Reply #8: Jakovenko - Vitiugov, Round 5

[Jack Rabbit]

Nakita Vitiugov
Photo: Russian Chess Federation


Dmitry Jakovenko - Nakita Vitiugov
Russian National Championship, Round 5
Moscow, 24 December 2009

Slav Queen's Gambit: Tikhi Opening

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.e3 Bf5

• If 4...Bg4 5.h3 then:
• If 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e6 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 then:
• 8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.e4 e5 12.d5 Nb6 13.Bd3 cxd5 14.exd5 h6 15.Be3 Rc8 16.Rac1 gives White the advantage in space (Ivanchuk-Gelfand, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2009).
• If 8...Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Rd1 then:
• 10...Re8 11.Qe2 Qe7 12.Bd2 dxc4 13.Bxc4 e5 14.d5 e4 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Na4 Qe5 17.g3 Qf5 18.Qf1 Ne5 19.Be2 Nf3+ 20.Bxf3 exf3 21.Rac1 Ne4 is equal (Hebden-Burgess, 4NCL, Telford, 2003).
• 10...Qe7 11.Bd2 Rfe8 12.Bf1 Rad8 13.Rac1 a6 14.Be1 g6 15.a3 Bb8 16.g3 Nb6 17.b3 Kg7 18.a4 h5 19.h4 e5 20.cxd5 Nbxd5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.dxe5 Bxe5 is equal (Boensch-Jackelen, Bundesliga 0708, Tegernsee, 2008).
• If 8...Bb4 9.Bd2 0-0 then:
• If 10.a3 Ba5 then:
• 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.0-0 Re8 13.Rac1 e5 14.Bc2 exd4 15.exd4 Bxc3 16.Qxc3 draw (Bacrot-Karjakin, World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• If 11.b4 Bc7 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.0-0 then:
• 13...Nb6 14.Rac1 Qd7 15.g3 Rab8 16.e4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 Nd5 19.Rfd1 Bb6 20.h4 Rbc8 21.h5 h6 22.Be3 Rfd8 is slightly in Black's favor, for if White were to initiate exchanges at d5 then Black would end up with the good Bishop (Bindrich-Caruana, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 13...Re8 14.e4 e5 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.Bg3 exd4 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Ne5 20.Qf5 Nxd3 21.Bxc7 Qxc7 22.Qxd3 is equal (Siebrecht-Loeffler, Bundesliga 0708, Kreuzberg, 2007).
• 10.0-0 Re8 11.a3 Ba5 12.b4 Bc7 13.cxd5 exd5 14.b5 Nf8 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.Rfc1 Ne6 17.h4 c5 18.dxc5 d4 19.Ne4 dxe3 20.Nxf6+ gxf6 21.Qxe3 Ng5 gives Black a clear advantage (Iotov-San Segundo, Ol, Dresden, 2008).
• If 5...Bh5 6.Nc3 e6 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Nxg6 hxg6 then:
• If 10.Bg2 dxc4 11.Qe2 Nb6 12.0-0 Be7 13.Rd1 then:
• If 13...g5 14.a4 a5 15.e4 Nfd7 16.Be3 e5 17.d5 Qb8 18.b3 then:
• 18...f6 19.bxc4 Bc5 20.Bxc5 Nxc5 is equal (Hebden-L'Ami, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2008).
• 18...cxb3 19.Rab1 Nc5 20.Bxc5 Bxc5 21.Rxb3 Qd6 Black hangs on to the extra pawn.
• If 13...Nfd7 then:
• If 14.e4 e5 15.dxe5 Qc7 16.e6 fxe6 17.g5 gives Black an extra pawn (Stefanova-Predojevic, Op, Chalkida, 2009).
• If 14.Ne4! Rc8 15.a4 a5 16.Nd2 Bd6 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Qxc4 regains the pawn with equality.
• 10.Bd2 Bb4 11.Rc1 Qc7 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Ne4 14.Bg2 Nxc3 15.Rxc3 Nb6 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Qc2 0-0 18.h4 Nc4 19.Rh3 is equal (Bareev-Najer, Op, Philadelphia, 2009).

5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4

• If 6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 Nbd7 8.0-0 then:
• If 8...Bb4 9.Bd2 a5 10.a3 Be7 11.e4 then:
• 11...Nc5 12.dxc5 dxe4 13.Qxd8+ Rxd8 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxa5 Ra8 16.Bb4 Bxc5 17.Bxc5 Nxc5 18.Rfd1 Ke7 is equal (Lafuente-Wojtkiewicz, Pan-American Ch, Buenos Aires, 2003).
• 11...dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Nf6 14.Qe2 a4 15.Bf4 0-0 16.Rad1 Re8 is equal (Korchnoi-Anand, Amber Blind, Monte Carlo, 1998).
• If 8...Be7 9.e4 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Qxe4 0-0 then:
• 12.Bf4 Qa5 13.Rfd1 Rfe8 14.a3 Rad8 15.Qc2 h6 16.h3 Bf8 draw (Pelletier-Kobalia, Petrosian Mem, Stepanakert, 2004).
• 12.Rd1 Nf6 13.Qe2 Qc7 14.Bg5 Rfe8 15.Rac1 draw (Ghaem Maghami-Izoria, Op, Dubai, 2006).

6...Be4

• If 6...Bg6 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.0-0 Bd6 9.g3 then:
• If 9...0-0 10.Nxg6 hxg6 then:
• 11.Qb3 Rb8 12.Rd1 Qe7 13.Qc2 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Nb6 15.Bd3 Rfd8 16.Bd2 is equal (Rodshtein-Ragger, Aeroflot Open, Moscow, 2009).
• 11.b3 Qe7 12.Bf3 Rac8 13.Bg2 Rfd8 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.a3 Bxa3 16.c5 Bb2 17.Rxa7 gives White the more active game (Gelfand-Kramnik, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2007).
• 9...Qe7 10.a3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Nb6 12.Be2 0-0 13.Bd2 Rfe8 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Qc2 e5 16.dxe5 Bxe5 is equal (Meier-S. B. Hansen, Euro ChT, Novi Sad, 2009).

7.f3 Bg6 8.Qb3 Qc7

• If 8...Qb6 9.Nxg6 hxg6 10.Bd2 Nbd7 11.0-0-0 then:
• 11...Qxb3 12.axb3 Bd6 13.h3 Nh5 14.Bd3 Ng3 15.Rhe1 0-0 16.Kb1 a6 17.Rc1 Rac8 18.Red1 Rfd8 is equal (Gelfand-Eljanov, Grand Prix, Jermuk, 2009).
• 11...Be7 12.Kb1 0-0-0 13.Qc2 Kb8 14.g4 dxc4 15.Bxc4 Rh3 16.g5 Nd5 17.e4 Nxc3+ 18.Qxc3 is equal (Tkachiv-Shirov, Op, Corsica, 2003).

9.Bd2 Be7

• If 9...Nbd7 10.cxd5 exd5 11.0-0-0 then:
• 11...0-0-0 12.e4 dxe4 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.fxe4 Nb6 15.Bg5 Re8 16.Bd3 Ng4 17.Rhf1 gives White the advantage in space, anchored by a central pawn duo (Tregubov-Peng, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2002).
• 11...Be7 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.e4 dxe4 14.fxe4 Nb6 15.g3 0-0 16.Bf4 Qd8 17.h4 gives White the advantage in space, again featuring a central pawn duo (Sargissian=Beliavsky, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).

10.cxd5

• If 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.0-0-0 then:
• If 11...Nbd7 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 then:
• If 14.Kb1 0-0-0 15.Rc1 Kb8 16.h3 then:
• 16...Qd6 17.Ba6 Nb6 18.Bd3 Nd7 19.Ba5 gives White the initiative (Vitiugov-P. Smirnov, Russian Ch HL, Novokuznetsk, 2008).
• 16...Nf6 17.Bd3 Nh5 18.Rc3 Ng3 19.Rhc1 Ka8 20.Qa4 gives White the initiative(Bagheri-Poat, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 2006).
• 14.e4 0-0-0 15.exd5 cxd5+ 16.Kb1 Qd6 17.g3 g5 18.Bd3 Kb8 is equal (Kishnev-S. Volkov, Euro Club Cup, Halidiki, 2002).
• If 11...a6 then:
• 12.Kb1 dxc4 13.Bxc4 b5 14.Bd3 c5 15.dxc5 Nbd7 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Nxc5 18.Qc3 Bf6 19.Qc2 Rc8 is equal (Le Quang Liem-C. Balogh, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Kb1 Nc6 transposes into the notes after White's 11th move.

10...cxd5 11.Rc1!?

• If 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.0-0-0 Nc6 13.Kb1 a6 14.Rc1 then:
• If 14...0-0 15.g4 then:
• 15...Rfc8 16.h4 Na5 17.Qc2 Nc4 is equal (Khmelniker-Yordanov, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).
• 15...Na5 16.Qd1 Nc4 17.Bxc4 dxc4 18.e4 Rfd8 is equal (Drozdovskij-C. Balogh, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 14...Nd7 15.Bd3 Rc8 16.Ne2 Qb6 17.Qd1 Bb4 18.h4 Bxd2 19.Qxd2 is equal (Tregubov-Bareev, Euro Club Cup, Fügen, 2006).

11...Nc6

• The game is equal.

12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Na4

• 13.Nb5 Qd7 14.Bd3 a6 15.Nc3 remains equal.

13...Nd7

• If 13...Nh5 then:
• 14.Bb5 Ng3 15.Rg1 Rxh2 16.Nc5 Bxc5 17.Rxc5 Qd7 is equal.
• 14.h3!? Ng3 15.Rg1 Nxf1 16.Rxf1 Qg3+ 17.Ke2 Rb8 Black has the initiative.

14.Bd3

• 14.Kd1 Rc8 15.h3 a6 16.Rc2 b5 17.Nc3 Qd6 remains equal.

BLACK: Nakita Vitugov
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WHITE: Dmitry Jakovenko
Position after 14.Bf1d3

14...Rb8!

• Overprotecting weak points such as the pawn at b7 gives Black greater flexibility.

15.f4!?

• White drops a pawn.
• If 15.h3 then:
• 15...Qg3+ 16.Kf1 Bg5 17.Qd1 Rc8 18.Nc3 Be7 remains equal.
• 15...g5 16.Kd1 a6 17.Be1 b5 18.Nc3 remains equal.

15...g5 16.0-0

• If 16.g3 gxf4 17.gxf4 g5 then:
• 18.e4 Qd8 19.exd5 Nxd4 20.Qd1 gxf4 21.dxe6 Nxe6 gives Black an extra pawn, but it's weak.
• 18.Bb5 Rc8 19.Nc3 g4 20.Rg1 f5 21.Rg2 a6 the advanced pawns against the weak h-pawn on the kingside give Black the better game overall.

16...gxf4 17.e4

• White concedes a pawn to Black.
• If 17.exf4 Bf6 then:
• 18.Qc3 b5 19.Be3 bxa4 20.Qxc6 Qxc6 21.Rxc6 Rxb2 wins a pawn anyway.
• 18.Be3 Qa5 19.Qa3 Bxd4 also wins a pawn for Black.

17...dxe4 18.Bxe4 Bf6?!

• Black jeopardizes his hard-won gains.
• If 18...f3! then after 19.g3 (forced; Black is threatening mate on h2) 19...Qd6 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qc4 e5 Black still has the better game.

19.Bxf4?

• Black fails to take full advantage of Black's inaccuracy and never makes up his lost ground.
• 19.d5! Bd4+ 20.Kh1 f3 21.h3 fxg2+ then:
• If 22.Kxg2 exd5 23.Qxd5 Bf6 24.Bf4 then:
• If 24...Nde5 25.Qb5 then:
• 25...a6 26.Bxc6+! bxc6 27.Bxe5 Bxe5 28.Qxc6+ Qxc6+ 29.Rxc6 wins back the pawn with euqlity.
• 25...Rh4 26.Rce1 Rh5 27.Bf3 Rf5 28.Bg4 traps the Rook.
• 24...Qd8?! 25.Bxb8! Qxb8 26.Nc5 Nb6 27.Qd3 gives White the material advantage.
• 22.Bxg2 exd5 23.Qxd5 Bf6 24.Rfe1+ Kf8 25.b4 Rd8 maintains Black's advantage.

BLACK: Nakita Vitugov
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WHITE: Dmitry Jakovenko
Position after 19.Bd2f4:p

19...Bxd4+!

• Black wins th d-pawn.

20.Kh1 Be5 21.Qg3 Bxf4 22.Rxf4 Nf6 23.Bf3

• White, down a pawn, has no desire to exchange Queens.
• 23.Rc4 Nh5 24.Qh3 Qd6 25.Bxc6+ bxc6 26.Rcd4 Qe5 leaves Black threatening mate on the back rank.

23...Nh5

• Also good is 23...Rd8 24.Nc5 Nd4 25.Nd3 Nf5 26.Qe1 Qb8 when Black's heavy pieces hit at targets from a distance.

24.Bxh5 Rxh5 25.Rcf1 g5 26.Qg4

• White threatens the Rook at h5, apparently not seeing Black's killer reply.
• 26.R4f3 Qxg3 27.Rxg3 Ke7 28.Rc1 e5 29.Rb3 Rh4 prevents Black's next move, but it's no better than the text.

BLACK: Nakita Vitugov
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WHITE: Dmitry Jakovenko
Position after 26.Qg3g4

26...Rxh2+!!

• Black takes advantage of the pin at f4 to win another pawn.

27.Kxh2 Qe5 28.g3 gxf4 29.Rxf4 Ke7 30.Qh4+ Kd6 31.Rf6

• The White cuts the line of communication between Black's Queen and Rook.
• 31.Rxf7?? loses immediately to 31...Rh8!.

31...Nd4 32.Kh3

• 32.Kg2 Rf8 33.Nc3 Kd7 34.Qf4 Qxf4 35.Rxf4 e5 leaves White with barely any fight.

32...Rg8

BLACK: Nakita Vitugov
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WHITE: Dmitry Jakovenko
Position after 32...Rb8g8

• Black has a won game. The rest is a matter of technique.

33.Nc3 Nf5 34.Qb4+ Kc6 35.Qe4+ Qxe4 36.Nxe4 Ne3 37.Rh6 f5

• Also good is 37...Rg4 38.Rh4 f5 39.Rxg4 Nxg4 40.Ng5 Kd5.

38.Nf6

• If 38.Ng5 Ng4 then:
• If 39.Rh5 then after 39...Kd5 40.b4 Rc8 Black remains a pawn up.
• 39.Rxe6+ Kd7 40.Re2 Rxg5 41.Kh4 Rg6 42.a3 Nf6 leaves Black a piece to the good.

38...Rd8 39.Nh5

• 39.Rh7 Rd1 40.Kh4 Rh1+ 41.Kg5 Rxh7 42.Nxh7 e5 Black wins easily.

39...Kd7 40.Ng7 e5 41.Kh4

• No better is 41.a3 Ke7 42.Nh5 Rd7 43.Kh4 Rd4+.

41...Rg8 42.Rh7 Kc6 43.Nh5 Rg4+ 44.Kh3 Rd4

• If 44...Rg6 45.Kh4 a5 then:
• If 46.Rf7 then 46...Rg4+ 47.Kh3 Rd4 48.Ng7 Rd7 invites an exchange of Rooks which favors Black.
• If 46.Re7 then after 46...e4 47.Nf4 Rg4+ 48.Kh3 Rg8 49.Kh4 b6 White's King is confined to the h-file while Black's King rides the range on the queenside.

45.Re7

• If 45.Rf7 Rd7! then:
• If 46.Rxd7 Kxd7 47.Kh4 Ke6 keeps Black's passer happy.
• 46.Rf6+ Kc5 47.Rf8 e4 48.Kh4 Kd4 49.Kg5 Kd3 sets up the escort for the pawn.

45...e4 46.Kh4

• White drops another pawn.
• Better is 46.Re6+ Rd6 47.Rf6 b5 48.Rf7 a5 49.b3 Kc5 preserving the pawn, but Black's victory is just a matter of time and technique.

46...Rd2 47.Kg5 Rxb2 48.Re6+ Kd7 49.Kf6

• 49.Rh6 Rxa2 50.Kf4 Re2 51.Ng7 a5 wins for Black.

49...Rxa2 50.Kf7 Nd5!

• Black prevents either 51.Re7+ or 51.Rf6.
• If 50...Rg2 51.Rf6 a5 then:
• If 52.Rb6 Kc7 53.Rb3 Nf1 54.Ke6 e3! 55.Nf4 Rxg3 wins for Black as the e-pawn cannot be stopped.
• 52.Re6 b5 53.Nf6+ Kc7 54.Ne8+ Kd8 55.Re5 a4 wins for Black as the a-pawn cannot be stopped.

51.Ng7 e3!

• Black sacrifices a pawn to the more advanced passer time to advance further.
• The text is a little better than 51...Rf2 52.Ne8 Ne3 53.Rd6+ Kc8.

52.Nxf5 Rf2 53.Re5

BLACK: Nakita Vitugov
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WHITE: Dmitry Jakovenko
Position after 53.Re6e5

53...e2!!

• The Knight at d5 is not important.

54.Kg6

• If font color="red"]54.Rxd5+ then 54...Kc6 55.Rd6+ Kc5 56.Re6 Rxf5+ 57.Kg7 Rf2 still wins for Black.

54...Nc3 55.Nd4 Kd6 56.Re3 Kd5 57.Nc2 Kc4

• Also good is 57...Ne4 58.Rd3+ Kc4 59.Re3 Nd6 60.g4 a5.

58.g4 b5 59.Na3+ Kb4 60.Nc2+ Kb3 61.Ne1 b4 62.g5 Kc4 63.Kh5 Rf1 64.Nd3 Kd4 0-1

• If 65.Rg3 then after 65...Ne4 66.Rh3 Nf2 67.Nxf2 Rxf2 68.Rh1 Rf1 the lights are out.
• Dmitry Olegovich resigns.