Moscow Open 2014 Men's Premier Russian Cup

А. Moiseenko – P. Ponkratov

The positional advantage of white in the endgame which has arisen is without doubt—the bishop pair, superior pawn structure, a defended passed d5 pawn, and the opponent’s passive d6 bishop and a white square vulnerability. But will the accumulation of these factors be sufficient to achieve a break in the closed position? 33. Rh1 Кd7 34. Кf1 The path for the white king is paved in the white squares from f1-a6. 34... Rh8 The exchange of rooks is advantageous for black, but with the next move white manages to maintain the tension. 35. Rh5! Rg8 36. f3 Bf8 Preparing for the transfer of the knight to a blockading square by the route of g6-e7-c8-d6. 37. Кe2 Ne7
[Transitioning to an opposite-color bishop position wasn’t an option, as after 37... Nf4 38. Bxf4 exf4 39. Rf5 black loses one of his important pawns.]
38. Bb5 Кd8

39. Ba6! Impeding the knight’s transfer to d6! 39... Кc7
[Leading to a loss was 39... Nc8 40. Bxc8 Кxc8 41. Rh7 Bg7 (41... Rg7 42. Rh8ќ) 42. Кd3 with a later Кс4-b5.]
40. Кd3 Ng6 41. Bb5 Bg7 42. Кc4 Ne7 43. Ba6! And again the black knight’s path is blocked at c8! 43... bf8 44. Кb5

44... f5 A desperate attempt at counterplay.
[In case of 44... Ng6 white wins by means of 45. Rh7 Rg7 46. Rxg7 Bxg7 47. d6+ Кxd6 48. Кxb6ќ]
45. gxf5 Rg2 46. d6+ Кxd6 47. Кxb6 Rxb2+

48. Bb5
[Still  not too late to be mated—48. Кa5?? Nc6#]
48... Nc8+ 49. Kb7 Rb3
[An amusing finish arises after 49... Ne7 50. Rh8 Bg7 51. Rd8#]
50. Bh6 1-0

M. Matlakov - D.Swiercz

In this ending white has the advantage the bishop pair, but the position of black seems sound enough, since the pawn structure looks impregnable with its base on e7 seemingly not so easy to get to. All the same, as the continuation demonstrates, black’s position is difficult—the white-squared bishop cannot be challenged, and the rook on a7 develop a dangerous pressure.
24... Nd4
[The lines  24... Bxb2 25. Bd5 Ng5 26. Rxe7;
and 24... Nd8 25. Bf3 Rxb2 26. Bc1 Rc2 27. Rxe7 Rxc4 28. Bd5 Rc2 29. Rd7 play to white’s advantage.]
25. Bc3 Nc2 26. Rc1 Nd4
[In case of 26... Bc3? 27. Bxc3 the knight finds himself ensnared.]
27. Кf1 Preparing the move е2-е3 – the black knight starts losing the ground beneath his feet. 27... Bf6 28. e3 Nb3
[Immediate loss of the e7 pawn resulted from 28... Ne6 29. Bd5]
29. Rd1 Кg7

30. Bd5! Rfe8 31. Bc6! The point е7, seeming invincible only six moves earlier, falls!  31... Bxc3 32. Bxc3 Rec8 33. Rxd6 Кf8
[Bad was 33... Rb6 in light of 34. Rxe7+ Кh8 35. Ree6ќ]
34. Rxg6 Rb6

35. Bd7! A tactic allowing white to free himself of all ties and remain with a decisive material advantage. White also had in reserve the amusing alternative - 35.Bе8! 35... Nd2+ 36. Ke2 Rxg6 37. Bxc8 Nxc4 38. Bxf5 Rb6 39. Rc7 Rb2 +40. Кe1 Nd6 41. Rxc5 1-0

 

Moscow Open 2014 Women's Premier Russian Cup

 О. Girya - А. Goryachkina

This quiet line of the English Opening, thanks to the fighting spirit the players, has led to an extremely sharp, complicated situation. Each of the sides has their own trumps: black, the dangerous c2 pawn with good mobilization of forces; white, the passed pawns racing down the queenside. 26. a4! For the fight for the initiative, as we will see, white is willing to sacrifice a queen!

[In case of the tempting 26. Bxe6 Qxe6 27. Qxe6 fxe6 28. a4 d5 29. a5 d4 30. Bxh6 d3 31. exd3 exd3 32. Be3 Rc6!, black has the chances.]
26... Rc3 27. Bxe6

27... fxe6
[The line 27... Qxe6 28. Qxe6 fxe6 29. a5 d5 30. a6 Rxe3 31. a7 Rb3 (31... Rxe2? 32. b7ќ) 32. axb=Q Bxb8 33. Rc2 Rb6 brings black an ending with a pawn for the exchange and unattractive prospects in fighting for a draw.;
Accepting the queen 27... Rxb3 28. Bxb3 lead to the loss of the key c2 pawn, but after the exact 28... Qd7! dynamic equality reigns. For example: 29. Rxc2 (or 29. Кg2 d5 30. Rxc2 d4) 29... Qh3! 30. a5 Bxg3 31. Bxf7+ Кh7 32. fxg3 Qxg3+ with perpetual check.   The uncompromising move made by Aleksandra Goryachkina in the game, objectively speaking, leads to dangerous consequences for black.]
28. Qb4 Qb7

29. Bd4! Trading off the important e5 bishop amplifies the weakness in black king’s pawn cover. 29... Bxd4 30. Qxd4 Rbc8 31. a5 d5 32. Qf6 Кh7 33. Qxe6 Ra3

34. f3! Bringing the f1 rook into the fight. 34... exf3 35. Rxf3 Rxf3 36. exf3 d4 37. h5! Continuing methodically to destroy the position of the black monarch. The king safety, as everyone knows, is the most important factor in evaluating major piece endings. 37... gxh5 38. Qf5+ Кg7 39. Rxc2 Лxc2 40. Qxc2 Qxf3

The game has transitioned to a queen ending in which black has no easy time resisting the connected passed pawns of her opponent. 41. Qf2 Qe4 42. Кh2 d3 43. a6 Qe2 44. Кg2 Qc2 45. b7 d2 46. b8=Q d1=Q

On the board is a rare position with four queens! However, in a few moves again we will have a commonplace two-queen endgame. 47. Qbf8+ Кh7 48. Q8f7+ Кh8 49. Qf8+ Кh7 50. Q8f5+ Qxf5 51. Qxf5+ Кg7 52. Qe5+ Кf7 53. Qf5+ Кg7

54. a7 The a7 pawn decides the fate of the encounter. Black’s hopes for perpetual check on the open board never come into fruition. Play continued: 54... Qa4 55. Qe5+ Кg6 56. Qd6+ Кg7 57. Qc7+ Кg6 58. Qd6 Кg7 59. Qc7+ Кg6 60. Кf3 Qd1+ 61. Кe4 Qe2 62. Кd5 Qf3+ 63. Кc5 Qe3+ 64. Кb5 Qb3+ 65. Кa6 Qf3 66. Qb6+ Кf5 67. Qb1+ Кg4 68. Qg6+ Кh3 69. Qd6 Кg2 70. Кb6 Qe3+ 71. Кb7 Qb3+ 72. Кc7 1-0