There were many interesting games at this year's Montreal Open, and the one I've chosen to consider this week features a veteran player employing a "young man's" opening (the Grunfeld) against Quebec's newest and youngest master. Oh, the irony... just kidding. Enough bad jokes; on to the chess!
[Site "Montreal CAN"]
[Date "2013.09.08"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Chiku-Ratte, Olivier-Kenta"]
[Black "Prahov, Valentin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D85"]
[WhiteElo "2263"]
[BlackElo "2135"]
[Annotator "MacKinnon,Keith"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 (5. e4 {is the primary
continuation which leads to mountains of theory}) 5... Bg7 6. e4 Nb6 (6... Nxc3
7. Bxc3 O-O 8. Qd2 {and White scores very well, yet Houdini says equal after 8.
..c5}) 7. Be3 O-O 8. Bb5 {This strange looking move has been played by many
top players. The idea is simply to stop ...Nc6 (which puts a lot of pressure
on d4)} (8. h3 {just to disallow a ...Bg4 after Nf3}) (8. Be2 Nc6 {the main
move} 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. d5 Bxf3 11. gxf3 {and an equal but unbalanced theoretical
position is reached}) 8... a6 9. Be2 f5 (9... Nc6 10. d5) 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. Nf3
(11. Qb3+ Kh8 12. Nf3 Qd6 $11) 11... Nc6 12. O-O Qd6 13. Na4 (13. Qd2 {
resulted in a quick draw after} Rad8 14. Rad1 e5 15. dxe5 {1/2-1/2 Moskalenko,
V (2580)-Rombaldoni,A (2453)/Hoogeveen 2010/EXT 2011}) 13... Nd5 14. Rc1 Kh8 {
A good prophylactic move in the position. The Black king was susceptible to
checks or pins on the b3-g8 diagonal} 15. Nc5 $6 b6 16. Nb3 Nxe3 {Black
happily exchanges his Knight for the Bishop on e3. He also had an alternative
in} (16... Ncb4 {but I prefer the move played in the game}) 17. fxe3 Bh6 {and
White starts to feel uncomfortable with the state of his e3 pawn} 18. Rc3 Nb4 {
Somewhat surprisingly, there is no way for White to avoid the loss of at least
a pawn} 19. Ne5 Nd5 20. Rc6 Bxe3+ (20... Qb4 $1 $17 {with the idea to take
back on e3 with the Knight was even stronger.}) 21. Kh1 Qd8 22. Bf3 a5 23. g4
$2 (23. Qe1 a4 24. Nd2 $13) 23... Bc8 $1 24. Bg2 Bf4 25. Qf3 $2 e6 (25... Bb7
$3 26. Qxd5 Qxd5 27. Bxd5 Bxe5 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. dxe5 Bxc6 30. Bxc6 Rf1+ 31.
Kg2 Rb1 $19 {and Black picks up both pawns}) 26. Qh3 Kg8 27. a4 $2 (27. Nd3 Qg5
$19) 27... Ne3 $4 {throwing away the win. I'm not too sure what Black missed
here...} (27... Ba6 28. Rf3 Bxe5 29. Rxf8+ Qxf8 30. Bxd5 exd5 31. dxe5 Qf4 $19)
28. Rxf4 Nxg2 29. Rxf8+ Qxf8 30. Qxg2 Bb7 $13 31. d5 $2 {Returning the favour.
White had just gotten back to a tenable position, but wrecks it with this move.
} Rd8 $1 32. Qf3 Rxd5 33. Qxf8+ Kxf8 34. Kg1 Rxe5 (34... Rd1+ 35. Kf2 Bxc6 36.
Nxc6 Rb1 $19 {was another way to proceed}) (34... Bxc6 35. Nxc6 e5 36. Kf2 Rd3
37. Nc1 Rd2+ 38. Ne2 Rxb2 39. Nxe5 Ra2 $19) 35. Rxc7 Bd5 36. Nd2 $2 (36. Nc1
Re4) 36... Re2 37. Rc2 $2 {This self pin does not seem wise} (37. Nc4 {offers
better chances. As the saying goes, "all rook endings are drawn"} Bxc4 38. Rxc4
Rxb2 39. h3 {and although the position is lost, White can play on with some
small hope}) 37... Ke7 38. h3 Kd7 39. Kf1 Rh2 40. Ke1 Rxh3 41. Nc4 Rh1+ 42. Kd2
Rh2+ 0-1
