周健超 (Zhōu Jiànchāo) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
42nd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), April 1, 2011
Catalan Opening E05
42nd Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), April 1, 2011
Catalan Opening E05
1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Ne5
7. ... Nc6! The best reply. Black sacrifices a Pawn for the sake of the initiative.
8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 (9. ... Qd6 10. Qa4⩲)
10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 e5 12. dxe5 Qxe5 13. Qxc4 Be6 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Qd2
8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 (9. ... Qd6 10. Qa4⩲)
10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 e5 12. dxe5 Qxe5 13. Qxc4 Be6 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Qd2
Black has obvious compensation for the Pawn, hence White hurries to give the Pawn back simplifying to a very drawish Rook and opposite-coloured Bishops endgame.
15. ... Rfe8 16. Nc3 Ne4 17. Nxe4 Qxe4 18. Re1 Bg4 19. Qf4. This looks more convincing than the also playable 19. Qc3 Bxe2 20. Be3 Qf3 21. Rac1 a6 22. Bd4 Qg4 23. Be5 f6 24. Bxc7 Kh8 25. Qc6 Rac8 26. b3 h6 27. Rc4 Qh5 28. Rcc1 Bb5 29. Qd6 Be2 30. h4 Re4 31. Bd8 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 Qg6 33. Ba5 Kh7 34. Re1 Qg4 35. Qd2 Qf3 36. Qc3 Qf5 37. Qd2 Qg4 38. Bc3? Qf3 39. Bxf6 gxf6 40. Qd5 Bd3? (40. ... Rg4!−+) 41. Qf7+ Kh8 42. Qf8+ Kh7 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. Rc1 Bc2 45. Qf8+ Kh7 46. Qf7+ Kh8 47. Qf8+ ½ : ½ Kramnik – Lékó, 38th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2010.
19. ... Bxe2 20. Qxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf4 c6 22. Rac1
15. ... Rfe8 16. Nc3 Ne4 17. Nxe4 Qxe4 18. Re1 Bg4 19. Qf4. This looks more convincing than the also playable 19. Qc3 Bxe2 20. Be3 Qf3 21. Rac1 a6 22. Bd4 Qg4 23. Be5 f6 24. Bxc7 Kh8 25. Qc6 Rac8 26. b3 h6 27. Rc4 Qh5 28. Rcc1 Bb5 29. Qd6 Be2 30. h4 Re4 31. Bd8 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 Qg6 33. Ba5 Kh7 34. Re1 Qg4 35. Qd2 Qf3 36. Qc3 Qf5 37. Qd2 Qg4 38. Bc3? Qf3 39. Bxf6 gxf6 40. Qd5 Bd3? (40. ... Rg4!−+) 41. Qf7+ Kh8 42. Qf8+ Kh7 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. Rc1 Bc2 45. Qf8+ Kh7 46. Qf7+ Kh8 47. Qf8+ ½ : ½ Kramnik – Lékó, 38th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 2010.
19. ... Bxe2 20. Qxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf4 c6 22. Rac1
22. ... Bf3! Black has equalised. The Black Bishop heads for the strategic d5-square, from where it attacks and defends at the same time.
23. Rxe4 Bxe4 24. Rc3 f6 25. f3 Bd5 26. Ra3 Bc4 27. Kf2 a5 28. Ra4 Bb5 29. Rd4 a4 30. g4 Re8 31. Be3 Re5 32. f4 Rd5 33. Rxd5 cxd5 34. b3 axb3 35. axb3 Kf7 36. Bc5 f5 37. g5 Ke6 38. Ke3 Kd7 39. Kd4 Kc6 40. h4 Be2 41. b4 g6 42. Ke5 Bh5 43. Kd4 Be2 ½ : ½.
23. Rxe4 Bxe4 24. Rc3 f6 25. f3 Bd5 26. Ra3 Bc4 27. Kf2 a5 28. Ra4 Bb5 29. Rd4 a4 30. g4 Re8 31. Be3 Re5 32. f4 Rd5 33. Rxd5 cxd5 34. b3 axb3 35. axb3 Kf7 36. Bc5 f5 37. g5 Ke6 38. Ke3 Kd7 39. Kd4 Kc6 40. h4 Be2 41. b4 g6 42. Ke5 Bh5 43. Kd4 Be2 ½ : ½.
Riding and drawing. Photo: Sina Chess News.