Democratic Underground - Short - Gangunashvili, Round 3

Nigel Short
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Nigel Short - Merab Gagunashvili
4th Open Tournament, Round 3
Kolkata, 3 September 2009

Open German Game: Two Knights' Opening (Caro-Kann Defense)

1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 Nf6

If 5...e6 then:

If 6.d4 then:

If 6...Nf6 7.Bd3 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Nd7 then:

10.0-0 Nf6 11.Qh4 Qc7 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.c3 h6 15.Rae1 0-0-0 16.Bc2 Nd5 is equal (Balashov-Sigfusson, Op, Reykjavik, 1989).
10.c3 Nf6 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.0-0 Bc7 13.Re1 0-0 14.Bd2 Re8 15.Rad1 e5 16.Qf3 exd4 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.cxd4 Qe6 19.Bg5 is equal (Short-Karpov, Amber Blind, Monte Carlo, 1993).

If 6...dxe4 7.Nxe4 Qxd4 8.Bd3 then:

8...Nf6 9.Be3 Qd8 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.Bc4 Qa5 12.Bd2 Qb6 13.Rhe1 Nxe4 14.Rxe4 Nf6 15.Bxe6!! fxe6 16.Rxe6+ Be7 17.Rde1 Nd5 18.Bg5 0-0-0 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Rxe7 leaves White a pawn to the good with an overwhelming position (Boleslavsky-Flohr, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1950).
8...Nd7 9.Be3 Qd5 10.Rd1 Ne5 11.Qf4 Qa5+ 12.Ke2 Ng6 13.Nd6+ Bxd6 14.Qxd6 Rd8 15.b4 Qe5 16.Qxe5 Nxe5 is equal (Hayrapetian-Galkin, Euro ChT, Kallithea, 2008).

If 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bd2 Nbd7 8.g4 then:

8...g6 9.Qg3 Bg7 10.f4 Qb6 11.e5 Ng8 12.0-0-0 Ne7 13.Kb1 0-0-0 14.Na4 Qa6 15.b3 d4 16.c4 dxc3 17.d4 Qa5 18.Bxc3 Qc7 19.Bg2 Kb8 20.Rc1 Nb6 is equal (Khamrakulov-Lastin, Geller Mem, Moscow, 1999).
8...h6 9.0-0-0 Bb4 10.a3 Ba5 11.h4 Qe7 12.g5 hxg5 13.hxg5 Nh7 14.exd5 Bxc3 15.Bxc3 Qxg5+ 16.Kb1 cxd5 17.Be2 0-0-0 18.Rdg1 Qe7 19.Qe3 e5 20.Qxa7 gives White the advantage in space (Planinc-Kurajica, IT, Sarajevo, 1970).

6.Be2 dxe4

If 6...e6 7.d3 then:

If 7...Nbd7 8.Qg3 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Bf4 Qb6 11.Rab1 0-0 then:

12.Bf3 e5 13.Bd2 dxe4 14.dxe4 a5 15.Rfd1 a4 16.Qh4 Qc5 17.Be3 Qe7 gives White the advantage in space (Karpov-Portisch, IT, Montreal, 1979).
12.Bc7 Qd4 13.Bf3 e5 14.Bd6 Rfe8 15.Ba3 dxe4 16.dxe4 b5 17.Rfd1 Qb6 18.b3 is equal (Smyslov-Botvinnik, World ChM, Moscow, 1958).

7...Bd6 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.d4 Bb4 10.e5 Ng8 11.Nd1 Bf8 12.Bd3 c5 13.c3 Ne7 14.Be3 Nc6 15.Qg3 g6 16.f4 Qb6 17.Qf2 h5 18.Kh1 0-0-0 19.dxc5 Bxc5 20.b4 Bxe3 21.Nxe3 is equal (Georgadze-Khalilbeili, Soviet Ch ½-final, Tbilisi, 1956).

7.Nxe4 Nxe4 8.Qxe4 e6!?

8...Qd5 9.Qg4 Nd7 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Qa4 Qe4 12.Qxe4 Nxe4 13.Re1 g6 14.d4 Bg7 15.Bf3 Nf6 16.c4 Rd8 17.Be3 0-0 18.Rad1 gives White the advantage in space (Short-L'Ami, Staunton Mem TM, London, 2009).

9.0-0

White leads in development.

9...Nd7 10.b4

10.d4 Nf6 11.Qe3 Bd6 12.Re1 Bc7 13.g3 Qd7 is equal.

10...Nf6 11.Qf3!?

11.Qc4 Qd5 12.b5 Qxc4 13.Bxc4 Bd6 is equal.

11...Qd5

The game is equal.
11...Bxb4 12.Rb1 Qe7 13.Qb3 a5 14.a3 Bd6 15.Qxb7 gives White the advantage in space.

12.a3 Bd6 13.Rb1

13.Bb2 Qxd2 14.Ba6 Rb8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Qxf6 Rg8 remains equal.

13...Qxf3 14.Bxf3 a6 15.Re1

15.d4 0-0-0 16.Re1 Bc7 17.Bb2 remains equal.

15...Kd7!?

This is not the most economical way to deal with King safety.
If 15...0-0-0 16.d4 then:

If 16...Rhe8 17.Bg4 Nxg4 18.hxg4 e5 then:

19.Bb2 exd4 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.Bxd4 f6 gives Black command of an open file.
19.dxe5 Bxe5 20.c4 Bc3 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 gives Black command of an open file.

16...Bc7 17.Be3 Nd5 18.c4 Nxe3 19.fxe3 gives White the advantage in space.

16.Rb3 Kc7!?

Black has taken too much time to settle his King.
16...b5 17.d3 a5 18.c4 Rhb8 19.bxa5 Rxa5 is equal.

17.Bb2 Rhd8!?

The text commits Black to a queenside fight.
A more flexible plan is to fight in the center with 17...Rad8 18.d4 b6 19.c4 Bf4 20.a4 Rhe8 21.Kf1 gives White the advantage in space, but Black is maneuvering to fight back in the center.

18.g3!?

White apparently is not happy with his attacking prospects and rolls the ball back to Black.
If 18.a4 b5 19.a5 then:

19...Rd7 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.d4 Rad8 22.c3 gives White better pawn structure.
19...Bf4!? 20.d3 Rac8 21.g3 Bd2 22.Re2 gives White the initiative.

18...a5 19.c4

The game is equal.
19.b5 a4 20.b6+ Kc8 21.Rd3 is equal.

19...axb4 20.axb4 Kd7?!

This move should open opportunities for White
20...Ra2 then:

If 21.Kg2 Be7 22.Be5+ Bd6 23.d4 Bxe5 24.dxe5 then:

24...Nd7 25.Bh5 g6 remains equal.
24...Rdd2? 25.exf6 Rxf2+ 26.Kg1 gxf6 27.Ra3 Rab2 28.c5 gives White a Bishop for two pawns and Black difficulty in extricating his Rooks.

21.Ra1!? Rxb2 22.Rxb2 Be5 wins the exchange for Black.

21.b5

If 21.Kg2 then:

21...Ra4 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.c5 Bf8 is equal.
If 21...Ra2?! White punishes Black for the wasted tempo with 22.b5 Ra4 23.bxc6+ bxc6 24.Rb7+.

If 21.c5 Be7 22.b5 then:

22...Ra7 23.Rc1 Rc8 24.Be5 Kd8 25.d4 leaves Black severely cramped.
22...Bxc5 23.Rc1 Bxf2+ 24.Kxf2 cxb5 25.Rxb5 Ke8 26.Ke3 gives White a piece for two pawns and more activity.

21...Ra4 22.bxc6+ bxc6 23.Rb7+ Bc7

If 23...Ke8?? then 24.Bxc6+! wins the Rook.

24.Be5 Rc8 25.Rc1!?

White loosens his grip on the center, which could effect his queenside bind adversely.
25.c5! does more to restrain Black's position; if now 25...Ra3 26.Re3 Rxe3 27.fxe3 then Black cannot move either his Rook or Bishop.

25...Ra5!?

Black should substitute the Rook for a more durable guard on Bc7.
25...Ne8! (relieving the Rook of guard duty) 26.c5 f6 27.Bc3 Rb8 28.Rxb8 Bxb8 29.Bd1 is equal.

BLACK: Merab Gagunashvili
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WHITE: Nigel Short
Position after 25...Ra4a5

26.d4!

The Bishop is once again secure.

26...Ne8 27.d5 cxd5 28.cxd5 Kd8

Breaking the pin is Black's best bet.
28...Rxd5 29.Bxd5 exd5 30.Rc5 f6 31.Bd4 keeps Black's pieces tangled.

29.dxe6 fxe6

BLACK: Merab Gagunashvili
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WHITE: Nigel Short
Position after 29...fe6:p

30.Rd1+!

White forces Black's King back into the pin.

30...Ke7 31.Bc3 Ra6 32.Bb4+ Kf7 33.Bh5+ g6 34.Be2

34.Rd7+ Kg8 35.Bg4 h5 36.Be2 Rc6 37.Be7 gives White the more active game.

34...Rc6 35.Bb5 Rb6?

Black now loses quickly.
35...Rc2 36.Ba4 Rc4 37.Bb3 Rc6 38.Rd7+ gives White more activity.]

BLACK: Merab Gagunashvili
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WHITE: Nigel Short
Position after 35...Rc6b6

36.Rd7+!

The text is stronger than 36.Rxb6 Bxb6 37.Rd7+ Kf6 38.Rxh7.

36...Kg8

36...Kf6 loses to 37.Bc3+ e5 38.Bc4 g5 39.Rf7+ Kg6 40.Rfxc7.

37.Bc4

37.Rdxc7 Nxc7 38.Rxb6 Nd5 39.Rxe6 Nxb4 40.Re7 leaves White a pawn to the good.

37...Ng7

If 37...Rc6 then 38.Bb3 Nf6 39.Re7 Kh8 40.Rxe6 Rxe6 41.Bxe6 gives White an extra pawn.

38.Rdxc7 Rxc7 39.Rxb6 Rxc4 40.Rb8+ 1-0

Black must lose a piece or submit to mate.
Grandmaster Gagunashvili resigns.

Reply #14: Short - Gangunashvili, Round 3 [View All]