[Event "Chigorin Memorial Open"]
[Site "St Petersburg RUS"]
[Date "2011.10.22"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Kovchan, Alexander"]
[Black "Khalifman, Alexander"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B09"]
[WhiteElo "2569"]
[BlackElo "2627"]
[Annotator "Müller,Karsten"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2011.10.14"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceDate "2011.10.23"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. f4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Qa5 7. Bd3 Qxc5 8. Qe2
Bg4 9. Be3 Qa5 10. O-O O-O 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Nc6 13. Kh1 Rac8 14. Bd2 Nd7
15. Rab1 a6 16. Be1 Qd8 17. Bh4 Bf6 18. Bxf6 Nxf6 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Nb8 21.
Rbe1 Nd7 22. Qe3 Nf6 23. Qxe7 Qxe7 24. Rxe7 b5 25. Ra7 Ra8 26. Rxa8 Rxa8 27. f5
Kg7 28. fxg6 hxg6 29. a4 bxa4 30. Ra1 Rb8 31. Rxa4 Rxb2 32. Rxa6 Nxd5 33. Rxd6
Nb4 34. c3 Nxd3 35. Rxd3 f5 36. Kh2 f4 37. h4 g5 38. Kh3 gxh4 39. Rf3 Rc2 40.
Kxh4 Rxg2 41. Rxf4 Rg6 42. Rf5 Rc6 43. Rf3 Rh6+ 44. Kg3 Rg6+ 45. Kf2 Rf6 $5 (
45... Re6 {works as well, e.g.} 46. Re3 Kf6 47. Rxe6+ Kxe6 48. Ke3 Kd5 49. Kd3
Kc5 $11) ({But not} 45... Rc6 $2 46. Ke2 Rc8 (46... Rf6 $6 47. Rxf6 Kxf6 48.
Kd3 Ke5 49. Kc4 Kd6 50. Kb5 $18 {[%csl Gb5,Gc5,Gd5]}) 47. Kd3 Rd8+ 48. Kc2 Rc8
49. Rf1 Kg6 50. Kd3 Rd8+ 51. Kc4 Rc8+ 52. Kb4 Rb8+ 53. Ka5 {Typical technique!}
Ra8+ (53... Rc8 54. Rc1 Kf6 55. c4 Ke7 56. Kb6 $18) 54. Kb6 Rb8+ 55. Kc7 Rb2
56. c4 Rc2 57. Rf4 Kg5 58. Rd4 Kf6 59. Kd6 Kf7 60. c5 Ke8 61. Kc6 $18 {[%cal
Gd4d8] And White wins as his c-pawn has crossed the middle of the board.}) 46.
Ke3 Rxf3+ 47. Kxf3 {[%csl Gb5,Gc5,Gd5,Ye5,Yf5,Yg5] The key squares are b5,c5
and d5. When White's king manages to reach one of them White will win. As both
kings are still on the kingside e5,f5 and g5 would also be sufficient if
Black's king remains on the kingside. So Black must defend those squares as
well:} Kf7 $3 {[%csl Gf3,Gf7] Distant opposition} (47... Kf6 $2 48. Kf4 Ke6 49.
Ke4 Kd6 50. Kd4 Kc6 51. Kc4 {[%csl Gb5,Gc5,Gd5]} Kd6 52. Kb5 Kc7 53. Kc5 $1 (
53. c4 $2 {Warning: advancing the pawn changes the key squares!} Kb7 54. Kc5
Kc7 $11 {[%csl Gb6,Gc6,Gd6]}) 53... Kd7 54. Kb6 Kc8 55. c4 {[%csl Gb6,Gc6,Gd6]}
Kb8 56. c5 {[%csl Gb6,Gb7,Gc6,Gc7,Gd6,Gd7] When the pawn has crossed the
middle of the board it has 6 key squares.} Kc8 57. Kc6 Kb8 58. Kd7 $18 {[%cal
Gc5c8]}) 48. Kf4 Kf6 $1 {[%csl Gf4,Gf6] Opposition} 49. Ke4 Ke6 50. Kd4 Kd6 51.
Kc4 Kc6 {[%csl Gb5,Gc5,Gd5]} 52. Kd4 (52. Kd4 Kd6 53. c4 Kc6 54. c5 Kc7 55. Kd5
Kd7 56. c6+ Kc7 57. Kc5 Kc8 $1 {The last point.} (57... Kd8 $2 58. Kd6 Kc8 59.
c7 Kb7 60. Kd7 $18) 58. Kd6 Kd8 59. c7+ Kc8 60. Kc6 {stalemate}) 1/2-1/2

