[Annotator "Spraggett"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3
{[#] Could this be the most famous position in Modern Chess? Perhaps! What schoolboy has never been taught the logic of the moves leading to this position? As an aside, even though it has been so extensively studied and researched, new ideas constantly appear.}
Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Bd7
{[#] Things clarify. Black chooses a dynamic treatment, hoping to get play along the c-file. Nigel has considerable experience in this line, some from the White side but mostly from the Black side. My gut feeling is that Nigel would prefer to play White here, however. I personally don’t trust Black’s concept, but that is my own opinion}
( 13...Bb7 {is still seen, and is popular, but has problems after} 14.d5! )
14.Nf1 Rac8
{[#] Sometimes one also sees the other Rook to c8. Now White must make a decision: how to defend the Bishop on c2. Theory has yet to make a final decision, though, curiously, I think that this game might actually contribute to this discussion }
15.Re2!?
( { In my opinion the very best move is} 15.Ne3! {when Black does not fully equalize:} Rfe8 ( 15...Nc6 16.d5 Nb4 17.Bb1 a5 18.a3 Na6 19.b4
g6 ( 19...Qb7 20.Bd2 axb4 21.axb4 g6 22.Bd3 Nh5 23.Ra3 Nc7 24.Ng4
Ra8 25.Rc3 f6 26.Qb3 Kh8 27.Rec1$14 {<strong style="color: red;"> Leko P- Short N , Budapest 2003</strong> } )
20.Bd2 axb4 21.axb4 Qb7 22.Bd3 Nc7 23.Nc2 Nh5 24.Be3 Ra8 25.Qd2
Rxa1 26.Nxa1 f5 27.Bh6 Ng7 28.Nb3 f4 29.Na5 Qb6 30.Rc1 Ra8 31.Qc2
Nce8 32.Qb3 Bf6 33.Nc6 Nh5 34.Qb2 Bg7 35.Bxg7 Kxg7 36.Rc5 Qa6
37.Rxb5 Nc7 38.Rb8 Qxd3 39.Ncxe5 Qd1+ 40.Kh2 Ra1 41.Ng4+ Kf7
42.Nh6+ Ke7 43.Ng8+ {1-0, <strong style="color: red;"> Tal M- Hjartarson J, Reykjavik 1987</strong> } )
16.b3 exd4 17.Nxd4 Bf8 18.Bb2 Qd8 19.Ndf5 Bxf5 20.Nxf5 g6 21.Ne3
Bg7 22.Qd2 Nb7 23.b4 Qe7 24.f3 Qf8 25.Bb3 Nd8 26.Rad1 Rc6 27.Rc1
Qe7 28.Kh2 Qd7 29.Nd5 Nxd5 30.Bxd5 Rxc1 31.Rxc1 Qe7 32.Bxg7 Kxg7
33.Qc3+ Kg8 34.f4 Ne6 35.g3 Ng7 36.Qc7 Qf6 37.Rc2 Rf8 38.Qb6
g5 39.fxg5 Qxg5 40.Qxa6 Qe5 41.Qxb5 Ne6 42.Qf1 Kg7 43.Qf5 Qxf5
{1-0, <strong style="color: red;"> Spassky B – Keres P, Riga 1965 (cand.)</strong> } )
Rfe8 16.Ng3
{[#] There are many games in recent times from this position, but it soon becomes clear that Nigel has done his research at home and has found the way for Black to equalize the game}
Bd8! {very precise}
( { Not good enough to equalize is}16...Nc6 17.Be3 Bd8 ( 17...exd4 18.Nxd4 d5 19.Nxc6 Bxc6 20.e5!$14
Ne4 21.Bf4 Qb7 22.Kh2 g6 23.f3 Ng5 24.Bb3 a5 25.a3 Rcd8 26.Bxg5
Bxg5 27.Qd4 Be7 28.f4 a4 29.Bc2 Bf8 30.f5 Bg7 31.Rae1 Qb8 32.Kh1
Ba8 33.Nh5 gxh5 34.f6 Bxf6 35.exf6 Rxe2 36.Rxe2 Qg3 37.Re3 Qg5
38.h4 Qh6 39.Kh2 Kh8 40.Re7 Kg8 41.Qe5 Bc6 42.Rxf7 {1-0, <strong style="color: red;"> Korneev O – Tissir M, Malaga 2003</strong> }
)18.Rc1 Qb7 19.a3 h6 20.Rd2 Bb6 21.dxe5 Bxe3 22.exf6!! Bxd2 23.Qxd2$16
Ne5 24.fxg7 Nxf3+ 25.gxf3 Re6 26.Kh2 Qc7 27.f4 Rg6 28.f5 Rxg7
29.Nh5 d5+ 30.f4 dxe4 31.Nxg7 Kxg7 32.Rg1+ Kf8 33.Bxe4 Be8 34.f6
Rd8 35.Rg8+ {1-0, <strong style="color: red;"> Short N- Savanovic A , Vogosca 3- 6-2007 Bosnia</strong> } )
17.b3 ( 17.Be3?! Nc4 ) Nc6
( 17...Qa7?! 18.Ba3 )
( 17...Qb8!? 18.Bg5!? h6?! 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Nh5! )
18.Bb2 Qa7!
{[#] Black has fully equalized! The pressure on d4–Bd6 is coming in some lines– will force White to clarify the centre before his pieces are yet fully developed. No doubt Short had studied this idea carefully at home long ago, fruit of his experience in this line with both colours}
19.d5?!
{[#] A weak move, in my opinion. Better to try to maintain the centre for a bit longer}
( {I have 3 games in my database with} 19.a3!? { but after }Bb6 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.Rd2 Be6! 22.Nxe5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Bg4 {Black has an excellent game} )
Nb4?!
{[#] In my opinion, also weak. It is somewhat surprising to me that Nigel would opt for this line when he has a much more promising line, but perhaps the answer is that it is difficult to maintain one’s objectivity in a chess fight when one has already won the match.}
( {After} 19...Ne7! {Black has the better game} 20.a4!? Ng6 21.axb5 Bxb5 22.Rd2 Nf4 {with presssure} )
20.Bb1 {Now White is better} a5 21.a3 Na6 22.b4!$14 Qb7 23.Qd2?!
{[#] A very natural move, but infact this throws away White’s advantage! However, the point is very subtle and easy to miss}
( 23.Qe1! axb4 ( 23...a4 24.Bd3$16 ) 24.axb4 Nc7 ( 24...Rc4 25.Ba3
Bb6 26.Bd3$14 ) 25.Rc2! {This is the point: with the Queen on d2 this manoeuvre is impossible} Na8 26.Rxc8 Qxc8 27.Bd3 Nb6 28.Qf1$14 Na4 29.Bc1
Qc3? 30.Bd2$16 {Now Black can get back into the game})
axb4 24.axb4 Nc7!
{[#] A nice manoeuvre. Black intends to transfer his Knight to c4 via a8. A bit slow, but quite sound.}
25.Nh4!?
{[#] Hou Yifan must win this game if she is to avoid a humiliating match loss, and so she plays for some tricks on the Kingside. It turns out that she will succeed, but only with considerable help from her opponent}
( 25.Bd3!? Na8 26.Nh4 g6 {is roughly balanced} )
g6 ( {Completely wrong would be }25...Nfxd5? 26.Nhf5 Nf4 27.Nxd6 Nxe2+ 28.Nxe2 Qb6 29.Ba2
Rf8 30.Bxf7+$18 ) 26.Ra3!? Na8 27.Rf3
{[#] Hou Yifan is bluffing, but she is a very good bluffer! She is threatening to threaten some Knight sacrifice on f5 or h5, depending on circumstances.}
( 27.Qh6!? Nb6? ( 27...Kh8! 28.Nf3
Ng8! {and White has nothing} ) 28.Ngf5!$18 {When the Rook can go to g3 with mate} )
Nb6?!
{[#] Possibly short of time, possibly psyched out by the confidence that Hou Yifan was showing with her aggressive play on the Kingside, or possibly both, Nigel succeeds in losing in just two moves.}
( {Best is }27...Kh8$10 ) 28.Qh6!
{[#] Now Black is suddenly worse!}
Kh8??
{[#] This move, which was good a move before, now loses immediately. Such turn around is chess!}
( {Relatively best is} 28...Be7! {and Black can still hang on:} 29.Nhf5!? Bf8 ( 29...gxf5 30.Rxf5 ) 30.Qh4$14 (30.Nxd6 Qb8!$13 ))
( {Also bad, but not immediately losing is }28...Nc4?! 29.Ngf5 Bxf5 30.Nxf5 Nh5 31.Bc1 Qd7 32.g4! )
29.Rxf6!
{[#] The rest of the game is a massacre. For some reason, Nigel decides to play for the spectators and until the bitter end}
( 29.Nh5! {also does the trick} ) Bxf6 30.Nh5!
{[#] Very pretty! Hou Yifan has salvaged her honour!}
gxh5 31.Qxf6+
Kg8 32.Re3 Bg4 33.Qg5+ Kh8 ( 33...Kf8 ) 34.hxg4 Qe7 35.Qxh5 Na4
( 35...Nc4 36.Rh3 ) 36.Rh3 Qf6 37.Rf3 Qg7 38.Rxf7 Qg8 39.Qf5
{[#]}
1-0
