Reply #7: Gagunashvili - Gofshtein, Chess Congress, Hastings

[Jack Rabbit]

Merab Gagunashvili
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Merab Gagunashvili vs. Zvulon Gofshtein
Chess Congress, Round 7
Hastings, January 2007

West India Game: Indian Queen's Gambit (Russian Opening)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 c6

• If 6. -- 0-0 7. e4 then:
• 7. -- Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Qb3 Nb6 10. Rd1 then:
• 10. -- Nc6 11. d5 Ne5 12. Be2 Nxf3+ 13. gxf3 Bh5 14. Rg1 Qc8 15. Rg3 yields equality.
• 10. -- e6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. Ng1 Bxe2 13. Ngxe2 Qe7 14. 0-0 Rfd8 is level.
• 7. -- Na6 8. Be2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. 0-0 exd5 11. exd5 Bf5 12. Be3 Qb6 13. b3 Rfe8 14. Rad1 Rad8 is equal.

7. e4 0-0 8. Be2 a5

• If 8. -- b5 9. Qb3 Qa5 then:
• 10. Bd2 b4 11. Na4 Nxe4 12. Bxb4 Qc7 13. 0-0 Na6 then:
• 14. Ba3 Rb8 15. Qc2 Nd6 then:
• 16. Nc3 Qa5 17. Ne5 Nf5 18. Nxc6 Nxd4 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Bxe7 Re8 21. Bh4 is level (Simagin-Honfi, Toth Memorial, Kecskemet 1966).
• 16. Rac1 Bh6 17. Rcd1 Bf5 18. Bd3 Bxd3 19. Rxd3 Nb4 20. Bxb4 Rxb4 21. a3 Rc4 22. Nc3 +/- (Frontos-Larsen, Monte Carlo 1967).
• 14. Bxa6 14. -- Bxa6 15. Rfe1 Nd6 16. Rac1 Rab8 then:
• 17. Qc3
• 17. Ne5 Bb5 18. Nc5 Nf5 19. Bc3 Qd6 20. a4 Ba6 = (Portisch-Hort, Toth Memorial, Kecskemet 1966).
**17. -- Nf5 18. Nc5 = (Petrosian-L. Bronstein, Interzonal Trmt, Rio de Janeiro 1979).
• 10. 0-0 b4 11. e5 bxc3 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. bxc3 Be6 14. Bc4 Bxc4 15. Qxc4 Qd5 16. Qe2 c5 17. Bh6 Rc8 is equal (Ståhlberg-Bronstein, Interzonal Trmt, Saltsjobaden 1948).

9. 0-0 a4!?

• Black plays the game's novelty. His expands his space on the queenside. This could be followed by -- b5, -- Bb7, -- Nd7, posting the c7/b5 diafonal and -- Rd8.
• 9. -- Na6 10. Qd3 Qc7 11. h3 Rd8 12. Be3 b5 13. Rac1 Qb7 14. Qb1 Bd7 15. Ne5 Be8 16. b3 Rac8 17. f4 Nc7 18. g4 gives White more space in the center and kingside, but Black has compensation on the queen's wing (Sajtar-Barcza, Karlovy Vary 1948).

10. Qd3

• White, in turn, decides to work in the center. A typical opening strategy to the Indian Queen's Gambit is for White to build a center and Black to attempt to undermine it.
• If 10. Bg5 b6 11. Rfc1 Ra5 12. Qb4 Na6 then:
• 13. Qa3 b5 14. b4 axb3 15. Qxb3 gives White a spatial edge in the center and at least marginally better piece activity.
• 13. Bxa6 c5 14. Qxa5 bxa5 15. Bxc8 Qxc8 16. e5 gives White a tentaive edge in space; Black could easily equalize.

10. -- Qa5 11. h3

• White keeps Black's pieces out of g4.
• After 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Rac1 b6 14. Qe3 Bg7 White's central space is balanced by Black's activity and mobility.

11. -- Rd8 12. Qc2 b5 13. Be3

• White keeps his central pawns protected, especially the d-pawn which sits on an open file.
• If 13. a3 Be6 14. Bg5 Ra7 15. Qd2 Rad7 16. Bh6 then:
• 16. -- Bh8 17. Ne5 Nxe4 18. Nxe4 Qxd2 19. Nxd2 White has the better center, but Black's activity and mobility could undermine it.
• 16. -- Na6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Qf4 Nc7 has the same characteristics as the red line.

13. -- Na6

• Instead of the setup outlined in the notes to Black's ninth move, Black opts for this move with the idea of perhaps posting the Knight at c7.

14. Ne5!?

• White threatens to akes the pawn at c6, forking the Queen and Rook. It is an idle threat, easily dealt with.
• If 14. Rfd1 (contiuing to protect his central pawns) 14. --Nb4 15. Qd2 then:
• 15. -- a3 16. bxa3 Qxa3 17. Bg5 Bb7 18. Re1 is level.
• 15. -- Bb7 16. a3 Na6 17. Qc2 Rd7 18. b4 axb3 19. Qxb3 gives White the edge in central and piece activity.

14. -- Bb7 15. Rac1 Rac8

• Black, too, must protect weak pawns on open files
• 15. -- c5? would be a mistake: if 16. dxc5 Nb4 17. Qb1 Nxe4 then:
• 18. Nxf7!
• 18. -- Nxc3 19. bxc3 Nxa2 20. Nxd8 Nxc1 21. Rxc1 Rxd8 22. Qxb5 Qa8 23. Bf1 gives White an extra pawn, which is passed and advanced.
• 18. -- Nd2 19. Nxd8 Nxb1 20. Nxb7 Qc7 21. Rxb1 Qxb7 22. Bxb5 gives White a material edge (a Rook, Bishop and two pawns against a Queen) and his pieces can easily be mobilized.
• 18. Nxe4? Bxe5 19. Bf3 Qc7 20. Rfd1 Rac8 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 gives Black the egde in active pieces.

16. Nd3!?

• This deprives the e-pawn of protction from the Queen at least momentarily.
• If 16. Rfd1 Nb4 17. Qb1 a3 18. bxa3 Qxa3 19. Rd2 then:
• 19. -- Na6 20. Qb2 Qa5 21. Qb3 e6 22. a3 offers equal chances.
• 19. -- Nd7 20. Nxd7 Rxd7 21. Qb2 Ra8 22. Rb1 givew Whitew a slight edge in piece activity after the exchange of Queens.

16. -- b4?!

• This ingnites some pyrotechnics that turn out slightly better for White.
• Better is 16. -- Rd7 17. a3 when:
• 17. -- Ne8 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Ng7 giving White an edge in space.
• 17. -- Rcd8 18. Ne5 Rd6 19. b4 axb3 20. Qxb3 leaving Black to deal with White's threat of 21. Qxf7+.
• Also better is 16. -- Ne8 17. Bg4 e6 18. Ne2 c5 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. dxc5 giving White an extra pawn, but Black has some piece activity as compensation.

17. Qxa4 Qxa4 18. Nxa4 Nxe4 19. Nb6 Rc7

• White now has a Knight planted on b6 that is a bone in Black's queenside. It will not be easy to dislodge.
• 19. -- Rb8 20. Bf4 Bxd4 21. Bxb8 Nxb8 22. Nc4 Ng3 23. Rfe1 give White an edge in piece activity.

20. Bf3 c5?

• Perhaps this was played with the idea of driving away the Knight with a Rook on rank 6, but it merely allows White to put another bone in Black's throat.
• Correct is 20. -- Nd6 21. d5 cxd5 22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Bxd5 Nf5 24. Rxc7 Nxc7 25. Bc4 with equality.

Black: Zvulon Gofshtein
!""""""""#
$ + T +l+%
$+vT OoVo%
$mN + +o+%
$+ O + + %
$ O Pm+ +%
$+ +nBb+p%
$pP + Pp+%
$+ R +rK %
/(((((((()
White: Merab Gagunashvili
Position after 20. -- c6c5
21. d5!

• Now Black is really choaking on White's advance. This move is decisive.
• If 21. Bf4? lets Black off the hook:
• 21. -- Rxd4 22. Bxc7 Rxd3 23. Bxe4 Bxe4 24. Rce1 f5 25. f3 Nxc7 is equal.
• 21. -- Rc6? would set things right again for White after 22. Bxe4 Rxb6 23. Nxc5 Bxe4 24. Nxe4 Bxd4 25. Rfd1 Rbd6 26. Bxd6 Bxb3 27. Bxe7.

21. -- f5

• Black's has to deal with the immediate danger to his Knight.
• 21. -- Nd6 22. Nxc5 Bxb2 23. Nxa6 Rxc1 24. Bxc1 Bd4 25. Nxb4 Bxb6 26. Nc6 gives White an extra pawn and a strong initiative.

22. Bxe4 fxe4 23. Nxc5 Nxc5 24. Rxc5 Be5

• After 24. -- Rxc5 25. Bxc5 Kf7 26. Rd1 Bxb2 27. Bxb4 White begins to advance his a-pawn.

25. Rfc1 Rxc5 26. Bxc5 Bxb2 27. Rd1 e6

• Black might last a little longer after 27. -- b3 28. axb3 Kf7 when:
• 29. b4 29. -- Be5 30. b5 Bc7 31. Nc4 Rxd5 32. Rxd5 Bxd5 33. b6 makes White's b-pawn extremely dangerous.
• after 29. d6 Bf6 30. d7 Bc6 31. Be3 Be5 32. b4 Ke6 33. Rc1 Bxd7 34. Nxd7 the b-pawn rolls.

28. Be7 Rb8 29. dxe6 Bc6 30. Bd8 Be5 31. Nc4

• 31. e7 Kf7 32. Nc4 Rb5 33. Nxe5+ Rxe5 34. Rc1 Bd5 35. Rb1 Bxa2 36. Rxb4 gives White the advantage of the pawn ready to promote.

31. -- Rb5

• After 31. -- Bc3 32. Rd6 Be8 33. Nb6 Bb5 34. Bg5 Re8 35. Nd5 Ra8 36. Rd8+ Rxd8 37. Bxd8 Black's b-pawn is doomed after White plays 38. Be7.

32. Bh4 Bc7 33. e7 b3 34. axb3 Rxb3 35. Rd8+ Kg7

• After 35. -- Kf7 36. Rf8+ Kg7 37. Nd2 Rb8 38. Bf6+ Kh6 39. Rxb8 Bxb8 40. Nxe4 White's passed pawn at the gate keeps Black's Bishop tied down.

36. Bg3 e3

• After 36. -- Rb4 37. Bxc7 Rxc4 38. Rf8 Ba4 39. Be5+ Kh6 40. e8Q Bxe8 41. Rxe8 White is a piece to the good.

37. Bxc7 Rb1+ 38. Kh2 exf2 39. Be5+

• The text move is better than promoting immediately:
• If 39. e8Q then:
• 39. -- Bxe8 40. Be5+ Kf7 41. Nd6+ Ke6 42. Rxe8+ Kd5 43. Rf8 f1Q 44. Rxf1 Rxf1 45. Bg3 White has some work to do.
• 39. -- f1N+ 40. Kg1 Ng3+ 41. Kf2 is lights out for Black.
39. -- Kh6 40. Bf4+ Kg7 41. Be5+ Kh6 42. Ne3 Re1


• After 42. -- f1Q 43. Nxf1 Rxf1 White wins a piece with 44. Rc8 Bd7 45. Kg3 Kh5 46. Rf8.
43. Rf8 1-0