As I was browsing my Facebook newsfeed the other day, I recalled that I still needed to find a game to annotate for this week's Game of the Week. Remarkably, at the same time, I noticed a post by my friend FM Lefong Hua who posted the PGN to the following encounter between a veteran GM and a young student of his from Quebec. I wouldn't generally annotate a simul game, but this one deserves to be recognized. Don't miss it!
[Event "GM Vera Simul"]
[Site "Ottawa"]
[Date "2013.07.13"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vera, Reynaldo"]
[Black "Gao, Christine"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B70"]
[WhiteElo "2462"]
[BlackElo "1399"]
[Annotator "MacKinnon,Keith"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.14"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 {The Dragon is a smart
choice for a simul since the complicated positions are tough to handle for the
player with only seconds to make his moves.} 6. Bc4 {staying away from the
critical Yugoslav Attack which is the true test of the Dragon} (6. Be3 Bg7 7.
f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 {And theory extends past 20 moves in many variations.}) 6...
Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 (8. h3 {is a very different way to approach the position.
} Nxe4 $5 {not typically played, although the computer is telling me that the
move is actually pretty interesting} (8... a6 9. Bb3) (8... Nc6) 9. Nxe4 d5 10.
Nb5 a6 (10... dxc4 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. Nc7 Bf5 13. f3 Nc6 14. Nxa8 Rxa8 $11 {and
black should have full compensation}) 11. Qxd5 Qxd5 12. Bxd5 axb5 {and an
imbalanced position arises.. I like black's chances, however. The open lines
are very appealing}) 8... Nc6 9. Nb3 a6 10. a4 ({The conservative} 10. Bf1 {is
often seen once the white knight goes to b3}) 10... Bd7 11. Bg5 Ne5 12. Bf1 Rc8
13. Nd5 (13. Qd2 {It is for this reason, that black may have wanted to play ...
h6 earlier}) 13... Nxd5 14. exd5 h6 15. Bh4 g5 {Black has played the opening
very well. She is playing at a high level and actually has a good-sized
advantage after 15 moves against a player 1000 points higher rated.} 16. Bg3
Bf5 $6 {Probably her first mistake.} ({She could have taken advantage of her
dark bishop with} 16... Nc4 17. h4 Nxb2 18. Qh5 e5 $1 {to defend g5}) 17. Nd4 {
White now gains a tempo and untangles himself.} Bg6 18. c3 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Rxc4
20. Qb3 Rc7 21. Re3 Re8 (21... Bxd4 22. cxd4 Qd7 {and bringing the other rook
to c8 looks very strong. white's double isolated pawns spell trouble in any
endgame}) 22. Rae1 Bf6 23. Qb4 Rf8 24. Rf3 Rd7 (24... Re8 25. Rfe3 Rf8 $11) 25.
Nf5 Kh7 26. h4 {The tide has turned. White is starting to get an attack, and
black's pieces are somewhat awkward.} Rh8 (26... a5 27. Qg4 (27. Qc4)) 27. a5
Qc7 $4 {This move allows for some devastating tactics} 28. hxg5 hxg5 29. Nxd6 (
29. Bxd6 $1 Rxd6 (29... exd6 30. Rh3+ Kg8 31. Re8#) 30. Nxd6 $18 {and if black
takes back, f6 hangs}) 29... exd6 (29... Qd8 $1) 30. Rxf6 Rhd8 31. Qg4 {This
should be an easy 1-0, but in a simul, anything can happen} Re7 32. Re3 (32.
Rxe7 Qxe7 33. Qxg5 Qe1+ 34. Kh2 Rh8 35. Bh4 $18) 32... Rxe3 33. fxe3 Qxa5 $2 (
33... Kh6) 34. Qxg5 Rh8 35. Rxg6 (35. Bxd6) 35... Qa1+ 36. Kh2 $4 {throws away
the win} (36. Kf2 Qxb2+ 37. Kf3 fxg6 38. Qe7+ Kg8 39. Qe6+ Kg7 40. Bxd6 $18 {
and black is completely lost}) 36... fxg6 37. Bxd6 Kg7+ 38. Kg3 Qe1+ 39. Kf3
Qf1+ 40. Ke4 Qc4+ 41. Kf3 (41. Ke5 $4 Rh5) 41... Qf1+ 42. Ke4 {White should
have won, but it's still an amazing result for Christine Gao, who will surely
remember this game for a long time.} 1/2-1/2
