Democratic Underground - Ivanchuk - Grischuk, Round 11

Ivanchuk would probably like to forget Nalchik, but his only victory all but knocked Grischuk out of contention.

Vassily Ivanchuk
Photo: ChessBase.com

Vassily Ivanchuk - Alexander Grischuk
FIDE Grand Prix, Round 11
Nalchik, 27 April 2009

West India Game: King's Indian Defense (Main Line/Aronin Variation)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6

If 7...Nbd7 then:

If 8.Be3 c6 then:

If 9.d5 c5 10.Ne1 Ne8 then:

11.Nd3 f5 12.f4 b6 13.Qd2 Qe7 14.Bf3 g5 15.fxg5 f4 16.Bf2 Qxg5 17.b4 Ndf6 is equal (Batchuluun-Li Shilong, Asian Ch, Manila, 2007).
11.g4 f5 12.gxf5 gxf5 13.exf5 Nb6 14.Nf3 Bxf5 15.Ng5 Nf6 16.Kh1 Qe7 17.Rg1 Kh8 18.Rg3 e4 19.Qd2 Nfd7 is equal (Shen Yang-Li Shilong, Asian Ch, Manila, 2007).

If 9.Qc2 Ng4 10.Bg5 f6 then:

11.Bd2 f5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Ng5 Ndf6 15.Rad1 Qe7 16.c5 Kh8 17.b4 gives White a small advantage in space (Uhlmann-Knaak, IT, Halle, 1981).
If 11.Bh4 Nh6 then:

12.dxe5 dxe5 13.b4 Nf7 14.Nd2 Qe7 15.c5 Re8 16.Nb3 gives White the advantage in space (Kotronias-Skalkotas, Op, Athens, 1988).
12.Rad1 Qe7 13.b4 Nf7 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.c5 Re8 16.Nd2 Nf8 17.f3 Ne6 18.Nb3 gives White the advantage in space (W. Schmidt-Ingo, Op, Dresden, 1993).

If 8.Qc2 c6 9.Rd1 Qe7 10.d5 c5 then:

If 11.Bg5 h6 then:

12.Bh4 g5 13.Bg3 Nh5 14.Nd2 Nf4 15.Nf1 Nf6 16.Ne3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 f5 18.Nc3 Nxe2+ 19.Qxe2 f4 20.Nf1! fxg3 21.Nxg3 Bd7 22.Nge4 Bf5 is equal (SWmagin-Kochyev, Voronez, 1987).
12.Bd2 Ne8 13.g3 Nb6 14.Nh4 Kh7 15.a3 Bh3 16.b4 Nd7 17.Rab1 Rc8 18.Be3 Bf6 19.Nf3 Bg7 20.Nh4 draw (Scho-Hitselberger, Cyberspace, 1997).

11.g3 Ne8 12.Nh4 Bf6 13.Ng2 Ng7 14.h4 h5 15.Rb1 b6 16.a3 Ba6 17.Qa4 Bb7 18.b4 Rfc8 19.Be3 Ne8 is equal (Hertneck-Vogt, Austrian ChT, Vienna, 2004).

If 8.Re1 c6 9.Bf1 then:

9...Re8 10.d5 c5 11.a3 Rf8 12.g3 Ne8 13.b4 h6 14.Nh4 Ndf6 15.bxc5 dxc5 16.a4 a5 17.Rb1 Nd6 18.Ba3 b6 19.Qb3 Ra6 20.Qc2 Nh7 21.Nb5 Ng5 22.Kh1 Nxb5 23.cxb5 Ra7 24.Bb2 Qd6 25.Qd2 Re7 is equal (Christoffel-Boleslavsky, IT, Gronigen, 1946).
9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Re8 11.Rb1 Nc5 12.f3 a5 13.Be3 Nfd7 14.Qd2 Ne5 15.Red1 Qe7 16.Nb3 a4 17.Nxc5 dxc5 18.Rbc1 Be6 19.Qc2 Bxc4 20.Nxa4 b5 21.Nb6 Rxa2 22.Nxc4 bxc4 23.Bxc4 Rxb2 gives White an extra pawn (Filip-Tolush, IT, Bucharest, 1953).

If 7...Na6 then:

If 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.h3 then:

If 11...f6 12.Bd2 Nh6 13.c5 then:

If 13...c6 14.Bxa6 bxa6 15.Bxh6 Bxh6 16.Qa4 Rb8 17.b3 Rf7 18.Rfd1 Bf8 19.Qa5 Be6 20.Rd3 Rd7 21.Rxd7 Qxd7 22.Qxa6 Bxc5 23.Rd1 Qc8 24.Qxc8+ Rxc8 is equal (Pentala-Moradiabadi, Op, Dubai, 2004).
13...Nxc5 14.Qc1 Nf7 15.Nd5 Ne6 16.Nxc7 Nxc7 17.Qxc7 Nd8 18.Rfc1 Be6 19.b4 Rf7 20.Qc3 Bf8 21.Qb2 a6 draw (Ris-Bromberger, Bundesliga 0809, Tegernsee, 2009).

If 11...h6 12.Bd2 Nf6 13.Be3 Qe7 then:

14.a3 c6 15.b4 Nh5 16.Re1 Nf4 17.Bf1 Qf6 18.Ra2 Rd8 19.Rd2 Rxd2 20.Qxd2 Be6 21.b5 Nc7 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.Qd6 Rc8 24.Bxf4 exf4 25.e5 Qd8 26.Ne4 Ne8 27.Qb4 Bf8 28.Qa4 gives White the advantage in space (Yevseev-A. Zhigalko, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 2006).
14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 16.c5 Nb8 17.b4 Nc6 18.b5 Rd8 19.Qc1 Nd4 20.Bxd4 exd4 21.Bd3 Be6 is equal (Gustafsson-Polzin, Austrian ChT, Graz, 2002).

If 8.Re1 c6 9.Bf1 then:

If 9...Bg4 10.d5 then:

10...c5 11.h3 Bd7 12.Bg5 Kh8 13.a3 Qb8 14.Qc2 Ng8 15.Bd3 f6 16.Bh4 Nh6 17.Rf1 Qd8 18.Nd2 Nf7 19.Bg3 Bh6 20.Ne2 Qe7 21.Rae1 Rae8 gives Black a small edge in space (Miles-Cramling, IT, Malmø, 1996).
10...Nb4 11.Be2 a5 12.Bg5 then:

If 12...h6 13.Be3 c5 14.g3 Bd7 15.Nh4 Kh7 16.a3 Na6 17.Bd3 Ng4 18.Bd2 Bf6 19.Ng2 h5 20.Qc1 Bg7 21.f3 Nh6 22.Nd1 Nc7 23.a4 Na6 24.Nf2 Nb4 is equal (W. Schmidt-Kempinski, Polish Ch, Gdansk, 1994).
12...Na6 13.h3 Bd7 14.Nd2 Kh8 15.a3 Qb6 16.Be3 c5 17.Nb5 Ng8 18.f4 Bh6 19.Rf1 Rae8 20.Qb3 is equal (Kransenkow-Kozul, Ol, Bled, 2002).

9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Ng4 11.h3 Qb6 12.hxg4 Qxd4 13.g5 then:

If 13...Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Be5 15.Be3 Nc5 16.f3 a5 17.Rac1 a4 is equal (Carlsen-Stokke, Norwegian Ch, Moss, 2006).
13...Nc5 14.Bf4 Qxd1 15.Raxd1 Be5 16.Bh2 Re8 17.Rxd6 Bxd6 18.Bxd6 b6 19.b4 gives White the initiative (Sakaev-Kokarov, Russian Ch HL, Krasnoyarsk, 2007).

If 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 then:

If 9...c6 10.Kh1 Nbd7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 Ne5 then:

13.Nc2 Qe7 14.c5 dxc5 15.f4 Ned7 16.e5 Nxe5 17.fxe5 Qxe5 18.Bf3 Be6 19.Qd2 Nd5 20.Rae1 Qf4 is equal (V. Samigin-Gligoric, TMatch, Rijeka, 1963).
13.Qc2 g5 14.Bf2 c5 15.Nf5 Bxf5 16.exf5 Nc6 17.Rad1 Re5 18.Rd2 is equal (O'Donnell-Jones, Corres, 1991).

If 9...Nc6 10.Be3 Nh5 11.Qd2 then:

11...Nf4 12.Rfd1 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 14.Qxd4 Nxe2+ 15.Nxe2 b6 16.Nc3 Bb7 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Qg5 19.Rac1 Re7 20.Qd2 Qh5 21.g4 Qh4 22.Qf2 Qg5 23.Qd2 Qh4 24.Kh1 Rf8 25.Rg1 h5 26.Rc3 gives White more activity (Jakovenko-Volokitin, IT, Foros, 2008).
11...f5 12.Nxc6 bxc6 then:

13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Bd4 Nf6 15.Rfe1 c5 16.Bf2 Qd7 17.Rad1 Qf7 18.b3 a6 19.Bf1 Bd7 20.Rxe8+ Bxe8 21.a3 is equal (Kramnik-Glek, EU Cup, Berlin, 1996).
13.c5 d5 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.Rad1 Rb8 16.g4 Nf6 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Bc4 Bb7 19.h3 Kh8 20.b3 gives White the advantage in space (V/ Popov-Plenkovic, Euro Ch, Budva, 2009).

8.d5

If 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bc1 then:

If 10...f5 11.Bg5 then:

If 11...Qe8 12.dxe5 dxe5 then:

If 13.Nd5 Qf7 14.Bd2 Nf6 15.Ng5 Qd7 16.exf5 gxf5 17.f4 e4 18.Bc3 h6 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Qxd7 Bxd7 21.Bxf6 Rxf6 22.Rad1 then:

22...Rd6 23.c5 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 is equal (van der Sterren-van Wely, Dutch Ch, Eindhoven, 1993).
If 22...Rd8 23.Nh3 Be8 24.Rxd8 Nxd8 is equal (Vera-van Wely, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 1994).

If 13.h3 Nf6 14.Bd3 Be6 15.Re1 Qf7 16.c5 Nd7 then:

If 17.Bb5!? Nd4! 18.Bxd7 Bxd7 then:

If 19.Bh4 Bc6! then:

20.Ng5 Qf6! 21.exf5 gxf5 22.Ne2 Rad8 23.Nxd4 Rxd4 24.Qh5 h6! and now, since 25.Nf3 Bxf3 26.Qxf3 Qxh4 wins a piece for Black, White resigns (I. Sokolov-Shirov, FIDE Knock Out, Las Vegas, 1999).
20.Bg3 f4! 21.Bh4 h6 22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Ne2 g5 wins for Black.

19.Be3 Rad8 20.Bg5 Rde8 21.Be3 Bc6 gives Black the advantage, but White can still defend.

17.exf5 gxf5 18.Be3 is equal.

11...Bf6 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.d5 Ne7 15.Ng5 Qc8 16.Bd3 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Nh5 18.Ne2 Ng7 19.f4 gives White the advantage in space (Movsesian-B. Socko, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 1998).

If 10...Kh8 11.d5 Ne7 12.Ne1 then:

12...f5 13.Bxg4 fxg4 14.f3 gxf3 15.Nxf3 h6 16.Be3 Ng8 17.Qe1 Bg4 18.Qg3 Bxf3 19.Rxf3 Rxf3 20.Qxf3 gives White the advantage in space (Reshevsky-Najdorf, Match, Buenos Aires, 1953).
12...Nh6 13.Nd3 f5 14.f4 Nf7 15.Kh1 a6 16.a4 a5 17.Bd2 c6 18.Qb3 fxe4 19.Nxe4 Nf5 20.Bc3 Qh4 21.Qb6 g5 22.Be1 Qh6 23.fxg5 Qg6 24.Ndf2 is equal (Movsesian-Jakubiec, Op, Litomysi, 1995).

8...Ne7 9.b4

If 9.Ne1 Nd7 then:

If 10.Nd3 f5 11.Bd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.c5 g5 then:

If 14.cxd6 cxd6 15.Nf2 then:

If 15...h5 16.h3 Ng6 17.Qc2 Rf7 18.Rfc1 then:

If 18...g4 19.fxg4 hxg4 20.hxg4 Ne8 21.a4 Bf6 then:

22.Ncd1 Bh4 23.Nh3 Rg7 24.Ndf2 Nf8 25.Ra3 Nh7 26.Rc3 Bd7 27.Bb5 gives White the advantage in space (Sosonko-Ye Jiangchuan, IT, Hong Kong, 1989).
22.Bf3 Bh4 23.Ncd1 Bg3 24.Nh3 Qh4 25.Ndf2 Nf6 26.Qd1 gives White an extra pawn (Valden-Tsanas, Op, Glyfada, 2001).

18...a6 19.a4 Bf8 20.a5 g4 21.fxg4 hxg4 22.hxg4 b5 23.axb6 Qxb6 24.Na4 Qa7 25.Ba5 Rb8 26.Bc7 Rb7 27.Bxd6 Bxd6 28.Qxc8+ gives White two extra pawns (Sosonko-Rogic, Op, Bled, 1997).

15...Ng6 16.Qc2 Rf7 17.Rfc1 Bf8 18.a4 h5 19.Nb5 Ne8 20.h3 Nh4 21.Ra3 a6 22.Rc3 Bd7 23.Na3 gives White more freedom (Kozul-Srebrnic, Op, Nova Gorica, 1999).

<[font color="darkorange">14.Rc1 Ng6 15.cxd6 cxd6 16.Nb5 Rf7 17.Qc2 Ne8 18.a4 h5 19.Nf2 Bf8 20.h3 Rg7 21.Qb3 Nh4 22.Rc2 g4 23.fxg4 Nf6 24.Be1 hxg4 25.hxg4 gives White an extra pawn (Ivanchuk-Cheparinov, IT, Sofia, 2008).

If 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5 13.a4 Ng6 14.a5 then:

14...h5 15.Nb5 Nf6 16.Nxa7 Bd7 17.c5 g4 18.c6 g3 19.hxg3 fxg3 20.Bxg3 Rxa7 21.cxd7 h4 22.Bf2 Ra8 23.Nc2 Bh6 24.Ne3 Bf4 25.Nf5 Nh5 26.Bb5 gives White two extra pawns and more space (Korchnoi-Xie Jun, TMatch, Prague, 1995).
14...Rf7 15.c5 Nxc5 16.Bxc5 dxc5 17.Bc4 Kh8 18.a6 Rf6 19.axb7 Bxb7 20.Nd3 Bf8 21.Rf2 Bd6 22.Na4 Qe7 23.Rc2 Rg8 24.Nf2 h5 25.Be2 Bc8 26.h3 gives White more freedom (Vigorito-Fedorowicz, US Ch, San Diego, 2006).

If 9.Nd2 then:

If 9...a5 10.a3 then:

If 10...Nd7 11.Rb1 f5 12.b4 Kh8 13.f3 Ng8 14.Qc2 Ngf6 15.Bd3 f4 16.Nb5 b6 17.Bb2 then:

17...Ne8 18.Be2 h5 19.c5 bxc5 20.bxc5 Nxc5 21.a4 Rf7 22.Rfc1 g5 23.Ba3 Bf8 24.Bxc5 dxc5 25.Nb3 g4 26.Nxc5 gives White the advantage in space (Gurevich-van Wely, Op, Wijk aan Zee, 1993).
If 17...g5 18.Be2 h5 19.c5 bxc5 20.bxc5 Nxc5 21.Bxe5 then:

21...g4 22.fxg4 Nxg4 23.Bxg7+ Kxg7 24.Nb3 Na6 25.Qc3+ gives Black a strong game on the queenside (Gurevich-Khalifman, IT, Munich, 1992).
21...dxe5?! 22.Qxc5 Ne8 23.Rfc1 Rf6 24.Qc3 White must win a pawn.

If 10...Bd7 11.b3 c6 12.Bb2 then:

12...Bh6 13.c5 dxc5 14.Nc4 cxd5 15.exd5 Nf5 16.Nxe5 Nd4 17.Bc4 Bf5 is equal (SherbakovKorotylev, Op, Pardubice, 1996).
If 12...c5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1 16.Qxa1 Bh6 17.Nxd6 Nxd6 18.bxc5 Bxd2 19.cxd6 Nc8 20.c5 f6 21.Rb1 b6 22.c6 Nxd6 23.cxd7 Qxd7 24.Bd3 Rc8 25.Rd1 gives White a more active game (Hefka-Kazoks, Corres, 1999).

9...c5 10.Rb1 Ne8 11.b4 b6 12.bxc5 bxc5 13.Nb3 f5 14.Bg5 h6 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Na5 Nf6 17.Nc6 Qe8 18.Bd3 Rf7 19.Rb3 f4 20.Be2 Bf8 21.Qc2 Bd7 22.Rfb1 is equal (Gurevich-Hebden, IT, Clichy, 2001).

9...Nh5

If 9...a5 10.Ba3 then:

If 10...axb4 11.Bxb4 Nd7 12.a4 Bh6 13.a5 f5 14.Nd2 then:

If 14...Nf6 15.c5 Bxd2 16.Qxd2 then:

If 16...fxe4 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Nb5 Nf5 19.Rac1 Rf7 20.g4 Nd4 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Qxd4 Bxg4 23.Bxg4 Nxg4 24.Qxe4 Nxf2 25.Qe3 is equal (Kobalia-Ulko, Aeroflot Open, Moscow, 2002).
16...Nxe4 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.Bc3 Nf5 19.Ra4 e3 20.fxe3 Bd7 21.Raa1 Qg5 22.e4 Qxd2 23.Bxd2 Nd4 24.Bc4 gives White a small advantage in space (Savina-Bodnaruk, Russian ChU20W, St. Petersburg, 2008).

14...Kh8 15.Bd3 Ng8 16.Qc2 Rf7 17.Na4 fxe4 18.Nxe4 Ndf6 19.Nac3 Bf5 20.Ng3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Qf8 22.Rab1 Qc8 23.Rb3 Qg4 24.f3 Qd4+ 25.Qxd4 exd4 26.Nd1 Bg7 27.Bd2 gives White the advantage in space (Pelletier-Renet, EU ChT, Pula, 1997).

10...b6 11.bxa5 Nh5 12.Re1 f5 13.Bb4 bxa5 14.Ba3 Nf4 15.Bf1 fxe4 16.Nd2 Nd3 17.Bxd3 exd3 18.Nde4 Nf5 19.Qxd3 Nd4 20.Nb5 Rb8 21.Bc1 Bf5 22.a4 is equal (Borsuk-Schoene, OlW, Dresden, 2008).

If 9...Ne8 10.c5 f5 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 13.Nc4 g5 then:

14.a4 Ng6 15.Ba3 Rf7 16.b5 Bf8 17.b6 dxc5 18.bxc7 Rxc7 19.Nb5 Rg7 20.d6 Be6 21.Bb2 Ne8 22.Nxe5 a6 23.d7 Nf6 24.Nxg6 hxg6 is equal (Rasmussen-P. H. Nielsen, Politiken Cup, Helsignor, 2007).
If 14.Ba3 Ng6 15.b5 then:

15...Ne8 16.b6 axb6 17.cxb6 cxb6 18.Qb3 h5 19.Rab1 g4 20.Nxb6 Qh4 21.Nxc8 Rxc8 22.Rfc1 Qg5 23.Nb5 Rd8 24.Nc7 gives White the advantage in space (Shirov-Akopian, Soviet Ch ½-final, Daugavpils, 1989).
15...dxc5 16.Bxc5 Rf7 17.a4 h5 18.a5 g4 19.b6 g3 20.Kh1 Bf8 21.Bg1 Nh4 22.Re1 Nxg2 23.Kxg2 Rg7 24.Nxe5 gxh2+ 25.Kh1 Nxe4 White resigns (Roussel Roozman-Charbonneau, IT, Montreal, 2008).

10.c5

If 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.Bf3 c6 then:

13.Be3 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 fxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 d5 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Bc2 b6 20.Qg4 e4 21.Rad1 Qc7 22.Bb3 Rad8 draw (Nyback-Radjabov, Euro ChT, Plovdiv, 2003).
13.Bb2 cxd5 14.cxd5 fxe4 15.Ngxe4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Nf5 17.Rc1 Bd7 18.Qb3 Bh6 19.Rc6 bxc6 20.dxc6+ Kh8 21.cxd7 Qxd7 22.Nf6 gives White compensation for the sacrificed exchange (Laznicka-G. Jones, Euro ChT, Crete, 2007).

If 10.g3 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 then:

12...f4 13.b5 fxg3 14.hxg3 Nh5 15.Kf2 Nf4 16.gxf4 exf4 17.Qd3 gives White the advantage in space (van Wely-Dyachkov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2008).
If 12...c6 13.b5 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 then:

15...Ne8 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Ba3 c5 18.Qa4 Nc7 19.Qd7 Qxd7 20.exd7 Nc6 21.Bd1 f4 22.Ba4 Nd4 23.Kg2 Bf6 24.Bc1 gives White the advantage in space and an advanced passer under protection (van Wely-Lenz, Op, Munich, 1992).
15...c5 16.Nd5 Ne8 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Rb1 Nc7 19.Nxc7 Qxc7 20.g4 Rf6 21.gxf5 Nxf5 Black must win the e-pawn (W. Schmidt-Antoniewski, Polish ChT, Suwalki, 1999).

10...Nf4 11.Bxf4 exf4 12.Rc1 h6 13.Nd4

13.h3 g5 14.a4 Ng6 15.a5 Re8 16.Nd2 f5 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.Nb5 Bb2 20.Rc4 is equal (Sosonko-van Wely, Dutch Ch, Hilversum, 1995).

13...a6!?

If 13...g5 14.Bh5 then:

14...c6 15.Nb3 cxd5 16.exd5 a5 17.Nb5 a4 18.Na5 dxc5 19.d6 gives White the initiative (Bekiavsky-Romero, IT, Leon, 1994).
14...Kh8 15.Re1 Ng8 16.h3 Nf6 17.Bf3 Re8 18.cxd6 cxd6 19.Ncb5 Re7 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 is equal (S, Ivanov-I. Smirin, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2003).

14.h3

The game is equal.
14.Re1 f5 15.c6 bxc6 16.dxc6 fxe4 17.Nxe4 Rb8 is equal.

14...Kh8 15.Qd2 Ng8!?

The text move is apparently made with the idea of redeploying the Knight on f6. However, Black should try to break up White's center.
15...f5 16.c6 bxc6 17.dxc6 fxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf5 19.Nf3 remains equal.

16.Rfd1!

If 16.Nf3 g5 17.Rfe1 then:

17...Re8 18.Bd1 f5 19.Ba4 Re7 20.Bc2 gives White a small advantage in space and the better center.
17...f5 18.exf5 dxc5 19.bxc5 Bxf5 20.Bd3 gives White the advantage in space.

16...h5

16...Qf6 17.Bf3 dxc5 18.bxc5 Qg5 19.Nce2 Be5 20.Rb1 White continues to have the advantage in space and a more imposing center.

17.Qxf4!?

White commits to sacrificing the exchange.

17...Bh6

Black takes up the challenge.

18.Qg3 h4 19.Qd3 Bxc1

Black takes the exchange.

20.Rxc1 Qg5 21.Re1

The smoke clears showing White still has more space and an better center.

BLACK: Alexander Grischuk
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WHITE: Vassily Ivanchuk
Position after 21.Rc1e1

21...Bd7!

To keep the Bishop from going to b5, White must dismantle his center.

22.c6 bxc6 23.dxc6 Be6!

Black restrains White's mobility by tying the Knight to the defense of the a-pawn.

24.Bg4

No sooner than Black activates his Bishop than White exchanges it.
24.Bd1!? Nf6 25.Bc2 Rfe8 26.Nf3 Qh6 27.a3 is a much improved position for Black, but White still has more freedom.

24...Bxg4

Nevertheless, the exchange of Bishops equalizes for Black.

25.hxg4 Ne7 26.Qd1

White find one of the best of several ways to protect the g-pawn.
26.Qh3 Kg7 27.a3 Rfe8 28.Re3 Rad8 remains equal.
26.f3 Rfe8 27.a3 Rab8 28.Rd1 Kg7 29.Kh1 Ra8 remains equal.

26...Rab8 27.a3 Kg7 28.Re3 Qf6 29.Nf3 Nxc6?

Black takes an unimportant pawn and opens the d5 square for White's Knight or Queen.
29...Rfe8 30.g5 Qf4 31.Ne2 Qg4 32.Qd4+ Kg8 33.e5 remains equal.

30.Nd5!

White seizes the day.
30...Qd8 31.Nd5 Ne5 32.Qd4 Re8 33.Nf6 remains equal.

30...Qe6 31.Nxc7 Qxg4

After the text move, everything is lost.
A more stubborn defense is 31...Qd7 32.Nxa6 Ra8 33.b5 Qe7 34.bxc6 Rxa6 35.Qd4+, but Black's chances of salvaging a half-point still aren't good/

BLACK: Alexander Grischuk
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WHITE: Vassily Ivanchuk
Position after 31...Qe6g4:p

32.Qxd6!

White kicks in the door to Black's position.

32...Rbd8 33.Qxc6

White is now clearly winning.

33...Rd1+ 34.Ne1 h3

If 34...Rc8 then White wins after 35.Kf1 a5 36.Qc3+ f6 37.b5.

35.Qc3+ f6 36.Rxh3 Rc8

BLACK: Alexander Grischuk
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WHITE: Vassily Ivanchuk
Position after 36...Rf8c8

37.e5!! 1-0

The move is elegant, quiet and devastating.
If 37...Rxe1+ 38.Qxe1 Rxc7 39.exf6+ Kxf6 40.Rf3+ then:

40...Qf5 41.Qe2 Ra7 42.Qb2+ wins the Queen.
40...Qxf3 41.gxf3 Rc6 42.f4 Kf7 43.Qe5 hurts to watch.
40...Kg7 41.Qe5+ is curtains.

Alexander Igorevich resigns.

Reply #7: Ivanchuk - Grischuk, Round 11 [View All]