Reply #16: Grandelius - I. Sokolov, Rilton Cup, Round 3, Stockholm

[Jack Rabbit]

Nils Grandelius, 17, is Sweden's leading junior master. He was awarded the title of international grandmaster in 2010.

He scored a major upset last week when he defeated the veteran grandmaster, noted author and the tournament's second seed, Ivan Sokolov, in the third round of the Rilton Cup in Stockholm.



Nils Grandelius
Photo by Pawel Grochowalski in Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Nils Grandelius - Ivan Sokolov
40th Rilton Cup, Round 3
Stockholm, 29 December 2010

Hollander Game: Dutch Queen's Gambit (Stonewall Defense)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Be6

• 3...Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.d4

4.Ng5

• 4.Na3 Nf6 5.Nxc4 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 0-0 8.Be2 c5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.d4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 gives White a small advantage in space (Geller-Keres, Soviet ChT, Moscow, 1963).

4...Bd5 5.e4 Bc6

• 5...e6 6.exd5 Qxg5 7.dxe6 Qe5+ 8.Qe2 Nc6 9.exf7+ Kxf7 10.Kd1 Qxe2+ 11.Bxe2 Ne5 is equal (Panchenko-Rozentalis, Soviet Ch 1stL, Lvov, 1987).

6.Bxc4 e6 7.d3

• 7.d4 h6 8.Nxe6 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 fxe6 10.0-0 Qh4 11.Bxe6 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nd7 is equal (Vouldis-Tzermiadianos, Greek Ch, Athens, 2001).

7...Be7

• 7...Nf6 8.0-0 h6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Qe2 a6 12.a4 a5 13.d4 Na6 14.Bd3 gives White a small advantage in space (van der Sterren-G. Flear, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1987).

8.Qg4 (N)

• 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Nc3 a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Re1 draw (Szekely-Kishnev, Op, Zwolle, 1993).

8...Nf6

• The game is equal.

9.Qh3 Qd7!?

• 9...Bd7 10.e5 Nd5 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qh6 Bf8 13.Qh3 Nc6 gives Black the initiative against White's e-pawn, but White has compensation in not allowing Black to castle short.

10.0-0 Na6 11.a3!?

• 11.Bxa6 bxa6 12.Nd2 h5 13.Nc4 Ng4 14.Qf3 gives White the advantage in space.

11...b5 12.Ba2 Nc5 13.Nc3!?

• If 13.e5! then:
• 13...Nd5 14.Nxh7 0-0-0 15.d4 Ne4 16.Qh5 remains equal.
• 13...Ng8!? 14.Rd1! Qd4 15.Nf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 gives White the initiative.

13...a5! 14.Be3

• 14.e5 Ng8 15.Be3 b4 16.Nce4 Nxe4 17.dxe4 gives White a small advantage in space.

14...h5

• If 14...b4 15.Bxc5 Bxc5 then:
• 16.Ne2 bxa3 17.bxa3 Bb5 18.Nf4 Bd4 19.Rab1 c6 is equal.
• 16.axb4 axb4 17.Ne2 Bd6 18.Bc4 Rxa1 19.Rxa1 gives White a slim edge in space.

15.Rfd1 b4 16.Ne2!?

• If 16.d4! then:
• 16...Ncxe4 17.Ncxe4 Bxe4 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.axb4 Bxb4 20.Qf3 gives White enough initiative to compensate for the pawn minus.
• 16...bxc3!? 17.dxc5 cxb2 18.Rab1 Qc8 19.f3 Ba4 20.Rd2 gives White more than enough space and activity to compensate for the pawn.

16...Ng4!

• The game is equal.

17.Bxc5!

• White has many ways to go wrong here, but the game remains equal.
• If 17.Bf4?! then:
• If 17...bxa3! 18.bxa3 Rd8 19.Bc4 f6 then:
• If 20.Nxe6 Nxe6 21.Bxe6 Qxe6 22.Bxc7 Rd7 23.Bxa5 f5 then:
• If 24.Rab1 0-0 25.Bb6 Qa2 then:
• 26.Re1 fxe4 27.dxe4 Nxf2 28.Bxf2 Rxf2 wins for Black.
• 26.Nc3 Qxa3 27.Nd5 Bc5 28.Rf1 Bxd5 wins for Black.
• If 24.Bb4 fxe4 25.Bxe7 then:
• Black wins after 25...Qxe7! 26.dxe4 0-0 27.Rxd7 Qxd7 28.Qb3+ Kh7 29.Rf1 Bb5
• 25...Rxe7 26.Rab1 0-0 27.Nd4 Qf6 also wins.
• 20.Nf3 e5 21.Ng3 exf4 22.Nxh5 Rh6 23.Nd4 g6 White will have to play carefully to get out of the annoying pin h5.
• 17...Rd8 18.axb4 axb4 19.Bc4 Bxg5 20.Bxg5 Nxe4 wins a pawn for Black as 21.dxe4?? allows mate in two starting with 21...Qxd1+!!.
• 17.Bc4! Rd8 18.axb4 axb4 19.Bxc5 Bxc5 20.d4 is also equal.

17...Bxc5 18.d4 Bb6!?

• Black allows this Bishop to be kept at bay.
• If 18...Rd8! 19.axb4 axb4 then:
• If 20.Qd3 then:
• 20...Bb6! 21.Bc4 h4 22.f4 Rh5 23.h3 Nf6 gives White a slight edge in space.
• If 20...Bd6?! 21.h3! Ba4 then:
• 22.Rf1 Bh2+ 23.Kh1 Bb5 24.Bc4 Bxc4 25.Qxc4 gives White a clear advantage.
• 22.Re1 Bb5 23.Bc4 Bxc4 24.Qxc4 Nh6 25.Ra7 threatens 26.Rea1 with penetration on the a-file.
• 20.Bc4 Be7 21.Ra5 Ra8 is equal.

19.Qd3!

• White takes the advantage in space.
• Also good is 19.Bc4 Qe7 20.f4 a4 21.Qd3 Bd7 22.axb4 Qxb4 23.h3.

19...Qe7

• This is the best move to cope with White's advantage.
• If 19...Ba4!? 20.Rd2 bxa3 then:
• 21.Bc4! Rb8 22.Rxa3 Bc6 23.h3 gives White the advantage in space and a strong initiative.
• 21.bxa3? drops a piece to 21...Qb5! 22.Bc4 Qxg5

20.Nf3

• Also good is 20.f4 a4 21.Bc4 Bd7 22.axb4 Qxb4 23.h3.

20...Rd8 21.Bc4 Bb7!?

• Black has had his King in the center long enough.
• Better is 21...0-0 22.axb4 axb4 23.Rdc1 Ba8 24.Bb5 c5 25.Ra6

BLACK: Ivan Sokolov



WHITE: Nils Grandelius
Position after 21...Bc6b7

22.axb4!?

• Somewhat better is 22.Bb5+ Kf8 23.Rac1 c5 24.Ba6 Ba8 when White commands the queenside light squares.

22...Qxb4 23.Rac1 0-0 24.h3 Nf6 25.e5 Ne4

• 25...Nd5? 26.Ng5 g6 27.Nxe6!! fxe6 28.Qxg6+ leads to a White win.
• 25...Nh7 26.Rc3 then:
• 26...Rfe8 27.Qc2 Nf8 28.Rb3 Qe7 29.Bb5 Nd7 30.Rc3 gives White a good advantage in space.
• If 26...Bxf3 27.Qxf3 Qxb2 28.Bb3 then:
• 28...Qa3 29.Bxe6 Qb4 30.Bc4 Ng5 31.Qc6 gives White an impressive advantage in space, especially on the light squares.
• 28...a4 29.Bxa4 Qb4 30.Bc6 Ng5 31.Qd3 gives White a clear advantage.

26.Nf4!?

• White goes for a speculative sacrifice.
• 26.Qc2 Qe7 27.h4! then:
• If 27...Kh8 28.Bd3 Nxf2 29.Kxf2 Bxf3 then:
• 30.Kxf3! f6 31.g3 fxe5+ 32.Kg2 Qd6 33.dxe5 leaves White clearly better.
• 30.gxf3?! Qxh4+ 31.Kg2 Bxd4 32.Nxd4 Rxd4 33.Qd2 is equal.
• If 27...Ba8? 28.Nf4 g5 29.Nxh5 then:
• 29...Kh8 30.Bd3 f5 31.exf6 Nxf6 32.Ne5!! threatens to winh the Queen with 33.Ng7+!.
• If 29...gxh4? 30.Re1 f5 31.exf6 then:
• 31...Qh7 then White wins after 32.Nf4 Rxf6 33.Nxe6 Rxe6 34.Bxe6+.
• If 31...Rxf6 then 32.Rxe4!! Bxe4 33.Qxe4 Rh6 34.Qf4 Rxh5 35.Qg4+ wins.

26...Qxb2!

• The game is equal.

27.Qe3 g6?!

• 27...Qb4 28.Nxh5 Rd7 29.Nf4 Qe7 30.Bb5 Rdd8 31.Bc6 gives White a slight advantage in space.

BLACK: Ivan Sokolov



WHITE: Nils Grandelius
Position after 27...g7g6

28.Nd3!?

• 28.Ne2! (overprotecting the pawn at d4) 28...Bd5 29.Bd3 Nxf2 30.Kxf2 then:
• 30...Bxf3 31.Kxf3 Bxd4 32.Nxd4 Qxd4 33.Rxc7 gives White grater activity and a material advantage.
• If 30...Qb4? then White wins after 31.Be4 Bxe4 32.Qxe4 a4 33.Qf4.

28...Qa3!

• The game is equal.

29.Qh6 Rfe8 30.Bb5 Qf8?!

• 30...c6 31.Bc4 Rxd4 32.Nxd4 Bxd4 33.Rc2 remains equal.

31.Qf4 Bxd4 32.Bxe8 Qxe8 33.Rxc7 Nc3

• The game is still equal.
• 33...Ba8 34.Nxd4 Rxd4 35.Kh2 Rd7 36.Rc4! wins the Knight.

34.Re1!?

• Behind the mask of the Bishop at d4, Black's Rook is attacking White's hanging Knight as a result of this move.
• Better is 34.Rd2 Nd5 35.Qxf7+ Qxf7 36.Rxf7 Kxf7 37.Nxd4 with equality.

BLACK: Ivan Sokolov



WHITE: Nils Grandelius
Position after 34.Rd1e1

34...Bxf3!?

• Black doesn't find the continuaton that would give him the advantage.
• If 34...Nd5! then:
• 35.Qxf7+ Qxf7 36.Rxf7 Kxf7 37.Nxd4 Nf4 38.Nxf4 Rxd4 gives Black the outside passer.
• 35.Qe4 Nxc7 36.Qxb7 Qb5 37.Qxc7 Bb6 38.Qc2 Qxd3 also gives Black the outside passer.

35.Qxf3!

• White will be no worse than equal following this move.

35...Nd5?!

• Black isn't lost yet, but he's in a tough fight for a draw now.
• 35...a4 36.Rc1 a3 37.R7xc3 Bxc3 38.Rxc3 then:
• 38...a2 39.Ra3 Qb5 40.Nc1 Qb1 41.Ra7 Qxc1+ 42.Kh2 White wins the a-pawn.
• 38...Ra8 39.Rc1 a2 40.Ra1 Ra3 41.Qd1 Qb5 42.Ne1 leaves the a-pawn blocked while White has a piece for two pawns.
• The move that can save Black is 35...Rc8 then:
• 36.Rb7! Rb8 37.Rxb8 Qxb8 38.Qf6 Qa8 39.Qh4 gives White a small material advantage.
• 36.Rxc8? Qxc8 37.Rc1 Qb8 38.g4 hxg4 39.hxg4 a4 is equal.

36.Rb7!

• As is often the case, the most aggressive move against an enemy weakness (the pawn at f7) wins
• 36.Rc4 Nb6 37.Rc6 a4 38.Qe4 a3 39.Nb4 continues to give Black the advantage in space

36...a4

• Black's best chance now is the judicious advance of the pawn.

37.Re4 a3?

• The pawn moves beyond it realm of protection and will fall.
• If 37...Nc3 38.Rf4 Rd7 then:
• 39.Kh2 Rxb7 40.Qxb7 Nb5 41.Re4 gives White a material advantage, but he will have to work fast against Black's passer.
with equality.
• If 39.Qc6!? Ne2+ then:
• 40.Kf1 Nxf4 41.Qxd7 Qxd7 42.Rxd7 Nd5 43.Rd8+ clearly leaves White better, but Black has enough to play on.
• 40.Kh2 Nxf4 41.Qxd7 Qxd7 42.Rxd7 Nd5 43.Rd8+ leaves White clearly better as he will bring his Rook behind White's passer.

BLACK: Ivan Sokolov



WHITE: Nils Grandelius
Position after 37...a4a3

38.Rxd4!

• White not only wins a piece, but is assured of stopping Black's passed pawn.

38...a2

• If 38...Ra8 then White wins after 39.Rb1 a2 40.Ra1 Qb8 41.Rc4!.

39.Ra4 Rb8

• If 39...Qxa4?? then it's all over after 40.Qxf7+! Kh8 41.Qg7#.

40.Rba7 Nc3 41.Rxa2 1-0

• If 41...Nxa2 then 42.Nc5 Rc8 43.Ne4 Qf8 44.Nd6 wins easily.
• Grandmaster Sokolov resigns.