No Surprises in Round 1
From today until the 14th in Astana (Kazakhistan) is taking place the World Team Championships. Ten teams play an all-play-all competition to determine the strongest team.
The past two competitions (2015 and 2017) saw China win. This year China is also the big favourite. (There is also a parallel women’s competition; Georgia won in 2015 and Russia in 2017)
IMPORTANT LINKS
Official Site
ChessResults
Adhiban plays great game in round 1
gm Adhiban – gm GrandeliusRd.1 5.3.2019 (1-0)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 h6 7.Re1 O-O
8.Nbd2 a5 9.Nf1 Be6 10.Bb5 Ne7 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Ng3
d5 ( 13...c6$5 14.Bd3 a4 15.Bd2 ) 14.e5 Ne4! {<strong style="color:black;">Forcing, but good. </strong> } 15.Nxe4 ( 15.Bd3 Nxg3
16.hxg3 c5 17.dxc5 Bxc5$13 ) dxe4 16.Rxe4 c5! {<strong style="color:black;">Apparently a new move. </strong> } ( 16...Bd5$5 17.Rg4
( 17.Re1 Nf5 18.Bd3 ) Be6 18.Re4 Rc8 ) 17.Bd3 ( 17.b3$5 cxd4 18.Ba3
Nd5 ) Bf5
({<strong style="color:black;">Here Black should investigate </strong> } 17...cxd4! 18.Nxd4 Nf5 19.Ne2 ( 19.Nxe6 fxe6 {<strong style="color:black;">and Black’s pieces are very threatening </strong> } ) Qd7 {<strong style="color:black;">and if anyone is better, it is Black </strong> } )
18.Rf4 Bxd3 19.Qxd3 cxd4 20.Rg4 {<strong style="color:black;"> White has some initiative on the Kingside but Black is ok.</strong> } Qd7 21.h3 Qe6 22.Bd2 Rad8
( 22...Rfd8! ) 23.Re1 Nf5$6
( 23...Rd5! {<strong style="color:black;"> Keeps the game roughly balanced </strong> } )
24.Bg5$3 {<strong style="color:black;"> See Diagram. A brilliant concept that is all the more remarkable because it is so surprising. Besides attacking the Rook, the Bishop also wants to go to f6. It is virtually forced to capture the Bishop. </strong> [#]} hxg5 ( 24...Rd7$6
25.Bf6 g6 26.Nh4! ) 25.Nxg5 Qc8! {[#]}
( 25...Qd7$2 26.Rf4 g6 27.e6 fxe6
28.Rxe6 )
( 25...Qg6$2 26.Ne4 Qe6 27.Nf6+ Kh8 28.Rh4+ )
26.Rf4
g6 27.g4! {<strong style="color:black;">The only way to make progess is to get rid of the Knight on f5 </strong> } ( 27.e6$2 fxe6 28.Rxe6 Qc1+! ) Ne7$2 {<strong style="color:black;"> See Diagram. The decisive error. Unfortunate, as Black can still put up stiff resistance with another Knight move </strong> [#]}
( 27...Ne3! 28.e6 Rd5
29.exf7+ Kg7 30.h4 ( 30.Rxe3 Rxg5 ) Rxg5 31.hxg5 Rxf7 32.Rxf7+
( 32.fxe3! {<strong style="color:black;">This is White’s best chance to keep the game going </strong> } Rxf4 33.exf4 Qxg4+ 34.Kf1 Qxf4+ 35.Ke2 Qg4+ 36.Kd2 Bd8 37.Kc2 Bxg5 38.Kb1 Be3 {<strong style="color:black;"> and Black has good chances to hold the game.</strong> }) Kxf7
33.fxe3 Qxg4+ {<strong style="color:black;"> with a perpetual check </strong> })
28.Qg3! {<strong style="color:black;"> Now there is no defence to the Queen penetrating via the h-file. The game soon ends. </strong> [#]} Kg7 29.Qh4 Rh8 30.Rxf7+ Kg8 31.Rh7 1-0
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A brilliant finish! Of course, the opening is nothing special for White, but Adhiban’s middlegame play was creative, forceful and of the very highest level.
