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Carvalho da Silva (2455) - Da Costa Junior (2375) [B78]

CXEB Correspondence, 2004

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0–0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Rb8 11.Bb3

This is turning out to be a crucial variation, although my impression is that White is necessarily getting his Bishop out of the firing line of the b-pawn. Can Black take advantage of this slight loss of time?

11...Na5!

Accurate. This time 11...Ne5 will not do: 12.f4! Neg4 13.h3 Nxe3 14.Qxe3

White has more space and the threat of e4-e5, which Black has problems coping with. This was real hassle for Black until 11...Na5 was discovered to be playable: 14...Nh5 (14...e6 15.g4 Bc6 16.g5 Nh5 17.Ndb5, ±) 15.Rhf1 Nxf4 16.Rxf4 e5 17.Rxf7, ±.

Also inadequate is 11...b5 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bxa7 Ra8 14.Bd4.

12.Bh6

We will examine 12.h4 next.

12...Bxh6!

12...b5 turns out to be slow this time: 13.g4 b4 14.Nd5 Nxb3+ 15.Nxb3 Nxd5 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.exd5 a5 18.h4 a4 19.h5 Rh8 20.Nd4 gives a clear advantage to White: 20...f6 21.Rde1 Kf7 22.Qe3 g5 23.Rh2 Rc8 24.Rhe2 Re8 25.f4 b3 26.axb3 axb3 27.Qxb3 gxf4 28.g5 fxg5 29.Qd3 Kg8 30.Rg1 Qb6 31.Rxg5+ Kh8 32.h6 Ra8 33.Nb3, 1–0, Cheparinov-Banikas, Plovdiv 2003. This was more like it for White!

13.Qxh6 b5

This pawn advance is an absolute must in the Chinese Dragon, enabling ...Nc4 as well as ...b5-b4 if needed.

14.h4

Obviously 14.g4 should be considered although I’m not sure exactly what this achieves when g4-g5 isn’t much of a threat. Ward now gives 14...b4 15.Nd5 Nxb3+ (15...e6 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6!?) 16.Nxb3 Nxd5 17.exd5 (The variation 17.Rxd5 Be6 18.Rd3 Qc7 19.h4 Rfc8 20.Rh2 d5! gives Black an attack.) 17...e5 18.dxe6 Bxe6 and Black has at least as much queenside play as White on the other flank.

14...e5! 15.Nde2 b4 16.Nd5 Nxb3+ 17.axb3

17.cxb3 was seen in a very recent GM game: 17...Nxd5 18.Rxd5 Be6 19.Rd2 Rb6 20.Kb1 Ra6 21.Nc1 Qe7 22.Nd3 Rb8 23.Rc1 Rab6 24.g3 f6 25.Qe3 Kg7 26.h5 gxh5 27.Rh2 Bf7 28.g4 Kh8 29.gxh5 Rg8 30.f4 Rb5 31.f5 d5 32.h6 dxe4 33.Nc5 Rb6 34.Rg1 Rc8 35.Rhg2 Qxc5, 0–1, L’Ami-Tiviakov, Leeuwarden 2004. A much more positional struggle than we are used to. However, Black was never worse and triumphed in the end.

17...Nxd5 18.Rxd5 Rb6!

A new idea, although the older 18...Be6 19.h5 Qc7 also seems OK: 20.hxg6 fxg6 21.Rxd6 (or 21.Rd3 Rfc8 22.Qd2 Rb6 23.c4 bxc3 24.Rxc3 Rc6 with an obvious Black advantage) 21...Rfc8 22.Rc6 Qxc6 23.Qxh7+ Kf8 24.Qh6+ Kf7 25.Qh7+ Kf6 26.Qh4+ Kf7, 1/2–1/2, Moreno Carretero-Da Costa Junior, corr. 2003.

19.h5 g5! 20.Rxd6 f6!

The White Queen is entombed.

21.Rhd1 Rxd6 22.Rxd6 Qe7 23.Rd2 a5!

A move that makes perfect sense. Black attacks with the White Queen way offside!

24.Kd1?

This move is ridiculous. He has to start getting his Queen out, thus 24.g3 is indicated (24...Rc8 25.Kb1 Bb5 26.Nc1 Rc5 27.f4 exf4 28.gxf4 Qg7 29.Qxg7+ Kxg7 30.fxg5 Rxg5, =+). Maybe White can hold on but it’s an uphill struggle but at least he gets rid of the problem of his Queen. As the game goes, the lady never emerges.

24...a4 25.bxa4 Bxa4 26.b3 Bb5 27.c4 bxc3 28.Nxc3 Qc5!

28...Qa3 29.Nxb5 Qxb3+ 30.Ke1 Qxb5 31.Kf2 also looks unpleasant for White, but seeing as Black must guard the squares f6, d7 and d8, the win is far from guaranteed.

29.Nxb5 Qxb5 30.Ke1 Qb4! 31.Ke2 Qb6! 32.b4

32.Rd7 Qb5+.

32...Ra8, 0-1. One can resign such a position in correspondence. The evidence: 32...Ra8 33.Rd1 Ra2+ 34.Rd2 Ra1 35.Rc2 (After 35.Rd1, mate occurs via 35...Qb5+ 36.Ke1 Qxb4+ 37.Ke2 Ra2+) 35...Ra8 36.Rd2 Qg1.

Tolnai (2441) - Boros (2401) [B70]

Hungary, 2004

Here’s a game for you where Black fails to obtain any counterplay at all. He must sit and watch.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.h3

An integral part of White’s set up with which he prepares Be3 without the hassle of having to worry about ...Nf6-g4.

7...0–0 8.Bb3 b6?!

I’m really not sure about this move, which is more or less a one-dimensional attempt to put pressure on e4. If Black must delay ...Nc6, he should do this via ...a6 and ...b5!, which will lead to pressure on e4 and at the same time threaten …b5-b4 to add to that pressure.

9.0–0 Bb7 10.Re1

Now Black his wishing he had a pawn on b5.

10...Nc6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Nd5!

Tolnai shows good understanding. Black may exchange on d5 but then inexorable pressure follows against e7. Note that White’s also exchanging off an important defender of the Black King. If Black leaves the Knight on this imposing square Bg5 follows, which cannot be ignored.

12...e6

And of course, the problem with ...e7-e6 is that d6 becomes weak. Black already is engaged in a miserable struggle for a draw.

13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.c3 Qc7 15.Bh6 Rfe8 16.Qd2 Rad8 17.Rad1

I think it’s the possibility of simple piece deployment which makes the 6.Bc4 line so popular. White really didn’t have to think too hard about his last 5 moves. They were all good too! Black still has serious problems relieving the nagging pressure on d6.

17...Qb7 18.Qf4 Qe7

18...Be5 19.Qh4 a6 20.Bg5 changes nothing.

19.Qg4 Bg7 20.Bg5 Bf6 21.h4!

White's edge is still only small but it's enough to work with for a Grandmaster. The really strong player likes nothing better than just to settle down with a position where his opponent cannot do very much. Watch how Tolnai extends his grip.

21...Kg7 22.Qg3 Bxg5 23.hxg5 Rh8 24.e5!

Before ...h7-h6. Excellent!

24...d5

24...dxe5 leads to disaster: 25.Qxe5+ Kg8 26.Rxd8+ Qxd8 27.Bxe6 fxe6 28.Qxe6+ Kg7 29.Qxc6.

25.Qf4 h6

Black’s position makes no sense without this move.

26.Qf6+! Qxf6 27.gxf6+ Kh7 28.Rd4

White’s advantage has grown for a number of reasons: 1) His Bishop is far superior. 2) The pawn on f6 cramps Black’s entire kingside. 3) There’s the possibility of levering open the Black kingside via Bc2, f4, g4 and f4-f5, increasing the attack against Black’s King. 4) White’s Rooks are very mobile while Black’s Rooks are passive.

28...h5 29.f3

The White King may well enter the fray.

29...b5 30.Kf2 a5 31.a3 Rb8

Even now he’s hardly threatening ...b5-b4.

32.Rh1 Kg8 33.Ke3 Kf8 34.Rdh4 Rg8 35.Bc2 Ke8 36.g4!

The natural opening of the position, which has been coming for some time and about which Black could do nothing.

36...hxg4 37.Rxg4 Kd7 38.Rh7, 1-0. There’s nothing left. If 38...Ke8 39 Bxg6! finishes matters: 39...Rxg6 40 Rxg6 fxg6 41 Rh8+. A model game by Tolnai, keeping the position perfectly under control.

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