Reply #4: Nakamura - Shabalov, Round 4, Stillwater

[Jack Rabbit]

Alex Shabalov
Photo: ChessBase.com

Hikaru Nakamura vs. Alex Shabalov
US National Championship, Round 4
Stillwater, Oklahoma May 2007

Moorish Game: Horseman Defense (Alekhine's Defense)

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. exd6 cxd6

• If 5. -- exd6 6. Nc3 Be7 then:
• 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. Nge2
• 8. -- Bg4 9. f3 Bh5 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Nf4 Bg6 12. Bxg6 hxg6 13. d5 Ne5 14. b3 Nbd7 15. Bb2 Nc5 16. Nce2 Bf6 17. b4 Ncd7 18. Qb3 a5 19. a3 c6 20. Kh1 Qb6 is level (Lahno-Tomashevsky, Chigorin Mem Op, St. Petersburg 2002).
• 8. -- 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. b3 Bg5 11. d5 Bxc1 12. Rxc1 Ne5 13. Bb1 Qh4 14. Qd4 Qxd4 15. Nxd4 gives White the edge in space (Drabke-Fridman, German Internet Ch, Cyberspace 2005).
• 7. h3 0-0 8. Nf3 Bf5 9. Be2 Bf6 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Rc1 h6 13. d5 Ne5 14. Nd4 Bh7 15. b3 Nbd7 16. Na4 Nc5 17. Nxc5 dxc5 18. Nb5 b6 is equal (Brodsky-Panchenko, Soviet Ch, Simferopol 1990).

6. Be3 g6 7. d5?!

• If 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Rc1 0-0 9. b3 then:
• 9. -- Nc6 10. d5 Ne5 11. Be2 f5 12. f4 Ng4 13. Bxg4 fxg4 14. Nge2 e5 15. dxe6 Bxe6 16. 0-0 Qe7 17. Qd2 Rae8 18. Bd4 Bd7 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Rcd1 gives White more pressure in the center (Nataf-Hjartarson, Icelandic TCh, Reykjavik 2004).
• 9. -- e5 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. c5 N6d7 13. Bc4 Nc6 14. Nf3 h6 15. Ne4 Na5 16. Bd5 Nf6 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Rd1 Kg7 19. 0-0 Bd7 gives White a spatial plus (T. Kosintseva-Anatsko, Eur Youth Ch, Halkidiki (Greece) 2001).

7. -- Bg7 8. Bd4 Bxd4 9. Qxd4 0-0 10. h4!?

• White breaks from the book. This move seems to have no other recommendation than that.
• 10. Nc3 e5 11. Qd2 f5 12. Nf3 N8d7 13. 0-0-0 Qf6 is satisfactory for both sides (Suttles-Fischer, Interzonal, Palma de Mallorca 1970).

Black: Alex Shabalov
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White: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 10. h2h4

10. -- e5!

• The proper response to a premature demonstration on the flanks is a thrust in the center.

11. Qd2 f5

• The pawn formations now have a familiar King's Indian look to them.

12. Nf3 Qf6 13. Nc3 Na6 14. Qh6

• White makes a bid for space, but it is easily rebuffed.
• After 14. h5 e4 15. Nd4 g5 16. Be2 h6 17. Rd1 Nc5 Black has more freedom.

14. -- Qg7 15. Qd2!?

• It is better to exchange Queens than to waste time retreating.
• 15. Qxg7+ Kxg7 16. Kd2 Bd7 17. Rc1 e4 18. Nd4 Kf6 is unclear.

15. -- h6 16. Nb5 Rf6 17. Qa5 Nd7 18. Qa3?!

• Both sides are probing the other's position for weaknesses. White has a slight initiative.
• 18. Be2 b6 19. Qa3 Ndc5 20. Nd2 Nc7 21. Nxc7 Qxc7 22. h5 g5 is unclear.

18. -- Qe7 19. Be2 e4!?

• The pawn advance disrupts White's kingside and center, but it reliquishes control of d4.
• 19. -- Ndc5 20. 0-0 Bd7 21. Nc3 Rff8 22. b4 Ne4 23. h5 Qf6 is unclear.

20. Nd2

• 20. Nfd4 is more energetic: 20. -- Ne5 21. Rd1 f4 22. 0-0 Bd7 23. Rfe1 Bxb5 Nxb5 24. f3 is still cloudy.

20. -- Ne5 21. 0-0-0?!

• White misreads the position. He wants to challenge Black for space on the kingside and therefore castles long.
• Better is to castle short: 21. 0-0 Bd7 22. Nd4 Rff8 23. f4 exf3 24. N4xd4 Nxf3+ 25. Bxf3 Qf6 remains unclear.

21. -- Nc5 22. Kb1 Ncd3!

• Black plants a Knight on d3.
• 22. -- Bd7 23. Nd4 Ncd3 24. Bxd3 Nxd3 25. Rhf1 Qe5 Black's pieces are more active.

23. Bxd3 Nxd3 24. Rhf1 Bd7 25. Nd4

• This move does nothing to improve the spatial balance for White.
• 25. Nc3 h5 26. Nb3 Rc8 27. Qxa7 Rxc4 28. f3 Qe5 29. Na5 Rc8 30. Qxb7 Nxb2 31. Qxb2 Qxc3 32. Qxc3 Rxc3 000

Black: Alex Shabalov
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White: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 25. Nb5d4

25. -- Qe5!

• The Queen moves to a post where it radiates power.

26. Qc3 b5 27. cxb5 Rf7 28. f3?!

• White wants to see if he can get anything going by opening the f-file.

28. -- Rc8!

• Black leaves White with no time for that.

29. Nc4?

• White has the right idea, almost. Either the text or the 29. Nc6 leaves the d-pawn hanging, but this move allows for additional pressure to be put on White's queenside while the alternative is more robust.
• If 29. Nc6! Qxc3 30. bxc3 e3 then:
• After 31. Nc4! e2 32. Nxd6 Bxc6 33. dxc6 Rb8 34. Nxf7 Kxf7 35. a4 exf1Q 36. Rxf1 Nc5 White's extra pawns are better than Black's Knight.
• 31. Kc2? Nf4 32. Rfe1 exd2 33. Rxd2 Re8 34. Kd1 Rxe1+ 35. Kxe1 Be8 gives Black an extra piece.

29. -- Qxd5 30. fxe4 Qxc4

• Black initiates a simplification that leaves Balck with an advanced paseed pawn on a board with few pieces remaining.
• 30. -- fxe4 31. Rxf7 Qxf7 32. Nxd6 Rxc3 33. Nxf7 Rc4 34. Nf3 exf3 Black wins.

31. Qxd3 Qxd3+ 32. Rxd3 fxe4 33. Rxf7

• White is reduced to futile gestures.
• After 33. Rdd1 d5 34. g3 Rxf1 35. Rxf1 Rc4 36. Ne2 Bxb5 37. Re1 Rc6 38. Nf4 Rd6 Black wins.

Black: Alex Shabalov
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White: Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 33. Rf1f7:R

33. -- exd3!

• Black wins faster with the text move than with 33. -- Kxf7 34. Re3 d5 35. Rc3 Kf6 36. a4 Ra8 37. Nc6 Ke6.

34. Rf1 Rc4 35. Nc6

• White would last longer after 35. Nf3 Bxb5 36. Rd1 Bc6 37. h5 gxh5 38. Ne1 h4 39. b3 Rg4.

35. -- d2 36. Ne7+ Kg7 37. Rd1 Kf7 38. b3 Rc1+ 39. 0-1

• White loses a piece: 39. Rxc1 dxc1Q 30. Kxc1 Kxc7.
li]Mr. Nakamura resigns.