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[Jack Rabbit]

18. Ernst - Bruzón Batista (Group B), Round 13

Cuban grandmaster Lázaro Bruzón won this last-round game to tie for second in Group B.

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[center]Lázaro Bruzón Batista[/center]
[font size="1"]Photo by http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stefan64 Stefan64 from http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:LazaroBruzon12.jpg Wikimedia Commons (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)
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Sipke Ernst - Lázaro Bruzón Batista
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1655135
Tata Steel (Group B), Round 13
Wijk aan Zee, 29 January 2012

Symmetrical English Game: Catalan Opening

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.g3

• For a survey of the Symmetrical English, see Vacier Lagrave-Salgado López, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2011.

5...e5 6.Nb5 Bb4+

• [font color="red"]6...d6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.Bg5 0-0 9.0-0 Be6 10.Nd2[/font] is equal (Ni Hua-Yu Lie, China League, Jinan, 2005).

7.Bd2

• If [font color="red"]7.N1c3 d6[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]8.Bg2 a6 9.Na3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 0-0 11.0-0 h6[/font] is equal (Kramnik-Grischuk, Candidates' M, Kazan, 2011).
• [font color="darkred"]8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3 Be6 10.e4 Rc8 11.f3 a6[/font] is equal (Knott-Edouard, Op 1011, Hastings, 2010).

7...a6 8.Bxb4?! (N)

• If [font color="red"]8.N5c3 d5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bg2[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]10...Be6!? 11.0-0[/font] (the game is equal) [font color="red"]11...Nb6[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]12.Ne4!? Be7 13.Be3 Nc4 14.Bc1 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 Nd4[/font] gives Black a strong game (Shchekachev-Edouard, French Ch, Caen, 2011).
• [font color="magenta"]12.Na4 Be7 13.Nxb6 Qxb6 14.Nc3 Rd8[/font] gives Black the advantage in space (Lalith-Istratescu, Op 1112, Hastings, 2011).
• [font color="darkorange"]12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Qc2 Be7 14.Rd1 0-0[/font] remains equal.
• [font color="darkred"]10...Nb6 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Qc2 Bh3 13.Na4 Bxd2+[/font] gives Black a slight advantage in space.

[center]BLACK: Lázaro Bruzón Batista[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Sipke Ernst[/center][center]Position after 8.Bd2c4:B[/center]

8...axb5!

• Black has the advantage in space, but his Bishop isn't developed and is in danger of being entombed.
• [font color="red"]8...Nxb4?! 9.Nd6+! Kf8 10.a3 Nc6 11.e3 Ne8 12.Nc3[/font] gives Black some very serious problems completing development while White occupies d6.

9.Bd6 Qa5+ 10.Nc3?!

• With White's b-pawn as yet unprotected and Black prepared to advance his own pawn to b4, the Knight would be better deployed to d2.
• [font color="red"]10.Nd2 Ne4 11.c5 Nxd6 12.cxd6 Qb4[/font] continues to give Black a small advantage with a threat against an unprotected pawn.
• [font color="blue"]10.Qd2?![/font] then:
• [font color="blue"]10...Ne4 11.Qxa5 Nxa5 12.Bxe5 Nb3![/font] gives Black a fine game.
• If [font color="darkblue"]10...Nd4?![/font] then White gets the better game after [font color="darkblue"]11.Qxa5 Rxa5 12.Bc7! Ra8 13.Na3.[/font]

10...b4!

• Of course! Black has a clear advantage.

11.Nb5 b3+ 12.Nc3

• If [font color="red"]12.Qd2[/font] then Black wins a pawn after [font color="red"]12...Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Ne4+! 14.Ke3 Nxd6 15.Nxd6+ Ke7.[/font]

12...Ne4 13.Qd3

[center]BLACK: Lázaro Bruzón Batista[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Sipke Ernst[/center][center]Position after 13.Qd1d3[/center]

13...Nxc3?!

• Black's long term problem is the blockade at d6.
• Better is [font color="red"]13...Nxd6! 14.Qxd6 Nb4![/font] (threatening ...Nc2+) [font color="red"]15.c5 Kd8 16.Bg2 Ra6[/font] gives Black good winning prospects with a strong queenside initiative.

14.bxc3!

• This is the only way to recapture. Black's power in the a-file combined with the advanced b-pawn give him the advantage, but White's problems are manageable. Black still needs to free the Bishop.
• If [font color="red"]14.Qxc3?! Qxc3+ 15.bxc3 Rxa2 16.Rb1 Na5 17.c5 Nc4[/font] gives Black a powerful attack on the queenside.

14...Nd4

• Black has only a slight advantage, concentrated on the queenside. White is compensted with his blockade at d6.
• If [font color="red"]14...Qxa2!?[/font] then:
• If [font color="red"]15.Rd1! h5 16.Bg2 h4 17.c5[/font] then:
• [font color="red"]17...Qc2 18.Qxc2 bxc2 19.Rc1[/font] gives White a small advantage.
• If [font color="magenta"]17...b2?![/font] then Black's prize pawn drops after [font color="red"]18.Bd5! Qa5 19.Rb1.[/font]
• If [font color="darkred"]15.Rxa2?[/font] then after [font color="darkred"]15...bxa2[/font] the pawn must queen.

15.Bg2 Nc2+ 16.Kd2

• This is White only move that drop a piece.

16...Nxa1 17.Rxa1 Ra6!?

• Black gives White an opportunity to equalize.
• If [font color="red"]17...bxa2 18.c5 Qa3 19.Qc2 Ra6 20.Bd5 Rxd6 21.cxd6[/font] gives Black a slight edge at best; White wins the exchange and Black's passer.
• [font color="blue"]17...Qxa2+!? 18.Rxa2 bxa2 19.Qe3 f6 20.Bxe5 fxe5 21.Qxe5+[/font] is equal.

18.c5??

• After fighting his way back into the game, White blunders it away.
• [font color="red"]18.a3! f6 19.Rb1 Qa4[/font] is equal.

[center]BLACK: Lázaro Bruzón Batista[/center]

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[center]WHITE: Sipke Ernst[/center][center]Position after 18.c4c5[/center]

18...Qxa2+!!

• Exquisite. Black sacrifices the Queen and wins quickly. There is no way Black can ptrvent the pawn from queening.

19.Rxa2 bxa2 20.Qe4

• White "threatens" mate. It's all he can do.

20...f6!

• Black brushes it off.

21.Bxe5 fxe5 22.Qxe5+

• If [font color="red"]22.Bf3[/font] then Black wins after [font color="red"]22...0-0! 23.Qxe5 a1Q.[/font]

22...Re6 23.Qxg7 Rf8 24.Bf3 Ref6

• Black queens on the next move.
• Mh. Ernst resigns.