Shipwrecked in the Benoni

by André Schulz
11/30/2015 – The Canadian grandmaster Eric Hansen (Elo 2577) was favorite to win the Cultural Village tournament in Wijk aan Zee and to get invited to play in the Tata Steel Challenger tournament in January 2016. Hansen started with 5.5/6 but then something went wrong in his game against the young Georgian Nino Khomeriki. Now Nijat Abasov will play the Challengers in Wijk.

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The Cultural Village tournament in Wijk aan Zee is, of course, not as big and as prestigious as the Tata Steel tournament but it still has a certain tradition. Young players like it because the winner of the Cultural Village tournament is invited to play in the Tata Steel Challengers.

This year tournament favorite Eric Hansen had the best start. After six rounds the Canadian led the field with 5.5/6. Only Nijat Abasov could draw against Hansen and followed with 5.0/6, half a point behind the Canadian.

In the seventh round Hansen had to play the 17-year old Georgian Nino Khomeriki. Hansen started aggressively and countered Khomeriki's Benoni with the Four-Pawns-Attack. However, something went wrong for White and his attacking sacrifice soon led to nothing. It seems as if Hansen mixed up two lines in the opening.

Nino Khomeriki knows no fear

Hansen-Khomeriki

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 8...Nbd7 has been considered to be a serious mistake for a long time but seems to be playable after all. 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5 Nh5 11.e6 Qh4+ etc. 9.Nf3 The main line runs 9.a4 0-0 10.Nf3 Na6 11.0-0 Nc7 12.Bd3 a6 etc. 9...0-0 10.0-0 10.a4 10...a6 11.Bd3 b5 12.Qe1!? The most popular move is 12.Kh1 12...Re8
13.Qg3 Hansen apparently follows a game Salem-Docx, in which Black now played 13...c4 14.Bc4 and only then continued with 14...b4. But the young Georgian plays ...b4 immediately. An important different because now the white bishop is on d3 and not on c2. b4 In Salem-Docx followed: 13...c4 14.Bc2 b4 15.Na4 Nf6 16.f5 Bd7 17.Ng5 b3 18.axb3 cxb3 19.fxg6 hxg6 20.e5 Rxe5 21.Nxf7 Kxf7 22.Bxg6+ Kg8 23.Qh4 Bxa4 24.Bh7+ Kh8 25.Bg6+ Kg8 26.Rxa4 Qb6+ 27.Kh1 Qb5?? 27...Nbd7= 28.Raf4 Stronger was 28.Rxf6! Re1+ 28...Bxf6 29.Qh7+ Kf8 30.Qf7# 29.Qxe1 Qd7 30.Qh4 Bxf6 31.Qxf6 and White mates soon. 28...Qxd5 29.Bh7+? White again had the chance to win with 29.Rxf6! Bxf6 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Bh6# 29...Nxh7 30.Qd8+ Nf8 31.Rxf8+ Kh7 32.R8f3 a5? It is better to play 32...Ra7 immediately: 33.Qxb8 Rf7! 34.Rxf7 Qxf7= 33.Rg3? White wins with 33.Rh3+ Rh5 34.Rxh5+ Qxh5 35.Rf3+- 33...Ra7 34.Qxb8 Rf7 35.Rg1 a4= 36.Qc8 Rh5 37.Qe8 Qc4 37...Rh4= 38.Bg5 a3 39.Rf3 Rxg5 40.Rxf7 a2 The pawn on a2 is strong but Black's king is exposed. 41.Rf3 Qd4? 41...Bxb2? 42.Rh3+ Kg7 43.Qe7+ Kg8 44.Qxg5+ and Black is mated. correct is 41...Rg6= 42.Rgf1 42.Rh3+ Bh6 43.Qd7+ Rg7 44.Qf5+ Rg6 45.Re1 was more forcing. 42...Qxb2 43.Rh3+ Bh6 44.Qe4+ Kg8 45.Qe6+ 1-0 (45) Salem,A (2564)-Docx,S (2468) Caleta 2014 14.Na4 Another game continued 14.Nd1 Nf6 15.f5 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Rxe4 17.Ng5 Bxf5 18.Rxf5 gxf5 19.Nxe4 fxe4 20.Bh6 Qf6 21.Bxg7 Qxg7 22.Qxd6 Qd4+ 23.Kh1 a5 24.Qd8+ Kg7 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.Qd8+ Kg7 27.Qg5+ Kh8 28.Qd8+ 1/2-1/2 (28) Gil Capape,J (2434) -Glavina,P (2427) Aragon 2003 14...Nf6
14...Qa5!? 15.Bc2 Nf6 15.f5 Worth considering was 15.e5!? dxe5 16.fxe5 Nxd5 17.Be4 Be6 18.Nxc5 Nd7 but White follows the game Salem-Docx. 15...Bd7
16.Ng5 16.e5!? dxe5 17.Ng5 e4∞ 16...Bxa4 Ups - there is no bishop on c2, protecting Na4. 17.e5? The right continuation of the attack was 17.fxg6 fxg6 18.Nxh7 Nxh7 19.Qxg6 After Ra7 20.e5 Qh4 21.Rf4 Qh6 22.Qg3 dxe5 23.Rh4 Black has to give the queen: Qxh4 24.Qxh4 e4 25.Be2 Bd4+ 26.Kh1 Kh8∞ Black has a rook and two knights for the queen and seems to have the better chances. 17...Rxe5 18.fxg6 fxg6 But not 18...hxg6? 19.Nxf7 Kxf7 20.Qxg6+ Kf8 21.Bh6+- 19.Nxh7 Black is also better after 19.Ne6 Qe7 20.Nxg7 Qxg7 21.Bf4 Nbd7-+ 19...Nxh7 20.Qxg6 Qh4 and Eric Hansen did not want to continue the game. 20...Qh4 21.Bf4 Nf8 22.Qxd6 Nbd7 and White no longer has an attack. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hansen,E-Khomeriki,N-0–12015A67CVST7.3

This loss of the tournament leader gave Nijat Abasov the chance to catch up with Hansen. The next round Hansen drew against Robert Ris while Abasov won his game to become sole leader. In the ninth and final round Abasov defended his lead, won the tournament and qualified for the Tata Steel Challengers .

Robert Ris

Nijat Abasov

Nijat Abasov - Demre Kerigan

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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.0-0 Bg4 5.d4 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.Qd2 Nxf4 8.Qxf4 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qb8 10.Qd2 e6 11.c4 dxc4 12.Rc1 Nb6 13.a4 a5 14.Na3 Bb4 15.Qg5 0-0 16.Nxc4 Nxc4 17.Rxc4 Qd8 18.Qg4 Qd6 19.Rd1 e5 20.Qf5 Rad8 21.Rd3 exd4 22.e3 g6 23.Qg4 f5 24.Qh3 Qe7 25.exd4 Rfe8 26.Kg2 Qf7 27.Rc1 Qf6 28.Rcd1 Re1 29.Rxe1 Bxe1 30.Qh6 Rxd4 31.Re3 Bb4 32.Re8+ Bf8 33.Qe3 Rd8 34.Qb3+ Kh8 35.Rxd8 Qxd8 36.Qxb7 Bc5 37.Qxc6 Qd4 38.Kh3 Kg7 39.Qc7+ Kh6 40.Qf4+ Qxf4 41.gxf4 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ris,R-Duijker,R-½–½2015A07CVST1.1
Derakhshani,D-Khomeriki,N-½–½2015C96CVST1.2
Pruijssers,R-Hansen,E-0–12015C65CVST1.3
Abasov,N-Kerigan,D-1–02015B06CVST1.4
Kevlishvili,R-Lai,H-½–½2015B06CVST1.5
Khomeriki,N-Pruijssers,R-0–12015A80CVST2.1
Hansen,E-Abasov,N-½–½2015B31CVST2.2
Ris,R-Derakhshani,D-1–02015A05CVST2.3
Duijker,R-Lai,H-0–12015C11CVST2.4
Kerigan,D-Kevlishvili,R-1–02015B92CVST2.5
Derakhshani,D-Duijker,R-½–½2015C18CVST3.1
Pruijssers,R-Ris,R-0–12015B01CVST3.2
Kevlishvili,R-Hansen,E-0–12015C96CVST3.3
Abasov,N-Khomeriki,N-½–½2015A43CVST3.4
Lai,H-Kerigan,D-1–02015A40CVST3.5
Khomeriki,N-Kevlishvili,R-½–½2015A07CVST4.1
Duijker,R-Kerigan,D-½–½2015A10CVST4.2
Ris,R-Abasov,N-½–½2015D38CVST4.3
Hansen,E-Lai,H-1–02015B12CVST4.4
Derakhshani,D-Pruijssers,R-0–12015B03CVST4.5
Kerigan,D-Hansen,E-0–12015B51CVST5.1
Abasov,N-Derakhshani,D-1–02015A05CVST5.2
Kevlishvili,R-Ris,R-1–02015B27CVST5.3
Pruijssers,R-Duijker,R-1–02015C02CVST5.4
Lai,H-Khomeriki,N-½–½2015A45CVST5.5
Khomeriki,N-Kerigan,D-0–12015A04CVST6.1
Duijker,R-Hansen,E-0–12015A10CVST6.2
Derakhshani,D-Kevlishvili,R-1–02015B93CVST6.3
Ris,R-Lai,H-½–½2015E06CVST6.4
Pruijssers,R-Abasov,N-0–12015B63CVST6.5
Lai,H-Derakhshani,D-½–½2015A20CVST7.1
Kevlishvili,R-Pruijssers,R-½–½2015C63CVST7.2
Hansen,E-Khomeriki,N-0–12015A67CVST7.3
Abasov,N-Duijker,R-1–02015A48CVST7.4
Kerigan,D-Ris,R-½–½2015C47CVST7.5
Duijker,R-Khomeriki,N-0–12015A45CVST8.1
Derakhshani,D-Kerigan,D-½–½2015B09CVST8.2
Pruijssers,R-Lai,H-1–02015B06CVST8.3
Ris,R-Hansen,E-½–½2015A04CVST8.4
Abasov,N-Kevlishvili,R-1–02015A20CVST8.5
Khomeriki,N-Ris,R-½–½2015A06CVST9.1
Lai,H-Abasov,N-0–12015A30CVST9.2
Hansen,E-Derakhshani,D-1–02015C65CVST9.3
Kevlishvili,R-Duijker,R-1–02015B32CVST9.4
Kerigan,D-Pruijssers,R-0–12015C41CVST9.5

 

Artistry during the closing ceremony

Breathtaking...

And after the tournament: Chess!

Photos: Tournament page

Tournament page...

André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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