Reply #8: Ibrayev - Hetul, Round 1, New Delhi

[Jack Rabbit]

David and Goliath



Nine-year-old Hetul Shah
Photo: ChessBase.com


Nurlan Ibrayev - Hetul Shah
7th Parsvnath International Open, Round 1
New Delhi, 11 January 2009

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Chigorin Defense

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5

• The Chigorin Defense, named for Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908), the greatest player from Tsarist Russia, is still one of the most frequently played and one of the best responses to the main line of the Spanish Royal Game.

10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Bd7

• If 13...Bb7 then:
• 14.Nf1 Rac8 15.Re2 d5 16.dxe5 Nxe4 17.Ng3 f5 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxe4 Rcd8 21.Qe1 Nc4 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Bxg5 Rd7 24.Bxb7 Qxb7 25.b3 Nb6 26.Re8 gives White an extra pawn and a fierce attack (Beliavsky-Diesen, IT, Hastings, 1974-75).
• If 14.d5 Rac8 then:
• 15.Bd3 Nd7 16.Nf1 f5 17.Ng3 f4 18.Nf5 Bd8 19.b3 g6 20.Nh6+ Kg7 21.Ng4 h5 22.Ngh2 Qb6 23.Bd2 gives White more freedom (Robson-Mahesh Chandran, IT, Richardson, Texas, 2007).
• 15.Bb1 Nh5 16.Nf1 Nf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Bd3 Bf6 19.Qe2 Qc5 20.Rac1 Qb4 21.b3 Rfe8 is equal (Shirov-Timman, IT, Belgrade, 1995).

14.Nf1 Rfc8

• If 14...Rac8 then:
• If 15.Ne3 Nc6 16.d5 Nb4 17.Bb1 a5 18.a3 Na6 19.b4 then:
• If 19...axb4 20.axb4 Qb7 21.Bd2 Bd8 22.Bd3 Bb6 23.Nc2 then:
• 23...h6 24.Nh4 Nh7 25.Qf3 Ng5 26.Qg3 gives White the initiative (Leko-Kamsky, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2006).
• If 23...Rfe8 24.Nh2 g6 25.Qf3 Nxe4 26.Bxe4 f5 27.Bh6 Bd8 28.Bd3 gives White the material advantage (Anand-Milos, IT, Novi Sad, 1990).
• If 19...g6 20.Bd2 axb4 21.axb4 Qb7 22.Bd3 Nc7 23.Nc2 Nh5 24.Be3 Ra8 25.Qd2 Rxa1 26.Nxa1 is equal (Tal-Hjartarson, Op, Reykjavik, 1987).
• If 15.Re2 Rfe8 16.Ng3 Nc6 17.a3 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.Qxd4 Be6 is equal (Palac-Guliev, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).

15.Ne3 Nc6 16.a3 Bf8

• 16...a5 17.d5 Nd8 18.Bd2 a4 19.Bb4 is equal (Fischer-Bisguier, US Ch, New York, 1958).

17.b3?!

• White overlloks the sparkling combination that follows.
• Whis is better after 17.d5 Na5 18.b3 Nb7 19.b4 Qb6 20.Qd3.

BLACK: Hetul Shah
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WHITE: Nurlan Ibrayev
Position after 17.b2b3

17...Nxd4!!

• Starting with this Knight sacrifice, Black wins material.

18.Nxd4 Qc3 19.Ne2!?

• 19.Rb1 Qxd4 20.Qf3 Be6 21.Re2 Rc7 22.Bb2 Qa7 23.Rd1 Rac8 maintains Black's pawn (Szily-Bisguier, Ol, Helsinki, 1952).

19...Qxa1

• Black wins the exchange.

20.Qd2

• While White Black has a material advantage, it appears his Queen will have difficulty finding a way out.

20...d5 21.b4?

• White give the Black Queen an escape route.
• If 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.exd5 Bxa3 23.Qd3 then:
• After 23...f5 24.Bd2 Qa2 25.Bb1 e4 Black's problem is best solved with the exchange of Queens.
• After 23...g6 24.Bd2 Qa2 25.Nc3 Qb2 the Queen remains out of play.

BLACK: Hetul Shah
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WHITE: Nurlan Ibrayev
Position after 21.b3b4

21...d4!

• Black presses down with a vise in the center.
• The text is better than 21...dxe4 22.Bb3 Qb1 23.Bc2 Qa2 24.Nc3 Qe6.

22.Nd1 Rxc2!?

• Black gives back the exchange, but takes another pawn.
• 22...a5 23.f4 Qa2 24.Bd3 Qxd2 25.Bxd2 axb4 gives Black a strong material edge.

23.Qxc2 Rc8 24.Qd2 Nxe4 25.Qd3 Nd6 26.Bb2 Qa2

• The Black Queen escapes; Black need only press home his advantage.

27.f4 Qc4 28.Qb1

• 28.Qxc4 Nxc4 29.fxe5 d3 30.Nf4 d2 leaves White badly uncoordinated.

28...d3 29.Ne3 Qe4 30.Nc3 Qxf4 31.Ncd5

• If 31.Qxd3 Qd4 32.Rd1 Qxd3 33.Rxd3 f5 34.Ncd5 f4 35.Nb6 Rd8 36.Ned5 Bf5 leaves Black two pawns up with more activity.
• After 34.Ne2 e4 35.Rd2 g5 36.Be5 Rc6 Black remains up by two pawns.

31...Qg3 32.Nf1 Qg6 33.Bxe5 Nc4 34.Nf4

• 34.Bg3 Nxa3 35.Qd1 Nc2 36.Ne7+ Bxe7 37.Rxe7 Be6 leaves Black three pawns to the good.

34...Qb6+ 35.Kh1 Nxe5 36.Rxe5 Bd6 37.Re4 Bc6 38.Qc1

• 38.Qxd3 Bxe4 39.Qxe4 Qf2 40.Qe2 Qxf4 gives Black a prohibitive material advantage.

38...Qb7

• 38...Qc7 39.Nd5 Bxd5 40.Qxc7 Bxc7 41.Re3 Rd8 is lights out.

39.Re1
BLACK: Hetul Shah
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WHITE: Nurlan Ibrayev
Position after 39.Re4e1

39...Bxg2+!!

• Black begins the final phase by sacrificing the Bishop.

40.Nxg2 Rxc1 41.Rxc1 Bf4

• Even stronger is 41...Qd7 42.Kg1 Qxh3 43.Re1 d2 44.Nxd2 Qxa3.

42.Rc3 d2 43.Rd3 h6 44.Kg1 Qb6+ 0-1

• 45.Kh1 Qf2 46.Nxd2 Bxd2 Black is up by a Queen to a Rook.
• Grandmaster Ibrayev resigns.