Reply #7: Coleman - Nakamura, National Chess Congress, Philadelphia

[Jack Rabbit]

Hikaru Nakamura
Photo: ChessBase.com

Teddy Coleman vs. Hikaru Nakamura
National Chess Congress, Round 2
Philadelphia, November 2006

West Indian Game: Tal-Indian Defense (Benko Gambit)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 a6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 b5 5. e3!?

• If 5. cxb5 axb5 6. e4 b4 7. Nb5 d6 then:
  • 8. Bf4 then:
  • 8. -- g5 9. Bxg5 Nxe4 10. Bf4 Bg7 11. Qe2 Nf6 12. Nxd6+ Kf8 13. Nxc8 Qxc8 14. Qf3 +/-
  • 8. -- Nxe4 9. Qe2 g5 10. Bc1 Nf6 11. Bxg5 Bg7 =+
  • 8. Bc4 then:
  • 8. -- Nbd7 9. Nf3 Nb6 10. Bd3 g6 =+
  • 8. -- g6 9. e5 dxe5 10. d6 exd6 11. Bg5 Bb7 =+

5. -- bxc4!?

• If 5. -- b4 6. Nb1 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. 0-0 d6 10. e4 Bg4 =+ gives White difficulties in developing his pieces Hagenauer-Bouillon, Internet 2004
• 5. -- Bb7 then:
  • 6. Nf3 then:
  • 6. -- e6 7. dxe6 fxe6 8. cxb5 axb5 9. Bxb5 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. b3 = Van Gaalen-Fleuren, Gent Open 1992
  • 6. -- g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Qc2 d6 10. e4 Nbd7 11. Bg5 h6 = Jakab-Kovacs, Hungarian ChT, Budapest 1997
  • 6. cxb5 then:
  • 6. -- Qa5 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. bxa6 Bxd5 9. Nxd5 Nxd5 10. Bc4 Nb4 11. Qb3 +/- Boerwinkel-Hofmann, corr 1990

6. Bxc4 g6

• Black will develop the King's Bishop on the flank.
• 6. -- d6 7. Nf3 g6 8. 0-0 Bg7 9. e4 Nbd7 10. Qc2 0-0 11. Bf4 is equal.

7. e4 d6 8. Nge2

• The alternative, 8. Nf3, could transposition into the variation given after Black's 6th move.

8. -- Bg7 9. 0-0 Nbd7 10. f4

• White moves for central space.
• If 10. Qc2 0-0 11. Bf4 Rb8 then:
• 12. Rac1 Nb6 13. Bb3
• after 13. -- c4 14. Ba4 Nxa4 15. Qxa4 Rxb2 16. Rb1 Rxb1 17. Rxb1 Black has an extra pawn, but White is compensated with greater activity.
• after 13. -- Nh5?! 14. Be3 e6 15. dxe6 fxe6 16. Qd2 c4 17. Bxb6 Qxb6 18. Bxc4 White has greater activity and an extra pawn.
• 12. f3 Bb7 13. Rac1 Nh5 14. Be3 Ne5 15. Bb3 f5 16. exf5 Rxf5 is equal.

10. -- 0-0 11. Ng3 Rb8

• Black takes control of the open file.
• If 11. -- Nb6 12. Bb3 then:
• 12. -- e6 13. dxe6 fxe6 then:
• 14. f5 c4 15. Bc2 gxf5 16. exf5 d5 17. Re1 Qd6 is level.
• 14. Be3 c4 15. Bc2 Rb8 16. Rc1 Bb7 17. Rf2 d5 is equal, but the battle for the center should be interesting.
• 12. -- Ng4 13. Qf3 Rb8 14. f5 Bd4+ 15. Kh1 Ne5 16. Qe2 f6 17. Bh6 gives White an edge in space.

12. Re1 Ne8 13. Qc2

• This is played in the Nimzovichian spirit of the overprotection of the e-pawn. The moves also discourages Black from playing -- Bxc6 since White would recaputre with the Queen, taking command of the long daigonal.
• 13. Bb3 Nef6 14. Qe2 Nb6 15. f5 h6 16. e5 Ne8 17. fxg6 fxg6 18. Qe4 gives White the edge in piece activity.

13. -- Nc7!?

• The Knight doesn't seem to have much of a future here, but it is safe.
• 13. -- Nb6 14. Bb3 e6 15. Rd1 Bd4+ 16. Kh1 exd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 will make the Bishop difficult to dislodge.

14. Be3 Nb5 15. Nxb5

• Giving the Knight up at b5 seems to be the only purpose of Black's 13th move.
• 15. Bxb5 axb5 16. Qb3 b4 17. Nce2 Ba6 18. Bf2 Nf6 19. Rac1 Qa5 gives Black a slight edge wiht his advancing queenside over White's stalled center.

15. -- axb5 16. Be2 Nb6

• Black is planning an advance on the queenside and wants to discourage White from advancing his queenside pawns.
• 16. -- e6 17. Qb3 exd5 18. exd5 c4 19. Qc2 Re8 20. Bf3 Ra8 and Black has immobilized White's queenside.

17. Bf2 Qc7 18. Rad1 Nc4!?

• Black decides to open up the queenside to direct pressure from his heavy pieces.
• After18. -- b4 19. Bf3 e5 20. dxe6 fxe6 21. e5 d5 22. Qxc5 Qxc5 23. Bxc5 Rxf4 White has halted Black's queenside pawns.

19. Bxc4

• White accepts the challenge.
• 19. Rb1 Nb6 20. Qb3 Bh6 21. Bxb5 Bxf4 22. Ne2 Be5 is level.

19. -- bxc4 20. e5?!

• It seems a dubious idea to open up the center while Black's pieces are better placed.
• 20. Rb1 e6 21. Re3 Qa5 22. Ra3 Qb4 23. Ra4 Qb7 24. Rxc4 give Black the edge with pieces active and focused on b2.

20. -- dxe5 21. fxe5 Bxe5 22. Qxc4 Bd6

• The Bishop blockakes the further advance of the e-pawn while also lending support to the e-pawn.
• 22. -- Rxb2 23. Qxc5 Bg4 24. Rc1 Qxc5 25. Bxc5 Bxg3 26. hxg3 Rd8 gives Black the edge in pawn structure, but White's outside passed pawn could become dangerous.

23. Qc3 Bd7

• Black develops the Bishop to where it will not interfere with the heavy pieces pressuring the queenside.
• If 23. -- Bb7 then:
• 24. Qc4 Ra8 then:
• 25. Rc1 Ba6 26. Qh4 Rfb8 27. b4 c4 gives Black the edge because his passed pawn better protected than any of White's.
• after 25. a3 Rfb8 26. b4 Ba6 27. Qc3 c4 28. Rc1 Bb7 White's d-pawn falls with Black's c-pawn, but Black's pieces remain more active.
• 24. b4 c4 25. b5 Rfc8 26. b6 Qd7 27. Ne4 Bxd5 Black retains an edge after either 28. Nxd6 Qxd6 or 28. Rxd5 Bxh2+ 29. Kxh2 Qxd5.

24. h4?!

• The text move weakens g3, on which White's Knight is posted.
• After 24. Rc1 Ra8 25. a3 Rfc8 26. Be3 c4 27. Bh6 f6 28. Nf1 Be5 Black still has greater piece activity.

24. -- f5 25. h5 Qb6?!

• Black misses a line that would give his a strong position.
• After 25. -- c4 26. Rc1 f4 27. h6 Rf7 28. Nf1 Bb4 29. Qe5 Qxe5 30. Rxe5 Bd6 White's Rook retreats and Black advanced pawns secure secure forward stations for his pieces.
• If 25. -- Be8 then:
• 26. hxg6 hxg6 27. a3 Ba4 28. Rd3 Rb3 29. Qd2 Rxd3 30. Qxd3 Rb8 is level.
• after 26. h6 Rf7 27. Rc1 Ra8 28. a3 Qb7 29. Bxc5 Bxc5+ 30. Qxc5 Qxb2 Black's active Queen gives him a slight edge

26. Rc1

• If 26. b3 Ra8 27. a4 Rab8 then:
  • After 28. Rd3? Qb4 29. Rf3 Qxc3 30. Rxc3 c4 then:
  • If 31. bxc4 Bb4 Then:
  • after 31. Rxc4 Rxb3 32. Ne2 Ra8 Black wins the a-pawn.
  • 28. h6! Rf7 29. Rd3 Qb4 30. Ne2 Bc8 31. Qxb4 Rxb4 offers equal chances.

26. -- Qxb2 27. Bxc5?

• White sets up Black's winning move.
• Better is 27. hxg6 hxg6 28. Bxc5 Bxc5+ 29. Qxc5 Rbc8 when:
• 30. Qf2 Qxc1 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kh2 Rf7 Black has an advantage in pawn structure and an active Rook, but there is no clear victory.
• after 30. Qe3 f4 31. Qd3 Qb6+ 32. Kh1 Rxc1 33. Rxc1 fxg3 White's King is ensnarled in a mating net.

27. -- Qxc3 28. Rxc3

Black: Hikaru Nakamura
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White: Teddy Coleman
Position after 28. Rc1xc3

28. -- Rbc8!

• The move of the Rook by just one space makes a big difference. The Bishop is subject to a relative pin and White must decide how to proceed.

29. Bxd6

• Black decides to "sacrifice" the exchange, but he will get no compensation for it. Black's game is won.
• The alternative, 29. Rec1 Rxc5 30. Rxc5 Bxc5+ 31. Rxc5 Rc8 32. Rxc8+ Bxc8 33. hxg6 hxg6, also leaves Black is a strong position.

29. -- Rxc3 30. Rxe7 Rf7 31. Re2 Rd3 32. hxg6

• Either of these lines facilitates Black's plan to move the kingside pawns forward:
• 32. Rb2 Rxd5 33. Rb8+ Kg7 34. hxg6 hxg6 35. Bb4 Bb5
• 32. h6 Rxd5 33. Bb4 Bb5 34. Rb2 Ra7 35. Kf2 Kf7

32. -- hxg6 33. Rb2 g5 34. Rb8+ Kh7 35. Be5

• After 35. Kf2 Rxd5 36. Bb4 Rb5 37. Rxb5 Bxb5 38. Ne2 Rd7 39. a3 Kg6 Black's pawns are safe.

35. -- Rxd5 36. Bb2 Rb5 37. Rh8+ Kg6 38. Rg8+ Kh6 39. Bd4

• White's two minor pieces are no match for Black Rook, Bishop and advanced pawns: 39. Rh8+ Rh7 40. Rxh7+ Kxh7 41. Bc3 Rb1+ 42. Kh2 Kg6 43. Ne2 f4.

39. -- Rd5 40. Bb2 Rd1+ 41. Kh2 f4 42. Ne4 g4 43. 0-1

• After 42. -- g4 43. Rh8+ Rh7 44. Rxh7+ Kxh7 45. Be5 Bc6 46. Nf6+ Kg6 47. Nxg4 Kf5 Black wins a piece.
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• Mr. Coleman resigns.