In the Arena
tion but very solid. White still hopes to
play f4 and exchange the dark-squared
bishops. 12. Bg5 This is the main line. 12.
... 0-0 13. Bh4 Nh5 (13. ... e5 The following is an interesting continuation. 14.
dxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Bg3 Bxg3
17. Nxg3 Qb6 18. Qd2 Bd7 19. h3 Rae8
with a virtually equal position.) 14. Qc2
h6 15. Bg6 Rxf3!? 16. gxf3 (16. Bxh5
Bxh2+ 17. Kh1 Rf5 18. Bg6 Bd6 19. Bxf5
exf5 and Black has good compensation for
the Exchange sacrifice.) 16. ... Bxh2+ 17.
Kh1 Nf4 18. Ng3 Nxg6 19. Qxg6 Bxg3
20. Qe8+ Kh7 21. Bxg3 Qd7 22. Qxd7
Bxd7 with an equal position in the game
Naroditsky, Daniel-Shulman, Yury, 2011.
And Black is also fine after 12. Ng3 0-0
13. Bg5 Qb6! 14. Rb1 h6 15. Bxf6 Rxf6
16. Re1 Bd7 17. Nh5 Rff8. It should be
noted that in many of the positions examined to this point, there are additional
viable or interesting continuations that
space does not permit us to discuss.
12. ... 0-0 13. Bf4 Bd7
13. ... Ng4 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15. Nc3 e5
16. dxe5 Ngxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Nxd5
and White is slightly better though the
position remains somewhat unclear.
14. Rc1 Be8
This is a rare move the purpose of
which is to transfer the bishop to h5 and
exchange it for one of White’s knights. In
the French Defense, Black’s light-squared
bishop is often his worst piece due to the
central pawn structure (their placement
on the light squares). Also possible is 14.
... Ne4 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Ne5 (16. Bxd6
Qxd6 17. Ng5 Rad8 18. Nxe4 Qd5 19.
N4c3 Qf3 20. d5 e5! Black is slightly better. White cannot capture the c6-knight
as ... Bxc6 threatens mate on h1 and
g2.) 16. ... Bxe5 17. dxe5 Be8 with the
idea of ... Bh5 and Black has equalized.
15. Ne5
rwq-+ltrk+
zpp+-+-zpp
-+nvlpsn-+
+-+psN-+-+-zP-vL-+
+-+L+-zPPzP-+NzP-zP
+-tRQ+RmK-
After 15. ... Qb8
Chess Life — July 2012
The importance of bringing one’s king
to the center in the endgame is essential
and cannot be over-emphasized.
31. a5, Draw agreed.
17. Re1 Ng4 18. f3 e5! This is the subvariation I had hoped my opponent would
play. The position is still unclear and
preserves at least some winning chances
for Black.
17. ... e5!
rwq-+-trk+
pp+-+-zpp
-+lvl-sn-+
+-+pzp-+-+-zP-vL-+
+-+L+-zPPzP-wQNzP-zP
+-tR-+RmK-
After 17. ... e5
This is a key move for which Black has
planned—it frees his position, allowing
greater range for his pieces and eliminating the weakness on e6. After this
move, I believe I equalized the position.
21. Rfe1 Qd6
38
28. Qxe5 Rxe5 29. Bd3 Kf7
17. Qd2
15. ... Qb8!
16. Nxc6 Bxc6
I played this move on a principle that
I learned as a child: When your opponent’s piece is more active than your
own, try to exchange it.
My idea was to protect the seventh
rank and optimally activate my king by
bringing him to d6.
If 19. Rfe1 Ne4 20. Qe3 Bxf4 21. Nxf4
Qd6 with a roughly equal position.
An important move; Black is threatening to capture on e5 with the win of a
pawn. It’s very important for Black to
maintain control of the e5-square in this
position. If he fails in this, the backward
pawn on e6 becomes a vulnerable target.
27. Rc1 Qe5
16. ... bxc6 though capturing with pawn
gives Black the b-file, it places still
another foot soldier on the same square
as his already “bad” bishop and simultaneously creates another weakness
(backward pawn).
White also could have continued: 15.
Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Nf4 Ne4! (16. ... Nh5?!
17. Bxh7+! Kxh7 18. Ng5+ Kh8 19. Nxh5
e5 20. dxe5 Qh6 21. Nxg7 Kxg7 22. f4 and
White has more than compensation for the
piece and is actually slightly better.) 17.
Bxe4 dxe4 18. Ng5 Rxf4 19. gxf4 Nxd4 20.
Nxe4 Qxf4 21. Qxd4 Qg4+ 22. Kh1 Qf3+
23. Kg1 Qg4+ with perpetual check.
(see diagram top of next column)
possible and try to play for a win with the
queen and knight. However, my astute
opponent correctly avoided exchanging
the second rook.
18. dxe5 Bxe5 19. Bxe5
19. ... Qxe5 20. Nd4 Bd7
20. ... Qxd4?? 21. Bxh7+ with a win for
White.
These type of positions that arise in the
French Defense are typically near to equal
because the d5-pawn is both a strength
and a weakness. (It controls important
central squares, but is also isolated.)
22. Nf5 Bxf5 23. Bxf5 Rae8 24. Qd4 b6 25. b4
Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Re8
My idea was to exchange both rooks if
30. a4 Re7
After nearly four hours of play, GM
Vallejo-Pons offered a draw which I
accepted after carefully calculating my
possibilities; I saw no way to play for a win
and so accepted his offer. I was pleased
with my second place finish in the event
and with this game against a very highlyranked opponent. (31. a5 bxa5 32. bxa5
Ke6 33. Re1+ Kd6 34. Rxe7 Kxe7 35. f3
Kd6 36. Kf2 Kc5 37. Ke3 Kb4 38. Kd4
Kxa5 39. g4 h6 40. h4 Kb4 41. g5 hxg5 42.
hxg5 Nh5 43. Ba6 Nf4 44. Ke5 The position is equal. Neither side can force a win.)
I have also been on the other end of
what I describe as “hyper-aggressive”
play by opponents having the black
pieces. I refer here not to play that is
simply aggressive but instead play characterized by an attack despite the
attacker’s lack of a positional advantage
and that usually includes a disregard for
opening principles without solid rationale
or compensating factors.
In 2009, I played GMs Étienne Bacrot
and Naiditsch. At the time, they were FIDE
rated approximately 2725 and 2700,
respectively. In each case, I had white and
my opponents pressed the action or, as was
true of the game versus GM Naiditsch,
engaged in unfounded hyper- aggressive
play with the black pieces, presumably
because I was significantly lower rated
than each at the time. At the time we
played, GM Bacrot was the 17th ranked
player in the world and enjoyed a nearly
one hundred point advantage in the FIDE
ratings. GM Naiditsch ranked 36th in the
world and possessed over a seventy point
FIDE rating advantage. The results were a
draw with GM Bacrot and a crushing
defeat of GM Naiditsch. Witness the
slaughter in this 23-move miniature.
(see next game, next page)
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