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#18619 by W M Chesnut

18:10, January 17, 2017 by W M Chesnut

[Event "Portsmouth Open"] [Site "Portsmouth, NH"] [Date "2017.01.14"] [Round "2"] [White "Carter, David"] [Black "(GM) Ivanov, Alexander"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A70"] [WhiteElo "2230"] [BlackElo "2564"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "2017.01.14"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "4"] [EventCountry "USA"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 e5 {This is an Old Indian which is a sound opening, but not seen much.} 4. d5 ({The inviting} 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Bg5 c6 7. O-O-O+ Kc7 {is a well-known position that white scores less than 40% from in Mega_DB_2015.}) 4... Nbd7 5. e4 Nc5 6. Qc2 a5 7. Be2 {This was the first critical position. Will GM Ivanov play ...Be7 and keep the game in less chartered waters or play ...g6 and head to regular King's Indian Defense positions.} g6 {Whew, glad to see book.} 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Be3 {I have reached this position 6 times in OTB play, once in postal and many times in blitz. The normal way of arriving at this position is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.d5 [More common is for White to play 7.0-0 when Black usually plays 7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 with three main moves for White 9.Ne1, 9.Nd2 and 9.b4] 7…Nbd7 (or 7…Na6) 8.0-0 Nc5 9.Qc2 a5 10.Bg5 h6 11.Be3 is the position in the game.} Nh7 {Now Black has the traditional KID idea of moving the Nf6 and pushing the kingside pawns as Ivanov did in this game. Other moves with this idea are 11…Nd7 or even 11…Ne8. The moves 11…Nh5 almost forces White to play 12.g3, but has the downside of making 12…f5 more challenging because the knight on h5 can be left hanging if Black wants to respond to 13.exf5 with gxf5.} (11... Ng4 {leads a position where white is a bit weak on the dark squares, but has a mobile pawn center and a lead in development after} 12. Bxc5 dxc5 13. h3 Nf6 14. Nxe5 Nxd5 15. cxd5 ({ In my only time facing ...Ng4, I played} 15. Rad1 $6 {1-0 (33) Carter,D (2175) -Asaro,J (2000) South Burlington 2012}) 15... Bxe5 16. f4 Bd4+ 17. Kh2 { 1-0 (42) Gligoric,S-Langeweg,K/Amsterdam 1970/MCL}) (11... b6 {The last real possibility is 11…b6 which shores up the knight on c5 allowing the center strengthening …bxc5 if White ever captures there. However, this move allows} 12. Nd2 {and White's pieces are well positioned and cannot be hassled from g4 or h5 without allowing White to rid himself of his "bad bishop" and reduce Black's attacking pieces on the kingside.} Bg4 ({The other try is} 12... Ng4 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. b3 {Only 7/93 games in Mega 2015DB;} ({I did not think} 14. a3 {was as good as 14.b3, after} a4 15. Bxc5 bxc5 16. Nxa4 Qg5 17. f3 Bd7 18. Nc3 h5 19. Nb5 Bh6 20. Nb1 $14 {with a plus for White, but not that easy a move to find OTB.}) 14... Bd7 15. a3 f5 16. f3 ({I was surprised to see Rybka liked} 16. exf5 {slightly better than 16.f3} Bxf5 (16... gxf5 17. f3 $14) 17. Nde4) 16... f4 17. Bf2 g5 18. b4 Nb7 19. c5 $6 {Too fast. Better to build up with Rfc1 or perhaps Nb3} bxc5 $2 ({Black should have played} 19... axb4 20. axb4 dxc5 21. bxc5 Nxc5 22. Bxc5 bxc5 23. Na4 $11) 20. bxc5 {Now the a-pawn becomes weak} Nxc5 21. Bxc5 dxc5 22. Na4 $16 {1-0 (44) Carter,D (2225)-Pader,D (2203) Club Swiss 2015}) {Now after 13...Bg4} 13. f3 Bd7 14. b3 Nh5 15. g3 f5 16. exf5 (16. Bf2 Nf6 17. a3 fxe4 18. Ndxe4 Ncxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. fxe4 Bh3 21. Rfe1 Qg5 22. Bf1 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 h5 24. Qe2 $11 {a draw was agreed: 1/2-1/2 (30) Carter,D (2163)-Wood,C (1929) Keene, NH 2015}) 16... gxf5 17. f4 Qe8 18. Rae1 $11 {1/2-1/2 (36) Veingold,A (2450)-Suetin,A (2500) Tallinn 1980}) (11... Nh5 12. g3 Bd7 (12... f5 $6 13. Nh4 Nf4 14. Bxf4 g5 15. Bxg5 Qxg5 16. exf5 $16) (12... Bh3 13. Rfe1 {yields nothing}) 13. Nd2 $11 {but I like White's game}) 12. Nd2 f5 13. f3 (13. Bxc5 dxc5 14. exf5 gxf5 (14... Bxf5 15. Bd3 $16) 15. f3 $14 {Black has a damaged pawn structure and weak kingside, but also has 2 bishops}) 13... f4 14. Bf2 Bd7 $14 {Rybka} 15. b3 {The race is on!} g5 16. a3 h5 17. b4 Na6 {In a similar position, I played Qb3 to protect the b-pawn, but later analysis showed that was unnecessary after} 18. c5 $1 g4 ({The pawn is poison} 18... axb4 19. axb4 Nxb4 20. Qb3 Rxa1 ({if} 20... Na6 21. c6 $18 { decides matters}) 21. Rxa1 dxc5 22. Bxc5 $18) 19. c6 g3 ({After} 19... bxc6 { I had planned} 20. dxc6 Be6 21. b5 Nc5 22. Bxc5 dxc5 23. Na4 $16 {which looked very good}) 20. hxg3 {GM Ivanov begins to throw everything at me} fxg3 21. Bxg3 Qg5 22. cxd7 $6 ({This gives away a decisive advantage; the computer gives} 22. cxb7 {as best, but without the Bd7, how am I going to get mated?}) 22... Qxg3 23. Bxa6 Bh6 $1 {A good shot} 24. Qd3 $1 Bf4 $2 {Moderate time pressure here} ( {Against} 24... Ng5 {I had planned} 25. f4 Nh3+ 26. Kh1 Nf2+ 27. Rxf2 Qxf2 28. Bxb7 {with a big edge}) ({The best try is simply} 24... Rxa6 25. Ne2 Qg7 26. b5 Raa8 27. Rac1 Qxd7 {but with a backward pawn on an open file, a weaker king with heavy artillery on the board and a possible knight post at f5 looming gives White a good advantage.}) 25. Ne2 Qh2+ 26. Kf2 Qh4+ 27. g3 Qh2+ 28. Ke1 Bxg3+ 29. Nxg3 Qxg3+ 30. Ke2 Ng5 31. Qe3 {This solidifies everything} Kh7 32. Bxb7 Rab8 33. Bc6 axb4 34. axb4 Rxb4 35. Ra8 Rbb8 36. Rxb8 Rxb8 37. Qa7 Rd8 38. Qxc7 Nf7 39. Qb6 Qg2+ 40. Qf2 Qg5 41. Rg1 Qf6 42. Qh2 Qh6 43. Qh3 {In response to "What's your best game?" Spassky replied (at least) once, "My next one." Well, I'm not sure I can play much better than I did here. GM Ivanov was not at his best, of course, but after 11 losses it felts very good to win one.} 1-0