Democratic Underground - Tiviakov - Sutkovsky, Round 11, Plovdiv

Sergei Tiviakov
Photo: ChessBase.com

Sergei Tiviakov - Emil Sutovsky
European Championships (General Competition), Round 11
Plovdiv, 2 May 2008

Closed Sicilian Game: Saragossa Opening (Alapin Opening)

1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5

For the more common 2...Nf6 see Tiviakov-Le Quang Liem, Op, Moscow, 2008

3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Na3

If 6.Be2 Nc6 7.0-0 then:

If 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 Be7 9.Nc3 Qd6 10.Nb5 Qd8 11.Bf4 Nd5 12.Bg3 then:

If 12...a6 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Rc1 Nf6 15.a3 b6 16.Bc4 Bb7 17.Ba2 Rc8 18.Qd3 then:

18...Nh5 19.d5 exd5 20.Nxd5 Nxg3 21.hxg3 Bf6 22.Rfd1 Ne5 23.Rxc8 Bxc8 24.Nxe5 Bxe5 25.Qe3 Bf6 26.Rc1 Bb7 27.Nxf6+ Qxf6 28.Rc7 Qd6 29.Qe7 Qd1+ 30.Kh2 Bd5 31.Bxd5 Qh5+ is a perpetual check (Rublevsky-Yakovich, Russian Ch, Krasnoyarsk, 2003).
18...b5 19.Rfd1 Na5 20.Ne5 Nd5 21.b4 Nxc3 22.Rxc3 Nc6 23.Nxf7 Kxf7 24.d5 Na7 25.Qxh7 Bxd5 26.Qh5+ g6 27.Qh7+ Ke8 28.Qxg6+ Rf7 29.Rf3 Bxf3 30.Rxd8+ Kxd8 31.gxf3 Rf6 32.Qe4 Black resigns in the face of severe material loss (Rublevsky-Vitiugov, Russian Ch, Kazan, 2005).

12...0-0 13.Bc4 a6 14.Bxd5 axb5 15.Be4 Nb4 16.Qb3 f5 17.Bb1 Nd5 18.Be5 Bd7 19.Bd3 b4 20.Qd1 Bc6 21.Re1 Qe8 22.Bc4 Bf6 23.Qd2 is equal (Sebag-Haba, Euro ChT, Kemer, 2007).

If 7...Be7 then:

If 8.c4 Qd8 9.dxc5 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 then:

If 10...Bxc5 11.Nc3 0-0 12.a3 b6 13.b4 Be7 14.Bf4 Bb7 15.Nb5 then:

15...Rad8 16.Bc7 Rxd1+ 17.Rxd1 Bc8 18.Bd6 draw (Pcola-Movsesian, Op, Bratislava, 1995).
15...Rfd8 16.Bc7 Rdc8 17.Bd6 Bd8 18.Bg3 Ne4 19.Rd7 Nxg3 20.hxg3 Ba6 21.Rad1 Kf8 22.Nd6 Rc7 23.Rxc7 Bxc7 24.b5(Sebag-Lujan, Women's Cup, Dresden, 2006).

10...Ne4 11.Be3 Nb4 12.Nbd2 Nxc5 13.Nd4 a5 14.a3 Nba6 15.b4 Na4 16.Rdc1 0-0 17.c5 e5 18.N4b3 f5 19.g3 Rd8 20.Bb5 Nb2 21.Nxa5 f4 22.gxf4 exf4 23.Bxf4 Nxc5 24.Rc2 gives White an extra pawn (Ivanchuk-Petursson, Lucerne, 1993).

If 8.Be3 cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 10.Nc3 Qd6 then:

11.a3 b6 12.Rc1 Bb7 13.Qa4 a6 14.Rfd1 b5 15.Qc2 Rac8 16.b4 Qb8 17.Bg5 Rfd8 18.Qd2 Rd7 19.Qe3 Qa7 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.Qxe4 Rd5 22.Bxe7 Nxe7 23.Rxc8+ Nxc8 24.Qh4 gives White a considerable advantage in space (Blatny-Emms, Oakham, 1986).
11.Rc1 b6 12.Nb5 Qd7 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Rc7 Qd8 15.dxe5 Nd5 16.Rxa7 Rxa7 17.Nxa7 Bb7 18.Bf3 Qb8 19.Qa4 Qxe5 20.Bd4 Qf4 21.Qd7 Ba6 22.Rd1 Bd6 White resigns in the face of material loss (Pribyl-Tal, Yerevan, 1982).

If 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 then:

If 7...Nc6 8.Nc3 Qd6 9.a3 Be7 10.Bd3 0-0 then:

If 11.0-0 b6 12.Qe2 Bb7 13.Rad1 Rad8 then:

14.Bb1 Rfe8 15.Rfe1 Qb8 16.Bg5 g6 17.Ba2 Nh5 18.d5 exd5 19.Rxd5 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Rxd8 Nxd8 22.Nd5 Bxd5 23.Bxd5 Qf6 24.g3 gives White the advantage in space (Howell-Arakhamia, British Ch, Great Yarmouth, 2007).
14.Bg5 g6 15.Bc4 Nd5 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Bb5 Bxg5 18.Nxg5 Rfe8 19.Qd2 f6 20.Nh3 Re7 21.Rfe1 Rde8 22.Rxe7 Rxe7 23.Bxc6 Bxc6 draw (Jenni-Tiviakov, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).

11.Qc2 Bd7 12.0-0 Rac8 13.Rad1 Rfd8 14.Rfe1 Be8 15.Bg5 g6 16.Qe2 Nd5 17.Ne4 Qc7 18.g3 Bxg5 19.Nexg5 Qb6 20.Bb1 Nce7 21.h4 Bb5 22.Qd2 Nf6 23.h5 Nxh5 24.Nxf7 Kxf7 25.Qh6 Rd5 26.Re5 Rh8 27.Ng5+ Ke8 28.Rxe6 Rd6 29.Bxg6+ hxg6 30.Qxh8+ Kd7 31.Rde1 Rxe6 32.Rxe6 Qc7 33.Rxe7+ Kxe7 34.Qh7+ Kd6 35.Qxg6+ Kd5 36.Qe4+ Kd6 37.Qe6# White wins (Howell-Pritchett, EU Ch, Cork, 2005).

If 7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Bd3 b6 10.0-0 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Ba6 12.Bxa6 Nxa6 then:

If 13.Qe2 Nb8 14.c4 Qe4 15.Ne5 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Qxc6 17.a4 Rac8 18.Rfc1 Ne4 19.a5 Nd6 20.axb6 axb6 21.c5 bxc5 22.Ra6 Qb5 23.Qxb5 Nxb5 24.dxc5 Nc7 25.Ra7 Nd5 26.c6 f6 then:

27.h3? Rf7 28.Rd7 Nxe3 29.Rxf7 Kxf7 30.fxe3 e5 White's past pawn falls (Seger-Berczes, First Saturday, Budapest, 2005.05).
27.Rd7 Rf7 28.Rc4 Nxe3 29.fxe3 Kf8 is equal.

13.Qa4 Qb7 14.c4 Rac8 15.Rab1 Nb8 16.h3 Qa6 draw (Manca-Borgio, Reggio Emilia, 2007).

If 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 then:

8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qe2 Rd8 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nb4 12.Nc3 Qh5 13.Bc4 b6 14.Ne5 Qxe2 15.Bxe2 Bb7 16.Rac1 Rac8 17.a3 Nbd5 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Bb5 Nxe3 20.fxe3 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Bd6 22.Nf3 h6 23.Rc3 g5 24.Bc6 Ba6 is equal (Huber-Miezis, Op, Schwaebisch Gmuend, 2000).
If 8.Qe2 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nc6 then:

If 10.Rd1 Nb4 11.Nc3 Qd8 then:

12.Bb1 b6 13.Ne5 Bb7 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Ne4 Rc8 16.Bd3 Rc7 17.Ng3 Qa8 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Rac1 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 Rc8 21.Re1 Bd6 22.Bd2 Ne7 23.Nxf7 Bxg3 24.hxg3 Bxg2 25.Qxe6 Bd5 26.Nh6+ leaves White a pawn to the good with a huge advantage in space (Muresan-Botsari, Women's Tmnt, Dortmund, 1987).

12.Bc4 b6 13.Ne5 Bb7 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Ne4 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Rc8 17.Bd3 f5 18.Qe1 Kh8 19.Bd2 Nf6 20.Bb4 Nd5 21.Bd2 is equal (Braga-Portisch, Mar del Plata, 1982).

10.Be3 Nb4 11.Nc3 Qh5 12.Bc4 Bd7 13.Qd2 Bc6 14.Be2 Ng4 15.h3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Qh6 17.Ne5 Bg5 18.Nd1 Nd5 19.Ng4 Qg6 20.Ne5 Qe4 gives Black a firm advantage in space (Kharchenko-Annageldyev. Victory Cup, Alushta, 2005).

6...Nc6

If 6...Qd8 7.Nc2 then:

7...Be7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 b6 10.Qe2 Bb7 11.Bf4 Nbd7 12.Rad1 Qc8 13.Ne5 Nd5 14.Bg3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxe5 16.Qxe5 Bf6 17.Qe2 Rd8 18.Nb5 gives White an edge in space (Hudoba-Kolesar, Slovakian ChT, Slovakia, 2000).
7...Nc6 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Ncxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Bc5 11.0-0 Bxd4 12.Qa4+ Ke7 13.cxd4 Qd6 14.b3 Bd7 15.Qa5 b6 16.Qe5 Bc6 17.Rd1 h6 18.h3 Rhd8 19.a4 Qd5 20.Ba3+ Ke8 21.Bf1 Qxe5 22.dxe5 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Nd5 24.Rd3 a6 25.Rg3 draw (Tiviakov-van Wely, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2006).

7.Be3

If 7.Nb5 Qd8 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 then:

If 10.Bf4 Ne4 11.Rd1+ then:

11...Ke7 12.Nbd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Rd8 14.Bd3 Nf6 15.Bc7 Rd7 16.Be5 Bd6 17.Bg3 a6 18.0-0 Bxg3 19.hxg3 b6 20.Nc6+ Kd6 21.Be4+ Kc7 22.Bf3 Bb7 23.Ne5 Bxf3 24.gxf3 gives White the advantage (Darban-Johanessen, Ol, Torino, 2006).
11...Bd7 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 a6 14.Nbd4 Ke7 15.Bd3 Nf6 16.0-0 Rhd8 17.e4 Ng4 18.Rfe1 gives White the advantage in space (Sveshnikov-C. Balogh, Warsaw, 2005).

If 10...Nd5 11.0-0-0 Ke7 12.Bg3 a6 13.Nbd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Rd8 15.Be2 Bd7 16.Bf3 Ba4 17.Rd2 Rac8 then:

18.Bh4+ g5 19.Bxg5+ f6 20.Re1 White soon won (Pavasovic-Modiaki, Op, Cannes, 1997).
18...f6 19.Nxe6 Kxe6 20.Re1+ Kf7 21.Bxd5+ Kf8 22.Bxb7 leaves White two pawns to the good.

7.Be2 Qd8 then:

If 8.Nc2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bg5 cxd4 11.Ncxd4 Bd7 12.Qb3 Qc8 13.Rfe1 a6 14.c4 Qc7 15.Bf1 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Ng4!! (a sudden mating threat gives Black a powerful initiative) 17.Qh3 Bxg5 18.Qxg4(Margoline-Kasimdzhanov, Voskresensk, 1993).
If 8.0-0 cxd4 9.Nb5 then:

9...Be7 10.Nbxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 0-0 12.Bf4 b6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.a4 Bb7 15.a5 Bd6 16.Bxd6 Rxd6 17.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 18.Bxd1 Rd8 draw (van de Oudeweetering-Huzman, ACT, Amsterdam, 2005).
If 9...a6 10.Nbxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.Re1 Bd6 14.Bf3 0-0-0 15.Nb3 Kb8 16.Be3 Rhe8 17.Na5 Bc8 18.Nc4 Bc7 19.Bd4 Bd7 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.Bxe5+ Kc8 22.Rad1 Bc6 23.Bxc6 bxc6 24.c4 Rg8 25.Bxf6 gxf6 is equal (Nun-Fogarasi, Czech Op, Pardubice, 2000).

7...cxd4 8.Nb5 Qd8

8...Qd7 9.Nbxd4 Nd5 10.Bg5 a6 11.Bc4 Be7 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 0-0 14.Re1 Bb7 15.Qc2 h6 16.Ne5 Qc7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Rad1 Rfd8 19.Bd3 gives White a small advantage in space (Brodsky-Khurtsidze, Op. Yerevan, 1996).

9.Nbxd4 Nd5 10.Bg5!?

White's novelty is good for equality.
If 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bd4 f6 12.Bc4 then:

12...e5 13.Qe2 Be7 14.Bxe5 fxe5 15.Nxe5 Qd6 16.0-0-0 Bd7 17.Qe4 0-0-0 18.Nf7 Qg6 19.Bxd5 Bg5+ 20.Nxg5 Qxg5+ 21.f4 cxd5 22.Rxd5 Qf6 23.Rc5+ Kb8 is unclear with White holding three pawns to a Bishop (Khamrakulov-Dambacher, Euro ChT, Kemer, 2007).
12...c5 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.Bxd7+ Qxd7 15.Be3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Qxd1+ 17.Kxd1 Kd7 18.Kc2 Kc6 19.Rad1 Be7 is equal (Tiviakov-Ftacnik, ACT, Amsterdam, 2006).

10...Qb6

10...f6 11.Bh4 Qb6 12.Nb3 g5 13.Bg3 h5 gives Black a modest advantage in space.

11.Bc4

If 11.Nb3 Be7 12.Bxe7 Ncxe7 13.Bd3 Bd7 then:

14.Ne5 Qc7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.Qf3 gives White the advantage in space.
14.0-0 Nf4 15.Ne5 Bc6 16.Bc2 Qc7 17.Nxc6 Nxc6 gives White a small advantage in space.

11...Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bc5 13.Bxd5

If 13.0-0 h6 then:

If 14.Bh4 Bxd4 15.cxd4 0-0 16.b3 gives White a modest edge in space.
14.Bc1 0-0 15.Nb3 Rd8 16.Nxc5 Qxc5 remains equal.

13...Bxd4 14.0-0

14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.cxd4 exd5 16.Rc1 gives White the advantage in space.

14...Bc5?!

White now has a small advantage in space.
14...exd5 15.Qa4+ Kf8 16.cxd4 f6 17.Rae1 Kf7 18.Bc1 Bg4 is equal.

BLACK: Emil Sutkovsky
!""""""""#
$t+v+l+ T%
$Oo+ +oOo%
$ W +o+ +%
$+ Vb+ B %
$ + + + +%
$+ P + + %
$pP + PpP%
$R +q+rK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Sergei Tiviakov
Position after 14...Bd4c5

15.Qe2!

The pin in the e-file protects the Bishop at d5 for now.

15...h6

If 15...0-0 16.Be4 Bd7 17.Bd3 then:

If 17...f6 18.Bh4 e5 19.b4 Bd6 20.Rfd1 Ba4 21.Rd2 is equal.
17...h6 18.Bh4 Rac8 19.Rad1 Bd6 20.Rfe1 g5 21.Bg3 is equal.

16.Bf4 0-0 17.Bc4!?

White still has a small advantage in space.
17.Bb3 is more accurate, as it frees the White Queen from the defense of the pawn at b2.

17...Bd7

17...Rd8 18.Be5 Bd7 19.Qg4 Bf8 20.Bf6 Rdc8 21.Bb3 gives White a small advantage in space.

18.Rad1 Rad8?

If 18...Rfd8 19.Qg4 Kh8 20.b4 Bf8 21.Be5 Bb5 22.Bxb5 Qxb5 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Qh4 Rd5 is equal.
22...Rxd1?! 23.Rxd1 Qxb5 24.Qe4 Kg8 gives White a commanding advantage in space.

19.Rd3!

The Rook is to be posted on the kingside.

19...Bc8 20.Rg3

20...Bd6 21.Qg4!

The mating threat forces Black to drop what he is doing and compromise his position.

21...g6
BLACK: Emil Sutkovsky
!""""""""#
$ +vT Tl+%
$Oo+ +o+ %
$ W +o+oO%
$+ + + + %
$ +b+ Bq+%
$+ P + R %
$pP + PpP%
$+ + +rK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Sergei Tiviakov
Position after 21...g7g6

22.Bxh6!!

White sham sacrifices the exchange.

22...Bxg3 23.Qxg3 Qc5

23...Rfe8 24.Qe5 f6 25.Qxf6 Qc7 26.Qxg6+ Kh8 27.Bg5 Rf8 28.Bxd8 wins back the exchange with three pawns as interest.

24.Bxf8 Kxf8 25.Bb3

White nets a pawn from the dust kicked up by the sham exchange sacrifice.
25.Qf4 Kg7 26.a4 b6 27.b4 Qd6 28.Qe3 sets the queenside majority in motion.

25...Kg7 26.Qf4 b6 27.Rd1 Rxd1+

27...Rd7 28.Rxd7 Bxd7 29.h3 a6 30.a3 Bc6 31.Qc7 sets up a Queen exchange that will weaken Black's pawns.

28.Bxd1 e5 29.Qd2 Be6

If 29...Bb7 30.Bb3 then:

30...Qc6 31.f3 Qc5+ 32.Kh1 Qb5 33.h3 a5 gives Black a better defense than the text.
30...e4? fails to 31.Qd7 Qc8 32.Qxf7+.

30.a3 Bd5

Better is 30...Qb5 31.a4 Qd5 32.Qe2, but the extra pawn still makes this White's game.

31.Bc2 Qc4 32.Bd3 Qc6

Again, Black misses a more stubborn defense: 33.h3 Bc4 34.Be4 Qb3 35.g3 a5 36.Bg2.

33.Qg5 e4

33...Qf6 34.Qe3 Bc6 35.Bc2 a6 36.Bd3 Bb7 37.a4 gives White a more active position.

34.Qe5+ Kh7 35.Be2

35.Bc2 Qb5 36.h4 Qxb2 37.Qxd5 Qxc2 38.Qxf7+ keeps White a pawn to the good.

35...Bc4 36.Bd1

36.Bg4 Qd5 37.Qxd5 Bxd5 38.Be2 Bb3 39.h4 gives White an endgame with an extra pawn and better pawn structure.

36...f5 37.Qd4 Bf7

If 37...Qd5 38.h4 a6 39.Ba4 then:

If 39...b5 40.Bc2 Bb3 41.Qxd5 Bxd5 42.Kf1 allows White to bring his King to the center for the endgame struggle.
39...Qe6 40.Bc2 Bb3 41.Bb1 a5 42.Kf1 also centralizes the King.

38.g3 Qe6

38...Qb5 39.Qd2 Qd3 40.Qxd3 exd3 41.Kf1 allows the White King more room to maneuver, thus making it more favorable to White than the text.

39.b3 g5 40.Qd2

40.c4 g4 41.Qd2 Qe7 42.a4 gives White more mobility.

40...Qf6 41.Qd4 Qe7 42.b4 f4

After 42...b5 43.a4 a6 44.axb5 axb5 45.g4 f4 46.Be2White threatens to win another pawn.

43.Bg4 e3

If 43...Bg6 then:

44.c4 e3 45.fxe3 fxe3 46.Be2 Qe4 47.Qxe4 Bxe4 gives White pawn majorities on both wings; if the Bishops are exchanged, White wins easily.
44.b5? Qxa3 45.Qd7+ Kh6 46.Qd4 Qa1+ is equal.

44.fxe3 fxe3 45.Kf1 b5 46.Ke1 Bc4

This is the position Black wanted. White's queenside pawns are blocked, the White King is confined to the back rank and the Black's advanced passed pawn is safe.

BLACK: Emil Sutkovsky
!""""""""#
$ + + + +%
$O + W +l%
$ + + + +%
$+o+ + O %
$ PvQ +b+%
$P P O P %
$ + + + P%
$+ + K + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Sergei Tiviakov
Position after 46...Bf7c4

47.Qd7!

Also good is 47.Be2! when:

47...Qe6 48.Bxc4 Qxc4 49.Qxa7+ Kg6 50.Qxe3 White is up by three pawns with majorities on both wings.
47...Qf7 48.Qxe3 Qb7 49.Qxg5 leaves White up by three pawns.

47...Qxd7 48.Bxd7

White has a completely won game.

48...Kg6 49.Bg4 Kf6

After 49...Bf7 50.Ke2 Kf6 51.Kxe3 Ke5 52.Bd7 Bc4 53.a4 it's time to turn out the lights.

50.Be2 Bd5 51.Bxb5 Bf3 52.h4

52.Be2 Bb7 53.h4 is really no different from the text.

52...gxh4 53.gxh4 Ke5

53...Bg4 54.c4 Ke5 55.c5 Kd5 56.Be2 forces the Black Bishop away, allowing the h-pawn to advance.

54.Be2 Be4

Exchanging Bishops clearly won't do for Black.

55.h5 Kf4 56.c4

Elementary, my dear Watson. If the Black King plays to one side, advance the pawn on the other.

56...Ke5 57.c5 Kd4 58.h6 Ke5 59.b5 Kd5 1-0

White's most direct road to victory is 60.Bf3! Bxf3 61.h7.
Mr. Sutkovsky resigns without waiting for Mh. Tiviakov to reply.

Reply #5: Tiviakov - Sutkovsky, Round 11, Plovdiv [View All]