All,
A lot of you already know that I participated in the
Lichtenbergersommer 2010 tournament in Berlin, where I came joint 2nd with
7/9, making it the best chess performance to my career at that time.
More games will be available, but this very interesting struggle occurred
early on.
Here is my game from the round 3 contest against Robert Rabiega, Grandmaster
of 25.08, who eventually won the tournament with 7.5/9.
Even we mere mortals can "out-theory" a grandmaster from time to time...
Enjoy...
[Event "Lichtenberger Sommer 2010"]
[Site "Berlin, GER"]
[Date "2010.08.09"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Rabiega, Robert"]
[Black "Ross, Chris"]
[ECO "A87"]
[WhiteElo "2508"]
[BlackElo "2207"]
[Annotator "Chris Ross"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2010.08.09"]
{B22: C3 Sicilian}
1. e4 c5
2. c3 d5
3. exd5 Qxd5
4. d4 e6
5. Nf3 Nf6
6. a3 Nc6
7. Bd3 cxd4
8. cxd4 Be7
9. Nc3 Qd6
10. O-O O-O
11. Be3 b6
12. Qe2 Bb7
13. Rad1 Rad8
14. Rfe1 Rfe8
15. Bg5 Qb8
16. Bb1
{All played within 4 minutes. Both of us had obviously prepared something
and were perfectly aware of what each other was ready to play. I gained the
impression though, during this initial blitzing of moves, that I was playing
the more confidently and was the one with the more potent weapon up my
sleeve.
So, all according to the main lines. Black is playing against the IQP and
white is attempting to attack. Standard stuff.
The other line I had prepared was from the following game:
16. Bc4 h6 17. Bh4 Qc8 18. Bg3 Nd5 19. Bxd5 exd5 20. Qd2 Na5 21. Nb5 Nc4 22.
Qc3 Bf8 23. Nxa7 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Qd7 25. b3 Ra8 26. bxc4 dxc4 27. Qxc4 Rxa7
28. Ra1 Rxa3 29. Rxa3 Bxa3 30. Qb3 Bf8
Stevic,H (2415)-Lutz,C (2565)/Vienna 1996/CBM 053 ext/1/2-1/2 (54)}
16... g6
{Still within my theory. White should now play 17. Ba2 or 17. Be4. Other
moves are not within the books}.
17. g3?
{And on move 17, my grandmaster opponent deviates away from the known
theory, coming up with a poor novelty!
A very strange decision indeed. I didn't even consider this in my pre-match
contemplations and after our initial 4 minutes blitz, it was time to settle
down and have a good long ponder. The pace of the game from now onwards
became very ponderous indeed!
So, what is the purpose of 17. g3. To support a Bf4? No, as that is not a
great positional move in any case, as the black queen is more than happy to
hide on a8 and exert pressure along that long diagonal.
Is it to permit h2-h4 and the idea of opening up lines on the king-side?
If so, why does white not get along with that plan immediately? Playing
g2-g3 is not a necessary prelude to the launching of the H-pawn.
There is no real logical reason for this pawn push.
In many ways, I understood it as a waste of tempo, but failed to exploit it
to the maximum.
I knew that 17. Ba2 was the latest theory, although I had also prepared for
17. Be4.
Both bishop-moves target the d5 square and have tactics on d5 if the black
knight is to land on there. If the theory believes this necessary, then,
surely, logically speaking, the occupation of the blockading square on d5 is
the correct plan?}
17... Nd5
18. Ba2
{And now alarm-bells began to ring, very seriously, but nothing I thought
of seemed to work.
We have now reached a theoretical position, where it is meant to be for
white to move, but it isn't. It is actually black to move, since the move
g2-g3 has been thrown in.
In that simplest of forms, time has to be spent to consider why theory has
rejected this as a viable position for white.
This position needs some considerable thought and is probably the pivotal
point to the whole game.
From that sheer singular positional element, a great deal can be gleamed
from this game, many essential concepts , that have been driven deep into my
sub-conscious, so that another let-off cannot be accomplished by an unaware
opponent.
Concentrate on that single strand, that in this text-move position, it is
meant to be white to move, not black. Why? What is immediately wrong with
the position?
Solution to come.}
18... Kg7?
{In the style of the theoretical lines, black plays Nh5 or Kg7 to relieve
the pressure along the h4-d8 diagonal, and also along the a2-g8 diagonal,
where the black king can be left vulnerable.
There are other variations where the black player allows exchanges on e4 and
then will come Kg7 to prevent a knight to sneak into c3/e4/f6.
Prophylactic moves are all fine in themselves and this move is a perfect
example to why caution is not superior than theoretic knowledge.
Is Kg7 an active move to exploit the theoretic discrepancy in the game?
No, it is not. That has to be a fundamental failure in the white position in
order that theory has not accepted it as a good option.
Kg7 then, is In many ways, a poor move, for those reasons enough.
So, we turn our attention to tactics. A tactical combination that was beyond
me at the time, but is glaringly obvious now.
Naturally, the whole concentration of the game is the IQP. White is
attempting to maintain it and push it through. Black is trying to blockade
it and exert enough pressure on it that it will become ultimately weak.
Let's combine all the ideas so far outlined and then we get the incredible
variation:
18... Nxd4! 19. Rxd4 Nxc3 20. bxc3 Bxf3 21. Qxf3 Bxg5
Giving black a clear pawn advantage and a much superior position!
With the opposite coloured bishops, white has lots of drawing chances, but
what an amazing way to exploit all of the fundamental positional weaknesses
in the white setup.
White thought for a long time now, having seen his blunder, as he ashamedly
admitted afterwards. How to avoid
this occurring now, as I probably wouldn't have missed it the second time
around.}
19. Nxd5 Bxg5
20. Nxg5 exd5
{Annoyingly, black has a weak queen's pawn now, but white is at pains to
secure and defend his own d4 pawn. I considered this equal for black, but as
you will soon see, white now demonstrates how the slightest of positional
advantages is enough for him to create more penetration opportunities.}
21. Qf3 Rxe1+
22. Rxe1 Qc7
{defending and attacking simultaneously. The D-pawn can not be taken due to
Nxd4 tactics (which I had belatedly seen!). Now, how does white defend his
weak pawn and attempt a penetration?}
23. Qc3!
{Perfectly played! White defends the d4 pawn, but sees that it is actually
the C-file that is the point of penetration. White correctly switches from
the king-side to the queen-side. Such is the pressure down the C-file, that
ultimately, holes will appear down the E-file. A very neat and clever way to
exploit a central weakness via pressurizing the outer-most, opposite flank,
weakness. For this, I give white much credit.
The variation 23. Bxd5 Nxd4 24. Qxf7+ Qxf7 25. Bxf7 Kf6 is winning a piece
for black. A neat trap, but white had figured out that in short order!}
23... Qd7
24. h4
{White now demonstrates his dominance of the position. Black is now
struggling for moves. He has to cling on now, but white is the one, who is
able to probe. 24. Nf3 h6 was what I was expecting.}
24... Qg4
25. b4 Rd7
{Again, it is black who is grovelling now. White is correctly expanding on
the queen-side to create a weakness there. The c5 square can not be made
available for the white queen or white rook as an outpost. White is now
intent on a good-knight VS bad-bishop ending, which black can hardly avoid.}
26. Nf3 f6
{Not a move black really wants to make, but the e5 square has to be
protected. If white lands a knight on there, he will dominate even more
territory. However, more squares have become weak, specifically, the
light-squares around the black king.
White's plan now is a very illustrative way to force a clear advantage.
Where is the focus now for white's attack?}
27. Bb3 a6
28. Ba4 Rc7
{Black is still clinging, but white is intent on developing his first part
of plan by ridding himself of his apparently poor bishop. This bishop is
actually fine, but he is wishing to render the bishop on b7 even worse.
However, which square is his target?
Well, amazingly, it's g6!}
29. b5 axb5
30. Bxb5 Qc8
31. Bxc6
{So, with this exchange, white rids himself of the pressure on d4, which is
the only thing black can hope for. More importantly, the dark-squares have
become white's play-toys and the white queen is ready to target the g6
square.}
31... Bxc6
32. Qb4 Qb7
{Not only defending the b6 pawn, but preventing Re7+ penetration moves. But,
why the queen on b4?
Well, easy, it's headed for b1!}
33. h5!
{Again, well played. White targets the correct weak-point in the black
position. White has coordinated his pieces excellently.}
33... Rf7
34. Nh4
{And more pressure on g6. White is simply going to play Qb1 on the next
move, which will leave all the white squares, including g6 and f5, too weak
to hold.
Superb positional play by white.}
34... Qd7
{Simply giving up on the b6 pawn in a desperate hope to gain some space and
activity.
No better is 34... Qb8 35. Qb1 gxh5 36. Re6 and white crashes through.}
35. Qxb6 g5
36. Ng2
{Calm to the finish. Nf5+ tactics are not necessary, as I would love to
exchange my poor bishop for that excellent knight.
No, calm retreat. The knight is headed for f5, sure, and I can't really
prevent it, now can I?! No, clever patient play by white.}
35... Bb7
{I could not see anything here. I simply wanted to protect the bishop and
attempt to get some activity with the rook and queen. Not to be though. I
reasoned that 36... Kg8 37. g4 would just cement white's advantage even
more.}
37. Ne3 Qh3
{A final bluff. Sure, white has to be careful of flash tactics, but all are
in vein. White has more than enough to cope with any dirty last-minute
tactics black may throw at him. 37... g4 does nothing and white can advance
his outside passed pawn if he so wishes with 38. a4 and I have no attacks on
h5 or the light squares.}
38. Qd8
{Again, penetrating on the dark-squares. Equally good was
38. Rc1 Bc8 39. Rc7 and white has penetrated with his rook. However, the
queen has now entered into the black camp. There is little now.}
38... Qe6
{Again, looking for tactics down the E-file. I thought a slower squeeze
would be 38... Qd7 39. Qxd7 Rxd7 as white can plonk a knight on f5 and
slowly bring his rook in. White has that passed A pawn too, don't' forget!}
39. g4 Rd7
{Can black live to hope?!}
40. Nf5+ Qxf5
{Ah, has black got a dirty trick up his sleeve?! Surely, white has not
missed this simple trick?}
41. Re7+
{Oh ok then, maybe he hasn't. In all variations, the white queen
can deliver check and the black queen will be left en prise.
A very clever, illustrative game, from which I have learned a great deal.}
41... 1-0
Opening references:
A.
17. Ba2 Nh5 18. d5 (18. Bh6 Bf6 19. Ne4 Bg7 20. Qe3 Ne7 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22.
Ne5 Nf5 23. Qc3 Qc8 24. Qxc8 Rxc8 25. g4 Bxe4 26. Rxe4 Nd6 27. Re3 Nf4 28.
d5 exd5 29. Bxd5 Rc5 30. Nxf7 Nxd5 31. Nxd6 Rxe3 32. fxe3 Nxe3
Richards,H (2221)-Tiviakov,S (2635)/Saint Vincent 2003/CBM 092 ext/0-1 (46)
B.
17. Ba2 Nh5 18. d5 exd5 19. Rxd5 Bf8 20. Qd2 Rxd5 21. Nxd5 Rxe1+ 22. Qxe1 h6
23. Bd2 Qd8 24.
Bc3 Bg7 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Qc3+ Nf6 27. h3 Qd6 28. Ne3
1/2-1/2 Lim Yee Weng (2367)-Li Ruofan (2425)/Kuala Lumpur MAS 2008
C.
17. Ba2 Nh5 (17... Kg7 18. b4 Ng4 19. Bxe7 Nxe7 20. Ne5 Nf6 21.
Nxf7 Kxf7 22. Qxe6+ Kg7 23. Qf7+ Kh6 24. Rxe7 Rxe7 25. Qxe7 Nd5 26. Nxd5
Bxd5 27. Rd3
1-0 Eichert,W (2143)-Titz,H (2217)/Graz 2004/EXT 2006})
Chris Ross
August 2010
