Reply #4: San Segundo - Nakamura, Round 5

[Jack Rabbit]

Hikaru Nakamura
Photo: ChessBase.com


Pablo San Segundo - Hikaru Nakamura
Donostia Chess Festival, Round 5
San Sebastián, 12 July 2009

Petit Orthodox Queen's Gambit: Cambridge Springs Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5

• This move was played several times in the international tournament at Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania in 1904, where US champion Frank Marshall finished first ahead of David Janowsky and the legendary Dr. Emanuel Lasker. The opening met with only modest success in Cambridge Springs, but later became a favorite of Capablanca, Alekhine and Bogolyubov. By the time the second World War began, it had been analyzed to death.

7.cxd5

• If 7.Nd2 then:
• If 7...Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Be2 then:
• If 9...e5 10.0-0 exd4 11.Nb3 then:
• 11...Qc7 12.Nxd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qe5 15.Nf3 Qc5 16.Bd3 h6 17.Bh4 Nd5 18.Rac1 N7b6 19.Nd4 Bd7 20.Rfe1 Qa3 21.e4 Nf4 22.Bf1 Rfe8 23.f3 Qa4 24.Qd2 Ng6 25.Bg3 is equal (Sasikiran-Sriram, Indian Ch, Nagpur, 2002).
• 11...Qb6 12.exd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 a5 14.a4 Qc7 15.h3 h6 16.Bh4 Nb6 17.Bd3 Nbd5 18.Bc4 Qf4 19.Bg3 Bf5 20.Bd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Qg5 22.f4 Qg6 23.f5 Qg5 24.Rf3 Rfe8 25.Be5 Rad8 26.Rg3 Qh4 gives Black the advantage in space (Irwanto-Pelletier, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
• 9...c5 10.0-0 cxd4 11.Nb3 Qb6 12.exd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 Qc7 14.Qe2 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Ne4 16.Qxe4 Qxc4 17.Rae1 Re8 18.Qf3 f6 19.Bf4 Nb6 20.Nd2 Qd5 21.Qg3 Nc4 22.Nxc4 Qxc4 23.h4 Bd7 24.h5 Qxa2 25.h6 g6 gives Black an extra pawn (Sulypa-S. Atalik, Mediterranean Ch, Antalya, 2006).
• If 7...dxc4 8.Bxf6 Nxf6 9.Nxc4 Qc7 then:
• 10.Rc1 Be7 11.Be2 0-0 12.0-0 Rd8 13.Qc2 Bd7 14.Ne5 Be8 15.Bf3 Rac8 16.g3 Nd7 is equal (Solomon-Garbett, TT, Auckland, 1997).
• 10.g3 Be7 11.Bg2 0-0 12.0-0 Rd8 13.Rc1 Bd7 14.Qb3 Be8 15.Rfd1 Rac8 16.e4 b5 17.Ne3 Qb6 is equal (Reshevsky-Horowitz, US Ch Match, Lakewood, 1941).

7...Nxd5 8.Qd2 Bb4 9.Rc1 e5

• If 9...h6 10.Bh4 c5 11.a3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 b6 then:
• 13.Bd3 Ba6 14.0-0 cxd4 15.Bxa6 Qxa6 16.Qxd4 0-0 17.e4 Nf4 18.Qxd7 Ne2+ 19.Kh1 Nxc1 20.Rxc1 Qxa3 21.Qd2 Rac8 22.Nd4 a6 23.f3 draw (Khalifman-Dreev, Russian Ch Qual, St. Petersburg, 2004).
• 13.c4 Qxd2+ 14.Nxd2 Ne7 15.f3 Nf5 16.Bf2 Ba6 17.Bd3 Ke7 18.0-0 Rhd8 19.Rfd1 Rac8 20.a4 Nd6 is equal (Carlsen-Ivanchuk, Rpd Trmt, León, 2009).

10.a3 Bxc3

• 10...Bd6 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.b4 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Nxc3 15.bxa5 Ne4 16.Bf4 0-0 17.f3 Nf6 18.e4 with chances about equal (Kasparov-Smyslov, Candidates' Match, Vilnius, 1984).

11.bxc3 h6!?

• 11...Qxa3 12.e4 N5b6 13.Be2 h6 14.Bh4 0-0 15.0-0 Re8 16.Bd3 Qf8 17.Bg3 f6 18.Nh4 c5 19.f4 exd4 20.cxd4 cxd4 gives Black two extra pawns, but completing his development will be awkward (Stocek-Kozlov, First Saturday, Budapest, 1996.04).

12.Bh4

• The game is equal.

12...Qxa3 13.Bd3!?

• White sacrifices the pawn (by forgoing resapture) to gain time for development. This is similar to White's plan in the game cited in the note to Black's eleventh move.
• 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 0-0 15.e4 Nc7 16.Be2 Re8 remains equal.

13...exd4 14.cxd4 Qb4 15.Bg3

• 15...Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 g5 17.Bg3 a5 18.Ra1 N7b6 gives Black the initiative.

15...0-0 16.0-0 a5 17.Ra1

• If 17.Qc2 then after 17...Qe7 18.Ra1 Nb4 19.Qc3 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 a4 Black's extra pawn becomes dangerous.

17...a4 18.Qc2 Qa5 19.Bd6 Rd8 20.Rfb1

• This is a good move. White seizes an open file, attacks a backward pawn and immobilizes the Bishop that protects it, in turn giving Black difficulty completing his development.
• The game is equal.

20...N7f6 21.Ba3 Qc3

BLACK: Hikaru Nakamura
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WHITE: Pablo San Segundo
Position after 21...Qa5c3

22.Qxc3!?

• The Queen exchange, bringing Black's Knight to c3, is a mistake.
• 22.Qd1 b5 23.Ne5 Bb7 24.Qf3 Ra6 remains equal.

22...Nxc3 23.Rc1 Nb5 24.Bxb5 cxb5

• Black now has three passed pawns on the queenside and all impediments to developing the Queen's Bishop are removed.

25.Rab1 Bd7

• If 25...Rd5 26.Rc7 b6 then:
• 27.Kf1 Be6 28.Ne5 b4 29.Bxb4 Rb5 30.Rcc1 a3 gives Black a dangerous passed pawn.
• 27.Ne5 Be6 28.Rb7 Rc8 29.Rxb6 Rc3 30.Ra1 Rc2 gives Black the active game.

26.Ne5 Be8 27.f3!?

• This unnecessarily weakens e3.
• 27.Be7 Rd5 28.Bxf6 gxf6 29.Nf3 Rdd8 gives Black an extra pawn, but White can fight back.

BLACK: Hikaru Nakamura
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WHITE: Pablo San Segundo
Position after 27.f2f3

27...Nd5!

• Black immediately uses the weak pawn at e3 to take the initiative.

28.Kf2 f6 29.Nd3 Nb6

• After 29...Rac8 30.Rc5 b6 31.Rcc1 Rc4 32.Nb4 Nc7 Black continues to enjoy the more active game.

30.Rc7 Nd5!?

• This move is active, but White already has the threat to e3 covered and the Rook can easily retreat to deal with the second.
• 30...Bc6! puts the White Rook in an awkward spot and if now 31.Nb4 then 31...Nc4 32.Ra1 f5 33.g3 Rac8 gives Black more activity and freedom.

31.Rc2

• If 31.Rcc1 f5 32.Ke2 Rac8 then:
• 33.Rxc8 Rxc8 34.Kd2 f4 35.Nxf4 Nxe3 36.Kxe3 Rc3+ Black retains his extra pawn with three passers on the queenside.
• 33.Kd2 Rxc1 34.Rxc1 Bc6 35.Bc5 Re8 Black has three passed pawns on the queenside and threats elsewhere.

31...Rac8 32.Rbc1 Rc4 33.Ke2

• 33.Rd2 Rxc1 34.Bxc1 Nb6 35.Nc5 b4 36.Nxb7 Rc8 gives Black the initiative.

33...Nb6 34.Nb2 Rxc2+ 35.Rxc2 Bg6!?

• White this move demands that White respond, it does little to prevent White from accomplishing his immediate goals.
• 35...Nc4! 36.Nxc4 bxc4 37.Kd2 b5 leaves Black strong on the queenside.

BLACK: Hikaru Nakamura
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WHITE: Pablo San Segundo
Position after 35...Be8g6

36.e4!

• White responds and still has command of the c-file.

36...f5 37.Rc5 fxe4 38.Rxb5 Nd5 39.Rxb7

• Black has recovered the pawn.

39...Rc8 40.Bc5 Nf4+!?

• 40...exf3+ 41.gxf3 Ra8 42.Ba3 Be8 43.Nd3 Bc6 gives Black the initiative.

41.Ke3 Nd5+ 42.Ke2 Ra8 43.Nc4

• White prevents the advance of Black's a-pawn for the time being.

43...Nf4+ 44.Kd2

• 44.Kf2 exf3 45.gxf3 Bd3 46.Nb6 Ra6 47.Ba3 is equal.

44...Nxg2 45.fxe4 Bxe4 46.Re7 Bc6 47.Bd6?

• This will allow a double attack by Black's Knight.
• 47.Nb6 Re8 48.Rc7 Bf3 49.Nxa4 Re2+ 50.Kc3 is equal.

47...Nh4 48.Kc3

• White shortens his agony.
• 48.Rc7 Be4 49.Ke3 Bd5 50.Ba3 Rb8 is better, but Black should win.

BLACK: Hikaru Nakamura
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WHITE: Pablo San Segundo
Position after 48.Kd2c3

48...Nf5!

• Black simply allows the fork.

49.Re1

• If 49.Rc7 Nxd6 50.Nxd6 a3 then:
• 51.Rc8+ Rxc8 52.Nxc8 Ba4 53.Nb6 a2 54.Kb2 Bb3 gives Black a winning advantage.
• 51.Nf5 a2 52.Rxg7+ Kf8 wins for Black.

49...Nxd6 50.Nxd6 a3 51.Nc4

• A more stubborn defense is 51.Kc4 Bf3 52.Ra1 Ra6 53.Nf5 g6 54.Ne3 Ra4+.

51...a2 52.Ra1 Bd5 53.Nb6 Ra3+ 54.Kd2 Bf7 0-1

• 55.h4 Ra7 56.d5 Ra6 57.Nc4 Bxd5 58.Ne3 Bf7 leaves Black up by two pawns.
• El señor San Segundo resigns.