Reply #8: Georgiev - Ivanchuk, Torre Memorial, Mérida, Yucatán

[Jack Rabbit]

Vassily Ivanchuk
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Vladimir Georgiev vs. Vassily Ivanchuk
Torre Memorial Tournament (Wimbeldon Event), Quarter-Final Round/Game 1
Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), December 2006

Indian Game: Spielmann Opening

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 c5 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bf4 Be7 5. Nbd2 cxd4!?

• 5. -- Nh5 6. Bg3 f5 7. e3 0-0 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nb3 Nxg3 10. hxg3 Be7 11. Qc2 g6 12. Bd3 Nc6 13. g4 d6 14. gxf5 exf5 15. 0-0-0 gives White firm contorl of the central dark squares (Vehre-Blumenfeld, corr 1987).
• 5. -- 0-0 6. h3 b6 7. e3 d6 8. Bd3 Ba6 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Qe2 Nc7 11. 0-0 Qc8 12. e4 Rd8 13. Bg5 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qb7 15. Rac1 Rac8 16. Rc2 Nce8 17. Rfc1 Rxc2 18. Rxc2 Rc8 19. Qd3 = (Ragni-Lieder, Baden Ch, Hockenheim 1994).
• 5. -- b6 6. e3 Bb7 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nh5 9. Bg3 Nxg3 10. hxg3 d5 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. e4 Nf6 13. e5 Nd7 14. Kh2 f6 15. Rh1 fxe5 16. dxe5 d4 17. cxd4 cxd4 18. Nxd4 Nc5 = (da Silva-Anderson, Pan Am Ch, Mérida 1997).

6. cxd4 Nc6 7. e3

• White chooses a less aggressive route to equality.
• If 7. e4 Qa5 8. Bd3 d5 9. e5 Nb4 10. Be2 then:
• 10. -- Ne4 11. 0-0 Nc6 12. Bd3 Nxd2 13. Bxd2 gives White the advantage in space with the central French attack formation.
• 10. -- Nd7 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Re1 Qb6 13. Qb3 also gives White a spatial edge, this one even better fortified.

7. -- Nh5 8. Bg3

• If Black is to take the Bishop, White would prefer to recapture in a way to open a file for the King's Rook.
• If 8. d5 Nxf4 9. dxc6 Nh5 10. cxb7 Bxb7 11. Bd3 then:
• 11. -- Qb6
• 12. Rb1 Qa5 13. 0-0
• 13. -- d5 14. Qb3 Ba6 15. Bxa6 Qxa6 offers equal chances.
• 13. -- Qxa2?! 14. Nd4 Nf6 15. Nc4 gives White a huge edge in queenside space; Black's Queen is in a very awkward situation.
• 12. 0-0 12. -- Qxb2 13. Rb1 Qc3 14. Rxb7 Qxd3 yields a tense but equal position.
• after 11. -- d5 12. Qa4+ Kf8 13. Rc1 Qb6 14. Rc2 White has his points covered, better piece mobility and an active Rook; on the other hand, Black should be about to create an imposing pawn center.

8. -- b6 9. a3

• White contests control over the diagonal with Black's King's Bishop.
• 9. Rc1 Bb7 10. Qa4 Rc8 11. Be2 0-0 12. 0-0 Nxg3 13. fxg3 a6 gives Black the edge; Black will attempt to advance his pawns to d5 and b5 and post his King's Bishop to a more active spot. White will have to react to this momentarily.

9. -- Bb7 10. Bd3 0-0 11. Ne5

• White tries shaking up White's defenses with a piece demonstration in the center.
• If 11. 0-0 Nxg3 12. fxg3 Rc8 then:
• 13. Rc1 d5 14. Qe2 a5 15. Nb1 Bf6 16. Nc3 Ne7 gives Black a slight edge in piece mobility.
• after 13. b4 d5 14. Rc1 Qd6 15. Qe2 a5 16. b5 Na7 17. a4 f5 stops White's ideas of playing e3e4.

11. -- g6

• Black calmly defends his Knight, rather than fall into the Greek gift.
• If 11. -- Nxe5 12. Bxh7+ Kxh7 13. Qxh5+ Kg8 14. Bxe5 then:
• 14. -- Rc8 15. Qg4 f6 16. Bf4 f5 17. Qg6 Rc2 18. Rb1 is level; Black's Rook has little scope on White's pawn rank.
• after 14. -- d6? 15. Bf4 Bxg2 16. Rg1 Bb7 17. Bh6 White should win.
• 11. -- Nf6 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. 0-0 d6 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. e4 gives White the slightest edge in central space.

12. Nxc6 dxc6

• Black elects to open the d-file and stage a frontal assault on White's center.
• If 12. -- Bxc6 13. 0-0 f5 14. Rc1 Nxg3 then:
• 15. fxg3 then:
• 15. -- Rc8 16. b4 d5 17. Nf3 Qd6 18. Ba6 Rc7 is equal.
• 15. -- Bb7 16. e4 Bg5 17. Re1 fxe4 18. Bxe4 Bxe4 19. Rxe4 Bf6 gives Black a strong edge ans White's defenses are tied to his isolated pawn.
• 15. hxg3 Rc8 16. b4 d6 17. Qb3 Bd5 18. Qa4 Bf6 gives Black a slight edge in mobility.

13. Be4?!

• White aimes at pinning the c-pawn so as to prevent its advance, but this move simply allows Black to take the initiative.
• 13. Qf3 Qd7 14. Rd1 Nxg3 15. hxg3 f5 16. Qf4 g5 17. Qf3 g4 18. Qf4 c5 is balanced.

13. -- f5 14. Bf3

• White is contemplating the piece sacrifice.
• 14. Bc2 f4 15. Qg4 fxg3 16. hxg3 Rf5 17. Bxf5 exf5 18. Qe2 Qd5 give Black a powerful grip on the center and better command of open lines.

14. -- f4 15. Bxh5?

• White sacrifices a piece for two pawns, but does enough positional compensation to justify it.
• After 15. exf4 Nxf4 16. Ne4 c5 17. Qd2 e5 18. Bxf4 Rxf4 19. d5 Qd7 20. 0-0 Rd8 Black has only a small edge in central space.

15. -- fxg3 16. hxg3

• Having gone this far in the sacrifice, the best thing to do is finish it.
• After 16. Bf3 gxf2+ 17. Kxf2 c5 18. Qb3 Bd5 19. Qd3 cxd4 20. exd4 Rf4 Black will focus on the weak d-pawn.

16. -- gxh5 17. Qxh5

Black: Vassily Ivanchuk
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White: Vladimir Georgiev
Position after 17. Qd1Xh5

17. -- Rf7!

• A subtle maneuver that makes Black's heavy pieces easy to regroup.

18. Qg4+ Kh8 19. Nf3

• 19. Nc4 Rf6 20. Ne5 Qg8 21. Qe4 Bd6 22. Rc1 Bxe5 23. Qxe5 Raf8 leaves Black poised to maneuver his heavy pieces on the kingside.

19. -- Qg8 20. Qxe6 Re8 21. 0-0-0 Bxa3!

• Black has the oppotunity to snatch a pawn and takes it.

22. Qa2 Bd6

• If 22. -- Bb4 23. Qa4 a5 24. Qc2 c5 25. d5 then:
• after 25. -- a4 26. Rh6 a3 27. bxa3 Bxa3+ 29. Kb1 Bc8 Black is threaten to win the Queen with 30. -- Bf5.
• after 25. -- Rfe7 26. Rh5 Rg7 27. Qd3 a4 28. e4 Ra8 the a-pawn advances and White's King position becomes untenable.

23. Qxa7 Rc7

• 23. -- Rd7 24. d5 Bc5 25. Qa1 Ra8 26. Qb1 cxd5 27. Ne5 d4 28. Rxd4 Rc7 29. Rc4 Bxe3+ gives Black a huge material advantage and the initiative to widen it.

24. Qxb6 Qc4+ 25. Kb1 Ra8 26. d5

• This loses at once, but Black was lost in any case.
• 26. Rh6 Ra6 27. Qxa6 Bxa6 28. Rxd6 Rb7 29. Rd2 Qf1+ 30. Kc2 Qa1 is an easy wins for Black.
• 26. Ng5 Qg8 27. Qxc7 Qa2+ 28. Kc2 Qa4+ 29. Kc1 Bxc7 30. Rxh7+ Kg8 gives Black a prohibitive material edge.

26. -- Qe4+ 27. 0-1

• After 27. Kc1 Ra1+ 28. Kd2 Bb4+ 29. Ke2 Ba6+ 30. Rd3 Black mates in two at most.
• Georgiev resigns.