This week, I bring you a very strange game from the U16 section of the recent Quebec Youth Chess Championships. The closed game evolved from a Maroczy Bind gone wrong and featured interesting King marches from Kingside to Queenside. It was tough to evaluate many of the moves in this game as many had no real impact on the position. The end of the game serves as a reminder that one must stay vigilant after spending hours in a closed position with no tactics.
[Event "Quebec-ch U16"]
[Site "Montreal CAN"]
[Date "2014.01.19"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Zhu, Hong Rui"]
[Black "Yu, Zong Yang"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B38"]
[WhiteElo "2135"]
[BlackElo "2204"]
[Annotator "MacKinnon,Keith"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2014.01.17"]
[EventRounds "4"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[SourceDate "2013.11.17"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nxc6 $6 {A
rare move with poor results} (7. Nc3 Ng4 (7... O-O 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O) 8. Qxg4
Nxd4 9. Qd1 Ne6) 7... bxc6 8. Nc3 d6 9. Be2 O-O (9... Rb8 {hitting b2 is
another option as it helps to prove the Bishop on g7's effectiveness}) 10. O-O
Nd7 11. Rc1 a5 12. b3 {It's clear that White's opening has gone wrong. Black
has arguably the upper-hand already} Nc5 13. Bf3 Qc7 14. Qe2 Ne6 15. Rfd1 Rb8
16. h3 f5 {and after some slight manoeuvering, Black lashes out. A very
unorthodox position arises!} 17. Na4 $2 {This allows Black to take the strong
d4 square, and with it, the advantage} (17. exf5 gxf5 (17... Rxf5 {and with
the position opening up, White's Bishops are more effective.} 18. Bg4 Re5 19.
Qd2 $14) 18. Qd3 f4 (18... Be5 19. Ne2 Rf6 20. g3) 19. Bd2 Ng5 (19... Nc5 20.
Qe2) 20. Bg4 {to prevent ...Bf5} (20. Qe2 Nxf3+ 21. Qxf3 e5) 20... Bxg4 21.
hxg4 Qd7 22. f3 $13) 17... f4 18. Bd2 Nd4 19. Qd3 c5 20. Nc3 e6 (20... Bd7 {
Allowing White to play Nd5 if he wants to since ...e6 will boot the Knight
later. It was more important to prevent 21.Nb5}) 21. Nb5 Qb6 22. Bc3 e5 $11 23.
Bxd4 $6 {I don't think that this was necessary or desirable. It seems that
Black would have had few good ideas if White were to maintain the status quo.}
exd4 24. a4 {Now it is only Black who can realistically improve his position.}
(24. Bg4 $2 {looks decent at first sight. Get rid of the light squared bishop
to weaken d5, but the move fails tactically.} Bxg4 25. hxg4 f3 $1 26. gxf3 (26.
g3 Qc6 $17 {targeting e4}) 26... Rb7 {The combination of dark-squared
weaknesses and plus the coming ...Rbf76 means that White is in big trouble.})
24... h5 {prophylaxis against Bg4 following a potential ...Bb7} (24... Bb7 25.
Re1 Rbe8 $15) 25. Kf1 {It is because of this move that I chose to analyze this
game. The position is closed, and White figures his King will be better
located on the queenside, so he begins the long journey!} Be6 26. Re1 Be5 27.
Ke2 Kf7 $5 {anticipating White's following move} 28. Kd2 {the whole point of
25.Kf1 and the plan, but possibly a mistake. Houdini certainly doesn't like it
at least (although it's tough to find a way for Black to really take advantage)
} Rh8 $1 29. Kc2 (29. Rh1) 29... Rbg8 30. Qe2 Qd8 31. Kb1 Rh7 32. Rh1 Ke8 {and
Black chooses to begin bringing his King across to the Queenside as welll. I
don't really know what to suggest.. The only plan appeared to be some kind of .
..g5-g4, but white seems to have put an end to that.} 33. Ka2 Rgh8 34. h4 $5 {
essentially preventing an effective g5 to g4 pawn thrust. The only downside is
that the h1 rook needs to babysit h4} Kd7 35. Qd2 Kc6 36. Rh2 Kb6 37. Rch1 Bg4
38. Qd1 Qc8 {This is one of those positions where it would be a mistake for
either side to really do anything.} 39. Qc1 {maybe trying to bait Black into
taking on f3, which would be a huge mistake since then the backward g6 pawn
would be easily attacked} Qa8 40. Qd1 Be6 41. Qe2 g5 $6 {Especially among
young players, having a closed position for so long with no prospects of
winning is very frustrating. This move seems to be the result of a desire to
play for more than a draw - but objectively, it doesn't make much sense.} 42.
hxg5 h4 $2 (42... Qg8 43. Rxh5 Rxh5 44. Rxh5 Rxh5 45. Bxh5 Qxg5 46. Bf3 {and
White's extra pawn is irrelevant. A draw should occur soon}) 43. Bg4 $2 (43.
Nxd6 {and the Knight is immune} Qg8 (43... Bxd6 44. e5 Qb8 45. Qe4 $18) 44. Nf5
Qxg5 45. Qd3 {and White might be able to make some progress. He's certainly
better}) (43. g6 Rd7 (43... Rg7 44. Nxd6 $1) 44. Rxh4 Rxh4 45. Rxh4 Qd8 46. Rh5
Qf6 47. Rf5 $1 Qg7 (47... Bxf5 48. exf5 $18 {and the threat of Qe4 means that
Black is totally lost.} Qxf5 49. Bg4 $18) (47... Qxg6 48. Rf8 $18) 48. Qd2 Rd8
49. Qe1 Rh8 {and Black should survive after} 50. Rh5 Qxg6 51. Rxh8 Bxh8 52.
Nxd6 Bd7) 43... f3 $6 {Winning the exchange doesn't matter much here.} (43...
d3 $1 44. Qd1 Bxg4 45. Qxg4 Qxe4 $19 {and now Black is on the brink of winning.
..}) 44. Qxf3 $2 (44. gxf3 Bxh2 (44... Bxg4 45. fxg4 Bxh2 46. Rxh2 $11 Qf8 47.
Qd2 Rf7 48. g6 Rf6 49. g5 Rxg6 50. f4)) 44... Bxh2 $2 (44... Rf8 45. Qe2 Bxg4
46. Qxg4 Rxf2+ 47. Ka3 d3 $19) 45. Rxh2 (45. Bxe6 {The light squared bishop is
far more important here!}) 45... Rf7 46. Bf5 Bxf5 {and a draw was agreed even
though there is now a lot of play left in the positon. A fair result, though,
after a very strange game with many mistakes toward the end.} (46... Bxf5 47.
Nxd6 Re7 48. Qxf5) 1/2-1/2
