Friday, January 27, 2017

You Again?

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Mariya Olehivna Muzychuk
15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 26, 2017
English Opening A12

Notes by Grandmaster Raymond Keene, The Spectator, February 18, 2017.

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. b3 Nf6 4. Bb2 Bg4 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 e6 7. h3 Bh5 8. Nc3 Bd6 9. d3 h6 10. a3 0-0. White’s opening looks harmless but once Black has committed the whereabouts of her King White is given an opportunity to strike.
11. g4 Bg6 12. Rg1. This kind of attack, utilising the force of White’s fianchettoed Queen’s Bishop, combined with an advance of the Kingside Pawns, was pioneered by Nimzowitsch in the 1920s.
12. ... e5 13. h4 dxc4 14. dxc4 Nc5 15. g5 e4 16. Nd2 hxg5 17. hxg5 Nh7


18. Ndxe4. A horrible shock for Black who clearly overlooked this tactical possibility.
18. ... Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Be7. Abject retreat but 19. ... Bxe4 fails outright to 20. Qd4 forking g7 and e4.
20. Bd3 Bxg5. Regaining the Pawn but also opening further lines for White on the Kingside.
21. Qc2 Qe7 22. Nxg5 Nxg5 23. Bxg6 Nf3+ 24. Ke2 Nxg1+ 25. Rxg1 fxg6 26. Qxg6


White has given up the Exchange but the pressure against g7 is overwhelming.
26. ... Rf7 27. Rh1 Qe8 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Rh4 Qc8 30. Re4 1–0.

You again? Photo: John Saunders.

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