GOTM; July, 2007. 

  GM Vadim Zvjaginsev (2658) - GM Wang Hao (2624)  
  [C36]  
  4th GM March  
  Taiyuan, CHN; (R#1) / 04,07,2007.  

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

My  "Game of The Month,"  for July of 2007. 

An interesting game, with an exciting finish - by one of my favorite players. 
(How many master-level games actually begin with this opening ... especially in this day and age?) 

 1.e4 e5;  2.f4 exf4;   
The King's Gambit Accepted, a fairly rare guest in modern, Super-GM praxis.  

Click  here  to go to another web page that I have done. (This one contains a fairly thorough look at the theory of the King's Gambit.) 

     [ For all the various lines of the King's Gambit (Declined) that begin with the moves:   
       2...Bc5!?;  3.Nf3, {The correct move to stop Black's main threat.}  

            ( A standard book trap is: </= 3.fxe5?? Qh4+;  4.Ke2?? Qxe4#.   
               and White has been mated ... right in the middle of the board! )   

       3...d6;  please see MCO-14, page # 16; beginning with column # 31. ]   

 3.Nf3 d5!?;  
The "Bronstein/Botvinnik System," one of the lines that caused a lot of players to stop playing the King's Gambit.  

Although this was first used in the encounter, Harrwitz - Williams, London, (ENG); 1852 ... it was truly the games of the leading Russian players of the period of 1935 to the mid-1950's ... that turned this line into a respected opening system.  
(Black willingly returns the Pawn, in order to accelerate his overall development.) 

[ For all the lines of the King's Gambit Accepted, please see MCO-15, beginning on page # 3. The lines with the King's Gambit Accepted, (with 3...g5); begins on page # 06. ] 

     [ The main line would be: 
        (>/=) 3...g5;  4.h4 g4;  5.Ne5 Nf6;  6.Bc4!? d5!;  7.exd5, "~"  with complex play.   

        One of the best and highest rated examples of this position would be:    
        GM Luc Winants (2500) - GM Paul Van der Sterren (2560);   
        ICT, Hoogovens (open) / Wijk aan Zee, NED; (R#11) / 1995. 
        {A draw in twenty-four total moves.} ]    

 4.exd5 Qxd5!?;    (See the diagram - just below.)  
This is a bit unusual, a tad more 'normal' is 4...Nf6.   

  rnb1kbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3q4/5p2/5N2/PPPP2PP/RNBQKB1R w  

The capture with the Queen was used as long ago as 1827, (according to the database); but nowadays White wins the majority of these struggles.  

     [ The "Power-Book" gives this as the main line here: (>/=)  4...Nf6;  5.Bc4,    
       A good move ... but this is (obviously) not the only one that White can play in this position.   

            ( Black could also play:    
               5.Nc3 Nxd5;  6.Nxd5 Qxd5;  7.d4 Be7;   

                      (An alternative line is: 8.c4 Qe4+;  9.Kf2, "~"  wth unclear play.    
                        (Although the engines favor Black here.) )   

                8.Bd3!? g5!?;  9.Qe2 Bf5;  10.0-0, "~"  10...Nc6;  "=/+"  
               The end of the column. "White has compensation for the Pawn, but no more." - The authors.  
                [ See MCO-14, page # 10; column # 13 and note (e.). ]    

                 [This same line is repeated in the next installment of "Modern Chess Openings."    
                    See MCO-15, page # 10, column # 13 and all notes; especially note # {e.} here.]   )   

       5...Nxd5;  6.0-0 Be6;  7.Bb3 Be7;  {This is probably Black's best move at this point.}   

            ( Almost comic was the contest:  </= 7...Bd6?;  8.c4 Ne7?!;  9.d4 Ng6;  10.c5! Be7;  
              11.Bxe6 fxe6;  12.Re1 0-0!?;  13.Rxe6 Bxc5?; ('??')  
               A bad move ... was it the result of some sloppy analysis?   

               14.Qb3! Bxd4+;  15.Nxd4 Qxd4+?;  16.Be3!,  "+/-"    and Black had to resign. (1-0)   

                GM D. Bronstein - GM I. Zaitsev; / USSR 1/4; Moscow, 1969. (16)   
                (See Informant # 08, game # 195.) )   

       8.d4 0-0;  9.c4 Ne3;  10.Bxe3 fxe3;  11.Qd3, "+/="  with maybe a slight edge for White.    

       One of the few examples (of this position) that I could find in the database would have to be:   
       GM Alexander Grischuk (2606) - GM Lars Bo Hansen (2562); / North Sea Cup (Tournament)   
        Esbjerg, DEN; (R#6), 07,07,2000. {Drawn in a total of 32 moves.}  ]  

 5.d4 Nf6;  6.Bxf4,   
This is certainly a normal looking capture, but according to the Fritz "Power-Book," White normally plays Be2 first before playing this move. (6.Bxf4 is a relatively new move, the first use of this play appears in the database in the year of 1993. See the contest, M. Bezak - K. Kisonova; in the Bratislava Slovan Open.) 

     [ The PB gives (instead): 
        6.Be2 Be7;  7.Bxf4 c6;  8.0-0 0-0;  9.c4 Qd8;  10.Nc3 Bg4; 11.d5 cxd5;  12.cxd5 Bd6;  13.Bg5,  "~"  
        with a fairly equal position, although White went on to win this one in 36 total moves.   

        Y Shulman (2490) - R. Kula (2350); ICT, Master's Open / Katowice, POL; (Rnd. #4) / 1995. ]   

 6...Qe4+!?;  (Less than best?)      (See the diagram - just below.)     
This natural looking check could be the beginning of a faulty plan.   

  rnb1kb1r/ppp2ppp/5n2/8/3PqB2/5N2/PPP3PP/RN1QKB1R w  

The problem with this endgame is that White gets to call all the shots ... 
for quite some time. 
(Better space, a slightly better pawn structure and something of an initiative as well.)   

     [ After the moves of:  (>/=)  6...Nc6;  7.Nc3 Bb4;  8.Bd3 Qe6+;  9.Kf2 0-0;  10.Re1, "~"  (Maybe "+/=")   
        White might be a little better here, but its not by a large margin. (Analysis line, no match was found   
         in any database search, when searching the db by this particular position.) ]   

 7.Qe2 Qxe2+;  8.Bxe2 Nd5;  9.Bd2 Be7;   
A routine developing move, maybe  9...Bf5;  would have been a little bit better here.   

 10.0-0 c6!?;  (TN?)   
This looks rather passive, playing the Black Knight to c6 looked better.   

     [ The only other game in the database - that I could find - was this interesting encounter:    
       10...0-0;  11.c4 Nf6;  12.Nc3 Nc6;  13.Nb5 Bg4;  14.Nxc7 Rac8;  15.Nb5 a6;  16.Nc3 Bxf3;    
       17.Bxf3 Nxd4;  18.Bxb7 Rb8;  19.Bxa6 Rxb2;  20.Bc1 Rc2;  21.Nd5 Bc5;  22.Nxf6+ gxf6;   
       23.Kh1 Ra8;  24.Bb5 Nb3;  25.Rb1 Nxc1;  26.Rbxc1 Raxa2;  27.Bc6, "~"  Draw agreed. (½-½)   

       M. Mertens (2120) - N. Bajovic (2325); / Metz, 1996. ]   

 11.c4 Nf6!?;  12.Nc3 0-0;  13.Bd3 Rd8;  14.Rae1 Be6;     (See the diagram - just below.)    
Its amazing how much trouble Black gets into in this game by simply playing his pieces to such natural looking squares.  

  rn1r2k1/pp2bppp/2p1bn2/8/2PP4/2NB1N2/PP1B2PP/4RRK1 w  

  Study this position carefully.       

  *** *** *** *** ***  *** *** *** *** *** ***  *** *** *** *** *** ***  *** *** *** *** *** ***  *** *** *** *** *** ***  *** *** *** *** ***  

Over the next series of moves, White continues to maneuver and tries to improve his position. (After his 15th move, White will play Nf4 on his next move, and secure the Bishop-pair.) 

 15.Ne2! Nbd7;  (hmmm)   
Black could play 15...Bc8; but that would be like "anti-development."   

 16.Nf4 Nf8;  17.Bc3 Bd6;  18.Nxe6 Nxe6;  19.Bf5 Nc7;  20.Ba5 Nfe8;      (See the diagram - just below.)     
This looks too compliant and definitely rather passive, I think the box's suggestion of ...c6-c5; might have been a little better. 

  r2rn1k1/ppn2ppp/2pb4/B4B2/2PP4/5N2/PP4PP/4RRK1 w  

Although White has yet to win a single Pawn here, the computer is already showing White to have a rather substantial advantage.   

 21.Ng5 g6[];  22.Bh3 b6;  23.Bc3,      (See the diagram - just below.)    
Take a look at this set-up.   

  r2rn1k1/p1n2p1p/1ppb2p1/6N1/2PP4/2B4B/PP4PP/4RRK1 b   

Black is so badly tied up that he can barely move any of his pieces.  

Now Black is in a bind, White threatens to simply capture on f7, and Black lacks an adequate defense for this threat.    
 23...f6;    
Maybe the only move available to Black. (Note that 23...f5; allows the immediate 24.g4!, opening even more lines ...
which is exactly what Black is trying to avoid.) 

     [ It would be terrible for Black to play: </= 23...h6?; ('??')  24.Nxf7,  "+/-"  when White is winning easily. ]   

 24.Ne6 Nxe6;  25.Bxe6+ Kg7;  26.g4! h6; '!?'  (hmmm)    
This definitely weakens Black's King-side in this position, maybe Black should have tried something like ...R/a-b8-b7-e7. 

White's next move is excellent, the logic being is that ... sooner or later ... that White will want to open the h-file, and then use that line for his Rooks as well.    
 27.Kg2! a5!?;  28.d5! c5!?;  ('?!' / '?')    
While this looks like the expected response, maybe Black should have considered 26...Bb4 here.  

 29.h4 g5;  30.hxg5 hxg5;  31.Bf5 Nc7;  32.Bc2 Rf8;  33.Rf5,  (Nearly - '!')     (See the diagram - just below.)    
White has increased his advantage with great skill, poor Wang Hao is so tied up that he can barely move a piece here. 

  r4r2/2n3k1/1p1b1p2/p1pP1Rp1/2P3P1/2B5/PPB3K1/4R3 b  

Study this position carefully, its not surprising that Black won't last much longer ... 
(from the set-up that we currently have on the chessboard).   

 33...Rae8?!;  (Maybe - '?')   
This is not be the best defense, the play of  >/= 33...Rf7[];  appeared to be forced here. 
(However, even with best play, Black was clearly lost - so I find it difficult to be overly critical at this point.) 

     [ After the following moves: 
       >/= 33...Rf7[];  34.Rxg5+ Kf8;  35.Rh5 Rg7;  36.Kf3 Re8;  37.Rh8+ Rg8!?;    
       38.Rxe8+ Nxe8;  39.Rxg8+ Kxg8;  40.Bg6 Nc7;  41.Bxf6,  "+/-"    
       Black is in an ugly endgame where he is (a full) two Pawns down ...    
       its hard to imagine many GM's who would be eager to play on from this position! ]   

 34.Rxg5+ Kf7[];   
This is forced for Black, of course not 34...Kh8; as that walks into an immediate checkmate. (In just two moves.)   

     [ But of course not:  </= 34...Kh6??;  35.Rg6+ Kh7;  36.Rh1+, "+/-"   and mate next move. ]   

Now White finishes off smartly.  
 35.Bg6+! Kg8;   
Forced. (See the variation given just below.)    

     [ </= 35...Kg7?;  36.Bxe8+ Kh6;  37.Rg6+ Kh7;  38.Rh1+ Bh2;  39.Rxh2#. ]   

 36.Bxf6!,   "+/-"    Black Resigns.      (See the diagram - just below.)     
Wang Hao throws in the towel, his position is completely hopeless. 

  4rrk1/2n5/1p1b1BB1/p1pP2R1/2P3P1/8/PP4K1/4R3 b  

     [ After the moves:  36.Bxf6! Rxf6; This is forced.   

             (</= 36...Rxe1?; 37.Be8+ Kh7;  38.Rh5+ Kg8;  39.Rh8#. )  

        37.Bxe8+ Kf8;  38.Bd7,  "+/-"  White has an easy win on the material scale. ]    

Not so much a brilliancy ... as just a fine positional struggle.   

White - slowly, but methodically - increased the pressure on his opponent. Eventually ... Black was reduced to a state of complete and utter helplessness.   

Some authors - like GM A. Soltis - don't care for this style of chess, its winning ... ... ...   
with little or no risk. (In the style of GM Anatoly Karpov?) However, in my experience, the top players make this look easy, rest of us can only dream of winning a game against a 2600+ player in such a superlative fashion. 

  Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2007. All rights reserved.  

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   Click  HERE  to see a game in the King's Gambit, (Spassky-Bronstein; USSR / 1959-1960); that also contains a pretty good survey of this opening.  

   Click  here  to see two more games that feature a "King's Gambit" opening, both were played by TOP TEN Grand-Masters!!!!!