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10) Game submitted by Simon Bohnenblust (Biel, Switzerland)
Vladimir Kramnik – Simon Bohnenblust
Zurich, 4 September 1999
Nimzo-Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Ne4 7.Qc2 f5 8.e3 b6 9.Nh3 Bb7 10.f3 Nf6
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11.Bd3. White has a pleasant advantage as Black's plan to control the light squares in the centre has not succeeded. 11...d6 12.b3 Nbd7 13.Bb2 Qe7 14.0-0 Rae8 15.Rae1 a5 16.Qd2 [16.b4!?] 16...Nh5 17.Nf4!? Qh4. 17...Nxf4?! plays into White's hands: 18.exf4 Qf7 19.Re2 Re7 20.Rfe1 followed by b4, with lasting pressure. 18.b4 axb4 19.axb4 e5 20.Nxh5 Qxh5 21.c5 e4
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22.Bb5! A strong positional move which provokes the weakening move ...c7-c6. 22...c6 23.Be2 Qg6 24.f4?! Very slow. 24.Ra1 was a better way of keeping the initiative as White then has more options. For example, 24...d5 (24...exf3 25.Rxf3 d5 26.Ra7 Rb8 27.Bd3 Qe6 28.Qf2) 25.Ra7 Rb8 and only now 26.f4. 24...Ra8 25.Ra1 Rxa1? The series of exchanges loses valuable time. Black should have played 25...d5 immediately. 26.Rxa1 Ra8 27.Rxa8+ Bxa8 28.b5 d5 29.cxb6? Kramnik opens the position too early. 29.Qb4, to keep the tension for the time being, was very dangerous. For instance, 29...Qe8 30.Ba3 Qb8 (30...bxc5 31.dxc5 Bb7 32.Bb2) 31.Qa4 Qc8 32.bxc6 Bxc6 33.Bb5 Bxb5 34.Qxb5. 29...cxb5
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30.Qa5. 30.Bxb5!?, with the idea of keeping more pieces on the board, came into consideration as well, but Black should be able to defend by sacrificing a pawn to exchange one minor piece to reduce the pressure: 30...Bc6 (30...Nxb6 31.Qc3 Qd6 32.Ba3 Qd8 33.Qc5) 31.Qa5 Bxb5 32.Qa8+ Kf7 33.Qxd5+ Qe6 34.Qxb5 Nxb6 with a solid blockade on the light squares. 30...Bb7 31.Qxb5 Qc6
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32.Ba3?! The resulting endgame is a clear draw. 32.Qb4 was the last chance to fight for a win. For example, 32...Qxb6 33.Qe7 Qxb2 (33...Nf6? 34.Bh5+-) 34.Qxd7 Qc1+ 35.Kf2 Qc8 36.Qd6. 32...Qxb5 33.Bxb5 Nxb6 34.Bc5 Nc4 35.Kf2 Bc8 36.h3 Kf7 37.Bc6 Be6 38.g4 g6 39.g5 draw. [Click to replay]
11) Game submitted by Christopher Brashers (Cabot, AR, USA)
The game below comes from a 33-board display.
Cyrus Lakdawala – Christopher Brashers
San Diego, 12 April 2000
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bd3 Bd7 4.c3 Nf6 5.Bc2 Nc6 6.0-0 e5 7.d4 g6 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Na3 a6?! Too ambitious. Black should develop with 9...Qe7. 10.Nc4 Qc7 11.Bg5 Ng4. 11...Bg7? 12.Qd6+-; 11...Be7?! 12.Bxf6 (12.Nd6+?! is met by 12...Kf8) 12...Bxf6 13.Qd6 is better for White. 12.h3
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12...b5? 12...Be6 13.Bb3 h6 14.Bh4 b5 offered better practical chances, but White's game is still preferable. 13.hxg4 bxc4 14.Bf6 Rg8
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15.Nd2? 15.Ba4 was much better as 15...Bxg4? can be met by 16.Qd5 Rc8 17.Nxe5+-. 15...Be6? 15...g5 16.Nf3 Rg6 17.Bxg5 Bxg4 with good counter-play was necessary. 16.Qe2 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7? 17...Nxe7 18.Nxc4 Kf8 was more tenacious. 18.Ba4 Bd7 19.Nxc4 h5 20.Rfd1 hxg4
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21.Rxd7. 21.Nb6 Qh4 22.g3 Qh5 (22...Qh3 23.Qf1) 23.Nxd7 was also possible. 21...Qxd7 22.Nxe5 Qe6 23.Bxc6+ Ke7 24.Bxa8 Qxe5 25.Bd5 Rh8
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26.Qxa6?? White probably missed the fact that Black's king will escape, while his own king will have great difficulty in finding shelter. 26.g3 Qh5 27.e5 wins easily. 26...Qh2+ 27.Kf1 Qh1+ 28.Ke2 Qxa1 29.Qb7+. 29.Qb6 Rh1 30.Qxc5+ Kf6 31.b4 g5 should also draw, in view of White's exposed king. 29...Kf6 30.Qxf7+ Kg5 31.Qe7+ Kh6 32.Qxc5 Qxb2+ 33.Ke3 Qc1+ 34.Kd4 Qd2+ and Black offered a draw, which was declined. However, in the long run White cannot escape from the checks. 35.Ke5 Qg5+. After 35...Re8+ 36.Kd6 Rxe4 37.g3 Re2 38.Qc8 Rxf2 39.Qh8+ Kg5 40.Qh4+ Kf5 41.Qe7 Re2 it is White who gives perpetual check: 42.Qf8+ Kg5 43.Qd8+=. 36.Ke6?! Unnecessarily risky. 36.Kd4 was a safe draw. 36...Re8+
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37.Kf7? Going in the wrong direction. After 37.Kd7 Black has nothing more than a draw. For example, 37...Qd8+ 38.Kc6 Qa8+ 39.Kd7 Rd8+ 40.Ke7=. 37...Qe5 38.Qe3+ Kh7 39.Qa7 Qg7+. This wins the queen and is, of course, good enough, but 39...Rg8 was even better as it forces mate. 0-1. [Click to replay]
12) Game submitted by Vladmir Sicca Gonçalves (Ribeirão Preto, Brazil)
The game below was played in an exhibition in which the master’s result was 14 wins, one draw and no losses.
Henrique Mecking – Vladmir Sicca Gonçalves
Ribeirão Preto, 17 March 2007
Ruy López
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5
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The famous Marshall attack. 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.g3 Bd6 13.Re1 Be6?! 13...Qd7 is the main line. 14.d4 c5 15.dxc5 Bxc5 16.Qf3?! 16.Nd2 was more precise. 16...Qb6
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17.Rf1. Very cautious. After 17.Nd2 Mecking probably feared 17...Bg4! but White can surprisingly play as follows: 18.Qxg4 Bxf2+ 19.Kh1!! Bxe1 20.Bxd5 Rad8 21.c4 bxc4 22.Nxc4 Qf2 23.Be3 Qf1+ 24.Bg1 Rxd5 25.Ne3 Qb5 26.Rxe1 Rd2 27.Nf5 Qb7+ 28.Qe4, and White stands slightly better. 17...Rad8 18.Nd2
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18...Ne3! Practically forcing the transition into a drawn endgame. 19.fxe3 Bxe3+ 20.Kg2?! 20.Rf2 Bxd2 21.Bxd2 Rxd2 22.Bxe6 Rxf2 23.Qxf2 Qxe6= was somewhat easier. 20...Bxd2 21.Rd1?
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21.Qf2 was called for. 21...Bxc1? Black misses his chance as this capture simply develops White's game. The strong Zwischenzug 21...Bc8! gives Black a dangerous attack. For example, 22.Rxd2 Bb7 23.Bd5 Rxd5 24.Rxd5 Qe6 25.Kg1 Bxd5 26.Qe3 Qf5. 22.Raxc1 Bxb3 23.axb3 Qh6 24.Rc2 Rd6 25.Rxd6 Qxd6 26.b4 Re8 27.Re2 Rxe2+. 27...Rd8!? was worth trying as White's king is rather less safe than Black's, so it makes sense to keep more attacking potential on the board. 28.Qxe2 Qd5+ 29.Kf2 Qf5+ 30.Qf3
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30...Qxf3+? A fatal mistake, as the pawn ending is an easy win for White owing to his active king and his outside pawn majority on the queenside. Staying in the queen ending with 30...Qc2+ draws. 31.Kxf3 Kf8 32.Ke4 Ke7 33.Kd5 Kd7 34.b3 f6?! This opens up a direct path for White's king to the kingside. But Black was lost in any case. 35.c4 bxc4 36.bxc4 g5. 36...h5 37.c5 g6 38.h3!+- also loses. 37.g4 f5 38.gxf5 h5 39.c5 1-0. [Click to replay]
13) Game submitted by Paolo Fiorelli (Cernusco, Italy)
In this tandem game the players with the white pieces alternated their moves, starting with Judit Polgar.
Judit Polgar and Andrei Istratescu – Paolo Fiorelli
Campione d’Italia, 12 April 2008
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6. The famous Dragon Variation. It is so sharp that Black must be fully aware of what he is doing. 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.h4 h5 11.Bb3. 11.0-0-0 is played much more often. 11...Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5 13.0-0-0
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13...b4? This forces the knight to enter the attack. 13...e6 or; 13...a5 would be better. 14.Nd5 a5 15.g4
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15...hxg4? 15...a4 16.Nxf6+ exf6 17.Bd5 b3 offered better chances of muddying the waters. 16.h5!
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White attacks viciously. 16...Nxh5. This allows a knock-out blow, but good advice was already hard to give as 16...gxh5 is met by 17.Qg5+-; 16...Nxd5 17.Bxd5 e5 18.hxg6 also loses. 17.Rxh5! Bxd4. 17...gxh5? 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qg5+ Kh7 20.Qxh5+ Kg7 21.Qg5+ Kh7 22.Rh1#. 18.Qg5 e6 19.Ne7+ Kg7. 19...Qxe7 20.Qxe7 Be3+ 21.Kb1 gxh5 22.Qxd7+-. 20.Rxd4 Qe8?! 20...Rh8 21.fxg4+-. 21.e5 Qxe7. 21...dxe5 22.Rxg4 Rh8 23.Rxh8 Qxh8 24.Qxe5+ f6 25.Nf5+ exf5 26.Qe7+ Kh6 27.Rh4++-. 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Qh7 mate. [Click to replay]
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