Pentala Harikrishna Annotates

Harikrishna,P - Ivanesevic,I [E90]
14.07.2008
[Pentala Harikrishna]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.h3 Bg7 7.e4 0–0 8.Bd3 Na6 9.0–0 e5 10.Rb1 Kh8 11.a3 Ng8 12.Nh2! White can go to e1 as well but i wanted to keep it on h2 so that the king will will be safe. 12...f5 Another way to play would be: [12...Bh6 13.Bxh6 Nxh6 14.Qd2 Kg7 15.f4 f6] 13.f4 exf4 14.Bxf4 g5 Other options for Black here were: [14...Nf6 after which I would play 15.e5 or:; 14...Bd4+ 15.Kh1 Nf6 16.exf5 Nh5 17.Ne2 Nxf4 18.Nxf4 gxf5 19.Qh5±] 15.Bd2 f4

Till here my opponent made all his moves very quickly. I was under the impression that he had prepared all this probably, and he probably had, but I think this position is quite dubious for black.16.Qh5! I could also play h4 which is more safer and probably easier. I saw both the moves however i decided to go for Qh5 by the simple fact that not everyday you get a chance to sacrifice your queen:) [16.h4 gxh4 17.Bxf4 h3 (17...Rxf4 18.Rxf4 Be5) ] 16...h6 17.h4 Nf6 [17...Bd7 18.hxg5 Qxg5 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Nb5 (20.g3; 20.Nf3) 20...Bxb5 21.cxb5 Nc7 22.Nf3 Bf6 23.g3 (23.Bc3 g4) 23...fxg3 24.Nxg5; 17...Bd7] 18.Qg6 18.Qe8 was possible here. However, I think the position is better for White. I must thank my opponent for letting me sacrifice the queen:) 18...Bd7 19.hxg5 Be8
20.Qxg7+!! This was what I was aiming for, although even after: [20.Qf5 Nh5 21.Qh3 Bd4+ 22.Rf2 Qxg5 (22...hxg5) 23.Ne2 I think even this White is better since Black's pieces are not developed and his king is very weak.] 20...Kxg7 21.gxf6+ Rxf6 22.Ne2 I have seen this far when i was playing Nh2 and I thought that this position is better for White already. 22...Nb8 [22...Kg8 23.Nxf4 Rf7 24.Rf3±] 23.Nxf4

After playing 23.Nf4 i felt that 23.Ng4 is better during the game and was much simpler. After checking with the engine however, I think that what I had played in the game-23. Nf4 is better. Nevertheless, after:[23.Ng4 Nd7 24.Bc3 Ne5 25.Nxe5 dxe5 26.Bxe5 Kg8 27.Nxf4 Rf7 28.Ne6 (28.Rf3 Qg5 29.Bd6 Bd7 30.Rbf1 Bg4) 28...Qh4 29.Rbe1± (29.Bd6) ] 23...Nd7 24.Ng4 Rxf4 25.Rxf4 Ne5 26.Nxe5 dxe5 27.Rf5 Bg6 28.Rxe5 Qh4 29.Bc3 Although this doesnt spoil anything 29.Rf1 was better and doesn't give Black any counterplay- [29.Rf1
29...Rf8 30.Rxf8 Kxf8 31.d6 Be8 (31...Qg3) 32.Be2+-] 29...Kg8 30.Rf1 Rf8 31.d6?! [31.Rxf8+ was better and after 31...Kf8 32.Be2 followed by Bf3 is what the engine suggest. 31...Kxf8] 31...Qg3 32.Re6? [32.Rxf8+ Kxf8 33.Be2] 32...Rxf1+ 33.Bxf1 Qe3+ 34.Kh2 Bxe4 35.Re8+ It was important to include Re8 to gain an important tempo, as you can later see in the game. [35.Be5 Bc6 (35...Qf2) 36.b4 Qe1] 35...Kf7 36.Re7+ Kf8 37.Bg7+ Kg8 38.Be5 Bc6 39.b4 Qe1 40.b5 Bd7 41.Bg3 Qxf1 42.Rxd7
My opponent defended extremely well after my mistake on 32nd move. I didn't had much choice other than this endgame. Although White keeps some winning chances with the help of engine black can draw. However in a practical game it is not very easy to make a draw here for Black. 42...Qf5 43.Re7 Qh5+ 44.Kg1 Qd1+ 45.Re1 Qd4+ I think 45...Qg4 is more stubborn. 46.Kh2 Qg4 47.Re5 b6 48.Rd5 [48.a4 This idea was mentioned by Mr Skembris. The idea is to put the pawn on a6 and play as i did in the game. Probably this is better than what I did in the game.] 48...Qd7 [48...Qxc4 49.Rd2 Qc3 50.Bf4 Qf6 51.g3+-] 49.Bf4 Qg4 50.Bg3

50...Qd7 There are no concrete plans for White here. I thought it is very important for me to force him push the pawn to h5 and then try to queen the d6 pawn. 51.Rd3 Qf5 52.Rf3 Qg4 53.Rf4 Qd1 54.Rh4 Kh7 55.Bf4 h5 56.Bg3 Kg6 57.Re4 Kf5 58.Rf4+ [58.Re5+ Kg4 59.Re7] 58...Kg5 59.a4 Kg6 60.Re4 Kf5 I was in time pressure and had made few moves to find the right plan and to calculate the variation. 61.Rh4 Kg5 62.Rh3 Kf5 63.Rh4 Kg5 64.Rf4 Kg6 65.Re4 Kf5 66.Re5+ [66.Re7 Qd3] 66...Kg4 67.Re7 It may seem funny that I only played this now, as I had the chance to play it a move few moves back with the pawn on a3 and I had to make all these moves in order not to get into some kind of threefold repition:) It took quite sometime to find this idea and even after this he could have given the h-pawn and defended more stubbornly. 67...Qd3

[67...h4 Blacks last chance.] 68.Be5! The engine suggests 68.Rg7 followed by d7 which is also winning. 68...Kf5 69.d7 Qxc4 70.Bg3 Qd3 71.Bc7 Qc4 72.d8Q Black resigned.

I would like to mention that the atmosphere in our team was very nice and friendly. The interesting thing is that the juniors took me out and showed me the city after my game against Miroshnichenko. This had helped me to get into good mood and play a nice game:) The juniors of our club played extremely well and played a crucial role in our winning the championship.