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ANNOTATED GAME
7th round of the Jannes-cup (Groningen-NL)
E.S. (1994) vs. E.Z. (1920)
Annotated by: combirocker (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B31), Nimzovich-Rossolimo attack, Gurgenidze variation
E.S. (1994) vs. E.Z. (1920)
Annotated by: combirocker (1200)
Chess opening: Sicilian (B31), Nimzovich-Rossolimo attack, Gurgenidze variation
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I'd like to show you a game I played last friday. It was the 7th (last) round of a swiss tournament. My opponent was a half point ahead of me, so i had to win this game in order to win the tournament. I had 2 out of 2 score against him in our previous encounters. One i won in great style, and in the other one I was lucky because he blundered the game away in a position slightly better for him. Another thing I'd like to mention is that after the first 3 rounds he already had a lead of 1,5 pts, and at that moment I thought I'd never get the chance to play this "all or nothing" game. Since then I've won all of my games, and he played very carefully, which resulted in 2 draws. Although he was good with a draw, he chose the sicilian.. not quite the easiest way to make a draw. | |||||
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1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 |
A friend told me my opponent played the sveshnikov, an opening I dont know very well. | ||||
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2... Nc6 3. Bb5 |
Bb5!? I wouldnt call Bb5 the best move, but from the psychological point of view, the character of the opening changes from very tactical, to positional (mostly) . I dont mind playing all kinds of positions, as long as my opponent feels uncomfortable with it. Another reason is, that i wanted to play a long game, eventually keeping a small , and then waiting for a mistake. I thought, if i have to play for a win as a maniac, I could do it later as well. | ||||
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3... g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 O-O 7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 9. e5 Ne4 |
A very well known position for so far. I was out of my book at 3... g6 already, but the nice thing about all the Bb5 lines, is that one doesnt have to know all the complicated sicilian lines. The position might not be very exciting, but this could change at ay given moment. Here I had to think for ca. 10 minutes. The Knight on e4 must leave. Maybe I overreacted here, but i came with a pretty original idea. | ||||
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10. Bxc6 |
It's not easy to give away such a nice bishop, and i had my doubts, whether this move deservs a question- or an exclamation mark. Anyway, there is a deeper idea behin this "silly" move, and that was the only one wich seemed promising to me at that moment. Later on i checked the book and it turned out that Bxc6 has been played frequently on GM-level. (not any given GMs but names as Kasparov and Ivanchuk) | ||||
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10... bxc6 11. Ng5 |
11.Ng5?! N I couldn't track this move back in any of my books. Although it looks very simplifying and eventually premature ( In the GM's games this move is played a bit later), I get exactly what I was hoping for. Both of us are out of the book. I still have a playable position. Black has to more problems to solve then white. | ||||
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11... Nxg5 12. Bxg5 f6 |
12.. f6. That's the only move in order to make some progress. Otherwise the white bishop paralizes black's development. It's also a direct assault on the white centre, in order to open it up, and let his bishops dance all over the board. Although the white centre looks fragile it's hard to come through, without taking serious risks. | ||||
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13. Bf4 Qb6 14. Qd2 |
For a short time i thought at Nc3 here, but since it's not neccessary to sac a pawn and the compensation is not clear, i decided to "keep my stuff together". Black could have played 14. ..c5 here, but i dont think he'd like the position after 15.dxc5 Qxc5, with the idea to switch the bishop to d4 after 16. Be3. | ||||
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14... a5 |
14..a5! A great move. Black sensed that he'd be lost positionally if he'd wait any longer with a5. The threat was Nc3-a4-c5, and white has it all. Now that's not possible because after Nc3, black simply replies with a4! and wins the opening. | ||||
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15. b3 |
Maybe not the best, but certainly very creative. With b3, white again threatehs Nc3 and there is nothing what would prevent the Knight to reach the best square c5. 15.b3 anyway leads to great complications, but what else should white do in a game he has to win? | ||||
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15... a4 16. b4 |
One doesnt play b3 if not willing to play b4 afterwards. | ||||
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16... a3 |
Again good, and again the only move, since white looks much better after playing a3 himself. The a3 pawn will remain weak till the end, but what to say of his "friend" on b4. Here white has to come with drastic measures, because Ra4 is on his way. Note that Nc3 doesnt work because it leaves the b4 pawn unprotected, and that the continuation Qxb4, Nxd5, Qxd2, Nxe7 loses a piece after Kf7 | ||||
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17. exf6 |
Suicidal, one would say, since white opens the centre, while instead of taking care of his undeveloped pieces, but this is the best move, with good practical chances, and with a nice idea behind it. | ||||
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17... Bxf6 |
Bxf6, is the only way to take the pawn back because exf6 would probably cost the game after Bd6! followed by Bc5 where white has the control and all the time in the world to "pick up" the a3 pawn. | ||||
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18. Be5 |
The next moves seem to be forced. | ||||
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18... Ra4 19. Bxf6 exf6 20. Nc3 |
We reached the critical point. Here Black has 2 choices. The best move is Qb4, but i think that white has enough compensation after Re3. Now Qxd4 is not so great since it looses the exchange due to Rd3!, and white can block the "bad pawns" on c6 and d5. If not Qxd4 then the rook has to move, what gives white enough time to double his rooks, and eventually play Rg3 trying to organize an not to be underestimated attack with eventually h4-h5 etc. | ||||
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20... Rxb4 |
I took a deep breath when i saw what black played. Although it doesnt look dangerous, suddenly white is better. | ||||
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21. Re7 |
A great shot, and a big shock to my opponent. After Qxd4? Qh6 decides, and almost after all the other moves. g5 doesnt help much in view of Qd3, f5..and now since there is a black pawn on f5, Qh3 wins. Probably black should have played Rf7, but white's attack gains on strength after Rae1. | ||||
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21... Qd8 |
Chosing the "safest" way. But.. | ||||
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22. Nxd5 |
And black is in complete shock. He probably thought that this move is not to be considered, because after taking his rook away..for example to a4, there are 2 of white's pieces "hanging". But then he noticed that the e7-rook is temporary covered and that Qh6 is killing again. That's why Rb7 is the only move, and also a very ugly one to play. | ||||
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22... Rb7 23. Rxb7 Bxb7 24. Ne3 |
Now white is clearly better, but there is still a long way to go. | ||||
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