 Evgenij Miroshnichenko (born 28th of December 1978), or "Miro", as he likes to be called, is international Grandmaster since 2002, two times Ukrainian Champion (2003 and 2008) and a winner of numerous international tournaments. Growing expert of women chess, as you can remember his reports and comments during the World Women Team Championship, 2012 European Womens Individual. Also 2012 Chess Olympiad and many others. Evgenij is going to provide us with analysis of the most interesting moments happened in the games during the WJCC as well.
It’s been a half of the tournament already, and I guess everyone of readers knows how important the “middlgame stage” is in chess, so in a couple of days I’ll bring you more detailed review of those rounds (4-7), perhaps with a lot of talking once again (see my review about rounds 1-3) and at the moment it’s a time for
Yu,Yangyi - Sethuraman,S.P
I can't help it - I have to comment on another game of the top seed as once again he became a sole leader!
This complicated position arose from 6.Bg5 line in Najdorf Sicilian. The situation on the board is rather unbalanced, and with his nex move White adds more woods into the fire: 18.g6!? Rf8 The strongest! [It would've been certainly bad to take the bishop, as after 18...Nxf2 19.gxf7+ Nxf7 20.Qxf2 e5 (20...Nd8 21.Qg3 Rf8 22.Qg6+ Kd7 23.Nd5 with decisive attack.) 21.Ne6 Qc4 22.Ng7+ Kf8 23.Bf1! Qc6 24.Ne6+ Ke8 25.Bh3+-] 19.Bg3 h5 20.gxf7+ Rxf7 21.Qd2 Black has got nice outposts for both knights, so his position shouldn't be that bad. 21...Nc4 22.Qe2
22...Rc8! 23.Rd3 [White could've tried to capture the pawn - 23.Nxe6 Qa5! 24.Be1! b4 25.Rd5! (Worse is 25.Nd5 Bxd5 26.Rxd5 Qa4µ with Nce3 being a threat.) 25...Qb6 (Nice tactical battle after 25...Bxd5?! 26.Nxd5
26...bxa3!? 27.Kb1!! (27.Bxa5? a2–+) 27...Qa4 28.b3 Qd7 29.Nd4 promises White much better chances.) 26.axb4 Qxb4 27.Nd1 Qa4 28.Kb1 Bxd5 29.exd5 and it's still unclear who's better in this position.] 23...Bf6?! Insisting in his will to sacrifice a pawn Black goes too far (or perhaps just missed something in the forthcoming complications). [I'd say 23...Nce5 was definitely an option, with a possible repetition after 24.Rdd1 Nc4 (Actually Black can try to play for more there with 24...Qc4!? 25.Rhe1 Qxe2 26.Rxe2 Kd7!? and his position looks quite promising.) ] 24.Nxe6 Qa5? [24...Qb6 was, perhaps, the least of evils - after 25.e5 Bxe5 26.Bxe5 Ncxe5 27.Bxb7 Qxb7 28.Rdd1 White's king is in safer situation, but Black still can fight on 28...Rf2 29.Qe1 b4 30.axb4 Qxb4 31.Rd4 Rc4 32.Qe4 Kd7 33.Re1 Rxd4 34.Nxd4 and here Black has a perpetual with 34...Nf6 35.Qe3 Nfg4=]
25.e5! Nxb2 [Bad would've been 25...Bxe5 26.Bxe5 Ncxe5 27.Bxb7 Rxb7 28.Ne4! Nxd3+ 29.Qxd3 and black pieces are to far to be able to save the king.] 26.Kxb2 Nxe5 27.Bxe5 Bxe5 28.Nd4 b4 29.Ne4! Re7?! [Nowhere leads 29...bxa3+? 30.Ka2 Bd5+ 31.Nb3+-; Black could've tried 29...Qb6 , but after 30.Nxd6+! Qxd6 31.Bxb7 Rxb7 32.Re1 bxa3+ 33.Ka2 White's king is surprisingly safe, while the same can't be stated about its black counterpart. 33...Rxc2+ 34.Nxc2 Qe6+ 35.Kxa3 Bb2+ 36.Ka4+-] 30.a4 b3
31.cxb3? This oversight prolongs the game for quite long (and even sets some doubt about the outcome). [After 31.c3! White could've kept an extra piece - 31...Qxa4 32.Ra1+-] 31...Bxd4+ 32.Rxd4 Bxe4 33.Rxe4 Qc3+ 34.Ka3 Qc5+ 35.Kb2 Qc3+ 36.Ka2 Qc2+ 37.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 38.Ka3 Rxg2 The resulting endgame is better for White, although it's a rook endgame, so we all know draw is quite probable... 39.Rd4
39...Re6?! [More precise would've been 39...Rg6 , in order to have 40.Rd5 (White has to play 40.Rhd1 Kd7 41.Rd5 Re3 42.Rxh5 Rgg3 43.Rb1 , keeping some wining chances.) 40...Re5 and Black is just fine.] 40.Rd5 Ree2 41.Rxh5 Kd7 42.Kb4 Re3 43.Rh7+ Ke6 44.Rb7 Re5 45.Ka3 a5 46.Rb5 Rg6 47.h5 Rh6
48.Rxe5+! Responsible decision, which mast have been calculated precisely. 48...dxe5 49.b4 axb4+ 50.Kxb4 e4 51.a5 Kd5 52.Kc3 [52.Kb5 wins as well.] 52...Kc5 53.Rh4 Kd5 [53...Kb5 54.Kd4 Kxa5 55.Kxe4 and black king is just too far.] 54.Kd2 Kd4 55.Ke2 Ke5 56.Ke3 Kd5 57.Rh2 Eventually a zugzwang. After the desperate try for counterplay - 57...Rc6 58.h6 Rc3+ 59.Kd2 Black finally resigned. What a battle! 1–0
Petenyi, Tamas - Ipatov, Alexander
Once again a game of defending champion is under our scope, but not for no reason, as he's just half a point behind the leader while the game itself is very exciting as well. 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Qe2
A bit strange system against Caro-Kann, although it's possible to play like that if you're a fan of King's Indian defense. :) 3...d4 4.Nd1 e5 5.d3 Bd6 6.g3 c5 7.f4 Nc6 8.Nf3 Nge7 9.Bg2 f6 10.0–0 Be6
11.f5 I'd say this move is a positional mistake, as it pretty much limits White's options to kingside attack only, but Black didn't castle yet... 11...Bf7 12.Kh1 Qd7 13.c4 White has realized his mistake and he tries to slow down at least his opponent's initiative on the other wing. [13.g4 g5! would be similar to the game.] 13...a6 14.Nf2 b5 15.b3 Bc7 Nice positional move, intending bishop's transfer to c3 via a5. 16.g4 g5!? Radically stopping White's initiative on the kingside. 17.Bxg5 Even more radical attempt to attack at any cost, although objectively this move is of a doubtful value. [White should've played 17.h4 h6 and then patiently try to defend the queenside,] 17...fxg5 18.Nxg5 h6! 19.Nxf7 Kxf7 20.Nh3 Rag8 21.g5 hxg5 22.f6
22..g4!? Rather practical decision - instead of defense Black prefer to grab the initiative as all of a sudden he turns to be better organized on the kingside. [Another possibility was 22...Ng6 23.Nxg5+ Kf8 24.Rf5 otherwise black knight is going to land on f4, depriving White from any hint of counterplay. 24...Nh4 25.Raf1 Nxf5 26.Rxf5 Rg6 , and being rook up Black should be able to defend against White's threats (which are not so many to be honest)] 23.fxe7+ Kxe7 24.Ng1 Qe6 25.Rf5 Qh6 26.Bf1 Nd8! Knight goes to f4 with decisive effect! 27.Qg2 Ne6 28.Qg3 Ng7! 29.Rf2 Nh5 30.Qh4+ Kd6 31.Rf5
31...Bd8! The last black piece takes part into attack against pour white king! 32.Qe1 [Computer claims 32.Qxh5 to be the best move there, but of course after 32...Qxh5 33.Rxh5 Rxh5 White doesn't have a chance to escape.] 32...Nf4 White could've resigned there, but instead (and I'm quite grateful I have to say!) allows very nice finishing combination. 33.h3 gxh3 34.b4 Rxg1+ [Even stronger would’ve been 34...h2 , where after 35.Nh3 (captures on c5 and b5 doesn't change much - it's just a couple of checks) 35...Rg1+ 36.Kxh2 Black would've set a nice mate in three -
36...Qxh3+ 37.Bxh3 Rg2+ 38.Kh1 Rxh3#] 35.Kxg1 Qg6+ 36.Kh1 [36.Kh2 Qg2+ 37.Bxg2 hxg2+ 38.Kg3 Bh4+ 39.Kf3 Bxe1–+]
36...Qg2+! 37.Bxg2 hxg2+ 38.Kg1 Rh1+ 39.Kf2 Bh4+ 40.Kf3 Bxe1 41.bxc5+ Ke6 Not only the nice game, but tremendously important for Ipatov in his search for a second title. 0–1
Kashlinskaya, Alina - Medina, Warda Aulia
The game between the leaders in the girls section turned to be really a disappointment (well, perhaps Black would disagree:)) as there wasn't any fight - White simply misplayed the opening completely, finding herself lost on the move 12 in such a solid opening as Catalan. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.c4 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5 6.Qa4+ [Much more popular is 6.0–0 ] 6...Nc6
7.Ne5 [7.0–0 would've still lead to the before mentioned main line.] 7...Bd7 8.Nxd7 [Better would've been 8.Nxc6 Qb6 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.0–0 Rc8 11.Qxa7 Bxc6 12.Qxb6 Bxb6 but still I don't see no trouble for Black whatsoever.] 8...Qxd7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.0–0?! Already suspicious. [10.Qxc4 Nd4 11.e3 (11.Qd3!? 0–0 12.0–0 Qe7 13.Nc3 Rad8 and Black has the initiative.) 11...Rc8 12.Qd3! Bb4+ (12...Nf3+ 13.Ke2!) 13.Nc3 Nf3+ 14.Ke2 Qxd3+ 15.Kxd3 Ne5+ 16.Ke2 Bxc3 17.bxc3 b6 Black is already much more pleasant, but White's pair of bishops should secure him good chances for a draw.] 10...Nd4
11.Qxc4? But this is a real mistake. [After the only 11.Qxd7+ Nxd7 12.Nc3 Bb4 13.Bxb7 Rb8 14.Bf3 Nxf3+ (14...Ne5!?) 15.exf3 Nc5 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Bd6 white should be able to escape.] 11...Rc8! Natural and strong - White doesn't have a proper reaction against Nc2 threat. 12.Nc3 Nc2 13.e3?! Losing without showing the spirit. [At least White should've tried the "all-in" attack with 13.Qh4 Nxa1 14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Qa4+ Kf8 16.Bf4 where some accuracy is still required from Black.] The rest is easy: 13...Bd6 [13...Nxa1] 14.Qe2 Nxa1 15.Rd1 0–0 16.e4 e5 17.Bg5 Qe6 18.Rxa1 Bb4 19.Nd1 Rfd8 20.Ne3
20...Rd2 21.Qb5 Bc5 22.Qxb7 h6 23.Bxf6 Bxe3 24.fxe3 Rcc2 0–1 |
