Reply #8: Danielian - Hou Yifan, Round 6

[Jack Rabbit]

Hou Yifan
Photo: ChessBase.com


Elina Danielian - Hou Yifan
Women's Grand Prix, Third Leg, Round 6
Nalchik, 2 May 2010

Orthodox Queen's Gambit: Nimzo-Ragozin Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Bb4

• For a more detailed look at the main lines of this opening, see Zhao Xue-N. Kosintseva, World ChTW, Ningbo, 2009.

5.cxd5 exd5 6.Qa4+

• If 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.e3 c5 8.Bd3 Qa5 9.Qc2 c4 10.Bf5 0-0 11.0-0 Re8 12.Nd2 g6 then:
• If 13.Bxd7 Nb6 15.f3 then:
• If 15...Bxc3 Nxd7 then:
• If 14.Rae1 16.bxc3 then:
• If 16...Na4 17.Rc1 then:
• 17...Bd7 18.Bh6 Re6 19.e4 Rae8 20.Bf4 Rc8 is equal (Bielicki-Braga, IT, La Plata, 1997).
• 17...f6 18.Bh6 b5 19.h4 Qc7 20.Bf4 Qf7 21.e4 Nb6 is equal (Romanko-Dzebskaja, World ChTW, Ningbo, 2009).
• 16...Bd7 17.h4 Re6 18.e4 f6 19.Bf4 Rae8 20.h5 Ba4 21.Qc1 Bc6 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.Qc2 Ba4 24.Qb2 Bc6 draw (Zhu Chen-Ioseliani, OlW, Istanbul, 2000).
• 15...Bd7 16.h4 Na4 17.Ndb1 Bf8 18.e4 Nb6 is equal (Zhu Chen-Dreev, Grand Prix, Dubai, 2002).
• If 14.a3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Nb6 16.f3 Bd7 then:
• If 17.h4 Ba4 18.Qc1 Bc6 19.Rb1 Re6 20.Re1 Rae8 21.Nf1 Na4 22.Rb4 Qc7 then:
• 23.g4 f6 24.Bh6 f5 25.gxf5 gxf5 26.Bf4 Qxf4 27.exf4 Rxe1 28.Qc2 R8e2 29.Qxf5 Nxc3 is unclear: Black has a little more space; White has a Queen for a Rook and a minor piece and his King is safer (Kouatly-Plachetka, Bangaux, 1982).
• 23.Re2 b5 24.g4 Kg7 25.Rg2 f6 26.Bf4 Qe7 27.g5 fxg5 28.Bxg5 Qf7 gives Black the benefit of well developed heavy pieces in an open field (Valerga-Peralta, Argentine Ch, Buenos Aires, 2009).
• 17.Rfe1 Ba4 18.Qc1 Bc6 19.Ra2 Re6 20.Nf1 Rae8 gives Black a small advantage in space (Kasparov-Tatai, Ol, Dubai, 1986).
• If 14.h4 then:
• If 14...Nb6 15.f3 then:
• 15...Bxc3 16.bxc3 Qa4 17.Qb2 Bf5 18.Rf2 Re6 19.Nf1 Rae8 gives Black the advantage in space and pressure in the center (Salem-Tejas, Op, Dubai, 2010).
• 15...Bf8 16.e4 Bg7 17.Be3 Be6 18.a4 Bd7 is equal (Cheparinov-Mamedyarov, World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• 14...f6 15.Bf4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Nb6 17.f3 Qa4 is equal (Malakhatko-Aleksandrov, Op, Kolkata, 2009).
• If 13.Bh3 then:
• 13...Kg7 14.Rae1 Ne4 15.Ndxe4 dxe4 16.Bf4 f5 17.f3 is equal (Grischuk-Morozevich, World Ch Trmt, Mexico City, 2007).
• If 13...Bxc3 then:
• If 14.Qxc3 Qxc3 15.bxc3 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Rfb1 Nb6 18.Bxc8 Raxc8 19.a4 Nd5 20.Rxb7 Nxc3 then:
• 21.Rxa7 Nd5 22.Rc1 c3 23.Kf1 Nb4 24.Rb7 Rc4 is equal (Dreev-González, Op, Santa Barbara de Casa, 1992).
• If 21.a5 a6 22.Kf1 Nd5 23.Ke1 c3 24.Kd1 c2+ 25.Kd2 Rc3 26.Rc1 Rec8 is equal (Seirawan-Sosonko, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1986).
• If 14.bxc3 Ne4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bxd7 Bxd7 17.Bf4 then:
• 17...Bc6 18.Rfb1 Qd5 19.Qb2 Re6 20.Qb4 g5 21.Bc7 Rc8 22.Qa5 Qxa5 draw (Kelly-Sosonko, Zonal, Linares, 1995).
• 17...Re6 18.Rab1 Qd5 19.Rb4 Ra6 20.Rfb1 Bc6 21.Qe2 b5 22.R4b2 f6 23.h4 draw (Chekhov-Dizdar, Halle, 1987).

6...Nc6 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.e3 0-0 10.Be2 Be6 11.0-0 a6 12.Rfc1

• If 12.Rac1 Bd6 then:
• 13.Ne1 Ne7 14.Nd3 then:
• 14...Nf5 15.g3 c6 16.Qb3 Rab8 17.Na4 Rfe8 18.Nb6 gives White the advantage in space (Chiburdanidze-Matveeva, OlW, Moscow, 1994).
• If 14...Rad8 15.b4 c6 16.Nc5 Bc8 17.Bd3 Nf5 18.Ne2 Rfe8 is equal (Christiansen-Witt, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1977).
• If 13.Qd1 Ne7 then:
• 14.Ne1 Rad8 15.Na4 Nf5 16.g3 Rfe8 is equal (C. Hansen-S. B. Hansen, IT, Malmø, 2005).
• If 14.Na4 b6 15.b4 Bd7 16.Qb3 a5 17.b5 g5 18.Ne5 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Qxe5 is equal (G. Flear-Vallin, French ChT, Montpellier, 2001).

12...Bd6 13.Qd1 Rad8!?

• 13...Ne7 14.Na4 b6 15.Nc3 Rfd8 16.Qf1 c6 17.Na4 Rdb8 18.Rc3 a5 is equal (Taimanov-Kotov, 1953).

14.Rab1

• Black has a slight edge in space.

14...g5 15.a3 Qg7 16.b4 Ne7 17.Na4

• If 17.Rb3 g4 18.Nd2 Qg6 19.b5 a5 20.Na4 then:
• 20...b6 21.Nb2 Qh5 22.Nf1 Rfe8 23.Rbc3 f5 gives Black the advantage in space.
• 20...f5 21.Nc5 Bc8 22.Nd3 Rde8 23.Rbc3 Qf6 gives Black more space.

17...f5!?

• The objectively best move is 17...Bf5, but Black is looking for a long-term advantage on the kingside and takes a calculated risk.
• 18.Rb3 g4 19.Nd2 Qg6 20.Nc5 Rb8 21.Rbc3 Qg5 Black still has the advantage in space.

18.Nc5!

• White takes a taste of initiative and bids for the advantage in space.

18...Bc8

• 18...Bxc5?! 19.bxc5 Rb8 20.Ne5! Ng6 21.Nxg6 Qxg6gives White the advantage in space.

19.Nd2

• The game is now equal.
• 19.Nd3 f4 20.exf4 gxf4 21.Nc5 Kh8 22.Bf1 Rg8 is also equal.

BLACK: Hou Yifan
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WHITE: Elina Danielian
Position after 19.Nf3d2

19...f4!

• Black attacks White's pawn chain and gives White something to think about.

20.Bg4 Nf5 21.Nf1!?

• White must play aggressively. This move, clearly a reaction to Black's 19th move, allows Black to push back.
• 21.Bxf5 then:
• 21...Bxf5 22.Nxb7 fxe3 23.fxe3 Rb8 24.Nxd6 Bxb1 remains equal.
• 21...Rxf5 22.Qb3 fxe3 23.fxe3 c6 24.Rf1 Rdf8 remains equal.

21...b6!

• Black pushes back.

22.Na4

• If 22.Nb3 then:
• If 22...Rde8 23.Bf3 Bb7 24.Rc3 fxe3 25.Nxe3 then:
• 25...Nxe3 26.Rxe3 Rxe3 27.fxe3 Re8 gives Black the more active game.
• 25...c6 26.Nxf5 Rxf5 27.Rb2 Qf7 28.Re2 remains equal.
• 22...fxe3 23.Nxe3 Nxe3 24.fxe3 Bxg4 25.Qxg4 Rde8 remains equal.

22...Rde8 23.Rc3

• If 23.Bxf5 Bxf5 24.Rb2 Qf6 then:
• 25.Qb3 fxe3 26.Nxe3 Be6 27.Qd3 Kg7 remains equal.
• 25.Nc3 c6 26.Qa4 fxe3 27.Nxe3 Bd3 gives Black the advantage in space.

23...Kh8 24.Rbc1?

• White's kingside is a bit cramped and she should do something about it.
• 24.Bxf5 Bxf5 25.Rbc1 Qf6 26.Nb2 Be4 27.f3 Bg6 at least leaves White fighting for a draw.

24...Bd7!

• Black has the advantage in space and attacks the hanging Knight which has no good flight squares.
• 24...fxe3 25.fxe3 Qf6 26.Qf3 Be6 27.Bh5 Re7 is equal.

25.Be2

• If 25.Bxf5 Bxf5 26.Rc6 Qf6 then:
• If 27.Nb2 Bg6 28.Qd2 fxe3 29.Nxe3 Qf4 then Black wins in all variations:
• 30.Rxd6 Qxd6 31.Nd3 Bxd3 32.Qxd3 Re4 leaves Black up by the exchange.
• 30.g3 Qf3 31.Nbd1 Be4 32.Kf1 Qh1+ 33.Ke2 Qxh2 Black spreads havoc and fear in Black's position.
• 30.Nf1 Qxd2 31.Nxd2 Re2 wins a piece.
• 27.exf4 Bd7 28.R6c3 Bxf4 29.Rb1 Re4 30.Nb2 Rxd4! gives White an extra pawn and two Bishops against two Knights in an open field.

BLACK: Hou Yifan
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WHITE: Elina Danielian
Position after 25.Bg4e2

25...fxe3!

• The threat is executed.

26.fxe3 Qf6

• Also good is 26...Nxd4 27.Bxa6 Be5 28.Rxc7 Bxa4 29.Rxg7 Bxd1 30.Rxd1 Bxg7 when Black wins a piece.

27.Nb2

• If 27.Bxa6 b5 then:
• If 28.Nb2 Nxe3 29.Nxe3 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Qf2+ 31.Kh1 Qxe3 wins for Black.
• 28.Nc5 Bxc5 29.Rxc5 Qxa6 30.Rxc7 Qe6 31.R1c3 Rf7 gives Black a winning position.

27...Nxe3 28.Nxe3 Qf2+ 29.Kh1 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Qxe3 31.Qc2

• If 31.Bf3 then after 31...Qxa3 32.Nd3 Ba4 33.Qd2 Rf4 34.Qe3 Bb5 Black wins easily.

31...Rf2 32.Nd1 Qf4 0-1

• Mate cannot be averted.
• Ms. Danielian resigns.