WCN Newsletter Sept 22nd

I made another mailout tonight. Again, there are excerpts and links to the various posts from the chess blogosphere. There are also links on the WCN Forum thread. Feel free to register and link to the posts you find interesting. I hope this will bring some new readers and maybe encourage some of them to start their own blogs.

Here is the banter game (25/5 time control) GM Marin - GM Gavrikov.


GM Mihail Marin - GM Viktor Gavrikov
WorldChessNetwork, 16th September 2006

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Nb3
Nb3 takes away some important squares from Black Queen - a5 and c5. But now there is no Nd4 to make strong pressure on the Black position. Other main line is 9.Rb1 Qa3. Rarely we see Mihail playing 1.e4. And he's even running into the sharpest line of Naidorf Sicilian.

9... Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bd7 13. Kh1 Rc8 14. Nd1
This is probably all theory. Mihail wants to transfer his Knight to d1-e3-c4 if possible. 14.f5 would start immediate action on King side with possible lines 14. f5 h5 15. fxe6 (15. Qf4 Be7 16. Qg3 Ne5 17. Qg7 Rf8) 15... fxe6 16. Rxf6 Be7 17. Rh6 (17. Rf3 b5 18. Rh3 h4 19. Rf1 Ne5) 17... Rxh6 18. Qxh6 Kd8 19. Bxh5 Kc7

14... Bg7 15. Ne3 b5
15....b5 is a must to prevent Nc4. Trying to exploit Bg7 diagonal with f5 would end bad 15... f5 16. Nc4 Qb4 17. Nxd6+ Ke7 18. Rad1

16. c3


It is understandable that White wants to close this potentially dangerous diagonal, but the later development shows that c3 was a mistake because it creates many weaknesses - c3, Nb3 and 2nd rank. Better was to press on d-file with 16. Rad1 O-O (16... Ke7 is dangerous because White has 17. c4 Qb4 18. Qd3 Rhd8 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nc2) 17. Qxd6 Qxd6 18. Rxd6 Rfd8 19. Rfd1 and the position is unclear

16... O-O 17. Rf3 f5
Excellent move! Viktor is not afraid of bad pawn structure. He's preventing White's f5 and opens important diagonal for Bg7. Pair of Bishops and very active pieces will give more then enough of compensation for weak pawns.

18. exf5 exf5
18... Ne7 with attack on c3 was another possibility, but White can play 19.fe6 Be6 20.Rc1 with solid resistance

19. Rg3 Kh8 20. Rd1 Be6


21. Nd5
Now we can see consequences of c3 move. Nb3 is hanging and there is no good square to move that Knight. If 21.Qd6 black is better 21. Qxd6 Qxa2 (21... Qxd6 22. Rxd6 Bxc3 23. Nd5 Bg7) 22. Nc1 Qb2 23. Bf3 Qxc3 with idea Rfd8. Best try was 21. c4 Qb4 22. cxb5 axb5 23. Qxd6 Rfd8 24. Qxb4 Rxd1+ 25. Nxd1 (25. Bxd1 Nxb4 26. a3 Nd3 wins for Black) 25... Nxb4 26. Bxb5 Nxa2 and Black is still better but position is very reduced with all pawns on the same side.

21... Bxd5 22. Qxd5 Qxa2 23. Rxg7
Desperate move. White Queen was overworked, Be2 is hanging and Black is threatening Ne7. Black has easy win now

23... Kxg7 24. Qxf5 Rg8
But carefully 24... Qxb3 25. Qg5+ Kh8 26. Qf6+ Perpetual!

25. Rxd6 Qxe2 26. h3 Kh8 27. Qf6+ Rg7 0-1



Banter analyzed last week: GM Lev Psakhis - IM Martha Fierro