[Event "FIDE WC"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2011.09.07"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"]
[Black "Polgar, Judit"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B32"]
[WhiteElo "2719"]
[BlackElo "2699"]
[Annotator "Efstratios Grivas"]
[PlyCount "224"]
[EventDate "2011.09.07"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]

{After a patient and well conducted game yesterday, Lenier Dominguez needed
just half a point to progress. For Judit Polgar it was a must win situation,
if she wanted to be in the next round.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4
Qb6 {I will just copy the comments by a chess blog here: 'This is the famous
Grivas Sicilian with 4... Qb6, rightly named after the famous trainer
Efstratios Grivas who deeply explored it in the early 90s. The main idea of
this early queen move 4...Qb6 is to decentralize the strongly placed white
knight on the d4-square. In this way Black immediately achieves his goal.'} 5.
Nb3 Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bg5 {(D) #} ({I call the sub-variations with Bg5 (in
general) 'Poseidon'. I do not really believe they cause too much trouble for
Black to be really dangerous, but obviously Black did not felt like going for
the main lines starting with} 7. Bd3 {, when probably Judit would be somewhat
better prepared and would have felt more at home. The Grivas Sicilian helped
Black to achieve his goal as well in another crucial recent game from the FIDE
World Championship Canditate Matches, when Black had to win in order to stay
in touch with qualification:} Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. a4 d6 10. Be3 Qc7 11. f4 b6 12.
Qf3 Bb7 13. Nb5 Qb8 14. c3 e5 15. f5 a6 16. Na3 d5 17. Nd2 Qd8 18. Bf2 d4 19.
Qe2 Re8 20. Nb3 Nd7 21. Kh1 Bxa3 22. Rxa3 Nc5 23. Bc4 Na5 24. Nxa5 bxa5 25. Qh5
Qc7 26. Bd5 Bxd5 27. exd5 Ne4 28. Bg1 Qc4 29. Raa1 Qxd5 30. Rad1 d3 31. Qf3
Rad8 32. Rfe1 Nf6 33. Qxd5 Rxd5 34. c4 Rd7 35. Bb6 e4 36. c5 Rc8 37. h3 h5 38.
Kg1 h4 39. Bxa5 Rxc5 40. Bc3 Rc4 41. Bxf6 gxf6 42. b3 Rb4 43. Kf2 Rd5 44. Ke3
Rxf5 45. Rc1 Rg5 46. Rc4 Rxc4 47. bxc4 Rxg2 48. c5 Re2+ 49. Rxe2 dxe2 50. Kxe2
Kf8 {0-1 Kamsky,G-Gelfand,B Kazan 2011.}) 7... a6 (7... Be7 {is obviously one
of the main lines, but still my preferance is for}) (7... Bb4 {. In ChessBase
Magazine 135 I published an extensive analysis on this. Judit Polgar is
heading towards some even deeper sidelines when the game will become unclear
right from the opening.}) 8. Qf3 ({Technically a novelty! More usual is} 8. Bd3
d6 (8... Be7 9. Qe2 d6 10. O-O-O Bd7 11. Kb1 h6 12. Be3 Qc7 13. f4 Nb4 $13 {
Wells,D-Pickard,C Birmingham 2006}) 9. O-O Be7 {, for example:} 10. Kh1 Qc7 11.
f4 O-O 12. Qe2 b5 13. Rae1 Nd7 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 15. e5 Ng6 16. Qf3 Rb8 17. exd6
Qxd6 18. Ne4 Qc7 19. Nd4 Nc5 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 $11 {Kaminski,M-Grivas,E Moscow
1994.}) (8. Qd2 Be7 9. O-O-O O-O {converts the game into the lines of the
Richter Rauzer.}) 8... Be7 9. Qg3 d6 10. O-O-O ({Grabbing a pawn with} 10. Bxf6
Bxf6 11. Qxd6 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qd8 {is what would make Black happy in the
endgame to come, as she would have clear targets on the c-file.}) 10... O-O 11.
Kb1 ({The real novelty of the game! It is always useful to tuck the king away
after opposite castling in the Sicilian Defence. The tempo is not seen as lost,
because the king overprotects the a2-pawn and steps away from possible tactics
on the c1-h6 diagonal. By transposition} 11. Be2 {was seen in an old game:} Rd8
12. Bh6 Bf8 13. h4 Qc7 14. h5 Kh8 15. Be3 b5 16. h6 g6 17. Qf3 Ne8 18. a3 Kg8
19. Bg5 Be7 20. Bxe7 Qxe7 21. Qe3 Qa7 22. Qxa7 Rxa7 23. f4 e5 24. fxe5 Nxe5 25.
a4 bxa4 26. Nxa4 Kf8 27. Nc3 Be6 28. Nd4 Ke7 29. g4 Rc8 30. Rhg1 Nf6 31. g5
Nfd7 32. Kd2 Rb8 33. b3 Rb4 34. Ke3 Rc7 35. Na4 a5 36. Rd2 f6 37. Nb5 Rc6 38.
Nd4 Rc7 39. Nb5 Rc6 40. Nd4 Rc7 {1/2-1/2 Matanovic, A-Fuderer,A Belgrade 1952.}
) 11... Rd8 12. f4 {The position resembles the Richter-Rauzer Sicilian where
White plays an early Nb3. The main difference is that the white queen is on g3
instead of d2, where she is certainly more aggressive on this square.} Qc7 {
The lost tempo that was mentioned earlier, releasing the b7-pawn. The black
queen is awkward on b6 and Polgar decides to improve this piece. The queen not
only prevents e5 for the time being, but also clears the way for the black
b-pawn, which is always an important trump in the quest for counterplay.} 13.
Bd3 b5 14. Qh4 $5 (14. Bh6 g6 (14... Bf8 15. Bg5 Be7 $11) 15. h4 {was
interesting, and I think that White should have tried it.}) 14... h6 $1 15.
Bxh6 gxh6 (15... Nxe4 16. Qh3 $1 (16. Bg5 Bxg5 17. fxg5 Nxc3+ 18. bxc3 g6 $15)
16... Nxc3+ 17. bxc3 g6 18. Qg3 {with the idea h4 is unclear, while}) (15... b4
16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Qg5+ Kf8 18. Qh6+ Ke8 19. Nd5 $1 exd5 20. Qh8+ Kd7 21. Qh3+ {
ends in a draw by perpetual check and the qualification of Dominguez...}) 16.
Qxh6 Ne8 $2 (16... b4 {was better objectively, but Polgar is in a must-win
situation and can't afford the perpetual (see the previous note), so she is
trying to use the knight to cover the checks.}) 17. e5 $2 (17. Nd5 $1 {seems
to be very strong, the point is that the queen is attacked and capturing on d5
opens the diagonal and the e-file:} exd5 18. exd5 $16 {.}) 17... f5 $1 {The
problem for Dominguez is that he is down to ten minutes for the remaining 23
moves. This can be a cause of concern if he doesn't find a perpetual...} 18.
Bxf5 (18. Qg6+ $5 Ng7 19. h4 {was also unclear.}) 18... exf5 19. Nd5 Bf8 ({
Black again is forced to avoid} 19... Qa7 {due to} 20. Rd3 (20. Qg6+ Ng7 21.
exd6 Be6 22. Nxe7+ Nxe7 23. dxe7 Qxe7 $13) 20... Bf8 21. Rg3+ Bg7 22. Nf6+ Kf8
23. Nh7+ {with a draw.}) 20. Nxc7 Bxh6 21. Nxa8 Bxf4 22. exd6 Bxd6 {White
headed for an endgame where he will have a rook and two pawns for Black's two
minor pieces. No perpetual check, but Black can't hope to convert this into a
victory. Not without an error by White, but this possibility exists until he
reaches the time control...} 23. Nb6 Be6 24. Nd5 Kf7 25. Ne3 Nf6 26. g3 Ng4 27.
Nxg4 fxg4 28. Nd4 Nxd4 29. Rxd4 {With so little material left on the board,
there is no clear way to progress for Black, not without a mistake by
Dominguez at least!} Bc7 30. Rf1+ Ke7 31. Re4 $6 ({I do not see a way for
Black to try for something more after the simple} 31. Rxd8 Bxd8 32. b3 {, as
then Black couldn't attack White's pawns. White wrongly preserves both his
rooks on the board.}) 31... Rg8 32. a4 Bd6 33. axb5 axb5 34. Rf5 b4 35. Rh5 Rg6
36. h3 {Dominguez is reaching the time control, but still caution is needed as
Black holds a pair of bishops and there might be back-rank issues. There was
no need to give-up a pawn, although White should still be good enough to draw.}
gxh3 37. Rxh3 Kd7 38. Rh7+ Kc6 39. b3 $2 {White should refrain from playing
such a move before the time control. Now Black can hope to exploit the
weakened dark squares around the king. It won't be easy though...} Bd5 40. Re3
Bxg3 41. Ra7 Rg4 42. Ra4 Bf4 43. Re1 Bd2 44. Rd1 Bc3 {Now the bishop pair
dominates and the weakness (c2, b3) are about to be attacked - Black is in a
good way...} 45. Ra6+ Kb7 46. Ra5 Be4 47. Ra4 Rg2 48. Ra2 Kb6 49. Rd6+ Kb5 50.
Rd1 Bf3 51. Rf1 Kc5 52. Ra7 Be4 53. Rc1 Kb6 54. Ra2 Rg3 55. Rf1 Bg7 56. Kc1 Rg2
57. Kb1 Rd2 58. Kc1 Rh2 59. Kb1 Bc3 60. Rd1 Bf3 61. Rf1 Kc5 62. Ra7 Be4 63. Rc1
Kd4 64. Rd7+ Ke3 65. Re7 Rh6 66. Ra7 {The threat was 66...Ra6!.} Bd2 67. Rg1
Kf2 68. Rd1 Ke2 69. Rg1 Be3 70. Re7 Rh4 71. Rg8 Bd4 72. Ka2 Kd2 73. Rd7 Bxc2 {
and Black is winning!} 74. Rh8 (74. Rb8 Bb1+ $1 75. Kxb1 Rh1+ 76. Ka2 Ra1# {.})
74... Rxh8 $2 (74... Kc1 $1 {was curtains:} 75. Rxh4 Bb1# {.}) 75. Rxd4+ Bd3
76. Rxb4 Kc3 {and according to tablebases this is mate in 21 moves!} 77. Ra4
Rh2+ $2 ({But not like that!} 77... Rb8 {was on the correct track.}) 78. Ka3
Rb2 79. Rg4 $2 ({From now on both sides made a lot of small 'mistakes' in this
notorious ending, and I do not feel it is nice to comment on this, safely
sitting behind my computer, armed with technology and pretending I know
everything. After all, chess is a battle on the board!} 79. Ra7 {was correct
by the way!}) 79... Rxb3+ 80. Ka4 Rb1 81. Ka5 Rb5+ 82. Ka4 Rf5 83. Rg3 Rf4+ 84.
Ka3 Rf1 85. Rg2 Rh1 86. Rb2 Ra1+ 87. Ra2 Rb1 88. Rg2 Rb3+ 89. Ka4 Rb4+ 90. Ka3
Rb6 91. Rg4 Ra6+ 92. Ra4 Rb6 93. Rg4 Rb7 94. Rh4 Rb1 95. Rh2 Rb6 96. Rh4 Bf1
97. Rg4 Rb5 98. Rg3+ Bd3 99. Rg4 Rb1 100. Rg2 Rb3+ 101. Ka4 Rb5 102. Rg4 Rf5
103. Ka3 Rf1 104. Rg2 Rb1 105. Rh2 Bf5 (105... Bf1 106. Rf2 Bc4 107. Rf3+ Bd3
108. Rf2 Rb3+ 109. Ka2 Rb5 110. Ka1 Re5 111. Rb2 Bc2 {is the trick, but it was
not so simple for Judit after five hours of play.}) 106. Rg2 Bd3 $2 {The
correct way, leading in mate in ten, but there is problem...} 107. Rh2 {Here
White could claim a draw (before playing his move of course) by three-fold
repetision (on moves 95, 105 and 107). But somehow he missed it...} Bf1 108.
Rf2 Bc4 109. Rf3+ Bd3 110. Rf2 Rb3+ 111. Ka2 Rb6 112. Ka1 Rg6 (112... Rg6 {And
White resigned as mate is near:} 113. Rh2 Rg1+ 114. Ka2 Bc4+ 115. Ka3 Ra1+ 116.
Ra2 Rxa2# {. An amazing game! Going into the endgame, Dominguez believed he
could find a fortress. But deep calculation by Black and slight inaccuracies
by White brought her the win. A monumental effort by Judit, fighting spirit by
Dominguez. The match goes into tiebreak and the game goes into chess history!})
0-1

