Annotated by IM Manuel Aaron
na (2218), World Junior Girls, Pune, 2014
was drawn after: 14...Qb8 15.Rac1 Rc8
16.Bf4 Nh5 17.Be3 Nhf6 18.Bf4 Nh5 19.Be3
drawn.]15.Nb3 Ne5 [All good players know
that if black is able to play ....d5 without
any ill effects in such positions black obtains
equality. But does a GM in an Open Swiss relish a draw against a player rated nearly 350
points below him? This is the disadvantage
for high rated players when they play in an
Open where the opposition is low and uneven. 15...d5! 16.exd5 exd5 17.Rac1!=]16.
Qd4 Nfd7 17.Kh1 Kh8 18.Rac1 [Black is
waiting for f3–f4 so that he could have some
chances against white's centre, especially his
e4 pawn. But white has been well trained not
to change the pawn structure when ones development is not yet complete. However, f4
could be played here: 18.f4 Nc6 19.Qd2 Na5
20.Nxa5 Qxa5 21.a3² Note that the f-pawn
remains on f3 till the end of the game!]18...
Nc6 19.Qd2 Na5 20.Nxa5 Qxa5 21.Nb1!?
[Diagram #][A very interesting offer of a
pawn. If 21.Bf4 d5 22.exd5 exd5 23.Rc2
(23.Nxd5? Qxd2 24.Bxd2 Bxd5 25.Bxa6
Rxc1 26.Bxc1 Be6µ) 23...Nf6 24.Be5 Nd7
25.Bd4 Bf6=]21...Qd8 [After 21...Qxa2
22.Qb4! (black must worry over his queen
getting trapped with Nc3!) 22...Bc6 (the only
move) 23.Nc3 a5 24.Nxa2! axb4 25.Ba6!
Rc7 26.Nxb4 Ne5 27.Bb6 Rb8 28.Bxc7 Rxb4
29.Bxd6+–; Black's main alternative is: 21...
Qxd2 22.Nxd2 d5 23.Nc4! Ba8 24.a3]22.
Qb4 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Qb8 24.Nd2 Re8
[(threatening to ambush the queen with d6–
d5)]25.Qa4 Nc5 26.Qa3 Rc8 27.Nb3 Nxb3
28.Qxb3 Bf6 29.Qb6 Rxc1+ 30.Bxc1 [All
these exchanges are taking the game closer to a draw which is not agreeable to the
grandmaster.]30...Qc8 31.Be3 d5!= 32.exd5
exd5 [If 32...Bxd5 33.Bxa6 Qa8 34.Qa7
Qxa7 35.Bxa7 Bxa2 36.b4]33.h3 h5 34.a4
h4 35.Bd3 Be5? [35...Qc6 36.Qb4 Kg8 would
be equal.]36.b4 g6 37.Qc5 Qxc5 38.Bxc5
Kg7= [The game is absolutely equal.]39.b5
a5? [After this, black has the task of protecting both, the a5 and h4 pawns on black
squares. His dark square bishop is not equal
to this task in the long run.]40.Bb6! Bc3
41.Bd8! f6² [41...Be1 42.Kg1 Kf8 43.Kf1
Ke8 44.Bg5 Bg3 45.Ke2 Kd7 46.Bc2 Bc8 and
white would have to do a lot of patient and
clever manoeuvring to convert his slight advantage to victory.]42.Kg1 Kf7 43.Kf2 Ke8
44.Bb6 f5 45.Ke2 Bc8 46.Be3 d4?? [Probably the grandmaster was in time trouble. Or
perhaps he was overwhelmed by the methodical positional play by the 18–year old untitled
youngster from Odissa? After the text, black
loses his h4 pawn for no compensation. He
had a better alternative here: 46...Bf6 47.b6!
Kd7 48.Bb5+ Kd6 49.f4! and white has two
dangerous threats, 50 Bd2 threatening Bxa5
and 50 Be8 threatening g6.]47.Bg5 Kd7
[Diagram #][Black's proposed counter-attack
against a4 loses brilliantly: 47...Be6 48.b6!
Bd5 (48...Bc8 49.Bb5+ Kf7 50.Bc6+–; or if
48...Kd7 49.b7 Kc7 50.Ba6 and black has no
defence against Bf4+ queening the pawn.)
49.Bb5+! (driving the black king further
away from the b-file before pressing with his
b-pawn.) 49...Kf7 50.Ba6 Bb4 (for 51...Bd6
to control the queening square) 51.Bf4!]48.
Bxh4 Kd6 [White has a simple win after 49
g4, creating a assed pawn on the king-side
too.1–0
AICF CHRONICLE
JUly 2016
41