Democratic Underground - Timman - Korchnoi, Round Robin Group, Round 7

Jan Timman's only defeat in London came at the hands of the grand old man of chess, 78-years-young Viktor Korchnoi.

Viktor Korchnoi
Photo: Wikipedia

Jan Timman - Viktor Korchnoi
Staunton Memorial Tournament (Round Robin Group).Round 7
London, 12 August 2009

Open French Game: Tarrasch Opening

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 cxd4

If 5...dxe4 6.Nxe4 Bd7 then:

7.0-0 Nxd4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Bh4 Be7 11.c3 Bxb5 12.Qh5+ Kf8 13.Qxb5 Qd5 14.Qd3 dxc3 15.Qxd5 exd5 16.Nxc3 Nh6 17.Nxd5 Nf5 18.Bg3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 draw (Tselousov-Sorensen, Corres, 1991).
7.Bg5 Qa5+ 8.Nc3 a6 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.d5 Bxd5 11.0-0 Bc6 12.Ne5 Qc7 13.Re1 Nf6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Qh5 Be7 is unclear: White has more space and Black has an extra pawn (Nicevski-Uhlmann, IT, Skopje, 1976).

6.Nxd4 Bd7 7.Nxc6 bxc6

If 7...Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.c4 then:

9...Bc5 10.Qa4 Ne7 11.exd5 exd5 12.Nb3 Bb6 13.c5 Bc7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Bg5 f6 16.Bf4 Be5 17.Rae1 Qc7 18.Bc1 Bxh2+ 19.Kh1 Nf5 20.g4 Nh4 21.f4 Qd7 22.f5 Rae8 23.Nd4 is equal (Hanley-Luther, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2006).
9...Qa5 10.Qb3 Rd8 11.0-0 Nf6 12.e5 Nd7 13.Qg3 Qa6 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Nb3 g6 16.Bg5 Rc8 17.Rac1 Bg7 18.Qd3 Rc4 19.Rxc4 Qxc4 20.Rc1 Nxe5 21.Qe3 Qa6 22.Qc5 f6 23.Bh6 draw (Vachier Lagrave-Malakhatko, Op, Paris, 2008).

8.Bd3 Qc7

8...Bd6 9.Qe2 Ne7 10.e5 Bc7 11.Nf3 Ng6 12.0-0 0-0 13.c4 Qe7 14.Bd2 f6 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Rfe1 g5 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.Rac1 gives White the advantage in space (Tal-Korchnoi, Blitz, Moscow, 1972).

9.Qe2 Bd6

9...Ne7 10.Nf3 Ng6 11.0-0 Be7 12.c4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 f5 14.Bc2 e5 15.Ng5 h6 16.Qh5 Qd6 17.Ne4 Qe6 18.Rd1 Bc8 19.h3 Rf8 20.Ng3 gives White the advantage in space and a tactical edge; Black cannot take the c-pawn (Shamkovich-Vaganian, GMT, Dubna, 1973).

10.Nf3 dxe4 11.Bxe4!?

11.Qxe4 Nf6 12.Qh4 h6 13.0-0 Rb8 14.Bd2 Nd5 15.c4 Nf4 16.c5 Nxd3 17.cxd6 Qxd6 18.Rad1 Rb5 19.Bc3 0-0 20.Be5 Qd5 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Ne1 Qg5 23.Qd4+ e5 24.Qxd3 is equal (Yakovich-Shulman, Op, Vladivostok, 1994).

11...Nf6

The game is equal.

12.0-0 Rb8

12...Nxe4 13.Qxe4 0-0 14.Re1 Rad8 15.Bg5 f6 16.Be3 remains equal.

13.Re1 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 f6

14...0-0 15.b3 Rfd8 16.Bb2 f6 17.Rad1 e5 18.Re2 remains equal.

15.b3 0-0 16.Bd2

16.Bb2 e5 17.c4 f5 18.Qh4 e4 19.Nd4 c5 remains equal.

16...c5 17.Rad1 Rf7 18.h3

18.c4!? Rd8 19.Be3 e5 20.Qh4 Bc6 21.Nd2 Qa5 gives Black the initiative.

BLACK: Viktor Korchnoi
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WHITE: Jan Timman
Position after 18.h2h3

18...Bf8!?

Black goes into a line that involves a speculative exchange sacrifice.
If 18...e5 19.Ba5 Qxa5 20.Rxd6 then:

20...Qxa2 21.Red1 Be8 22.Qc4 Qa3 23.R6d5 Rc8 remains equal.
20...Re8!? 21.Red1 Be6 22.a4 c4 23.Nd4 exd4 24.Rxe6 gives White a tactical edge.

19.Bf4 e5

The pawn advance is part of Black's plan. He's going to have the two Bishops and wants an open center for them in compensation for sacrificed material.

20.Nxe5 fxe5 21.Bxe5 Qc8 22.Bxb8 Qxb8

The material advantage gained by White is not as palpable as it would be in a closed center. Black's two Bishops are nearly equal to White's Rook and two pawns.

23.Re2 Qb6 24.a4 Qa6 25.c4

If 25.Red2 Bf5 26.Qe8 Qg6 27.Rd6 then:

27...Qh5 28.R1d2 Qg5 29.Qd8 Qf4 30.Ra6 is equal.
27...Qg5 28.R6d5 Qg6 29.Rd6 Qg5 30.R6d5 draws.

25...h6 26.Re3 Bc6!?

Black exposes his back rank to White's Rook at d1.
Better is 26...Qf6 27.Rf3 Bf5 28.Qd5 when:

28...Qg6 29.Re1 Bd7 30.Rxf7 Qxf7 31.a5 gives White a modest material advantage.
28...Qe6? 29.Qxe6 Bxe6 30.Rxf7 Kxf7 31.Rd8 gives White excellent winning prospects.

27.Qe6 Qb7 28.Rd8 Kh7 29.Qc8 Qxc8 30.Rxc8 Bb7?!

Black "forces" White to move the Rook to a better file.
If 30...Rf6 then after 31.h4 h5 32.a5 a6 33.Re2 Bd7 34.Rd8 White still has a theoretical material edge and the initiative.

31.Rd8 Bc6 32.a5

32.Re6!? Bd7 33.Ra6 Bf5 34.Ra8 Bc2 35.Rb8 g5 is equal.

32...Be7 33.Rc8 Bh4 34.g3

34.Rxc6? Bxf2+ 35.Kf1 Bxe3+ 36.Ke2 Bd4 wins for Black.

34...Bb7

34...Bg5? 35.Rxc6 Bxe3 36.fxe3 Rf3 leaves White two pawns to the good.

35.Rxc5 Bf6 36.Rd3 Re7 37.f3?!

White weakens his kingside.
Better is 37.f4 Be4 38.Rd6 Bc2 when:

39.Rb5! Re3 40.Kf2 Rxb3 41.Rxb3 Bxb3 42.c5 White continues to enjoy a material advantage.
If 39.b4?! Bc3 40.Rdd5 Bxb4 41.Rb5 Bc3 then:

42.c5 Ba4 43.Rb1 Bxa5 is equal.
42.a6!? Re6 43.c5 Rxa6 44.Kf2 Be4 gives Black the initiative..

BLACK: Viktor Korchnoi
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WHITE: Jan Timman
Position after 37.f2f3

37...Bxf3!

Black takes full advantage of the weakness and takes the f-pawn.

38.Rc8

38.Rxf3? Bd4+ 39.Kg2 Bxc5 is a huge mistake.

38...Bb7

The game is equal.

39.Rcd8 Re1+ 40.Kf2 Ra1

remains equal. 40...Bxd8 41.Kxe1 Bxa5+ 42.Ke2 Bb6 43.b4 remains equal.
41.R8d7 Be4 42.R3d6

42.Re3 Ra2+ 43.Ke1 Bc6 44.Rxa7 Bd4 remains equal.

42...Bc3 43.Rxa7

43.g4 Rxa5 44.Re6 Bc2 45.Re3 Bb4 then:

46.Rf3 Ra3 47.Rff7 Bc3 48.c5 Bxb3 gives Black the initiative.
46.Kf3 Ra3 47.Rd5 a5 48.c5 Bxb3 gives Black the initiative.

43...Bb4!

White takes advantage of the pin to attack the Rook.

44.Raa6?!

Now White misses the opportunity to force a draw.
If 44.Rdd7? Bc5+ 45.Ke2 Ra2+ then:

46.Kf1 Bxa7 47.Rxa7 Bc2 48.c5 Bxb3 gives Black enough time to stop the c-pawn.
46.Ke1 Bb4+ 47.Kd1 Rg2 48.Kc1 Rxg3 gives Black a strong position.

44.Ke3! Re1+ 45.Kf2 Ra1 46.Ke3 Re1+ draws.

44...Bxd6 45.Rxd6 Rxa5

Black has the material advantage.

46.Ke3 Bg2 47.h4 Rf5 48.b4?

This move costs White his kingside pawns.
If 48.Rd3! then Black will have to take more time to take the pawns, e.g., 48...Kg6 49.b4 Rf3+ 50.Kd4 Rxd3+ 51.Kxd3 Kh5, giving White time to advance his queenside.

BLACK: Viktor Korchnoi
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WHITE: Jan Timman
Position after 48.b3b4

48...Rf3+!

Black wins two pawns.
If 48...g5? 49.hxg5 Rf3+ 50.Kd2 then:

50...hxg5 51.Rd3 Rxd3+ 52.Kxd3 Kg6 53.c5 Kf5 is equal.
50...Rf2+ 51.Ke3 Rf3+ 52.Kd2 Rf2+ 53.Kc3 is equal.

49.Kd4

49.Ke2 Rxg3 50.Kf2 Rg4 gives Black the material advantage.

49...Rxg3

That's one pawn.

50.b5

50.Kc5 Rg4 51.Rd4 Rxd4 52.Kxd4 Kg6 53.b5 Kh5 wins the h-pawn.

50...Rg4+ 51.Kc5 Rxh4

That's the second pawn.

52.b6 Bb7

Black misses a faster win.
If 52...h5! 53.Rd2 then:

53...Bb7! 54.Rd3 Re4 55.Rd7 Ba6 wins for Black.
53...Be4!? 54.Kd6 g5 55.Rd4 Rf4 56.Ke5 Bg2 57.Rxf4 gives a pawn back to White.

53.Kb5 Rh1 54.c5 Rb1+ 55.Ka5

If 55.Ka4 Ba6 56.Rd4 h5 57.Ka5 then:

57...Be2 58.Re4 Bf3 59.Rh4 Kg6 wins for Black.
If 57...Bf1!? 58.Rd5 Rb5+ then:

59.Ka4 Kg6 60.Rd6+ Kg5 61.c6 Rxb6 62.c7 Rxd6 63.c8Q gives White some counterplay, but Black should still win.
If 59.Ka6 then 59...Rxc5+! wins immediately.

55...Ra1+ 56.Kb4 Rc1 57.Kb5 Bg2 58.Rd2

White puts up a more stubborn defense after 58.c6 Bf1+ 59.Ka4 Ra1+ 60.Kb4 Rb1+ 61.Ka3 Rxb6.

58...Rb1+ 59.Kc4 Bh1 0-1

White can make no further progress with his pawns.
Mh. Timman resigns.

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