Democratic Underground - Stellwagen - Anand, Round 14 (played in Baden-Baden)

Vishy Anand
Photo: Wikipedia

Daniel Stellwagen (Solingen) - Vishy Anand (Baden-Baden)
Bundesliga 0809, Round 14
Baden Baden, 28 March 2009

Open Sicilian Game: Najdorf-Scheveningen Defense (Rauzer Opening/Poisoned Pawn Variation)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2

8.Nb3 is how White "declines" the poisoned pawn; play continues 8...Be7 9.Qf3 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Qc7 when:

If 11.Bd3 b5 12.a3 then:

If 12...Rb8 13.Rhe1 then:

13...h6 14.Qh3 b4 15.axb4 Rxb4 16.Kb1 Qb8 17.Kc1 e5 18.f5 0-0 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Qxh6 Nh7 21.h4 Bf6 22.g4 a5 23.Nd5 is equal (Tiemann-Cardelli, Cyberspace, 2002).
13...b4 14.axb4 Rxb4 15.Kb1 Bb7 16.Qh3 Nc5 17.Nxc5 Qxc5 18.f5 Nd7 19.fxe6 Rxb2+ 20.Kxb2 Qb4+ 21.Ka2 Qa5+ 22.Kb2 Qb4+ 23.Ka2 draw (Piccoli-Jirk, Cyberspace, 2002).

If 12...Bb7 13.Rhe1 0-0-0 then:

14.Qe2 Nc5 15.Nxc5 dxc5 16.e5 c4 17.Be4 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Bxg5 19.fxg5 Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Qb7 21.Qxb7+ Kxb7 is equal (van der Wiel-R. Byrne, Op, Palma de Mallorca, 1989).
14.Qg3 h6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Qxg7 Nh5 17.Qg4 Nxf4 18.Kb1 Nxd3 19.Rxd3 Kb8 20.Qh5 Rd7 21.Rf1 Bf8 22.Rg3 gives White the advantage in space (Atakisi-Stanoev, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).

If 11.g4 b5 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.g5 Nd7 then:

14.a3 Rb8 15.h4 b4 16.axb4 Rxb4 17.Na2 Rb6 18.Qc3 Qxc3 19.Nxc3 h6 20.Be2 Bb7 21.Na5 Ba8 22.Nc4 Rc6 23.Kb1 Nb6 24.b3 Nxc4 25.Bxc4 Rc5 26.Kb2 a5 27.Bd3 Bc6 28.Na4 Bxa4 29.bxa4 draw (Topalov-Kasparov, IT, Novgorod, 1997).
14.h4 b4 15.Ne2 Bb7 16.Bh3 d5 17.f5 Rc8 18.c3 dxe4 19.Qe3 Bc5 20.Nxc5 Nxc5 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Rhf1 Rf8 23.Bg4 Rxf1 24.Rxf1 Qa5 gives Black the active game (Kostiniuk-Zhu Chen, FIDE Knock Out W, Moscow, 2001).

If 8.Qd3 then:

If 8...Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 then:

If 10.f5 Be7 then:

11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Be2 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qc7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Qc4 Qd7 16.Qb3 Kh8 17.Bc4 d5 Black remains a pawn to the good, but, as in often the case with pawn-hunting openings, he lags in development (Gashimov-Grischuk, Grand Prix, Elista, 2008).
If 11.Be2 Nc6 12.fxe6 fxe6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 then:

If 14.0-0 Qa5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Bg4 then:

16...Rg8 17.Bh3 Rg5 18.Ne2 Rb5 19.Rbd1 Rc5 20.Kh1 Qb5 21.Qf3 Bd7 22.Nf4 Qc4 23.Rb1 Rb5 24.Rb3 Kf7 25.a4 Rxb3 26.cxb3 Qc5 is equal (Gashimov-Areshchenko, Young Masters, Lausanne, 2006).
16...0-0 17.Kh1 Kh8 18.Ne2 d5 19.Nd4 dxe4 20.Qxe4 Qd5 21.Qxd5 exd5 22.Nxc6 Bc5 23.Bf3 Be6 24.Nb4 Bxb4 25.Rxb4 Rab8 is equal (Zhong Zhang-Karjakin, World ChT, Beer Sheva, 2005).

If 14...0-0 15.Nd5 Qxd3 16.Nxe7+ Kf7 17.Bxd3 Kxe7 18.e5 dxe5 19.Bxh7 Kd6 20.Bg6 Bd7 21.Rb7 Rab8 22.Rd1+ Nd5 23.Rxb8 Rxb8 24.c4 Rb2 then:

25.a3 Ra2 26.Bh4 Rxa3 27.Bg3 gives Black two extra pawns, but his Knight is still pinned and en prise (Sambuev-Morrison, Op, Kitchner, Ontario, 2008).

If 25.cxd5 exd5 26.a3 c5 27.Bc1 Rb6 gives White a pieces for two pawns, but Black has more than enough space to compensate.

14.Bh5+ g6 15.e5 Nd5 16.Rb3 Qa5 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.exd6 Qxh5 19.dxe7 Qh4+ 20.g3 Qxe7 21.0-0 Rf8 is equal (Mamedov-Kokarev, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).

10.Be2 Nbd7 11.0-0 Be7 12.Kh1 Qc5 13.a4 Qc7 14.Rf3 h6 15.Rh3 Nc5 16.Qe3 Qa5 17.e5 dxe5 18.fxe5 Ng4 19.Bxg4 Bxg5 gives Black the initiative (Nieuwenhuis-Dr. Nunn, IT, Utrecht, 1986).

If 8...Nc6 then:

If 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.Be2 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Qxd4 12.Rxd4 Bc6 13.Bf3 Be7 14.Rhd1 0-0-0 then:

15.Bh4 Rhe8 16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5 Rxd4 18.Rxd4 Nd7 is equal (Hort-Smyslov, IT, Moscow, 1960).
15.a4 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.fxg5 Nd7 18.Bg3 e5 19.Rc4 Bxg5+ 20.Kb1 Nb6 21.Rb4 Be3 22.a5 gives White the initiative (Kaphle-Shengelia, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).

If 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nb3 Bd7 11.Be2 h5 then:

12.Rf1 0-0-0 13.0-0-0 Be7 14.Qh3 Na5 15.Kb1 Kb8 16.f5 Rc8 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Nd5 is equal (Lahno-Bu Xiangzhi, IT, Antwerp, 2008).
12.0-0-0 0-0-0 13.Kb1 Be7 14.h4 Na5 15.Bf3 Kb8 16.Qe2 Rh7 17.Bxh5 White wins a pawn with the advantage in space (Sulskis-Zagorskis, Lithuanian Ch, Kaunas, 2001).

8...Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5

If 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Be2 then:

If 11...Bg7 12.0-0 f5 13.Rfd1 then:

13...0-0 14.exf5 exf5 15.Nd5 Nc6 16.c3 Qa5 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Bf3 Nxd4 19.cxd4 Qxd2 20.Rxd2 Rd8 21.d5 Bc3 22.Rd3 Ba5 23.Ra3 Bd2 24.g3 draw (Ljubojevic-Ribli, IT, Bugojno, 1984).
13...Nc6 14.Nxc6 Bxc3 15.Qe3 bxc6 16.Rb3 Qc5 17.Qxc5 dxc5 18.Rxc3 fxe4 19.Rxc5 Bd7 20.Re5 f5 21.g4 Rg8 22.Kf2 fxg4 23.Rxe4 h5 24.Kg3 Ke7 25.Re5 h4+ 26.Kxh4 Rh8+ 27.Rh5 Rxh5+ 28.Kxh5 Rh8+ 29.Kxg4 Rxh2 30.Rd2 a5 31.Kg3 Rh1 32.Bc4 Re1 33.Re2 Rxe2 34.Bxe2 draw (Parma-Fischer, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 1965).

If 11...Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 Qa5 14.Kh1 Be7 then:

15.Qe3 h5 16.Rb3 Kf8 17.Rfb1 h4 18.Bf3 d5 19.h3 Bc5 20.Qd3 Kg7 21.f5 d4 22.Ne2 e5 23.g3 hxg3 gives Black a two-pawn advantage (Brodsky-Biriukov, Chigorin Mem, St. Petersburg, 1996).
15.f5 h5 16.Bf3 Qc7 17.Qd3 a5 18.Qe3 h4 19.Bg4 Qa7 20.Qh3 e5 21.Rb3 Ba6 22.Rfb1 Qf2 23.Qf3 Qc5 gives Black an extra pawn (Michalek-Nickel, Corres, 1999).

10...dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Ne4

If 12.Bc4 Bb4 13.Rb3 Qa5 14.0-0 0-0 15.Bf6 then:

15...Nxf6 16.exf6 Rd8 17.Rxb4 Qxb4 18.Qg5 g6 19.Rf4 b6 20.Rh4 Qf8 21.Qe3 Ra7 22.Ne4 Rad7 23.Rxh7 Black resigns (Tringov-Palmason, Ol, Havana, 1966).
15...gxf6 16.Qh6 Qxe5 17.Nf5 exf5 18.Ne4 Bd2 19.Nxd2 Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Ne5 21.Rg3+ Ng4 22.h3 gives White more activity (R. Byrne-Evans, US Ch, New York, 1965).

12...h6 13.Bb5

13.Bh4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.Be2 Bc5 17.Bg3 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Qa5+ 19.Rd2 0-0 20.Bd6 Nc6 21.0-0 Re8 22.Qg3 Qd8 23.c4 Ne7 24.Bc7 Nf5 25.Rxf5 Qe7 26.Bd6 Qd8 27.Bc7 Qe7 28.Bd6 draw (Shabalov-Ehlvest, US Ch, Stillwater, 2007).

13...axb5

13...hxg5 14.Rb3 axb5 15.Rxa3 Bxa3 16.Qxg5 Ra4 17.Qxg7 Rf8 is unclear (Quintaros-Browne, IT, London, 1981).

14.Nxb5 hxg5

The text move is forced.
If 14...Bb4? then 15.Rxb4 Qa5 16.Nbd6+ Kf8 17.Nxc8 Nc6 18.Rxb7 wins for White.
If 14...Qa5?? then disaster strikes afterfont color="blue"]15.Qxa5 when:

If 15...hxg5 then 16.Nc7+ Ke7 17.Nxa8 Nc6 18.Qc7 is time for an early shower.
15...Rxa5 16.Nc7# is a bit sudden.

15.Nxa3 Rxa3 16.0-0 Nc6 17.Rb5

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Daniel Stellwagen
Position after 17.Rb1b5

17...Ra4!?

Black introduces a new move that gives him the initiative, resulting in the advatange in space.
17...Be7 18.Nd6+ Bxd6 19.exd6 f6 20.Re1 Nce5 21.Qb4 Ra6 draw (Platonov-Minic, IT, Sochi, 1968).

18.Nxg5?!

White must take risks to gain any long term prospects in the game.
18.Nd6+ Bxd6 19.exd6 f6 20.Re1 e5 gives Black the advantage in space.

18...Ndxe5 19.Rxe5

White is not yet through taking risks. Quiet play here won't cut it.
19.c3 b6 20.Rf4 Rxf4 21.Qxf4 Bc5+ gives Black more space and the initiative.

19...Nxe5 20.Qc3 Nc6 21.Rxf7

21.Nd7 is more active and deserves serious consideration, although it is certainly risky.
If 21.Nxf7 Rh5 22.Qg3 Rha5 then:

If 23.Qc7 Ra8 24.Nd6+ Bxd6 then:

25.Qxd6 Ne7 26.Qe5 R8a5 27.Qxg7 is equal.
If 25.Qf7+ then 25...Kd8 26.Rd1 Nd4 wins for Black.

If 23.Qg6 Kd7 24.Ng5 Bc5+ 25.Kh1 Kc7 then:

26.h3 Rxa2 27.Qxg7+ Be7 28.Rf7 Kd7 gives Black the clear advantage
If 26.Nxe6+ then after 26...Bxe6 27.Qxe6 Rxa2 Black threatens havoc on White's back rank.

21...Ra5 22.Rxg7 Bc5+ 23.Kh1 Rf8

If 23...Bd4 24.Qd3 Bxg7 25.Qg6+ then:

25...Kd8 26.Nf7+ Kc7 27.Nxh8 Bxh8 gives Black a material advantage equivelant to a minor piece.
If 25...Kd7? 26.Qxg7+ Ne7 27.Qxh8 is equal.

24.Qd3 Rxa2 25.h4 Ra1+ 26.Kh2 Bd4?!

This looks active enough, but Black had even more active play available.
If 26...Bg1+! 27.Kg3 Bd4 then:

28.Qg6+ Kd8 29.Rf7 Ra3+ 30.Kh2 Rxf7 31.Qxf7 Be5+ gives Black the initiative.
If 28.Rh7 then after 28...Re1 29.Qg6+ Kd8 30.Nf7+ Kc7 the King escapes to refuge on the queenside.

27.Qg6+ Kd8 28.Rf7 Rxf7 29.Qxf7 Bg1+ 30.Kg3

30.Kh3 e5+ 31.g4 Bd4 32.Nf3 Bc3 33.Qc4 Ra3 offers chances to both players.

30...e5?

Black brings the Bishop into play, but should lose as a result.
30...Ra3+ 31.Nf3 Bc5 32.h5 Bd6+ 33.Kf2 Bc5+ 34.Kg3 offers as much to one side as the other.

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Daniel Stellwagen
Position after 30...e6e5

31.h5?

White seeks counterplay by advancing the h-pawn, but in the process misses a much better line.

If 31.Nf3! then:

If 31...Rf1 32.Qg8+ Kc7 33.Qc4 then:

33...Bf2+ 34.Kh2 Ra1 35.Nxe5 Bg1+ 36.Kg3 Ra3+ 37.c3 leaves White's kingside pawns as a real asset with Black's pieces on the kingside.
33...Rd1? 34.h5 Kd6 35.h6 Be3 36.h7 Bf4+ 37.Kf2 wins for White.

If 31...Bd4? 32.Nxd4 exd4 33.h5 Re1 34.h6! then:

If 34...Re7 then:

35.Qh5! Ne5 36.h7 Nf7 37.Qxf7!! Rxf7 38.h8Q+ wins for White.
If 35.Qxe7+?? then 35...Nxe7! 36.h7 Ng6 stops the pawn and wins for Black.

If 34...Re8 then after 35.Qxe8+!! Kxe8 36.h7 White queens on the next move.

31...Nd4 32.Qf6+

The pawn has a clear path to the promotion point.

32...Kc7 33.Qxe5+ Kb6!

Black moves his King to safety.
33...Kc6 34.Qe4+ Kc7 35.Qe7+ Bd7 36.Qc5+ Nc6 37.Qc4 gives White the active game.

34.Qd6+

The text does not make the most of White's possibilities with his passed pawn.
34.Qf6+ Ka7 then:

35.Qh8! Ra5 36.Qxc8 Rxg5+ 37.Kh4 Rxg2 leaves Black slightly better; neither side has anything resembling a forced win.
35.h6? Ne2+! 36.Kh4 Ra4+ 37.Kh5 Nf4+ wins the Queen.

34...Ka7 35.Qc5+ Kb8 36.Qd6+ Ka8

36...Ka7 invites a draw by repetition.

37.Qd8 Nf5+

37...Kb8 38.h6 Nf5+ 39.Kf3 Ra3+ 40.Ke4 remains equal.

38.Kh3 Kb8

38...Ra3+! 39.Nf3 Kb8 40.Kg4 then:

40...Nh6+41.Kg3 Nf5+ 42.Kf4 Be3+ 43.Ke4 Rc3 gives Black the initiative.
40...Ra4+? 41.Kg5 Bd4 42.Nxd4 gives White the opportunity to make trouble with his h-pawn.

39.Ne6 Ra3+ 40.Kg4 Nh6+ 41.Kf4

41.Kh4?? Bf2+ 42.Kg5 Nf7+ wins the Queen.

41...Bh2+ 42.Ke4 Nf7

If 42...Ra4+ 43.Kd3 then:

If 43...Ra6 44.Nd4 Ng4 45.Qe8 Bc7 then:

46.Nb5 Re6 47.Qg8 Re3+ is equal.
If 46.Kc4 Bf4 47.Nf5 Ka7! then:

48.Qxc8 Rc6+ 49.Qxc6 bxc6 50.g3 is equal.
48.Nd4 Kb8 49.Kb3 Rh6 is equal.

43...Ra3+ 44.c3 Ng4 45.Qd5 Ne5+ 46.Kc2 Ra6 47.Nd4 is equal.

43.Qf8 Nd6+ 44.Kd4 Ka7

If 44...Ra4+ 45.Kd3 Rg4 46.h6 then:

46...Rg3+ 47.Kd4 Rg4+ 48.Kd5 Nb5 49.c4 is equal.
If 46...Be5 47.h7 Rg3+ 48.Ke2 Rxg2+ 49.Kf3 Rg3+ 50.Ke2 is equal.

45.Nc5

Fritz rates this game even or better for White, but what he doesn't know (because computers don't know anything) is that Black has more winning opportunities than White. Stated more correctly at the moment, White has more opportunities to lose.
If 45.Ng7 Ra4+ 46.Kd3 Be5 then:

After 47.c3 Rf4 48.Qe7 Nc4 49.h6 Rg4 White is slightly better thanks to the h-pawn.
If 47.c4? Rxc4 48.Kd2 Rc3 then:

If 49.Qf2+ then after Ka6 50.Qh4 Nc4+ 51.Ke2 Bxg7 Black's pieces clearly overwhelm the defensive capabilities of White's Queen.
49.Qd8 Ne4+ 50.Ke1 Bg3+ 51.Kf1 Rc1+ 52.Ke2 Bg4+ puts the White King in a mating attack.

45...Ra5 46.h6?

White misjudges the effectiveness of the coming skewer.
If 46.Qd8 then Black is better after 46...Be5+ 47.Kd5 b6 48.Qe7+ Nb7 49.Kxe5 Rxc5+, but White's pawns provide plenty of counterplay.

BLACK: Vishy Anand
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WHITE: Daniel Stellwagen
Position after 46.h5h6

46...Bg1+!

Now Black wins in all variations.

47.Kd3

If 47.Kd5 Bxc5 then:

If 48.Qg8 Ba3+ 49.Kd4 Ra4+ then:

If 50.Kc3 Ne4+ then:

If 51.Kd3 Bf5 52.g4 Nc5+ then:

If 53.Kd2 Rd4+ 54.Kc3 Rxg4 55.h7 then:

55...Ne4+ 56.Kb3 Rxg8 57.hxg8Q Be6+ 58.Qxe6 Nc5+ gives White an extra piece.
If 56.Kc4 Ng5+ 57.Kb3 Bxh7 then:

58.Qd5 then after 58...Rg3+ 59.c3 Bg8 60.Qxg8 Ne4 61.Qd5 Rxc3+ the Queen is helpless to defend the King.
After 58.Qd8 Bb4 59.c4 Be1 60.Qe8 Rg3+ 61.Ka2 Be4 Black's assorted pieces defeat the Queen.

53.Kc3 Rxg4 54.h7 Ne4+ etc.

If 51.Kb3 Be6+ then:

52.Kxa4 then after 52...Bxg8 53.Kxa3 Nf2 54.Kb4 Kb6 Black wins easily.
If 52.Qxe6 Nc5+ wins the Queen.

If 50.Kd3 Bf5+ 51.Ke2 Bg4+ then:

52.Kd3 then after Bb2 53.c3 Bf5+ 54.Ke2 Bxc3 Black threatens winning.
52.Kd2 Rd4+ 53.Ke1 Bc5 puts White in a mating net.

48.Qf3 b6 49.Qb3 Nf7 50.h7 Bb7+ 51.Ke6 Ng5+ wins the h-pawn.

If 47.Kc3 Bxc5 48.Qg8 Ne4+ then:

49.Kb3 49...Bd4 50.Kc4 Ra4+ 51.Kd3 Bf5 puts the King in a mating net.
If 49.Kd3 Bf5 50.Ke2 Ra3 then:

51.h7 Re3+ 52.Kf1 Bxh7 53.Qxh7 Nd2+ 54.Kf2 Re7+ wins the Queen.
If 51.c3 Nxc3+ 52.Kd2 Nb1+ 53.Kd1 Rd3+ then:

54.Ke1 Re3+ 55.Kd1 Nc3+ 56.Kd2 Rd3+ 57.Kc2 57.Ke1 Rd1#.
54.Kc1 Rc3+ 55.Kd1 Bc2+ 56.Ke2 Re3+ 57.Kf2 Re8+ wins the Queen.

47...Bf5+ 48.Qxf5 Nxf5 49.h7

White's only sign of a hope is to push the pawn.

49...Ra3+

That hope is dashed.

50.Nb3 Bd4 51.Ke4 Bh8 52.Kxf5 Ra2 0-1

Mh. Stellwagen resigns.

Reply #7: Stellwagen - Anand, Round 14 (played in Baden-Baden) [View All]