Some interesting chess
Recent tournaments have produced a bounty of interesting games. Naturally. When you get so many strong competitive tournaments being held at the same time (ShenZhen, Ch Poland, Ch USA, Dubai Open, Ch Serbia, just to name those that immediately come to mind) you are bound to find something for everyone’s tastes…Today I will present a small selection of my favourites.
US Championship
The annual championship of the USA is always one of the top tournaments in the world. As usual, with a generous prize fund ($50,000 first prize) provided by Rex
So’s 4th round win against Alex Onischuk put him into the lead. Some might argue that So was lucky, but in chess one makes one’s own luck. Wesley turned down a 3-fold repetition and took some
gm So,W – gm Onischuk,ARd 4 US-ch 2017
[Source "spraggett"]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.c4 O-O 6.b3 b6 7.Bb2 Bb7{[#] This way of playing first became popular at the top tournaments more than 60 years ago when Bronstein and Botvinnik played it in their world championship match! Today in virtually every tournament you can find a game or two with this set up. I myself have played both sides numerous times.}
8.cxd5 Nxd5{[#] Botvinnik considered this solid move less combative than the capture with the pawn. Ofcourse, it is just a question of style and personal taste}
( 8...exd5$5 9.d4{[#]} ( {Also seen is}9.d3 Re8 10.e3 Nbd7 11.Nc3 Nf8
12.Rc1 Ne6$13 13.d4 Ne4$6 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Ne5 c5 16.Qg4!$16 {<strong style="color: red;">Polugaevsky L – Langeweg K , Kislovodsk 1972</strong> }
) Na6{[#] The most flexible square for the Knight. Perhaps it is counter-intuitive, but the Knight can get back into the game with the c7-e6 manoeuvre. Most of the top players actually prefer to place their Knight on the rim in the Queen’s Indian and/or Nimzo Indian setups!}
( {The major alternative is the classical}9...Nbd7 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Rc1 ( 11.Qc2 a6 12.Rfd1 Bd6 13.e3
Qe7 14.Rac1 Rac8 15.Qf5 g6 16.Qc2 Ne4 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Nd2 b5!$13
{<strong style="color: red;">Sokolov I – Adams M , Chalkidiki 1992</strong> } ) a6 12.Ne5 Bd6 13.f4
b5 14.e3$13 {Larsen B – Gulko B , Biel 1976 } )
10.Nc3 c5
( {or}10...Re8$5 ) 11.Rc1 Nc7 12.Qc2 ( 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Na4 Ne6
( 13...Ne4$6 14.Nd2 Ne6 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Qc2 f5 17.Rfd1 Qc8 18.b4!$16
f4 19.Nxc5 Bxc5 20.bxc5 e3 21.c6 exf2+ 22.Kh1 Ba6 23.Rd7 Qe8
24.Bd5 Rf7 25.Qe4 Ng5 26.Qd4 Ne6 27.Qe5 Rf6 28.Rxg7+ {1-0, <strong style="color: red;">Larsen B – Slipak S2315 , Buenos Aires 1983</strong> }
) 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.Rxc5 Qb6! 17.Rc2 Rac8{and Black has adequate compensation for the pawn.} ) Ne6 13.Rfd1
Rc8 14.e3 Qc7 15.Qf5 Rfd8 16.Ne5 g6 17.Qh3 Qb8 18.f4 cxd4 19.exd4
Ng7$13 { <strong style="color: red;">Plachetka J – Rozentalis E , Trnava 1988</strong> } )
9.d4{[#]}
Nd7
({Less good is the immediate} 9...c5 10.dxc5! Bxc5 11.Nbd2 Nd7 12.a3 N5f6 ( 12...a5$5 {Botvinnik} ) 13.b4
Be7 14.Nd4!$14 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Qc7 16.Qb3 Rfc8 17.Rfc1 Qb7+ 18.Qf3 Nd5
19.e4 N5f6 20.b5 a6 21.Nc6 Bf8 22.a4 axb5 23.axb5 Rxa1 24.Rxa1
Ra8 25.Rd1 Ne8 26.Nc4 Nc5 27.e5 Rc8 28.Ra1 Rc7 29.Ra7 Qxa7 30.Nxa7
Rxa7 31.Nxb6 {1-0, <strong style="color: red;">Botvinnik M- Donner J , Amsterdam 1963</strong> }
) 10.Re1 {[#] A finesse. Practice has shown that White’s best chance of getting a bit of an edge if he is not in such a hurry to develop his Queen Knight }
( {Useless is}10.e4 N5f6 11.e5 Nd5 {when White’s initiative runs out of steam} ) ( 10.Nc3 N5f6! )
c5 {[#]}
({Though Black’s opening play in this game is quite reasonable, not all of the top players play this way} 10...N5f6$5 {there is a lot to say about delaying the c5 push} 11.Nc3 Bb4$5 ( 11...Rc8$5 12.e4 Bb4 13.Qc2 c5 14.Rad1
cxd4 15.Nxd4 Rc5 16.Ndb5 Ba6 17.a3 Bxc3 18.Nxc3 Qc7 19.b4 Rc4
20.Qd2 Rc8 21.e5 Nxe5 22.b5 Rc5 23.Rxe5 Qxe5 24.Ne4 Qf5 25.Nxc5
Bxb5 26.Ne4 Nxe4 27.Qd8+ Be8 28.Qxc8 Qxf2+ 29.Kh1 {1-0, <strong style="color: red;">Almasi,Z – Bruzon Batista,L , Varadero CUB 12- 6-2016 51st Capablanca Mem Elite</strong> }
) 12.Qc2 Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Be4 14.Red1 Qc8 15.Bf1 Nd5 16.Qe1 Bxf3
17.exf3 Qb7 18.Rac1 c6 {with a strong defensive game for Black <strong style="color: red;">Grischuk,A- Kramnik V, Berlin GER 14-10-2015 World Blitz</strong> }
) 11.e4 {Advancing this pawn blocks the Bishop on g2, but it is difficult to see how else White should play. In chess it is necessary to give and take.} N5f6 12.Nc3{[#] White intends to advance his d-pawn}
cxd4! 13.Nxd4 Ne5{[#] Not the only move, but a reasonable one}
( {Also solid is}13...Bc5 14.Re2 Qb8$5
( 14...Ne5 {is similar to the game continuation} 15.Na4 Bxd4 16.Bxd4 Nc6$5 17.Bb2 Qe7 18.Qe1 Rfd8 19.Rd1
Rxd1 20.Qxd1 Rd8 {with a reasonable game for Black. However, one must always play carefully in this ending so as to limit the Bishop Pair.}21.Rd2 Rxd2 22.Qxd2 Qd7 23.Bc3 Qxd2 24.Bxd2
Nd4 25.f3 Nd7 26.Kf2 f6 27.Ke3 e5 28.Bh3 Nc5 29.Bc3 Nxa4 30.bxa4
Nc6 31.Be6+ Kf8 32.f4 g5 33.Bb2 Ke7 34.Bg8 gxf4+ 35.gxf4 exf4+
36.Kxf4 Nb4 37.Ba3 a5 38.Bxh7 Bc6 39.Bg8 Bxa4 40.Kf5 Bc2 41.Bb3
Bd3 42.h4 Kf8 43.Kxf6 Bxe4 44.h5 {1-0, <strong style="color: red;">Artemiev,V – Lysyj,I , Moscow27- 2-2017 Aeroflot</strong> }
) 15.Rd2 Ne5 16.Qe2 a5 17.Rad1 Rc8 18.a3 Ba6 19.Qe1
( 19.Ncb5$5 ) b5! {with an excellent game for Black <strong style="color: red;">Greenfeld,A – Antonsen,M , Gothenburg SWE 17- 8-2016 SS Manhem</strong> }
) 14.Qe2$5{[#] A tricky move.}
( {Reasonable is the immediate} 14.f4 {but it leads to simplification and so is not to everyone’s taste. However, in as much as So did not get anything in the opening , perhaps he should investigate this for the next game!} Nc6 15.Nxc6 Bxc6 16.e5 ( 16.Qe2 Bb4 17.Rac1
Qe7 18.e5 Bc5+ 19.Kh1 Bxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Nd7 21.Red1 Rfc8 22.Ne4$14 Nf8
23.Rc2 Ba3 24.Bxa3 Qxa3 25.Nd6 Rxc2 26.Qxc2 Rd8 27.Rd4 Qc5 28.Qxc5
bxc5 29.Ra4 Ra8 30.Ra6 Nd7 31.Nb5 g5 32.Rxa7 Rd8 33.Nd6 gxf4
34.gxf4 Kf8 35.Ne4 Ke8 36.Kf3 Rb8 37.Nd6+ Ke7 38.Nxf7 {1-0, <strong style="color: red;">Gulko B – Kaenel H , Bern 1994</strong> }
) Bc5+ 17.Kh1 Bxg2+ 18.Kxg2 Qxd1 19.Raxd1 Ng4 20.Rc1 Rfd8 21.Ne4$14 )
Bc5 {[#] So had already played this position, but with Black!}
( {Only White is having fun after }14...Qxd4 15.Nd5! Qc5 16.Rac1! ) 15.Red1$5{[#]
}
( 15.Ncb5$2 a6 16.Rad1
axb5 17.Nxe6 Qe7 18.Nxf8 Kxf8 19.Bd4 b4 20.f4 Bxd4+ 21.Rxd4 Qc5
22.Qe3 Nfg4 23.Qd2 Nc6 24.Rd1 Rd8 {0-1, <strong style="color: red;">Giri,A – So,W , Paris12- 6-2016 GCT Blitz</strong> })
( {Moving the other Rook to d1 is weaker }15.Rad1$6 Bxd4 16.Nb5 ( 16.Na4 Bxf2+ 17.Qxf2 Qb8! ) Bxb2! 17.Rxd8
Rfxd8 18.Qxb2 Nd3$15 {and only Black is having fun} )
Qe7{[#]}
( {Totally wrong is } 15...Bxd4$6 16.Nb5 Bxb2 ( 16...Bxf2+
17.Qxf2 Qb8 18.Nd6 Ned7 19.e5 Ng4 20.Qe2 Bxg2 21.Kxg2$16 ) 17.Rxd8
Rfxd8 18.Qxb2 ) 16.Na4 Bxd4 17.Bxd4 ( 17.Rxd4$5 ) Nc6!{[#]}
18.Be3 {The Bishop has no really good square}
( {Not to be rejected out of hand is } 18.Bxf6$5 gxf6 ( 18...Qxf6$2 19.e5 Qe7 20.Nc3 Rfd8 21.Nb5$16 ) 19.Nc3
Rfd8 {though it must be admitted that Black is not suffering} )
( 18.Bc3 e5! )
( 18.Bb2 e5 19.Nc3 Nd4! {is even worse} )
Rfd8
( 18...e5$6 19.Nc3! ) 19.Nc3 Qb4$5{[#]} ( {More ambitious than }19...Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Rd8 ) 20.Qb2
( {or }20.Rac1 Rxd1+ 21.Nxd1 Rd8 ) Ng4$5 21.Bf4 Nce5 22.a3$5 {[#] The game is getting more tense by the move!}
( {I have not seen anyone mention the interesting }22.Bxe5$5 Nxe5 23.Nd5 exd5 24.Qxe5 dxe4 25.Qc7 Bd5 26.Rac1{when White has excellent compensation and is not the least bit worse, and might be better. This idea has to be analyzed in greater detail} )
Qc5 ( 22...Qe7$5 23.h3 g5!$13 ) 23.Na4 Qb5 24.Nc3 Qc5 25.Na4 Qb5{[#] Onischuk is content to make a draw} 26.h3$5 {Risky, but White wanted to win. After the game So thanked God for his help in winning!}
Nd3 ( {Even simpler is} 26...Rxd1+! 27.Rxd1 Nd3 28.Rxd3 Qxd3 29.hxg4 Rc8 {When White has a more difficult task than in the game} ) 27.Rxd3
Rxd3 ({Why not} 27...Qxd3! 28.hxg4 Rac8! 29.Re1 Rc2 30.Qb1 Re2 31.Rf1 Bxe4 {and Black could never lose and might even have winning chances} )
28.hxg4 Qxb3 ( 28...Rad8$6 29.Nc3 Qc5 30.Rc1 ) ({Why not} 28...Rxb3$5 29.Qd4
Rc8! ) 29.Bf1{[#]} Qxb2$6 ( {After the game everyone was excited about }29...Rc8! {[#] and they are right, but it is only a draw with correct play} 30.Bxd3 ( 30.Qe5$2 Rdd8$19 ) Qxd3 31.Re1!
Bxe4 ( 31...Rc2$6 32.Qb1! Bxe4 33.Rd1 ) 32.Nc3 Qxc3 ( 32...Ba8$6 33.Re3
Qd7 34.g5 Qb7 35.f3! ) 33.Qxc3 Rxc3 34.Rxe4 Rxa3 35.Rc4 h6 {and the ending should be a draw} ) 30.Nxb2 {[#]
Now it is Black who must play accurately to hold}
Rb3$6 ( 30...Rc3! {still keeps the game going} 31.Na4 ( 31.Nc4 Bxe4 ) Rc2 32.Bd3 Rc6 33.Kf1 Rd8 )
31.Nc4!$16 {Onischuk must have missed that he can not take the e-pawn} Rd8 32.Nd6 Ba8 33.g5! {Onischuk praised So’s high level of play in the ending. It is probably already lost for Black, time trouble adding to his woes} Rc3 34.a4 Rc5 35.e5 Rd7 36.Be3 Rxe5
37.Rc1 Rd8 38.Rc7 Rd5 39.Nxf7 Rf8 40.g6 hxg6 41.Ng5 Rd1 42.Nxe6
Re8 43.Rxg7+ Kh8 44.Rxg6 Be4{[#]} 45.Bd4+ 1-0
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Fortune favours the brave! You can download this game (with notes) here
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