Chess (March): 3-way tie in Aeroflot Op; Magnus still número uno

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Berg - Vachier Lagrave, Round 10

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[center]Emanuel Berg[/center]
[font size="1"]Photo by http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Samson1964 Frank Hoppe in http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wang_yue_20081119_olympiade_dresden.jpg Wikimedia Commons (Public Domian)
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Emanuel Berg - Maxime Vachier Lagrave
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1655811
Tradewise Chess Festival, Masters Open, Round 10
Gibraltar, 2 February 2012

Open Rat Sicilian Game: Najdorf-Sheveningen Defense (Rauzer Opening/Poison Pawn Variation)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 h6 8.Bh4 Qb6 9.Qd3 Qxb2 10.Rb1 Qa3 11.f5 Be7 12.fxe6 fxe6 13.Be2 (N)

• For notes through this move, see the line for [font color="dodgerblue"]Berg-Vachier Lagrave[/font] in Shirov-Hou Yifan, Op, Gibraltar, 2012, elsewhere on this thread.
• If [font color="red"]13.e5?[/font] then after [font color="red"]13...dxe5! 14.Qg6+ Kf8 15.Rb3 Qc1+ 16.Nd1 exd4[/font] Black wins (Kuznetsov-Spassky, IT, Kislovodsk. 1960).

13...0-0 14.0-0 Kh8 15.Kh1!?

• White eschews the chance to drive Black's Queen away.
• [font color="red"]15.Rb3 Qa5 16.Bf2 Nc6 17.Nxc6 bxc6[/font] remains equal.

15...Nbd7?!

• Black fails to capitalize on White's misplay.
• [font color="red"]15...Qa5! 16.Bf2 b5 17.Be1 Qc7 18.a4 Nc6 19.Nxc6 Qxc6[/font] gives Black a small advantage in space.

16.Nxe6!

• White has a better center and a strong advantage in space.

16...Ne5

[center]BLACK: Maxime Vachier Lagrave[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Emanuel Berg[/center][center]Position after 16...Nd7e5[/center]

17.Nxf8!

• White sacrifices his Queen
• If [font color="red"]17.Qh3?! b5! 18.Rb3 Qa5 19.Bf3 Bd7 20.Nd5 Nfg4[/font] leaves Black with better prospects, for example, 21.Nxe7 Bxe6 22.Nf5 Bxb3 23.axb3 Nf6, when Black wins the exchange.

17...Nxd3 18.Ng6+ Kh7 19.Bxd3 Kxg6

• If [font color="red"]19...Bd8!?[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]20.Nd5![/font] then:
• [font color="red"]20...Kxg6 21.e5+! Kf7 22.exf6 Qxa2 23.Rb3 Qa5 24.Bc4[/font] gives White a clearly more active game.
• If [font color="darkred"]20...Kg8?![/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]21.Nxf6+ gxf6 22.Bxf6 Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Qc3 24.e5[/font] is an easy win for White.
• Also good is [font color="magenta"]21.Nge7+ Kf8 22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Bxf6 Ke8 24.Nd5.[/font]
• [font color="darkorchid"]20.e5!? dxe5 21.Nxe5+ Kg8! 22.Bc4+ Kh7 23.Bd3+ Kh8[/font] is equal.

20.e5+!

• White opens the center to his advantage.

20...Kh5?

• This is clearly a bad move. Black puts his King in the open.
• If [font color="red"]20...Kf7 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Nd5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]22...Rb8[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]23.Nxf6 gxf6 24.Rxf6+ Ke8 25.Bg6+ Kd7 26.Rf7+.[/font]
• [font color="darkred"]22...Qxa2? 23.Nb6 Qa5 24.Nxa8 b5 25.Be1 Qd8 26.Bf2[/font] leaves White with two Rooks and a Knight against a Queen and two pawns.

[center]BLACK: Maxime Vachier Lagrave[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Emanuel Berg[/center][center]Position after 20...Kg6h5[/center]

21.exf6 Bxf6

• Black shortens his agony.
• He suffers longer after [font color="red"]21...Qxc3 22.fxe7 Bd7 23.Be1 Qe5 24.Rxb7.[/font]

22.Bxf6!

• The end is near.
• If [font color="red"]22.Be2+ Kg6 23.Bd3+[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]23...Kf7 24.Nd5 Qxa2 25.Nxf6 gxf6 26.Rxf6+ Ke8 27.c4 gives White activity all over the board while Black's Rook and Bisop are undeveloped.[/font]
• If [font color="darkred"]23...Kh5[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkred"]24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Rb3 Qa5 26.Rxf6.[/font]

22...gxf6 23.Rb3 Qa5 24.Rxf6 Bd7

• If [font color="red"]24...Qe5 25.Ne4 Qa1+ 26.Rf1[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]26...Qxf1+ 27.Bxf1 Kg6 28.Rg3+ Kf7 29.Nxd6+[/font] gives White an extra piece.
• If [font color="darkred"]26...Qe5[/font] then White wins after [font color="darkred"]27.Nf6+ Kg5 28.Nh7+ Kh5 29.Rb4.[/font]

25.Ne4 Bg4

• If [font color="red"]25...Qe1+[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]26.Rf1 Qe3 27.Rxb7 Ra7 28.Rb4 Kg6 29.Nxd6+.[/font]

26.h3 Rg8

[center]BLACK: Maxime Vachier Lagrave[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Emanuel Berg[/center][center]Position after 26...Ra8g8[/center]

27.hxg4+

• White has a Rook and two minor pieces for the Queen.

27...Rxg4 28.Be2 Qe1+ 29.Kh2 1-0

• [font color="red"]29...Qxe2 30.Rh3+ Rh4 31.Rxh4+ Kxh4 32.Rf4+ Kh5 33.Ng3+[/font] wins the Queen.
• If [font color="blue"]29...Qh4+[/font] then White wins after after [font color="blue"]30.Rh3!.[/font]
• M. Vachier Lagrave resigns.