Democratic Underground - Nataf - Stefansson, Round 8

Hannes Stefansson
Photo: ChessBase.com

Igor Nataf - Hannes Stefansson
International Open, Round 8
Reykjavik, 2 March 2010

Spanish Grand Royal Game: Gligoric's Exchange Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6

This move is rightly considered colorless and drawish.

4...dxc6 5.0-0

The text is the Gligoric Opening, which enjoyed some popularity in the seventies.
5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 is the Lasker Opening.

5...f6

If 5...Qd6 6.Na3 Be6 7.Qe2 f6 8.Rd1 then:

If 8...Bg4 9.c3 then:

If 9...c5 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Ne7 12.d4 cxd4 13.cxd4 exd4 14.Bf4 Qd7 15.Rac1 then:

If 15...Nc6 16.Nc2 Rd8 17.Qg3 Qf7 18.Bxc7 Rd7 is equal (Solzhenkin-I. Ibragimov, Russian Ch, St. Petersburg, 1998).
15...Rc8 16.Nc4 Ng6 is equal (Swinkels-Ragger, Bundesliga 0809, Wattenscheid, 2008).

If 9...Qe6 10.Nc2 Bd6 11.Ne3 then:

11...Ne7 12.d4 Ng6 13.Nxg4 Qxg4 14.h3 Qe6 15.dxe5 Bxe5 16.Nxe5 fxe5 17.Be3 0-0 18.b3 gives White the advantage in space (C. Balogh-Olszewski, Najdorf Mem, Warsaw, 2008).
11...Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Ne7 13.Qg4 Qf7 14.d4 0-0 15.Nf5 Nxf5 16.Qxf5 Rfe8 17.Bd2 Rad8 18.b3 a5 19.g3 gives White the advantage in space (Rozentalis-Roamnishin, Op, Bad Godesberg, 1994).

If 8...0-0-0 9.d4 Bg4 then:

If 10.Be3 Qe6 11.dxe5 then:

11...Rxd1+ 12.Qxd1 Bxa3 13.bxa3 Ne7 14.Nd4 Qd7 15.f3 fxe5 16.fxg4 Rd8 17.c3 c5 18.Bg5 exd4 19.cxd4 cxd4 gives Black fewer pawn weaknesses (Kejo-Ivanchuk, Tal Mem Blitz, Moscow, 2008).
11...Re8 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Bxa3 14.bxa3 fxe5 is equal (Naiditsch-Krasenkow, Euro Ch Playoff (Rpd), Antalya, 2004).

If 10.c3 Qe6 11.Nc2 Re8 then:

If 12.Re1 exd4 13.Ncxd4 Qd7 14.h3 Bh5 15.Bf4 Ne7 16.Rad1 c5 17.Nb3 Qc6 18.Bh2 Bf7 19.Qd2 b6 20.e5 then:

20...Bg8 21.exf6 gxf6 22.Qd3 c4 23.Nbd4 cxd3 24.Nxc6 gives White the advantage in space (Fester-Sorota, Corres, 2000).
20...Ng6 21.e6 Bxe6 22.Nbd4!! cxd4 23.Nxd4 Qd7 24.Rxe6 Rxe6 25.Nxe6 Bd6 26.Qe2 gives White more freedom and a huge advantage in space (Gessler-Piccoli, Corres, 2002).

12.Qe3 exd4 13.Nfxd4 Qd7 14.Rd3 c5 15.Ne2 Qa4 is equal (Howell-Wells, Op, Gibraltar, 2004).

6.d4 Bg4

If 6...exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 then:

8.Nb3 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bg4 10.f3 Be6 11.Be3 b6 12.a4 Kf7 13.Nc3 Bd6 14.a5 c4 15.Nd4 b5 16.Nxe6 Kxe6 17.Ne2 Ne7 18.Bf4 Be5 19.Nd4+ Kf7 is equal (Malisauskas-Psakhis, Op, Moscow, 1989).
If 8.Ne2 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd7 then:

If 10.Nbc3 0-0-0 then:

If 11.Be3 Re8 12.Rd2 Bc6 13.Rad1 b6 then:

14.f3 Ne7 15.Nf4 Ng6 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Bf4 Be7 18.Nd5 Bd8 19.Bg3 g5 20.Ne3 g6 21.Bf2 a5 22.g4 f5 23.gxf5 gxf5 24.Nxf5 g4 25.fxg4 Rxe4 26.Bg3 Bg5 is equal (Swinkels-Bojkov, IT, Neuhausen, 2007).
14.Nf4 Nh6 15.Nfd5 Ng4 16.Bf4 Ne5 17.b3 Kb7 18.Ne3 g6 19.Ncd5 Bg7 20.Bg3 gives White the advantage in space (Dutta-Sandipan, Op, Delhi, 2006).

11.Bf4 Ne7 12.Bg3 Ng6 13.Nd5 Ne5 14.f4 Nf7 15.Nec3 f5 16.Bh4 Re8 17.e5 gives White the advantage in space (Feygin-Michalczak, Op, Recklinghausen, 2001).

10.Be3 0-0-0 11.c4 draw (Hort-Jussupow, IT, Tunisein, 1985).

7.dxe5

If 7.c3 Bd6 8.Be3 then:

8...Qe7 9.Nbd2 0-0-0 10.Qc2 exd4 11.cxd4 Re8 12.e5 Bb4 13.h3 Be6 14.Ne4 Qf7 15.a3 Bb3 16.Qb1 Bf8 17.Nfd2 Bd5 is equal (Smyslov-Geller, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1973).
If 8...Ne7 9.Nbd2 then:

9...Qd7 10.dxe5 fxe5 11.h3 Be6 12.Ng5 Bg8 13.Qh5+ Ng6 14.Rfd1 0-0-0 15.Nf1 Qe8 16.Ng3 h6 17.Nf3 Nf4 18.Qxe8 Rxe8 is equal (Kinsman-Mejdi Kaabi, Op, Cannes, 1998).
9...0-0 10.Qb3+ Kh8 11.h3 Bh5 12.Rfe1 Qd7 13.Rad1 exd4 14.Bxd4 c5 15.Be3 b5 16.Qc2 Rae8 draw (Hort-Geller, IT, Dortmund, 1989).

7...Qxd1 8.Rxd1 fxe5 9.Rd3 Bd6

If 9...Bxf3 then:

10.gxf3 Bd6 11.Nd2 Nh6 12.Nc4 Nf7 13.Be3 0-0-0 14.Rad1 Rde8 15.Nxd6+ cxd6 16.Bb6 Re6 is equal (Ribli-Antonshin, IT, Budapest, 1973).
10.Rxf3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Bb4 12.Bg5 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Rf8 14.Bxf6 Rxf6 15.Rxf6 gxf6 16.Rd1 a5 draw (Kuzmin-Savon, Soviet Ch, Baku, 1972).

10.Nbd2 b5

If 10...Nf6 11.Nc4 then:

If 11...0-0 12.Nfxe5 Be2 13.Re3 Bxc4 14.Nxc4 Bc5 then:

If 15.Re1 Rae8 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Rxe3 Rxe4 18.Rxe4 Nxe4 19.f3 Nd6 20.Ne3 is equal (Karjakin-Caruana, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2010).
15.Rf3 Nxe4 16.Be3 Rxf3 17.gxf3 Nd6 18.Nxd6 Bxd6 19.Rd1 Kf7 20.c4 Ke6 draw (Sideif-Sade -Razuvaev, Soviet Ch FL, Frunze, 1979).

11...Nxe4 12.Nfxe5 Be6 13.f3 Bxe5 14.Nxe5 Nc5 15.Re3 0-0-0 16.Re1 Rhe8 17.Be3 Na4 18.Nd3 h6 is equal (Kholmov-Podgaets, Soviet Ch ½-fianl, Lvov, 1973).

11.b3 Ne7

11...Nf6 12.Bb2 Nd7 13.h3 Bh5 14.Nh4 0-0-0 15.Ndf3 Rhf8 16.Re1 Nc5 17.Rde3 Rde8 is equal (Bronstein-Klovans, GMT, Moscow, 1972).

12.Bb2 Ng6 13.g3 0-0

13...0-0-0 14.Kg2 h6 15.Rc1 Kb7 16.c4 Bb4 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Nf1 is equal (van der Wiel-Tal, IT, Brussels, 1987).

14.Kg2 Rf6

If 14...c5 15.c4 Rab8 then:

16.Rc1 Rfe8 17.Rc2 Nf8 18.cxb5 axb5 19.a4 is equal (Marciano-Haba, Op, Toulouse, 1990).
16.a4 bxc4 17.Nxc4 Bxf3+ 18.Rxf3 Rxf3 19.Kxf3 Rxb3+ 20.Ke2 Kf7 gives Black an extra pawn (Timman-Kasparov, IT, Hilversum, 1985).

15.Ng1!?

If 15.h3 then:

15...Bd7 16.Ng1 c5 17.Ne2 Raf8 18.Rf1 c4 gives Black the advantage in space and the initiative (Dr. Nunn-Portisch, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1985).
15...Be6 16.Ng5 Bd7 17.Rf3 c5 18.Re1 gives White the advantage in space (Grigorian-Marin, Ol, Torino, 2006).

15...Raf8

White has the initiative.

16.f4!

White sacrifices a pawn to keep his initiative going.

16...exf4

16...c5 17.Ngf3 Re8 18.a4 b4 19.Nc4 gives White a comfortable advantage in space.

17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Ngf3 Kh8

If 18...Kf7 19.c4 Rg8 then:

20.Kf2 Bxf3 21.Nxf3 fxg3+ 22.hxg3 Bxg3+ 23.Ke3 h5 is equal.
If 20.cxb5 fxg3 21.Rxd6 Bxf3+ 22.Nxf3 then:

22...Nf4+ 23.Kg1 cxd6 24.bxc6 g2 gives Black a more active endgame.
22...cxd6 23.bxc6 gxh2!? 24.Kxh2 Ke6 is equal.

19.a4 Rg8 20.Rxd6?!

The sacrifice of the exchange is not necessary.
20.Kf2 b4 21.Nc4 Bxf3 22.Rxf3 Re8 23.Re1 continues to give White a material advantage and fewer pawn weaknesses with no further risk.

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Position after 20.Rd3d6:B

20...cxd6!

By accepting the exchange, Black now has an extra pawn.

21.axb5 axb5 22.Ra6 Bd7 23.c4

White has no opportunities to recover his pawn.
23.Ra7 Rd8 24.c4 fxg3 25.hxg3 b4 26.Nd4 c5 leaves Black a pawn to the good.

23...fxg3 24.hxg3 bxc4!

Black weakens White's queenside while strengthening his own.
If 24...b4!? 25.Kf2 then:

25...Ne5 26.Nxe5 fxe5 27.Rb6 Rf8+ 28.Ke3 h5 29.Rxb4 is equal.
if 25...Rb8 26.Ra7 Bg4 27.Ra6 then:

27...Rc8 28.Rb6 Ne5 29.Nxe5 fxe5 is equal.
27...Ne7 28.Nd4 Bd7 29.Nc2 Nc8 30.Nd4 is equal.

25.Nxc4

This is the correct recapture.
25.bxc4 Ne5 26.Nxe5 fxe5 27.c5 dxc5 28.Nc4 Re8 gives Black a passed pawn.

25...Nf4+

Black now has an extra pawn and the more active game.

26.Kh2!?

This inaccuracy is slight, but it comes at a crusial moment.
26.Kf1 Bh3+ 27.Kf2 Nd3+ 28.Ke3 Rxg3 29.Rxc6 Ne5 maintains Black's material edge, but the White King is active.

26...Ne2!

White's g-pawn will fall.

27.Nxd6 Rxg3 28.Ra8+ Kg7 29.Ra7 Rxf3 30.Rxd7+!?

White commits another inaccuracy, missing his last real opportunity to equalize.
If 30.Nf5+! Kf8 (30...Kg6? is clearly out of the question) 31.Rxd7 Rxb3 32.Rxh7 Rd3 33.Rc7 Nc3 then:

34.Rc8+! Kf7 35.Rc7+ Kg6 36.Rg7+ Kh5 37.Ng3+ is equal.
34.Rxc6!? Nxe4 35.Rc4 Rd5 36.Rxe4 Rxf5 is a clear advantage for Black.

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Position after 30.Ra7d7:B

30...Kg6!

White's last move permits the Black King to become active.

31.Nf5 Kg5 32.Rxh7 Rf2+

32...Rxb3 33.Kg2 Kf4 34.Nd6 Rd3 35.Ne8 Nc3 gives Black an extra pawn.

33.Kh1 Kf4 34.Rh4+?!

The Rook steps right into the Knight's circuit.
If 34.Re7 then:

If 34...Ng3+ 35.Nxg3 Kxg3 36.Rg7+ Kf3 37.Kg1 Rb2 then:

If 38.Rc7 Kxe4 39.Rxc6 f5 then:

40.Rc4+ Kf3 41.Rc3+ Kg4 42.Kf1 f4 gives Black the advantage, but White's game is still playable.
40.Rc3 f4 41.Kf1 f3 42.Rc8 Rxb3 is equal.

38.Rf7 Kxe4 39.Rxf6 c5 40.Re6+ Kd5 41.Rb6 Kd4 gives Black better chances, but that is contingent on maintaining his last pawn.

If 34...Rf3 35.Re6 then:

35...Rxb3 36.Rxc6 Kxe4 37.Rxf6 Ke5 38.Rf7 Rb2 is a probable draw.

35...Ng3+ 36.Nxg3 Rxg3 37.Rxf6+ Kxe4 38.Rxc6 Rxb3 draws.

34...Kf3 35.Rh6 Kxe4 36.Nd6+

36.Rxf6 Rxf5 37.Rxc6 Rb5 38.Kg2 Nf4+ 39.Kf2 Rxb3 gives Black an obvious advantage, but it's not an easy game to win.

36...Kd4 37.Rh4+ Rf4

Black's winning chances are a little bit better after 37...Ke3 38.Rh3+ Kf4 39.Rh6 Ke5 40.Nf7+ Kd5.

38.Rh2 Rf1+ 39.Kg2 Rb1 40.Rh4+ Kd5 41.Ne8

41.Nc8 Rb2 42.Nb6+ Ke6 43.Na4 Nf4+! 44.Kg3 Rxb3+ gives Black two extra pawns.

41...f5 42.Kf2 Nc3 43.Rh5?

Black must now lose his last pawn.

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Position after 43.Rh4h5

43...Ne4+!

Black sees the pawn-winning line.

44.Kg2 Rb2+ 45.Kg1 Ng3 46.Rg5

A better defense is 46.Rh6 Ne2+ 47.Kf1 Nd4 48.Nf6+ Kc5 49.Nd7+ Kb5.

46...Ne2+ 47.Kf1 Nd4

The pawn is won.

48.Nf6+ Ke5 49.Nd7+ Kf4 50.Rh5

If 50.Rg6 then Black takes the pawn after 50...Rb1+ 51.Kg2 Rxb3.

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Position after 50.Rg5h5

50...Nxb3

Black is now two pawns to the good.

51.Rh4+ Kg3 52.Ra4

If 52.Rh7 f4 53.Rg7+ then:

If 53...Kf3 54.Ne5+ Ke4 55.Nxc6 Nd2+ 56.Kg1 Nf3+ 57.Kf1 Nh2+ wins for Black.
If 53...Kh4!? then after 54.Ne5 Nd2+ 55.Ke1 f3 56.Rf7 Kg3 57.Nd3 Black may have to work harder to bring the game home; the f-pawn is stalled for the moment.

52...f4 53.Ne5 Nd2+

Also good is 53...c5 when after 54.Ra8 Nd2+ 55.Ke1 c4 56.Rg8+ Kh4 Black remains two pawns to the good.

54.Ke1 Nf3+!

The exchange of Knights combined with the advanced f-pawn should make the win easier for Black.

55.Nxf3 Kxf3 56.Rc4 Re2+ 57.Kf1 Re6 58.Rc3+ Ke4 59.Kf2 Kd4 60.Rc1 c5

If Black cannot advance one pawn, then he can advance the other.
If 60...Rf6 61.Kf3 c5 62.Rd1+ Kc4 then:

63.Rc1+ Kb5 64.Rb1+ Kc6 65.Ra1 Rf5 allows Black to continue to make slow but steady progress.
That 63.Kf2!? is a waste of a valuable tempo is shown by 63...Kb3 64.Kf3 c4.

61.Kf3 c4 62.Rd1+

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Position after 63.Rc1d1+

62...Kc3!

Black can afford to let the pawn go.
White could have resignsed here or any place hereafter as he cannot keep Black from reaching the Lucena Position.

63.Kxf4 Kb2 64.Rd8 c3 65.Rb8+ Kc1 66.Kf3 c2 67.Kf2 Re5 68.Rb7 Kd2 69.Rd7+ Kc3 70.Rc7+ Kd3 71.Rd7+ Kc4 72.Rc7+ Rc5 0-1

BLACK: Hannes Stefansson
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WHITE: Igor Nataf
Final Position after 72...Re5c5

M. Nataf resigns.

Reply #6: Nataf - Stefansson, Round 8 [View All]