qh6 Ne5?!
Quite double-edged, but worth considering, was 16 ... Bf8 17 Qh3 Nc5 18
Kb1, although Black has to watch out for potential sacrifices on both e6 and b5.
The text move cedes kingside turf in order to generate queenside threats.
17.Qg7 Rf8 18.f4?!
I like the standard precautionary move 18 Kb1!, as it is hard for Black
to strengthen his position. For example, he dare not play 18 ... Kd7?? because
of 19 Ndxb5! axb5 20 Qxe5, because 20 ... dxe5 21 Bxb5 is mate!
Nec4 19.Bxc4 Nxc4 20.Rd3
DIAGRAM
e5!
Kasimdhanov chooses an active defensive plan. It was possible to play
positionally with 20 ... Nxe3 followed by 21 ... Qb6, to finally achieve the ...
b5-b4 advance, although White's much greater activity and possibilities of
mounting an attack on the central files outweigh Black's two bishops against two
knights.
21.Nf3! f5!!
Trying to break down White's grip on the central light squares, while
establishing a defensive link along the second rank. On 21 ... Nxe3 22 Rdxe3
exf4 23 R3e2, White stands ready to break open the king file with Nc3-d5.
22.Qxh7
Initiating wild complications. Fedorov was unable to admit that Black
stands better by bailing out with 22 gxf6 (the only move to stop the cave-in on
the light squares) Bxf6 23 Qxc7 Rxc7.
fxe4 23.Qxg6+ Kd8 24.Nxe4
DIAGRAM
Nxb2??
It was time to be materialistic with 24 ... Nxe3! Then after 25 Rc3 Nc4
26 b3 (better than 26 fxe5? Rxf3! 27 Rxf3 Nxe5, or 26 Nxe5 Bxe4! followed by
capturing on e5), the position is wildly unclear, although it seems that Black
must be in the driver's seat. Temporarily a piece up, he can follow up with 26
... Rxf4 or 26 ... d5.
25.Rxd6+!
Now 25 Rc3 was impossible, as 25 ... Bxe4, chopping off its defence,
would win. But with the text Fedorov enables his queen to finally cover the c2
square!
Bxd6 26.Nxd6
White is down the exchange, but Black must give it back, as now 26 ...
Rb8 27 Nxe5 would be hopeless.
Bxf3 27.Nxc8 Kxc8 28.Kxb2 exf4 29.Bb6
DIAGRAM
Qd7
Material is almost even, but the deciding factor is the wide-open
position of Black's king. There would be no point to 29 ... Qc6 30 Re6.
30.Bc5 Rf7 31.Qg8+ Kb7 32.Re8 Rg7 33.Qf8 Rf7 34.Qh8 Rg7
Or 34 ... Rh7 35 Rb8+ Kc6 36 Qe5.
35.g6 Bg4 36.Rb8+ Kc6 37.Qf8
There is nothing to be done about Rb8-b6+.
1-0
Game of the Month
Something from Nothing
When two of the most exciting players in the world, Alexei Shirov and
Judit Polgar, met at Vienna 1996, nobody was surprised that a fantastic battle
emerged, even from a very quiet opening. Students of modern chess will note that
Shirov has had little success against Polgar with
sharp openings, and this may have led him to try 3 Bb5+ against the Sicilian.
But many professionals are tiring of theoretical battles and are willing to
engage in delayed hostilities after obtaining normal middlegame positions
arising from unassuming openings. Thus, the recent prevalence of Torre Attacks
and 2 c3 Sicilians will probably not let up any time soon.
In this game, Polgar was able to establish enough piece activity to
justify the pawn sacrifice break ... b7-b5 against a Maroczy Bind setup. This,
however, was met with a rude counterstrike on the kingside, and the gloves were
off.
Shirov, A. - Polgar, J.
Vienna, 1996
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6
In the 1996 U.S. Championship, Kaidanov employed the central lock-up 5
... e5 against Shaked. Although that cedes to White the permanently better
bishop, the idea is that Black, with his unblocked f-pawn, has good chances for
a kingside expansion. Play continued 6 Nc3 g6 7 O-O Bg7 8 Rb1 Nc6 9 d3 Nge7 10
Bd2 O-O 11 Nd5 Nxd5 12 cxd5 Nd4 13 b4 and White had a significant edge. A
radically different approach is the pawn-grabbing 5 ... Qg4, which has been
frowned on since Browne-Quinteros, Wijk aan Zee 1974, where White's lead in
development was overwhelming after 6 O-O Qxe4 7 d4 cxd4 8 Re1! Qc6 9 Nxd4 Qxc4
10 Na3.
6.Nc3 g6
[6...Nf6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qg4 is a line for players who are for some
reason highly motivated to trade queens; White keeps his small edge in space and
development after 9 O-O.]
7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7
DIAGRAM
9.Nde2
A new approach to the position; there is no need to maintain the knight
on d4 with the old 9 Be3 - Shirov's move allows the later development of the
bishop to the more active g5.
9...Nf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.f3 a6 12.a4 e6!
Setting in motion a plan to obtain active piece play on the queenside.
13.Bg5 Qc7 14.b3 Nd7 15.Kh1 Qa5 16.Qd2 Nc5 17.Rab1
[DIAGRAM]
17...Qb4!
A good defensive move, which inhibits 18 Bh6 because the reply 18 ...
Nxb3 becomes possible.
18.Qc2
[18.