Game of the day. Grandmaster Alexander Kalinin makes comments

 

Russia Chess Cup Stage 2013

Round 6

Svetushkin Dmitry - Matinian Nikita

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 The Anti-Grufeld move order, leading in case of 3...d5 4.cd Nd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 to complicated game with little-studied positions. Black, in turn, preferred to lead the battle into a branch of the Old Indian Defense. 3... Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Be3 Nc6 A popular method of fighting the Samisch system. Black intends to take piece action against the enemy’s center, combining developing the knight to c6 with a preparing to undermine the pawns with e7-e5 and b7-b5. 7. Nge2 a6 8. Qd2 Re8 In practice, more often met is 8...Rb8, but the text move isn’t without venom. The value of the position of the black rooks on a8 and e8 makes its self know, for instance, in the variation 9.0-0-0 b5 или 9.Nc1 e5 10.d5 Nd4 11.Nb3 c5 12.dc dc 13.Nd4 ed 14.Bd4 d5 15.cd cd 16.e5 Nd7 17.f4 f6 и т.д.

9. g4

[The fundamental theoretical debate is over the sharp continuation 9. h4 h5 10. O-O-O b5 11. Nd5 bc 12. Nf6 Bf6 13. g4 hg 14. h5 , met in a few white games of the French grandmaster Joel Lautier. The move 9.g4 is playing against the slowing pawn advance h7-h5 and prepares to push the pawn from h2 to h5.]

9... Rb8 10. h4 h5 A typical idea, slowing down the advancement of the opponent on the king-side.

[In case of the immediate 10... b5 11. h5 e5 12. hg fg 13. d5 Na5 14. Ng3 Nc4 15. Bc4 bc 16. Qh2 Kf7 17. O-O-O White has the better chances, Bobotsov – Georgi, Moscow 1967.

11. g5 Nd7 Also met is 11...Nh7, which appears less natural, as the black knight will difficult to bring into the game. 12. f4

The advancement of the white pawn chain is reminiscent of psychological attack. As white takes the space, he is exposing his underbelly, which could prove to have an affect should the game open up. To avoid getting crushed, black needs to act as energetically as possible. 12... b5 13. f5 e5! This seems to be an innovation. The only topical game in the database continued,

[13... Nb6 14. Nf4 Nc4 15. Bc4 bc Al-Hadarani – Weeramantry, Turin 2008, and now 16.0-0-0 Allowed white to create an attractive attacking position.]

14. f6

[Both sides are being cautious in working out their plans. In case of 14. d5 the game could develop in the following: 14... Nd4 15. Bd4! (после 15. Nd4 ed 16. Bd4 Ne5 17. Be5 Be5 Black has the initiative.) 15... ed 16. Nd4 Bd4! 17. Qd4 Nc5 18. fg fg (leading to an unclear outcome is 18... b4 19. gf Kf7 20. Bg2 bc 21. O-O Kg8 22. Rf6 Re5 and white has enough compensation for the sacrificed piece.) 19. b4 Ne4 20. Ne4 Bf5 21. Bd3 Be4 22. O-O! (22. Be4 Qe7) 22... Qd7! 23. Rf4 Bd3 24. Qd3 Kh7 25. Raf1 Re7 with approximate equality]

 

14... ed 15. Nd4 Nd4 16. Bd4 b4 17. Ne2

[An alternative was 17. Nd5 Re4 18. Be2 or 18.Kf2, the valuable e4 pawn holding the nail on f6.]

17... c5 18. Bf2

18... Nf6! The piece sacrifice allows the opening of the position into the shaded side of white’s premature pawn storm. 19. gf Qf6 20. Ng3

[The e4 pawn needed to be supported with 20. Bg2  with the idea of parrying the move 20...b3 with 21.Nс3. after which may have continued 20... Bb7 21. Ng3 Qb2 22. Qb2 Bb2 23. Rd1 Be5 , And the chances of black, having three pawns for the piece, are preferable thanks to the aggressive pawn structure and vulnerability of his opponent’s pawns.]

20... b3! Bringing the queen-side rook into play. 21. ab? After this automatic move, white no longer has a satisfactory defense!

[Necessary was 21. Bd3 Qb2 (21... Bg4!?) 22. Qb2 Bb2 23. Kd2 , avoiding the direct threats.]

21... Rb3 22. Ra2

22... Rg3! An effective strike, underestimated by the opponent. Now white king is killed in the middle of the board. 23. Bg3 Re4 24. Be2 Qf3 [...]

[, and white surrendered in light of the variation 25. Rg1 Bg4 26. b3 Bc3°]

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