Dannemann Classico

(1) Kosteniuk,A - Karjakin,S [C67] Dannemann Classico 2003 (1), 2003 [Werner Hug] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 The favourite line of the pot stars is being played with astonishing competence by these two youngsters: Sweshnikov: "This line is actually not good for young people." 9...Ke8 10.h3 Be7 11.Rd1 Nh4!? "threatens" a gentleman's draw by repetition. 12.Nd4 Nf5 13.Nde2! To the delight of the public and the sponsors Dannemann Alexandra Kosteniuk plays for a win. 13...h5 14.Ne4 h4 15.c4?! Perhaps this was the cause of the coming problems. Much easier was simply Bg5 +=. 15...a5 16.Bd2 a4! Both rooks will immediately join in the game. 17.Nf4 Nd4 18.Bc3 Ne6 19.Nd3 Naturally White must not exchange on e6. [ However the other retreat was better: 19.Ne2 Nc5 20.Nxc5 Bxc5 21.b4! +/=] 19...b6 20.Re1 c5 21.f4 The knight on d3 is at maximum distance to support the thrust f4-f5. 21...Rh5! 22.Re3 Bb7 23.Rf1 Rd8 24.Nc1! Very well played. According to Fritz this is the only reasonable move. 24...Rf5 25.Ne2 The critical moment for Black. Should he play ...g5 immediately or should he first exchange on e4? 25...Bxe4?! Perhaps too easy. [ 25...g5 26.Nf6+ Bxf6 27.exf6 Kf8 28.Re5 Rxe5 29.fxe5 a3!! promises more] 26.Rxe4 g5 27.fxg5 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Rd1+ 29.Kf2 Bxg5 30.g3?! The move a3 simply equalised. 30...hxg3+ 31.Kxg3 Rd3+ 32.Kg4 Bd2 Kosteniuk's position is critical and she is in time trouble. But she has her nerves under control. 33.Bxd2 Rxd2 34.b3 Rxa2 35.bxa4 Rxa4 36.h4? Nc3 easily holds the game. 36...Nd4 37.h5 Nxe2 38.Rxe2 Rxc4+ 39.Kg5 Kf8 40.h6 Kg8 On his last move before the time control young Karjakin misses the principle move ...Rc1, which wins easily. 41.e6! fxe6 42.Rxe6 [ After 42.Rxe6 Rc1 43.Re8+ Kh7 ( 43...Kf7?? 44.h7 Kxe8 45.h8Q+ ) 44.Re7+ Kh8 45.Re8+ the game is a draw by permanent check.] 1/2-1/2

(2) Karjakin,S - Kosteniuk,A [B32] Dannemann Classico 2003 (2), 2003 [Schulz,A] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 This variation is often humorously called the "Kalashnikov Variation", but the name Semi Sveshnikov would be more appropriate because the ideas are the same as in the full Sveshikov. [ The original Sveshnikov goes 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 ] 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 [ The main continuation is 6.c4 ] 6...a6 7.Na3 b5 8.Nd5 Nce7 9.c4 Nxd5 10.exd5 bxc4 11.Nxc4 Be7 12.Bd2 a5 13.Qb3N Nf6 14.Nb6 a4 15.Bb5+ [ Better was perhaps 15.Qb4!? Rb8 ( 15...Ra7 16.Nxc8 Qxc8 17.Bb5+ ) 16.Qxa4+ ] 15...Bd7 16.Bxd7+ Nxd7 17.Nxa4 Black has lost a pawn but has enough counterplay 17...Bg5 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.0-0 0-0 20.Nc3 f5 [ 20...Rfb8!? ] 21.Qb4 [ 21.Qb5!? ] 21...Nc5 22.f4 Qg6 23.fxe5 Rab8 24.Qa3 Ra8 25.Qb4 Rab8 26.Qa3 1/2-1/2

(3) Kosteniuk,A - Karjakin,S [C67] Dannemann Classico 2003 (3), 2003 [Werner Hug] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 Be7 11.Rd1 Nh4 12.Nd4 Same procedure as the last time? 12...Ng6 Nope... 13.f4 Bc5 14.Be3 h5 15.Kf2 h4 16.Kf3 Bxd4 17.Bxd4 Rh5 Necessary, since the hidden threat was 18.e6 f6 19.f5 or 18...Bxe6 19.Bg7. 18.Be3 Be6 19.Ne4 b6 20.b3 Ke7 21.Ng5 Bf5 22.Rd2 a5 23.Rad1 Ke8!? Very well played. The white intention was e6 and after f6 Rd7 with check. 24.Bf2 Ne7 25.c4 Rh6 26.Ke3 Bg6! Surprisingly strong. Karjakin finds the optimal positions for his light pieces. 27.Nf3 Nf5+ 28.Ke2 Bh5 For the first time Black is more comfortable 29.Rd3 c5 30.Kf1 a4! 31.bxa4 Bxf3 32.gxf3 Re6!! A thunderbolt. The following line only achieves a draw. [ 32...Rxa4 33.Rd8+ Ke7 34.R1d7+ Ke6 35.Rxc7 Rxc4 36.Re8+ Kd5 37.Rd8+ ] 33.a5 f6 34.exf6 Rxf6! 35.Re1+ Kf7 36.Ra3 Nd6 37.Bxh4 Nxc4 38.Bxf6 Nxa3 39.Bc3 Nc4 40.Re2 Nxa5 41.Rg2 g6 42.f5 The best drawing chance 42...gxf5 43.Rg7+ Ke6 44.h4 Nc4 Does this give away the win? Nc6 was the best option. 45.h5 Ne3+ 46.Kg1 Nd5 47.Rg6+ Kf7 48.Rg7+ Kf8 49.Bb2 c4 50.h6 c3 51.Bc1 Auch Lxc3 gibt Remischancen. 51...Rd8 52.Kf2 f4 53.Rg4 b5 54.Ke2 Kf7 55.h7? Time trouble has come and Kosteniuk is playing to simply. But it is difficult to hold the position with only five minutes on your clock. 55...Rh8 56.Rh4 Kg6 57.Rg4+ Kxh7 58.Bxf4 Ra8 59.Kd3 Rxa2 60.Bc1 c5 61.Rg5 Nb4+ 62.Ke4 Re2+ 63.Kf5 Nd3 64.Kf6 Nxc1 65.Rxc5 Re3 66.f4 Ne2 67.f5 Nd4 68.Rc7+ Kh6 69.Rc8 Kh5 70.Rc5 b4 71.Kg7 Nxf5+ 72.Rxf5+ Kg4 73.Rc5 b3 0-1

(4) Karjakin,S - Kosteniuk,A [B32] Dannemann Classico 2003 (4), 2003 [Schulz,A] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 Kosteniuk plays the same line as in the second game. 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 a6 7.Na3 b5 8.Nd5 Nce7 9.c4 Nxd5 10.exd5 bxc4 11.Nxc4 Nf6 [ In the second game the continuation was 11...Be7 12.Bd2 a5 13.Qb3 ] 12.Be3 Rb8 13.Be2 Be7 14.a4 0-0 15.0-0 Bb7 16.Nb6 Nd7 17.a5 f5 18.f3 Nxb6 19.Bxb6 Qd7 20.b4 Bd8 21.Be3N The novelty 21...Bf6 22.Rb1 Black must now always reckon with the b4-b5 push. In addition the pawn on a6 is weak. On the other hand White has a weak pawn on d5 and Black can push his e or f-pawns. White is probably somewhat better, mainly because of his space advantage. 22...Qf7 23.Bc4 Rfc8 24.Qd3 [ 24.Bb3? Rc3 25.Qd2 Rbc8 +/=] 24...Ra8 25.Rfc1 Qh5 26.Bb3 Bg5 27.Qd2 Bxe3+ [ 27...f4!? 28.Bb6 Bd8 29.Bf2 Bh4 ] 28.Qxe3 Qf7 29.Qb6 Bxd5 [ Even after 29...Qe7 30.Rc4 White is better] 30.Qxa6 A tactical shot with a number of points [ 30.Rxc8+ Rxc8 31.Qxa6 +/-] 30...Rxc1+? [ 30...Rcb8!? with the idea 31.Qd3 ( 31.Bxd5 Qxd5 32.Qc6 Qxc6 33.Rxc6 Rxa5= ) 31...Bxb3 32.Rxb3 e4 33.fxe4 fxe4 and in case of 34.Qc4 Qxc4 35.Rxc4 then 35...Rxa5 is possible 36.bxa5 Rxb3 37.Ra4 Rb7 38.a6 Ra7 39.Kf2 d5 40.Ke3 Kf7 41.Ra5 Ke6 42.Kd4 g5= ] 31.Rxc1 Rxa6 [ 31...Rd8 32.Rc8+- ; 31...Rf8 32.Bxd5 Qxd5 33.Qc4 Qxc4 34.Rxc4 Ra8 35.Rc6 d5 36.Rc5+- ] 32.Rc8+ Qe8 [ 32...Qf8 fails to 33.Bxd5+ Kh8 34.Rxf8# ] 33.Rxe8+ Kf7 34.Ra8 [ 34.Ra8 Rxa8 35.Bxd5+ Ke7 36.Bxa8+- ] 1-0

(5) Kosteniuk,A - Karjakin,S [C67] Dannemann Classico 2003 (5), 2003 [Schulz,A] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 Be7 11.Rd1 Nh4 12.Nd4 Ng6 13.f4 h5 14.Be3 Nh4 15.Ne4 Nf5 16.Kf2 h4 17.Rd2 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Be6 19.Bc5 Bd8 20.a4 b6 21.Ba3 c5 22.a5 Rh5 23.b4 Kosteniuk wants to sharpen the game, because she needs to win both the remaining games in order to draw the match. [ 23.Rad1!? ] 23...Rf5 24.bxc5 [ 24.Ke3 cxb4= ( 24...g5!? ) ] 24...Rxf4+ 25.Ke3 Rf5 26.cxb6 axb6 27.axb6 Rxe5 28.Rxd8+ Kxd8 29.b7 Rb8 30.Bb2 Rb5 Karjakin offers a draw. 1/2-1/2

(6) Karjakin,S - Kosteniuk,A [B32] Dannemann Classico 2003 (6), 2003 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 a6 7.Na3 b5 8.Nd5 Nce7 9.c4 Nxd5 10.exd5 bxc4 11.Nxc4 Nf6 12.Be3 Rb8 13.Be2 Be7 14.a4 0-0 15.0-0 Bb7 16.Nb6 Nd7 17.a5 f5 18.f3 Nxb6 19.Bxb6 Qd7 20.b4 Bd8 21.Be3N Bf6 22.Rb1 Qf7 23.Bc4 Rfc8 24.Qd3 Ra8 25.Rbc1 Bd8 26.Bb3 Rab8 27.Rc6 Qf8 28.Rc4 Rxc4 29.Bxc4 Ra8 30.Rc1 Bc8 31.Bb3 Bd7 32.Bc4 Bc8 33.Bb3 1/2-1/2