Some quiet openings are not as innocent as they seem. True, there are no quick checkmates against the uncastled king (in most of the cases) but a long-term strategical danger often watches for the good opportunity. Check Sanan Sjugirov's effort against D. Jakovenko from round seven of Qatar Masters Open and you know what I mean:
A game that I liked (ChessBase 13)
[Event "Qatar Masters Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.12.27"]
[Round "7.7"]
[White "Sjugirov, Sanan"]
[Black "Jakovenko, Dmitry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2646"]
[BlackElo "2737"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:28:19"]
[BlackClock "0:31:11"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 {The Reti opening is again popular nowadays and the system
with Bg4 remains a very reliable weapon for the second player. Especially of
he/she uses the Slav defense against 1.d4.} 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O e6 5. h3 {Diagram
[#]} ({More common is the continuation} 5. d3 Bd6 6. c4 Ne7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nc3
O-O 9. h3 Bh5 10. e4 {as played very recently in Carlsen,M (2850)-Adams,M
(2744) London 2015}) (5. d4 {is also an option.}) 5... Bh5 6. d3 Nd7 7. e4 Bd6
8. exd5 {[%cal Gc2c4] Diagram [#] Quite a venomous plan as we shall see soon.}
cxd5 (8... exd5 {will be met with} 9. c4 {anyway. After} Ne7 10. Nc3 dxc4 11.
dxc4 {White got very nice position in Khairullin,I (2657)-Pashikian,A (2603)
Legnica 2013}) 9. c4 Ne7 {Looks better than} (9... Ngf6 {when after} 10. Nc3 {
White has the additional threat g3-g4-g5 to win the d5 pawn.}) 10. Nc3 O-O 11.
cxd5 exd5 {Perhaps Black should have traded a pair of knights} (11... Nxd5 12.
Nxd5 exd5 {although White has pressure with} 13. Qb3 $1 ({Rather than the
preliminary} 13. g4 Bg6 14. Qb3 Nc5 $1) 13... Nb6 14. a4 a5 15. Be3) 12. g4
$146 {[%csl Rd5,Yh5] Diagram [#] A very unpleasant novelty to meet. The d5
pawn becomes vulnerable.} ({All five predecessors saw} 12. Re1 {which gave a
chance to Black to defend after} Rc8 13. d4 h6 14. Qb3 Nb6 15. Ne5 Nc6 {
as in the blitz game Kramnik,V (2769)-Adams,M (2745) London 2014}) 12... Bg6
13. Nh4 Nb6 {P. Svidler explained in his live commentary that Black's main
plan is to try and sacrifice the ill d5 pawn for counterplay on the dark
squares. Besides this defense Jakovenko had two other interesting options:} (
13... d4 {which is generally not desirable as it prolongs the diagonal of the
light squared bishop. Play may continue} 14. Nb5 Bc5 {When White has various
ways of developing the initiative. There is an interesting pawn sacrifice:} 15.
b4 ({As well as solid mounting of pressure} 15. Qb3 a6 16. Na3 Ra7 17. Bf4) ({
And classical approach-} 15. f4) 15... Bxb4 16. Rb1 a5 17. Bf4 {In all cases
White seems favourite.}) ({Probably Blac needed to drag the d4 pawn closer to
his camp with} 13... Nc5 $5 14. d4 Ne6 15. f4 Nc6 16. Nxg6 (16. f5 $2 Qxh4)
16... hxg6 17. Be3 Nc7 {this still looks better for White but Black can try to
counter-attack on d4 later.}) 14. Bg5 {with the obvious intention to grab the
pawn after some trades. This move causes confusion in Jakovenko's camp.} (14.
a4 {at once was also good.}) 14... Qd7 ({White is better after} 14... h6 15.
Nxg6 fxg6 16. Be3 Bf4 17. Bd4) 15. a4 $1 {[%csl Yd7][%cal Rb6d7,Ra4a5] Diagram
[#] Now that the queen is no longer protecting the knight on b6 and is taking
the d7 square of it this is specifically painful.} Rae8 ({The bad black knight
is concern in the line} 15... a5 16. Be3 Qd8 17. Qb3 (17. Nb5 $5) 17... Bb4 18.
Na2 $16) 16. a5 Na8 {Awkward to say at least.} 17. Nxg6 ({Svidler revealed
that Black's idea to sacrifice a pawn would have worked well after} 17. Bxe7
Bxe7 (17... Qxe7 {is actually simpler and better} 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Nxd5 Qe5 {
with counterplay along the dark squares.}) 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Nxd5 Nc7 {[%csl
Rd6,Re5,Rf4,Rg3,Rh2] Diagram [#] and Black will prepare battery on the b8-h2
diagonal.}) 17... Nxg6 (17... hxg6 {was more stubborn.}) 18. Qa4 $1 {[%csl Ya8,
Rd5,Gf4] Diagram [#] A powerful move. White is not in a hurry to capture the
"d" pawn and offers the queen exchange instead. If these two disappear there
will be no counterplay along the dark squares and the drawbacks in Black's
position will be exposed. The "d" pawn will go west, and yes-the knight on a8
would not be the jewel in the crown. The queen controls the "f4" square and
thus kills any counter chances by Black.} Qe6 (18... Qxa4 19. Rxa4 {is
practically lost for Black.}) 19. Bd2 {Another cool move that moves the bishop
away from the vulnerable g5 square, but which prepares Ra1-e1 as well as the
advance of the "f" pawn.} ({No need to allow any counterplay after} 19. Nxd5 f5
) 19... Qe5 ({If} 19... Nc7 20. Rae1 Qc8 {White would finally take the pawn}
21. Nxd5) 20. f4 Bc5+ 21. Kh1 Qb8 22. Nxd5 $18 {Diagram [#] Sjugirov won the
pawn and kept all the positional advantages.} Bd6 23. Qd4 Rd8 24. Bc3 f6 {
After some preparation White opens the game.} 25. g5 Ne7 26. gxf6 Nf5 (26...
gxf6 {is hopeless-} 27. Nxf6+ Kg7 (27... Kf7 28. Bd5+ Nxd5 29. Qxd5+) 28. Nd7+)
27. Qc4 Rf7 (27... Ng3+ 28. Kh2 Nxf1+ 29. Rxf1 $18) 28. fxg7 Rc8 29. Nf6+ {
Diagram [#]} Kxg7 30. Nd7+ Kg8 31. Nxb8 Rxc4 32. dxc4 Ng3+ (32... Bxb8 33. Bd5)
33. Kg1 Ne2+ 34. Kh2 Nxf4 35. Kh1 {Sanan Sjugirov joins Magnus Carlsen in the
lead!} 1-0
Report.
[Event "Qatar Masters Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.12.27"]
[Round "7.7"]
[White "Sjugirov, Sanan"]
[Black "Jakovenko, Dmitry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2646"]
[BlackElo "2737"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:28:19"]
[BlackClock "0:31:11"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 {The Reti opening is again popular nowadays and the system
with Bg4 remains a very reliable weapon for the second player. Especially of
he/she uses the Slav defense against 1.d4.} 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O e6 5. h3 {Diagram
[#]} ({More common is the continuation} 5. d3 Bd6 6. c4 Ne7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Nc3
O-O 9. h3 Bh5 10. e4 {as played very recently in Carlsen,M (2850)-Adams,M
(2744) London 2015}) (5. d4 {is also an option.}) 5... Bh5 6. d3 Nd7 7. e4 Bd6
8. exd5 {[%cal Gc2c4] Diagram [#] Quite a venomous plan as we shall see soon.}
cxd5 (8... exd5 {will be met with} 9. c4 {anyway. After} Ne7 10. Nc3 dxc4 11.
dxc4 {White got very nice position in Khairullin,I (2657)-Pashikian,A (2603)
Legnica 2013}) 9. c4 Ne7 {Looks better than} (9... Ngf6 {when after} 10. Nc3 {
White has the additional threat g3-g4-g5 to win the d5 pawn.}) 10. Nc3 O-O 11.
cxd5 exd5 {Perhaps Black should have traded a pair of knights} (11... Nxd5 12.
Nxd5 exd5 {although White has pressure with} 13. Qb3 $1 ({Rather than the
preliminary} 13. g4 Bg6 14. Qb3 Nc5 $1) 13... Nb6 14. a4 a5 15. Be3) 12. g4
$146 {[%csl Rd5,Yh5] Diagram [#] A very unpleasant novelty to meet. The d5
pawn becomes vulnerable.} ({All five predecessors saw} 12. Re1 {which gave a
chance to Black to defend after} Rc8 13. d4 h6 14. Qb3 Nb6 15. Ne5 Nc6 {
as in the blitz game Kramnik,V (2769)-Adams,M (2745) London 2014}) 12... Bg6
13. Nh4 Nb6 {P. Svidler explained in his live commentary that Black's main
plan is to try and sacrifice the ill d5 pawn for counterplay on the dark
squares. Besides this defense Jakovenko had two other interesting options:} (
13... d4 {which is generally not desirable as it prolongs the diagonal of the
light squared bishop. Play may continue} 14. Nb5 Bc5 {When White has various
ways of developing the initiative. There is an interesting pawn sacrifice:} 15.
b4 ({As well as solid mounting of pressure} 15. Qb3 a6 16. Na3 Ra7 17. Bf4) ({
And classical approach-} 15. f4) 15... Bxb4 16. Rb1 a5 17. Bf4 {In all cases
White seems favourite.}) ({Probably Blac needed to drag the d4 pawn closer to
his camp with} 13... Nc5 $5 14. d4 Ne6 15. f4 Nc6 16. Nxg6 (16. f5 $2 Qxh4)
16... hxg6 17. Be3 Nc7 {this still looks better for White but Black can try to
counter-attack on d4 later.}) 14. Bg5 {with the obvious intention to grab the
pawn after some trades. This move causes confusion in Jakovenko's camp.} (14.
a4 {at once was also good.}) 14... Qd7 ({White is better after} 14... h6 15.
Nxg6 fxg6 16. Be3 Bf4 17. Bd4) 15. a4 $1 {[%csl Yd7][%cal Rb6d7,Ra4a5] Diagram
[#] Now that the queen is no longer protecting the knight on b6 and is taking
the d7 square of it this is specifically painful.} Rae8 ({The bad black knight
is concern in the line} 15... a5 16. Be3 Qd8 17. Qb3 (17. Nb5 $5) 17... Bb4 18.
Na2 $16) 16. a5 Na8 {Awkward to say at least.} 17. Nxg6 ({Svidler revealed
that Black's idea to sacrifice a pawn would have worked well after} 17. Bxe7
Bxe7 (17... Qxe7 {is actually simpler and better} 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Nxd5 Qe5 {
with counterplay along the dark squares.}) 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. Nxd5 Nc7 {[%csl
Rd6,Re5,Rf4,Rg3,Rh2] Diagram [#] and Black will prepare battery on the b8-h2
diagonal.}) 17... Nxg6 (17... hxg6 {was more stubborn.}) 18. Qa4 $1 {[%csl Ya8,
Rd5,Gf4] Diagram [#] A powerful move. White is not in a hurry to capture the
"d" pawn and offers the queen exchange instead. If these two disappear there
will be no counterplay along the dark squares and the drawbacks in Black's
position will be exposed. The "d" pawn will go west, and yes-the knight on a8
would not be the jewel in the crown. The queen controls the "f4" square and
thus kills any counter chances by Black.} Qe6 (18... Qxa4 19. Rxa4 {is
practically lost for Black.}) 19. Bd2 {Another cool move that moves the bishop
away from the vulnerable g5 square, but which prepares Ra1-e1 as well as the
advance of the "f" pawn.} ({No need to allow any counterplay after} 19. Nxd5 f5
) 19... Qe5 ({If} 19... Nc7 20. Rae1 Qc8 {White would finally take the pawn}
21. Nxd5) 20. f4 Bc5+ 21. Kh1 Qb8 22. Nxd5 $18 {Diagram [#] Sjugirov won the
pawn and kept all the positional advantages.} Bd6 23. Qd4 Rd8 24. Bc3 f6 {
After some preparation White opens the game.} 25. g5 Ne7 26. gxf6 Nf5 (26...
gxf6 {is hopeless-} 27. Nxf6+ Kg7 (27... Kf7 28. Bd5+ Nxd5 29. Qxd5+) 28. Nd7+)
27. Qc4 Rf7 (27... Ng3+ 28. Kh2 Nxf1+ 29. Rxf1 $18) 28. fxg7 Rc8 29. Nf6+ {
Diagram [#]} Kxg7 30. Nd7+ Kg8 31. Nxb8 Rxc4 32. dxc4 Ng3+ (32... Bxb8 33. Bd5)
33. Kg1 Ne2+ 34. Kh2 Nxf4 35. Kh1 {Sanan Sjugirov joins Magnus Carlsen in the
lead!} 1-0
Report.
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