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Learning Chess (#14), by A.J. Goldsby I
Welcome to my August lesson, this month contains a game with the opening known as the Nimzo-Indian Defense.
I think very highly of Nimzovich, the creator of many ideas in the opening ... (there are actually many different opening systems that - without Nimzovich - may have never seen the light of day, much less been accepted into main line opening theory).
I had originally thought that I might copy several biographies (to a web page), and then annotate about 5-10 of his best chess games ... but this turned out to be much too ambitious an idea, and - in the end - not a very realistic plan. (Lately - there just does not seem to be enough hours in a single day!)
I did manage, however, to do one page on Nimzovich and one of his better games ... please take the time to check it out before proceeding any further.
All of the problems are taken directly from this month's game. All of the answers will be derived from studying this month's lesson ... and the notes to the game itself. I suggest setting up a chess board and studying each position for 5-10 minutes; and then you really should write down your answers. (Comments and solutions at the end of the lesson.) Five points for each problem, and you can give yourself partial credit - a point or even two - if you think you were on the right track.
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GM Pavel Eljanov - I could not find out a lot about this player, even by using the Internet. Here is what I do know: He was born in 1983, he is about 23 years old, and he is from the Ukraine.
As White, he primarily opens with 1.d4.
As Black, he primarily defends the KP with the Sveshnikov Sicilian, and he defends the QP opening mostly with the Grunfeld Defense.
I
dug the following impressive game out of the database:
P. Eljanov (2597) - G.
Arzumanian (2427) / [D30] / UKR-ch Simferopol (9) /
12,11,2003.
1.d4 d5; 2.c4 e6; 3.Nf3 c6; 4.Nbd2 Nf6; 5.e3 c5; 6.b3 Nc6; 7.Bb2 cxd4; 8.exd4 Be7;
9.Bd3 0-0; 10.0-0 b6; 11.Qe2 Bb7; 12.Rac1 Rc8; 13.Rfd1 Re8; 14.Qe3 Bf8;
15.Ne5 Ne7; 16.Ndf3 h6; 17.Qf4 Qd6; 18.c5!! bxc5; 19.dxc5 Rxc5; 20.Rxc5 Qxc5;
21.Nxf7! Kxf7; 22.Bxf6! gxf6; 23.Ne5+! Kg8; 24.Qg4+ Bg7; 25.Qxe6+, 1-0 [replay]
He is a fairly active Internet player, figuring in several of these in recent events.
A few items of interest about his career:
He was a promising junior player, and has been a prominent figure in several junior events since the late 1990's.
He finished third in the national championship tournament (of the Ukraine) in the year 2000. (He had a very nice eleven points out of a possible fifteen.)
He won the second "ACT" tournament in 2005. [The CB story.]
He tied for first in Montreal, Canada in 2006. [The SP blog entry.]
The
chart/graph of his FIDE rating has been going up in a nice curve for the
last 5-7 years.
(See the graphic given - just below.)
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-----> GM P. Eljanov's FIDE card. His games on the popular CG server.
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GM Alexander Onischuk - this player won the 2006 U.S. Championships. (The official website, meet the players.) Born on September 3rd, 1975, Onischuk is 31 years old. Originally from the Ukraine, (the Crimean Peninsula); in approximately 2001 he made the decision to emigrate to the United States. [He currently resides in the state of Maryland. (MD)] He is a well-known fixture on the American circuit, competing in many of the "big-money" open tournaments.
A few of his better wins (in international events) would be:
Hoogovens (B) Wijk ann Zee, 1996. (Clear 1st.)
Credis Biel, 1997, Cat 10. (Clear first, three-and-a-half points ahead of his competition!!)
The 2000 FIDE Zonal Tournament, "Ordzhonikidze, 1.9" (Clear 1st.)
The Third Karpov Tournament in Poikovsky, Russia. In this super-GM event, (Cat. XVI); Alexander Onischuk finished clear first, ahead of Dreev, Zvjaginsev, Rublevsky, etc.
He finished second in many events, including a major world youth tournament and also in the 1995 World Junior Championship event.
GM A. Onischuk has also won (or tied for first) in many strong "open" tournaments here in the US, please see the USCF website for more details.
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Best Individual Performance: 2720 in Wijk aan Zee (Hoogovens), 1997; scoring 8/13 (62%) vs 2669-rated opposition. (His current USCF rating is 2686.)
I have nearly 900 games by this player in my "Mega 2005" database. (I continue to add to this db on a regular basis. Anyone with a computer and internet access can download new games - in almost any format - weekly, from LCC's "The Week In Chess," or TWIC.)
He is an exciting player, with a relatively low number of draws.
He seems to play almost any opening as White playing mostly 1.d4 and 1.e4. However, there were over 100 examples of the English opening, (1.c4); and a few other openings as well.
He defends the KP openings almost exclusively with 1...e5.
He defends 1.d4 mostly with the Queen's Indian Defense and the Nimzo-Indian. [1 game]
-----> His Corus bio. His FIDE card. His games on the popular CG server. His USCF information.
Replay
the game (below) on this website .... on a
beautiful, "easy-to-see" (js) viewer.
(Make sure that you have "java-script" enabled,
otherwise this page will not work properly.)
Go here to see a detailed explanation of all the symbols that I use when annotating a chess game.
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This is a nice win by a young GM over the current U.S. Champion.
1.d4 Nf6;
2.c4 e6; 3.Nc3 Bb4;
A standard Nimzo-Indian ... I have covered this line many times in my various
columns
and web pages.
One of the basic ideas of this opening is for Black to give White a doubled pawn complex, and then play exclusively against White's pawn weaknesses (and the squares that surround that area). The drawbacks? That the loss of time and the Bishop pair - that was ceded to the opponent - may turn into lethal weapons for White, especially if the game opens up or an advanced ending is reached.
4.Qc2,
The classical system.
(First consistently played by Rubinstein ... but it was Capa who crafted it into a feared and respected opening line.) White's main idea is to avoid the doubled pawn complex ... even if it means losing
several tempi with the WQ in the process.
[ See MCO-14, page # 528. Also pls. note columns # 1-18 ... & all relevant and associated notes. ]
[ Also played is: 4.e3, which is the Rubinstein System. ]
4...d5;
Black immediately hits the center, but this move - while sound in principal - would not have been the way that the creator of this opening system would have chosen to play this position. (See the note after Black's previous move.)
[ Another way to play this particular line would have been:
4...0-0; 5.a3 Bxc3+; 6.Qxc3 b6; 7.Bg5 Bb7; 8.f3 h6; 9.Bh4 d5; 10.e3 Nbd7; "~"
when Black has good play ... but White has the pair of long-range minor pieces
for the endgame phase.GM Vladimir Kramnik (2770) - GM Garry Kasparov (2849); [E32]
The "Brain Games" (BGN) World Chess Championship
London, ENG; (#8) / 08,10,2000. {Drawn before move forty.} ]
5.cxd5 Qxd5; (hmmmm '!?')
Black could take with the Pawn, although taking with the Queen appears to be the more active move. (Although White gains several key tempi by attacking the Black Queen.)
Personally I would think that taking with the Pawn was preferable, especially seeing that Black will now have to move his Queen again. (The BQ will have to move several more times before the game is over.)
6.e3 c5; 7.a3 Bxc3+; 8.bxc3 0-0;
Black has given up the Bishop pair and also given his opponent a powerful center. However,
the second player has a very nice position AND a lead in development. (Will it be enough?)
9.Nf3 b6;
Black goes for the immediate fianchetto of the QB.
[ Another line is: (>/=) 9...Nc6; 10.Be2 cxd4; 11.cxd4, "+/=" 11...b6;
when White's score has not been that impressive from this particular position. ]
10.c4 Qe4!?;
In retrospect, this looks overly provocative ... why not go to the h5-square right way ... when many programs evaluate the position as close to equal?
11.Bd3,
Several programs prefer the exchange of Queens here, but this looks like the most aggressive continuation for White.
11...Qg4;
A critical position has been reached.
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rnb2rk1/p4ppp/1p2pn2/2p5/2PP2q1/P2BPN2/2Q2PPP/R1B1K2R w
Take a few minutes and try to evaluate and analyze this position.
12.Bb2!?, (Maybe - '!')
White offers a speculative gambit, however, with Bishops pointing at the Black K-side and a half-open g-file, there would be no doubt that Eljanov would probably have some good play ("comp.") for the pawn.
[ The best - and certainly the safest continuation - would have been:
12.0-0 Bb7; 13.h3 Qh5; 14.Ne5, "+/="
when Fritz shows that White is solidly better.
(However, as one Russian/Armenian chess master said,
"We are not machines, and we do not play like them.") ]
12...cxd4;
After a little thought, Black decides to decline the offered sacrifice.
[ After the continuation of: 12...Qxg2!?; 13.Ke2! Bb7; 14.d5 exd5?;
(Better was ...Qh3 or ...Ng4.) 15.Rhg1 Qh3; 16.Bxf6 g6; 17.Bxg6!! fxg6;
18.Rxg6+ Kf7; (Taking the Rook is easily met by QxP/g6#.)
19.Ng5+, "+/-" Black loses his Queen. ]
13.Ne5!? Qh5!?; (Maybe dubious?)
After this simple move, computer analysis shows that White will always be clearly better.
Sometimes in chess, you have to challenge your opponent's plan ...
even if this means danger. Often times, this means entering a very sharp line - in order to try and refute your opponent's strategy. And if Black was NOT willing to play this way, he should have taken with his Pawn, (instead of the Queen); on move five.
[ Maybe Black had to play:
>/= 13...Qxg2!; 14.0-0-0 Bb7!; 15.Bxd4 Qh3; 16.Rhg1 Rc8;
when White has good play, but Black appears to have a solid
and a playable position. ]
Now the box prefers Be4 here.
14.exd4,
White chooses a "safe" move ... rather than become embroiled in a line that might allow Black
a substantial amount of counterplay. (See the note just below.)
[ White could also try: 14.Be4 Qxe5; 15.Bxa8 Qc7; 16.Bxd4 e5;
17.Bb2 Be6; 18.0-0 Nbd7; 19.Bf3 b5!; "~" when it appears that
Black must win the c-pawn, and gain a certain amount of play as a result. ]
14...Bb7;
15.0-0 Nc6;
16.Rae1! Rfd8;
Black might have considered the exchange on e5, although his position was already difficult.
17.Nxc6! Bxc6;
All of Black's moves - when I was playing over this game without any help from my computer -
seemed to be perfectly natural and without any real or discernible errors.
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r2r2k1/p4ppp/1pb1pn2/7q/2PP4/P2B4/1BQ2PPP/4RRK1 w
Take a few minutes and try to analyze this position.
(Pretend you are White ... can you discover what move the first player will play on his next move?)
18.Re3!,
Now White has the practically winning threat of Rh3, which is extremely difficult for Black to try and meet.
The next few moves are forced.
18...Rac8; 19.Rh3 Qg4; 20.f3 Qf4; 21.Bxh7+ Kf8;
22.Bd3,
White is a Pawn up, now it simply becomes a question of if GM P. Eljanov can ...
"win a won game."
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2rr1k2/p4pp1/1pb1pn2/8/2PP1q2/P2B1P1R/1BQ3PP/5RK1 b
This would be a good place for a diagram - and another careful appraisal of the current position.
22...Rxd4; ('?')
Black decides to mix things up ...
however this move is an error, albeit one that was played in a game where Black was
probably already lost. (The best practical chance lay in Fritz's moves of >/= 22...b5! or even 22...Kg8.)
23.Rh8+, ('!')
White ignores the Black Rook on d4, as there is a better way to
win.
23...Ng8[]; (forced)
Otherwise Black simply drops the Rook on c8. (But now Black is forced into a fatal pin.)
24.Bh7 Rd2; 25.Qc3 Ke7;
26.a4,
This is perfectly acceptable ...
White wants to win with the Bishop check on a3. Of course, I would have been tempted to simply force an endgame with 26.Bc1. (This virtually forces Black to exchange the Queens with ...Qd4+.)
Now we enter a long forcing sequence where the moves are pretty much forced for both sides. (In particular, Black has almost no choice at all.)
26...Qg5; 27.g3 Qc5+;
28.Kh1 Rf2; 29.Ba3 Bxf3+;
(Otherwise, Black loses the Queen for little or no compensation.)
30.Qxf3 Rxf1+; 31.Qxf1 Qxa3;
Black has defended pretty well, doing pretty much everything humanly possible ...
32.Rxg8!,
But now White wins a piece ... and
its all downhill {for Black} from here.
(The reason that I gave this move an exclam is that a player might have been tempted to take with the Bishop as well.)
32...Rxg8; 33.Bxg8 f5; 34.Qf4,
Good enough.
[ Better was: >/= 34.Qe2 Qd6; 35.h3 Kf6; 36.Kh2, "+/-"
at least - according to the box ... this was an improvement. ]
The rest requires little or no comment. Black {bravely?} carries on until at least until the time control has been reached ...
34...Qxa4; 35.Qg5+ Kd6; 36.Qf4+ Ke7; 37.Qh4+ Ke8;
38.Qh5+ Ke7; 39.Qf7+ Kd8;
40.Qf8+ Kc7; 41.Qxg7+ Kd6; 42.Qf8+ Ke5; 43.Qb8+ Kf6;
44.Qd8+, "+/-" Black Resigns.
(White will round up the button on e6 and then simply shove his KRP all the way up the board.)
A very fine game by Eljanov who showed world-class technique and also a deft handling of some wild tactical complications.
Please don't be angry, but this was kind of a trick question. White has a number of correct responses, it all depends on what kind of position that you like. 4.e3, "The Rubinstein System" is tried-and-true, and probably the best, but White has many different moves here (on his fourth turn); and around 12 of them are completely playable. Many players like to avoid positions with doubled pawns, others prefer to "provoke" Black and play the immediate 4.a3. (The Samisch System.)
I prefer taking with the Pawn, it is the simplest and maybe the best. In the actual game, Black took with the Queen, and got into a lot of trouble. (However, taking with the Queen or the Knight might both be playable moves - the verdict is still out, at least according to opening theory.)
White played 10.c4, ('!') gaining a tempo off the Black Queen on d5. This move is good for many reasons, it releases the QB on b2, gains space and hits the d5-square. And since White does all of this with a gain of time, its pretty much a "free" move. (Other good moves gain one or two points.)
Black declined to play the capture on g2. The box likes the move, but for humans, it may simply be too dangerous. Yet ... I never found an absolutely forced win for White in the event that Black actually plays 12...QxP/g2!? (Feel free to take a full five points for ANY answer, BUT check your work with a computer. If the machine busts your answer, take no points at all.)
White played 16.Rae1!, (maybe - '!!' White intends a later Re3); no points for any other move.
Black threatens a mate on g2. White did not find this to be a major problem and short-circuited Black's threats with the simple 20.f3 and then 21. BxP/h7+.
I
like the simple 22...Kg8; however the machine finds the ingenious and tricky
>/= 22...b5!
(A full five points for either move, two extra points if you
saw both, and chose 22...b5! as best.)
There is no doubt that 23.Rh8+! is both the simplest and the best, see the game for more info.
The best move is 24.Bh7! to exploit the poor pinned Knight on the g8-square. (Taking the Rook on d4 MIGHT win, but in the end, that move should be considered a waste of time.)
Black must play 29...BxP/f3+ ('!') or he will have to tender his resignation.
YOUR SCORE: 10 points or less, hit the books! 20-25, not bad ... but you will want to study to improve your game. 35 or more, give yourself a pat on the back. (You must be "Class A" or better.) If you got fifty points, (a perfect score); then you are definitely a strong player, probably even a master.
This concludes my lesson for August, 2006.
I hope you have enjoyed this month's lesson. Please contact me if you have any questions. Also, be sure to contact the webmaster here, and let him know what you think of this lesson. Thank you for your time and attention ... and I will see you next month!
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2006. All rights reserved.
