Gabriel Eduardi Sargissian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
70th Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 25, 2008
Queen’s Indian Defence E15
70th Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 25, 2008
Queen’s Indian Defence E15
1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7
7. e4 d5 8. cxd5 Bxf1 9. Kxf1 exd5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Nc3 Nxd2+
12. Nxd2 Qd7 13. Kg2 Nc6 14. Qa4 0-0. 14. ... 0-0-0 seems more convincing; a game played some months later went 15. Qa6+ Kb8 16. Nb5 Qc8 17. Qxc8+ Rxc8 18. Rac1 Nd8 19. f4 c6 20. Nc3 Ne6 and Black somehow managed to consolidate, Grigoryan – Zhigalko, 48th World Junior Chess Championship, Puerto Madryn 2009. 15. Rac1 f6. This move has been rightly criticised, 15. ... Rfd8 being suggested as a better one (but after 16. Nf3 White seems to stand better anyway). 16. f4. 16. Ne2(!) Nxe5 17. Qxd7 Nxd7 18. Rxc7 should give White a clear advantage. On the other hand, Sargissian’s modus operandi is not bad either. 16. ... fxe5
17. dxe5 Bb4 18. Rhf1 Rac8 19. Ne2 Nxe5 20. Qxb4 Nd3 21. Qb3
Nxc1 22. Nxc1. White has two Knights against Rook and Pawn, and should succeed in making progress. Instead, psychologically anguished by the imperative of restraining Black’s centre Pawns, the Armenian Grandmaster will gradually lose the thread of the game. 22. ... Rce8 23. Nf3 Qf5 24. Rf2 c5 25. Qd3 Qe4 26. Rd2
d4 27. Qxe4 Rxe4 28. Nd3 Re6 29. h4 Rc8 30. a4 a6 31. Nfe5 b5
32. a5 g6 33. Rc2 c4 34. Nb4. This is already quite questionable, but probably not irreparable. 34. ... Rf8 35. b3? Bad timing. He would rather have had to play it on the previous move. 35. ... d3 36. Rd2 Rc8 37. Rd1
Rd6 38. Kf3? And this is probably the losing move. It is unlikely that after 38. bxc4 bxc4 39. Rd2 Black may make progress. Now instead Black inexorably zugzwangs her opponent. 38. ... d2 39. bxc4 bxc4 40. Nc2 c3 41. Ke2 Rd5 42. Ng4
Rxa5 43. Nge3 Rd8 44. Rb1 Ra2 45. Kd1 Rb2 46. Ra1 Rdb8
47. Rxa6 Rb1+ 48. Ke2 Rc1 49. Rc6
49. ... Re8 0 : 1. For if 50. Kd3 then 50. ... Rxc2! and finis.
