Reply #5: Caruana - Ivanchuk, Round 8

[Jack Rabbit]

Vassily Ivanchuk
Photo: ChessBase.com


Fabiano Caruana - Vassily Ivanchuk
42nd International Chess Festival, Round 8
Biel, 28 July 2009

Moorish Game: Dragon Defense (Pirc Defense)

1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.Bh6

• The most common lines are 6.Nf3 (the Imperial Opening) and 6.f4 (the Austrian Opening). See Wang Jue-Tan Zhongyi, Chinese ChW, Xinghua, 2009.

6...Bxh6

• 6...0-0 7.f3 e5 8.Nge2 b5 9.h4 Qa5 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.h5 b4 12.hxg6 fxg6 13.Nd1 Be6 14.a3 Na6 15.c3 Rab8 16.g4 Ng8 17.dxe5 bxc3 18.Qxc3 Qxe5 19.f4 Qxc3+ 20.Nexc3 Nc5 gives Black a more active game (Hennings-Gietl, German Ch, 1997).

7.Qxh6 Qa5 8.Bd3 c5 9.Nge2 Nc6!?

• If 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qb6 11.0-0-0 Nc6 12.Bb5 Bd7 13.Qe3 0-0-0 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Ne5 16.Bxd7+ Rxd7 then:
• 17.f4? Qxb2+!! 18.Kxb2 Nc4+ 19.Kb3 Nxe3 20.Rd2 Nxd5 21.Nb5 Nc7 22.Nxa7+ Kb8 White resigns (F. Pruess-Matthiesen, Politiken Cup, Copenhagen, 2000).
• 17.Qd2! Rc7 18.Kb1 Kb8 19.a3 Rhc8 20.Qb4 Qxb4 21.axb4 remains equal.

10.d5

• White has the initiative and the advantage in space.

10...Ne5

• 10...Nb4! 11.Qd2 0-0 12.0-0 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 a6 14.Qf3 is equal.

11.Bb5+ Kd8 12.Ng3 c4 13.h3

• If 13.f4!? Neg4! 14.Qh4 Ne3 15.Kd2 Nxg2 16.Qh6 Qb6 17.Kc1 a6 gives Black the initiative.
• If 14.Qg7?? then the Queen is trapped after 14...Rg8! 15.Qxf7 Nh6!.

13...a6 14.f4 Nf3+ 15.gxf3 axb5

BLACK: Vassily Ivanchuk
!""""""""#
$t+vL + T%
$+o+ Oo+o%
$ + O MoQ%
$Wo+p+ + %
$ +o+pP +%
$+ N +pNp%
$pPp+ + +%
$R + K +r%
/(((((((()
WHITE: Fabiano Caruana
Position after 15...ab5:B

16.0-0!?

• Castling should wait until immediate threats are resolved.
• 16.Qg7 Rg8 17.Qxf7 b4 18.Nb1 b3+ 19.Nc3 remains equal.

16...b4!

• Black has the more active game.

17.Nce2 Qc5+ 18.Kg2 Bd7

• 18...Rg8 19.Rfb1 Ra5! 20.Qg5 Qa7 21.Nc1 b5 gives Black more freedom.

19.c3 bxc3 20.Nxc3 b5!?

• Black omits the prophylactic 20...Rg8 and allows White to equalize.
• 20...Rg8 21.Rfe1 b5 22.a3 Bc8 23.Nge2 Bb7 maintains Black's advantage by seriously discouraging the advance e4e5.

21.a3 Kc7 22.Rad1

• If 22.Rfc1!? then after 22...Rhg8 23.b4 Qd4! 24.Nge2 Qe3 25.Ra2 g5 White defends too many weak pawns.

22...Rhg8!?

• 22...b4 23.axb4 Qxb4 24.e5 Ne8 25.Rf2 Kd8 is equal.

23.e5!

• White dislodges the Knight.

BLACK: Vassily Ivanchuk
!""""""""#
$t+ + +t+%
$+ LvOo+o%
$ + O MoQ%
$+oWpP + %
$ +o+ P +%
$P N +pNo%
$ P + +k+%
$+ +r+r+ %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Fabiano Caruana
Position after 23.e4e5

23...Nh5!

• However, Black finds the best replay.
• 23...Ne8!? 24.Nge4 Qb6 25.Ng5 f6 26.Ne6+ gives White a strong initiative.

24.Rfe1 g5 25.exd6+!?

• 25.Qxh5 gxf4 26.Nce4 Rxg3+ 27.Kh2 Qb6 28.Qxf7 dxe5 is equal.

25...exd6 26.Nxh5?

• White allows his to be attack without a good escape hatch.
• If 26.Qxh5! gxf4 27.Nce4 then:
• 27...Rxg3+ 28.Kh1 Rxh3+ 29.Qxh3 Bxh3 30.Nxc5 dxc5 31.Re7+ gives White the active game.
• 27...Qb6!? 28.Qxf7 Rgf8 29.Qxh7 Rh8 30.Qe7 fxg3 31.Rh1 gives White an extra pawn.

26...Rg6!

• Black equalizes.

27.Ne4?

• 27.Qxh7 gxf4+ 28.Qxg6 fxg6 29.Nxf4 b4 remains equal.

27...Rxh6 28.Nxc5 dxc5 29.Ng3 gxf4

• If 29...Bxh3+ 30.Kf2 gxf4 then:
• If 31.Ne2 Bf5 32.Rh1 Rxh1 33.Rxh1 Kd6 gives Black two extra pawns.
• 31.Ne4 Bf5 32.Rh1 Rxh1 33.Rxh1 b4 gives Black two extra pawns.

30.Ne2 Kd6 31.Nxf4

BLACK: Vassily Ivanchuk
!""""""""#
$t+ + + +%
$+ +v+o+o%
$ + L + T%
$+oOp+ + %
$ +o+ N +%
$P + +p+p%
$ P + +k+%
$+ +rR + %
/(((((((()
WHITE: Fabiano Caruana
Position after 31.Ne2f4:p

31...Rg8+!

• Black is assured of winning a pawn.

32.Kf2 Rh4 33.Ng2

• 33.Ne2 Rxh3 34.Rh1 Rxh1 35.Rxh1 Kxd5 36.Rxh7 Be6 gives Black an extra pawn.

33...Rxh3

• Black wins a pawn.

34.Rh1 Rgg3 35.Rxh3 Rxh3 36.Re1

• 36.Ke3 h5 37.Rd2 h4 38.Nf4 Rh1 39.Nh5 Re1+ wins for Black.

36...h5 37.Re4 Rh1 38.a4 Rb1 39.axb5 Rxb2+ 40.Kg3 c3 41.Ne3 Bxb5 0-1

• If 42.Nf5+ then after 42...Kxd5 43.Re1 c2 44.Kh4 Bd3 45.Ne3+ Kd4 White must lose a piece to stop the pawn.
• Fabiano resigns.