Moscow Open 2014 Premier Russian Cup

First round

 

V. Korchmar – А. Shimanov

Old Indian Defense

Of the first round games we will  take note of two miniatures, played by the young St. Petersburg grandmasters. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. h3 c5 6. d5 e6 7. d3 d6 8. Сg5 Кa6 9. Кge2. It seems more natural to develop the king's knight to f3. 9... h6 10. Be3 exd5 11. exd5.

   

11... Nd7! A timely maneuver, pointing out the flaw of white's 9th move. The black knight is aiming for 11...e5. 12. f4.

[Better was 12. O-O  allowing,  after 12... Кe5, the trade of his bishop on d3.]

12... Re8 13. Bf2 Nb4 14. Bb1.

[His affection for the bishop pair is doing white a disservice in the current position. Here 14. O-O  was already necessary, although it would have meant trading the bishop on d3 for the “clumsy”  a6 knight.]

14... Nb6! 15. a3.

15... Nxc4! Combinational means make apparent the lagging white king in the center. It's interesting that in the game Da Silva – Laitau Brazil 2001 black missed this chance, leaving his knight on a6. 16 axb4 cxb4 17. Bb3.

[In even of 17.b5, now 17...Nxb2 Qb3 Rxe2+! 19. Kxe2 Qe8+ 20. Kf3 Qb5 is crushing.]

17... bxc3 14. Qxc4 cxb2 19. Ra3 Bd7. For the piece black has three pawns, and most importantly the b2 pawn is on the verge of promotion. 20. O-O Rc8 21. Qd3.

21... Bf5! Initiating the final combination, paving the way for the b2. 22. Qd2 Bxb1 23. Rxb1 Rxe2! 24. Qxe2 Rc1+ 25. Кh2 Rxb1, and after a few moves white resigned.

 

M. Matlakov – P. Palachev

Queen's Gambit Orthodox Variation         

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. Rc1 c6 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nf3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Bd3 Bb7 12. O-O Rc8 13. Qe2 b4 14. Na4 Qa5.

This position has been played before. Usually here play continues b3 c5 etc. The text offers a greatly improved variation. 15. Bxf6! Contesting control of the c5 square. 15... gxf6.

[Black is hoping to make possible с6-с5, and goes with the weakening of the king's position. All the same, better was 15... Bxf6 16. Nc5 Nxc5 17. Rxc5 Qb6  followed by Bе7. (Inferior was 17... Qa2 18. Nd2 etc.) White may consider the sacrifice for quality,  18. Rfc1 Be7 19. Ne5 Bxc5 20. Rxc5 with the initiative.]

16. Nc5!  Entering a brilliant combination. 16... Nxc5 17. dxc5 Bxc5.

18. Ne5! The point of white's scheme! 18... fxe5 19. Qg4+ Kh8 20. Qe4 Кg7 21. Qxe5+ f6 22. Rxc5! Qxa2

[The Continuation 22... fxe5 23. Rxa5 c5 24. Rxa7 Rf7 25. b3 lead to a hopeless ending for black, but the text loses immediately.]

23. Qe4 f5 24. Qxb4 1-0

 

A. Aitbayev – S. Volkov

French Defense: Tarrasch Variation

The second round saw the first loss of a rating favoite. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Ngf3 Be7 7. Be2 b6. Black prepares to exchange his “French” bishop, accepting the loss of a few tempi. However, for now the position has a closed character. 8. c3 Ba6 9. Bxa6 It's important to drag the knight off to а6. 9... Nxa6 10. Nf1 Transfering the knight to e3 to prepare an f4-f5 break. 10... Nc7 11. Ne3.

11... Nb8 Blacks play seems placid.

[There was sense in bogging down his opponent's activity with 11... f5 , since after 12. exf5 Nf6 The weaknesses of the e5 square and e6 pawn are conpensated for by the whole on е4.]

12. f5 Nc6 13. O-O Qd7.

14. f6! An advance just begging to be made, making in none the less powerful.  14... gxf6 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Ng4 Bg7 17. Bh6! The sacrifice of the pawn allows white to sieze the dark squares in the center. 17... f5.

[The problem is that black is unable to maintain control of the e5 square,17... f6? 18. Bxg7 Qxg7 19. Nxf6+! Qxf6 20. Ne5 etc.]

18. Bxg7 Qxg7 19. Nge5 Rg8 20. Лf2 Nxe5 21. Nxe5 Nb5. After this move black's game goes downhill.

[ Better was the immediate  21... O-O-O 22. Qa4 Kb7]

22. Qa4! Paralyzing the black pieces. 22... a6 23. Re1 Qb7 24. dxc5 bxc5.

25. Nd3! После After this retreat, the multitude of black's pawn weaknesses cannot be defended. 25... Qc6 26. c4.

[Stronger still was 26. Qh4, not allowing the black king to flee from the center.]

26... dxc4 27. Nf4 O-O-O 28. Rxe6 Rd6 29. Qxc4 Rgd8 30. Re5 Кb7 31. h3 Rd1+ 32. Кh2 Qd6 33. Rxc5 Rd7 34. Rxf5 Rd4 35. Qc5 Qxc5 36. Rxc5 Rf7 37. g3 Nd6 38. Rfc2 Nf5 39. Ke6 Rdd7 40. Ng5 Nd4 41. Nxf7 Nxc2 42. Rxc2 Rxf7 43. Kg2, and in a few moves black resigned.