Reply #5: Nogueiras - Ibarra, Torre Memorial, Mérida, Yucatán

[Jack Rabbit]

Jesús Nogueiras
Photo: ChessBase.com

Jesús Nogueiras vs. Luís Ibarra
Torre Memorial Tournament (Magistral Event), Round 2
Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), December 2006

Queen's Gambit: Chigorin Defense

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nc6

• This is one of the opening innovations of the great 19th century Russian master, Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908), who is also responible for what is, over a hundred years later, the main line of the Spanish Game.

3. c4 e5 4. e3 exd4 5. exd4 Bg4

• This pin is a feature of most variations of the Chigorin Defense, but not all.
• 5. -- Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Be2 Ne4 8. Bd2 Nxd2 9. Qxd2 Be6 10. cxd5 Bxd5 11. 0-0-0 Ne7 is equal (Boyarkov-Lebedev, Russian Ch, Moscow 1901).

6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd6

• If 8. -- Be7 9. Qb3 0-0 10. Ne5 then:
• 10. -- Na5? 11. Bxf7+ Kh8 12. Qa4 c6 13. b4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 b5 15. Nxb5 cxb5 16. Bxb5 gives White a winning advantage with three extra pawns (Negraru-Dinet, French TCh, 2003).
• 10. -- Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Qxd4 12. Nxf7 c6 13. 0-0 b5 14. Nh6+ Kh8 draws by repetition.

9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3

• If 10. Re1 Re8 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bb5 then:
• after 12. -- a6 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14. g4 Nxg4 15. hxg4 Bxg4 Black is compensated for having only two pawns for a minor piece with superior piece activity and King safety.
• 12. -- Re7 13. g4 Bg6 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Nh4 gives White an edge in space and pawn structure.

10. -- Bh5

• 10. -- Bd7 11. a3 a6 12. b4 b5 13. Bb3 a5 14. Nxb5 axb4 15. Nxd6 cxd6 16. d5 gives White a small edge in space owing to his advanced cental pawn (Kuznetsov-Shalynykh, Perm Open, Sverdlovsk Oblast (Russia) 2006).

11. g4 Nxg4?!

• This sacrifice is purely speculative. Black gives up his Knight in order to wipe away White's kingside pawns in hopes of later launching a kingside attack. It is not advisable make such a sacrifice unless more concrete plans for the attack are more in evidence than they are here.
• 11. -- Na5 12. Be2 Bg6 13. Ne5 c6 14. Rc1 Re8 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Re1 Bc7 gives Black better piece activity.
• color="blue"]11. -- Bg6 12. Nh4 Kh8 13. Nxg6+ then:
• 13. -- fxg6 14. f4 Na5 15. Bd3 Nc6 16. Re1 Ng8 is equal
• after 13. -- hxg6 14. Qf3 Qd7 15. Rfe1 Rfe8 16. Rac1 White has more freedom.

12. hxg4 Bxg4 13. Ne4 Kh8

• Black clearly intends to advance his f-pawn.
• 13. -- Be7 14. d5 Na5 15. b3 f5 16. Nc5 Bxc5 17. Bxc5 Re8 18. Qd3 is level.

14. Kg2 f5 15. Nxd6 Qxd6?!

• This move is inconsistant with Black's basic plan of attacking on the kingside. It is best to play -- f4 as a harbinger of the attack. As will be seen, this move actually makes -- f4 more difficult.
• Better is 15. -- cxd6 16. Rh1 f4! when:
• after 17. Bd2 Nxd4 18. Rxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh1+ Kg6 20. Nxd4 give White a slight plus in mobility.
• 17. Bc1 Qf6 18. Be2 d5 19. b3 Nxd4 20. Qd3 Nf5 is equal.

16. Rh1 h5

• This is not an attacking move or even the simple advance of a passed pawn. This is a necessary, almost reflexive defensive move.
• If 16. -- Qg6 17. Nh4! Qd6 18. Bf4! then:
• after 18. -- Qf6 19. Be5 Qg5 20. f4 Qh5 21. Qd3 Nxe5 22. dxe5 White continues to enjoy a material advantage and superior piece mobility.
• 18. -- Qxf4 19. Ng6#
• 16. -- f4? now would be a catastrophic error (see previous note): if 17. Rxh7+ Kxh7 18. Ng5+ Kh8 19. Qxg4 then:
• 19. -- Qh6 20. Bxf4 +-
• 19. -- fxe3 20. Rh1+ Qh6 21. Qe4 b5 22. Qh7+ Qxh7 23. Rxh7#

17. d5 Rad8

• The text is better than 17. -- f4 18. Bd4 Qg6 19. Rg1 Rad8 20. Kh2 Nxd4 21. Qxd4 giving White better mobility and a pin on the g-file.

18. dxc6 Qxc6 19. Qe2 Rd6?

• Now 19. -- f4 might have salvaged the game. After this, there is no salvation for Black.
• 19. -- f4 20. Bb5 Qg6 21. Kh2 Bxf3 22. Qxf3 fxe3 23. Qxe3 Rf5 24. Bf1 gives White only a small edge in material as Black's pieces spring to life.

Black: Luís Ibarra
!""""""""#
$ + + T L%
$OoO + O %
$ +wT + +%
$+ + +o+o%
$ +b+ +v+%
$+ + Bn+ %
$pP +wPk+%
$R + + +r%
/(((((((()
White: Jesús Nogueiras
Position after 19. -- Rd8d6
20. Rxh5+!!

• White nails down the game with a Rook sacrifice.

20. -- Bxh5 21. Rh1 g6 22. Bd4+?!

White jeopardizes much of his advantage with this inaccuracy.
• Correct is 22. Bf4 Re8 23. Be5+ Kh7 24. Kg1 Re7 25. Ng5+ Kh6 26. Nf7+ when:
• after 26. -- Rxf7 27. Rxh5+ gxh5 28. Bxf7 White is threatening a mating net around Black.
• 26. -- Kh7 27. Rxh5+ gxh5 28. Qxh5+ Kg8 29. Qh8#

22. -- Rxd4 23. Qe5+ Rf6

• If 23. -- Qf6 24. Qxf6+ Rxf6 25. Nxd4 then:
• 25. -- Kg7 26. Ne6+ Kh6 27. Kg3 a5 28. Nf4 Rb6 29. b3 gives White a winning edge with his pressure on Black's King position.
• 25. -- Kh7 26. Re1 Kh6 27. Re7 Rb6 28. b3 c6 29. f4 gives White a winning advantage.

24. Rxh5+ gxh5 25. Qxd4 Kh7 26. Qf4 Rg6+ 27. Kh2 Qc5?!

• Black restores the balance to White's favor.
• If 27. -- Qe4 28. Qxe4 fxe4 29. Nd2 Rb6 30. b3 then:
• after 30. -- e3 31. fxe3 Kh6 32. Ne4 Rg6 33. Be2 White has a strong edge, but the victory is now problematic.
• after 30. -- Rf6 31. Nxe4 Rf4 32. Kg3 Rg4+ 33. Kf3 Kg6 34. a3 White will need to work hard for the full point.

28. Ne5 Rg5

• after 28. -- Rf6 29. Nd7 Qd6 30. Nxf6+ Qxf6 31. Qxc7+ Kh6 32. Qf4+ White will pick off Black's kingside pawns and advance the f-pawn.
• after 28. -- Qe7 29. Nxg6 Kxg6 30. Bd3 Qf6 31. Kh3 c6 32. b4 b6 33. Qe3 White will attack Black's weak pawns.

29. Qxg5 Qxe5+ 30. Kh3 1-0

• If 30. Kh3 Qxb2 31. Bg8+ Kh8 32. Be6 then:
• after 32. -- Qc3+ 33. Kh4 Qd4+ 34. Kxh5 Qg4+ 35. Qxg4 fxg4 36. Kxg4 White will prepare to advance his f-pawn.
• the less painful way out is 32. -- Qxa2 33. Qh6#
• El señor Ibarra resigns.