Reply #11: Short - I. Sokolov, Round 4, Sarajevo

[Jack Rabbit]

Nigel Short
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)

Nigel Short vs. Ivan Sokolov
Bosna Tournament, Round 4
Sarajevo, May 2007

Italian Royal Game: Classical Defense (Evans Gambit)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

• Hang on to your hats, boys and girls. We are going to have some real fun.
• The Evans Gambit was first played by a Welsh sea captain in London in 1829. Using this opening, Captain Evans defeated Alexander MacDonnell, one of the world's finsest players at that time. For the rest of the 19th Century, it was one of the most popular openings after the King's Gambit. By the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the King's Gambit and the Italian Game were supplanted in popularity by the Queen's Gambit and the Spanish Game.

4. -- Bxb4 5. c3 Be7

• The text move was first played by LaBourdannais in 1834 against MacDonnell. Nevertheless, it did not become a popular response to the Evans Gambit until the later years of the Cold War, long after the Evans Gambit ceased to be a frequently played opening.
• More common responses in the 19th Century were:
• 5. -- Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. 0-0 when:
• 7. -- dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Nge7 11. Ba3 0-0 12. Rad1 b5 13. Nxb5 Rb8 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 15. Qa3 Nc6 16. Nbd4 Bb4 17. Qc1 Bb7 18. Bd3 Nxd4 with a very strong game for Black (W. Paulsen-Zukertort, Leipzig 1877).
• 7. -- d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Bd3 Ne7 11. e5 d5 12. Ba3 Nac6 13. Ng5 Bf5 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Nxd5 Qf7 18. Nxb6 axb6 19. d5 exd5 20. Re1+ Ne7 gives Black two extra pawns. (Bergell-Cordel, Berlin 1866).
• 5. -- Bc5 then:
• 6. d4 exd4 then:
• 7. 0-0 d6 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5 Na5 10. Bb2 Ne7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. Nc3 Ng6 13. Ne2 c5 14. Qd2 f6 15. Kh1 Bc7 16. Rac1 Rb8 17. Ng3 b5 18. Nf5 c4 19. Be2 b4 20. Bd4 c3 21. Qe3 Bb6 22. g4 Ne5 23. Rg1 Nxf3 24. Bxf3 Nc4 is very strong for Black (Anderssen-Zukertort, Barmen 1869).
• 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Kf1 Qe7 9. e5 f6 10. exf6 Nxf6 11. Bg5 b6 12. a3 Bd6 13. Ra2 Qf8 14. Re2+ Be7 15. Nc3 Bb7 16. Ne5 0-0-0 17. Nf7 d5 18. Nxd8 Qxd8 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Bxd5 Bxd4 21. Rd2 Bxc3 22. Be6+ Kb8 23. Rxd8+ Rxd8 24. Qa4 Rd4 25. Qc2 Ba6+ punishes White for doing nothing to liberate his Rook (Minchin-Steinitz, London 1866).
• 6. 0-0 then:
• 6. -- Bb6 7. d4 Qe7 8. Ba3 Qf6 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe5 11. Qb3 Nh6 12. Nd2 Bc5 13. Nf3 Qe7 14. Bc1 0-0 15. e5 Re8 16. Bg5 Qf8 17. Bxh6 gxh6 18. Rae1 c6 19. a4 Rb8 20. Nd4 d5 21. Bd3 Qg7 gives Black an extra pawn and some threats against White's King (Ragozin-Levenfish, Soviet Ch, Moscow 1949).
• The inaugural game of the Evans Gambit continued 6. -- Nf6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. e5 d5 10. exf6 dxc4 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. Ba3+ Kg8 13. d5 Na5 14. Be7 Qd7 15. fxg7 Kxg7 16. Qd2 Qg4 17. Qc3+ Kg8 18. Qxh8+ Kxh8 19. Bf6+ Qg7 20. Re8# checkmate
(Evans-MacDonnell, London 1829).

6. d4 Na5 7. Be2

• Other variations branch from 7. Nxe5 Nxc4 8. Nxc4 d5 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Ne3 with equality.

7. -- exd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Qxg7 Bf6 10. Qg3 Ne7 11. 0-0!?

• White breaks away from scripture by putting his King into safety.
• Probably better is 11. Bg5 Ng6 12. h4 h6 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Nbd2 Bd7 15. h5 Ne5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5 17. Qxe5+ Bxe5 18. Rc1 with equality (Abergal-Parmentier, French TCh, Clichy 2006).

11. -- Ng6!?

• Black preserves his right to castle short.
• Better is 11. -- Rg8! tickling the Queen 12. Qf4 Bh3 13. Ne1 Bg5 14. Qxg5 Rxg5 15. Bxg5 Be6 giving Black a lead in development.

12. Nd4 Qe7 13. Nd2 Bd7

• This move suggests that Black wants to castle long.
• 13. -- Bh4 14. Qe3 Bf6 15. f4 Rg8 16. Ba3 gives White a small edge in space.

Black: Ivan Sokolov
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White: Nigel Short
Position after 13. -- Bc8d7

14. N2b3!?

• White had a slight edge in space prior to this move, which accentuates that advantage.
• The text is better than 14. Rb1 Rg8 15. Rd1 Be5 16. Qe3 Nf4 17. g3 Nxe2+ 18. Qxe2 a6 with and equal game.

14. -- Nxb3?

• This is the lesser of two possible moves.
• 14. -- Nc6 15. Qe3 Rg8 16. f4 Nxd4 17. cxd4 Nh4 18.Rf2 is even.

15. axb3

• White now has a robust advantage in space. Moreover, the opening of the a-file forces Black to abandon any plans of castling on the queenside.

15. -- 0-0 16. Bg4 Kh8

• Black moves his King from the open file, freeing his Knight for action.
• After 16. -- Bxg4 17. Qxg4 Kh8 18. f3 Rg8 19. Qh5 a6 20. Be3 Rae8 21. Qa5 White continues to enjoy a significant advantage in space.

17. Bxd7

• Black doesn't have much going in the way of piece activity, but the Bishop just taken was his most active piece.
• The text is better than 17. Bh6 Rg8 18. Bxd7 Ne5 19. Qf4 Nxd7 20. Qe3 Rg6 21. f3 Rag8 with equality.

17. -- Qxd7 18. Ra5 Rae8

• Black desparately needs to control more space.
• If 18. -- Be5 19. f4 Bxd4 20. cxd4 f5 21. Qh3 then:
• 21. -- Ne7 22. e5 Nc6 23. e6 Qg7 24. Rxf5 Rxf5 25. Qxf5 Nxd4 26. Qd5 c6 27. Qxd6 White's e-pawn is a threat to promote.
• After 21. -- Rf7 22. Rxf5 Rxf5 23. exf5 Ne7 24. Re1 Nd5 25. Qd3 Rf8 26. Re6 Qg7 27. Kf1 White has more space and better mobility.

19. Rh5?

• White misses an opportunity to break the game open.
• Stronger is 19. Rxa7 Rxe4 20. Rxb7 Nh4 21. Bg5 Bxg5 22. Qxg5 Qg4 23. Qxg4 Rxg4 24. g3 giving White an extra pawn with a powerful position.

19. -- Bxd4 20. cxd4 Rxe4 21. Bh6 Rfe8 22. Qf3

• Black has dodged a bullet and the game is level.
• If 22. d5? f6 then:
• 23. Be3 Qf7 24. Qh3 a6 25. Kh1 Rb4 26. Rb1 Rb5 gives Black an extra pawn.
• After 23. Rh3 R4e5 24. Qd3 Qf7 25. Re3 Rd8 26. Rxe5 dxe5 Black is a pawn to the good.
22. -- f6 23. Qxf6+ Kg8 24. d5 Qf7


• Black's position is cramped. Exchanging Queens is to his benefit.
• If 24. -- Re1 25. Qc3 R1e2 then:
• 26. f4! 26. R8e3 27. Qa1
• 27. -- Re7 28. f5 Ne5 29. Rg5+ gives White a strong attack.
• 27. -- Rxb3 28. Rg5 Rbb2 29. f5 Qe7 30. fxg6 leaves Black with only two pawns for the piece, but they are strong pawns.
• 26. Rg5 a6 27. h4 R8e5 28. Qg3 Rxg5 29. Bxg5 Qf5 30. h5 h6 31. Bd8 is unclear.
25. Qxf7+


• White accepts the exchange.
• 25. Qf3 Qxf3 26. gxf3 Rh4 27. Rxh4 Nxh4 28. Ra1 Nxf3+ 29. Kg2 Nh4+ leaves Black with an extra pawn for the moment.

25. -- Kxf7 26. Rf5+ Kg8 27. f4

• This is the consistant follow up to White's previous move. White is better on the kingside and must press his advantage there.
• 27. Be3 Ne7 28. Rg5+ Kf7 29. Rc1 Kf6 30. Rh5 Kg6 31. Rg5+ Kf6 32. Rh5 Kg6 draws.

27. -- Re1 28. g3!

• White is right to be cautious in pressing his advantage.
• After 28. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29. Kf2 Rb1 30. h4 Rb2+ 31. Kf1 Rxb3 32. h5 Black must play actively to avoid losing the Knight.

28. -- Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 a5

• Black gained a tempo in the exchange and uses it to press his own advantage on the queenside.
• If 29. -- Ne7 30. Rh5 a5 then:
• 31. h4 b5 32. Rg5+ Kf7 33. Rg7+ Kf6 34. Rxh7 Nxd5 35. h5 Kf5 gives Black the edge in space and mobility.
• After 31. g4 b5 32. h4 Kh8 33. Kf2 a4 34. bxa4 bxa4 35. Rg5 Rg8 White will have to spend a great amount of energy stopping the a-pawn.

30. Rg5 Kf7

Black: Ivan Sokolov
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White: Nigel Short
Final position after 42. Rh7h8

31. f5!

• The pawn advance completely disrupts Black's piece coordination.
• If 31. Rf5+ Kg8 32. Rg5 then:
• 32. -- Kf7
• 33. Rf5+ Kg8 34. Rg5 draws.
• 33. f5 transposes into the text.
• 32. -- Re3? 33. f5! Rxb3 34. fxg6 wins for White.

31. -- Ne7 32. Rg7+ Kf6 33. g4 Nxd5 34. Rxh7 b5

• Black's chances lay with advancing his queenside pawns.
• After 34. -- Re4? 35. h3 Ke5 36. Bg7+ Kf4 37. Kf2 Rb4 38. f6 White wins.

35. Kf2 a4 36. bxa4 bxa4 37. h4 Ke5?

• Black misses his last opportunity to hold the game.
• If 37. -- Rg8! 38. Bg5+ Ke5 39. Rh6 then:
• 39. -- Re8 40. Kf3 a3 41. Bc1 Nf6 42. Rxf6 Kxf6 43. Bxa3 Ke5 44. Bb2+ Kd5 is equal.
• 39. -- a3 40. Re6+ Kd4 41. Re2 Ra8 42. Ra2 Nb4 43. Rd2+ Ke5 44. Re2+ Kd5 45. Bf6 c5 is equal.

38. Kf3 Kd4

• 38. -- Ne7 39. h5 a3 40. Rf7 Kd5 41. Bg7 a2 42. h6 wins for White.

39. f6 Nxf6 40. Bg7 Rf8 41. g5 a3 42. Rh8! 1-0

Black: Ivan Sokolov
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White: Nigel Short
Final position after 42. Rh7h8

• 42. -- Rxh8 43. Bxf6+ Kd5 44. Bxh8 leaves White with a piece to fight the pawns while Black's King is too distant.
• 42. -- Rf7 43. Bxf6+ Kc4 44. Ra8 Kb3 45. Ke4 Black can sacrfice his Bishop for the a-pawn if necessary and still push the kingside pawns toward Scone.
• Mh. Sokolov resigns.