GOTM; June, 2007. 

Welcome to my  "Game of The Month"  feature!  (For June, 2007.)  (Games considered, file.) 

This is a game, that is annotated in a <light-to-medium> fashion. Hopefully it is done in a way that is both entertaining and also informative. The main purpose {and thrust} of this column is to try and educate the general chess public. 

I have deeply annotated this game on my hard drive, you are welcome to contact me if you would like to try and obtain a copy. (Because of copyright violations, I ONLY offer a printed version!)  

This is a feature where I will try to pick a game that was recently played at the GM level. Then I will annotate it and try to basically explain what happened. ---> This column is aimed primarily at lower-rated players.  (Say 1600 & below.) 

I hope that you enjoy this game ... feedback is both encouraged and welcome. (Please respect my copyright.) 

  GM Gata Kamsky (2705) - GM Etienne Bacrot (2709);  
  [C88]  
  WCh Candidates (s/f)  
  Elista, RUS;  (R#3) / 29,05,2007.  

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

My "Game of the Month," for June, 2007. 

Kamsky wins a solid effort against a player that was supposed to be the clear favorite in this match. (Several "expert" prognosticators stated that Bacrot was going to win the match, possibly because of the age difference between the two players.) 

 1.e4 e5;  2.Nf3 Nc6;   3.Bb5,   
The Ruy Lopez, which is obviously not a surprise at the highest levels of chess. 

     [ For a modern example of an old opening, (being used at the master level); the continuation would be:   
       3.Bc4 Nf6; 4.d3 Be7;  5.0-0 0-0;  6.Bb3 d6;  7.c3 Na5;  8.Bc2 c5;  9.Re1,  "+/="  
       (White has a small edge.) 

        Please refer to the key struggle of: 
        GM Sergey Kudrin (2554) - GM Alexander Onischuk (2650); 
        U.S. Champ. Tourn. (GpA) / San Diego, CA; (USA) / 2006.   
        {Black won a nice game, 0-1 in 46 total moves.} ]  

 3...a6;  4.Ba4 Nf6;  5.0-0 Be7;  6.Re1 b5;  7.Bb3 0-0;  8.h3,   
Another example of the "Anti-Marshall Systems," a topic that I have covered in other columns.   

     [ Instead, the moves of: 
       8.c3 d5;  9.exd5 Nxd5; "~"  10.Nxe5,  "+/="  leads to the gambit system   
       first  featured  in the  games  of  {former}  U.S. Champion,  Frank J. Marshall.   

       See the contest:  GM Vishy Anand (2762) - GM Michael Adams (2755); 
       ICT, SuperGM / Dortmund, GER; (R5) / 2000.   
       {White won a nice game, 1-0 in a total of 45 moves. If you have the most recent 
         ChessBase database, this game is in there, and it is nicely annotated.} ]  

 8...Bb7;  9.c3,  ('!?')  
Kamsky decides to avoid the most popular line, (with d3 here); and play a completely different kind of position.   

  r2q1rk1/1bppbppp/p1n2n2/1p2p3/4P3/1BP2N1P/PP1P1PP1/RNBQR1K1 b  

Perhaps the main drawback to c3 here is that Black gets in the immediate pawn thrust, ...d5. 

     [ For a game with the move of:  9.d3,  for White in this position, please refer to the contest:   
       GM Veselin Topalov (2804) - GM Viswanathan Anand (2803);   
       ICT, M-Tel Masters / Sofia, BUL; (R#2) / 12,05,2006.   
       {Black won a brilliant game, please see my  column  for May, 2006.} ]   

 9...d5;  10.exd5 Nxd5;  11.d3 Qd6!?;  
This looks like a logical move.   

  r4rk1/1bp1bppp/p1nq4/1p1np3/8/1BPP1N1P/PP3PP1/RNBQR1K1 w   

Black prepares to "stack up" his heavy pieces on the d-file, however, Kamsky has everything under control.  

     [ The Fritz  "Power-Book"  gives the following continuation ... as the main line here:    
       11...Bf6;  12.Nbd2 Nf4;  13.Ne4! Nxd3;  14.Nxf6+ gxf6;  15.Bh6 Nxe1;  16.Qxe1 Qd3!?;  17.Nh4!,  "~"  
        White has a lot of play here, Black's best bet is probably to play  17...f5;  and give back the Exchange.   
        (I did not find any significant examples of this position in any of the popular games databases.) ]  

 12.Nbd2 Rad8;  13.Ne4 Qd7;  14.a4 Kh8!?;   
I guess that this is OK. Instead, the try of 14...b4 was worth looking at, as this was my first choice ... 
and also the first choice of Fritz.  

 15.axb5 axb5;  16.d4 exd4;  17.cxd4 f6;   
This pawn move was obviously played to keep a WN out of the nice outpost on the e5-square.   

     [ Possibly better was:  (>/=)  17...Ndb4;  18.Be3 Nd5;  19.Bg5 f6;  20.Bd2 Nb6;  21.Qe2 Nxd4;   
       22.Nxd4 Qxd4;  23.Qxb5 Bxe4;  24.Bc3 Bd3;  25.Bxd4 Bxb5;  26.Bxb6 Bd6;  27.Be3,  ("=")    
       with an equal position. (Analysis line.) ]   

 18.Nc3 Ncb4;  19.Qe2! Bd6;   
This is not terrible, but the box slightly prefers 19...Rde8 here. 
(Black wanted to eliminate the potential double-attack to his Bishop on e7 ... perhaps in an effort to free his pieces to go on the offensive.) 

 20.Qxb5 Nxc3?!;   
Bacrot willingly goes into a pawn down endgame, but bases his belief that the endgame with the "Bishops of opposite colors" will yield substantial drawing chances for Black.   

     [ Much more active was:  
       >/= 20...Bc6!;  21.Qc4 Rfe8;  22.Bd2 Nxc3;  23.Rxe8+ Rxe8;  24.Qxc3,   This is prolly best.   

            (Or 24.bxc3!? Bd5!;  "<=>"  when Black looks OK. )     

       24...Qf5;  25.Re1, "+/="  25...Rb8!;  "~"  when Black's defense is not easy to break down. ]  

The next series of moves is close to being forced.   
 21.Qxd7 Rxd7;  22.bxc3 Nd3;  23.Rd1 Nxc1;  24.Raxc1 Bxf3;  25.gxf3 Bf4;   
Black apparently believed that this endgame - especially with White's split Pawns - held good chances to save a half-point.  

  5r1k/2pr2pp/5p2/8/3P1b2/1BP2P1P/5P2/2RR2K1 w  

White's play is now pretty good, all students of the game should study it carefully.   

 26.Ra1 Rd6!?;   
A random move.  26...g5!  was more to the point, then Black could think about playing ...h7-h5 and then ...g5-g4; perhaps in an effort to expose the White King. (The second player needs to generate some meaningful counterplay.)   

 27.c4 Rb6;  28.Rd3 g6!?;  
This is the current position, I am sure that Bacrot might have thought that he could make a draw from here.  

  5r1k/2p4p/1r3pp1/8/2PP1b2/1B1R1P1P/5P2/R5K1 w  

Study this position carefully.  

     [ Perhaps a more active line was:  (>/=) 28...f5; ('!')  29.Ba4 Rg6+;  30.Kh1 Rh6;  31.Kg2 Rg6+;    
       32.Kh1 Rh6;  33.Kg2 Rg6+;  which just repeats moves. ]   

It is White's move in this position, what is the best first move for White to make from here?   
 29.c5!,  
Note the technique, the Pawns advance on the dark squares to keep Black's Bishop at bay. 
(This is a common theme in this type of endgame.)   

 29...Rb5;   
Playing to b4 right away might have been fractionally better. 
(However, White's plan remained basically the same.)   

 30.Bc4 Rb4;  31.Be6 Rd8;   
This is the current situation that we have on the chessboard, Bacrot has actually managed to defend his position pretty well up to here.  

  3r3k/2p4p/4Bpp1/2P5/1r1P1b2/3R1P1P/5P2/R5K1 w   

Please take a few minutes to study this position.  

White to move, what is the best play for the first player from this particular position?    
 32.d5!?,    (Possibly dubious?)   
This looks promising, however Black might be able to force a draw from here.   

     [ Probably better was:  (>/=)  32.Rad1 Rb2;  33.Rc3,  '±'   
        with the same pawn breakthrough idea as in the game. ]  

 32...Kg7?;   (Maybe - '??')    
Black decides to get his King over as quickly as possible, however, this gives White time to force a powerful passed Pawn.   

     [ Black had to play:  >/=  32...Rc4[];  33.d6 Rxc5;  34.d7 Kg7;  "~"   
        when a draw starts to look like the most likely result. ]   

The rest of the game is pretty easy to understand, Black will be unable to stop the passed Pawn on the c-file.   
 33.d6! cxd6!?;  34.c6! d5;  35.Ra7+ Kh6;  36.c7,   "+/-"    Black Resigns.   

A nice game by the American GM, Kamsky played hard-hitting chess throughout this match. 

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

    1 - 0    

Click  HERE  to read the ChessBase report for this round.