Democratic Underground - Yildiz - Zhu Chen, Round 7

Pia Cramling
Photo: ChessBase.com

Pia Cramling - Baira Kovanova
Women's Grand Prix, Third Leg, Round 7
Nalchik, 3 May 2010

English Game: Nimzo-English Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3

5.d4 transposes into the Capablanca Opening of the Nimzo-Indian Defense.

5...Bxc3 6.Qxc3 b6 7.g3

If 7.d4 Bb7 8.e3 d6 then:

If 9.Be2 Nbd7 10.0-0 then:

If 10...Ne4 11.Qc2 f5 12.b4 Rf6 13.d5 then:

If 13...exd5 14.Bb2 Rg6 15.Rad1 dxc4 16.Bxc4+ Kh8 17.Bd5 c6 18.Bxc6 Rc8 19.b5 gives White the advantage in space (I. Sokolov-Kristjansson, IT, Selfoss, 2002).
If 13...Rg6 14.Nd4 Qg5 15.g3 then:

If 15...Ne5 16.Nxe6 Rxe6 17.dxe6 Qg6 then:

18.Rd1 Ng5 19.Rd5 Ngf3+ 20.Bxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Kf1 Nxh2+ 22.Ke2 Qg4+ 23.Kd2 Nf3+ is equal (Bocharov-Lysyj, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2007).
18.Qb3 Ng5 19.e4 f4 20.f3 Nxe6 21.Kg2 Kh8 22.Bb2 fxg3 23.hxg3 Nf4+ 24.Kf2 Nh3+ 25.Kg2 Nf4+ 26.Kf2 draw (Drozdovskij-Grischuk, Rpd, Odessa, 2007).

15...exd5 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.Bc4 Bxc4 18.Qxc4+ Kh8 19.Qc6 gives White the advantage in space (Kramnik-J. Polgar, IT, Sofia, 2005).

If 10...c5 11.b4 then:

If 11...Qe7 12.Bb2 Rfc8 13.dxc5 dxc5 then:

14.Rfd1 Ne8 15.b5 f6 16.a4 a5 17.bxa6 Rxa6 18.a5 Rca8 is equal (Kramnik-Karpov, IT, Prague, 2002).
14.b5 Ne8 15.a4 a5 16.Rad1 f6 17.Rd2 Nf8 18.Rfd1 gives White the advantage in space (Matveea-Bojkovic, FIDE Knock Out W, Elista, 2004).

11...Rc8 12.Bb2 Ne4 13.Qb3 Qc7 14.Rfd1 Rfe8 15.Rac1 a5 16.Nd2 Nxd2 17.Rxd2 axb4 18.axb4 gives White the advantage in space (Jakovenko-Tiviakov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2007).

If 9.b4 Nbd7 10.Bb2 then:

If 10...Ne4 11.Qc2 f5 12.Bd3 then:

12...a5 13.0-0 Ng5 14.Nxg5 Qxg5 15.f4 Qg6 16.d5 Nf6 is equal (Farago-Nicholson, Op, Esbjerg, 1981).
12...Ndf6 13.0-0 Ng4 14.h3 Ngf6 15.Nd2 Ng5 16.f3 Qe8 17.h4 Nf7 is equal (Ker-Chandler, IT, Wellington, 1988).
12...Qe7 13.0-0 c5 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.b5 e5 16.Ne1 Qf7 is equal (Kozul-Adams, IT, Biel, 1991).

If 10...a5 11.Be2 Ne4 then:

If 12.Qb3 axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1+ 14.Bxa1 then:

14...Ng5 15.d5 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 e5 17.e4 Qg5 18.0-0 Ra8 is equal (Topalov-Adams, IT, Frankfurt, 1999).
14...Ndf6 15.0-0 Qd7 16.b5 Ra8 17.Bb2 Qd8 18.Bd3 d5 19.cxd5 Bxd5 20.Qc2 Ra5 21.Rc1 gives White the initiative (Berclaz-Plomp, Corres, 2002).

12.Qc2 axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1+ 14.Bxa1 Ng5 15.Qd1 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 is equal (Meenakshi-Mahesh Chandran, Commonwealth Ch, Nagpur, 2008).

7...Bb7 8.Bg2 d6

If 8...d5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Qc2 c5 11.0-0 Nc6 12.b3 then:

12...e5 13.e3 Re8 14.d3 Rc8 15.Bb2 f6 16.Rfd1 Kh8 17.Rac1 Qd7 18.Nd2 Nde7 is equal (Pridorozhini-M. Turov, Russian Ch, Krasnodar, 2002).
12...Rc8 13.Bb2 Nf6 14.Qc3 Qd5 15.Qe3 Rfd8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Qh6 Qf5 18.Rac1 is equal (Laxman-Yu Shaoteng, Asian Ch, Hyderabad, 2005).

9.0-0 Nbd7 10.b4 c5 11.Bb2 Qe7

11...Rc8 12.d3 d5 13.e3 cxb4 14.axb4 dxc4 15.dxc4 Bd5 16.Rxa7 Rxc4 17.Qa3 Qb8 18.b5 Rc5 is equal (Prudnikova-Chiburdanidze, ITW, Belgrade, 1998).

12.d3 Rfc8

12...Rac8 13.e4 d5 14.exd5 exd5 15.Rfe1 Qd8 16.b5 d4 is equal (Agrest-Ong, Swedish Ch, Goteborg, 2005).

13.Qd2!?

If 13.b5 d5 then:

14.e3 a5 15.Nh4 Qf8 16.f4 Rd8 17.Rae1 Rab8 18.e4 dxe4 19.dxe4 gives White the advantage in space (Galliamova-Tiviakov, IT, Elista, 1998).
14.e4 dxc4 15.Qxc4 a6 16.a4 Qf8 is equal (Sharavdorj-Antonio, Zonal, Yangon, 1998).
14.a4 a6 15.e4 Qf8 16.Rfe1 axb5 17.axb5 Rxa1 18.Bxa1 Ra8 is equal (van Wely-Kramnik, Amber Rapid, Monte Carlo, 2002).

13...Rc7!?

There is no future for the Rook here. If Black tries to open the queenside, White is the moe likely beneficiary.
Better is 13...d5 14.Rfc1 a6 15.Rab1 dxc4 16.Rxc4 with equality.

14.e4

White enjoys an early advantage in space.
If 14.Rfc1 then:

If 14...e5 15.b5 d5 16.Qg5 e4 17.dxe4 dxe4 18.Qf4! gives White the advantage in space.
If 14...Rac8 then 15.b5 a6 16.a4 locks the queenside and leaves White the the advantage in space.

14...d5

14...a6 15.a4 e5 16.Nh4 Qe6 17.b5 White still has the advantage in space.

15.exd5

15.Qf4 Rcc8 16.exd5 exd5 17.Rfe1 gives White a slight initiative.

15...exd5 16.Qf4 Qd8 17.Nh4!?

White opens the long diagonal for the fianchettoed Bishop, but doesn't really have a good place for the Knight.
17.Rfe1 dxc4 18.dxc4 cxb4 19.axb4 Rac8 20.Bf1 maintains White's advantage in space.

17...d4

Black herself locks the queenside as if to demonstrate the faltiness of her 13th move.
If 17...dxc4 18.dxc4 Bxg2 then:

19.Nxg2 cxb4 20.axb4 Rac8 21.Ne3 Black's Rooks on the c-file are made impotent by White's well-fortified c-pawn.
19.Kxg2 cxb4 20.axb4 Rac8 21.Rfc1 gives White a very impressive advantae in space.

18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Nf5

White continues to enjoy the advantage in space. Black's Rooks are out of play behind immoble pawns.

19...Nf8 20.Rfe1 Ne6 21.Qf3 Rd7 22.Bc1!?

White seeks a better post for her Bishop, but the effect is to take her foot off the gas.
22.Re2 a5 23.b5 g6 24.Nh4 Ng5 25.Qg2 White continues to enjoy a more active game.

22...Rc8

The game is equal.

23.Bd2 Ne8 24.a4 Nd6 25.b5 Qc7!?

If 25...Nxf5 26.Qxf5 a6 27.bxa6 Ra8 then:

28.a5 Rxa6 29.axb6 Rxa1 30.Rxa1 Qxb6 remains equal.
28.f4!? Rxa6! 29.Qg4 Nf8 30.f5 Re7 31.Rxe7 Qxe7 gives Black more freedom.

BLACK: Baira Kovanova
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WHITE: Pia Cramling
Position after 25...Qd8c7

26.a5!

White's plan is to draw Black's back rank Rook to the center, open the queenside and invade on the a-file.
26.Bf4 Qb7 27.Qxb7 Nxb7 28.Be5 Re8 29.Re2 h5 remains equal.

26...Nxf5 27.Qxf5 Re8

The Rook moves to e8 to cover the Knight so as not to be saddled with a backward pawn or victim of an exchange sacrifice.
If 27...Ra8? then after 28.Rxe6!! fxe6 29.Qxe6+ Rf7 30.axb6 White has a fierce attack.

28.axb6!

White opens the a-file.

28...axb6 29.Ra6 Rde7 30.Rea1

White has accomplished her plan described in the note to her 26th move. She now has an advantage in space and a more active game.

30...h6 31.h4

White continues to enjoy a small edge after 31.Qd5 Qb7 32.f4 Qxd5 33.cxd5 Nc7 34.Rxb6 Nxd5.

31...Nf8 32.Qd5 Re2?

The Rook must remain at e7 in order to exchange the Queen for two Rook in the event of Ra6a7. Now White wins in short order.
32...Ng6 33.h5 Ne5 34.Bf4 Qc8 35.Ra8 Qf5 gives White a small advantage.

BLACK: Baira Kovanova
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WHITE: Pia Cramling
Position after 32...Re7e2

33.Ra7!

The hammer strikes the anvil.

33...Qe5 34.Qxf7+ Kh7

If 34...Kh8 35.Bf4 then:

35...Qf636.Qxf6 gxf6 37.Bxh6 leaves Black two pawns to the good.
If 35...Re1+ then after 36.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 37.Kg2 Black must lose material or submit to mate.

35.Bf4 Re1+ 36.Kg2 1-0

Black must lose her Queen.
Ms. Kovanova resigns.

Reply #11: Yildiz - Zhu Chen, Round 7 [View All]