Chess (August): Wang Hao sqeeks by Magnus to win Biel

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Lanchava - Peng, Women's Group, Round 2

Only four women took part in the 2012 Dutch women's championship, which neccessatated it being a double round robin of only six games.

Tea Lanchava basically nailed down the title by defeating Peng Zhaoqin in the second round. Although Mw. Peng defeated Mw. Lanchava in the final round, Mw. Lanchava still succeeded in ending Mw. Peng's magnificent twelve-year long reign as Dutch women's champion.

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[center]Tea Lanchava[/center][font size="1"]Photo by Fred Lucas from Wikipedia
(Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
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Tea Lanchava - Peng Zhaoqin
Dutch National Championships, Women's Group, Round 2
Amsterdam, 16 July 2012

King's English Game: Catalan Four Knights' Opening

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bc5 5.d3 d6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 h6 8.e3

• For moves up to here, see Zhao Xue-Yildiz, Grand Prix W, Nanjing, 2009.
• For what follows [font color="red"]8.a3[/font] see the [font color="blue"]blue notes to Black's fourth move[/font] in that link.

8...a6

• If [font color="red"]8...a5 9.a3[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]9...Bb6 10.b3[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]10...Re8 11.Bb2 Bg4 12.h3 Bh5 13.Qc2[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]13...Bg6 14.Nd2 Nd7 15.Nd5 Nc5 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.dxe4 Bc5[/font] is equal (Leotard-Muller, Corres, 1997).
• [font color="burgundy"]13...Qd7 14.Nd2 Ba7 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Ne7 17.Rac1[/font] gives White a slight edge with command of the c-file; Black has slightly better pawns.
• If [font color="darkred"]10...Bf5 11.Bb2 Re8[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]12.h3 Qd7 13.Kh2 Ne7 14.d4 e4 15.Nd2 d5[/font] is equal (Delchev-Savchenko, Euro Ch, Ohrid, 2001).
• [font color="magenta"]12.Rc1 Qd7 13.Re1 Bh3 14.Bh1 Bg4 15.Qc2[/font] is equal (Hjartarson-Lobron, ITZ, Biel, 1993).
• If [font color="darkred"]9...Re8 10.b3 Bf5 11.h3[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]11...Bh7 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Kh2 Ba7 14.Ng1 Nd8[/font] is equal (Nogueiras-Tchernyi, Op, Cappelle la Grande, 2004).
• [font color="magenta"]11...Bb6 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Kh2 Ne7[/font] transposes into [font color="darkred"]Delchev-Savchenko,[/font] above.

9.h3

• If [font color="red"]9.a3 Ba7[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]10.b4 Be6 11.Bb2 Qd7 12.Rc1[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]12...Bh3 13.d4 exd4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.cxd5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2[/font] gives White a small advantage in space (Marin-Navara, IT 0708, Reggio Emilia, 2007).
• [font color="magenta"]12...Ne7 13.Qe2 Bh3 14.Rfd1 Rfe8 15.Qf1 Bxg2 16.Qxg2[/font] is equal (Zhao Jun-Le Quang Liem, Asian Ch, Cebu, 2007).
• [font color="darkred"]10.b3 Bf5 11.Bb2 Re8 12.h3 Rb8 13.Rc1 Bh7 14.Kh2 Ne7 15.d4 e4 16.Nd2 d5[/font] draw (Adorjan-Spraggett, IT, Dortmund, 1984).

9...Ba7 10.b3

• [font color="red"]10.Kh2 Be6 11.b3 d5 12.Ba3 Re8 13.cxd5 Nxd5[/font] gives Black a small advantage in space (Karpov-Illescas Córdoba, IT, Dos Hermanas, Spain, 1996).

10...Bf5 11.d4 (N)

• If [font color="red"]11.Kh2[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]11...Bh7 12.Bb2 Rb8 13.Qd2 b5 14.Nh4 Nb4[/font] is equal (Davies-Cobb, 4NCL, Coventry, 2007).
• [font color="darkred"]11...Qd7 12.Bb2 Rae8 13.Qd2 Bh7 14.Rae1 Qf5 15.e4[/font] is equal (Davies-J. M. Hodgson, KO, Southend, 2001).

11...exd4

• The game is equal.

12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.exd4 c6!?

• Black shields her b-pawn, but weakens control of b6.
• [font color="red"]13...Rb8 14.Re1 Qd7 15.g4 Bg6 16.b4 c6[/font] remains equal.

[center]BLACK: Peng Zhaoqin[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Tea Lanchava[/center][center]Position after 13...c7c6[/center]

14.g4!?

• The game remains equal after White misses a chance to improve her center.
• [font color="red"]14.d5! Rc8 15.Bf4 cxd5 16.Nxd5 b5 17.Re1 Nxd5 18.Qxd5 [/font] gives White a small advantage in space.

14...Bh7!?

• Black wants to keep the Bishop on an open diagonal through the center.
• Better is [font color="red"]14...Bg6 15.d5[/font] when:
• [font color="red"]15...c5 16.Qf3 Bb6 17.Re1 Ba5 18.Bf4[/font] remains equal.
• [font color="darkred"]15...cxd5!? 16.Nxd5! Nxd5 17.Bxd5[/font] gives White a small advantage in space.
• [font color="blue"]14...Be6 15.Qd3 d5 16.c5 b6 17.cxb6 Qxb6 18.Be3[/font] remains equal.[/il]

15.d5!

• White takes advantage of her second chance to get a more permanent advantage in the center.

15...cxd5 16.Nxd5 Rb8!?

• Black should have more than a weak pawn in the center.
• If [font color="red"]16...Ne4! 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Qg5 19.b4[/font] remains equal.
• [font color="blue"]16...Nxd5?! 17.Bxd5 Qf6 18.Ba3 Bd4 19.Rc1[/font] gives White better pawns and the initiative; Black has a presence in the center and , for the moment, more space.

17.Bb2!

• White has a fair advantage in space.

17...Nxd5 18.Qxd5

• White gets a more comfortable game sticking to the conventional order of battle, minor pieces before heavy ones.
• [font color="red"]18.Bxd5! Qg5 19.Qf3 Kh8 20.Rae1 b5 21.Kg2[/font] gives White a comfortable game.

18...Bc5?!

• Black needs to expand on the queenside before White becomes too dominant.
• [font color="red"]18...b5 19.Rac1 Re8 20.Rce1 Bc5 21.a3[/font] continues to gives White a fair advantage in space.

[center]BLACK: Peng Zhaoqin[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Tea Lanchava[/center][center]Position after 18...Bc5[/center]

19.a3!

• White has a comfortable game with a centralized Queen, Bishop on the open long diagonals and stronger pawns; the open center also gives scope to Black's Bishops.

19...a5 20.Bc3 Re8?!

• Black needs to contront White's queenside strength.
• If [font color="red"]20...Rc8 21.Rae1[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]21...Bc2 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 Bb6 24.Rc1 Bh7 25.Rfe1[/font] gives White giant advantage in space.
• [font color="darkred"]21...Bxa3 22.Ra1 Bb4 23.Bxb4 axb4 24.Qxb7[/font] gives White a marauding Queen.

21.b4!

• White has a centralized Quuen, Bishops on open long diagonals, a space advantage on the queenside and stronger pawns. Black has a Rook on the open e-file and Bishops trained on an open center.

21...axb4?!

• White will only be able to take advantage of an open a-file.
• [font color="red"]21...Bb6 22.bxa5 Bc5 23.Rfe1[/font] drops a pawn, but keeps the file closed.

22.axb4!

• White starts pushing Black off the board.

22...Bb6 23.Rad1 Re6 24.c5!?

• The pawn break is premature. White should first expel the Black Rook from e6.
• If [font color="red"]24.Rfe1! Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Bc2 26.Qd2 Bg6 27.Bd5[/font] continues to give White a strong game with firm control of attacking lanes.

24...Bc7!

• Black plays her best hope for survival.
• If [font color="red"]24...dxc5 25.bxc5! Bc7[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]26.Qc4 Qe8 27.Bd5 Re7 28.Rfe1 Kh8 29.Qb4[/font] gives White a strong game.
• If [font color="darkred"]26.Qxd8+[/font] then:
• [font color="darkred"]26...Bxd8 27.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 28.Bxe1 Bf6 29.Bb4 h5 30.Rd7 gives White a significant advantage in space.[/font]
• If [font color="magenta"]26...Rxd8?[/font] then White wins after [font color="magenta"]27.Rxd8+ Bxd8 28.Ra1!.[/font]

25.Qc4 Qh4?

• Black takes her goalie out for more offensive punch. As in fútbol or ice hockey, it's an act of desperation that usually loses quickly.
• [font color="red"]25...Qf8[/font] doesn't lose right away, but after [font color="red"]26.Bd5 Re7 27.Rfe1 b5 28.cxb6 Bxb6 29.b5[/font] gives White a more active Queen and a large advantage in space.

[center]BLACK: Peng Zhaoqin[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Tea Lanchava[/center][center]Position after 25...Qd8h4[/center]

26.Qd4!

• White wins quicker after [font color="red"]26.Rfe1! Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 dxc5 28.bxc5 Rc8 29.Qd4.[/font]

26...Rf6

• No better is [font color="red"]26...Qf6 27.Qxf6 gxf6 28.Rfe1 dxc5 29.Rxe6 fxe6 30.Bxf6[/font] when White threatens to win a piece after 31.Rd7!.

27.f4!

• Black's Queen has no retreat.

27...dxc5

• If [font color="red"]27...Re8[/font] then White wins after [font color="red"]28.cxd6 Bxd6 29.Be1 Rxe1 30.Rdxe1.[/font]

28.bxc5 Rg6 29.f5 Rd8

• [font color="red"]29...Rg5[/font] drops a Rook to[font color="red"]30.Be1 Rxg4 31.Bxh4 Rxd4 32.Rxd4.[/font]

[center]BLACK: Peng Zhaoqin[/center]

[center][/center]

[center]WHITE: Tea Lanchava[/center][center]Position after 29...Rb8d8[/center]

30.fxg6!!

• White threatens mate on g7 and completely opens the kingside. All it costs her is her Queen, but she get enough material for that, too.

30...Rxd4 31.gxh7+ Kxh7 32.Bxd4

• For the Queen, White has two Rooks and a Bishop.
• The rest requires no comment.

32...Qg3 33.Rf3 Qh2+ 34.Kf2 Be5 35.Be3 Bb8 36.Rd7 f6 37.Rxb7 Qe5 38.Rxb8 Qxb8 39.c6 Kg6 40.Bf4 Qb6+ 41.Re3 1-0

• If [font color="red"]41...Qb2+ 42.Kg3 f5 43.gxf5+[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]43...Kf6[/font] then after [font color="red"]44.Be5+!! Qxe5+ 45.Rxe5 Kxe5 46.c7[/font] the pawn must queen.
• [font color="darkred"]43...Kxf5[/font] drops the Queen to [font color="darkred"]44.c7 Qc2 45.Be4+.[/font]
• Mw. Peng resigns.