Reply #8: Ftacnik - Roiz, Round 15 (played in Breman)

[Jack Rabbit]

Michael Roiz
Photo: ChessBase.de (Germany)


Lubomir Ftacnik (Hamburg) - Michael Roiz (Breman)
Bundesliga 0809, Round 15
Bremen, 29 March 2009

Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit: Accelerated Meran Defense

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 a6

• 5...Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 is the Meran Defense.

6.b3

• 6.Qc2 is the Stoltz Opening. See Koneru-Pérez, IT, Merida, 2008.

6...Bb4 7.Bd2 Bd6

• If 7...Nbd7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 then:
• If 9...Bd6 then:
• If 10.Qc2 h6 then:
• If 11.Ne2 Re8 12.Ng3 then:
• If 12...c5 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Bc3 b6 then:
• 15.Rfd1 Bb7 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.Rac1 Bxg3 18.hxg3 is equal (Navara-Dreev, Greek ChT, Ermioni, 2006).
• 15.Rad1 Bb7 16.Qb2 Ne4 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Nd2 Qg5 gives Black the advantage in space (I. Sokolov-Najer, IT, Poikovsky,2006).
• 12...e5 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Rad1 exd4 15.Nxd4 b5 16.Bh7+ gives White the initiative (Gelfand-I. Sokolov, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2006).
• If 11.Rad1 e5 12.cxd5 cxd5 then:
• 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Nf6 17.Nf3 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Re8 19.Qd4 Bf8 is equal (Radjabov-Erenburg, World Blitz Ch, Rashon Le Zion, 2006).
• 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Ne2 Bg4 16.f3 Rc8 17.Qb1 Bd7 18.Rc1 Qb6 19.Rxc8 Rxc8 20.Rc1 Re8 is equal (Sargissian-L. B. Hansen, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 10.e4 e5 11.c5 Bc7 12.Na4 exd4 13.h3 Re8 14.Re1 h6 15.Rb1 Nf8 16.Qc2 N6d7 17.Rbd1 Qf6 18.Nxd4 Ne5 19.Bf1 is equal (Riazantsev-Sakaev, Russian Ch, Moscow, 2008).
• If 9...Qe7 10.Qc2 then:
• 10...dxc4 11.bxc4 e5 12.Ne4 Bxd2 13.Nexd2 Re8 14.Bf5 c5 15.Rab1 e4 16.Ng5 Nf8 17.Bxc8 Raxc8 is equal (Matveeva-Stefanova, No Urals Cup, Krasnoturyinsk, 2006).
10.Qc2 (
• 10...h6 11.Rfe1 Re8 12.e4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 e5 14.d5 Nb6 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Ne2 Nxc4 17.Qxc4 is equal (Ju Wenjun-Stefanova, FIDE Knock Out W, Nalchik, 2008).

8.Bd3 c5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Qb1!?

• 11.0-0 0-0 12.Qc2 Nc6 13.Ne2 Qe7 14.Bc3 Ne4 15.Rad1 Bd6 16.Ba1 Bg4 is equal (Beliavsky-E. Agrest, IT, Malmø, 2004).

11...Nc6

• The game is equal.
• 11...Bg4 12.Nd4 Bxd4 13.exd4 Nc6 14.f3 Bh5 15.Be3 is also equal.

12.0-0 Bg4 13.Bf5?

• Perhaps the thought was simply to employ an unorthodox move in a sharp position, but this one creates more problems for White to solve than for Black.
• 13.Be2 Rc8 14.Rd1 0-0 15.Bf1 Qe7 16.Qd3 Rfd8 gives Black the advantage in space.

BLACK: Michael Roiz
!""""""""#
$t+ Wl+ T%
$+o+ +oOo%
$o+m+ M +%
$+ Vo+b+ %
$ + + +v+%
$+pN Pn+ %
$p+ B PpP%
$Rq+ +rK %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Lubomir Ftacnik
Position after 13.Bd3f5

13...Bxf3!

• Black takes the opportunity to disrupt Black's kingside pawns.
• 13...Bxf5 14.Qxf5 Qd7 15.Qg5 0-0 16.Na4 Ba7 17.Bc3 remains equal.

14.gxf3 0-0 15.Rd1 Qe7 16.Na4

• Black has obtained the better game.
• 16.Qc2 Rad8 17.Na4 Ba7 18.Re1 d4 19.Nb2 dxe3 gives Black the active game.
• If 16.Bc1 Rad8 17.Qc2 d4 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 then:
• If 19...Kh8 then after 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Rd3 Qg5+ Black has the initiative.
• If 19...g6!? then after 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.e4 f5 22.Qc4+ Black is better, but White can play against the Black King on open diagonals and against Black's weak pawns.

16...Ba7 17.Bh3

• After 17.Bc3 b5 18.Nb2 g6 19.Bc2 d4 20.exd4 Nd5 the Bishop at c3 must abandon the d-pawn, which then falls.

17...Rad8 18.Nb2 d4 19.e4 d3

• Also good is 19...Nh5! 20.Bg4 Bb8 21.Bxh5 Qh4 22.f4 Qxh5 when:
• If 23.Qd3 then after Rd6 24.h3 Re8 25.Re1 Rde6 Black threatens to break White central phalanx.
• 23.h3 Rfe8 24.Qd3 Qg6+ 25.Qg3 Rxe4 26.Qxg6 fxg6 leaves Black a pawn up.
• If 19...Nd7 20.f4 d3 then:
• 21.Nxd3 Qxe4 22.Bg2 Qe2 23.Bc3 Rfe8 gives Black the active game.
• If 21.Bg2 Bd4 22.Nxd3 Bxa1 23.Qxa1 Nc5 24.Nxc5 Qxc5 gives Black a material advantage.

Qxe4 22.Bg2 Qe2 23.Bc3 Rfe8 gives Black the active game.
20.Nxd3 Bd4 21.Be3 Rfe8

• There's still room for Black to make mistakes.
• A bad move, but not implausible, is 21...Bxa1? 22.Bc5 Qc7 23.Bxf8 Be5 24.Ba3, equalizing.
• Best is 21...Ne5! 22.Bxd4 Nxf3+ 23.Kh1 Rxd4 24.Bg2 Nh4 when Black's activity is threaten to overwhelm White quickly.

22.Bxd4

• If 22.Nb2 then 22...Qe5 23.Bxd4 Nxd4 24.Rd3 Nh5 25.Bg4 Nf4 puts Black well on the path to victory.

22...Nxd4 23.Kh1 Nxf3 24.Ne1

• If 24.e5 Ne4 25.Bg2 Rxd3! then:
• 26.Rd2 Nfxd2 27.Qg1 Qh4 wins for Black.
• 26.Rxd3 Nxf2#.

24...Nxe4 25.Rxd8

• If 25.Qb2 Nfd2 26.Bg4 Qg5 then:
• 27.Ng2 Qxg4 28.Rf1 Nf3 29.Qc1 g5 30.Qe3 Qh3 White must give up the Queen to prevent a quick mate.
• 27.f3 Nf2+ 28.Kg1 Re2 29.Rxd2 Rexd2 30.Qc3 Nxg4 the end is near.

BLACK: Michael Roiz
!""""""""#
$ + Rt+l+%
$+o+ WoOo%
$o+ + + +%
$+ + + + %
$ + +m+ +%
$+p+ +m+b%
$p+ + P P%
$Rq+ N +k%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Lubomir Ftacnik
Position after 25.Rd1d8:R

25...Nxf2+!!

• Black finds the swashbuckler's way to conclude the game.
• If 25...Rxd8! then Black also wins after 26.Nxf3 Rd1+ when:
• If 27.Kg2 Rxb1 28.Rxb1 Qc5 Black has a material advantage and the active game.
• If 27.Qxd1 then after 27...Nxf2+ 28.Kg2 Nxd1 29.Rxd1 Qe2+ Black wins the Rook.

26.Kg2 Nh4+ 27.Kxf2 Qe3+ 28.Kf1 Qxh3+ 0-1
<[br />

• 29.Kg1 Qe3+ 30.Kh1 Rxd8leaves Black up by two pawns.
• Dr. Ftacnik resigns.