Game of the day. Grandmaster Alexander Kalinin makes comments
Round 5
Students-grandmasters’ Cup of RSSU
Mozharov Mikhail - Reshetnikov Alexey
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4 4. Nc3 b6 5. g3 A valid option, though (as opposed to the line 4...c5 5.g3) a relatively harmless answer to black’s last move. 5... Bb7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Bc3 8. bc d6
9. Re1 White puts his hopes on preparing an e2-24 advance, all the while avoiding the exchange of the white-squared bishops.
[The old game Nimzowitsch – Colle, London 1927 saw 9. a4 a5 10. Ba3 Nbd7 11. Nd2 Bg2 12. Kg2 e5 13. e4 Re8 14. f3 with approximately equal chances.]
9... Nbd7 10. Qc2 Luring the black bishop to e4 in order to set up a constriction with tempo, playing Bh3 (Bf1) и Nd2. 10... Be4 11. Qb3 c5
[Also worth of attention was 11... Re8 12. Bh3 Bb7 13. Nd2 e5 14. Qc2 e4 15. Nf1 Nf8 with approximately equal chances.]
12. Bh3 Bb7
[In case of 12... Bf3 13. ef with a possible future d4-d5 and f3-f4, and white has the better chances.]
13. Nd2 Re8 14. e4 And so, white has accomplished his program if the e2-e4 push, gaining space in the center. пространство в центре. Blacks position, by the way, is perfectly solid. The important thing is to refrain from playing 14... e5?! 15.d5, after which, his position really does become very cramped, without any chances for counterplay. The e6-e5 advance deserved attention after the preparatory exchange on d5. Not a bad maneuver was chosen by black in the game. 14... Nb8 Taking advantage of the fact that the d4-d5 advance is not yet possible in account of the undefended rook on e1, black transfers the queen-side knight to a more active position. 15. Qd1 Nc6
16. d5
[An alternative was 16. Nb3 Ba6 17. Bf1 , maintaining the tension in the center.]
16... Na5 17. Bf1 Ba6 18. f4 A responsible decision? White throws his central pawns forward while having a lack of development on the queen-side and a tense situation in the center.
18... Re7 Too timid.
[The forced continuation 18... ed! 19. cd (19. ed Qd7) 19... Bf1 20. Kf1 b5 ensures black excellent counterplay.]
19. e5 The white pawns continue their advance, but with the reserves left behind, the outcome is completely unclear. 19... Ne8 20. Bg2 Bb7 21. de Re6 22. Bd5 Re7 23. Nb3 Nc6 24. Qf3 Qc7 25. Nd2 de
[Also possible was the immediate 25... Na5 , fighting with the practically only piece of his opponent, the knight on.]
26. Ne4 Kh8 27. Qh5 f6 28. f5 Giving the game an Old Indian character. The strong f5 pawn begs white to either rush his major pieces to the h-file or marching the g-pawn. 28... Na5 29. g4 Rd8 30. g5
[A sharp position arises after 30. Re3 Bd5 31. cd Rd5 32. Rh3 Rd1 33. Kf2 g6 34. fg with a completely unclear outcome.]
30... Bd5 31. cd
31... Rd5? This natural reply turns out to be the decisive mistake.
[It was necessary to prevent white from maneuvering his rook along the 3rd rank with 31... Nc4! 32. g6 (32. Rd1 Ncd6) 32... h6 33. Bh6 gh 34. Qh6 Kg8 35. Rad1 with a white initiative for the sacrificed piece.]
32. g6 h6 33. Bh6! gh 34. Qh6 Kg8 35. Re3
White has no satisfactory defense to the white pieces attacking along the h-file. 35... Rg7 36. Rh3 Kf8 37. Qh8 Rg8
[An amusing variation on the theme of "checker" combinations arises after 37... Ke7 38. Qe8! Ke8 39. Nf6 Kf8 40. Rh8 with the win.]
38. Nf6 Qf7 39. Ng8 Qg8 40. f6
[1:0]