Reply #8: Mamedyarov - Sasikiran, Round 7, Sofia

[Jack Rabbit]

Krishnan Sasikiran
Photo: ChessBase.com

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs. Krishnan Sasikiran
MTel Masters' Tournment, Round 7
Sofia, May 2007

King's English Game: Anglo-Dutch Defense

1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.d3 f5

• 5...Nc6 6.e4 Nge7 7.Nge2 0-0 8.0-0 Be6 9.Nd5 Qd7 10.Be3 f5 11.Qd2 Rf7 12.Rac1 Raf8 13.b4 f4 14.gxf4 gives White the edge in space, but Balck has a solid position (Psakhis-Jansa, Op, Andorra 1993).

6.e4

• 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Rb1 Nc6 9.b4 a6 10.a4 h6 11.b5 axb5 12.axb5 Ne7 13.Nd2 g5 14.Qb3 Kh8 15.Bb2 Rb8 16.Ra1 b6 17.Ra7 Be6 18.Rfa1 gives White the advantage in space and piece activity (Danielian-N.Kosintseva, Women's World Ch, Warsaw 2001).

6...Nf6 7.Nge2 a5

• The idea is to slow any ideas White has about expanding on the queenside.
• 7...Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nd5 Ne7 10.Nxf6+ Bxf6 11.Bh6 Bg7 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.exf5 Nxf5 14.d4 exd4 15.Nxd4 Qf6 16.Nxf5+ Bxf5 17.Qd2 is equal (Psakhis-Collutiis, Ol, Bled 2002).

8.exf5!?

• White improves on known play.
• 8.a3 c6 9.Rb1 0-0 10.0-0 Bd7 11.h3 Na6 12.Be3 Nc7 13.Na4 Is level (Laco-Srebrnic, Op, Nova Gorica 1999).

8...gxf5 9.d4 0-0 10.Bg5 Qe8?!

• The Queen is favored for duty on e8 so as to have heavy pieces behind both of Black's headpawns. Nevertheless, Black neglects his queenside development with this move.
• If 10...Nbd7 11.0-0 c6 12.Qc2 then:
• After 12...Qe8 13.d5 Nc5 14.Rad1 cxd5 15.cxd5 is level.
• 12...Qb6?! 13.Rad1 Qb4 14.Na4 Nb6 15.Nxb6 Qxb6 White has more space and better piece activity.

11.0-0 h6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.c5 Nc6 14.Nb5!

• This is a good post for the Knight. It will be a while before Black can expel it from b5.
• If 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 then:
• 16.cxd6 cxd6 17.Rc1 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.Rc4 Re8 20.Rxd4 gives White more piece activity.
• 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Qb3+ Kh8 18.Rad1 f4 19.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.Qd5 is level.

14...Qe7 15.Nec3 Qg7

• Black is locking on the d-pawn.
• If 15...Nxd4? 16.Nd5 then:
• After 16...Qd8 17.Ndxc7 Bd7 18.Bxb7 Bxb5 19.Nxb5 dxc5 20.Bxa8 Qxa8 21.Nxd4 cxd4 22.Rc1 White has more activity.
• After 16...Qd7 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Nxf6+ Rxf6 19.Qxd4 Rg6 20.Rfe1 dxc5 21.Qxc5 Rd6 22.Re5 White has an advantage in just about every way.

16.cxd6 cxd6 17.d5?!

• White is a little hasty.
• Better is 17.Qb3+ Kh8 18.d5 when:
• 18...Nd4 19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Nb5 Ra6 21.f4 a4 22.Qd3 Re8 23.Rac1 Bd7 24.Nc7 Re3 25.Qd2 gives White better mobility.
• 18...Nb4 19.Nxd6 e4 20.Rad1 rd8 21.Ndb5 Nd3 22.d6 Bd7 23.f3 Bxc3 24.bxc3 Bxb5 25.Qxb5 Qxc3 26.Qb6 White has the defensive resources to rebuff Black's queenside incursion.

17...Nd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.Nb5 f4!?

• Dr. Lasker was once asked why he made a particular move. It was one of those many times that Lasker snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. "I had looked at all the other moves," said Dr. Lasker, "and they were bad."
• 19...Ra6? 20.Qd2 a4 21.Rac1 f4 22.Rc4 fxg3 fxg3 23.Rb6 24.Rc7 wins for White.

20.Nxd6?

• With this move, White stakes the game on advancing the d-pawn. However, Black has two pawns across the frontier line that need watching as they can hurt White.
• If 20.Qd3! Be5 21.Rac1 then:
• 21...Bf5 22.Qd2 Rf7 23.Rfe1 d3 is unclear.
• After 21...Bg4!? 22.Rc7 Rf7 23.Rxf7 Qxf7 24.Nxd4 White has more piece activityl.

20...Bg4 21.Qd3 Be7

• 21...Rfd8? allows White's d-pawn to become a menace: 22.Nb5! 23.Qg5 23.Rfe1 Bf5 24.Be4 Bxe4 25.Rxe4 fxg3 fxg3 Rac8 27.d6

22.Nb5

Black: Krishnan Sasikiran
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White: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Position after 22.Nd6b5

22...f3!!

• This is the move that White should have prevented and didn't.
• My silicon sidekick is still telling me that White is winning. The computer has no concept of "White is effectively playing a piece down." Black is better.

23.Bh1 Bc5

• Black makes certain that his forward pawns are protected.
• After 23...Rad8 24.Qc4 Bf6 25.d6+ Qf7+ 26.Qxf7+ Kxf7 27.Rfd1 Kg6 28.Rac1 Be5Fritz still says White has a huge advatange but the fact is that Black has more space and more freedom for his pieces. Furthermore, White can't do diddly about his imprisoned Bishop.

24.d6

• Thie advance is not nearly as effective now as it is in the note to Black's 21st move.
• After 24.Rac1 b6 25.Rfd1 Rad8 36.d6 Rf6 27.Qf1 Qf7 28.b3 Rg6 the d-pawn is stopped.

24...Kh8 25.Rad1 Rad8 26.a3

• White seeks control over his queenside darksquares.
• After 26.Qc4 b6 27.Rd3 Rf6 28.Rfd1 Be6 29.Qa4 Qf7 Black keeps White's Bishop under lock and key.

26...Bb6

• Black's plan is to maintain his pawn at f3, which imprisons the Bishop, and the pawn at d4, Which makes the maneuver necessary to liberate the captive extremely difficult.

27.Rfe1 Bf5 28.Qd2 Qf6 29.Re7

• The Bishop must remain in his cell.
• After 29...Bxf3? Bd7 30.Nxd4 Bxd4 31.Qxd4 Qxd4 32.Rxd4 Rxf2 the Bishop is gone and White is in fact a piece to the good.

29...Bd7 30.Rde1 Qg5

• The next phase might be called the death dance of the Queens. It would be to Black's advantage to exchange Queens if he can keep White's Bishop under lock and key.

31.Qd3 Qf5 32.Qd2 Qg5 33.Qc2 Qf5 34.Qxf5

• White acquiesces to the exchange of Queens.
• After 34.Qc1 Rf6 35.R1e5 Qg6 36.Nc7 Rxd6 37.Nd5 Rc6 38. Qd1 Rdc8 39.Qxf3 000

34...Rxf5 35.Nc7 d3

• 35...Bc5 36.Ne6 Bxe6 37.R1xe6 Rxd6 Bxd6 29.Rxb7 Kg8 000

36.Rd1 Rc5 37.Bxf3

• It must be nice to breathe fresh air again. Unfortunately, he's just in time for the debachle.

37...Rc2 38.Rf1

Black: Krishnan Sasikiran
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White: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Position after 38.Rd1f1

38...Bh3!

• The champagne is on ice.

39.Ne6

• 39.Bg2 Bxf2+ 40.Rxf2 Rc1+ 41.Rf1 d2 42.Ref7 d1Q is lights out.

39...Bxf2+ 40.Kh1

• 40.Rxf2 Rc1+ 41.Rf1 Rxf1# doesn't get any more final.

40...Bxf1 41.d7 Rg8 42.0-1

• 42.d8Q 42...Rxd8 43.Be4 Bg2+ 44.Kxg2 Bc5+ wins the Rook.
• If 42.Re8 Bb6 then:
• 43.d8Q Bxd8 44.Rxd8 Rxd8 45.Nxd8 Bg2+ leaves Black an exchange up with an unstoppable pawn.
• 43.Rxg8+ Kxg8 44.d8Q+ Bxd8 45.Nxd8 Bg2+ is not appreciably different.
• Mamedyarov resigns.