Smooth Operator
French grandmaster Étienne Bacrot needs little introduction to my readers. Along with Joel Lautier he revolutionized French chess and helped build one of the most vibrant and energetic chess communities in Europe.
The following instructive game by Bacrot was played in recently concluded (today, infact!) ‘Tournament of Peace’ in Zagreb. I like the game very much, and especially the Capablanca-like technical precision.
I recommend the readers to study closely the manner that a small positional edge gets converted without the need for any fancy tactics.
gm Bacrot,É – gm Palac,M Zagreb 22.11.2019 1-0
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.g3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Bacrot can play everything against the Najdorf, but recently he has developed a taste for this quiet line.</strong>} e5 7.Nde2
Be7 8.Bg2 O-O {[#] <strong style="color:red;">The most solid line, but hardly the only move played here</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A recent Bacrot game saw </strong> } 8...Nbd7$5 9.a4 b6 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5 Rb8 12.Nc3
Nf6 13.Qd3 h6 14.O-O O-O 15.b3 Qc7 16.Bb2 Qb7 17.Nd1 b5 18.axb5
axb5 19.Ne3$14 Be6 20.Ra5 Ng4 21.Nf5 Bxf5 22.exf5 Qb6 23.b4 d5 24.Qe2
Nf6 25.c3 e4 26.Rd1 Qc6 27.Bf1 Qd7 28.Rxb5 Qxf5 29.Rxb8 {1/2-1/2,<strong style="color:black;"> Bacrot,E 2677 – Womacka,M 2449 , Aachen GER 3/ 2/2019 Bundesliga 2018-19</strong> }
)
({<strong style="color:black;">After the immediate </strong> } 8...b5 9.Nd5!{<strong style="color:black;">will be similar to the game continuation </strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">After the popular </strong> } 8...Be6$5 9.a4 {<strong style="color:black;">is probably the strongest </strong> } )
9.O-O b5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The most popular today</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">After </strong> } 9...Be6 10.a4! )
({<strong style="color:black;">Or after </strong> } 9...Qc7 10.a4! )
10.Nd5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Obviously there are many other reasonable alternatives for White here, but today this line has attracted the attention of many of the world’s elite grandmasters. The idea is to forgo playing for a Kingside attack –which might involve risk — and instead concentrate on trying to exploit Black’s weakened pawn structure on the Queenside — which has no risk at all.</strong>}
Nbd7 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">There is nothing really wrong with </strong> } 10...Nxd5$5 11.Qxd5 Ra7 12.Be3
Be6 13.Qd2 Rd7 14.Nc3$14 {<strong style="color:black;">but White will continue with the same plan unheeded. </strong> } )
11.Nec3 Rb8 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Somehow this move seems artifical to me in this position</strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">I would prefer the more natural development </strong> } 11...Bb7$5 12.Be3 Nxd5 13.Nxd5
Nf6 {<strong style="color:black;"> though after</strong> } 14.a4!{<strong style="color:black;">White can continue with his plan </strong> } )
12.Be3{<strong style="color:black;">White develops quickly </strong> } Nxd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A game of Bacrot’s from the 2018 edition of the Zagreb tournament saw </strong> } 12...b4$5 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Qxd5
Bb7 16.Qa5 Nc5 17.Bxc5 ( 17.f3! Bc8 18.c4$14 ) dxc5 18.Rfd1 Rfd8
19.c3 Rd6 20.cxb4 cxb4 21.Rxd6 Qxd6 22.Bf3 g6 23.Rd1 Qe7 24.Rc1
Rc8 25.Rxc8+ Bxc8 26.Qb6 Kg7 27.Kg2 h6 28.h4 {1/2-1/2,<strong style="color:black;"> Bacrot,E 2677 – Saric,Iv 2692 , Zagreb CRO 12/11/2018 Tournament of Peace 2018</strong> }
)
13.Nxd5 Nf6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black seems to have little better than to try to get rid of the annoying Knight on d5…</strong>} 14.Nxe7+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White now gets an extra positional edge with the two Bishops, which will prove very useful in the game continuation.</strong>} Qxe7 15.Qd3 Bb7 16.Rfd1 Rfd8{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 17.c4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A nice move that serves several purposes, amongst which is to open the c-file for one of White’s Rooks. Notice also that White will have a 2-vs-1 majority on the Queenside for the ending…</strong>} bxc4
18.Qxc4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">With apparently simple moves Whie has accumulated a number of small positional advantages.</strong>} Qe6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Logical, but Black will now have to play an inferior ending. Is this what he wants against a player like Bacrot? That being said, it is difficult to suggest a line of play that is problem free.</strong>}
( 18...Rbc8 19.Qb4! )
( 18...Rdc8 19.Qd3 Rd8 20.Rac1$14 )
19.Qxe6! fxe6 20.f3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Bacrot has learned his lesson from the 2018 game! He has no reason to fear Black opening up the centre as he has a strong position without weaknesses and the 2 Bishops to boot…</strong>} d5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">There is no other active plan…</strong>} 21.exd5 exd5 22.f4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A classy move that increases White’s advantage. Bacrot uses his two Bishops as a trump.</strong>} exf4
( 22...e4$6 23.Bd4$16 )
( 22...d4$5 23.Bxb7! dxe3 ( {<strong style="color:black;">Best is </strong> } 23...exf4 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Bxd4 Rxb7
26.gxf4 {<strong style="color:black;">but can Black prove that he has compensation for the pawn? </strong> } ) 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.fxe5$16 )
23.Bxf4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Bacrot has a beautiful position</strong>} Rbc8 24.Rac1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Now if Black does not trade Rooks then White will!</strong>} Rxc1 25.Rxc1
Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Bxc8{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The resulting endgame is a text example of how to use the 2 Bishops. It is very instructive how Bacrot does not waste time to worry about his h-pawn and qickly instead advances his King into the centre.</strong>} 27.Kf2! Ng4+ 28.Ke2 Nxh2 29.Bxd5+ Kf8 30.Kd3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Probably there is no salvation for Black from this point on. Black will have to seek an improvement earlier, probably in the opening. From now on it is smooth sailing for White…</strong>}
Ke7 31.Kd4 h6 32.Kc5 g5 33.Bd6+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kd8 34.Kb6 Ng4 35.Bc4 h5 36.Bxa6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The Black h-pawn is no danger to White</strong>}
Bxa6 37.Kxa6 Kd7 38.Bb8 h4 39.gxh4 gxh4 40.b4 h3 41.b5! {[#] <strong style="color:red;">The White Queenside pawns can not be stopped. A great game! Deceptively simple and worth many hours of study.</strong>} 1-0
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