Evgeny Alekseev vs Alexander Grischuk (2012)

Evgeny Alekseev vs Alexander Grischuk
Russian Superfinals (2012) · Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B94) · 1/2-1/2

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Aug-09-12		Eyal: Btw, in case of 15.Qd2 Nf5 White can also try 16.g4, but it also looks quite good for Black after 16...Ng3 17.Rg1 Nxf1 followed by 18...Nb6, and when this knight comes next to c4 White probably has to give up the exchange for it.

Aug-09-12		watwinc: What does Black play after 16 g4?

Aug-09-12		Eyal: <What does Black play after 16 g4?> Ng3, of ocurse.

Aug-09-12		Marmot PFL: Maybe white should have gone in for 15 Bxe7 as black can play e6 and white seems to lose e5. So probably he will mix things up with 17 g4.

Aug-09-12		talisman: good morning. Who's winning?

Aug-09-12		Eyal: In case of 17.g4 Black's idea is probably 17...Bb7! 18.Rxd7 Qxd7 19.gxf5 Qxf5 20.Ned2 and now perhaps 20...Rac8 or Rfd8 with a complex position.

Aug-09-12		Marmot PFL: 17 g4 Bb7 18 Rxd7 Qxd7 19 gf5 Qxf5 looks good for black though.

Aug-09-12		watwinc: <Eyal>These fast-moving games confuse me - I meant 15 g4, of course. But it can wait for the engines after the result now.

Aug-09-12		Eyal: After 17...Bb7, if the rook retreats then 18...Bxe4 and the Ng3 threat is on again, so White doesn't have time to recapture on e4.

Aug-09-12		Eyal: <watwinc> Ah, on move 15 it's definitely a possibility - apparently it's worthwhile preventing Black from playing Nf5. Then Black can try, for example, Nb6 or e6 or f6.

Aug-09-12		Eyal: 21.Qe3 probably prepares for Bd3, to finally develop the bishop. On the other boards, Karjakin & Jakovenko draw in 24 moves, while Sjugirov is already in deperate position after 20 moves and seems headed for his 4th loss (in which case, Andreikin goes up to +2).

Aug-09-12		lost in space: Holy moly, no Berlin wall, no Petrov and no Slav!

Aug-09-12		Eyal: Yes, Anreikin wins; for the moment he joins Alekseev as co-leader.

Aug-09-12		Strongest Force: I love army ants. Love to see them chase elephants.

Aug-09-12		master of defence: What happens after 28.Bxf5?

Aug-09-12		The17thPawn: <Master of Defense> I belive 28..., exbf5 and black has 2 connected passed pawns to try to shove down the board. I'm not claiming this is full compensation but white will probably have to give back material to stop them.

Aug-09-12		Hesam7: 20. ... Bxe5? was a mistake. Instead Black should have opted for the simple and effective 20. ... Rfd8! click for larger view (a) 21. Bxe7?? Rac8! (b) 21. Rg1?! Rac8 22. Ne1 Qxe5 23. Nd3 Qxe2 24. Bxe2 Bd4! 25. Re1 f6 26. Bh4 h5! the last move is important because it takes away the g4-square. I think Black's winning chances only depend on his technique. (c) 21. Bg2 (best) 21. ... Rac8 22. Rc1 Rd7: click for larger view just looks much worse than the game.

Aug-09-12		master of defence: <Hesam7> After 20...Rfd8 21.Bxe7 Rac8 22.Bxd8 how black continue?

Aug-09-12		Eyal: <After 20...Rfd8 21.Bxe7 Rac8 22.Bxd8 how black continue?> 22...Qxc2+ 23.Ka1 Bxf3 and if 24.Qxf3 then 24...Bxe5 and White soon gets mated - 25.Qb3/a3 Qc1+ 26.Nb1 Rc2. Btw, Black also wins with 21..Rxd2, which is actually the direct threat posed by 20...Rfd8 (and the reason why 21.Rg1 & Bg2 are the only moves that don�t lose immediately).

Aug-09-12		Eyal: <(c) [20...Rfd8] 21. Bg2 (best) 21. ... Rac8 22. Rc1 Rd7> 22�Rc7 may be more accurate than Rd7, because the latter gives White the chance of playing 23.e6, when 23�fxe6 isn't so good because of 24.Nh4! (24�Qxg5 25.Qxe6+ & Qxd7). It certainly looks unpleasant for White in practical play, though it's not clear whether Black has anything tangible if White defends accurately; Houdini's top recommendation after 22�Rc7 is 23.Bf1 (to meet 23�Rdc8 with 24.Qd3), but that's a sort of anti-developing move which is rather counter-intuitive to play right after Bg2.

Aug-09-12		Hesam7: <Eyal: <(c) [20...Rfd8] 21. Bg2 (best) 21. ... Rac8 22. Rc1 Rd7> 22�Rc7 may be more accurate than Rd7, because the latter gives White the chance of playing 23.e6, when 23�fxe6 isn't so good because of 24.Nh4! (24�Qxg5 25.Qxe6+ & Qxd7). > I think if you look deeper 22. ... Rd7 is actually stronger. After 23. e6 Black should just ignore the pawn: 23. ... Rdc7! 24. exf7+ Kf8 25. Qd1 Bd5: click for larger view A number of tactical ideas which are floating in the air (Bxa2+ is the main one) and with the slightest White mistake will coalesce into a winning combination. Even if White plays perfectly and avoids all the tactical pitfalls Black has plenty of waiting/attacking moves: b4, a5, a4, ... so it is hard to figure out what White should do. 26. b3 is the "human move" but it also illustrates my point above, it loses as follows: 26. ... Ba8 27. Bf1 Rd8 28. Qe2 h6 29. Qe3 (29. Be3?? Qf6 ) 29. ... Bxf3 30. Bxh6 Rxc2 31. Bxg7+ Kxg7 32. Rxc2 Bd1 33. Qc3+ Kxf7 34. Kb2 Bxc2 35. Qxc2 Qe5+ 36. Kc1 Qe1+ 37. Qd1 Rc8+ 38. Bc4+ Qe6 click for larger view

Aug-10-12		Eyal: <I think if you look deeper [20...Rfd8 21.Bg2 Rac8 22.Rc1] 22. ... Rd7 is actually stronger. After 23. e6 Black should just ignore the pawn: 23. ... Rdc7! 24. exf7+ Kf8 25. Qd1 Bd5> 25.Qd1 seems unnecessarily passive, since Black isn�t threatening to take on c2 at the moment (Rc7 is tied to the defence of e7), so <25.Qe3!> (with the threat of Nh4) looks better. E.g. 25...h6 26.Nd4! (26.Bxh6?? Rxc2) 26...Bxd4 27.Bxh6+ Bg7 (27...Kxf7 28.Qb3+ Qe6 [28...Ke8 29.Bxb7 Rxb7 30.Rf1] 29.Bxb7 Rxb7 30.Qf3+ Bf6 31.Qxb7; Black can actually regain the piece by 31...Qe5 32.c3 Rh8 but he doesn�t seem to have any advantage after 33.Rf1 Rxh6 34.Ne4) 28.Bxb7 Rxb7 29.Bxg7+ Kxg7 30.Rf1 Qxc2+ 31.Ka1 Qc7 (31...Rf8 32.Qd4+ =) 32.Nb3! with the idea of Nc5-Ne6+ and Black would have to give back the exchange. Another possibility is 25...e6 26.Qb3! e.g. 26...Bd5 (26...Kxf7 27.Nd4 Bxd4 28.Bxb7 Qxg5 29.Bxc8 Rxc8 30.Rf1+ Kg7 31.Qxe6) 27.Qb4+ Kxf7 28.Qf4 forcing a queen exchange.

Aug-10-12		Hesam7: <Another possibility is 25...e6 26.Qb3! e.g. 26...Bd5 (26...Kxf7 27.Nd4 Bxd4 28.Bxb7 Qxg5 29.Bxc8 Rxc8 30.Rf1+ Kg7 31.Qxe6) 27.Qb4+ Kxf7 28.Qf4 forcing a queen exchange.> I don't fully understand this line but after 20. ... Rfd8 21. Bg2 Rac8 22. Rc1 Rd7 23. e6 Rdc7 24. exf7+ Kf8 25. Qe3 e6 26. Qb3 Bd5 27. Qb4+ Kxf7 28. Qf4 Kg8 29. Qxf5 gxf5 click for larger view should not Black be very happy with his position? He has two connected passed pawns and a rook for two knights. He should be winning after a few exchanges ...

Mar-02-13		fisayo123: This Nbd7 line in the 6.Bg5 Sicilian Najdorf is truly fascinating.

Mar-18-13		kamalakanta: wonderful, deep tactics in this game.....

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