Chess

Evolution
Arkadij Naiditsch
& Csaba Balogh
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This month we present a lightly edited excerpt from Chess Evolution
Newsletter #64. CEWN is released every Friday of the week, the
newsletter contains twenty-plus pages of great chess material written by
top grandmasters Arkadij Naiditsch and Csaba Balogh.
An Impressive Positional Performance
by Csaba Balogh
Karjakin, Sergey (2767) Radjabov, Teimour (2745)
Supreme Masters 2013 Sandnes NOR (1.5), 08.05.2013
Sicilian Defense [B31]
An impressive positional performance by Karjakin.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3
White tries to avoid the Sveshnikov Defense. Usually, he does this by playing
3.Bb5, but the text move is also possible.
3...g6 4.Bb5
White succeeded to avoid Radjabov's pet line with 3.Bb5 e6, but of course,
this g6-system is the other huge main line.
4...Bg7 5.0-0
Black has to decide how to finish the development. Radjabov chooses one of
the most popular ways with e5-Nge7, but it has a drawback that it weakens
the d5-square.
5...e5 6.d3 Nge7

[FEN "r1bqk2r/pp1pnpbp/2n3p1/1Bp1p3/
4P3/2NP1N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 7"]
7.Bc4
White immediately focuses his pieces on the d5-square. Usually, the
Sveshnikov players are not impressed by this, since they are used to facing
this in many lines.
7...h6
Black prevents the potential plan of Bg5, trading one of the defenders of the
d5-square.
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8.a3!
This is a known plan in this kind of closed position. White initiates by
grabbing space on the queenside with b4. Black should not prevent it with a5
because the b5-square gets crucially weakened.
8...0-0 9.b4!
White could save a tempo by not playing Rb1, since accepting the pawn
sacrifice would lead to more than enough compensation.
9...d6
9...cxb4? 10.axb4 Nxb4 11.Ba3! Nbc6 12.Bd6+/- Black is completely tied up!
10.bxc5
White has achieved some positional trumps by taking once towards to the
center, forcing Black to take outwards. Also, the b-file will be an important
factor in the game later on.
10...dxc5

[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp2npb1/2n3pp/2p1p3/
2B1P3/P1NP1N2/2P2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 11"]
11.Re1!
At first sight, a mysterious move, but actually it is a very deep positional idea.
Karjakin would like to settle his knight on d5 and he gets ready to take back
with exd5, after which the e5-pawn is hanging, thanks to Re1. Black can
hardly carry the d5-knight if he does not take it.
11...Kh7
Black would like to get counterplay by playing f5, so he left the pin.
11...Bg4 just gives temporary activity. 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nd4 14.Qd1
White has the bishop-pair and the d4-knight will be kicked out soon after Nd5
and c3.
12.Nd5 Be6
Black succeeded to get rid of the d5-knight, but another piece is replacing it
there, which will also be very annoying.
12...Nxd5 13.exd5 and e5 is hanging.; 12...f5 is premature at the moment. 13.
Nxe7 Qxe7 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Bb2 White quickly puts very strong pressure on
the e5-pawn. There is a direct threat with Bd5, winning the e5-pawn.
13.Nxe7 Qxe7 14.Bd5!
Whenever Black takes on d5, he will create a very strong protected passed
pawn (after c4) for White.
14...Nd4

[FEN "r4r2/pp2qpbk/4b1pp/2pBp3/3nP3/
P2P1N2/2P2PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 15"]
14...Bxd5 15.exd5 Nd4 16.c4+/- White takes on d4 next (or plays Nd2, Bb2-
d4 as in the game) and the structure is seemingly similar, but actually White
has a large advantage because the d4-pawn is not a passed pawn.
15.Nd2!
Another strong positional move to save the knight for the future. White sees
the following position: he will play c4, Bb2, and Bxd4, when the knight
dominates the g7-bishop. The game demonstrates this well.
15...Bxd5
15...Rad8 would be met by 16.c3 Nc6 17.c4 Nd4 18.Bb2+/- and Bxd4 next,
followed by queenside play. White forces Black to play b6, which is going to
be countered by a minority attack with a4-a5.
16.exd5 Rad8 17.c3 Nb5 18.c4 Nd4

[FEN "3r1r2/pp2qpbk/6pp/2pPp3/2Pn4/
P2P4/3N1PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 19"]
19.a4!
Another great move! Prophylaxis against Black's idea to push b5 and bxc4,
when he will also obtain a protected passed pawn on d4.
19.Bb2 b5 20.Bxd4 cxd4 is what White cleverly prevented.
19...Qd7 20.Rb1
Provoking the b6 move to make a5 more effective.
20...b6 21.Bb2
White has a very easy game from now on. All the moves on the queenside
suggest themselves.
21...Rfe8 22.a5 Qc7
22...bxa5 would just help White, since it weakens the c5-pawn. 23.Ne4 Rc8
24.Ba3+/-.
23.Qa4
Focusing all the pieces on the queenside. Black cannot create any serious
counterplay.
23...f5 24.axb6 axb6 25.Bxd4 cxd4

[FEN "3rr3/2q3bk/1p4pp/3Ppp2/Q1Pp4/
3P4/3N1PPP/1R2R1K1 w - - 0 26"]
White got what he wanted with the passed pawn on d5, the b6 weakness, and
the superior knight. He has various ways to increase the advantage. He could
double his rooks on the b-file or prepare for an invasion on the a-file. Karjakin
chooses the most direct way.
26.Qc6 Qxc6 27.dxc6 Rc8
27...Rb8 was clearly a better defense for Black. White plays here again 28.f4!
Rec8 (28...exf4 29.Rxe8 Rxe8 30.Rxb6+/- c6 is too strong. The knight is
coming too support it with b3.) 29.fxe5 Rxc6 30.Nf3 Bf8 31.Ra1+/- with a
huge advantage for White.
28.Rxb6 Re6 29.f4!
White wins the e5-pawn.
29...e4
The best chance to get rid of some material, as White has enough left to win
the game.
29...Rcxc6 30.Rxc6 Rxc6 31.fxe5+- followed by Nf3 and d4 will also fall
soon.
30.dxe4 fxe4 31.Rxe4 Rexc6 32.Rxc6 Rxc6 33.Re7

[FEN "8/4R1bk/2r3pp/8/2Pp1P2/8/
3N2PP/6K1 b - - 0 33"]
Driving the rook to its most active place on d7, where it disturbs the king and
prevents all the Black ideas connected with the d-pawn as well.
33...Kg8 34.Rd7 Bf8 35.Ne4
Provoking the advance of the d-pawn, when it becomes more vulnerable.
White threatens to take on d4 at the moment, because he prevented Bc5; and
Rxc4 does not work, because of the mate after Nf6 and Rh7.
35...d3 36.Kf2 Ba3
Black already wants to take on c4, because Nf6 is not mate anymore after
Kf8. White simply protects his pawn and is going to take it with the king.
37.Rd4 Kf7
37...Bb2 would be met by 38.Rd8+ Kg7 39.c5! Ba3 40.Rd5+- and Ke3 next.
38.Ke3 Bc1+ 39.Nd2
And the second pawn is lost, which is already too much for Black.
39...Bxd2+ 40.Kxd2 Ra6 41.c5 1-0

[FEN "8/5k2/r5pp/2P5/3R1P2/3p4/
3K2PP/8 b - - 0 41"]
Black resigned in view of 41...Ra2+ 42.Kxd3 Rxg2 43.c6 The black king is
cut off from the c-pawn. A great game by Karjakin! It is very hard to win such
a clear-cut game on the highest level.
A PDF file of this month's Chess Evolution column, along with all previous
columns, is available in the ChessCafe.com Archives.
Comment on this month's column via our official Chess Blog!



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