Reply #17: Prasanna - Kotronias, International Chess Congress, Round 2, Hastings

[Jack Rabbit]

Indian IM Rao Prasanna. 16, served notice in this game that he came to Hastings to play chess.

His victim, Vasilios Kotronias, is the reigning Greek national champion, a title he has held eight times.



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Rao Prasanna - Vasilios Kotronias
International Chess Congress, Round 2
Hastings, 29 December 2010

Open Sicilian Game: Taimanov Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3

• For other variations of the Kan Defense, see Munguntuul-Koneru, Grand Prix W, Rd 2, Nalchik, 2010.

5...Qc7 6.Be2 b5

• If 6...Nc6 (the game is now a Taimanov Defense) 7.0-0 then:
• If 7...Nf6 then:
• If 8.Be3 Bb4 9.Na4 then:
• If 9...Be7 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Nb6 Rb8 12.Nxc8 Qxc8 13.Bd4 c5 14.Be5 then:
• If 14...Rb6 then:
• 15.Qd3 d6 16.Bc3 0-0 17.b3 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Be5 Rd8 20.Qg3 f6 21.Bb2 Bd6 22.Qg4 Qc7 23.g3 Be5 24.Bxe5 Qxe5 25.Bc4 f5 26.Qe2 Qxe2 27.Bxe2 Nc3 gives Black the advantage in space (Atoufi-Sarkar, Foxwoods Op, Mashantucket, 2007).
• 15.b3 Nxe4 16.Bxg7 Rg8 17.Be5 Bd6 18.Bg3 Nxg3 19.fxg3 Be5 20.Rb1 Ke7 21.Bd3 Rg5 22.Qf3 gives White a small advantage in space (Azarov-Banikas, Euro ChT, León, 2001).
• 9...0-0 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Nb6 Rb8 12.Nxc8 Rfxc8 13.Bxa6 Rf8 14.Bd3 Bd6 15.f4 e5 16.f5 Rxb2 17.g4 Qa5 18.g5 Ne8 19.Bc1 Rxa2 20.Bb2 Rxa1 21.Qxa1 Bb4 22.c3 Qxa1 23.Rxa1 Bd6 24.Ra6 h6 25.Bc1 hxg5 26.Bxg5 Nf6 27.Bxf6 draw (Ehlvest-Illescas, French League, France, 1989).
• If 8.Kh1 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Qd3 b5 11.f4 Bb7 12.Bf3 then:
• If 12...h5 13.e5 Ng4 14.Bxb7 Qxb7 15.Ne4 Rc8 16.Bd2 Be7 17.Rae1 then:
• if 17...Nh6 18.Qf3 Kf8 19.Qxh5 Rxc2 20.f5 exf5 21.Rxf5 Rxd2 22.Nxd2 g6 23.Qxg6 Qd5 24.Nf3 Nxf5 25.Qxf5 then:
• 25...Rh6 26.a3 Rc6 27.h3 a5 28.Qb1 Rc4 29.Rd1 gives White the active game(Nataf-Wallace, Icelandic ChT, Reykjavik, 2004).
• 25...Qxa2 26.Qxd7 Qxb2 27.Qc8+ Kg7 28.Qxa6 Rh6 29.Qc8 leaves White a pawn to the good.
• 17...Qc6 18.Bc3 b4 19.Bd2 Nh6 20.c3 bxc3 21.Bxc3 Nf5 22.Qf3 h4 23.Rd1 Qb6 24.Rfe1 Rc4 gives Black a comfortable advantage in space (Movsesian-Lutz, Bundesliga, Germany, 2001).
• 12...0-0 13.e5 Ne8 14.Bxb7 Qxb7 15.f5 f6 16.Bf4 Be7 17.Rae1 b4 18.Nd1 exf5 19.Qxf5 fxe5 20.Qxe5 Bd6 21.Qd4 Bxf4 22.Rxf4 Rxf4 23.Qxf4 Nf6 24.Ne3 Re8 is equal (Lin Yi-Liang Jirong, China ChT, Suzhou, 2001).
• 7...b5 8.Re1 Bb7 9.Nxc6 transposes into the text.

7.0-0 Bb7 8.Re1

• If 8.Bf3 Nc6 9.Nxc6 dxc6 then:
• If 10.a4 Nf6 11.Qe2 e5 then:
• 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8+ Bxa8 14.Be3 Be7 15.Nb1 0-0 is equal (Brunner-Lau, IT, Budapest, 1992).
• 12.Bg5 Be7 13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8+ Bxa8 15.Ra1 0-0 is equal (Sion-Urday, Op, Pamplona, 1991).
• 10.e5 Qxe5 11.Re1 Qd6 12.Qe2 Nf6 13.Bg5 Be7 14.a4 b4 is equal (Riemersma-Cramling, Spijkenisse, 1987).

8...Nc6

• The game has transposed into a Taimanov Defense.

9.Nxc6 dxc6 10.e5 Rd8

• If 10...Bb4 11.Bd3 Ne7 then:
• 12.Qh5 Bxc3 13.bxc3 c5 14.c4 bxc4 15.Bxc4 Qc6 16.Qh3 gives White the advantage in space (Bellia-Landa, Op, Bratto, 2010).
• 12.Qg4 c5 13.Bg5 Ng6 14.Bxg6 hxg6 15.Re3 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bd5 is equal (Polzen-Landa, Op, Bad Wiessee, 2004).

11.Bd3 c5 12.Qe2

• If 12.Qh5 g6 13.Qh3 Bg7 14.Bg5 Ne7 then:
• If 15.Be4 Rd4 16.Bxb7 Qxb7 17.f3 h6 18.Be3 Rc4 19.Ne4 Bxe5 20.c3 then:
• 20...Nd5 21.b3 Rxc3 22.Nxc3 Bxc3 23.Bxc5 Bxa1 24.Rxa1 Qc7 gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative (Rosito-Hellsten, Puebla Mem, Mendoz, 2005).
• If 20...Qc7 21.Rad1 Nd5 22.Bc1 Nf6 23.Ng5 then:
• 23...Bxh2+?! 24.Kh1! Qg3 25.Qxe6+!! fxe6 26.Rxe6+ Kf8 27.Rxf6+ Ke8 28.Re6+ Kf8 29.Rd8+ Kg7 30.Rd7+ Black resigns as mate cannot be avoided (Babaev-Rasulov, Azerbaijani Ch, Baku, 2009).
• 23...Kf8 24.g3 Kg7 25.Nxf7 Kxf7 is equal.
• 15.Bf6 0-0 16.Ne4 Bxe4 17.Rxe4 Rd4 18.Rxd4 cxd4 19.Qh4 gives White a small edge in space (C. Balogh-Flumbort, Hungarian ChT, Hungary, 2001).
• If 12.Qg4 Ne7 13.Bg5 Rd4 14.Qg3 then:
• If 14...Ng6 15.Rad1 Be7 16.Ne2 then:
• 16...Rd7 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Bxe7 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Qxe7 20.Rd6 is equal (Nijboer-Bosch, Dutch Ch semif, Leeuwarden, 2002).
• 16...Rd5 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Nf4 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Bxg5 20.Qxg5 Qe7 is equal (Zelcic-V. Schneider, Op, Pula, 2007).
• 14...Nc6 15.a4 b4 16.Ne4 c4 17.Bf1 Nxe5 18.Nf6+ gxf6 19.Bxf6 Rg4 gives Blackm the initiative (Kovacevic-Pavlovic, Yugoslav ChT, Herceg Novi, 2001).

12...Ne7 13.Bg5

• 13.a4 b4 14.Ne4 Qc6 15.Qh5 Nf5 16.Bg5 Rd4 gives Black a small advantage in space (Polzen-Korneev, Austrian ChT 0809, Ansfelden, 2009).

13...h6 14.Bh4 (N)

• 14.Qh5 Rd4 15.Be3 Rd7 is equal (Dimitrov-Vyzmanavin, IT, Burgos, 1993).

14...g5 15.Bg3 h5

• 15...Nf5 16.Ne4 Bg7 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.Bxf5 Be7 19.Be4 is equal.

16.h3

• 16.h4 gxh4 17.Bxh4 Bg7 18.Rad1 Rd4 remains equal.
• 16.f3?! c4 17.Be4 b4! 18.Nd1 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Ng6 gives Black a small spatial advantage.

16...c4

• 16...g4 17.hxg4 h4 18.Bh2 h3 19.Ne4 Nd5 20.c4 gives White the advantage in space.

17.Be4

BLACK: Vasilios Kotronias



WHITE: Rao Prasanna
Position after 17.Bd3e4

17...Nc6!?

• Black seems to lose the threat of the game here. His biggest problem is the mobility of the kingside, where the Rook is tied to the defense of the h-pawn.
• If 17...g4 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.Ne4 then:
• 19...Nf5 20.Red1 Be7 21.Rxd8+ Bxd8 22.hxg4 Nxg3 23.Nxg3 gives White the advantage in space after 23...hxg4 24.Ne4.
• 19...Nd5 20.h4 Qc6 21.Rad1 Bb4 22.Nd6+ Bxd6 23.exd6 gives White the advantage in space and bone in Black's throat at e6.
• If 17...Nf5 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.Ne4 Be7 20.Rad1 then:
• 20...Qc6 21.Qf3 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Kf8 23.Qe2 gives White more active pieces.
• 20...Rd5 21.Rxd5 Qxd5 22.c3 Nxg3 23.Nxg3 g4 24.Rd1 gives White a strong initiative.
• 20...Nxg3 21.Rxd8+ Kxd8 22.Nxg3 g4 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.Rd1+ gives White more active pieces in the center.

18.Rad1!

• If 18.Qe3 b4 19.Ne2 Rg8 20.Rad1 h4 21.Bh2 gives White only a small advantage in space.

18...Bc5?!

• If 18...Bb4 19.Qe3 then:
• 19...Rg8 20.a3 Bxc3 21.Qxc3 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 gives White a small advantage in space.
• 19...h4 20.Bh2 Rg8 21.a3 Bxc3 22.Qxc3 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 gives White the advantage in space.

19.Qf3!

• White nets more space.
• Also good is 19.Rxd8+ Qxd8 20.Rd1 Qc7 21.Qf3 b4 22.Ne2.

19...Rh6?!

• This is the kind of situation my staff and I really hate. Black isn't quite lost, but he's not likely to recover from this pickle, either.
• 19...Rd4 20.a3 g4 21.hxg4 hxg4 22.Qxg4 Ne7 23.Qf3 gives Black a much better chance at coming back.

20.h4 g4 21.Qf4!

• White takes even more space.
• Also good is 21.Rxd8+! Nxd8 22.Qf4 Rh8 23.Rd1 Nc6 24.a3.

21...Rh8 22.Rd6

• Somewhat stronger is 22.Rxd8+! Nxd8 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Ne4.

22...Rf8?

• Black's King no longer has room to maneuver out of trouble.
• Little better is 22...Rd7 23.Rxd7 Qxd7 24.Rd1 Qc7 25.a3, which is identicle to the note after White's 21st move.

23.Qh6!

• The pincer attack on e6 is very powerful.
• Also good is 23.Rxd8+ Kxd8 24.Qg5+ Kc8.

23...b4 24.Rxe6+ Ne7

BLACK: Vasilios Kotronias



WHITE: Rao Prasanna
Position after 24...Nc6e7

25.Rxe7+!!

• White nails down the game with an exchange sacrifice.
• Also good is 25.Rd6 Rb8 26.Nd5 Bxd5 27.Bxd5.

25...Qxe7 26.Bxb7 Qxb7 27.Ne4

• 27.e6 Be7 28.Nd5 Qxd5 29.exf7+ Rxf7 30.Re5 also wins.

27...Qb6 28.e6 Bd4

• 28...Qxe6 29.Nf6+ Ke7 30.Rxe6+ fxe6 31.Qg5 Rxf6 32.Qxc5+ is time to turn out the lights.

29.Nf6+ Ke7 30.exf7+ Kxf7 31.Qxh5+!! 1-0

• White mates in two.
• Vasilios resigns.