Crazy is the best way to describe this week's 8th round game from the recently concluded Canadian Open in Ottawa. The quick time control of 90 + 30s led to some wild games. Armando Valdizon was down a piece and had only 15 minutes after the opening in the encounter below, yet he managed to draw a much higher rated opponent, GM Walter Arencibia. Have a look!
[Event "2013 Canadian Open"]
[Site "Ottawa"]
[Date "2013.07.17"]
[Round "8.15"]
[White "Valdizon, Armando"]
[Black "Arencibia, Walter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2117"]
[BlackElo "2526"]
[Annotator "MacKinnon,Keith"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. Bf4 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. e3 Bd6 6. Nbd2 {Lets black change
the structure if he so chooses.} (6. Bg3 Nf6 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. Bd3 {would be a
typical continuation}) 6... Bxf4 7. exf4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 {Assuming white foresaw
the complications arising after 9...Qb6, a good move.} (8. cxd4 {leaves white
wondering what to do with his d2 knight}) 8... Nxd4 9. cxd4 Qb6 10. Qb3 $5 {
white is ready for a fight} (10. Nb3 {too passive for my liking.}) 10... Qxd4
11. Bb5+ Kf8 12. Qa3+ Ne7 13. Rc1 {Aggressive!} (13. g3 h5 14. Nf3 Qb6 15. Be2
{gives black time to consolidate}) 13... Qxf4 14. O-O {This is the kind of
move that is very hard to foresee while playing black in this position. It
looks crazy, but it actually forces black to stay on his toes.} Qxd2 {Taking
the knight is the only real option} 15. Rc7 Qg5 16. Qd6 {Undoubtedly, his plan
when playing 14.0-0} (16. Rfc1 {was also interesting (and perhaps even a
little better). The idea is just to keep black paralyzed} g6 17. R1c3 {and
play is unclear. despite his large material disadvantage, white is not worse})
16... g6 17. f4 Qf6 18. Rfc1 (18. g4 {intending to play g5 looks stronger})
18... Rg8 19. Qd8+ Kg7 20. Qxe7 {White gets his piece back but not under
optimal conditions. The black king has escaped with his life} Rf8 21. b4 a6 22.
Be8 $2 (22. Be2 Qd4+ 23. Kh1 b5 $17 {and white is in difficulties.}) 22... Qd4+
23. Kh1 Qxf4 24. Kg1 g5 $2 (24... Qd4+ $1 25. Kh1 Qf6 $1 $19 26. Qxf6+ Kxf6 27.
Rxc8 Rxe8 $19) 25. Rf1 $13 Rxe8 26. Qc5 b6 27. Qc6 (27. Qxb6 {preventing the
check} Qe5 28. Rcxf7+ Kg8 29. Qf2 $1 {and black has to give up his bishop} Bb7
30. Rxb7 Rf8 31. Rf7 Rxf7 32. Qxf7+ Kh8 {and the game should be a draw since
both kings are weak}) 27... Qe3+ 28. Kh1 Rf8 29. Qxa8 Qe2 30. Kg1 Bd7 31. Qb7
Be8 32. Qxb6 (32. Re7 Qe3+ 33. Kh1 Qe2 $11) 32... Bb5 33. Rfc1 Bc4 34. a4 e5
35. Qf2 Qxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Rb8 37. Rb1 {Neither side really has chances in this
ending, so the rest of the game will contain only a few comments} Rb6 38. Rc5
h5 39. b5 axb5 40. axb5 f6 41. Ke3 {This isn't the right idea} (41. Rb4 {with
the idea of Rc6 (then ...Rxb5 is impossible since Rcxc4)}) 41... Kf7 42. Kd2
Ke6 43. Kc3 Kd6 44. Kb4 e4 45. Ra1 e3 $2 (45... f5 46. Rd1 {white can hold,
but now he's the one who has to be careful}) 46. Re1 e2 47. Rxc4 dxc4 48. Kxc4
Rb8 49. Rxe2 Rc8+ 50. Kb4 Rc1 51. Rf2 Rb1+ 52. Ka5 Kc7 53. Rxf6 Ra1+ 54. Kb4
Ra2 55. Rh6 1/2-1/2
I promise to annotate a game with a decisive result next week. Too many draws already!
