(GOTM) Supplementary Game #1 / June, 2004  

  GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2657) - FM Lorenz M. Drabke (2453)  
[A29]
  5th IECC, (Individual {men's} European Chess Championships)  
 Antalya, TUR; (Round # 1), 15.05.2004 

[A.J. Goldsby I]

Supplementary Game (# 01) for the June (2004) "Game of The Month." (From TWIC # 497.)  

Many of you have complained about the steady diet of KP openings ... 
and the (seemingly) constant parade of Sicilian Openings featured in my column. And while I am not going to change my preferences, I have decided to add a LIGHTLY annotated game every month - that features some other opening - other than a KP opening system. 

It is interesting to try and guess at which point White's advantage became so strong that Black was overwhelmed with threats. 

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The ratings are those of FIDE ... and are completely accurate. 

This game was from the Individual (European) Men's Championships, held recently in Antalya, Turkey. 

For more information on this particular opening, see MCO-14, beginning on page # 661.  

 1.c4 e5;  {Diagram?}     
Of course Black can respond any number of ways from this position. 

He can develop his KN, play 1...c5; he can play 1...e6; and 2...d5; (trying to steer the game into a Queen's Gambit Declined); the number of reasonable choices here is quite {amazingly} large. 

Botvinnik was of the opinion that 1...e5; was slightly flawed - White is allowed to set up Sicilian-like positions, (and Pawn structures); but with an extra tempo. Nonetheless, 1...e5; remains one of the top choices to meet the English at the Master-level. (It was a long-time favorite of Anatoly Karpov's.) 

     [ After the move,  1...Nf6; {Diagram?}   Black can try to steer the game into an Indian Opening. ]  

 2.Nc3 Nf6;  3.Nf3 Nc6;  4.g3!?,  {Diagram?}       
Leading to a kind of reversed Sicilian Dragon.  

     [ After the moves:  4.d4 exd4;  5.Nxd4 d6!?;  6.e4, "+/="  {Diagram?}   
        we have reached a Pawn structure which is a close relative of the 
        "Maroczy Bind"  formations of the Sicilian Defense. ]  

 4...Bb4!?;  {Diagram?}    
An interesting sally ... Black threatens to double White's QB-Pawns.  

     [ The other major try at this point would be the break in the center.   
        For example:  4...d5!?;  5.cxd5 Nxd5;  6.Bg2 Nb6;  7.0-0 Be7;     
        8.a3!,  "+/="  {Diagram?}   with a solid edge for the first player.  
        (White threatens b2-b4.)   

        I found nearly 1500 games in my database with this position! 
        But the best/strongest example had to have been the following contest:   

        GM Francisco VallejoPons (2625) - GM Ruslan Ponomariov (2730);   
        ICT / Super-GM Event (Rd. # 5) / Linares, ESP (Spain);  2002.  
        (A long and hard-fought draw ... that lasted 65 moves!)   

        GM Andrew Soltis  wrote a book called:  "Winning With The English Opening,"  
        that covered these formations in some detail. ]   

 5.Bg2 0-0;  6.0-0 Bxc3!?;  {Diagram?}    
I think this is a main line here ...  and it seems like a logical approach. 
(The alternative was to retreat the Bishop - and lose a lot of time.)  

     [ Instead, one respected openings book gives the continuation of:  
       (>/=)  6...e4;  7.Ng5 Bxc3;  8.bxc3 Re8;  9.d3 exd3;  10.exd3 d6;  
       11.Rb1 h6;  12.Ne4 Nxe4;  {Diagram?}   
        The end of the column.  

       13.Bxe4 Ne5;  14.f4! Nxc4;  15.f5!,  "~"   "/\"   {Diagram?}   
       White has a tremendous amount of play for the Pawn.  

       GM Henrique Mecking - L.A. Tan; / (FIDE) Interzonal Tournament  
       Petropolis, Brazil; 1973.   (1-0, 33 moves.)   

       [ See MCO-14, page # 666;  column # 01, and note # (b.). ]  ]    

 7.bxc3 d6;  {Diagram?}   
A sensible .. and certainly a playable move by Black, in this position. 

     [ Black could also play:   7...Re8!?;  8.d3 e4;  9.Nd4 exd3;     
       10.exd3 h6;  11.Rb1, "+/="  {Diagram?}      
       White retains a small, but a solid edge in this position.   

       GM J. Hodgson - GM V. Salov; / ICT / The Donner Memorial     
       Amsterdam, NED; 1996.  (Black won a long game.)  ]     

 8.d3 h6!?;  (hmmm)  {Diagram?}    
I have noticed - from my study of the database - that many players will play a move like this one ...  
in similar positions. However, it is probably too slow, weakening and too cavalier an approach to be 
of any real value.  

     [ Probably the more businesslike pawn advance in the center is more to the point. For example:   
        >/=  8...e4;  9.Nd4 exd3;  10.Nxc6!?,  {Diagram?}     
        This looks unnecessary, the simple recapture with the Pawn should give White a small advantage.  

            ( Much better was: >/= 10.exd3!, "+/=" )      

        10...dxe2;  11.Qxe2 bxc6;  12.Bxc6 Rb8;  13.Be3 Bb7;  14.Bxb7 Rxb7, "~"  {Diagram?}     
         with an unclear position - where I do not think Black stands any worse.   

        GM H. Mecking - GM V. Korchnoi;  / WCS / (FIDE) Candidates Match, (Game # 8)   
        Augusta, GA (USA); 1974.  (The game was eventually drawn in 55 moves.)  ]    

 9.Rb1 Rb8;  10.h3 a6;  ('!?')   {See the diagram - just below.}       
Thus far, both sides have played reasonably well, I see only a very tiny advantage for White here.

 ************** 

 ************** 

This is a good place for a diagram.  

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White now prevents Black from freeing his position with ...b5.  
 11.a4 Be6;  12.e4! Nh7!?;  {Diagram?}    
Probably played to get in the ...f7-f5; freeing pawn break.  

     [ Maybe 12...Nd7!?;  instead? ]  

 13.Nh4!? Qd7!?;  14.g4!? Na5;  15.Bd2 c5!?; ('?!')  {Diagram?}    
This is a normal idea in these openings, yet Black's position goes steadily downhill from here.  

     [ Maybe a more elastic approach was called for. For example:   
       (>/=)  15...Qe8;  16.f4 Bd7;  17.Ra1 exf4;  18.Nf5, "+/="  {Diagram?}   
       but White still holds a solid advantage here. ]    

 16.Nf5 b6!?;  {See the diagram ... just below.}    
This looks a little passive.  

 ************** 

 ************** 

White's position looks pretty good, but it is not extremely imposing, at least not in my opinion.  

     [ Why not just  16...b5!?;  here? ]   

Having gained the Two Bishops from the opening, and with the center securely in his control, 
White now turns his attention to the Q-side.  
 17.f4! f6!?;  18.h4!? Rf7?!;  {Diagram?}    
Black panics, facing a fairly strong Pawn storm. 
(The text fails because it traps the Bishop and allows a sneaky tactic that allows White to exchange off the 
 key light-squared Bishop, and break up Black's King-side Pawns at the same time.)  

     [ Better was the simple:   >/=   18...Nc6;  {Diagram?}   
       but White's Pawns on the King-side still look imposing! ('+/=' or '±') ]   

 19.Nxh6+! gxh6;  20.f5 h5!?;  {Diagram?}    
This looks like a further error to me ... but Black's position was already very ugly to look at for very long.   

     [ Black probably had to try and play:   20...Bxc4[];  21.dxc4 Nxc4;  22.Bxh6, '±'  {Diagram?}    
       and simply wait and see how White's attack will develop.  (This is no fun, I know ... but sometimes  
       in chess this is the only way to defend such a position.) ]   

 21.g5 fxg5;  22.hxg5 Bxf5?!;  (Maybe, probably - '?')   {Diagram?}     
Black is falling apart here.
(I know it is hard to play such positions. But if you are not going to resign, then you are obligated to find the 
 path of greatest resistance for your opponent. Certainly you do not want to make matters worse!)  

     [ >/=  22...Nf8[];  23.Qxh5, '±'  ("+/-")  ]   

 23.exf5 Rxf5!?;  24.Qxh5 Rbf8;  25.Rxf5 Rxf5;  26.Bh3!?,  {Diagram?}    
Winning the exchange ... it is almost time for Black to throw in the towel. 
(The move of Be4 was also very strong for White.)

     [ The very simple move:  26.Rxb6!,  {Diagram?}  
        was equally effective here. ("+/-") 
       {Perhaps even stronger than the text move.} ]    

 26...Nf8;  27.Bxf5 Qxf5;  28.Rf1 Qd7!?;  29.g6,  ("+/-")   {See the diagram ... just below.}      
Now the funeral is over ... it is time to toss in a few handfuls of dirt, - - - and move on.  

 ************** 

 ************** 

Black plays on  ...  perhaps through simple inertia.

     [ Or  29.Qh6 Qe7;  30.g6,  {Diagram?}   with an easily won position. ("+/-") ]   

 29...Qg7!?;  ('?' / '??')  {Diagram?}     
A mistake or blunder - but one in a completely lost position.  

     [ The only move was:  29...Qe6[];  {Diagram?}    
        when White might still have to work a little bit, (RxN/f8+!); to find the win. ]   

 30.Rxf8+!,  (nice)   {Diagram?}    
A very cute tactic, Black must capture one of two ways. 
(The capture with the Black Queen is followed by Qh7#, while the capture with the King is met by Bh6 ... 
 pinning and winning the Black Queen. Black sensibly resigns.)  

A very good game ... just exactly which move was the losing one is not at all clear. 
Here the nice positional build-up was a prelude to the attack.   

 --->  (The game on this page, HTML code - and diagrams were initially)  Generated with ChessBase 8.0   

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  Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I  

  Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2004 - 2005.  All rights reserved.  

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