Reply #6: Portisch - Krasenkow, Round 5, Gausdal

[Jack Rabbit]

Seventy-year-old chess legend Lajos Portisch of Hungary finished tied for second at Gausdal with 5½ points out of nine.

In the sixties, seventies and early eighties, Portisch was among the world's elite grandmasters. He qualified for the world championship candidates' matches in 1965, 1968, 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1983.

In his palmy days, Portisch was known as one with a prophylactic positional style similar to former world champion Tigran Petrosian. That style is on display in the following game, where Portisch takes advantage of an early mistake and makes his opponent strangle on it.



Lajos Portisch
Photo: CHessBase.com

Michal Krasenkow vs. Lajos Portisch
Chess Classic, Round 5
Gausdal, Oppland (Norway), April 2007

Open Queen's Gambit: Mannheim Opening

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 dxc4 4. Qa4+ Nd7 5. e4

• White sacrifices a pawn for which he is never compensated.

5. -- c5 6. Be3 cxd4!?

• This is the game's novelty; it is almost dubious. Black opens the center, yet he has no advatage anywhere to justify this.
• 6. -- b5?! 7. Qxb5 Rb8 8. Qxc4 Rxb2 9. dxc5 then:
• 9. -- Qa5+ 10. Nbd2 Ngf6 11. Rc1 Rxa2 12. Bd3
• 12. -- Ra4 13. Qc2 Ra2 14. Qb1 Ng4 15. Bd4
• 15. -- Bxc5 16. Bxc5 Nxc5 17. 0-0 Rxd2 18. Qb5+ Qxb5 19. Bxb5+ Bd7 20. Nxd2 Bxb5 21. Rxc5 Bxf1 22. Rc8+ Ke7 23. Rxh8 gives White an exchange for a pawn (Krasenkow-Nogueiras, Torre Mem, Merida 1995)
• 15. -- Nge5 16. Bxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb5+ is promising to send Black home early.
• 12. -- Ng4 13. Bd4 Nge5 14. Bxe5! Nxe5 15. Qb5+ gives White a clear advantage is piece mobility.
• 9. -- Nxc5 10. Bxc5 Qa5+ 11. Nbd2 Bxc5 12. Rc1 gives White a firm edge in his ability to withstand Black's present initiative.

7. Bxd4

• To the novelty, White makes a good response, giving him an advantage in space. He should now get a good game
• If 7. Nxd4 Ngf6 8. Qxc4 Nb6 9. Qd3 Ng4 then:
• 10. Nb5 Nxe3 11. Qxe3 a6 12. N5c3 Qc7 13. Nd2 Bc5 14. Qf3 0-0 gives Black small advantages like two Bishops, a good Bishop and better mobility.
• 10. Nc3 Nxe3 11. Qxe3 Bc5 12. Bb5+ Bd7 13. Qd3 a6 gives Black a strong initiative.

7. -- Ne7 8. Nc3

• White lets pass an opportunity to get his pawn back.
• 8. Qxc4 Nc6 9. Nc3 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 f6 11. Rd1 Bc5 12. Qa4 0-0 is equal.

8. -- Nc6 9. Rd1 Nxd4 10. Rxd4

• This is the better way to retake the Knight.
• If 10. Nxd4 Qb6 11. Qxc4 Be7 12. Qb5 0-0 13. Be2 Bf6 then:
• 14. Qxb6 Nxb6 15. f4 Rd8 16. e5 Be7 is level.
• 14. Na4?! Qd6 15. Nf5 Qc7 16. Nd6 a6 gives Black a strong initiative.

10. -- Qb6 11. Bxc4?

• White misses his last chance to take the pawn and equalize.
• 11. Rxc4 Bc5 12. Qc2 0-0 13. Bd3 Bd6 14. 0-0 Ne5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 is equal.

Black: Lajos Portisch
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White:
Position after 11. Bf1c4:p

11. -- Qxb2!

• Black assures himself of remaining a pawn to the good.
• 11. -- Bc5?! 12. Rd2 0-0 13. 0-0 Qc7 14. Be2 Be7 15. Rfd1 turns the tables in White's favor.
• From here out, Black's strategy will be threefold:
  1. Exchage pieces when possible in order to magnify the value of his extra pawn; and
  2. put White under restraint to eliminate the possibility of counterplay.
  3. In the absence of 1 and 2, play actively to maintain the initiative.

12. 0-0 Bc5 13. Rd3 0-0 14. Bb3 Nb6 15. Qb5 Qa3 16. Rd2 Bb4 17. Qd3!?

• White may be seeking to provoke by playing the second-best move. Better is to break the pin with 17. Rd3.
• If 17. Rd3 Nd7 then:
• 18. Qc4 Qa5
• After 19. Rc1 b6 20. Rd4 Ba3 21. Rc2 Nc5 22. Qb5 Qxb5 23. Nxb5 Nxb3 24. axb3 Bc5 25. Rd1 Bb7 Black still has an extra pawn in addition to the initiative and superior mobility.
• After 18. Nb1 Qa6 19. Qxa6 bxa6 20. Rc1 Nc5 21. Rd4 Nxb3 22. axb3 Ba5 23. Nbd2 Bb6 Black has an extra pawn and the initiative.
• After 19. Ne2 b5 20. Qc1 Nc5 21. Rd4 Bb7 22. Bc2 f5 23. Qb1 Ba3 Black has an extra pawn an better pawn structure.

Black: Lajos Portisch
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White:
Position after 17. Qb5d3

17. -- Qa5!

• Black pins the Knight to the Rook and forces Black's reply. Notice the restraining effect of the pin.
• Also good is 17. -- Bd7 18. Rc2 Rac8 19. Rd1 Qa5 20. Rdc1 Rfd8 when Black threatenst to discover an attack on the Queen.

18. Rc1 Bd7 19. e5 Rac8 20. Rdc2 Bxc3

• Being a pawn up, Black cheerfully exchanges pieces.
• If 20. -- Be7 21. Ne4 Bb5 then:
• 22. Qe3 Nd5 23. Qd4 Rxc2 24. Rxc2 Bc6 25. Rc1 Nb4 26. Nfd2 Rd8 gives Black the initiative to go with the extra pawn.
• 22. Qd4 Rxc2 23. Rxc2 Rd8 24. Nd6 Qa3 25. Rc7 Bxd6 26. exd6 Rxd6 gives Black more freedom in addition to his extra pawn.

21. Rxc3 Rxc3 22. Rxc3

• The just-completed series of exchanges were devastating to White, but because of the restraining effect of 17. -- Qa5, he could not avoid them.

22. -- Bb5 23. Qd4 Bc6 24. h3

• White has nothing better to do than form a luft to alleviate the threat of a snap mate on the back rank.
• After 24. Rc5 Qa6 25. Ne1 Qe2 26. Rc1 Qe4 27. Nf3 Rc8 Black still has an extra pawn and is ready to exchange heavy pieces.

24. -- Nd5 25. Rc5 Qd8

• The Knight is sufficiently protected. White must vacate the Queen fron the d-file lest she fall under attack.
• After 25. -- Qa3 26. Rc4 Nb6 27. Rc3 Qb2 28. Rd3 Qxd4 29. Nxd4 Rd8 Black has considerably more freedom for his pieces and an extra pawn.

26. Qg4 Ne7!

• The Knight is headed for f5 where he will discourage White from attempting to build an attack on Black's King.
• 26. -- Qb6 27. Rc4 Bb5 28. Rc2 Rd8 29. Qh4 Bd3 30. Rd2 Bg6 gives Black advantages in space and material.

27. Ng5 h6 28. Ne4 Nf5!

• Black dominates the kingside dark squres. White's Knight has no usesful moves.
• Less effective is 28. -- Bxe4 29. Qxe4 Qb6 30. Bc2 g6 31. Rc3 Nd5 32. Rc4 Qb2 White threatens another pawn.

29. Rc4

• Being a pawn down, White is not too anxious to exchange pieces. He decides, rightl;y under the bleak circumstances, to preseve his pieces.
• If 29. Ng3 Nxg3 30. Qxg3 Qd2 31. Rc4 then:
• 31. -- Rd8! 32. Rg4 g5 33. Qe3 Qxe3 34. fxe3 Rd2 gives Black an extra pawn, better pawn structure and better piece coordination.
• 31. -- Bd5? only force the Rook to a better square: after 32. Rg4 g6 33. Bxd5 exd5 34. Kh2 Kh7 35. e6 Qxa2 White has equalized.

Black: Lajos Portisch
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White:
Position after 29. Rc5c4

29. -- Qa5!!

• The Queen now threatens to win another pawn and at the same time break into White's back rank.
• If 29. -- Qd3 30. Bc2 Qd8 then:
• After 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Nh5 Qa5 33. Bxf5 Qe1+ 34. Kh2 Qxe5+ 35. Qg3 Qxg3+ 36. Nxg3 exf5 Black's extra pawn is still significant.
• After 31. Ba4 Qa5 32. Bxc6 bxc6 33. Rxc6 Qxe5 Black continues to enjoy an extra pawn, which looms larger and lager with reduced material.

30. Qf4 Qe1+ 31. Kh2 Bd5

• Black forces yet more exchanges that White finds unwelcome.

32. g4

• White tries to grab some space on the kingside, but it's way too late for that to help his cause.
• If 32. Nc5 Bxc4 33. Bxc4 Rc8 34. Nxe6 then:
• 34. -- g6 35. Nc7 Rxc7 36. e6 Rxc4 gives Black an extra piece.
• After 34. -- fxe6?? 35. Bxe6+ Kh8 36. Bxc8 Ne7 37. Qf8+ Ng8 38. f4 White wins.

32. -- Nh4 33. Rd4 Ng6 34. Qd2 Qxd2 35. Nxd2 Bxb3 36. Nxb3

• As more material is exchanges, Black's extra pawn looms larger.
• 36. axb3 Nxe5 37. f4 Nc6 38. Rd6 Rd8 39. Rxd8+ Nxd8 is easily won for White with pawn majorities on each wing.

36. -- Nxe5

• Black is now two pawns up.

37. Kg3 Rc8 38. f4 Rc3+ 39. Kf2 Nc6 40. Rd7 Rc2+ 41. Kg3 Rxa2 42. Nc5

• Black has three extra pawns.
• 42. Rxb7 Rb2 43. h4 g6 44. Nc5 Rxb7 45. Nxb7 h5 is hopeless for White.

42. -- b6 43. Nb7 Rc2 44. h4 g6 45. Rc7 Nb4 46. Rd7 Rc3+ 47. 0-1

• 46. -- Rc3+ 47. Kf2 Nd3+ 48. Ke3 Ne5+ forces the indirect echange of Rooks. White will not be able to stop Black's pawn on both wings in a Knight ending.
• Krasenkow resigns.