2.10.15

Svidler Takes the Lead in Baku

Peter Svidler managed to make an important step towards the overall win of the World Cup 2015. Yesterday, he was more creative and outwitted his compatriot Sergey Karjakin to take an early lead in their match of four games:
A game that I liked (ChessBase 13)

[Event "FIDE World Chess Cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.10.01"]
[Round "55.1"]
[White "Svidler, Peter"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2727"]
[BlackElo "2753"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:22:20"]
[BlackClock "0:02:14"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Be7 5. d3 O-O {Diagram [#]} (5... c5 6. e4
$5 Nc6 7. Qe2 O-O 8. e5 Nd7 9. c4 d4 10. h4 $5 {Svidler,P (2758)-Karjakin,S
(2766) Khanty-Mansiysk 2014 CBM 160}) 6. Nbd2 c5 7. e4 Nc6 8. Re1 b5 9. exd5 {
Diagram [#]} ({The two players have also discussed the positions arising after:
} 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf1 b4 (10... Bb7 11. h4 Qc7 12. Bf4 Rfc8 13. Ne3 Qd8 14. Ng4
Bf8 15. c4 Ne7 16. b3 Bc6 17. h5 h6 18. Ne3 Nb6 19. Qe2 bxc4 20. dxc4 dxc4 21.
bxc4 Na4 22. Qc2 Rab8 23. Reb1 Qa5 24. Rb3 Nb6 25. Qe2 Nd7 26. Rab1 Qc7 27. g4
Be4 28. Rxb8 Rxb8 29. Rxb8 Qxb8 30. Nf1 Bc6 {1/2-1/2 (30) Karjakin,S (2753)
-Dominguez Perez,L (2734) Khanty-Mansiysk 2015}) 11. h4 a5 12. Bf4 a4 13. a3
bxa3 14. bxa3 Ba6 15. Ne3 Rb8 16. c4 dxc4 17. Nxc4 Nb6 18. Nd6 Nd5 19. Qxa4 Rb6
20. Rac1 Nxf4 21. Qxf4 Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Bxd6 23. Qe3 Rb3 24. a4 Qc7 25. Nc4 Be7
26. Ne5 Bd6 27. Nc4 Be7 28. Ne5 {1/2 (28) Svidler,P (2756)-Karjakin,S (2772)
Loo RUS 2014}) 9... Nxd5 {A slight surprise.} ({"Generally, Sergey takes"} 9...
exd5 {"which is fine for Black." Obviously Svidler put his efforts in the
study of that line.}) 10. Ne4 ({"I suppose I should play"} 10. a4 {Diagram [#]}
b4 11. Nc4 {"But then Black simply develops with Qd8-c7, Bc8-b7, Ra8-d8 and I
am not sure what is my plan." Svidler}) 10... Bb7 11. c3 $146 {Diagram [#]} ({
Predecessor saw:} 11. Bd2 Qc7 12. c4 bxc4 13. dxc4 Ndb4 14. Bc3 {Grossmann,S
(1886)-Lindenberg,G (1889) Greifswald 2003}) (11. Bg5 f6 12. Bd2 e5) 11... a6 (
{Svidler suggested instead} 11... h6 {[%csl Rf7,Yg5][%cal Rf7e6] Diagram [#]
to rule out Bc1-g5 and to keep the pawn on f7 thus depriving White of targets.
After the possible} 12. d4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 {he explained that
without the dark-squared bishops on the board his position would be better,
but since it is still alive he would rather prefer to have the black pieces.})
12. a4 {Before White does anything he wants to weaken the black queenside.} ({
White considered teh curious idea} 12. Bg5 f6 13. Bc1 $5 {Not to obstruct the
queen in its support for the d3-d4 break. However, he could not convince
himself that he is better in the line} e5 ({Some preparatory move like} 13...
Qd7 $5 $11 {Diagram [#] though looks good for Black. He can bring his rooks
first on d8 and e8 and play e6-e5 later.}) 14. d4 cxd4 ({Another option for
Black is} 14... exd4 $5 15. cxd4 c4 {with good position.}) 15. cxd4 f5 16. Nc5
Bxc5 17. dxc5 e4 {However, in the final position White has the strong} 18. Ng5
{and if} Qd7 19. f3 $1 {to break open his bishops with advantage.}) 12... b4 {
This is not forced at all. A reasonable alternative was} (12... h6 {followed
by Qd8-c7 with equality.}) 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bd2 e5 15. Rc1 {[%csl Rc5][%cal
Rc1c5] Diagram [#] For a moment White felt optimistic as he has targets on the
queenside.} Rf7 {Svidler suggested as a better defense the move} (15... Rc8 $1
{With the idea to take control of the c5 square. The point becomes obvious in
the line} 16. d4 ({Probably Karjakin was afraid of the move} 16. Bh3 {and after
} f5 {Either} {Or} 17. Neg5 (17. Nfg5 {However, if he is careful with} Qd7 $1 {
he should be fine. The main thing Black needs to avoid is greediness after} (
17... fxe4 $2 18. Be6+ Kh8 19. Nxh7 $1 {[%csl Yh8] Diagram [#] A typical trick
as} Kxh7 20. Qh5#)) 17... Qd6 {but in both cases Black holds.}) 16... cxd4 17.
cxd4 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 exd4 {and in comparison to the game c5 is under control.})
16. d4 $1 {White got the initiative and what followed next was connected with
oversight by Black.} bxc3 17. bxc3 cxd4 18. cxd4 {Diagram [#]} Nxd4 $2 {
Svidler did not mention this but that move might be the worst mistake Karjakin
did today. The fact that these two knights were traded was very favourable for
White who made excellent use of his fianchettoed bishop.} (18... exd4 $1 {
Instead was more tenacious. White still keeps an edge but he has to play first
of all very energetically with} 19. Qb3 Rb8 20. Nfg5 $1 fxg5 21. Nc5 Ncb4 22.
Nxb7 Rxb7 23. Bxb4 Rxb4 24. Qxd5 Rb8 25. Qc4 {And then it is not yet clear of
the opposite bishop position after} d3 $1 {[%cal Rd3d2] Diagram [#]} 26. Bd5 (
26. Rcd1 d2 27. Re2 Rb1 28. Rxb1 d1=Q+ 29. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 30. Bf1 Qd6 {is also
better for White but maybe hold able.}) 26... d2 27. Bxf7+ Kh8 28. Qxa6 Bc5 $5
$16 {is actually won for White.}) 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Qb3 ({Karjakin only
expected} 20. Nc5 Bxc5 21. Rxc5 Nc3 {with massive liquidations and a draw after
} 22. Bxc3 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 dxc3 $11) 20... Rb8 $6 {Objectively, a mistake. From
far away Karjakin considered this a good move and good position for him, but
White's next reply clarifies the situation.} ({Better was} 20... Qd7 $1 {
Diagram [#] although after} 21. Rc4 {White is clearly better. For example} f5
22. Ng5 Bxg5 23. Bxg5 Nf6 $1 {to break the pin at once} 24. Bxb7 Qxb7 25. Qxb7
Rxb7 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Rxd4 $16 {Although White keeps winning chances Black
has hopes to hold this endgame.}) 21. Rb1 $1 {[%csl Yb7,Rb8,Yd5,Rg8][%cal
Rb1b8,Rg2a8,Ra2g8] Diagram [#] This pin is more than annoying.} Qd7 (21... Rf8
22. Bf4 $1 {reveals one point behind the pin.}) 22. Rec1 ({Worse is the greedy
} 22. Ng5 fxg5 23. Bxd5 Bxd5 24. Qxb8+ Rf8 {[%csl Gd5,Yg1] Diagram [#] with
huge compensation for a pawn (Svidler).}) 22... Qe6 {The last mistake
according to White. Svidler was afraid of the move} (22... h6 {Diagram [#]
when he could not see a clear win. True, after} 23. Nc5 ({Or} 23. Rc4 {which
would practically lead to the same after} f5 24. Nc5 ({As} 24. Rxd4 fxe4 25.
Bxe4 Bc5 {is good only for Black.}) 24... Bxc5 25. Rxc5 Nc3) 23... Bxc5 24.
Rxc5 ({Once again White should avoid capturing the exchange} 24. Bxd5 $2 Bxd5
25. Qxb8+ Rf8 {with a win for Black actually!}) 24... Nc3 25. Bxc3 dxc3 {
Diagram [#] Now Svidler considered two winning attempts:} {White can take the
exchange} 26. Bd5 ({The quiet} 26. Rxc3 {when Black is completely tied up but
it is not that easy to pick up the black bishop as Black is always threatening
to move away his rook with a tempo, or sacrifice the exchange:} Kh7 {If White
tries to triple his pieces along the b file there is} 27. Qc2+ (27. Qb2 Bxg2 ({
Or even the preparatory} 27... Re7 28. Rb3 Bxg2 29. Rxb8 Be4 (29... Qh3 $5 {
looks good too.})) 28. Qxb8 Be4 {and White still has to prove his win.}) 27...
f5 28. Rcb3 $2 Rc8 $1 $11) 26... Bxd5 27. Qxb8+ Rf8 (27... Kh7 28. Rd1) 28. Qc7
{And Black can still fight} (28. Qf4 $1 {is best with decent winning chances.})
28... Qe6 {In all these lines White is close to winning but there is still
plenty of play going on.} ({But Karjakin has to avoid E. Miroshnichenko's
discovery} 28... Qf5 $2 29. Rb7 $1)) 23. Nc5 Bxc5 24. Rxc5 Rd8 25. Ba5 $1 {
Diagram [#]} Rd6 ({In case of} 25... Rdd7 {Svidler saw the beautiful win after}
26. Re1 Qf5 ({But he was not so sure about the line} 26... Qd6 {when he had to
find an even more stunning win} 27. Bb4 $3 {[%csl Gb4] Diagram [#] when Black
is doomed, since} Nxb4 28. Re8+ {loses the queen to start with.}) 27. Qxb7 Rxb7
28. Re8+ Rf8 29. Bxd5+) 26. Qc4 {White is completely dominating and Rb1xb7 is
a deadly threat. Unstoppable.} Nc3 27. Rxb7 ({Svidler saw another win} 27. Qxe6
Rxe6 28. Bxc3 Bxg2 29. Rc8+ Rf8 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 31. Bb4+ Kf7 32. Kxg2 Rb6 33.
Rb2 $18) 27... Qe1+ 28. Bf1 Ne2+ 29. Qxe2 {Diagram [#]} 1-0



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