23.1.15

To Develop or not to Develop?

Chess have changed greatly in the past twenty years. It became much more concrete, thorough. The following game from the Tata Steel tournament is one good example.
A game that I liked (ChessBase 13)

[Event "Tata Steel Masters"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.01.21"]
[Round "10.4"]
[White "Saric, Ivan"]
[Black "Giri, Anish"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2666"]
[BlackElo "2784"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:37:34"]
[BlackClock "1:13:44"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qf3 {Not a
very commong choice in the Taimanov. White wants to castle long as quick as
possible and to place the queen as agressive as he can on the other side where
he will attack. The normal developing moves are} (7. Bd3) (7. Be2) 7... Ne5 8.
Qg3 h5 {Anish played this already against Karjakin and described it then with
the words "the worst possible line..."} 9. f4 {Ivan does not want to discover
the opponent's preparation after} (9. f3 b5 10. O-O-O d6 11. f4 Ng4 12. e5 dxe5
({it was pointed out by some sources that} 12... Nxe3 13. Qxe3 d5 {might be
better}) 13. fxe5 Nxe3 14. Qxe3 Bd7 {Karjakin-Giri, Tashent GP 2014}) 9... h4 {
This was what the previous move was all about. Now White will have to place
the queen in a less active square.} 10. Qh3 (10. Qf2 $6 Ng4) 10... Nc4 11. Bxc4
Qxc4 {Diagram [#] Some years back Giri would have be stripped of his GM title
and possibly sent in jail (at least) for violating all the opening rules. He
had not developed any piece yet, beside the queen and advanced the pawns on
the kingside where he is about to get checkmated. Nowadays, this is
considered normal. Black has a lot of hidden trumps up his sleeve, namely the
powerful bishop pair and the fluid pawn structure. One more thing of a great
importance is that there are no pawn clashes yet and this means that the balck
king will be safe in the center. At least for a while.} 12. O-O-O b5 {No, he
does not develop yet, but watches carefully for the white maneuvers.} 13. f5 {
Ivan decided to open some files.} (13. e5 {would be met with} Bb7 {that stops
Nc3-e4 jump.}) 13... Bb7 (13... b4 {would be a bit too much and White can
start attacking the weakened dark squares after} 14. Na4 Qc7 15. Nb3) 14. Rhf1
({Black remains remarkably solid after} 14. fxe6 dxe6 15. e5 Rc8 {and he has
all the time in the world to bring his knight to g6 or f5 after Ng8-e7. It is
true that White have opened a file in this line but there is nothing to attack
there yet and his queen is somewhat misplaced.}) 14... e5 $146 {Logically
closes the center, but allows a direct play against the d5 square.} ({In case
of} 14... Rc8 {which Anish tried in round six against Radjabov White has the
strong} 15. Nf3 $1 {with the threat Nf3-e5xf7! no matter what, or if Black
retreats} ({Radjabov played} 15. fxe6 {against Giri in Wijk some rounds before}
dxe6 16. Rxf7 Kxf7 17. b3 Ba3+ 18. Kb1 Qxc3 19. Qxe6+ Kf8 20. Rf1+ Nf6 21.
Rxf6+ gxf6 22. Qxf6+ Kg8 23. Qg6+ Kf8 24. Qf6+ Kg8 25. Qg6+ Kf8 26. Qf6+ {
½-½ (26) Radjabov,T (2734)-Giri,A (2784) 2015}) 15... Qc7 16. Ng5 {and once
again Ng5xf7 is in the air. For example} e5 $2 17. Nxf7 $3 Kxf7 18. f6 $1 {
This is the moment that White cherishes and it would be soon over} Nxf6 19.
Rxd7+ Qxd7 20. Qxd7+) 15. Nb3 ({Once again} 15. Nf3 $5 {was interesting but
less convincing due to} d6 16. Ng5 b4 17. Nd5 Bxd5 {and White cannot capture
with a piece on d5, whcih means that his whole strategy is wrong.}) 15... Qc7
16. Bg5 $5 {Nice regroupment. Not only the pawn on h4 is in danger, but the
bishop is ready to swap off the black knight and secure the d5 point for the
knight.} Rc8 17. Rf2 $5 {Protects c2 pawn and prepares Nc3-d5. White looks
better now, he managed to turn the threats of a tactical blitzkrieg into
strategical concessions in the black camp.} ({However, I have the feeling that
he should have stuck to the initial plan of opening the game and checkmating
the king after} 17. f6 $5) 17... Be7 $1 {In a difficult situation Giri is
amazingly resourceful.} 18. Bxe7 Kxe7 $3 {Diagram [#] Anish defends greatly.
As he does not intend to castle into the attack ever, it makes little sense to
capture with the knight as it will be very badly placed afterwards} (18... Nxe7
19. Rfd2 Bc6 20. a3 {and Black has nothing better than} Ng8 {to which} 21. g4
$1 {with the idea} Nf6 22. Qe3 {and g4-g5 gives large edge to White.}) 19. Rfd2
Nf6 {Now the knight is optimally placed for both attack and defense.} 20. a3
Rh6 $1 {One more important move in Black's plan. Black is out of danger.} 21.
Qe3 ({Black's position is solid after} 21. g4 hxg3 22. Qxg3 Kf8 23. Rg1 Rh7 {
but this was superior version of what White had later in the game.}) 21... Kf8
22. Kb1 Kg8 {Funny it might seem but Giri castled at last.} 23. Rg1 {Ivan
prepares the second wave of the attack.} ({It was tempting to regroup the
knight as well after} 23. Nc1 Bc6 24. Nd3 {but} a5 $1 {comes just in time.})
23... Ng4 24. Qf3 Qb6 25. Re1 Nf6 {And Anish is actively opposing it.} 26. g4
hxg3 27. Qxg3 ({In the race for the d5 square Black seems faster} 27. hxg3 a5
28. g4 b4 29. Na4 Qc6 30. Nac5 a4 {with complications which tend to favour the
second player.}) 27... d6 28. Rg2 Rh7 {Diagram [#] Anish survived the attack
and can start thinking of activity himself. The risky strategy succeeded!} 29.
Qg5 $6 {The beginning of a wrong idea.} (29. Qd3 {was better.}) 29... Kf8 30.
Qd2 $6 Rxc3 $1 {Typical and strong. This is not even an exchange sacrifice!}
31. Qxc3 Nxe4 32. Qd3 $2 {This makes things worse.} (32. Qb4 $1 {was mandatory
when in the line} Nc3+ 33. bxc3 Bxg2 {White can win a central pawn back} 34.
Rxe5 Rxh2 35. Re2 {with chances of survival, say} Rh1+ 36. Kb2 Bd5 37. Qf4 {
The threat Qf4-g5 is annoying, to say at least.}) 32... Nc3+ 33. Qxc3 Bxg2 34.
Qc8+ Ke7 35. Qg8 {Diagram [#]} Qf2 $1 {A cold shower. The attack is over
before it began.} ({Ivan was obviously hoping for something like} 35... Rxh2
36. Qxg7 Bh3 37. Rxe5+ dxe5 38. Qxe5+ Kf8 39. Qxh2 Bxf5 {when White is
definitely not worse.}) 36. Rd1 (36. Rxe5+ dxe5 37. Qxh7 Kf6 {is hopeless for
White who cannot co-ordinate his pieces.}) 36... Be4 $1 {One more subtle move.}
37. Rd2 ({Ivan probably missed that in the line} 37. Qxh7 {Black is not forced
to capture on c2 with the queen, but can play} Bxc2+ $1 ({Rather than} 37...
Qxc2+ 38. Ka2 Qxd1 39. Qh4+ {that wns a piece for White.}) 38. Kc1 Bxf5 {and
wins.}) 37... Qg1+ 38. Ka2 Bxf5 {Giri stabilized the situation and went on to
convert the extra pawns.} 39. Qb8 Rh6 40. Rd5 Bd7 41. Qb7 Qg4 42. Na5 {Diagram
[#] The last chace for some tricks but...} Kf6 $1 {This brave king won the
game.} (42... Rxh2 43. Qc7 Rxc2 $1 44. Qxc2 Qe6 45. Qb3 Qxd5 $1 46. Qxd5 Be6 {
wins as well, but why to complicate things?!}) 43. b3 (43. Rxd6+ Be6+ 44. Nb3
Rxh2 {is equally hopeless.}) 43... Rxh2 44. Rxd6+ Be6 45. Kb2 Qf4 46. Nc6 Rh1
47. Qe7+ Kf5 {An excellent game by Anish who risked greatly but achieved an
important win!} 0-1



Report by Peter Doggers here.

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