Thursday, November 26, 2009

要塞 (Stronghold)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 15, 2009
Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5 11. Be2 Bb7 12. Bf3 0-0 13. h4!?TN Qc7 14. Bxf6 gxf6. 14. ... Bxf6 15. Qxd6 Qa5 is the thematic alternative, as after 16. e5 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rad8 18. Qc5 Rc8 Black seems to have sufficient compensation for the Pawn. 15. f5 e5. This concedes White a clear edge. 15. ... Rac8 16. Kb1 Qc5 was probably better. 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Rfc8 18. Rd2 Qc4 19. Be2 Qxd5 20. Rxd5 Rc7 21. a3 Rac8 22. c3 Rc5 23. Rhd1 Kf8 24. Kc2 R8c7 25. R1d3 Rc4 26. Bf3 Ke8 27. b3 R4c6 28. Be2 Rc8 29. Rg3 Kf8 30. Rgd3 Ke8 31. b4 Kd7 32. Rg3 Bf8. If 32. ... Bd8 then likewise 33. a4! bxa4 34. b5 with unpleasant consequences for Black, but the text is even worse.


33. a4! bxa4 34. Ra5 Kc7 35. Rxa6 Rxa6 36. Bxa6 Ra8 37. Bc4 Kb6 38. Rg8 a3 39. Kb1 Rc8 40. Bxf7 Kb5 41. Ka2 Rxc3 42. Rxf8 1 : 0.