GOTM; October 2011. |
Welcome to my "Game of The Month" feature! (For October, 2011.) [Game # 43.] This is a game, that is annotated - by me - for your enjoyment. 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.) |
After a long delay ...(November, 2011.) Back around 2000, I used to have a regular feature of annotated games in several different state magazines. Later, that effort migrated to the Internet, especially after several (small) sponsors showed an interest in providing support of this type of feature. Over the years ... especially after the events (the price of gas, in the stock market and in housing) of 2007-2008 ... I lost all financial aid for this website, however that was not the reason that I discontinued doing my monthly annotated game. It was actually the tremendous upheaval in my personal life (we had to move and my wife was dying of cancer) that forced me to abandon my "Game of The Month" as a regular feature. After an intermission of about 4-5 years, I have decided to give effort this another shot, I hope that you will enjoy (and perhaps support) my efforts! |
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GM Maxim Rodshtein |
GM Zhao Jianchao |
GM
M. Rodshtein is a very talented player ... I saw many of his games of his in
various magazines and on the Internet when he was barely a teenager, he won the
World title in the "Under-16" category. He was hailed as a
promising chess prodigy, however, today (at age 22) he would have to be
considered "just" another young and very talented player. Because of
the fact that he was playing at (or near) the master level by (about)
the age of 10, I
would say that there is a good chance that he could develop into a World
Championship Candidate. (He is currently working with Gelfand, who plays a WCS
match later this year with Anand.) This game - IMO - shows tremendous
promise, it reminds me (a little bit, anyway) of
Bobby Fischer and/or Garry Kasparov ... at their peaks. (I can offer no higher
praise!)
[Google
this player. His
CG profile. His
FIDE player-card.]
GM
Z. Jianchao is a Chinese GM and national champion ... other than that,
I don't know too much about him, this is only the third or fourth one of his
games that I have ever actually seriously studied. I am sure that GM Z. Jianchao
is a great player ... has many fans all over the world. Perhaps I can one day
deeply examine one of his best games as well ... in this way, no one will be
able to say that I was acting in a biased manner. (Note/reminder: I did not pick
this game!)
[Google
this player. His
CG profile. His
FIDE player-card.]
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This tournament - the 2011 Aeroflot Open in Moscow, Russia - is normally one of the strongest open tournaments of the whole year. Be sure to visit the CG page for this event, which also includes a cross-table. (I was going to {also} provide a link to the official website ... however, much to my chagrin, it has already been discontinued! This prompts me to note that these organizers must NOT have a long-term commitment to either chess OR the Internet! Because - if they did - they could not delete/discontinue such excellent material.)
Click HERE to see an explanation of the symbols I commonly use - when annotating a chess game.
Click HERE to go to another server ... where you can search for this game in a "re-playable" format.
Click HERE to see my "You Tube" video of this game.
[A.J. Goldsby I] This will be my "Game of The Month" for October, 2011. [I also wanted to point out that I did not pick this game for annotation, users <Patriot> and <Morfishine> (from the CG website) chose this sterling GM clash.] My impressions of this game:
White opens simply, it looks like a fianchetto line of the Grunfeld. White plays clean (but forceful)
developing moves - and gains a nice edge out of the opening; although it does not appear to be
anything close to overwhelming for GM M. Rodshtein. After a few small skirmishes, White decides to
sack material. Then its furious play, Black is busy collecting all the spare wood that he can find laying
around, while White is drawing the noose ever tighter around the hapless Black King. Suddenly,
Z. Jianchao ... who might have This is also a fairly clean game, it was not decided by a simple error ... for me, its just a clear case of each player pursuing their respective plans. In this example, White's plan simply proves to be superior to Black's overall strategy.
1.d4 Nf6; 2.c4 g6; 3.Nf3, (The Four Opening Principles. [more] ) White avoids the 'normal' Nc3 in favor of an opening plan that is much different than the average Grunfeld Defense.
rnbqkb1r/pppppp1p/5np1/8/2PP4/5N2/PP2PPPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3
Now it appears that we might be heading for a Classical line of the King's Indian Defense.
[ A system - that is perhaps similar to what occurs in this game - would be the following continuation: The fianchetto line, Rowson's book (on the Grunfeld Defense) covers this system in some detail.
( The time-honored "Exchange Variation" could be reached by the following move order:
[ For more information, please see the reliable reference work:
One of the most impressive examples of this variation would have to be:
5...Bg7; 6.Bg2 Nb6; 7.Bf4
0-0; 8.Nf3, "~" (unclear)
GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2763) - GM
Ian Nepomniachtchi (2720); [D76] ***********************************************************
Another interesting system ... that is a close relative to the one
employed in this game ...
3.g3!? Bg7; 4.Bg2 d5!?; 5.cxd5
Nxd5; 6.e4!, "+/=" with a small edge for White.
See Chapter One, page # 07 of the book:
"(The) Fianchetto Grunfeld,"
Maybe the best example in the games database that I could find was the contest:
3...Bg7; 4.g3, (fianchetto) This is not a big deal, in the 1940's and the 1950's, GM's used the fianchetto approach against the KID on a fairly routine basis.
rnbqk2r/ppppppbp/5np1/8/2PP4/5NP1/PP2PP1P/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4
In the last 20-30 years, the fianchetto lines have not been as dominant as they once were. Other systems - such as the Averbakh, The Bayonet and the Samisch - have been tried by the top GM players of different chess era's.
[ Instead, after the continuation of: [ Please (also) see MCO-15, beginning on page # 593, and all columns & notes. ]
A good - and current - example of this line being used at the highest level would have to be:
4...0-0; 5.Bg2 d5!?; (An attempt to change the Pawn structure?!?) Black is obviously not content with playing the Black side of the systems in the KID where the first player has fianchettoed his KB, so he changes the Pawn structure ... perhaps hoping to get freer play.
rnbq1rk1/ppp1ppbp/5np1/3p4/2PP4/5NP1/PP2PPBP/RNBQK2R w KQ d6 0 6
Now its more like a Grunfeld Opening.
[ Now one of the main lines of the "King's Indian Defense" would be:
[ Please see MCO-15, page # 620; all columns and notes. The most important and
One of the more interesting, decisive (and relatively current) examples of
this system would have to be:
6.cxd5 Nxd5; 7.0-0 Nc6; 8.Nc3 Bf5; (play / activity) A nice position, featuring some real - and interesting - imbalances.
r2q1rk1/ppp1ppbp/2n3p1/3n1b2/3P4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 9
Black has a nice development of all of his pieces, both players have their King's Bishop on the long diagonal, White has a tad more space and also a Pawn majority in the center of the chess board.
9.Nd2!?, (Retreat?) White falls back, its as if he is toying with Black in an attempt to get him to over-react ...
r2q1rk1/ppp1ppbp/2n3p1/3n1b2/3P4/2N3P1/PP1NPPBP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 9
Actually, in hindsight, this move makes a lot of sense. White clears the long diagonal for his LSB and puts pressure on Black's pieces, especially the BN on d5.
[ Both Fritz 12 and Houdini prefer the following continuation:
(Its possible that GM Rodshtein saw this line and did not want to play it,
9...Nb6!?; (Hmmm. Best?!?) Black also falls back ... perhaps in an attempt to put pressure on White's QP. Many masters have taught for years that a Black Knight on QN3 (b6) was always a poorly placed piece ...
[ A very sharp line was:
10.e4 Bd7; 11.Nb3, "+/=" 11... Qc8; Black prepares to swap off White's King's Bishop. (The LSB.)
r1q2rk1/pppbppbp/1nn3p1/8/3PP3/1NN3P1/PP3PBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 12
Another key position has been reached. White dominates the center and has more space, however, Black has no real weaknesses, either.
[ RR 11...a5!? ]
Black goes ahead and exchanges
off the light-squared Bishops ... 12.Bg5! h6; 13.Be3 Bh3!?; 14.Qe2 Bxg2; 15.Kxg2 Rd8; 16.Rad1!!, (Intuition, perhaps?) The machine does not like White's
last move here ... at least, not in the first 15-30 seconds of computing
time ... ... ...
r1qr2k1/ppp1ppb1/1nn3pp/8/3PP3/1NN1B1P1/PP2QPKP/3R1R2 b - - 0 16
I would not be completely honest
unless I also told you that White is much better ... Later in the game, when White's attack has reached its zenith ... White's Rook placement looks nothing less than perfect!
[ >/= 16.Rfd1, "+/" - Fritz 12. (White is clearly better.) >/= 16.d5, "+/" - Fritz 12 & Houdini 1.5 ]
16...a5; 17.d5 Ne5; 18.f4 Nec4; (Piece activity) Black's army looks to be busy, in particular the Black Knights on the Q-side appear (on first impression, anyway) to be dominating all the play.
r1qr2k1/1pp1ppb1/1n4pp/p2P4/2n1PP2/1NN1B1P1/PP2Q1KP/3R1R2 w - - 0 19
This is another crucial position, White now has a key decision to make.
19.Bd4!, (best / controls the dark-squares) Some machines like the capture on b6 here, I strongly believe that the GM's move must be best here, as - once Black's DSB is traded off - the second player will have no pieces at all on the right-hand side of the board.
r1qr2k1/1pp1ppb1/1n4pp/p2P4/2nBPP2/1NN3P1/PP2Q1KP/3R1R2 b - - 0 19
Surely Black, a 2600+ GM, will understand that his King will be in jeopardy in there are no elite guard nearby the protect the leader of his forces?
[ RR 19.Bxb6!? Nxb6; 20.f5, "--->" (with an attack) ]
19...e6; (Restraint / prophylaxis?) Black probably felt that this was
necessary to slow down the rapid advance of White's center, although it does seem to further (negatively)
[ RR 19...a4; 20.Bxg7 Kxg7; 21.Nd4, '±' ("+/") - Fritz 12. ]
20.Bxg7 Kxg7; 21.dxe6 Qxe6T; (Box/forced.) Instead, taking with the Pawn looked to be suicidal for Black.
22.Nd4 Qe7; 23.b3 Qb4!?; It would be easy to mark this as an error for Black ...
r2r4/1pp2pk1/1n4pp/p7/1qnNPP2/1PN3P1/P3Q1KP/3R1R2 w - - 0 24
Yet - after days of analysis - I can
see nothing that is CLEARLY better than 23...Qb4; here.
[ White will stand better after the alternative continuation of:
(Also good was: 24.Ndb5 Nd6; 25.Nxd6 Rxd6; 26.f5, '±'
24...Nd6; 25.g4 f6; 26.e5, '±' "+/"
(with a large advantage for White.)
24.Rd3 Na3T; (Forced / "box.") Black has no choice here.
[ </= 24...Nd6?; 25.f5, "+/-" (attack)
</= 24...Rxd4?!; 25.Rxd4 Qxc3;
26.Rd3 Qb2; 27.Qxb2+ Nxb2;
25.Qd2, This was best.
r2r4/1pp2pk1/1n4pp/p7/1q1NPP2/nPNR2P1/P2Q2KP/5R2 b - - 0 25
Black's nearly naked King makes for a sorry picture here ...
[ </= 25.Rfd1? Rxd4; 26.Rxd4 Qxc3; "=/+" (Here - Black is slightly better.) ]
25...Rf8!?; ('?!') {Defense?} Black makes a somewhat tardy attempt to bring more pieces closer to the Black King, is Jianchao's last move an admission that he thinks that his Q-side play is failing?
r4r2/1pp2pk1/1n4pp/p7/1q1NPP2/nPNR2P1/P2Q2KP/5R2 w - - 0 26
This move - according to the chess engines - is not the correct defense, Black had to play his King to h7, or even put his King into the corner. I do want to stress, however, that even with the best defense, White will still have a powerful (and perhaps winning) assault.
[ (>/=) RR 25...Kh8; 26.f5 g5; 27.f6, "+/-" - Fritz 12 & Houdini 1.5 ******************************************************************** >/= 25...Kh7; 26.f5 g5; 27.h4! gxh4; 28.Rh1, "+/-" ]
Now - if Black is allowed to play the move that he wants - Zhou Jianchao will play ...f7-f5. This would both gain some space on the King-side AND do a good job of keeping the White pieces at bay ... this explains White's next move. (I give it an exclam more to emphasize how important f4-f5 is as an attacking weapon in these types of positions, than to highlight f5 as a good move. Alekhine would be a good player to study to see repeated - and model - attacks of a Black King after Black had fianchettoed his King's Bishop.)
26.f5! c5; (Chess ... or poker?) Black - after some reflection - decides on an active type of counter-attack. This is as good as anything else, surely passive defense holds no real hope for Black ... not in this position!
r4r2/1p3pk1/1n4pp/p1p2P2/1q1NP3/nPNR2P1/P2Q2KP/5R2 w - c6 0 27
Now White has several promising attacking schemes ... which method will the first player choose here?
[ Its too late to try to build a fortress around the Black King;
27.Ne6+!!, (Both brilliant & forceful!) A shot which Jianchao must have felt deep in his bones ...
r4r2/1p3pk1/1n2N1pp/p1p2P2/1q2P3/nPNR2P1/P2Q2KP/5R2 b - - 0 27
Fritz likes g4 instead here, but I think that Ne6 - the move actually played - is absolutely the best move for White.
[ 27.g4! is an interesting alternative:
RR 27.g4! cxd4?; (Not the best.)
(The best move is: >/= 27...Nd5!, 'T' and now 28.exd5, "+/-" is
still
28.f6+ Kh7; 29.Rh3 h5; 30.Rxh5+!
gxh5; (choices?) ( Or 30...Kg8; 31.Qh6, "+/-" ) 31.Qg5 Rg8; 32.Qxh5#. ]
27...fxe6; 28.f6+ Rxf6T; ("Box!") This is 100% forced.
29.Rxf6 Kxf6T; (Forced/box.) Once more, Black is forced to capture ... here, if does not take, then Zhou Jianchao is simply losing on the material scale.
30.Qxh6!, (Hmmm.) This is a nice move ...
and it is also winning in all the pertinent variations ...
r7/1p6/1n2pkpQ/p1p5/1q2P3/nPNR2P1/P5KP/8 b - - 0 30
I give a diagram here ...
as White now reels off a very pretty series of moves ...
[ The most accurate way to end the game may have been:
(Worse was: </= 30...Ke7?; 31.Qd6+ Kf7; 32.Rf3+ Kg8;
33.Qxe6+ Kh8;
31.Qe5+ Kh7!?; (Best - or not?)
32.Rf3! Qd4; 33.Rf7+ Kg8;
34.Qxe6 Qg7; 35.Rxb7+ Kh7; 36.Rxg7+ Kxg7;
37.Qxb6, "+/-"
30...Nc2T; (Forced!) Both Fritz and Houdini (and several other engines besides) agree that this is Black's best move at this point in the struggle ...
r7/1p6/1n2pkpQ/p1p5/1q2P3/1PNR2P1/P1n3KP/8 w - - 0 31
Its amazing how helpless Black is to try and protect his most sensitive and critical piece.
31.e5+! Kf5T; (Box / forced.) Once again, this was like the "only move" for Black.
r7/1p6/1n2p1pQ/p1p1Pk2/1q6/1PNR2P1/P1n3KP/8 w - - 0 32
Once more - I provide a diagram ... so that you might be able to truly appreciate the finesse of this contest.
[ </=
31...Ke7?; 32.Qg7+ Ke8; 33.Qxg6+
Ke7; 34.Qf6+ Ke8;
32.Qg7!!, (Amazing!!!!!) Maxim Rodshtein is already down a piece, and now he calmly allows a powerful-looking Knight fork (which wins a whole Rook!) as well.
r7/1p4Q1/1n2p1p1/p1p1Pk2/1q6/1PNR2P1/P1n3KP/8 b - - 0 32
Once more, I provide a diagram ... (see just above).
[ RR 32.a3!?, - several engines. ]
Now both players embark on a short
journey (11-ply), where neither side has any real reasonable alternative(s). 32...Ne1+; 33.Kf1 Nxd3; 34.Qf6+ Kg4; 35.Qxg6+ Kf3; 36.Qxd3+ Kg4; 37.Kg2 Kg5; Black plays a seemingly "only" move ...
r7/1p6/1n2p3/p1p1P1k1/1q6/1PNQ2P1/P5KP/8 w - - 0 38
According to Fritz and Houdini, maybe
>/= 37...Rg8; was a little better than the text move here.
[ According to the engines, Black had to play his Rook to g8 here,
38.Qh7!, "+/-" (Mating web.) White threatens h4 and then Qg6+, mating in all variations.
r7/1p5Q/1n2p3/p1p1P1k1/1q6/1PN3P1/P5KP/8 b - - 0 38
Black has to give up massive amounts of material to avoid this ugly trap, so rather than carry on the fight, the Chinese GM raises the white flag of surrender. An extremely beautiful and artistic game, (by both players!); forceful and elegant play by the young and very talented GM M. Rodshtein!!!!!
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2011. All rights reserved.
1 - 0The analysis for
this page was prepared with the excellent program,
ChessBase
10.0. The HTML was polished with several different tools and programs, (mostly FP) ... the text was checked for spelling with MS Word. The diagrams were created with the program, Chess Captor 2.25. Grunfeld ReferencesI accessed literally dozens of references ... too many to name here. (Click here for more info.) Please also see my
web page on
the following historic chess game: The above referenced web page contains an extremely detailed look at many of the systems of the whole of the Grunfeld Opening. In addition to the above links, here is a list of columns (on this site) where I have covered this opening.
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This page was first posted in (approximately) mid-November, 2011. Final format completed on: Tuesday; November 29th, 2011. This page was last updated on 03/18/15 .
COPYRIGHT (c) A.J. Goldsby I;
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby; 1985 - 2014, & 2015. All rights reserved.