Reply #5: Lahno - Korbut, Round 4, Sochi

[Jack Rabbit]

Katya Lahno
Photo: ChessBase.com

Katya Lahno (Southern Ural) vs. Ekaterina Korbut (Finek-1)
Russian Team Championships, Round 4
Sochi, May 2007

Spanish Sicilian Game: Royal Defense

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nc3

• It is more common for White to castle here.
• If 5. 0-0 then:

5. -- g6 6. c3 Bg7 7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 0-0 9. Nc3 Nc7 10. Ba4 d6 11. Bf4 Bg4 then:

• 12. Bxc6 12. -- bxc6 13. h3 Ne6 14. hxg4 Nxf4 15. g3 Ne6 White's edge is space is temporary as Black has superior mobility (Myagmarsuren-Korchnoi, Interzonal, Sousse 1967).
• If 12. exd6 exd6 then:
• 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Nxd4 15. Qxb7 Rb8 16. Qe4 Nce6 17. Bh2 Rxb2 gives Black a dominating position and an extra pawn (Cetkovic-Velimirovic, Yugoslav Ch, Vrnjacka Banja 1962).
• 13. Be3 d5 14. Re1 Re8 Black has an edge in peice activity, but Whit'e chances are better than in the main main line.

5. -- Nc7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 then:

• 9. -- Ne6 10. d3 g6 11. Bf4 Nd4 12. Qd1 Bg7 13. Re1 0-0 14. Qd2 Qd7 15. Re4 f5 16. exf6 exf6 17. Ree1 Rae8 18. Kf1 g5 Black has the advantage in space (Horvath-Shariyazdanov, Eur Club Cup, Saint Vincent (Italy) 2005).
• 9. -- g6 10. d3 Bg7 11. Qe4 Qd4 12. Re1 Qxe4 13. Rxe4 0-0-0 14. f4 f5 15. Re1 Ne6 16. Be3 draw agreed (Kasimdzhanov-Vladimirov, Commonwealth Ch, Mumbai 2003).

5. -- Nc7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. h3 h6

• 7. -- Bf5 8. d3 h6 9. Qe2 Ne6 10. Ne4 Nd4 11. Nxd4 Qxd4 12. Ng3 Be6 13. 0-0 c4 14. dxc4 Qxc4 15. Qxc4 Bxc4 16. Rd1 draw agreed (Yu Shaoteng-Zhao Jun, Chinese Ch, Wuxi 2006)./li]

8. d3!?

• White introduces a new line.
• 8. Ne4 b6 9. 0-0 g5 10. Re1 Bf5 11. a4 Ne6 12. Ra3 Bg7 13. g4 Bxe4 14. Rxe4 Qd5 15. d3 0-0 16. c4 Qd7 17. Nh2 f6 18. exf6 exf6 19. a5 Rad8 20. axb6 axb6 21. Be3 f5 22. gxf5 Rxf5 gives Black a slight edge in piece activity (Martonelli-Ivanovic, Lido Op, Venice 1980).
• 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 g6 10. 0-0 Bg7 11. f4 0-0 12. Be3 Nd5is unclear.

8. -- Bf5

• Black opts for simple development over early adventures.
• 8. -- Nd5 9. Ne4 Bf5 10. Ng3 Qd7 11. Nxf5 Qxf5 12. 0-0 is equal.

9. 0-0 Qd7 10. Be3 Ne6 11. a4

• The prophylactic text move is intended to slow down any Black expansion on the Queen's wing.
• If 11. Ne4 then:
• 11. -- b6 12. a4 a5 13. b3 Rd8 14. Re1 White has a lead in development.
• 11. -- g6 12. Nxc5 Nxc5 13. Bxc5 Bg7 14. Qe2 White has an advantage in space and development.

11. -- a5 12. Ne2?!

• Passive moves are often signs of missed opportunities.
• A better try is the more active 12. Nh4!? Bh7 13. f4 when:
• 13. -- 0-0-0 14. Nf3 Nd4 15. Ne2 Nxf3+ 16. Rxf3 is even.
• 13. -- b6 14. f5 Nd4 15. e6 fxe6 16. Ng6 Rg8 17. Ne5 giving White an advantage in space.

12. -- g5 13. Nd2

• The attck on the hanging Bishop has now lost its punch.
• 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Qe1 Bg7 15. Qc3 b6 16. Rfe1 Qd5 17. Rad1 0-0-0is level.

13. -- Bg7 14. Nc4 Qc7 15. f4 gxf4 16. Nxf4 Nxf4!?

• This is not the objectively best move. Black may be trying to test her opponent.
• 16. -- Bxe5 17. Qh5 Bxf4 18. Qxf5 Bxe3+ 19. Nxe3 Rf8 20. Qh5 is equal.

Black: Ekaterina Korbut
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White: Katya Lahno
Position after 16. -- Ne6f4:N

17. Bxf4!

• White makes the best move in reply, leading to equality.
• If 17. Rxf4? drops an important pawn after 17. -- Be6
• 18. Qh5 b5! 19. axb5 cxb5 forcing the Knight to abandon the defense of the e-pawn.
• 18. Bxc5 doesn't solve White's problem: after 18. -- b5! 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. d4 Rxb6 21. Bxb6 Qxb6 22. axb5 Bxe5 wins the d-pawn.

17. -- Be6 18. Qe1!?

• Now it's White's turn to test her opponent.
• If 18. Qh5 0-0-0 19. b3 b6 20. Rf3 Rdg8 21. Re1 Rd8 22. c3 Rhg8 23. Rg3 gives White the advantage in space, but Black has more piece activity.
• 18. -- Rd8 19. b3 b6 20. Rae1 Rf8 21. Ne3 Qd7 22. Bh2 Qd4 is unclear.

18. -- b6 19. Qg3 0-0-0!

• As long as it looks like a good idea for Black to put the Rook on the open d-file, she gets the King out of the center at the same time.
• 19. -- Rh7 20. Qe1 0-0-0 21. Qc3 Rd4 22. Qb3 Bxc4 23. dxc4 e6 24. Rad1 Rh8 is equal.
• 19. -- Kf8 20. Rae1 Rg8 21. b3 Qd8 22. Qf3 Bd5 23. Qg4 Be6 24. Qh5 Ke8 gives White a significant spatial edge.

20. Ra3!?

• The Rook lift is aimed at playing Rb3 in order to forstall thr pawn break at b5.
• 20. Rael Rhg8 21. Qe3 h5 22. Qe2 h4 23. Qf2 Bxc4 24. dxc4 Rdf8 25. Qxh4 wins a pawn.
• If 20. Nd6+ exd6 21. Qxg7 Rdg8 then:
• 22. exd6 Qd7 23. Qf6 Bxh3 24. Rf2 Be6 25. Qe7 h5 is unclear.
• 22. Qf6 Bxh3 23. Rf2 dxe5 24. Bxe5 Qd7 25. Qxh8 Rxh8 26. Bxh8 is also cloudy.

20. -- Rdg8 21. Qe3 Rd8!

• Black reassumes command of the d-file.
• If 21. -- Qb7 22. Rb3 Bxc4 23. dxc4 then:
• 23. -- e6 24. Bg3 h5 25. Qf3 Rf8 26. Rd3 gives White the edge in space and activity.
• 23. -- Rd8 24. Qf3 h5 Bh2 Rhf8 Qxh5 White has won a pawn.

22. Rb3

• White is riding a storm. Although White has more space, Black has command of the d-file and a good Bishop at e6.
• 22. c3 is a less clear way of dealing with the problem of d-file:
• After 22. -- Qa7 23. b4 Bxc4 24. dxc4 axb4 25. cxb4 cxb4 26. Rb3 c5 Black has a stong passed pawn on the queenside.
• White wins a pawn after 22. -- Rhg8 23. Ra2 h5 24. b3 Kb7 25. Rd2 Qd7 26. Qe2 h4 27. Bg5 f6 28. Bxh4.

22. -- Bxc4 23. dxc4 e6 24. Qe2 Rhg8!?

• Black is planning a direct attack on the king, but she's not quite there yet. She can do little else.
• 24. -- Kb7? 25. Rg3 Rdg8 26. Qh5 Rh7 27. Rd1 Kc8 28. Rg3 gives White all the space she needs to win.

Black: Ekaterina Korbut
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White: Katya Lahno
Position after 24. -- Rh8g8

25. Rg3!!

• White has not yet won the game, but she has grasped a winning idea. By putting the Rook on the open file, she plans to dominate the open lines into Black's camp. All she needs is a little hep from Black.

25. -- Qd7

• It is important for Black to get the Queen away from the masked attack from White's Bishop.
• If 25. -- Bxe5? drops the Queen to 26. Bxe5!
• 26. -- Qxe5 27. Qxe5.
• 26. -- Rxg3 27. Bxc7.

26. Kh2 f5?

• This allows for a motif similar to the one in the previous note. Black's Queen is in no immediate danger, but the text move permits White to open lines for attack.
• 26. -- Bh8 27. Rxg8 Rxg8 28. Rd1 Qc7 29. Rd6 Rd8 30. Qh5 is equal.

27. exf6!

• This is the clearest route to a victory.
• The pedestrian 27. c3 yields equality after 27. -- Qc7 28. Rb1 Kb7 Qe3 Qe7 30. Qe1 Ke8.

27. -- Bxf6 28. Rxg8 Rxg8 29. Rd1 Qe8

Black: Ekaterina Korbut
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White: Katya Lahno
Position after 29. -- Qd7e8

30. Rd6!

• The b-pawn is unimportant.

30. -- Bxb2 31. Rxe6 Qf8 32. Qe4 1-0

• White's last move sets up a devastating mating attack.
• After 32. -- Kd8 33. Rxc6 Rg7 34. Rxb6 Black cannot avoid greater loss of material.
• Ms. Korbut resigns.