International
RSSU Chess Cup

Tournaments↓

 A.Alexandrov (BLR) - A.Lastin (RUS)

A. National Cup stage among men 

Queen’s gambit. Meran, Botvinnik, Moscow Variations.

Round 6

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 That move, distracting from sharp branching of Meran Variation, often means that White seeks deliberate position struggle.  6... Bd6 7. g4 

Battle march of pawn "g" (popular now not only in Sicilian Defense but also in closed openings) may urgently give the game irrational motive. 7... h6

[To the specific continuations 7... Ng4 8. Rg1 or 7...dc 8.Bc4 e5 Black prefers modest "suppressive" move in the game. The blind sides of move g2-g4 are expected to be revealed just after preparatory work.] 

8. h3 Possible alternatives are 8.Rg1 è 8.Bd2. Belarusian grandmaster is experienced in such continuations also.

[The important for the theoretical part of the variation was the game Carlsen - L.Aronyan (Linares 2009): 8. Bd2 dc 9. Bc4 b5 10. Be2 Bb7 11. e4 Be7 12. g5 hg 13. Ng5 b4 14. Na4 c5! 15. Nc5 Nc5 16. dc Rc8 17. Qa4 Bc6 18. Bb5 Bb5 19. Qb5 Qd7 20. Qd7 Nd7 , and the game finished with the better for Black endgame.] 

8... e5 Classically played – central activity answering to competitor’s side actions.

[Answering 8... dc possible is 9. e4! e5 10. Bc4 ed 11. Nd4 Ne5 12. Be2 Ng6 13. Be3 Bf4 14. Bf4 Nf4 15. O-O-O with advantage for White, A.Morozevich - B.Gelfand, Sochi 2008.] 

9. Bd2 A move with two ideas. White prepares a long castling but also (after Rñ1) may develop attack on "ñ" line.  9... O-O Maintaining pressure in center. After 9...e4 10.Nh4 appears (with color changing) useful for White "French" structure. 

 

10. cd Therefore White decides to push at file "ñ", leaving King in center.

[Alternative was 10. O-O-O . As positive example of white actions let’s remember the game S.Mamediarov - E.Naer, Mainz (rapid) 2009: 10... Re8 11. g5 hg 12. Ng5 ed 13. ed Nf8 14. Rg1 b5 15. c5 Bc7 16. Bd3 a5 17. Rg2 b4 18. Ne2 Ba6 19. Rdg1 Bd3 20. Nf7!! , and White’ attack succeeded.] 

10... cd 11. Nb5 Bb8 12. Rc1 Ne4 Feeling the blind sides of promotion side g2-g4 – White should take into account Qd8-f6. 13. Bb4 Re8 

 

14. Bg2

[To 14. Nc7 the possible answer is 14... Bc7 15. Qc7 Qf6 16. Be2 ed 17. ed Nb6  with advantage of Black.; 

In the original game V.Ivanchuk - P.Leko (Jermuk 2009) followed 14. Be2 ed 15. Nbd4 Ne5 16. Nd2 Bd7 17. Qb3 Nc6 with convenient play of Black.    Making something new in the game White seeks to strengthen its Queen side and take control over squares d5 and å4.] 

14... Qb6! Using disadvantages of the previous move of White (vulnerability of Knight b5), Black ruins active plans of its competitor on Queen side. 15. Qa4 a6 16. Nc3

 

 

16... Nc3 17. bc?!

[Inaccuracy. After 17. Rc3 White keeps activity of Queen Rook on file "ñ". Tactical verification is 17... ed 18. Nd4 Qd4 19. Rc8! Bd6! 20. Re8 Re8 21. O-O Qb4 22. Qd7] 

17... e4 18. Nd2 Qg6! Spectacular moving Queen to Queen side. With open file "ñ", White could make 19.Rñ8! 19. Qb3 Nf6 Black forces concentrate against rivals’ Queen side, weakened by g2-g4. 20. c4 White needs to begin counter play in center. But with centralized King the strategy doesn’t seem perfect. 20... Be6 21. Ba3

 

 

21... h5! 22. Qb7 Ra7 23. Qb1 hg 24. cd gh

[More calm was 24... Bd5 with Black’ advantage.] 

25. Bf1

[No good 25. Bh3 due to 25... Bh3 26. Rh3 Qg2 27. Rh4 Bg3!; But after 25. Be4 Ne4 26. de! and the worst for White could be over.] 

25... Bd5 26. Rh3?

[Necessary was 26. Bh3 , taking control over important diagonals h3-c8, and keeping protected square g1.] 

26... Ng4 Black attack again at f2. Actually according to computer, the more powerful modification of that idea was - 26...Qg1 with fatal attack. 27. Rc5

 

 

27... Qf6! 28. f4

[After 28. Rd5 Qf2 29. Kd1 Bg3! falling of square å3 is unavoidable, and consequently failure of White position.] 

28... Bf4! The Bishop’ victim eliminates all the obstacles on the way to With King! 29. ef Qd4 30. Be2 Qg1 31. Bf1 Rd7!

 

 

Marvelous! White has extra piece but their forces are helpless against centralized army of its rival. 32. Qc2 Qf2 33. Kd1 Bb3! Final blow!  [0:1]