1.e4
c5
2.Nf3
d6
3.d4
cxd4
4.Nxd4
Nf6
5.Nc3
a6
6.Bg5
(One of the critical lines against the Sicilian Najdorf is making its way back.)
6...Nbd7
[(A fresh recent trend to replace the usual 6...e6
]
7.f4
[The main variation used to be 7.Bc4
Qa5
8.Qd2
e6
9.0-0-0
b5
10.Bb3
Bb7
11.Rhe1
and here some American players, led by GMs Sammy Reshevsky and Bill Lombardy, turned the long castle 11...0-0-0
into a short one by shifting the King and the Rook one square to their right. For example the game Westerinen-Lombardy, Helsinki 1961, continued: 12.a3
Be7
13.Kb1
Kb8
14.f3
Rc8
15.Ba2
Rhd8
and black was ready for middlegame battle.; Different approach is sought today: 7.Bc4
Qb6
(or 7...e6
8.Bb3
Nc5
) 8.Bb3
e6
9.Qd2
Be7
10.0-0-0
Nc5
as in Shirov-Dominguez Perez, Wijk aan Zee 2010.]
7...Qb6
[Black can also turn the solid 7...Qc7
into an interesting gambit 8.Qf3
h6
9.Bh4
g5!?
10.fxg5
hxg5
11.Bxg5
Qc5!
12.Nf5
(12.Be3
Ne5
13.Qe2
Neg4
14.Bg1
Bh6
gives black plenty of play.) 12...e6
13.Be3
Qb4
14.0-0-0
exf5
15.Qxf5
Rh5
16.Qf3
Be7
17.Be2
Ne5
18.Qf4
Bg4
19.Bxg4
Nc4
20.Rd3
Qxb2+
21.Kd1
Qa1+
22.Bc1
Nb2+
23.Ke2
Nxd3
24.cxd3
Qxc3
25.Bxh5
Nxh5
26.Qh6
Qg7
0-1 Kanovsky,D (2489)-Navara,D (2718)/Ostrava 2010/CB18_2010]
8.Qd2
This version of the poisoned pawn may have more venom.
8...Qxb2
9.Rb1
Qa3
10.Bxf6!?
[The sharpest. In the game Fernandez-Van Wely, Las Vegas 2009, white tried 10.Be2
g6
11.Bxf6
Nxf6
12.e5
dxe5
13.fxe5
Bh6
14.Qd3
Ng4
15.e6
Ne3
16.exf7+
Kxf7
17.Rb3
Qc5
18.Rf1+
Kg7
19.Ne4
Qa5+
20.c3
Rd8
and Black won.]
10...Nxf6!?
[Laznicka has done a good homework. For many years, Black tried only 10...gxf6
11.Nd5
Rb8
12.Rb3
Qa4
but after a discovery of the late Latvian IM Alvis Vitolins 13.Bxa6!
e5
(13...bxa6?
14.Qc3!
threatening 14.Rxb8, White wins because Black can't defend the back rank.; 13...Qxa6
14.Nc7+
wins.) 14.fxe5!
dxe5
(14...fxe5
15.Rb4
Qxa2
16.Qg5
Qa5
17.Nb5
wins.) 15.Nxf6+
Kd8
16.Nxd7
Qxd7
17.Nc6+
wins.]
11.e5
Both players begin to walk through a mine field.
11...dxe5!?
[An improvement on previously played 11...Ng4
12.Nd5
(After 12.h3
dxe5
13.Ndb5
Qa5
14.Qd5
Qb6
15.hxg4
Qe3+
16.Be2
axb5
17.Nxb5
e6
18.Nc7+
Ke7
Black survives.) 12...Qc5
(After 12...Qxa2
13.Rb3
Qa1+
(13...Rb8
14.Be2+/-
) 14.Ke2
Rb8
15.exd6
e6
16.Kf3+/=
) 13.Nb3
Qc6
14.Na5
Qc5
(14...Qd7
15.Nb6
) 15.Nxb7
Bxb7
16.Rxb7
and white should win.]
12.fxe5
Ng4
13.Nd5
Qc5
14.Nb3
Qc6
15.Na5
[White misses two dazzling possiblities: 15.Qa5!?
b6
16.Nd4!?
(or 16.Bb5!?
axb5
(16...Qxb5
17.Nc7+
Kd7
18.Qxb5+
axb5
19.Nxa8
) 17.Qxa8
Qxa8
18.Nc7+
Kd7
19.Nxa8
Kc6
(19...Bb7
20.Rd1+
Kc6
21.Rd8
Nxe5
22.0-0+/=
) 20.Nd4+
Kb7
21.Nxb6
Kxb6
22.Rxb5+
Kc7
23.0-0+/=
) 16...bxa5
17.Nxc6
e6
18.Nc7+
Kd7
19.Nxa8
Kxc6
20.Rb6+
with advantage.]
15...Qd7
16.Nc4
[One can see the importance of the exchange on e5. Black is able to exchange Queens 16.Nb6
Qxd2+
17.Kxd2
Rb8
and survive.]
16...e6!
(Laznicka made it a great habbit, giving up Exchanges at the World Open.)
17.Ncb6?!
[It is tempting to win the Exchange, but White could have played for a steady edge with 17.Ndb6
Qxd2+
18.Kxd2
Rb8
19.Be2
Nf2
20.Rhf1
Ne4+
21.Kd3
Nc5+
22.Kd4
Nd7
(22...f5
23.Bf3+/=
) 23.Nd6++/=
]
17...Qc6
18.Nxa8
exd5
(Black will get a pawn for the Exchange and his pieces are more fluid.)
19.Be2
[After the Bishop move the chances begin to tilt to Black. 19.h3
is more forcing to balance the game, for example 19...Nxe5
20.Qxd5
Qc3+
21.Qd2
Qxd2+
22.Kxd2
Bd6=
]
19...b5
20.Qa5
[20.Qxd5
Qc3+
21.Qd2
Qxe5
22.Rd1
f5=/+
]
20...Ne3
21.Nc7+
Kd7
22.Nxb5
The Knight escapes, but Black is still better. [22.Rb3
Nc4=/+
; 22.Rf1
Nxf1
23.Bg4+
Ke7
24.Bxc8
Ne3=/+
]
22...Bc5?!
[Black could have increased his advantage witha pin: 22...Qc5!
23.Qa4
(23.Rf1
axb5!
) 23...axb5
24.Rxb5
Qa3
25.Rb7+
Kd8-/+
]
23.Nd6!
Bd4
[After 23...Bxd6
24.exd6
Qxd6
25.Bf3
the white King is safer.]
24.c4
[24.Rb3
seems to be a better way to cope with the threat 24...Bc3+ 24...Ke7
25.Nxc8+
Rxc8
26.Qa3+
with White's edge.]
24...dxc4
[24...Bxe5
25.c5=
]
25.Bf3
[Playing for a better endgame 25.Rf1!?
Nxf1
26.Kxf1
Ke7
27.Bxc4
Qc5
28.Qxc5
Bxc5
29.Nxc8+
Rxc8
30.Rb7+
Kd8
31.Rxf7
Bd4
32.Bxa6
Rc1+
33.Ke2
Bxe5
34.a4+/=
was a way to go. Laznicka gets some play now.]
25...Nxg2+
26.Bxg2
Qxg2
27.Rf1?
[White collapses and makes a blunder. He could have stayed in the game with 27.Qa4+
Ke7
(27...Qc6
28.Qxc6+
Kxc6
29.Rb8
(29.Nxf7?
Rf8
30.Rf1
Kd5
31.Nd6
Rxf1+
32.Kxf1
Be6-+
) 29...Bc3+
30.Kf2
Bd4+
31.Ke1
Bc3+=
) 28.Nf5+!
Kd8
(28...Bxf5
29.Qb4+
Ke8
30.Qb8++-
) 29.Qa5+
Kd7
30.Qa4+
Kd8=
]
27...Ke6?
[Laznicka could have turned the table with 27...Qc2!
28.Rxf7+
Ke6
29.Rb4
Bc3+
30.Kf1
Qc1+
31.Kg2
Qd2+
32.Rf2
Bxb4
33.Qc7
Qd5+
34.Kg1
Bc5
35.Qf7+
Kxe5
36.Nxc4+
Kd4-+
]
28.Qb4
[Smith missed the opportunity to attack with 28.Rb6!
Bxb6
29.Qxb6
Kd5
30.Nxc4!
Qe4+
(30...Kxc4?
31.Rf4+
and White mates soon.) 31.Ne3+
Kxe5
32.Rxf7
Re8
33.Ke2
and the black King is not out of the woods yet.]
28...Qd5
29.Nxc4?
[Keeping the Queens on the board may backfire. After 29.Qxc4!?
Qxc4
30.Nxc4
Bd7
the position is roughly in balance.]
29...Rd8!
30.Nd2
Qxe5+
31.Kd1
Threatening to pin with 32.Re1.
31...f5?
[A blunder that almost cost Laznicka the game. He should have gone out of the possible pin along the e-file: 31...Qd5!
32.Re1+
(32.Rb3
Bc5
33.Re1+
Kf5
34.Rf1+
Kg6
35.Rg3+
Kh5
and the King escapes.) 32...Kf6
33.Qe7+
Kg6-+
]
32.Re1
Be3
33.Qb3+
Kf6
34.Rxe3
[White is a Rook up, but 34.Qxe3+-
was more efficent to win.]
34...Qxh2
35.Qc3+
Kf7
36.Qb3+
[White could have played 36.Kc2!
immediately, for example 36...f4
(36...Bd7
37.Rb7+-
) 37.Qc7++-
]
36...Kf6
37.Qc3+
[37.Rd3
wins easily.]
37...Kf7
38.Kc2!
(Finally!)
38...f4
(Trying to open up his Bishop, but Black is still lost.)
39.Rf3?
[Giving away the win. It was achievable with 39.Qc7+
Bd7
40.Rd3+-
; 39.Rb7+
Bxb7
40.Qc7+
Kg6
41.Re6+
Kh5
42.Re5+
Kh6
43.Qxd8+-
]
39...Bf5+
40.Kc1
Rc8?
[The wrong move before time control. 40...Rxd2!
was objectively best, for example 41.Qxd2
Qg1+
42.Qd1
Qxd1+
43.Kxd1
Bxb1
44.Rxf4+
Ke6
45.Ra4
Bd3=
; 40...Qe2
was another good possibility, e.g. 41.Rb7+
Ke8
42.Rxg7
Qe1+
43.Kb2
Qxd2+
(43...Rxd2+
44.Ka3
) 44.Qxd2
Rxd2+
45.Kc3
Rxa2
46.Rxf4
Bg6
and Black should be able to make a draw.]
41.Nc4?
[Losing. After 41.Rb7+
Kf8
42.Rc7
White wins.]
41...Qg1+
42.Kd2
Rd8+
43.Ke2
Qxb1
44.Ne5+
Ke6
45.Qc6+
Kxe5
46.Qc7+
Rd6
47.Qxg7+
Kd5
[After 47...Kd5
48.Qg8+
Re6+
wins.] 0-1