Iranian chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja is currently participating in the 3rd Sharjah Masters in UAE. After 5 rounds Firouzja has 4 points (3-wins and 2-draws), very much in the race for the $15,000 first prize. The tournament continues until the 30th of March.
In round #1 Firouzja was paired against the Serbian WIM Mila Zarkovic and spectators witnessed one of the most spectacular games of the tournament so far.
gm Firzouzja – wim Zarkovic Rd.1 22.3.2019 (1-0)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 a6 4.g3 b5$6 {<strong style="color:black;"> A somewhat dubious move order, and probably Mila was not aware of it. Better to develop some pieces first.</strong> } 5.d4! cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bb7 7.Bg2
Nf6 8.O-O e6 9.Re1!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Curiously, there are several different move orders to arrive at this position, and as a result there are hundreds of games from this position! Theory has given a definite conclusion: Black should avoid this position! The reason is that White has strong threats of either Nd5 or e5, depending on how Black proceeds to develop.Even strong grandmasters have been caught in this line!</strong>} Nfd7$5{[#]}
({<strong style="color:black;">The most reasonable. Black has to avoid falling into the traps: </strong> } 9...Be7$2 10.e5! Bxg2 ( 10...dxe5 11.Bxb7
exd4 ( 11...Ra7 12.Bc6+! Kf8 13.Rxe5 ) 12.Bxa8 dxc3 13.Qxd8+ Bxd8
14.bxc3$18 ) 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Kxg2 {<strong style="color:black;"> with an extra piece</strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">A little better, but still not good enough is </strong> } 9...Qc7 10.a4! b4 11.Nd5!{<strong style="color:black;">A stock sacrifice that has absolutely no risk for White </strong> } exd5
( 11...Nxd5 12.exd5 e5 13.a5! $16 ) 12.exd5+ Kd8 13.Bg5! Nbd7
14.Qe2 Kc8 15.c3!{<strong style="color:black;"> Opening up lines. I give a famous game played many years ago in this line:</strong> } b3 16.Nc6 {!} Bxc6 17.dxc6 Ne5 18.Ra3 {!}
d5 ( 18...Nxc6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qe8+ $18 ) ( 18...Be7 19.Rxb3
Nxc6 20.Qf3 {!} d5 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qxd5 ) 19.Rxb3 Bd6 20.Bxf6
gxf6 21.Bxd5 Nxc6 ( 21...Ra7 22.Rb7 Rxb7 23.cxb7+ ) 22.Qg4+ Qd7
23.Qxd7+ {!} Kxd7 24.Rb7+ Bc7 25.Bg2 {!} Rad8 ( 25...Rhd8 26.Rd1+
Kc8 27.Rxd8+ Kxb7 28.Bxc6+ $18 ) 26.Bh3+ {!} Kd6 27.Rd1+ Kc5
28.b4+ Kc4 29.Bf1+ {!} Kb3 30.Rxc7 Rxd1 31.Rxc6 Kxa4 32.Kg2 {!}
a5 33.bxa5 Rhd8 34.Rxf6 R8d7 35.a6 Rc1 36.Bd3 {!} Rxc3 37.Bxh7
Kb4 38.Be4 Ra3 39.Bb7 Kc5 40.h4 Kd4 41.Rf5 Re7 42.h5 Re5 43.Rf4+
Kc5 44.h6 {<strong style="color:red;">1-0, Stein Leonid Z (UKR) 2620 – Furman Semen (RUS) 2550 , Moscow 1969 Ch URS</strong>}
)
({<strong style="color:red;">And then there is the more resistant</strong>} 9...Nbd7 {<strong style="color:red;">but unfortunately it also has a high casualty rate, for example:</strong>} 10.e5! Bxg2 ( 10...dxe5 11.Bxb7 ) 11.exf6 Bb7 12.Nxe6
fxe6 13.Rxe6+ Kf7 14.fxg7 Kxg7 15.Qg4+ Kf7 16.Qf5+ Nf6 17.Nd5
Bxd5 18.Rxf6+ Qxf6 19.Qxd5+ Qe6 20.Qxa8 Qe1+ 21.Kg2 Bg7 22.Qd5+
{<strong style="color:red;">1-0, Maze Sebastien (FRA) 2506 – Glud Jacob Vang (DEN) 2349 , Aarhus 14/ 8/2005</strong>}
)
10.a4!{[#]} bxa4$5{<strong style="color:black;">Not pretty, but relatively best. </strong> }
( {<strong style="color:black;">After </strong> }10...b4 {<strong style="color:black;">was has a pleasant choice between the aggressive </strong> } 11.Nd5$5 ( {<strong style="color:black;">Or the more modest </strong> }11.Na2! a5 12.c3 bxc3 13.Nxc3
Be7 14.Ndb5{<strong style="color:black;">with strong pressure </strong> } ) exd5 12.exd5+ Ne5 13.f4$16 ) 11.Rxa4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The Rook is very active here.</strong>} Be7
({<strong style="color:black;">Equally unattractive is </strong> } 11...Nb6 12.Rb4! d5 13.Rxb6!{[#]} Qxb6 14.exd5!{<strong style="color:black;">and all of White’s pieces will soon flood into Black’s position, for example: </strong> } Bc5 15.dxe6 Bxd4
16.exf7+ Kxf7 17.Qh5+ g6 18.Bd5+ {<strong style="color:black;"> and mate is not far off</strong> } )
12.Rb4!{[#]} Nc5 ({<strong style="color:black;">No better is </strong> } 12...Qc7 13.Rxb7!
Qxb7 14.e5 d5 15.Nxd5! exd5 16.Nf5!{<strong style="color:black;"> with play similar to what happens in the game</strong> [#]} )
( {<strong style="color:black;">Even worse would be </strong> }12...Nb6 13.Na4!
( 13.Nd5$5 exd5 14.Nf5!{<strong style="color:black;">also works well for White! </strong> } ) N8d7 14.Nxb6 Nxb6 15.Qh5 ({<strong style="color:black;">Or the simple </strong> } 15.Be3!$18 ) O-O
16.Qa5 )
13.Rxb7!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">It tells you something about just how dangerous this line is for Black when this sacrifice seemingly always works! Black’s lack of development and coordination prevents him from putting up real resistance.</strong>} Nxb7 14.e5!{[#]}
d5
( 14...dxe5 15.Nxe6 fxe6 ({<strong style="color:black;">No better is </strong> } 15...Qxd1 16.Nc7+! Kd7 17.Rxd1+ Kxc7 18.Nd5+{<strong style="color:black;">when the party continues </strong> } Kd8 19.Nb6+ Nd6 20.Bxa8 ) 16.Qh5+$18 )
15.Nxd5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Tearing open the center to get at Black’s King</strong>} exd5 ( {<strong style="color:black;">There is no salvation in </strong> }15...O-O 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qg4! Kh8 18.Bg5!{<strong style="color:black;"> with a winning attack, for example:</strong> } Qb4 19.c3 Qxb2 20.Be4 Nd7 21.Qh4 g6 22.Rb1 Qxc3 23.Rxb7
Qxd4 24.Rxd7! Qxd7 25.Bf6+ Kg8 26.Qh6 )
16.Nf5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Despite being a full Rook up, Black can not weather the attack.</strong>} O-O$5
( 16...g6 17.Ng7+!
Kf8 18.Bh6 Kg8 19.Bxd5 Qc7 20.Bxf7+! Kxf7 21.Qd5+ )
( 16...Nc6 17.Nxg7+ Kf8 18.Bh6 Kg8 19.Qg4!$18 )
17.Bxd5{[#]}
( 17.Qg4 g6 18.Bxd5 Qc7 19.e6 f6 20.Bf4 )
Bc5{<strong style="color:black;">As good as any other move </strong> }
( 17...Nd7 18.Bxb7
( 18.Qg4$5 ) Rb8 19.Bd5 Nc5 20.Qg4 g6 21.Bh6$18 )
18.b4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">There are other attractive ways to proceed with the attack, but this move is the strongest</strong>}
( 18.Qg4$5 g6 19.Nh6+ Kh8 20.Qf3! )
Bb6{[#]} ( 18...Bxb4 19.Qg4! g6 20.Nh6+
Kh8 21.Qxb4 ) 19.Qg4! g6 20.e6!{[#]} Qf6{<strong style="color:black;"> at this point, unfortunately for Black, there are only bad options</strong> } 21.e7 ( 21.exf7+$5 Kh8 22.Re6
Qxf5 23.Bb2+ ) Re8 22.Bxf7+!{[#]<strong style="color:black;">Ouch. Black finally throws in the towel. She either gets mated or loses all of her pieces (or both!) </strong> } 1-0
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GM Danny King also analyzes this game!
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