Democratic Underground - Koneru - Pérez, Ruy López Festival, Mérida

Koneru Humpy is the world's second ranked woman player after Judit Polgar. She finish tied for third in Mérida.

Koneru Humpy
Photo: ChessBase.com

Koneru Humpy - Manuel Pérez Candelario
Ruy López Chess Festival, Round 6
Mérida, 10 April 2008

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Stoltz Opening

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3

(Stoltz-Shabalov Opening) 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).
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).

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

If 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).
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).

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:

If 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).

8...Nd5 then:

If 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).

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).

7...h6 8.Rg1 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 then:

If 10.Bd2 e4 11.Nb5 Bb8 then:

If 12.Nh4 a6 13.Nf5 0-0 14.Nbd6 Bxd6 15.Nxd6 Nb8 is equal (Aronian-Topalov, Amber Rapid, Nice, 2008).
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).

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:

If 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).

If 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).

If 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).
If 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 then:

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

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:

If 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.Nc5is 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 is equal (Karpov-Bareev, Rapid, Paris, 1992).

10...c5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Rad1 Rc8 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Qf5 Qe7 15.Rfe1 Rfd8 16.Bf1 Ne5 17.Nb5 Nxf3+ 18.gxf3 Bb8 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qxf6 gxf6 21.Bh3 Rc6 is equal (Gurevich-Kaidanov, Chicago, 1995).

If 8...e5 9.cxd5 then:

9...cxd5 10.Nb5 Bb4+ 11.Bd2 Bxd2+ 12.Nxd2 a6 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nd4 Bg4 15.Bxg4 Nfxg4 16.0-0 Rc8 17.Qf5 g6 18.Qf4 Qe7 19.N2f3 Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Nf6 21.Rac1 Ne4 22.Qe2 Qa3 23.Rc2 Nd6 24.f3 Rxc2 25.Qxc2 is equal (Gelfand-Morozevich, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2006).
9...Nxd5 10.Nxd5 cxd5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Bb2 Bb4+ 13.Kf1 Nxf3 14.Bxf3 Be6 15.Qd3 Be7 16.Ke2 Qa5 17.Rhc1 Rac8 18.a3 h6 19.Kf1 Qb6 20.Kg1 Qd6 21.Bd1 Rc6 22.Rxc6 bxc6 23.Bc2 f5 24.b4 c5 25.bxc5 Qxc5 26.Qd4 Qxd4 27.Bxd4 Kf7 is equal (Portisch-Hübner, Brussels, 1986).

7...0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5

If 9...a6 10.Rd1 b5 11.Be2 Qc7 then:

12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 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).
12.e4 e5 13.g3 Re8 14.a3 exd4 15.Nxd4 Be5 16.Bf3 c5 17.Nde2 c4 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bd6 20.Bf4 Ne5 21.Bxe5 Rxe5 22.Nd4 g6 is equal (Bologan-Karjakin, IT, Dortmund, 2001).

10.Be2 Bb7 11.Rd1 Qb8

If 11...Qc7 then:

If 12.e4 e5 then:

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

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

If 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).

12.e4 e5 13.dxe5

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

13...Nxe5 14.Nd4 Neg4!?

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).

15.g3

The position is equal.
After 15.h3?! Bh2+ 16.Kf1 Ne5 17.Bg5 Ned7 18.a4 b4 19.Na2 c5 White is in retreat.

15...g6 16.Bf3 a6?!

This presents White with the opportunity to disturb the balance.

16...Re8 17.Bg5 b4 18.Na4 c5 19.Nxc5 Rc8 20.Ndb3 Bxc5 21.Nxc5 Qe5

17.Nb3?!

Better is 17.Bg2 c5 18.Nb3 Rd8 19.Na5 when:

19...Ra7 20.h3 b4 21.Na4 Ne5 22.Nxb7 Rxb7 23.f4 White is threatening to win material.
After 19...Be5 20.Rxd8+ Qxd8 21.Nxb7 Qb6 22.h3 White is a piece to the good.

17...Bc8?

This move leaves the c6 pawn at risk.
17...Rd8 18.h3 Ne5 19.Bg2 Nc4 20.Bg5 Be7 21.Rxd8+ Qxd8 22.Rd1 Qf8 gives White only a small advantage in space.

18.h3

Best is 18.Bg2 Kg7 19.Na5! Ne5 20.Ne2 Qc7 21.Bf4 Bg4 22.Nxc6 winning the pawn at c6.

18...Ne5

18...b4 19.hxg4 bxc3 20.g5 cxb2 21.Bxb2 Nd7 22.Rab1 Qc7 23.Rbc1 gives White a comfortable advantage in space.

19.Bg2 Nh5

If 19...Nc4 20.Nd4 Bb7 21.Bg5 then:

21...Be7 22.Bf4 Qc8 23.b3 Na3 24.Qb2 b4 25.Na4 gives White a comfortable advantage in space.
21...Nd7 22.b3 Ndb6 23.bxc4 Nxc4 24.e5gives White an extra piece.

BLACK: Manuel Pérez Candelario
!""""""""#
$tWv+ Tl+%
$+ + +o+o%
$o+oV +o+%
$+o+ M +m%
$ + +p+ +%
$+nN + Pp%
$pPq+ Pb+%
$R Br+ K %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Koneru Humpy
Position after 19...Nf6h5

20.f4!!

White's plan is to aggressively advance, increasing her spatial advantage and pushing Black off the board.

20...Nc4 21.e5!

The Bishop must evacuate, leaving White dominat in the center.

21...Bc7

21...Qb6+ 22.Qf2 Bc7 23.Nd4 Bb7 24.b3 c5 25.Nf3 gives White a considerable lead in space.

22.g4 Qa7+

After 22...Bb6+ 23.Kh2 Ng7 24.Bxc6 Bb7 25.Bxb7 Qxb7 26.a4 bxa4 27.Rxa4 White has an extra pawn.

23.Kh1

The text is better than 23.Kh2 Ne3 24.Bxe3 Qxe3 25.gxh5 Qxf4+ 26.Kh1 Bf5.

23...Ng3+ 24.Kh2 f6

Black's Knight at g3 and pawn at c6 are hanging.
24...b4 25.Na4 Ne3 26.Bxe3 Qxe3 27.Qd2 forces the Black Queen to abandon the Knight.

BLACK: Manuel Pérez Candelario
!""""""""#
$t+v+ Tl+%
$W V + +o%
$o+o+ Oo+%
$+o+ P +m%
$ +m+ Pp+%
$+nN + Mp%
$pPq+ +bK%
$R Br+ + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Koneru Humpy
Position after 24...f7f6

25.Nd4!

The text is better than 25.Kxg3 fxe5 26.Bxc6 exf4+ 27.Kg2 Bb7 28.Bxb7 Qxb7+ 29.Qe4.

25...Nf1+

Black could have resigned here; White wins material in any event.
After 25...Bb7 26.Ne6 fxe5 27.Rd7 Bd6 28.Nxf8 Rxf8 White wins a piece with 29.b3 exf4 30.bxc4.

26.Bxf1 fxe5 27.Nxc6

Black's pawn at c6 falls.

27...Qc5 28.Bg2 exf4 29.Bd5+ Be6 30.Bxe6+ Kh8 31.Nd5 1-0

After 31...Qxc6 32.Nxc7 Qxc7 33.b3 Qe7 34.Qc3+ Rf6 35.g5 White has an easy win.
El señor Pérez resigns.
Ms. Koneru simply crushed her opponent under the dead weight of space.

Reply #6: Koneru - Pérez, Ruy López Festival, Mérida [View All]