Democratic Underground - Giri - Spoelman, Round 9

Anish Giri
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Anish Giri - Wouter Spoelman
Dutch Championships (General Group), Round 9
Boxtel, 5 July 2011

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Stoltz Opening

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2

The text is the Stoltz Opening.

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Stoltz Opening

6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 is the Meran Defense, the touchstone of the Semi-Slav family. See Dzagnidze-Zhu Chen, Grand Prix W Rd 3, Nanjing, 2009.

6...Bd6 7.Bd3

(Shabalov Variation) If 7.g4 then:

If 7...dxc4 8.Bxc4 then:

If 8...e5 9.g5 Nd5 10.Bd2 exd4 then:

If 11.Nxd4 11...0-0 then:

12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Bd3 g6 14.h4 Nc5 15.f4 Bg4 16.Bc3 Re8 17.Kf2 Qd7 18.h5 Nxd3+ 19.Qxd3 Re4 20.hxg6 fxg6 is equal (Radjobov-Shirov, Rapid m, León, 2004).
If 12.0-0-0 Ne5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Bxd5 Bg4 15.Bc3 Bb4 16.Ne2 Bxc3 17.Nxc3 Bxd1 18.Rxd1 Qe7 19.Qe4 Rad8 20.h4 Ng6 21.Qa4 gives White a huge advantage in space, but Black has a Rook for a pawn and a minor piece (Adly-Pantela, Op, Reykjavik, 2006).

If 11.Qe4+ Qe7 12.Qxd4 Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Bb5+ Kf8 16.Qxd5 Bxb2 then:

17.Qb3 Ba3 18.Bc4Bc5 19.Bd5 Be6 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.Rc1 b6 22.Rg1 Rd8 23.Rg4 Qd6 24.Bc3 gives White a slight advantage in space (Perelshteyn-Lugo, US Ch, San Diego, 2006).
If 17.Rb1 Be6 18.Qe4 Ba3 19.Bc4 Bxc4 20.Qxc4 b6 21.Rg1 gives White the advantage in space (Vallejo-Bareev, Amber Rapid, Monte Carlo, 2005).

If 8...b6 9.e4 Bb7 10.e5 c5 11.exf6 Bxf3 12.fxg7 Rg8 13.Qxh7 Nf6 14.Bb5+ Ke7 15.Bg5 Bf4 16.Qh3 Bxh1 17.Bxf4 Qxd4 18.Qg3 Ne4 19.Qh4+ Qf6 20.g5 Qxg7 21.0-0-0 Rad8 22.g6+ f6 23.Rxh1 Rh8 24.Qg4 Nxf2 25.Qf3 Nxh1 26.Bd6+ Kxd6 27.Qc6+ Ke5 28.Qe4+ draws by perpetual check (Onischuk-Becerra, US Ch, San Diego, 2004).
If 8...b5 then:

9.Be2 Bb7 10.g5 Nd5 11.Ne4 Be7 12.Bd2 Rc8 13.Nc5 Nxc5 14.dxc5 Bxg5 15.0-0-0 Bh6 16.Ne5 Qe7 17.Ng4 Bg5 18.f4 Bh4 19.e4 Nf6 20.Nxf6+ Bxf6 21.Ba5 gives White a huge lead in space (Nestorovic-Milenkovic, Yugoslav ChT, Cetinje, 1993).
9.Bd3 Bb7 10.g5 Nd5 11.Ne4 Be7 12.Bd2 Qb6 13.Rc1 Nb4 14.Bxb4 Bxb4+ 15.Ke2 c5 16.a3 c4 17.axb4 Bd5 18.Nfd2 0-0 19.Rhg1 e5 20.dxe5 Rad8 21.Nf6+ Nxf6 22.Bf5 Nh5 is equal (Shirov-Akopian, IT, Biel, 1993).

If 8...Nd5 then:

9.Ne4 Be7 10.Bd2 b6 11.0-0-0 Bb7 12.Ne5 a5 13.h4 f6 14.Nd3 b5 15.Bb3 a4 16.Bxd5 cxd5 17.Nec5 Nxc5 18.Nxc5 Bxc5 19.dxc5 d4 20.e4 draw (Sargissian-Korneev, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).
9.Bd2 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.Ne4 Be7 12.Nc5 Nxc5 13.dxc5 Qc7 14.a4 0-0 15.h4 a5 16.Rc1 bxa4 17.Bd3 h6 18.Qxa4 Ba6 19.Bxa6 Rxa6 20.b4 gives White a small advantage in space (Nakamura-Beliavsky, Op, Minneapolis, 2005).

If 7...Bb4 8.Bd2 Qe7 then:

If 9.Rg1 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 Ne4 11.0-0-0 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 0-0 then:

13.Bd3 dxc4 14.Bxc4 c5 15.Kb1 a6 16.Bd3 b5 17.Qc2 g6 18.Be4 Ra7 19.g5 Rc7 20.h4 Nb6 21.dxc5 Rxc5 22.Qd3 Bb7 23.Nh2 Bxe4 24.Qxe4 Rc4 25.Rd4 gives White a small advantage in space (Milanovic-Lazic, Bosnian ChT, Jahorina, 2001).
13.g5 dxc4 14.Bxc4 b5 15.Bd3 Bb7 16.Qc2 g6 17.Be4 Rab8 18.Kb1 c5 19.Bxb7 Rxb7 20.dxc5 Nxc5 21.Ne5 Rc7 22.h4 Rfc8 23.Ng4 Na4 24.Qe4 Rc2 25.Qe5 Qc7 26.Nf6+ Kf8 27.Nxh7+ Ke7 28.Qf6+ Ke8 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qf6+ Ke8 31.Qh8+ draws by repetition (Sargissian-Sveshnikov, Petrosian Mem, Stepanakert, 2004).

If 9.Bd3 then:

9...e5 10.cxd5 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 e4 12.dxc6 exd3 13.cxd7+ Qxd7 14.Qb3 Qxg4 15.Qd1 0-0 16.Rg1 Qe4 17.Nd2 Qd5 18.Qf3 Bf5 19.Qxd5 Nxd5 20.Nc4 Rfd8 is equal (Vorobiov-P. Smirnov, Russian Ch semif, Krasnoyarsk, 2003).
9...Bxc3 10.Bxc3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 b5 12.Bd3 Bb7 13.e4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 f5 15.Bd3 c5 16.Rg1 Bxf3 17.dxc5 fxg4 is equal (Moranda-Vitiugov, Belfort, 2005).

If 7...h6 then:

If 8.Rg1 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 then:

If 10.Bd2 e4 11.Nb5 Bb8 then:

12.Nh4 a6 13.Nf5 0-0 14.Nbd6 Bxd6 15.Nxd6 Nb8 is equal (Aronian-Topalov, Amber Rapid, Nice, 2008).
If 12.Rc1 0-0 13.g5 exf3 14.gxf6 Nxf6 15.Bb4 Re8 16.Nc7 Bxc7 17.Qxc7 Ne4 Black has an extra pawn, but White has more than enough space in compensation (Janssen-Smeets, Dutch Ch, Leeuwarden, 2005).

If 10.g5 hxg5 11.Nxg5 e4 12.Nb5 Nb6 13.Bd2 Bf5 14.h3 Bh2 15.Rg2 Rc8 16.Qb3 Bb8 17.Bb4 Nh7 18.Nxh7 Rxh7 19.Rg1 Rc6 gives Black a subtansial advantage in space (Zappa-Junior, World Computer Ch, Reykjavik, 2005).

If 8.Bd2 then:

If 8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 then:

If 11.e4 Be7 then:

12.g5 hxg5 13.Nxg5 Rc8 14.Rg1 Nf8 15.e5 b4 16.Na4 N6d7 17.Ne4 c5 18.Nexc5 Bxc5 19.Nxc5 Nxc5 20.dxc5 Qd4 21.Be3 Qxe5 22.Bb5+ Ke7 23.0-0-0 Bd5 24.Qe2 Ng6 25.Rg5 Qe4 26.f3 Black resigns in the face of material loss (Dronavalli-van der Bersselaar, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).
12.e5 b4 13.exf6 bxc3 14.fxe7 cxd2+ 15.Nxd2 Qxe7 16.Bf3 Rb8 17.Nb3 0-0 18.0-0-0 c5 19.Bxb7 Rxb7 20.dxc5 Rc7 21.Kb1 Nxc5 22.Rc1 Rfc8 23.Nxc5 Rxc5 24.Qd2 Qf6 25.Rxc5 Rxc5 26.Rg1 Rd5 27.Qe2 Qf4 gives Black a small advantage in space (Dronavalli-Nakamura, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).

11.g5 hxg5 12.Nxg5 Qe7 13.Nce4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 0-0 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Bf3 Rab8 17.0-0-0 Rfc8 18.Rhg1 gives White the advantage in space (Sargissian-Hillarp Person, Op. Reykjavik, 2006).
11.Rg1 Rc8 12.g5 hxg5 13.Rxg5 Kf8 14.Ne5 Qe7 15.Bf3 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nd5 17.Rh5 Rxh5 18.Bxh5 Kg8 19.0-0-0 Qh4 20.Be2 Qxf2 21.Rf1 Qg2 22.Qe4 Qxe4 23.Nxe4 Nxe5 24.Nc5 leaves Black up by two pawns (Radjobov-Anand, Rapid Ch, Mainz, 2006).

8...Qe7 9.Rg1 e5 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Ne4 Bb4 12.0-0-0 exd4 13.Nxd4 Bxd2+ 14.Rxd2 g6 15.Bc4 Nb4 16.Qb3 0-0 17.Nf5 gxf5 18.gxf5+ Kh7 19.Nd6 Nd5 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Qxd5 Nf6 gives Black a Bishop for two pawns (Kasimdzhanov-Bareev, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2002).

If 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 then:

If 10...Rc8 then:

If 11.Rac1 then:

If 11...c5 then:

12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.g3 Rfd8 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nh4 Bb8 is so equal that it demonstrates the second law of thermodynamics (Ivanchuk-Aronian, IT, Linares, 2009).
12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Qb1 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Bb7 16.Rfd1 Qe7 17.Bf3 Bxf3 18.Nxf3 Nc5 19.Qc2 a5 is equal (Ivanchuk-Anand, Tal Mem Blitz, Moscow, 2007).

11...Qe7 12.Rfd1 Rfd8 13.Qb1 h6 14.cxd5 Nxd5 15.Ne4 Bb8 16.Rd2 a5 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.Bxc3 c5 19.dxc5 Nxc5 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Bd4 draw (Riazantsev-Galkin, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2002).

11.Rad1 Qe7 12.e4 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qh4 Rfd8 16.Bd3 h6 17.Rfe1 Nd7 18.Qh3 a5 19.Nh4 is equal (Suvrajit-Arun Prasad, Commonwealth Ch, Nagpur, 2008).

If 10...Qe7 then:

If 11.Rad1 Rfe8 then:

12.e4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Qxe4 Rad8 15.Rfe1 Bb4 16.Rf1 Bd6 17.Rfe1 Bb4 18.Rf1 Bd6 19.Rfe1 Bb4 20.Rf1 Bd6 draw (Carlsen-Leko, IT, Morelia-Linares, 2007).
If 12.Rfe1 Rad8 13.Bd3 then:

13...c5 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Bf5 Nf8 16.Bh3 Ng6 17.Nb5 Bb8 18.dxc5 bxc5 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.b4 a6 21.Nc3 Qc7 22.Na4 d4 23.Qxc5 Bxf3 24.Qxc7 Bxc7 25.gxf3 dxe3 26.fxe3 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Rxe3 28.Bf1 Ra3 29.Nc5 is equal (Gelfand-Kasidzhanov, Candidates' m, Elista, 2007).
13...e5 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.e4 dxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Bxe4 18.Qxe4 Nf6 19.Qf5 e4 20.d5 Bb4 21.Re2 Nxd5 leaves Black a pawn to the good (K. Georgiev-Kasimdzhanov, World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2007).

11.Rfd1 Rfe8 12.e4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Qxe4 Rad8 15.h3 Nf6 16.Qe3 c5 17.Ne5 Qc7 18.Bd3 h6 19.Bc2 b5 20.Qe2 bxc4 21.Nxc4 Bh2+ 22.Kh1 Qc6 23.f3 Bc7 24.dxc5 Rc8 25.Ne5 Bb8 is equal (M. Gurevich-Kaidanov, Chicago, 1995).

7...0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 a6

If 9...b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.Rd1 then:

If 11...Qc7 then:

If 12.Bd2 e5 13.Rac1 a6 14.b4 Rfe8 then:

If 15.Bd3 Bxb4 16.Ng5 then:

16...Nf8 17.Nxb5 axb5 18.Bxb4 exd4 19.exd4 Qf4 20.Nf3 Ne6 is equal (Soltau-van Kempen, Corres, 2003).
Black tried 16...h6? in an important game not long ago and quickly obtasined a bad position after White replied 17.Nxb5!! axb5 18.Bh7! giving White a significant advantage in space after the forced exchange of Queens (Gelfand-Karjakin, World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2009).

15.h3 h6 16.a3 exd4 17.exd4 Nb6 18.Re1 Nbd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Bd3 a5 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Be4 gives White the advantage in space (Beliavsky-Pavasovic, Vidmar mem, Terme Zrece, 2003).
15.a3 h6 16.Bd3 exd4 17.exd4 Nb6 18.Re1 Rad8 19.Ne2 Nbd5 20.Ng3 Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Ng4 22.Bh7+ Kh8 23.Bf5 gives White the advantage in space (Soltau-Benejam, cyberspace, 2003).

If 12.e4 e5 then:

If 13.g3 Rfe8 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Bg5 then:

15...b4 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nxe5 Rxe5 18.Nb1 c5 19.Nd2 Bf8 20.Bg4 Rae8 21.f3 Rg5 22.Bf5 Bd6 23.Nf1 c4 gives Black the advantage in space (Szeberenyi-Pavasovic, Hungarian ChT, Hungary, 2003).
15...Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Qe7 17.Bg2 Be5 18.Ne2 Qb4 19.Rd2 Rad8 20.Rad1 Rxd2 21.Rxd2 Qa5 22.b3 c5 23.Rd1 h6 24.Bd2 Qa6 25.Bc3 Bxc3 26.Nxc3 b4 27.Nd5 Nxd5 28.exd5 Qd6 is equal (Ibragimov-Asrian, Op, Dubai, 2000).

13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nd4 Bc5 15.h3 Qb6 16.Be3 Rad8 17.Nf5 Bxe3 18.Nxe3 Ng6 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 draw (Parker-Thorhallsson, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).

If 11...Qb8 12.e4 e5 then:

If 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nd4 then:

14...Neg4 15.g3 g6 16.Bf3 is equal (Koneru-Pérez Candelario, IT Merida, 2008).
If 14...Ng6 15.g3 Re8 16.Nf5 then:

16...Bf8 17.Bf3 b4 18.Nb1 c5 favors Black since White's queenside is cramped (Evdokimov-Asrian, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
16...Bc5 17.a3 a5 18.Bg5 Qe5 19.Bf3 Rac8 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Na4 Bf8 22.Nc5 Ne5 23.Be2 Rc7 24.Nxb7 Rxb7 is equal (Alverez-Scheffner, cyberspace, 2000).

13.g3 Re8 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Bg5 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Be5 17.Rd2 h6 draw (Morovic-Fridman, Ol, Calvia, 2004).

10.Rd1 b5 11.Bd3

If 11.Be2 Qc7 then:

If 12.e4 e5 13.g3 Re8 14.a3 then:

If 14...exd4 15.Nxd4 Be5 16.Bf3 c5 then:

If 17.Nf5 Nb6 then:

If 18.Bg5 Bxf5 19.exf5 Rac8 then:

20.Re1 b4 21.Ne2 a5 22.axb4 axb4 23.Ra6 c4 24.Rea1 b3 gives Black the intiative (Kursova-Zhukova, Euro ChW, Plovdiv, 2008).
20.Rac1 Nc4 21.Bd5 Nb6 22.Bg2 Nc4 23.Bd5 Nb6 24.Bxf6 Bxf6 gives Black the advantage in space; White's center is better (K. Georgiev-Galkin, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).

If 18.a4 b4 19.a5 bxc3 20.axb6 Qxb6 21.bxc3 Rb8 then:

22.Be3 Qb3 23.Qxb3 Rxb3 24.Ra5 g6 25.Nd6 Bxd6 26.Rxd6 Bh3 27.Ra1 Ng4 draw (Markos-Ragger, Bundesliga 0708, Germany, 2007).
22.Bd2 Qb3 23.Qc1 Bb7 24.Rb1 Qa4 25.Ra1 Qb3 26.Rb1 Qa4 27.Ra1 Qb3 28.Rb1 draw (Danielian-Stefanova, Grand Prix W, Doha, 2011).

17.Nde2 c4 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bd6 20.Bf4 Ne5 is equal (Bologan-Karjakin, IT, Dortmund, 2004).

If 14...Bb7 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Bg5 Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 then:

If 17...Be5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Bg4 Rad8 20.Rac1 then:

20...Bc8 21.Bxc8 Qxc8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Nd5 Qe6 24.Ne3 gives White stronger pawns and the initiative; Black has the advantage in space (Piket-Kramnik, Amber Rpd, Monte Carlo, 1999).
20...Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Bf5 h6 23.Kg2 Kg7 24.Qe2 gives White a small advantage in space (Sasikiran-van Wely, French ChT, Cannes, 2009).

17...Nd7 18.Rac1 Nb6 19.Be2 h6 20.Be3 Rad8 21.b4 gives White the advantage in space (J. van Oosterom-Jens, Corres, 1998).

If 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 then:

13...e5 14.Qh4 Re8 15.Bd3 h6 16.Bd2 Be7 17.Qg3 Bd6 18.Qh4 Be7 draw (Burmakin-Dreev, Op, Novgorod, 1999; several games since have ended here or after one or two more moves in an agreed draw).
If 13...Bb7 then:

If 14.Bd3 then:

14...g6 15.Qh4 c5 16.Ng5 h5

If 17.Ne4 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Rae8 then:

19.Bd2 Be7 20.Qg3 Qxg3 21.hxg3 cxd4 ia equal (Gelfand-Najer, Rpd, Odessa, 2009).
19.Bf3 Be7 20.Qe4 Nf6 21.Qc2 Rc8 22.dxc5 Bxc5 gives White a slim advantage in space (Onischuk-Shulman, IT, Montreal, 2009).

If 17.g4 Nf6 18.gxh5 Nxh5 19.Be2 Kg7 20.dxc5 Be5 21.f4 Bf6 22.Bd2 then:

22...Qxc5 23.Rac1 Qd5 24.Qh3 Rh8 is equal (Kasimdzhanov-Cheparinov, Grand Prix, Jermuk, 2009).
22...Rad8 23.Rac1 Bxb2 24.Rc2 Bf6 is equal (Rianzantsev-Grigoryan, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010).

If 14...Nf6 15.Qh4 c5 16.e4 cxd4 17.Bg5 then:

If 17...e5?! 18.Bxf6! gxf6 19.Nxd4 then:

19...Bc8 20.Rac1 Qb6 21.Nc6 Re8 22.Bxb5 Bf8 23.Rc3 should win for White (Volzhin-Malakhatko, Rpd Op, Swidnica, 1998 ).
19...exd4? 20.e5! f5 21.Bxf5 f6 22.exd6 Qg7 23.Qh3gives White an extra pawn, a passed pawn and more space.

17...Rfd8 18.Rac1 Qb8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qxf6 gives White a sustantial advantage in space.

14.b3 c5 15.Qh4 Rfe8 16.Bb2 Be7 17.Qg3 draw (Nisipeanu-Potkin, Euro Ch, Aix-les-Bains, 2011).

11...Qc7 12.Bd2 c5 13.Ne4

13.dxc5 Qxc5 14.a4 bxa4 15.Rxa4 Bb7 16.Rc4 Qa7 17.Ne4 gives White a little better center (Ivankchuk-Leko, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).

13...c4

13...cxd4 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Nxd4 Bb7 16.Be1 Qe5 17.Be2 remanins equal (S. B. Hansen-Stefansson, Op, Reykjavik, 2011).

14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Be2 Bb7 16.b3 Rfc8

If 16...Bd5 17.Qb2 Ne4 18.Ba5 then:

If 18...Rac8 19.Ne1 c3 20.Qc1 c2 21.Rd3 then:

21...Nxf2 22.Kxf2 Qxh2 23.Nf3 Qd6 24.Kg1 gives White a Bishop for two pawns and a better center; Black has a passer at the gate that cannot advance and more space (Rodshtein-Pakidze, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2011).
21...e5 22.f3 Nef6 23.e4 Nxe4 24.fxe4 Bxe4 25.dxe5 gives White a clear advantage.

If 18...Rfc8 19.Ne1 c3 20.Qc1 then:

20...Bb7!? 21.f3! Nef6 22.e4 e5 23.Nc2 gives White a center pawn duo that hampers Black's extra space (Hammer-Spoelman, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2011).
20...Nd2 21.Qc2 b4 22.Nd3 Bxg2 23.Bxb4 Qc6 remains equal.

17.bxc4

17.Qb2 Rab8 18.Rac1 Ne4 19.Be1 Nb6 20.Ba5 cxb3 21.axb3 is equal (Wojtaszek-Smeets, Bundesliga 1011, So;ingen, 2011).

17...Be4 18.Qc3 bxc4 19.Qa5 Rab8 20.Ne5 (N)

20.Rac1?! Bd5! 21.Ne5 Nxe5 22.dxe5 Qxe5 gives Black an extra pawn and more space (E. L'Ami-Smeets, Dutch Ch Rd 1, Boxtel, 2011).

20...Bd5

The gasme is equal.

BLACK: Wouter Spoelman

WHITE: Anish Giri
Position after 20...Be5d5

21.Nxd7 Nxd7 22.f3 Rb5

22...f5 23.Qc3 Rb5 24.Rac1 Rc6 25.Rf1 reamins equal

23.Qc3 f5 24.Rdc1

24.Rac1 Rc6 25.Be1 Nb6 26.Rc2 Na4 27.Qa1 Qb8 reamins equal

24...Nb6

24...e5 25.dxe5 Qxe5 26.Qxe5 Nxe5 27.Bc3 Nd3 28.Rd1 reamins equal

25.a4 Rb3 26.Qa5 Nd7 27.Bd1 Rb7

27...Rb2 28.Bc2 Rcb8 29.Bd1 Qb6 30.Bc2 Qxa5 31.Bxa5 remains equal.

28.Be1 e5 29.Bg3

The game remains equal.

BLACK: Wouter Spoelman

WHITE: Anish Giri
Position after 29.Be1g3

29...Qe6?!

Black may have misjudged the outcome of the exchange on e5
Better is 29...Be6 30.Bc2 Qb6 when:

31.Qc3 exd4 32.exd4 Qc6 33.Re1 Nf6 34.Qe3 gives White a sliught initiative.
31.Qxb6 Rxb6 32.dxe5 Nc5 33.Rab1 Rcb8 remains equal.

30.dxe5!

White wins a pawn.

30...Nc5!?

Black cuts the line of commincation betwwn his passed pawn and the Rook that covers it.
If 30...Rbb8 31.Qc3 Nc5 32.Rcb1 Nb3 33.Ra3 gives White an extra pawn and Black more space; Black should play on the queenside.
30...Nxe5?! proves disastrous after 31.e4! when:

31...Nxf3+ 32.Bxf3 Bxe4 33.Rc3 gives White a Bishop for two pawns.
31...Nd3 32.Qxd5 Qxd5 33.exd5 Nxc1 34.Rxc1 gives White two Bishops for a Rook.

31.Rab1! Rxb1 32.Rxb1 Nb3

32...Qe8?! 33.Bc2 Be6 34.Rd1 Kf7 35.Be1 Qe7 36.Bc3 gives White an extra pawn and a little more space.,

BLACK: Wouter Spoelman

WHITE: Anish Giri
Position after 32...Nc5b3

33.Qc3!!

Mh. Giri demonstrates how to apply Muhammad Ali's rope-a-dope principle in chess.

33...Bc6?

This loses quiuckly.
33...Qd7 34.a5 Be6 35.Bc2 Rd8 36.Rd1 Qe8 37.Rd6 gives White an extra pawn, but Black still has a passer on c4 and may obtain command of the d-file.
33...Qe8 34.a5 Be6 35.Bh4 Qa4 36.Be1 Qa3 37.f4 also gives White an extra pawn, but he must still shut down Black's potential counterplay.

34.Rxb3!

Ali just knocked his opponent off the ropes.

34...cxb3 35.Bxb3

Black pins and wins the Queen.

35...Bd5 36.Bxd5 Rxc3 37.Bxe6+ Kf8 38.Bxf5 1-0

White has a insurmontable material advantage.
Mh. Spoelman resigns.

Reply #6: Giri - Spoelman, Round 9 [View All]