Thursday, June 26, 2008

Variations on a Dutch Theme

Edwin van Haastert – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
69th Corus Chess Tournament (C Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 20, 2007
Sicilian Defence B67

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. 0-0-0 Bd7 11. Bc4!?


11. ... 0-0-0. In his analysis for Chess Informant (Šahovski Informator) issue No. 99/146, International Master Erik Zude mentions the following possibilites:
a) 11. ... Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Qc5 13. Qd3 b5 14. Bb3 b4 15. Ne2 Bb5 16. Qf3 a5 17. Nd4 a4 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Nxe6 Qc4 20. e5 (20. Qh5+? Ke7∓ Gershkowich – Drori, 17th Maccabiah Games, GM Tournament, Jerusalem 2005) 20. ... Rc8 (20. ... Ra7 21. Qh5++−) 21. Qh5+ Ke7 22. exd6+ Kxe6 23. Rhe1+ Kd7 24. Qf5+ Kd8 25. Qxf6+ Kd7 26. Qf5+ Kd8 27. c3 (27. Rd2 Rc5 28. Qf6+ Kc8 29. Qxh8 Qxf4) 27... Rc5 (27. ... bxc3? 28. d7 cxb2+ 29. Kb1+−) 28. Qf6+ Kc8 29. Qxh8±); b) 11. ... h5 12. Kb1 Bh6 (12. ... 0-0-0) 13. g3⩲ (13. Rhf1⩲).
12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Bb3 Kb8 14. Kb1 h5 15. Rhf1


15. ... Be7TN (15. ... Qc5 16. Qd3 h4 17. Qh3 Be7 18. f5 Qe5 19. Rde1 Rde8 20. Ne2 Bf8 21. Nf4 Rh6 22. a3 Bb5 23. Nd3 Bxd3 24. cxd3 Rh8 25. fxe6 fxe6 26. d4 Qxd4 27. Bxe6 Bg7 28. Bd5 Re7 29. Rd1 Qa4 30. Rd3 Rc8 31. Rb3 Rc5 32. Ka2 Qd4 33. Rd3 Qa4 34. Rb3 Qd4 35. Rff3 f5 36. Rb4 Qd1 37. Rd3 Qe1 38. Qxf5 a5 39. Rb6 Rc1 40. Qf4 Ra1+ 41. Kb3 Rd7 42. Rxd6 1 : 0 Topalov – Anand, 25th Sparkassen Chess Meeting Dortmund 1997)
16. f5 Rdg8


17. Qf2 Rg4 18. h3 Rg5 19. g3 Rhg8 20. Rd3 Bc8 21. Rf3 Bd8 22. Qe3 Qc5 23. Ne2 exf5 24. Qxc5 dxc5 25. exf5 R8g7 26. h4 Rg4 27. Rf4 ½ : ½