30.12.2005
Round 11: Dreev-Svidler, Volkov-Jakovenko
*Feel free to send your questions to Konstantin: sakaev@e3e5.com. Please also include your name and location.*
Live commentary by Konstantin Sakaev
Dreev,A (2694) - Svidler,P (2740)
ch-RUS superfinal Moscow, Russia (11), 30.12.2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Bg7 6.e4 Nb6 7.Be3 0-0 8.Bb5
The idea of Igor Zakharevich: White provokes а7-a6, which weakens the protection of the b6-knight. There is an old theoretic line that was Black's main hope: 8.Be2 Nc6 9.d5 Ne5 10.Bd4 c5! 11.Bxc5 Nec4.
8...a6 The variation 8.Bb5 is very young, the first game in it dated 2001; nevertheless, Black already tested all possible replies: 8...Be6; 8...N8d7; 8...Bd7; 8...f5; 8...c6; 8...Nc6; 8...e5. This is all book, but we will not go deep into it, restricting ourselves to the events on board.
9.Be2 f5 This pawn thrust never occurred in the position with a pawn on a6, but is a standard tool with a pawn on a7. The move a7-a6 tells in the variation 9...Nc6 10.d5 Ne5 11.Bd4 c5 12.Bxc5 Nec4 13.Qb3, and there is no 13...Nb2, because the knight on b6 is loose.
10.exf5?! One can hardly fight for the initiative like this. Both 10.Nf3 f4 11.Bc1 Nc6 12.e5, and 10.Nh3!? deserve examination.
10...Bxf5 11.Bf3 If 11.Nf3, then 11...Nc6 12.0-0 Qd6, and Black has no problems.
11...Nc6 12.Nge2 Qd6 13.0-0 Rad8 White's pawn structure is slightly better, but Black's pieces are more active. The chances are approximately even.
Ruben from Cordoba, Argentina, asks me about the game Morozevich-Dreev, more specifically, about Morozevich's 26th move. Yes, it was possible to play 26.Qxd5+. Actually, it is the best move in the position. However, in practical game it always feels dangerous to open the diagonal against your own king like this. I think this is why Morozevich rejected 26.Qxd5+.
14.Qb3+.
Game drawn!
Everyone's tired. Black could continue the game with 14...Be6! (weaker is 14...Kh8 15.Ne4) 15.Qc2 (risky is 15.d5 Na5 16.Qc2 Nxd5 (16...Bf5?! 17.Ne4 Qb4 18.Bc5 Qxb2 19.Qxb2 Bxb2 20.Rab1 Nac4 21.Bxe7 Rxd5 22.Bxf8 Kxf8 with complex position that is better for White) 17.Bxd5 Bxd5 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxc7 Bxb2 20.Rab1 Nc4, and Black has an advantage) 15...Nb4 (too impatient is 15...Rxf3?!, but a sharp 15...Nc4!? is quite interesting) 16.Qe4 N6d5!? The b4-knight bothers White's queenside, threatening to infiltrate to c2, and, in some variations (after Rad1), to take the a2-pawn. Black has a rich play full of opportunities. A quiet 16...N4d5 leads to an equality.
½-½
Volkov,S (2614) - Jakovenko,D (2644)
ch-RUS superfinal Moscow, Russia (11), 30.12.2005
Dmitry Jakovenko still has a remote chance to catch up with Rublevsky. However, for this to happen he must beat Sergey Volkov today, and Rublevky must lose to Zvjaginsev.
Sergey Volkov, who won the Russian championship in 2000 (becoming my successor :)), is very combative player, so one can expect a good fight today!
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 0-0 A move that came into fashion lately, and it already bears a serious load of theory.
5.a3 A transition to Saemisch System in improved version. The version is improved, because Black has already castled. Most of theoretical discussions gravitated to 5.e4, but after one spectacular game this move is almost abandoned: 5...d5 6.e5 Nfd7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.f4 c5 9.a3 Ba5 10.Nf3 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxe5!! 12.fxe5 Qh4+ 13.Ke2 Bb6 14.Be3 Bg4+ 15.Nf3 d4 16.Bxd4 Bxf3+ 17.Kxf3 Bxd4, and Black won in Volkov,S-Vekshenkov,N/Togliatty 2003.
5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nh5 It is better to remove the knight from the pin Bc1-g5. Another possibility to do it is 6...Ne8, planning b7-b6, с7-с5, Bc8-a6, Nb8-c6-a5, and Ne8-d6, capturing the с4-pawn. White uses this time to seize the center and create some kingside threats.
7.g3 f5 This is also typical - Black does not allow White's pawns to seize the center comfortably.
8.e4 b6 9.Nh3 d6 10.Bd3 Nf6 Another option is 10...c5 11.0-0 Nc6.
11.exf5 exf5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Qc2
I dislike this move, although it seems to maintain White's opening advantage. Exchanging a bad bishop that also accelerates White's development looks more natural: 13.Bg5 with the following sample line: 13...Na5 14.Nf4 h6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Nd5 Qf7 17.Re1 Be6 18.Nxc7 Qxc7 19.Rxe6 Nxc4 20.Qe2 with advantage. Sergey Volkov regards all bishops as good, so he chooses another way. However, even if one wants to play with a bishop pair, I'd suggest a different plan: 13.Nf4 Na5 14.Ra2! - since the bishop remained on c1, developing the rook in this manner looks sensible - 14...Re8 15.Re2 with the initiative to White.
13...Na5 14.Re1 d5 (an attempt to use weakened light squares in White's camp) 15.c5! In the endgame arising after 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.Qa2 Bb7, Black is close to equality.
15...bxc5?! Opening the files suits White, Dmitry should have preferred 15...Nc4.
16.dxc5 d4?? This is just opening veins, any other move is better.
Now if Jakovenko loses this (he is close to it), and Morozevich wins (he also stands much better), then Morozevich gets to the second place, despite his disastrous "minus" in their individual "game".
17.Nf4 Nc6 18.Bb2 18.Qa4 also was winning.
18...Rb8 19.cxd4? Now Black gets the chances to organize a blockade on the light squares. White could win easily by 19.Bc4+ Kh8 20.Rad1, and he smashes the opponent on the d- and e-files.
19...Kh8 20.Qf2 It is really hard to find 20.Rab1! Nxd4 (20...Nd5 21.Nxd5 Rxb2 22.Qxb2 Qxd5 23.Rbd1 Nxd4 24.Be4 Nxf3+ 25.Kh1 Qe5 26.Qxe5 Nxe5 27.Bd5 with a winning ending) 21.Qf2 Nc6 22.Bb5!! Rxb5 23.Bxf6. Black has no compensation for an exchange.
20...Nd5 Black obtained some chances to survive.
21.Bc4 Nxf4 22.gxf4 Ne7 23.d5! The only way! The dark-squared bishop must be active.
23...Nxd5 24.Be5 Very strong is 24.Rad1 c6 25.Be5 Rb7 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.c6 - White's victory is only a matter of time. Now the only saving chance for Black is 24...Be6, after which great precision is required from White to win the game.
24...Be6 Now an interesting variation may occur: 25.Rad1 Qd7 26.Qd4 Rbd8 27.Bxg7+ Qxg7+ 28.Qxg7+ Kxg7 29.Rxe6 Nxf4 30.Re7+ Kf6 31.Red7 Rxd7 32.Rxd7 Ke5, and the fight with mutual chances (winning chances for White, saving chances for Black) goes on.
25.c6? Blundering a pawn.
25...Nxf4 26.Bxf4? It looks like a shock, after the correct 26.Bf1 White is still better.
26...Bxc4 27.Rac1 Qd5 28.Qg3? A dynamically balanced position appeared after 28.Re7!?
28...Rf6 29.Bxc7 Rc8 30.Qf4 Rxc6 It was useful to give a check 30...Rg6+ first.
31.Be5 Qf7 The trend has been reversed, but White must not lose, his e5-bishop is very strong.
32.Kh1 Bd5 33.Rcd1?! I don't understand the reasons why Volkov rejected a simplifying 33.Rxc6.
33...Rg6 34.Rd3 h6 35.Red1 Rd8! 36.h3 Rd7 37.Kh2 Bc6 38.Rxd7 Bxd7 39.Rd2 Kh7 40.h4 Bc6 The time trouble rush is over, and one can take a deep breath. After probable 41.Rg2 White is close to a draw.
41.Rg2 Rxg2+ 42.Kxg2 a5 43.Kg3 a4 44.Bb2 Qd5 45.Qe3 Kg6 46.Kf2 Qd7 47.Qd4 Qb7 48.Qe5 Qd7
While Black gathers his courage to offer a draw, take a look at the10th round pictures...
I would also like to say that e3e5 is planning to cover Wijk aan Zee A event (January 13th-29th). I will comment one or two games each round, just as during the Superfinal. Stay tuned!
49.Bd4 Kh5 50.Kg3 Kg6 51.Bb2 Bb7 52.Qd4 Qc7+ 53.Qe5 Qf7 54.Kf4 Qd7 55.Kg3 Kh7 56.Bd4 Qf7 57.Kf4 Bc8 58.Kg3 Bd7 59.Bc3 Bc8 60.Bd4 Qf8 61.Bb2 Bd7 62.Bc1 Be8 63.Bb2 Bh5 64.Qc7 Qg8 65.Bc3 Qf8 66.Bb2 Bf7 67.Qe5 Bg6 68.Qc7 Bh5 69.Kf2 Bf7 70.Kg3 Be6 71.Bd4 Kg6 72.Bb2 Bf7 73.Qe5 Be8 74.Qc7 Kh7 75.Kf2 Kg8 76.Qc4+ Kh8 77.Qc7 Kh7 Game drawn. ½-½
We thank chess players for their fighting spirit! See you in January - good bye!
Back to the Superfinal main page
