[Event "Canadian Open"]
[Site "Montreal"]
[Date "2014.07.22"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Kovalyov, Anton"]
[Black "Sambuev, Bator"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A84"]
[WhiteElo "2645"]
[BlackElo "2699"]
[Annotator "Anton Kovalyov"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2014.07.??"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c6 3. c4 e6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Bd3 f5 {This is a quite
interesting variation, and Bator and I have played it against each other
already several times in both blitz and classical time controls, so at this
point I was wondering if my opponent had come up with a new idea...} 6. O-O Nf6
7. b3 Qe7 {An important move, avoiding the dark-square B trade
after Ba3.} 8. Bb2 ({Wesley So once played} 8. a4 {in this position against
Bator, who replied fast with} O-O {which I consider a huge mistake because of}
9. a5 $1 {gaining space in the queenside, but most importantly preventing
Black from playing ...b6 and developing his light-squared bishop to b7, which
is its best place in this position. Wesley played this move immediately, and
eventually won the game convincingly. This game inspired me to play this 8.a4
against Bator in a blitz game once, but after 8...a5! 9.Ba3 Bxa3 10.Nxa3 0-0
Black got a good position in my opinion.}) 8... O-O 9. Qc1 {This might look
like a very strange move, but trading the dark-squared bishops is White's main
idea in this position.} ({Some people just play} 9. Nc3 {followed by} Ne4 10.
Rc1 {and some point White plays Ne2 followed by Ne5 and f2-f3 to remove
Black's knight from e4 and at the same time gain some space in the center.})
9... dxc4 $5 (9... b6 10. Ba3 Bxa3 11. Qxa3 {gives White very good play on the
dark squares.}) 10. bxc4 c5 11. Nc3 Nc6 12. Nb5 Bb8 13. Rd1 Rd8
14. Be2 $6 {I can't really say that my 14.Be2 was bad, it was simply not the
best move in the position.} ({Bator and I played this position against each
other before, and I think the best move is} 14. dxc5 Nd7 15. Nbd4 $1 (15. Nd6
$2 Nxc5 16. Nxc8 Rxc8 {was played by me once in a classical time control game
against Bator (of course!) and it gave him a very pleasant position. I
eventually won because of my opponent's time trouble, but I remember having to
defend a worse but drawish ending, which something I would rather not repeat.
see: Kovalyov -Sambuev Montreal, 2012 (1-0, 70).}) 15... Nxc5 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17.
Bc2 Rxd1+ 18. Qxd1 {And I think White has a very nice edge. I remember
checking this position with the computer before, but I thought that Bator
might have prepared something since we played this in a blitz tournament once
(I went with my bishop to e2 though, instead of c2), and for this reason I
decided to play something new. It is worth mentioning that if Black now plays}
e5 {to stop white from gaining control of the center with Ne5 (which is the
main idea of the position), White can play the annoying} 19. Ba3 {with a very
nice edge.}) 14... b6 ({If} 14... a6 {I just go back with} 15. Nc3 {and this
can be only good for me because of the weakness created by black on b6 which
gives a posibility for a future Na4.}) 15. Ba3 Bb7 16. Qb2 {This
was my setup idea, black can't really play ...a6 nor move the bishop from b8,
for this reason Bator played without much thinking...} Nb4 (16... Ne4 {was
another interesting move.}) 17. dxc5 (17. Qb3 {was the other move I was
thinking about, with the idea of just playing Bb2 back. I know that this looks
like very strange chess, but these kind of positions usually require some
maneovering skills, my queen is no doubt better placed on b3 than on c1.})
17... Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 bxc5 19. Qd2 {Surprisingly this is also the
main continuation of my computer. My idea is to gain control on the d-file,
and Nd6 is a quite annoying threat right now, for this reason my opponent
played...} Ne4 $1 {The best move in the position.} 20. Qd7 ({My engine's
recommendation is making a draw with} 20. Qd8+ Kf7 21. Kf1 Qxd8 22. Rxd8 Ke7
23. Rg8 Kf7 24. Rd8 Ke7 25. Rg8 $11) 20... Kf8 ({Better was} 20... Qxd7 $1 21.
Rxd7 Bc6 22. Rd8+ Kf7 {Black threatens ...Bh2+ winning the
exchange.} 23. Bxb4 (23. Kf1 {was the move bothering Bator, but it seems that
after} a6 24. Bxb4 cxb4 25. Rxb8 (25. Nbd4 {is the best move, but after} Bc7 {
Black has nothing to worry about.}) 25... Rxb8 26. Ne5+ Kf6 27. Nxc6 Rc8 {
White has two pieces for the rook but Black is better because if} 28. Nba7 (28.
Nbd4 e5 {wins.}) 28... Rc7 {and White's knights are tied up.}) 23... cxb4 24.
Rxb8 Rxb8 25. Ne5+ Kf6 26. Nxc6 {this was my idea, and I thought I'm simply
winning here, but I missed} Rb6 $1 {Bator mentioned this line after the game
and we both came to the conclusion that White is in trouble; but then I
realized that I can still play} 27. Nxb4 {otherwise ...Ra6 was coming, and
once a2 falls I'm probably just lost. After} a6 {White gives back the N for
connected passers with} 28. a4 {and this position is given by the computer as
equal, but this ending is far more complicated than that.}) 21. Bb2 Nf6 {Only
move, Bxg7 was a strong threat.} 22. Qd2 (22. Bxf6 gxf6 {seemed OK for Black.
My computer says Kf1 is the only move to give White some edge, which is not a
very obvious continuation, to say the least.}) 22... Ne4 23. Qd7 Nf6 24. Qd2
Ne4 25. Qc1 {I decided to play on, even though I knew this move is
not very good. As you can see my queen is now back on c1...} a6 (25... Nxa2 26.
Qa1 {threating both the knight on a2 and Bxg7, the position is unclear.}) 26.
Nc3 Nxc3 $2 {This move just gives up the whole game.} ({After the game Bator
found} 26... Nf6 {which was a very simple move we both missed, the position is
now more or less balanced.}) 27. Qxc3 {Diagram Critical Position [#]Now White
has a very dominant position plus some tricks, and it seems that Bator missed
the most important of them...} Nxa2 {I would give this move a double question
mark but since this was the only idea behind playing 26...Nxc3 I can't, since
any other move is also bad for black. At least ...Nxa2 gives Black some hope
that I might miss my next move (which was a continuation I saw when I still
had my queen on d7).} 28. Rd8+ $1 {This is killing.} ({Bator told me after the
game that he paid attention only to} 28. Qxg7+ Qxg7 29. Bxg7+ Kxg7 30. Rd7+ Kf6
31. Rxb7 a5 {but this ending is obviously really bad for White.}) 28... Qxd8
29. Qxg7+ Ke8 30. Bf6 $5 ({I knew that} 30. Ne5 {was probably
better (it's mate in 8 according to my engine), but I liked my continuation
more because it seemed more straightforward.}) 30... Qc7 (30... Qd6 31. Ne5 {
just mates.} (31. Qg8+ Kd7 32. Qd8+ Kc6 33. Ne5+ {is the same as in the game.})
) ({Probably} 30... Qxf6 {is the best to avoid mate, but before playing such a
move resigning is probably even better.}) 31. Qg8+ Kd7 32. Ne5+ Qxe5 33. Qd8+ {
White wins material and keeps a mating attack. Black resigned.} 1-0
