[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.03"]
[Round "1.11"]
[White "Christiansen, Larry"]
[Black "Norowitz, Yaacov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B16"]
[WhiteElo "2579"]
[BlackElo "2451"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+865"]
[WhiteClock "0:31:19"]
[BlackClock "0:26:31"]

{B16: Caro-Kann: Bronstein-Larsen Variation} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4.
Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6 6. Nf3 {although this is the second most popular move
and is played at high levels over-the-board, theory mostly ignores it in favor
of 6. c3.} Bg4 {why the previous move is considered theoretically less
desirable. Normally the bishop has to go to f5 instead.} 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Qc7 {
Bd6 is more popular here, although both prevent White from playing Bf4.} 9. Nh4
{White scores 75% from here.} Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Nd7 11. c4 O-O-O {obligatory, as
the king has nowhere else to go.} 12. Rd1 {White has tried a lot of things in
this position, but 12. g3 is by far the most played, with the idea of shutting
down Black's play on the g-file. Here are two games where Black managed to
draw.} (12. g3 h5 (12... Rg8 13. d5 Qe5 14. Be3 Qe4 15. dxc6 Ne5 16. cxb7+ Kxb7
17. Qh5 Qxc4 18. Rad1 Rxd1 19. Rxd1 Rg4 20. Ng2 Qc2 21. Rc1 Qg6 22. Qxg6 Rxg6
23. f4 Nc6 24. Rd1 Be7 25. f5 Rg8 26. Kf2 e5 27. Kf3 Kc7 28. Rc1 h5 29. b3 a5 {
1/2-1/2 (29) Asis Gargatagli,H (2431)-Alvarez Pedraza,A (2551) Barcelona 2011})
13. d5 Re8 14. dxe6 fxe6 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. Rad1 Qc7 18. Rd2 Ne5 19.
Rfd1 Kb8 20. b3 a6 21. Rd6 Qb6 22. Kg2 Qa5 23. Kh1 c5 24. Nf3 Nc6 25. Kg1 h4
26. Rxe6 Rxe6 27. Qxe6 {Talla,V (2335)-Jankovec,I (2240) Czechia 1998 1/2-1/2 
(41)}) 12... c5 {this is a standard break in the Caro-Kann main line, the idea
being to help activate Black's pieces. With Black castled queenside it
requires a little more bravery.} 13. d5 {White would of course welcome an
exchange on d5, leaving Black with no central pawns and a horrendous pawn
structure on the kingside.} Ne5 (13... Bd6 {is suggested by Houdini. Black is
falling behind in development and needs to generate kingside threats.} 14. dxe6
{is not a refutation because of} fxe6 15. Qxe6 Bxh2+ 16. Kf1 Be5) 14. Bf4 Bd6
15. dxe6 fxe6 16. Bxe5 fxe5 {at this point it's clear that Black's shattered
and vulnerable pawn structure will be the central focus of the remainder of
the game.} (16... Bxe5 {appears somewhat better, although still difficult for
Black, as the Bishop can be a target as well on e5 and has few places to go.}
17. Nf3) 17. g3 Qf7 {with the g-file closed after the previous move, the
f-file is the only possible avenue of attack. This seems to have been the
rationale for taking with the pawn on e5, in order to have it influence f4.}
18. Rd2 Rhf8 19. Kg2 Rd7 (19... Bc7 {is Houdini's recommendation.} 20. Rxd8+
Rxd8 21. Re1 $16) 20. Rad1 Rfd8 21. Qe4 {White's pieces are more mobile and
threatening than Black's. At this point Black focuses on defense, in the hopes
that White cannot find a way to practically exploit his weaknesses.} Kc7 22.
Rd3 Qh5 23. Rb3 b6 24. Ra3 a5 25. Rad3 Rg7 26. h3 Rf7 27. R1d2 Rfd7 28. a4 Rf7
{having achieved a strong defensive setup, Black shuffles his rook while White
attempts to break through.} 29. Rf3 Rfd7 30. Rfd3 {Twofold repetition.} Rf7 31.
b3 {White can afford to make small improvements and move closer to the time
control, as Black has no threats.} Rfd7 32. Nf3 {now White starts to marshal
his forces, returning the knight from the rim.} Qf5 33. Re2 Rf7 34. Rde3 Rdf8
35. Qxf5 {White decides to head for the endgame and pick up a pawn in the
process.} (35. Nxe5 $6 {does not work due to} Qxf2+ 36. Rxf2 Rxf2+ 37. Kg1 Rf1+
38. Kh2 R8f2+ 39. Qg2 Rxg2+ 40. Kxg2 Rf5 $11) 35... exf5 36. Nxe5 Rg7 37. f4 h5
38. h4 Rfg8 39. Rd3 Re8 40. Rde3 Rge7 41. Kf3 Re6 42. Rd3 {this deliberately
invites the exchange on e5.} Bxe5 43. Rxe5 Rxe5 44. fxe5 Rxe5 {White has given
back the pawn in return for a dominant king.} 45. Kf4 Re4+ 46. Kg5 Rd4 47. Re3
Kd6 $2 {Houdini (via the Frtiz interface) gives this a question mark, as it
facilitates White's win.} (47... Rg4+ {would allow Black to control the g-file
and prevent the loss of both kingside pawns without compensation.} 48. Kxf5 (
48. Kxh5 $6 Kd6 $14) 48... Kb7 $16) 48. Kxf5 $18 Kd7 49. Kg5 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.04"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Troff, Kayden"]
[Black "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A86"]
[WhiteElo "2421"]
[BlackElo "2741"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1455"]
[WhiteClock "0:01:28"]
[BlackClock "0:10:01"]

1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 d6 {Leningrad Dutch players use this move-order to
avoid giving a target to a quick h4-h5 attack by White.} 4. g3 (4. h4 {is now
rarely played, but has been highly effective, scoring 80 percent in the
database, including against strong Black players. Black can now play in the
center, however, and is not committed to g6. An example:} e5 5. dxe5 dxe5 6.
Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. e4 f4 9. g3 fxg3 10. fxg3 Bb4 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6+
gxf6 13. Rc1 Rg8 14. Kf2 c6 15. Bd3 Ke7 16. a3 Bc5+ 17. Kg2 a5 18. h5 Be3 19.
Rce1 Bf4 20. Ne2 Nc5 21. Bc2 Be6 22. Kf2 Bg5 23. b3 Bg4 24. Rd1 Rad8 25. Nc3
Rxd1 26. Bxd1 Rd8 27. Nh4 Rd2+ 28. Kf1 Bxd1 29. Nf5+ Ke6 30. Ke1 Nd3+ {0-1 (30)
Hambleton,A (2052)-Barron,M (2241) Edmonton 2009}) 4... g6 5. Bg2 (5. h4 {has
never been played in this position in the database, but the following game is
an example by transposition at the professional level.} c6 6. Bg2 Qa5 7. Bd2
Qa6 8. b3 Bg7 9. d5 O-O 10. Nh3 cxd5 11. cxd5 Nbd7 12. Nf4 Ne5 13. h5 Bd7 14.
hxg6 hxg6 15. Be3 Nfg4 16. Bd2 Qb6 17. O-O Rfc8 18. Rc1 Bf6 19. e3 {1/2-1/2 
(19) Djurhuus,R (2495)-Sahl,B (2455) Gausdal 1995}) 5... Bg7 6. Nh3 {
characteristic of the Karlsbad variation. White chooses not to block the Bg2
and normally looks to move the knight to f4.} e6 {an uncommon move here,
although e6 is played in the main line Karlsbad. The pawn move has the dual
purpose of contesting d5 and allowing Black the option of playing an eventual .
..e5 if White pushes d5.} (6... c6 {scores 50 percent in the database and is
the popular choice for those not wanting to commit the knight via ...Nc6.}) 7.
Qa4+ $146 {this early queen sortie has not been played before in the database.
Castling or playing Nf4 are the two most popular options.} c6 8. d5 O-O 9. dxe6
Bxe6 $11 {this is another idea behind the earlier e6, to allow the pawn
exchange and bishop development.} 10. Ng5 Bc8 {an interesting choice,
disallowing the knight for bishop exchange. Black's bishop currently is quite
confined, but may have good long-term prospects.} 11. O-O Qe7 12. Qa3 Nbd7 13.
Rd1 Ne8 {this sort of passive defense seems like an attempt to bait White into
overextending himself.} (13... h6 14. Nh3 Ne5 {and now} 15. Qxd6 Qxd6 16. Rxd6
Nxc4 {seems good for Black.}) 14. Be3 Ne5 {Kamsky must have seen the following
sequence (except perhaps for the move 16 variation) and evaluated that he
could play the position following the exchange sac better than his opponent.}
15. c5 dxc5 16. Bxc5 (16. Nd5 {is what Houdini comes up with, a far from
obvious move that however gives White an attack.} cxd5 17. Bxd5+ Kh8 18. Bxc5
Qxg5 19. Bxf8 $16 {with strong pressure and open lines in the center for White
to exploit, for example} Qf6 20. Bxg7+ Kxg7 21. Rac1) 16... Qxg5 17. f4 Qf6 18.
fxe5 Qxe5 19. Bxf8 (19. Rd8 {here would be annoying for Black, an idea flagged
by the live commentators.}) 19... Bxf8 20. Qb3+ Kg7 $11 {Houdini evaluates
this as equal, despite the small material imbalance in White's favor. Kamsky
must have been confident that he could exploit his longer-term structural
advantages and White's weaknesses (such as the e-pawn), despite his own
backward development. The collection of pieces on the 8th rank is impressive
in that regard.} 21. Bf3 {White's first move that goes a bit astray.} (21. Rd8
{now doesn't work due to} Nd6 {effectively trapping the rook, forcing White to
give back the exchange.}) (21. e4 {was Seirawan's idea during the live
commentary and is also Houdini's favorite. White looks to exchange off the
weak pawn, or if Black leaves it on the board, gain some control over the
center.}) 21... Nd6 22. Na4 Nb5 23. Qd3 Be6 $15 {compare this position with
three moves earlier, Black looks much better positioned while White has
essentially done nothing constructive.} 24. Kg2 g5 {signals that Black has
taken over the initiative.} 25. Kh1 Be7 26. Qc2 g4 27. Bg2 h5 {Black now has a
kingside attack rolling with all of his pieces poised to participate (even the
knight can jump in via d4). In constrast, White's pieces are spread out and
uncoordinated.} 28. e4 h4 29. exf5 Bxf5 30. Qc4 h3 {with the pawn on h3 and
open lines available for Black's pieces to attack White's king, the end is
near.} 31. Re1 hxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Qf6 $19 {Houdini evaluates the position as the
equivalent of Black being up a piece.} 0-1

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.04"]
[Round "2.5"]
[White "Kaidanov, Gregory"]
[Black "Holt, Conrad"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A11"]
[WhiteElo "2593"]
[BlackElo "2513"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1205"]
[WhiteClock "0:05:11"]
[BlackClock "0:00:40"]

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 {an independent English variation. Naturally White could
transpose to a queen or king's pawn opening here.} d5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 dxc4 5.
O-O Nbd7 6. Na3 (6. Qc2 {is the other main option.} Nb6 7. a4 (7. Na3 {
transposing})) 6... Nb6 7. Qc2 Be6 {this position demonstrates White's
objective with sacrificing the pawn. Black's kingside is underdeveloped and
his king is in the center, while White has a lead in development and is
pressuring hard to regain his pawn.} 8. Ne5 (8. Ng5 {is played the most, but
only scores 45 percent for White. The text move scores 52 percent.}) 8... Qd4
9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bxc6+ Kd8 11. Bxa8 {only a handful of games in the database
now, the only game with this move being a White loss.} (11. Nb5 {is Houdini's
choice and was most recently played by Timman in Wijk aan Zee:} Qc5 12. Bxa8
Qxb5 13. Bg2 h5 14. h4 Bf5 15. e4 Bd7 16. a4 Nxa4 17. e5 Ne8 18. Re1 e6 19. Bf1
Bc5 20. d3 Qb3 21. Qxc4 Qxc4 22. dxc4 Nc7 23. Rd1 Kc8 24. Rxd7 Kxd7 25. Rxa4
Rb8 26. Be2 g6 27. Bd1 Bd4 28. b3 a6 29. Bf4 Bc3 30. Ra2 Kc6 31. Kf1 a5 32. Bd2
Bb4 33. Bxb4 axb4 34. Bf3+ Kb6 35. c5+ Kb5 36. Rd2 Nd5 37. Bxd5 exd5 38. Rxd5
Rb7 39. Ke2 Kc6 40. Rd3 Re7 41. f4 Ra7 42. f5 gxf5 43. Kf3 Ra1 44. Kf4 Rf1+ 45.
Kg5 Kxc5 46. Kxh5 Rc1 47. Rf3 Rc3 48. Rxf5 Kd5 49. g4 Ke6 50. Rf6+ Ke7 51. g5
Rxb3 52. e6 fxe6 53. Kg6 Rh3 54. h5 b3 55. h6 {1-0 (55) Timman,J (2566)-Smeets,
J (2615) Wijk aan Zee NED 2013}) 11... Nxa8 {in contrast with the other line,
now White no longer has the two bishops.} 12. d3 cxd3 13. Rd1 dxc2 14. Rxd4+
Bd7 15. Nxc2 e5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. Be3 Kc7 18. Ne1 {during the live commentary, a
small preference was given to Black here because two pieces usually are more
powerful than a rook. Black also has plenty of good squares for his pieces at
this point.} Nfd5 19. Rac1+ Kb7 20. Bc5 {standard practice when your opponent
has the two bishops is to trade one of them off.} Bxc5 21. Rxc5 Be6 22. Nd3 e4
23. Ne5 {Houdini evalutes this position as completely equal. Despite the R+P
vs. B+N imbalance in his disfavor, White's rooks are well-placed as is his
knight, while Black's king looks a little precarious.} Ne7 24. Rd4 f6 {this
may have been a psychological turning point in the game, as White afterwards
starts to gain some initiative. The eventual tactical point of White's
sequence may not have been seen.} (24... Bd5 $5) 25. Rxe4 Bd5 26. Rg4 fxe5 27.
Rxg7 {pinning the Ne7, which either results in the return of a piece (leaving
White two pawns to the good) or ties Black up in knots.} Re8 28. e4 Bg8 29.
Rxe5 Nbc8 30. b3 $14 {the material balance in a rough sense somewhat favors
Black, but the dominance of the White rooks and Black's passive piece
placement, along with White's mobilizing passed pawns, give White an advantage.
} Kc7 31. f4 Kd6 32. Kf2 Rf8 33. Ke3 Nc6 34. Rh5 N8e7 35. h4 Ke6 36. g4 Kf6 37.
Rgg5 {the live commentary picked things up again here, noting how the rook and
pawn activity and related space advantage was in White's favor. The position
is tough to play, however, and neither player is likely to have much in the
way of similar experience to draw on.} Rd8 38. Rc5 (38. Rh6+ Kf7 39. Rc5 $16 {
is Houdini's preference, pushing the king back before playing ...Rc5.}) 38...
Kg7 39. Rc3 Rd1 40. Rg5+ Kf8 $11 {here Houdini gives a slight edge to Black,
who has managed to activate his pieces and get his king to a less vulnerable
square.} 41. f5 Rd6 (41... Ne5 $5) 42. Rc5 h6 (42... Bf7) 43. e5 {Houdini
thinks this is winning for Black.} (43. Rxg8+ Kxg8 44. a3 $15) 43... Rd5 44.
Rxg8+ Kxg8 45. Rxd5 Nxd5+ 46. Kf3 Nc3 47. e6 Nxa2 48. g5 hxg5 49. hxg5 Nc3 50.
Ke3 Kf8 51. Kd3 Nd5 52. Kc4 Nc7 (52... Ne3+) 53. Kc5 Nb8 {now White's king
pushes forward and Houdini evaluates the position as equal. White threatens to
push the pawns forward with the king's help, but cannot escape from the Black
knights' harrassment.} 54. Kd6 Ne8+ 55. Kd5 Nc7+ 56. Kd6 Nb5+ 57. Kc5 Nc3 58.
Kd6 Nb5+ 59. Kc5 Nc3 60. Kd6 Nb5+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.04"]
[Round "2.6"]
[White "Khachiyan, Melik"]
[Black "Onischuk, Alex"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2518"]
[BlackElo "2666"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1225"]
[WhiteClock "0:24:42"]
[BlackClock "0:11:10"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5
Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Ne4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4
Nf6 15. Qe2 Qd5 16. c4 Qe4 17. Qxe4 Nxe4 18. Be3 {a standard opening line to
this point, where we now have a queenless middlegame that can simplify quickly
into an endgame.} Nd6 {a solid choice that scores 50 percent for Black.} (18...
f5 {scores the best here, with 56 percent for Black.}) (18... O-O {is the most
popular, but only scores 47 percent for Black.}) 19. Ne5 Bf6 20. b3 Nf5 21. Nf3
b5 22. g4 {first move out of the database.} Nxe3 23. fxe3 bxc4 24. bxc4 c5 {a
typical pseudo-sacrifice that if accepted would give Black a small advantage.}
25. Kc2 (25. dxc5 Rc8 26. Rd2 Rxc5 27. Rc2 Ke7 $15 {and Black has two isolated
pawns to target.}) 25... O-O 26. Kd3 Rac8 27. Rh2 Rfd8 28. Rc2 Rd6 29. Ke4 Rb6
30. Rd3 Rb4 (30... Ra6 {would be safer.}) 31. Rb3 (31. Ra3 $5 cxd4 32. exd4
Rbxc4 33. Rxc4 Rxc4 34. Rxa7) 31... Ra4 32. Rb7 Rc6 33. Rb8+ Kh7 34. Rb7 Kg8
35. Rb8+ Kh7 36. Rb7 1/2-1/2

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.04"]
[Round "2.9"]
[White "Ramirez, Alejandro"]
[Black "Ivanov, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "2551"]
[BlackElo "2544"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1640"]
[WhiteClock "0:35:30"]
[BlackClock "0:02:06"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O Nc6 {this move varies from a
the typical Hedgehog setup.} 6. Nc3 g6 7. e3 (7. d4 {would be the standard
analagous continuation in a Hedgehog and in fact scores over 70 percent for
White. The text move also scores well, 65 percent.}) 7... Bg7 8. d4 {now White
would be able to replace the pawn on d4 if it is exchanged.} O-O 9. d5 {as
Black declines to exchange on d4, White now grabs space with d5. The pawn
structure is now that of a more typical queen's pawn opening.} Na5 10. Qd3 e6 {
Black decides to immediately challenge the head of the pawn chain.} 11. e4 exd5
12. exd5 d6 {now we have a Benoni-type structure. White appears to have a
comfortable game.} 13. Bf4 Bc8 14. b3 Bf5 15. Qd2 Re8 16. Rae1 Qd7 $6 {this
cuts off the retreat squares for the Bf5.} (16... Nb7 $5) 17. Nh4 Nb7 18. Nb5 {
this perhaps was played to see if Black would go wrong before the capture.} (
18. Nxf5) 18... Nh5 {and Black does. The d6 pawn is vulnerable after the
exchange on f5.} (18... Be4) 19. Nxf5 Qxf5 (19... gxf5 20. Rxe8+ Rxe8 21. Nxa7
Nxf4 22. Qxf4 Re2 23. Nb5 h6 24. Bh3 Qe8 (24... Rxa2 25. Re1) 25. a3 $18) 20.
Bxd6 Rxe1 21. Rxe1 Nxd6 22. Nxd6 $16 {White is now up a protected passed pawn
and Black has no compensation for it.} Qd7 23. Nb5 a6 24. d6 {aggressively
pushing the pawn whenever possible. Here the discovered attack on the Ra8 is
the tactical mechanism.} Rd8 (24... Re8 $5 $16) 25. Re7 $18 Qf5 26. Nc7 (26.
Bd5 {is Houdini's recommended tactic.} axb5 27. Rxf7 Qxf7 28. Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.
Qd5+ Kf8 30. Qc6 $18) 26... Nf6 27. Bd5 Nxd5 28. Nxd5 Bf8 29. d7 {more tactics
allow the passed pawn push.} Qb1+ (29... Rxd7 $2 30. Rxd7 Qxd7 31. Nf6+) 30.
Re1 Qf5 31. Re8 {White now finishes off his opponent with a tactical flourish.}
Rxd7 32. Qh6 Qb1+ 33. Kg2 Qe4+ 34. Rxe4 {Black now loses the rook, not having
the time to both recapture the queen and move out of the way of the fork with
Nf6+} 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.04"]
[Round "2.14"]
[White "Chiang, Sarah"]
[Black "Zatonskih, Anna"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A85"]
[WhiteElo "2098"]
[BlackElo "2466"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1700"]
[WhiteClock "0:18:07"]
[BlackClock "0:23:43"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 f5 {naturally Black has several options here;
Zatonskih goes for a Stonewall.} 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Bd6 {the Modern Stonewall
formation is now complete.} 7. O-O O-O 8. Qc2 Ne4 9. Ne5 Nd7 {this is the most
popular continuation and scores 50 percent for Black in the database. Black
chooses to avoid exchanging off her dark-square bishop.} (9... Bxe5 10. dxe5
Nd7 {is an alternative line that scores better than 50 percent for Black.}) 10.
f3 Nef6 {a rare move.} (10... Nxc3 {is by far the most played here, for example
} 11. Qxc3 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Be7 13. Bd2 Qb6 14. Kh1 Bd7 15. Rad1 Kh8 16. Bc1 Be8
17. Bb1 Bh5 18. a3 a5 19. Rd4 g5 20. Re1 g4 21. fxg4 Bxg4 22. h3 Bh5 23. Rf1
Bg5 24. b4 axb4 25. axb4 c5 26. Rd2 cxb4 27. Qb3 Bxe3 28. Rc2 Bxc1 29. Rfxc1
Ra3 30. Qb2 d4 31. c5 Qc6 32. Qxd4 Rxh3+ 33. Kg1 Rg8 34. Rf2 Rhg3 35. Rcc2 Bf3
{0-1 (35) Nazarov,V (2152)-Nagimov,A (2344) Dagomys 2004}) 11. Nxd7 (11. f4 {
would be more usual here, keeping the Ne5 established on its square.}) 11...
Bxd7 12. e4 $6 {this greatly assists Black's typical plan of opening the
f-file for attacking purposes.} (12. b3 {would be a standard way to develop
the bishop}) (12. c5 $5) 12... fxe4 13. fxe4 e5 {posing a complex choice for
White in the center.} (13... Ng4 {is Houdini's move, with an immediate threat
to the h2 pawn.} 14. Rxf8+ Qxf8 15. g3 dxc4 16. Bxc4 {and now} Bc5 {is the key
tactic, gaining Black the d-pawn, since} 17. dxc5 $2 Qxc5+ 18. Kg2 Qxc4 $19)
14. exd5 {the engine indicates this is the incorrect selection.} (14. c5 exd4
15. cxd6 dxc3 16. Be3 $11 Qe8 (16... cxb2 $6 17. Qxb2 {and now White threatens
the pawn on b7 and pushing e5.})) 14... exd4 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Rxf8+ Qxf8 17.
Bxe4 h6 {Black takes a moment to move the pawn out of the B+Q battery.} (17...
Qf6 {as a more aggressive continuation was also possible, accelerating Black's
threats to White's vulnerable king. For example} 18. Bxh7+ $2 Kh8 19. Bd3 Re8
20. Bd2 Qh4 21. g3 Bxg3 $19) 18. Bd2 Re8 {Houdini again likes ...Qf6 here.} 19.
Re1 Kh8 {getting out of the way of future potential checks along the g8-a2
diagonal following an exchange on d5, as well as Bh7+.} 20. Qd3 Qf6 21. Qf3 (
21. dxc6 {would ensure that Black' s queenside pawns are split in the coming
endgame.}) 21... Qe5 22. g3 Rf8 23. Qg2 Qh5 24. Rf1 Rxf1+ 25. Qxf1 c5 {the
engine evaluates the position as completely equal, not surprising given its
symmetry.} 26. Bc2 Kg8 27. Qd3 Kf7 {Black decides to get her king closer to
the center before offering an exchange of queens.} 28. Qe4 Qg4 29. Qxg4 Bxg4 {
somewhat paradoxically, with the queens off it makes it more difficult for
White in practical terms. Now Zatonskih gives a lesson in how to play bishop
endings.} 30. Kf2 Kf6 31. Bd3 g5 32. Bf1 {this withdrawal allows Black to
immediately seize a key diagonal.} Bf5 33. Be2 Be4 34. h3 b5 {a provocative
move that appears to have rattled her opponent.} 35. b3 (35. cxb5 Bxd5 36. b3 {
and now Black cannot penetrate on the queenside.}) 35... b4 36. Bd1 Bb1 {the
move that seals White's fate.} 37. Bc1 Bxa2 38. Bc2 a5 39. Bb2 Be5 40. Bd1 a4
41. bxa4 Bxc4 42. Bf3 d3 43. Bc1 b3 0-1

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.05"]
[Round "3.16"]
[White "Belakovskaia, Anjelina"]
[Black "Chiang, Sarah"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2263"]
[BlackElo "2098"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "137"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+800"]
[WhiteClock "0:02:56"]
[BlackClock "0:02:53"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. h4 h6 8. h5
Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 {the first deviation from the game we saw
in round 2 (Metchik-Onischuk), which featured the other main choice, Bd2, in
which White goes for more straightforward development. The text move is a
little more aggressive but can sometimes transpose back, if both players allow;
however, that doesn't occur in this game.} Qa5+ {the standard response.} 12.
Bd2 Bb4 {Black scores quite well in this line (54 percent).} (12... Qc7 {is
the old Caro-Kann main line, where both sides usually castle queenside. It has
a solid but un-dynamic reputation.}) 13. c3 Be7 14. c4 Qc7 {this move is the
overwhelming favorite, but Black ends up in a position-type similar to the old
main line, with queenside castling.} (14... Qa6 {is an interesting idea played
by some professional Caro-Kann players such as Bareev and Khenkin who aren't
afraid to try new things. Here's a game by Khenkin:} 15. O-O Ngf6 16. Rfe1 Rd8
17. Qe2 O-O 18. Ne5 c5 19. Bc3 cxd4 20. Bxd4 Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Qa5 22. Qf3 Rd7 23.
Bc3 Qa6 24. Ne4 Nxe4 25. Qxe4 Rc8 26. Rad1 Rxd1 27. Rxd1 Qxc4 28. Qxb7 Bf6 29.
Bxf6 gxf6 30. Qxa7 Rc5 31. a4 Rxh5 32. Qd4 Qe2 33. Ra1 Kg7 34. b4 Rd5 35. Qc3
Rd1+ 36. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 37. Kh2 Qxa4 38. Qc5 h5 39. b5 Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Qe4 41. b6 e5
42. Qb5 Qe1+ 43. Kh2 Qxf2 44. Qb4 e4 45. b7 Qf4+ 46. Kg1 Qe3+ 47. Kf1 Qd3+ 48.
Ke1 Qe3+ 49. Kf1 Qd3+ 50. Ke1 Qe3+ 51. Kf1 Qf4+ {1/2-1/2 (51) Smeets,J (2515)
-Khenkin,I (2587) Hoogeveen 2004}) 15. O-O-O Ngf6 16. Rde1 O-O-O {
interestingly, all of Black's options score 50 percent here, although with a
relatively small database sample. I would personally prefer to castle kingside
here, although White looks to have good attacking possibilities afterwards,
since Black would have much a freer hand on the queenside and center.} 17. Qe2
Rhe8 $146 (17... Ng4 {was played in the only game in the database with this
position. This seems like an effective move for the knight as it helps cover
e5 and eyes f2.} 18. Kb1 Rhe8 19. Bc3 Kb8 20. Nd2 Ngf6 21. Nge4 Nxe4 22. Nxe4
f5 23. Nd2 Bf6 24. Nb3 e5 25. Qf3 exd4 26. Nxd4 Ne5 27. Qxf5 Nxc4 28. Ne6 Rxe6
29. Qxe6 Bxc3 30. Qxc4 Bxe1 31. Rxe1 Qa5 32. Qf4+ Ka8 33. Qe5 Qd2 34. Qe3 Qd7
35. Qe4 Qf7 36. Qe7 Qf5+ 37. Ka1 Qd5 {1/2-1/2 (37) Al Modiahki,M (2550)-Landa,
K (2570) Bad Wiessee 2006}) 18. Kb1 {the king needs to get off the c-file and
away from the c1-h6 diagonal, which are latent potential tactical weaknesses.
The move also covers a2.} Bd6 19. Rh4 c5 {Black as available to her both of
the classic Caro-Kann pawn breaks, on c5 and e5.  With the king on c8, I would
prefer the e5 break.} (19... e5 20. c5 Bf8 21. Nxe5 Bxc5) 20. Ne4 Nxe4 21. Qxe4
{capturing with the rook seems like a more obvious follow-up to her 19th move.}
Nf6 (21... cxd4 {is preferred by Houdini, pressing on with the opportunity
provided by the pawn break to disrupt White's center and leaving c5 for the
knight.} 22. Nxd4 Be7 23. Nb5 Qb6 24. Rh3 a6) 22. Qc2 cxd4 23. Nxd4 Bc5 {
compare Black's piece placement with the move 21 variation, which seems more
effective.} 24. Nb5 Qc6 25. Be3 (25. b4 {would be the aggressive choice and
would take advantage of the Rh4 placement to support the fourth rank.} a6 26.
bxc5 axb5 27. cxb5 Qxb5+ 28. Rb4) 25... Bxe3 26. fxe3 {this doesn't seem to
have been a very effective trade for White, who is now saddled with the
isolated e-pawn, although her pieces are more active. Note how the Nf6 is
poorly placed, with most of its squares taken away, so it should reposition
itself, probably via d7.} Qc5 (26... Kb8 {is Houdini's choice, with the king
vacating the c-file, covering a7 and enjoying the fact there is no longer a
White dark-square bishop.}) 27. a3 a6 28. Nc3 Qg5 $15 {Black is starting to
generate some threats and take over the initiative here.} 29. Rh3 Nxh5 {Black
however gets distracted by the pawn and White quickly regains the initiative.
The knight is effectively out of the game on h5, which White immediately takes
advantage of.} (29... Kb8 $5) 30. Ne4 Qe5 31. c5 Re7 32. Nd6+ Kb8 33. b4 Nf6 {
Black understands the need to get the knight back in the fight.} 34. e4 Rc7 35.
Rd3 Rdd7 $2 {leaving the queen on a vulnerable square.} (35... Qf4 {looks
reasonable, keeping pressure on e4.}) 36. Nc4 Qg5 37. Nb6 {suddenly Black has
no way to avoid White's threats from the heavy pieces on the d-file and the
Nb6, which threaten mate or significant material loss.} Ka7 (37... Rxd3 38.
Qxd3 Ng8 (38... Ng4 39. Rd1 Ka7 40. Qd8 Qxd8 41. Rxd8 {and Black gets mated in
the corner.}) 39. Rf1 {and now White can follows up with Qd6 and Rd1.}) (37...
e5 38. Red1 Qg4 39. Nxd7+ Nxd7 $18 {with a crushing position.}) 38. Nxd7 $16 {
White takes the safe advantage.} (38. Red1 $18 {would lead to a much larger
advantage, due to White's theats down the d-file leading to mate threats.})
38... Nxd7 39. Qd2 Qe7 40. Qf4 e5 41. Qg4 f6 42. Red1 Qf7 43. Kb2 {this covers
the b3 square.} (43. Rxd7 $2 Qb3+ {with a perpetual.}) 43... Nf8 $2 {this
withdraws a defender from Black's king and again White pounces on the errant
knight move.} (43... Nb8) 44. Rd6 $18 g6 45. Rf1 h5 46. Qh3 Nh7 47. Qe3 {
Black's knight is now almost buried again on h7 and White has too much
firepower for Black to repel.} Rc6 48. Rxc6 bxc6 49. Qd2 Kb7 50. Qd8 Qc7 51.
Qe8 {an excellent example of when not to trade down when you are in a much
stronger position.} Qc8 52. Qxg6 Qd7 53. Kc2 {White continues to effectively
employ her king to shut out Black's queen from penetrating, as well as
preparing to move the rook to the d-file.} h4 54. Rd1 Qe7 55. Rd6 {White now
completely dominates.} Kc7 56. Kd3 Kb7 57. Qg4 Nf8 58. Qf5 Qf7 59. Qxf6 Qb3+
60. Ke2 Qc4+ 61. Kf2 Qc2+ 62. Kg1 Qc1+ 63. Kh2 Qf4+ 64. Qxf4 exf4 65. Rf6 {the
correct moment for the queens to come off the board occurred and the win is
now trivial.} Nd7 66. Rf7 Kc8 67. Rxf4 Ne5 68. Rxh4 Nc4 69. Rh3 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.06"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Krush, Irina"]
[Black "Belakovskaia, Anjelina"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A35"]
[WhiteElo "2470"]
[BlackElo "2263"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1075"]
[WhiteClock "0:11:17"]
[BlackClock "0:02:42"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Nc6 {while the move order is unusual, the line of
the Symmetrical English with ...e5 is popular at high levels.} 4. g3 f5 {this
pawn thrust, however, is not. The usual step here is for Black to fianchetto
his dark-square bishop, as shown by this top-level clash between Kramnik and
Carlsen.} (4... g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O Nge7 7. a3 a5 8. Ne1 d6 9. Nc2 O-O 10. d3
Rb8 11. Rb1 Be6 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 cxb4 14. Nxb4 Nxb4 15. Rxb4 d5 16. cxd5
Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Rb5 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Qd7 20. Qb3 Rfc8 21. Bb2 Qd6 22. Rb1
Rc5 23. Rb6 Rc6 24. Rxb7 Rxb7 25. Qxb7 Rb6 26. Qc8+ Qf8 27. Qd7 h5 28. e4 Qd6
29. Qe8+ Qf8 30. Qd7 Qd6 31. Qxd6 Rxd6 32. Rd1 f5 33. f3 fxe4 34. fxe4 Rb6 35.
Bc3 Rb3 36. Ba1 Kf7 37. Kf3 Ke6 38. h3 Bh6 39. Ke2 Bg5 40. Rg1 Bh6 41. h4 Kd6
42. Rd1 Ke6 43. Rf1 Rb4 44. Rd1 Rb3 45. Rg1 Kf6 46. Rh1 Ke6 47. Rd1 Kf6 48. d4
Re3+ 49. Kf2 Rxe4 50. dxe5+ Kf5 51. Rd7 Kg4 52. Rd6 Be3+ 53. Ke2 Bf4+ 54. Kd3
Re3+ 55. Kc4 Bxe5 56. Rxg6+ Kf3 57. Bxe5 Rxe5 58. Rg5 Re4+ 59. Kd5 Rg4 60. Ke5
Kxg3 61. Rxh5 Rxh4 62. Rxh4 Kxh4 {1/2-1/2 (62) Kramnik,V (2795)-Carlsen,M 
(2848) London 2012}) 5. d3 {White needs to prevent ...e4.} Be7 {usual is ...
Nf6 here, retaining some flexibility for the bishop.} 6. Bg2 Nf6 7. O-O O-O {
at this point White has a classic English formation, used most often against a
KID setup or a closed formation with the ...f5 advance. Black has changed
things up by playing ...c5, with more of a lock on b4 and d4, but also leaving
behind a big hole on d5, which is the key square in the English for White.} 8.
a3 Rb8 9. Rb1 {pursuing the standard queenside expansion idea of pushing the
b-pawn. Note that the lack of a fianchettoed bishop on g7 means that White
does not have to worry about protecting the Nc3, among other things. The text
move is a novelty according to the database, but there are only two other
games with this position, so perhaps it's not so much of a surprise.} Qe8 $14 {
Houdini awards White a slight edge. White's pieces are certainly better
coordinated and she enjoys a slight lead in development, along with good
prospects on the queenside.} 10. Nd5 {a somewhat paradoxical aspect of the
English in general is the willingness of White to play what appears to be a
premature knight sally to d5, inviting an exchange and doubling his d-pawns.
In practical terms, however, the d5 pawn can seriously cramp Black while the
newly half-open c-file offers White good opportunities for pressuring Black
while employing a minority attack using the a- and b-pawns.} Bd6 (10... Nxd5 {
is also a bad idea in this specific position for tactical reasons, because the
Nc6 gets chased off and there is no Bg7 to protect the e5 pawn.} 11. cxd5 Nd4
12. Nxe5) 11. e4 {Krush chooses to play in the center rather than on the
queenside.} (11. b4 Nxd5 12. cxd5 Nd4 13. Re1 {would be the more standard way
to play. A possible continuation would be} f4 14. Nd2 fxg3 15. hxg3 cxb4 16.
Ne4 $14) 11... b5 12. Nxf6+ Rxf6 13. exf5 Rxf5 {the last sequence did away
with Black's f-pawn, which often plays a key role in Black's kingside attack
in these types of positions. The half-open f-file may look dangerous, but
Blacks threats there are more easily neutralized by White. Also note the
continuing lack of coordination among Black's pieces.} 14. Ng5 (14. cxb5 {is
Houdini's preference, exchanging prior to making the knight thrust. The engine
assesses that letting Black exchange first and then plant a knight on d4 leads
to equality.} Rxb5 {the presence of the hanging rook on b5 subsequently allows
the threat of Qg4-c4+ forking rook and king.} 15. Ng5 {and now} Be7 {doesn't
work for tactical reasons:} 16. Qg4 Nd4 17. Bd5+ Kh8 18. Qxf5 Nxf5 19. Nf7+
Qxf7 (19... Kg8 20. Nd6+ Kf8 21. Nxe8 Kxe8 22. Re1 Nd4 23. Rxe5) 20. Bxf7 $16)
14... Be7 15. Ne4 $11 {White's immediate threats have evaporated and it's back
to positional maneuvering.} (15. Qg4 {is a tactical way to play and is still
good for White, but not nearly as threatening as in the above variation.} Rf8 {
here Black can simply retreat the rook, for example.} 16. Bd5+ Kh8 17. Nxh7 d6
18. Qe4 Bf5 19. Qg2 Bxh7 20. Bxc6) 15... Ba6 16. Nc3 (16. cxb5 Bxb5 17. Nc3)
16... Kh8 (16... bxc4 {would seem to preempt White's threats on the queenside.}
) 17. cxb5 Bxb5 18. Nxb5 Rxb5 $14 19. Bxc6 {White chooses to give up the
strong Bg2 and the bishop pair for longer-term compensation in the form of the
doubled c-pawns.} (19. Be3 $5) 19... dxc6 20. Bd2 Qd7 21. Bc3 {as is common in
some of these variations, White's dark-square bishop takes a long time to be
developed. Here Krush finds an excellent place for it.} Rb8 22. Qe2 Qd5 23. f3
(23. Qe4 {White is clearly not afraid of an endgame, given Black's weaknesses,
and this would immediately and powerfully centralize her queen, forcing Black
to lose a tempo because of the attack on the hanging Rf5.}) 23... Bd6 24. Kg2
Kg8 25. Qe4 Rbf8 26. Rbe1 {White simply ratchets up the pressure in the center,
at no cost to herself. Black meanwhile is barely defending and cannot generate
counterplay.} h5 27. h4 Qxe4 $16 {Black decides to reduce the pressure and
heads into a major and minor piece ending, where White however has all the
chances.} 28. dxe4 R5f7 29. Rd1 Bc7 30. Rd3 {deliberately provoking the lead
c-pawn's advance, further weakening Black's formation.} c4 31. Rd2 a5 {using a
prophylactic move to prevent Bb4, after which White further dominates the
position.} 32. a4 Kh7 33. Rc2 Rb8 34. Rff2 Bb6 35. Rfe2 Rbf8 $2 {Houdini pegs
this as the losing move. Black likely foresaw a positional crush and decided
to deliberately imbalance the position in the hopes of generating some
practical counterplay chances.} (35... Re8) 36. Bxe5 Rxf3 37. Bf4 $16 {White
now has a comfortable plus, with material gain coming soon.} (37. Bd6 {is the
more aggressive line preferred by Houdini, leveraging the passed pawn to good
effect.} R8f7 38. e5 Rd3 39. Rxc4 (39. e6 {is also possible}) 39... Rd7 40.
Rxc6 $18) 37... Rb3 38. Rxc4 {the weakened pawn is now snapped off.} Rf6 39.
Be5 Rg6 40. Bc3 Bc7 {Black has too many weaknesses and cannot stop the e-pawn
while protecting the rest of her position.} 41. Re3 Be5 42. Rc5 Bxc3 43. bxc3
Rb2+ 44. Kh3 Kh6 45. e5 Re6 46. Rxa5 Ra2 47. Ra8 Kg6 48. a5 c5 49. a6 Raxa6 50.
Rxa6 Rxa6 51. e6 Ra8 52. g4 {an excellent move, the purposes of which is to
activate her king.} hxg4+ 53. Kxg4 Re8 54. c4 Kf6 {this looks good for Black,
but Krush has correctly calculated the resulting pawn ending as a win for
White.} 55. e7 Rxe7 56. Rxe7 Kxe7 57. Kf5 Kf7 58. h5 Kg8 59. Ke5 Kh7 60. Kd5
Kh6 61. Kxc5 Kxh5 62. Kd5 {and after both pawns promote, White is ahead a
tempo and can play Qh8+ followed by Qg8+ to skewer the king against the
unprotected Qg1. If Black does not go for the pawn race, then White queens
anyway.} 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.07"]
[Round "5.5"]
[White "Ramirez, Alejandro"]
[Black "Shankland, Sam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A04"]
[WhiteElo "2551"]
[BlackElo "2612"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1145"]
[WhiteClock "0:14:48"]
[BlackClock "0:08:44"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 {the Nimzo-Larsen.} d6 3. c4 g6 (3... e5 {is actually the main
idea behind the previous move, but Black continues with his Sicilian-style
development.}) 4. d4 Bg7 5. e3 Nc6 6. Bb2 Bg4 {breaking from the standard
Sicilian ideas. This move in fact scores quite well for Black, at around 77
percent, but there are only a handful of games in the database with this
position and only one at the professional level.} 7. Be2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bxe2 9.
Qxe2 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Bxd4 {a key decision to exchange, which seems slightly
better for White, who unlike Black is not left with a kingside dark square
weakness as a result. White's development is also a little easier. Also
possible was playing to keep the dark-square bishops on the board.} (10... Qa5+
11. Nd2 Nf6 12. O-O O-O $11) 11. exd4 d5 {Black is slightly behind in
development and this does nothing to rectify that.} 12. c5 $14 {without the
opposing bishop to challenge it, White's d4 pawn is a source of positional
strength.} Nh6 13. Nd2 Nf5 14. O-O O-O 15. Nf3 b6 {challenging the head of the
pawn chain, another strategic decision which seems to work out a little better
for White.} 16. b4 bxc5 17. dxc5 {White deliberately goes for the option
creating a greater imbalance in the position, rather than the more solid bxc5.}
Re8 18. Rad1 e5 19. Rfe1 f6 20. Qa6 {a strong move, switching the queen to an
area where she can exercise greater dominance and directly assist the pawn
advance.} d4 {Black attempts to set his own pawns in motion and obtain
counterplay. However, it's interesting to observe that while White has three
pieces lined up in front of Black's pawns to oppose their advance, Black has
none in front of White's.} 21. Nd2 Kg7 22. Ne4 {the knight has multiple
functions here, obviously blockading e4 but also threatening to hop into d6
and offering support to the c5 pawn.} Rf8 23. c6 {White obviously believes the
dictum that passed pawns must be pushed.} Nh4 {according to Houdini, the major
turning point in the game, which is now evaluated as heavily in White's favor.
Black apparently intended to play f5 as a followup, but that never actually
happens. White's c-pawn is far enough advanced that it becomes a major force
and Black must focus on restraining its progress, as his passed d-pawn is not
nearly as threatening.} (23... Qc7 {seems like the best option, blockading the
pawn.} 24. Rc1 Rab8 {preventing White's queen from going to b7} 25. b5 $14) 24.
Rc1 $18 Qd5 (24... Qc7 {no longer works due to} 25. Qb7 Qxb7 26. cxb7 Rab8 27.
Rc7+ Rf7 28. Rxf7+ Kxf7 29. Rc1 {and the well-placed Ne4 tactically protects
the b7 pawn due to the fork on d6.}) (24... Qe7 $5) 25. c7 d3 {Black
desperately tries to create some counterplay.} 26. Qc6 Qd4 27. Rc4 d2 28. Rd1 {
Unlike White, Black cannot make any progress against the pieces opposing the
passed pawn.} Qd3 29. Rxd2 Qb1+ 30. Rc1 {White's well-coordinated pieces now
dominate the board and the rout is on.} Qxb4 31. Rd7+ Kh6 32. Nxf6 Rxf6 33.
Qxf6 Qg4 34. Qg7+ 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.09"]
[Round "6.16"]
[White "Baginskaite, Camilla"]
[Black "Zatonskih, Anna"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A84"]
[WhiteElo "2278"]
[BlackElo "2466"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "156"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1285"]
[WhiteClock "0:01:40"]
[BlackClock "0:02:34"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 f5 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O Bd6 7. b3 {Unlike in
the round 2 game, White goes for a more standard plan against the Stonewall.
The text move prepares Ba3 and an exchange of the Bd6, which would leave Black
with a weak dark-square complex. Black's next move is designed to prevent this.
} Qe7 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Ne5 {there is a wide variety of moves played here, but
occupying e5 with a knight is a standard idea for White.} b6 10. Bb2 {a
reasonable move but a new one nonetheless, according to the database.} Bb7 {
this development of the light-square bishop is a feature of the Modern
Stonewall and is now more popular than the old transfer of the bishop to h5.
On b7, the bishop appears buried, but serves a useful function supporting the
c-pawn and can spring to life if it advances and pawn exchanges occur in the
center.} 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. a3 Nd7 13. Nd2 Rac8 14. Ndc4 Bb8 {Houdini favors
this retreat, which preserves the valuable bishop.} 15. Qe2 c5 {now the Bb7
looks quite strong.} 16. Nxd7 {exchanging the nicely posted Ne5 for the Nd7
seems counterintuitive, but is in fact a common idea in the Stonewall, in part
because White can reposition her other knight to e5 later on. White starts to
have problems in this position if this does not occur, as examined in the
following sample variation. Black has a number of tactical possibilities
lurking, with ideas including using her Nd5 for forks on c3 or f4, along with
the two powerful bishops pointed at White's king.} (16. Rad1 cxd4 17. Bxd4 {
recapturing with the e-pawn would allow ...Nf4, attacking the Qe2 and g2
simultaneously.} Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Nc3 19. Bxc3 Rxc3 20. f4 Bd5 (20... Rxb3 $2 21.
Bc4) 21. b4 Bb3 $17) 16... Qxd7 17. dxc5 Rxc5 (17... Qc6 {is an interesting
idea.} 18. f3 (18. cxb6 $2 Nf4 19. Qf3 Qxf3 20. gxf3 Nxd3) 18... Qxc5) 18. Rac1
Rd8 19. Rfd1 {White has avoided Black's nastier ideas through her earlier
exchanges and is in a better position to fight for the center and d- and
c-files. The position is evaluated as equal by Houdini.} Rcc8 20. Ne5 Qe7 {
Black chooses to maintain her longer-term chances rather than exchange off the
new Ne5.} (20... Bxe5 {would start a long, largely forced line leading to an
equal endgame.} 21. Bxe5 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Nxe3 23. Rc7 Qxd3 24. Rxg7+ Kf8 25. Qxd3
Rxd3 26. fxe3 Bd5 $11) 21. Ba6 {the key error, according to Houdini. Perhaps
White did not see Black's move 24 or, more likely, the back-rank threat
revealed on move 26. White needs to avoid the deflection tactic that gains
Black the a-pawn.} (21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Nf3) (21. b4) 21... Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Bxe5
23. Bxe5 Qxa3 24. Ra1 Bxa6 25. Qxa6 Qxa6 26. Rxa6 Nb4 {White's back-rank
weakness, exposed by Black's last move, prevents her from taking Black's
a-pawn.} 27. Ra1 Rd3 28. Kf1 Nc6 29. Bc7 Rd7 (29... Rxb3 {was likely avoided
by Black due to the extra activity it allows White's pieces. Houdini evaluates
both this variation and the text move equally. It might have been easier for
Black to simply take the material, however.} 30. Rc1 Ne7 31. Be5 Rb5 32. f4 Nd5
$17) 30. Bg3 Kf7 31. Rc1 Nb4 32. Ke2 e5 33. f3 (33. Bxe5 $2 Nd3) 33... Ke6 34.
Rc8 Nd5 35. Re8+ Re7 36. Rc8 f4 {White's rook cannot make any meaningful
threats, so Black decides to make some progress on the kingside.} 37. Bf2 Kd7
38. Ra8 Kc6 {Black is transferring her king to the main theater of action on
the queenside, where it is needed to support an eventual pawn advance.} 39. e4
Nb4 40. Be1 Kb5 41. Bc3 Nc6 42. Kd3 Kc5 43. Rc8 Rd7+ 44. Kc2 {White has been
doing well in placing obstacles in front of Black's queenside advance.} Kd6 45.
b4 b5 {necessary to fix the b4 pawn in place. Black will now aim to force
through ...a5 in the long run.} 46. Kb3 Rb7 47. Rh8 h6 48. Rc8 Rc7 49. Rg8 {
exchanging rooks would leave White with simpler problems to solve in the
endgame.} Ke6 50. Re8+ Re7 51. Rc8 Kd7 52. Rg8 Kc7 53. Rf8 Kb6 54. Ra8 Kb7 {
both sides continue to focus on the queenside struggle. After the text move,
Houdini considers the position equal.} (54... Re6 {is pointed out by Houdini,
which would go after White's abandoned kingside pawns after the follow-up ...
Rg6.} 55. g3 fxg3 56. hxg3 Rg6 57. g4 Rf6 58. Rg8 Rxf3 59. Kc2 $17 (59. Rxg7 $2
Nxb4 60. Rg6+ Kc5 61. Re6 Nc6 62. Kb2 Rf2+ 63. Kb1 Rf4 $19)) 55. Rf8 $11 Kc7 (
55... Re6 {no longer works due to} 56. Rf7+) 56. Rg8 Kd7 57. Rf8 Kd6 58. Rg8
Rb7 59. Rc8 a5 {Black decides to stop dancing around with the rooks and force
the issue.} 60. bxa5 b4 61. a6 Rb6 62. Bd2 {allows Black to make progress.} (
62. Bb2 {would add another blockader to the b-file.}) 62... Rxa6 {now White
faces an uphill battle, being down material and with Black's rook dominant on
the a-file.} 63. Rg8 Ra3+ 64. Kc4 Ra2 65. Bxb4+ Nxb4 66. Kxb4 Rxg2 {classic
endgame strategy, liquidate in one area in order to transfer your advantage to
another.} 67. Kc4 h5 68. h4 Rg3 69. Rd8+ Ke6 70. Re8+ Kd6 71. Rd8+ Ke7 72. Rh8
(72. Rb8 Rxf3 73. Kd5 {is still difficult for White, but her king is better
positioned.}) 72... Rxf3 73. Rxh5 Kd6 {now White can do little to stop Black
from cleaning up.} 74. Rg5 Rg3 75. Rf5 Re3 76. Rf7 Rxe4+ 77. Kd3 Re3+ 78. Kd2
Rg3 0-1

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.10"]
[Round "7.4"]
[White "Krush, Irina"]
[Black "Ni, Viktorija"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A17"]
[WhiteElo "2470"]
[BlackElo "2262"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+950"]
[WhiteClock "0:27:53"]
[BlackClock "0:30:35"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 {instead of playing d4 and heading for a standard
queen pawn opening, White switches to an English continuation.} Bb4 {the
Nimzo-English.} 4. Qc2 {unlike the Nimzo-Indian, where the text move is merely
one option among several major lines, White overwhelmingly chooses Qc2 (and
sometimes Qb3) in the English, to preserve his pawn structure after Bxc3; g3
is the one popular alternative to this approach.} O-O 5. a3 Bxc3 {otherwise
the bishop move has simply been a loss of time.} 6. Qxc3 b6 7. e3 Bb7 8. b3 {
White has a choice in this line between playing b3 or b4; one or the other
will be necessary to develop with Bb2. The text move is the more solid way to
play, with b4 grabbing a little more space.} d6 9. Bb2 Nbd7 10. Be2 Nc5 {one
of the differences between this line and the b4 line is that Black has c5
available for the knight, even if only temporarily.} 11. d4 Nce4 {the e4
square is normally key in the Nimzo and Black takes advantage of her dominance
of it.} 12. Qc2 c5 {challenging White's pawn center.} 13. O-O {White wisely
chooses to remove her king before initiating action in the center.} Rc8 {the
opening phase is over and both sides need to come up with their middlegame
plans here.} 14. Rad1 {White's choice of which rook to move indicates that she
is more interested in central and kingside play than in the queenside.} Qe7 15.
dxc5 Rxc5 {this is a somewhat unusual choice for recapturing, but Black
apparently wanted to avoid the below variation. The rook move perhaps would be
better justified if Black could swing her rook over to the kingside.} (15...
Nxc5 {and now} 16. Bxf6 gxf6 (16... Qxf6 17. Rxd6) 17. Nd2 f5 {is evaluated as
equal by Houdini. Human players would of course dislike to see their pawn
structure compromised, but in this case it doesn't seem like White can
successfully exploit the holes on the kingside.}) 16. b4 (16. Nd2 {is
Houdini's preference, with the aim of getting rid of the Ne4.}) 16... Rcc8 17.
Qb3 {with tactical threats nonexistent, the middlegame enters a maneuvering
phase. This is similar to what normally occurs in the Hedgehog and the
position shares some characteristics of that.} Rfd8 18. Bd4 {this move seems
largely designed to provoke Black's response.} e5 19. Bb2 {the d6/e5 pawn
formation is now weaker and less flexible than the d6/e6 pawn center,
especially with the backwards d6 pawn on the half-open file. It is currently
well-guarded, but in the long run that could be a weakness. The e5 advance
more importantly for the shorter term also creates a hole on d5 which White,
if she can, will try to exploit.} Qe6 {Black recognizes the weakness of d5 and
moves to reassert control over it, also putting the queen in an excellent
central location on the a2-g8 and h3-c8 diagonals.} 20. Rc1 b5 {attempting to
force the issue of the fate of the queenside pawns, taking advantage of the
pin against the Qb3.} 21. Qd3 {the only good response.} bxc4 22. Rxc4 Bd5 {
further exchanges on c4 are not in Black's interest, as her structural
weakness at d6 would become much more evident with fewer pieces on the board.}
23. Rcc1 (23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. Rc1 Rxc1+ 25. Bxc1 {would be an alternate way to
play, but without the rooks on the board White does not have a good way to
take advantage of the open c-file or increase pressure down the d-file.}) 23...
Rb8 24. Qa6 {While the position is still equal, White starts to pick up a
slight initiative by making threats Black needs to respond to. The 2-to-1
majority on the queenside and the open c-file are things White can use to try
for an eventual advantage, as well as the half-open d-file.} Rb7 25. h3 {
apparently intended to prevent ...Ng4 before moving the rook, but Houdini
points out a tactical way for White to refute that.} (25. Rfd1 Ng4 26. Rxd5 {
not an obvious move} Qxd5 27. Bc4 {and rather surprisingly the queen has no
squares.}) 25... Qe7 {Black starts to face difficulties in an increasingly
complex and tactical position. Here she retreats her queen to a much less
active square.} (25... Rdb8 {is Houdini's suggestion as an alternate method of
overprotecting the Rb7, necessary to allow the Bd5 mobility.}) 26. Rfd1 {it's
worth observing how White's rooks and other pieces are working together and
are well-placed to apply further pressure, while Black's more scattered and
less cohesive pieces that are more oriented towards defense.} Bb3 {Houdini
flags this as Black's first major error, given the tactic available on move 29.
} (26... Rbd7) 27. Rd3 Rb6 28. Qa5 Be6 29. Nd2 (29. Bxe5 {is the tactic
Houdini finds, based on a discovered back-rank mate threat.} dxe5 $2 30. Qxa7 {
and White is going to pick up one of Black's rooks, for example} Nd7 31. Rxd7
Bxd7 32. Qxb6 $18) 29... h6 {Black now avoids future back-rank problems.} 30.
Nf1 (30. Bf3 {would be an immediate way to fight for the e4 square.}) 30... Ne8
31. f3 Nc5 32. bxc5 (32. Rxc5 {is the capture preferred by Houdini, made
possible by a pin tactic against the Rb6.} dxc5 33. Rxd8 Qxd8 34. bxc5 Rb8 35.
Qxd8 Rxd8) 32... Rxb2 33. Nd2 {now White's pieces are looking rather
uncoordinated, especially by comparison to the position on move 26. Houdini
awards Black a slight plus here. Black has the open b-file and White's c5 pawn
is isolated and weak.} Rdb8 $6 {this lets White off the hook in the center and
drops the e5 pawn for insufficient compensation.} (33... Rc8 $15 {seems good
for Black, immediately targeting the c-pawn, which is pinned to the hanging
Rc1.}) 34. cxd6 Nxd6 35. Qxe5 R8b6 36. Bf1 {White extricates her bishop from
the pin on the second rank.} R2b5 37. Qc3 {White has improved her piece
placement by reorganizing over the last few moves and Black has no obvious
counterplay.} Qg5 {this allows White to complete her consolidation and achieve
a winnin position.} (37... Rb2) 38. Rxd6 Rxd6 39. Ne4 Qd5 $2 {this just drops
a rook.} (39... Rb3 $16) 40. Bxb5 Rb6 41. Bc4 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.10"]
[Round "7.8"]
[White "Shankland, Sam"]
[Black "Norowitz, Yaacov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B16"]
[WhiteElo "2612"]
[BlackElo "2451"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1390"]
[WhiteClock "0:35:56"]
[BlackClock "0:29:54"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {this move is of course interchangeable with the more
usual Nc3 given Black's response here. The only independent significance it
has is if Black likes to play the offbeat 3...g6 in the main line Caro Kann,
in which case White then has the pawn push c3 in response.} dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5.
Nxf6+ gxf6 {venturing the Bronstein-Larsen variation again, as in round 1.} 6.
Nf3 Bg4 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Rg8 {Black still insists on avoiding the main choice .
..Bd6, but declines to repeat the choice he made in round 1 of ...Qc7. The
text move has the advantage of being more immediately aggressive.} 9. Bf4 Bd6
10. Bg3 {this is Houdini's preference and a novelty, based on my database.}
Bxf3 {this seems a little premature. White's bishop on f3 is also a very
useful addition to his kingside defenders.} (10... Bxg3 11. hxg3 Nd7 $11) 11.
Bxf3 $14 {Houdini awards White a slight plus here. White has no significant
structural problems and is ahead in development.} f5 12. Qd2 Bxg3 13. hxg3 {
this would be a weakening move if Black could take advantage of an attack down
the h-file, but this doesn't materialize.} Nd7 14. Rfe1 Qc7 15. d5 {White
decides to immediately attempt to seize the initiative, although a preparatory
move might have been in order.} (15. c4) (15. Rad1) 15... cxd5 16. Qxd5 O-O-O
17. Qb3 Kb8 {Black has staved off White's immediate threats, but White will
now have a much easier time attacking Black's king than vice versa.} 18. a4 Nc5
(18... Qb6 $5) 19. Qe3 {White does well to move his queen away from potential
threats to exchange it, placing it on a square that influences the attack on
the king via the g1-a7 diagonal while also eyeing Black's weak kingside.} Rc8
20. a5 $16 {this takes away the b6 square from black, cramping his defense.
Black is under major pressure and has no counterplay.} Rgd8 21. Ra3 (21. b4 $5)
21... a6 22. Rc3 {the game is now increasingly tactical due to White's
bringing more pieces into the attack.} Qe7 (22... Qxa5 {does not work because
of} 23. Qf4+ Ka7 (23... Qc7 24. Rxc5 Qxf4 25. Rxc8+ Rxc8 26. gxf4) 24. b4) 23.
Qf4+ Qd6 24. Re5 {White brings his other rook into the attack.} Ne4 {forced.} (
24... Ka7 25. Rexc5 Qxf4 (25... Rxc5 26. Qxd6) 26. gxf4 Rxc5 27. Rxc5) 25. Rd3
Qc7 26. Bxe4 fxe4 27. Rxe4 Rxd3 28. cxd3 Qxf4 29. Rxf4 {White has cashed in
his attack for an extra pawn, but the win is not clear in the ensuing rook
endgame.} f5 30. f3 Rd8 31. Rh4 Rxd3 32. Rxh7 Rb3 33. g4 fxg4 34. fxg4 Ka7 {
Houdini flags this as the losing move.} (34... Rb5) 35. Rh3 (35. g5 Rg3 36. Rg7
Rg4 37. Kf2 {and White will be able to chase the Black rook away.}) 35... Rxb2
36. g5 Rc2 37. g6 Rc8 38. Rf3 Rg8 39. Rf6 Kb8 40. Rxe6 Kc7 41. Kf2 Rf8+ 42. Kg3
{the king can now march up the board and will eventually force the Black rook
away.} 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.12"]
[Round "9.7"]
[White "Ramirez, Alejandro"]
[Black "Christiansen, Larry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[WhiteElo "2551"]
[BlackElo "2579"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+890"]
[WhiteClock "0:19:06"]
[BlackClock "0:10:41"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 {Black is not usually this committal on move 3,
preferring to develop with ...g6 and Bg7 or bringing out the other knight.
Christiansen is indicating early that he is looking for an aggressive,
unbalanced response and not a drawish line.} 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. a3 {this
can be a prelude to a pawn sacrifice on b4, but this game continues in a more
standard fashion, although the usual pawn push d3 is delayed.} Nge7 7. Rb1 (7.
b4 {and now accepting the pawn can be extremely dangerous for Black, for
example} cxb4 8. axb4 Nxb4 9. Ba3 Nec6 10. Nd5 e4 11. Nxb4 exf3 12. Bxf3 Nxb4
13. Bxb4 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 f6 15. Bd5 d6 16. O-O Kf8 17. Qa3 Kg7 18. Bxd6 Re8 19.
e4 Bh3 20. Rb1 b6 21. d4 Qd7 22. e5 Qf5 23. Re1 fxe5 24. Bxe5+ Kh6 25. Be4 Qg4
26. Qe3+ g5 27. f3 Qd7 28. Bf6 Qf5 29. Be5 Qf7 30. g4 Rac8 31. Bd5 Qd7 32. Kf2
b5 33. Ra1 a5 34. Rxa5 Bxg4 35. h4 Qf5 36. Ra6+ Kh5 37. Bf7+ Kxh4 38. Rh6+ {
1-0 (38) Aguettaz,M (2443)-Tomazini,Z (2267) Pula 2012}) 7... O-O 8. O-O a5 9.
Ne1 {part of the standard plan in this position, to reposition the knight with
the idea of supporting the b4 advance.} d6 10. Nc2 a4 {as mentioned during the
live commentary, the idea is to disrupt the b4 advance by taking en passant on
b3, which would prevent White from recapturing with the a3 pawn as normal
after an exchange on b4. White therefore continues by moving the knight on yet
again.} 11. Ne3 Nd4 {the knight looks really strong here and White has no good
way to get rid of it in the near term.} 12. d3 {usually this is played earlier,
among other things to free up the Bc1, which is now blocked by the Ne3.} h6 {
this guards against the typical Bg5 idea White has, with either an awkward pin
on the Ne7 or provoking ...f6 as the result. Although it's a prophylactic move,
I'm not sure it was truly necessary and perhaps Black could have done
something more for his development.} 13. Re1 (13. Nxa4 {this pawn snatch
doesn't tactically work, as also pointed out during the live commentary, due
to a deflection tactic after} Nxe2+ 14. Qxe2 Rxa4) 13... Qa5 {after White's
last move ...Nxe2 no longer tactically protects the a4 pawn, so Black has to
defend it the old-fashioned way by moving a piece.} 14. Ned5 Nxd5 15. Bxd5 Kh7
{proactively moving off the diagonal with the pin on the f-pawn.} 16. Be3 {
White would be fine with trading his bishop, which has little scope, for
Black's finely posted knight.} Nb3 17. Ne4 Qb6 18. Nd2 f5 19. Nxb3 {White
finally gets rid of the knight in his territory and saddles Black with
defending the isolated b3 pawn.} axb3 20. Bd2 {White continues his piece
maneuvers, getting out of the way of further Black pawn pushes and allowing
his next move.} Bd7 21. e3 {concentrating on defending the key f4 square.} Rae8
22. Bc3 Re7 (22... f4 {would be premature here, for example} 23. exf4 exf4 24.
Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Qf3 $14) 23. a4 {Houdini immediately finds this
move and likes its dynamic possibilities. This was a key point in the game, as
Ramirez's positional pawn sacrifice completely changes the dynamics of the
game.} Bxa4 24. Ra1 Ra8 25. e4 {again both Ramirez and Houdini agree on the
next aggressive blow, this time in the center.} f4 26. gxf4 exf4 27. Bxg7 Kxg7
28. Qf3 {see how this idea from the move 22 variation makes a reappearance.
Black's pieces on the queenside are temporarily out of play, as pointed out
during the live commentary, while White now has local superiority on the
kingside for an attack.} Re5 29. Qxf4 Rf8 30. Qe3 Bc6 31. f4 Rh5 {this turns
out to bit a bit awkward after White's next move.} (31... Ree8 $5) 32. Qg3 $14
Bxd5 33. exd5 Rhf5 {after this, White's rooks open up with heavy fire on
Black's position.} (33... Qc7 {is Houdini's move and was also mentioned during
the commentary. Black needs to get the queen back over for defense.}) 34. Re6 (
34. Re7+ {was favored in the live commentary and is also Houdini's preference
for continuing the attack. The idea is to force the rook on the 8th rank off
before playing Ra8. In the game continuation, Black voluntarily does this,
making things easier for White.} R8f7 (34... R5f7 35. f5 g5 36. Re6 Rf6 37. h4)
35. Re6 R5f6 36. Ra8) 34... R8f6 (34... R5f6) 35. Ra8 Rxe6 36. dxe6 Qc7 37. Re8
(37. Qh4 {was brought up during the live commentary as the strongest
continuation.} g5 38. Qh5) 37... d5 {this loses immediately to the pawn push,
although the tactic is not necessarily obvious.} (37... g5) 38. e7 Kf7 39. Rh8
Kxe7 40. Qxg6 {and now Black loses material, with his Rf5 under attack and the
simultaneous White threat of skewering his king and queen along the 7th rank.}
1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.12"]
[Round "9.8"]
[White "Gareev, Timur"]
[Black "Holt, Conrad"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D13"]
[WhiteElo "2674"]
[BlackElo "2513"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "168"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1155"]
[WhiteClock "0:02:16"]
[BlackClock "0:00:34"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 {the Exchange Slav, which has the reputation for
being a very drawish opening. It can be, but usually only if both players are
happy with a draw.} cxd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 {varying with ...a6 or ...Qb6
here would be one way to go for a more unbalanced position.} 6. Bf4 Nh5 {the
classic treatment of the variation is to keep symmetry with ...Bf5. The text
move in fact scores over 50 percent in the database.} 7. Bd2 {the usual choice,
White chooses a safe path for the bishop, implicitly arguing that while the
Bd2 isn't on a great square, the Nh5 is on a worse one.} e6 {indicating that
Black is looking for an unbalanced game.} (7... Nf6 {is the drawing line, if
Black is willing to accept that outcome. White is faced with the choice of
continuing play with his bishop on d2, moving it to another substandard square,
or repeating moves.}) 8. e3 Bd6 9. Ne5 g6 {only a handful of games are in the
database, but this scores 70 percent for White. Weakening the dark-square
complex like this looks strange, but White is not in a position to take
advantage of it, with his relevant bishop locked in. It also allows the
possibility of Nh5-g7-f5 at some point.} (9... Nf6 {is the other main choice,
which scores better for Black overall, although not in the following
high-level example, also a long endgame win fo White.} 10. f4 O-O 11. Bd3 Ne7
12. O-O b6 13. Be1 Bb7 14. Bh4 Ne4 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Qb3 Qe8 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18.
a4 Bb4 19. f5 f6 20. Ng4 Rac8 21. Rfc1 Rfe8 22. Nf2 a5 23. Rc2 Ba6 24. Qxe6+
Qxe6 25. fxe6 Rxe6 26. Rac1 Rec6 27. d5 R6c7 28. Rd1 f5 29. g4 g6 30. gxf5 gxf5
31. Nh3 Rg7+ 32. Rg2 Bc5 33. Rxg7+ Kxg7 34. Kf2 Kf6 35. Nf4 Bc4 36. Rg1 Bb4 37.
h4 Bb3 38. Nfe2 Rd8 39. Nd4 Bxd5 40. Rg5 Be6 41. Rh5 Kg6 42. Nxe6 Rd2+ 43. Ke1
Rxb2 44. Nf4+ Kg7 45. Rg5+ Kf6 46. Nfd5+ Ke5 47. Nxb4 axb4 48. Ne2 Kd5 49.
Rxf5+ Kc4 50. Rb5 Ra2 51. Rxb6 b3 52. Nd4 b2 53. Kd1 Ra3 54. Kd2 Ra2 55. Nc2 h5
56. a5 Rxa5 57. Rb4+ Kd5 58. Rxb2 Ke5 59. Nd4 Ra3 60. Rb5+ Kf6 61. Rxh5 Rd3+
62. Ke2 Rxd4 63. exd4 {1-0 (63) Ivanchuk,V (2729)-Morozevich,A (2721) Monte
Carlo 2006}) 10. Nb5 Be7 {Black needs to keep the bishop on the board to help
cover the dark squares.} 11. Bd3 O-O 12. O-O a6 $11 {Black has apparently
achieved what he intended, reaching equality out of the opening but in a
relatively unbalanced position which may give him chances to pursue a win.} 13.
Nc3 Bd6 {this appears to lose Black time and give White some initiative.} (
13... Nxe5 {seems logical here, getting rid of the strong Ne5, which is an
analagous theme in the Stonewall.}) 14. f4 {now exchanging on e5 would be
favorable for White, giving him a cramping pawn on e5 and the half-open f-file.
} Bd7 15. Qf3 (15. Na4 {is Houdini's choice here, with the idea of pursuing a
queenside strategy and following up with Rc1.}) 15... Be8 (15... f5 {is
another option, going for a Stonewall-like formation that would shut White
down on the kingside.}) 16. Qh3 Ng7 17. Rf3 {an aggressive-looking move that
goes nowhere for White and causes him to lose time repositioning the rook
later.} (17. Rac1 $5) 17... f6 18. Ng4 h5 19. Nf2 f5 {this seems unnecessary,
as the Be8 already covers g6 (why it was moved there in the first place, one
would imagine).} (19... Rc8 $5 {immediately looks fine.}) 20. Bf1 Rc8 21. Rd1 {
at this point we have a largely closed position with a lot of pieces clogging
up the board. Both sides attempt to reposition themselves.} Rf7 (21... Bf7 {
followed by Ng7-e8-f6 would bring the knight back into the game.}) 22. Nd3 Rfc7
{While the doubled rooks look good, it's unclear what they can accomplish on
the c-file.} 23. Be1 Be7 24. Rf2 Bf7 {as happened earlier, Houdini again
prefers a queenside strategy starting with Na4, looking to exploit the hole on
b6.} 25. Ne5 (25. Na4 {as happened earlier, Houdini again prefers a queenside
strategy starting with the text move, looking to exploit the hole on b6.})
25... Nxe5 {now that the position is closed on the kingside, this is a more
favorable exchange for Black.} 26. dxe5 Be8 27. Rfd2 Bd7 (27... g5 {is what
the aggressive engine recommends. Black in fact has a structure similar to a
Dutch Stonewall, with the potential for a well-supported pawn advance on the
kingside.}) 28. Bd3 Qf8 (28... Bc5 {looks good, hitting the e3 pawn, but Black
has different ideas in mind for his bishops.}) 29. Rc2 {inviting Black's next
move.} Ba4 30. b3 Bb5 31. Qf3 Bb4 {this sets off a sequence of complex
exchanges.} (31... Bxd3 32. Rxd3 b5 {followed by ...Bb4 gives Black a small
plus here, according to Houdini.}) 32. Nxb5 Rxc2 33. Bxb4 Qxb4 34. Nd6 Kh7 35.
h3 {neither side it seems wants to resolve the question of which Black rook
will be taken.} Rc1 36. Nxc8 {finally!} Rxc8 {after the dust settles, Houdini
considers the position as equal. With only the c-file open and more or less
equivalent minor pieces, that seems reasonable.} 37. g4 hxg4 38. hxg4 {White
has opened the h-file, which he perhaps has a better chance to exploit, as
well as clearing some more light squares for his bishop.} Qa3 39. Qe2 Kg8 40.
Kg2 Rc1 41. Rd2 Qc5 42. Rc2 {deciding to force the exchange.} Rxc2 43. Bxc2 {
again, full equality.} Kf7 44. Kg3 d4 45. gxf5 gxf5 46. e4 d3 47. Qxd3 Qg1+ 48.
Kf3 Qh1+ 49. Ke3 Qg1+ 50. Kd2 Qf2+ 51. Kd1 Qg1+ 52. Kd2 Qf2+ 53. Kc3 Qxf4 {a
long dance to maintain equality.} 54. Qd7+ Kg8 55. Qc8+ Kh7 56. Qxb7 Qxe5+ 57.
Kc4 Qb2 58. Bd3 Qc1+ 59. Kd4 Qg1+ 60. Kc3 Qa1+ 61. Kb4 a5+ 62. Kc5 (62. Kxa5 $2
Qc3+ {picks up the bishop.}) 62... e5 (62... Qc3+ {would have continued the
dance.}) 63. Qd5 f4 {Black appears to be trying for a win - otherwise he could
have continued the previous sequence of checks - but his queen is somewhat
misplaced and his knight is out of the action, leaving White with good
counterplay.} 64. Kd6 Qxa2 (64... f3 $5) 65. Bc4 Qa3+ 66. Kxe5 {Houdini
considers this equal, but it looks a lot easier to play as White here.} Qe7+ {
what should be the losing move, according to Houdini. White now picks up the
f-pawn, but is subjected to a series of checks.} (66... f3) (66... Qf8) 67.
Kxf4 Qh4+ 68. Ke3 Qe1+ 69. Kd4 (69. Kf3 {would eventually allow White's king
to run to the queenside and block the checks, keeping the extra pawn.} Qh1+ 70.
Kf2 Qh4+ 71. Ke2 Qg4+ 72. Kd2 Qf4+ 73. Kc2 Qf2+ 74. Kc3 Qe1+ 75. Qd2) 69...
Qg1+ 70. Ke5 Qg3+ 71. Kf6 {now Black regains the pawn after another series of
checks.} Qf4+ 72. Ke7 Qc7+ 73. Qd7 Qe5+ 74. Kf8 Qb8+ 75. Ke7 Qe5+ 76. Be6 Qxe4
$11 77. Qd5 Qb4+ (77... Qxd5 78. Bxd5 Nf5+ {is an excellent drawing idea.
White cannot stop Black from eliminating his last pawn, for example} 79. Kd7
Nd4 80. Kd6 Nxb3) 78. Kf6 Qh4+ 79. Kf7 Qf4+ 80. Ke7 Qb4+ 81. Kd7 Nxe6 82. Kxe6
{Black, after playing a long and what must have been exhausting game, now lets
it slip away quickly, showing how difficult queen endings can be.} Kh6 (82...
Qe1+) 83. Kd7 {White screens himself from further checks, giving himself the
initiative.} Kg7 {this now allows White to gang up with both king and queen on
the Black king and then force an exchange of queens, with a winning K+P ending.
} (83... a4 84. Qc6+ Kh5 85. bxa4 {looks good for White as well.}) 84. Qe5+ Kf7
{one continuation would be Qe6+, Kf8, Qe8+, Kg7 and then Qe7+} 1-0

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.12"]
[Round "9.11"]
[White "Bryant, John"]
[Black "Norowitz, Yaacov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B16"]
[WhiteElo "2442"]
[BlackElo "2451"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1385"]
[WhiteClock "0:13:01"]
[BlackClock "0:02:50"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6 {Norowitz is
persistent, still playing the Bronstein-Larsen after losses with it in two
previous rounds.} 6. Nf3 {not the most challenging continuation, as it invites
Black to develop his bishop with a pin.} Bg4 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Bd6 {instead of
the ...Qc7 played in the first round against Christiansen.} 9. c4 Rg8 {a move
that Norowitz never managed to get in during the round 1 game.} 10. Kh1 Nd7 11.
d5 Qe7 {Norowitz now varies from Tringov-Smyslov (!), presented below as a
fine example of an attacking game in this opening line.} (11... Nc5 12. Nd4 f5
13. Bxg4 Rxg4 14. h3 Qf6 15. Nf3 Rxc4 16. dxc6 Ne4 17. cxb7 Rb8 18. Qd3 Rb4 19.
Be3 R4xb7 20. b3 Rd7 21. Qa6 Bc5 22. Bxc5 Nxc5 23. Qa5 Nd3 24. Kg1 Rbd8 25.
Rab1 Kf8 26. Ne1 Ne5 27. f4 Ng6 28. Nf3 Kg7 29. g3 Rc8 30. Rbd1 Rdc7 31. Rd2
Qe7 32. Ne5 Rc5 33. Nxg6 hxg6 34. Qb4 Qf6 35. Re1 a5 36. Qa3 Rc3 37. Kh2 Rxg3
38. Qxa5 Qh4 {0-1 (38) Tringov,G-Smyslov,V Havana 1965}) 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Nd4
Bxe2 14. Qxe2 {White has exchanged off another pair of minor pieces, a good
strategic move that brings him closer to the endgame.} Rc8 15. Qh5 {White
decides to go pawn hunting, which does not turn out well for him.} (15. Be3 {
seems solid.}) 15... f5 {a key move idea in this variation (also played
earlier on in the Smyslov game given above). The diagonal is opened up for
Black's queen and the doubled pawn is used to grab space in White's territory.}
16. Qxh7 Nf6 {Black uses the pawn sacrifice to activate his pieces, moving his
knight into the game and also making the Bd6 a much more powerful piece with
the h-file now open for attacking purposes (targeting the h2 pawn).} 17. Qh3
Ng4 18. g3 {this cuts off the Black bishop, but causes additional problems for
White.} (18. f3 Nxh2 19. Re1 Nf1 {is a wild line, in which Black is OK because
of the latent threat of a pin on the h-file, for example} 20. Rxf1 $2 (20. Nxf5
Ng3+ 21. Nxg3 Bxg3 22. Re2 $11) 20... Qf6 $19) (18. Nf3 {may be a more solid
defense.}) 18... Bc5 $15 19. f3 Bxd4 20. fxg4 Rxg4 {Black has now regained his
sacrificed pawn and his pieces are certainly more active and better placed,
although the position is still quite sharp.} 21. Qg2 Qb4 22. Bf4 {now White
chooses to sacrifice the c-pawn, but his compensation is not as robust as
Black's was earlier.} (22. Qc2 $5) 22... Qxc4 23. Rfd1 e5 $17 {now Black gets
rolling in the center and the strength of this passed pawn proves to be the
deciding factor in the end.} 24. Rac1 Qe6 25. Re1 f6 {a remarkable display of
how Black's normally weak pawn grouping can become a strength.} 26. Be3 Kf7 27.
Bxd4 Rxd4 28. Rf1 Kg6 {a bold and effective use of the king. Ironically
White's two kingside pawns serve as effective shields for Black's king.} (28...
e4 {was also possible.}) 29. Rc2 Rcd8 {Black's domination of the central
squares and files is now complete.} 30. h4 (30. Rxc6 Qxa2 31. h4 Rd1 $19) 30...
Rd1 31. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 32. Kh2 Qd5 $19 33. Rf2 (33. Qxd5 cxd5 {and Black's central
pawns will be unstoppable.}) 33... Qxg2+ {Black prefers to trade queens here
and head into the less complicated rook ending.} 34. Kxg2 $17 Rd4 (34... c5 $5)
35. Rc2 f4 36. g4 (36. Rxc6 $2 {would be bad due to} Rd2+ {and now White loses
the g-pawn in all variations, for example} 37. Kh3 Rd3 38. Kh2 Rxg3) (36. gxf4
Rxf4 37. Kg3 {might be a more stubborn defense.}) 36... Rd3 $19 {Black's rook
dominates White's back ranks and can enable the Black pawns to roll forward.}
37. Kh2 Rg3 38. Rg2 Rxg2+ 39. Kxg2 e4 {now Black's extra f-pawn ensures his
victory, a fitting end for a Bronstein-Larsen game!} 0-1

[Event "2013 U.S. and Womens' Championship"]
[Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, USA"]
[Date "2013.05.12"]
[Round "9.14"]
[White "Khachiyan, Melik"]
[Black "Arnold, Marc"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D11"]
[WhiteElo "2518"]
[BlackElo "2538"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[TimeControl "6000+1130"]
[WhiteClock "0:26:00"]
[BlackClock "0:18:49"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. g3 {an uncommon continuation with some transpositional
possibilities.} c6 {Black chooses a Slav setup, which immediately aims to
nullify White's pending bishop development to g2.} 4. Bg2 Bf5 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c4
{we now have a fianchetto-type Slav, which is not nearly as effective an
opening for White as the analagous Catalan against the QGD (without ...c6
being played)} e6 7. Qb3 {an aggressive move, but one which scores over 56
percent for Black in the database. All of the main continuations favor Black,
showing how the fianchetto line versus the Slav is generally ineffective.} Qc8
{a rather passive development for the queen.} (7... Qb6 {is the most popular
and should be the easiest road to equality. Exchanging queens on b6 would be
fine for Black, as he then would get the half-open a-file and the doubled
b-pawns are not in fact weak.}) 8. Nc3 dxc4 {a novelty in the database. Black
normally continues to maintain the tension in the center and have the extra
control over e4. The text move leads to a looser continuation by Black which
is more aggressive and unbalanced.} (8... h6 {is the most played here.}) 9.
Qxc4 b5 10. Qb3 b4 {the logical follow-up. Now that Black has chosen this
aggressive line which also weakens his queenside, he needs to keep hitting
White's pieces to disrupt his opponent and keep him off-balance.} 11. Na4 (11.
Nb1 {is an alternative, looking to reposition the knight to d2.}) 11... Be4 12.
Bd2 {White plays carefully to neutralize Black's chances.} (12. Bg5 $5 Bd5 13.
Qd3 Be4 14. Qe3 {would see White play for an advantage and avoid the
repetition line from the game.}) 12... Bd5 13. Qc2 Qa6 {by attacking the Na4
and the e2 pawn simultaneously, Black sets up the conditions for the
repetition. The White queen must stay on the d1-a4 diagonal to protect the
knight and White also has to worry about the pawn.} 14. Rfe1 Be4 15. Qb3 {
White accepts the idea of a draw by repetition.} (15. Qd1 {would avoid this,
but the position is equal in any case.}) 15... Bd5 16. Qc2 Be4 17. Qb3 Bd5 18.
Qc2 Be4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Renova Group Grand Prix 2013"]
[Site "Zug"]
[Date "2013.04.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D10"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[EventCountry "SUI"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 {the last time Nakamura reached this position was in
2005, against...Mamedayarov, as it happens. That time Nakamura played ...Nf6
in response. The text move is more testing and less likely to transpose to
another opening.} dxc4 4. e3 b5 5. a4 b4 6. Nce2 {this and Ne4 (the most
played in the database) give this variation independent significance,
otherwise the knight retreats to a2 and b1 are likely to transpose to
variations from the mainline Slav with 5. e3. The text move is extremely rare
and one of the two games in the database was a previous effort by Mameyadrov.}
Nf6 {an obvious developing move which was not played in the other two games in
the database.} (6... Qd5 {is also the standard response to Ne4, but in this
variation it seems counterproductive, as the following game from Mameyadrov
shows.} 7. Ng3 (7. Nf4 {seems very good for White.}) 7... Nf6 8. Be2 e5 9. Nf3
Nbd7 10. O-O Bd6 11. Nd2 c3 12. bxc3 bxc3 13. e4 Qe6 14. Nf5 O-O 15. Bc4 Nd5
16. Nf3 N7b6 17. Bb3 Ba6 18. Re1 Bc7 19. dxe5 {1-0 Mamedyarov,S (2733)
-Brunello,S (2575)Porto Carras 2011}) 7. Nf3 Ba6 {is a common idea in the
variation, assisted in this case by the Ne2 blocking the Bf1.} 8. Ng3 c5 {a
thematic counterblow in the center. Black should be happy to exchange queens
on d1 following dxc5, stranding White's king in the center.} 9. Bd2 {this
seems harmless, but Houdini already shows a half-pawn advantage for Black with
the game continuation.} (9. Ne5 $5) 9... e6 10. Rc1 Qd5 {now White is not in a
position to challenge the queen and the Ng3 looks misplaced.} 11. Ne5 {this
appears weaker now than on move 9, with more of Black's forces already
mobilized.} (11. dxc5 Nbd7 12. Bxb4 Nxc5) 11... cxd4 12. Nxc4 Nbd7 (12... dxe3
{would instead give White a little breathing room for development, for example}
13. Nxe3 Qb7 14. Be2) 13. Be2 {a tricky move. The g2 pawn is protected
tactically from immediate capture, although is not fully immune.} (13. exd4
Qxd4 14. Be2 {would be a simpler way to proceed.}) 13... Rc8 {the solid choice,
among other things avoiding the potential skewer on the h1-a8 diagonal. As
noted below, ...Bxc4 does in fact work, but a good deal of calculation is
required to confirm that.} (13... Qxg2 $2 14. Bf3 {and Black loses material to
the bishop fork.}) (13... Bxc4 14. Bxc4 (14. Rxc4 d3 15. Qc1 {sets a trap, as
Black is too weak on the back rank to take the Be2 immediately, but he can
still defend well.} Rd8 (15... dxe2 $2 16. Rc8+ Rxc8 17. Qxc8+ Ke7 18. Bxb4+)
16. Bf3 Qa5) (14. Bf3 dxe3 15. Bxd5 exd2+ 16. Qxd2 Bxd5 {and Black has 3
pieces (including the two bishops) and a pawn for queen.}) 14... Qxg2 {is
possible, with Black able to avoid punishment.} 15. Bb5 Rd8 16. Bc6 Qh3 17.
exd4 Bd6) 14. Bf3 Qc5 15. b3 (15. Na3 $2 {initially looks appealing, opening
up on the Qc5, however after} bxa3 16. Rxc5 Nxc5 {the material is more or less
balanced, but Black has too many threats, including .. .Nd3+ and ...a2.}) 15...
Be7 (15... d3 $5) 16. Ne2 $6 {the knight returns from its exile on g3, while
continuing to use up White's tempi.} (16. O-O {seems logical.}) 16... d3 {this
now gains another tempo with an attack on the knight.} 17. Nf4 O-O (17... Qc7 {
is Houdini's choice, which would allow Black to defend the b4 pawn after ...
Qb8. Nakamura prefers to play more aggressively and not worry about the pawn.})
18. Nxd3 Qf5 {Black has a lead in development, allowing him to initiate
threats. Meanwhile White has not yet castled and his knights continue to be a
source of problems.} 19. e4 $2 {this essentially gives away a pawn.} (19. Nxb4
Bxc4 {necessary to break up the strong pawn formation.} 20. Rxc4 (20. bxc4 Ne5
{and Black can effectively exploit his open lines and White's lack of piece
coordination, for example} 21. O-O Rfd8 22. c5 Nxf3+ 23. gxf3 {Qxf3 is
impossible due to the hanging Bd2} a5 24. Nc2 Qh3 $19 {with a powerful attack
coming on White's king.}) 20... Rxc4 21. bxc4 Bxb4 22. Bxb4 Rb8 23. e4 Qe5)
19... Nxe4 20. g4 Qd5 {this defends the Ne4. Memedayarov perhaps miscalculated
and thought that he could capture on b4 and drive off the queen.} 21. Qe2 (21.
Bxb4 Ne5 $1 22. Ndxe5 (22. Bxe7 Nxd3+) 22... Bxb4+) (21. Nxb4 Qd4 22. O-O Nxd2
23. Nxa6 Ne5) 21... f5 {and White can bring no more pressure to bear on the
Ne4.} 22. O-O Rxc4 {and White resigned, evidently not in the psychological
condition to continue fighting uphill.} (22... Rxc4 23. bxc4 Bxc4 24. Nxb4 {a
tricky resource for White.} Bxe2 (24... Bxb4 25. Rxc4 Bxd2 26. Bxe4 fxe4 27.
Rxe4 $15) 25. Nxd5 exd5 26. Bxe2 Nxd2 27. Rc7 Rd8 28. Bb5 Bd6 29. Rxd7 Bxh2+
30. Kxh2 Nxf1+ 31. Kg2 Rxd7 32. Bxd7 Nd2 33. Bxf5 Kf7 $17) (22... Ndc5 {is
Houdini's preference.} 23. Nxc5 Bxc5) 0-1

[Event "41st GM"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2013.08.01"]
[Round "6.5"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Fridman, Daniel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2784"]
[BlackElo "2629"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2013.07.26"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. b3 {this keeps the game in English territory, rather
than transposing to the QGD.} Nf6 4. g3 {this would allow Black the ...d4
advance if desired. In practice, if Black has intended to play a QGD from the
start, he probably will continue with standard moves as in the game.} Be7 5.
Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c5 7. Bb2 {by this point the role reversal is clear, Black is
going for a strong, classical center while White seeks to undermine it from
the flanks and restrain further Black advances.} Nc6 8. e3 {from this
innocuous-looking position, White has scored almost 60 percent.} b6 9. Nc3 dxc4
10. bxc4 Qd3 {the point of this move is to disrupt White's piece setup, rather
than achieve anything directly for Black.} 11. Ne1 Qd7 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. f4 {
White evaluates that his future strategic chances lie on the kingside, so
starts the expanion process.} Rfd8 {until this point, we have been following
the game Kosten-Hernando Rodrigo (given below) which contains a more normal
attacking plan for White.} (13... Na5 14. d3 Bxg2 15. Qxg2 Rfd8 16. g4 Ne8 17.
Rd1 Nd6 18. Nf3 Qb7 19. e4 b5 20. e5 Ndxc4 21. dxc4 Nxc4 22. Bc1 b4 23. Qe2
Rxd1 24. Nxd1 Nb6 25. Nf2 a5 26. Ne4 Qa6 27. Qg2 Qc4 28. Re1 a4 29. f5 Nd5 30.
Nd6 Qd3 31. fxe6 fxe6 32. Qe2 Qxe2 33. Rxe2 c4 34. Nd4 b3 35. axb3 Bxd6 36.
exd6 axb3 37. Nxe6 Nc3 38. Re1 Na2 39. Bb2 Nb4 40. d7 Nc6 41. Ng5 {1-0 (41)
Kosten,A (2516)-Hernando Rodrigo,J (2381) Castelldefels 2004}) 14. Rd1 Nb4 15.
d3 {the pawn will actually be stronger here, due to a tactical defense, and
cover e4.} Bxg2 16. Nxg2 a6 (16... Nxd3 $2 17. Ne1 {and with the knight pinned
and no new defenders coming to its rescue, the best Black can do is capture on
f4 and get two pawns for the piece.}) 17. a3 Nc6 18. g4 {White's kingside
attack now gets started.} Ne8 19. f5 Nd6 20. f6 {the start of a deep and
unusual sacrificial idea by Kramnik. One wonders what he would have done in
the event of 19...exf5.} Bxf6 21. Rxf6 {otherwise the previous move makes no
sense.} gxf6 22. Nf4 Ne5 23. Nh5 Qe7 24. Rf1 {here Houdini's evaluation is
that White has full compensation for the material.} Nd7 25. Qg2 (25. Qf2 {
would be the more obvious follow-up.}) 25... h6 26. h4 Kf8 {this appears to be
where Black starts going astray with his defense. Houdini recommends instead
looking to start counterplay on the queenside.} (26... b5) 27. Qg3 Ke8 28. Qf4
Qf8 $2 {this appears to be a normal response to the threat against h6, but
allows the following combination.} 29. Nd5 $1 {a very non-obvious move.
White's pieces do not appear at first glance to be sufficiently coordinated
for a combination and there are plenty of defenders. However, the Black king's
very limited space and the weaknesses of f6 and g7 are the elements from which
the combination is constructed.} exd5 30. Bxf6 {the immediate threat is Ng7+}
Ne5 {to give the king an escape square on d7} (30... Nxf6 31. Nxf6+ Ke7 32.
Qe5#) 31. Qxe5+ Kd7 32. Bg7 {the combination now morphs from mate threat to
trapping Black's queen.} Re8 33. Nf6+ Kc7 34. Qa1 {the Bg7 is protected
tactically by the knight check discovery White would have after ... Qxg7.} 1-0

[Event "US Chess Championships"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2013.05.11"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Robert Hess"]
[Black "Alexander Stripunsky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B16"]
[WhiteElo "2595"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2013.05.03"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6 {the Bronstein-Larsen
makes its third appearance in the championships.} 6. g3 {Hess avoids the main
line with c3, as the other White players have done in this tournament. Here he
chooses to immediately fianchettoes his bishop. While this is a main idea in
the c3 line, the early fianchetto is rarely played.} Nd7 {has not been played
before in the database. This seems like a slow way to develop.} (6... h5 {
actually scores over 60 percent for Black. Kingside aggression is the key to
success in this variation.}) 7. Bg2 Nb6 {an early commitment of the knight to
this square, but Black now needs to get it out of the way of his bishop and
queen.} 8. b3 {White focuses on pawn moves rather than piece development.} (8.
Nf3 $5) 8... Bf5 (8... h5 {is what Houdini likes here, but Black evidently
doesn't feel aggressive enough.}) 9. c4 Qd7 10. a4 Rd8 {with White's queenside
pawns already looking menacing, Black decides not to castle long.} 11. a5 Nc8
12. a6 $14 b6 {Despite White's lack of piece development to this point, his
bishops have great prospects and has a potentially better king position, while
Black's king is not so comfortable.} 13. Ne2 Bh3 14. Bxh3 Qxh3 15. Nf4 Qd7 16.
O-O $16 {Black's sole attacking idea on the kingside, exchanging on Bg2, has
been neutralized by White, who now also has a significantly safer king.} Bg7 (
16... Qxd4 $6 17. Qf3 {threatens c6 and gives White major attacking prospects.}
Bg7 (17... Qxa1 $2 18. Qxc6+ Rd7 19. Qxc8+ Rd8 20. Qc6+ Rd7 21. Rd1) 18. Ba3)
17. Qf3 O-O {while not a poor move in this situation, it's a bad strategic
sign for Black, who was not able to use the g-file for anything and now is
saddled with permanent positional flaws.} 18. d5 cxd5 19. Nxd5 f5 20. Ra2 {
White keeps his options open for the rook.} e6 21. Nb4 Qd4 {it appears like
Black is lashing out desperately, hoping for counterplay.} (21... Qe8 {is
Houdini's suggestion, which is more passive and defensive in nature.}) 22. Qb7
Qc3 23. Nc6 {White's pieces are simply dominant at this point.} Rd3 24. Ra3 {
White now safely neutralizes Black's attack.} Bd4 25. b4 Qxc4 26. Rxd3 Qxd3 27.
Nxd4 Qxd4 28. Bh6 {although now a pawn down, this is meaningless, as White's
pieces still thoroughly dominate the board.} Rd8 29. Rc1 Nd6 30. Qxa7 Ne4 31.
Be3 Qxb4 32. Qxb6 Qxb6 33. Bxb6 {the win now takes shape.} Ra8 34. a7 Nf6 (
34... Nd6 {would be more stubborn, according to Houdini.}) 35. Bd4 Nd5 36. Rb1
{and Black cannot stop Rb8} 1-0

[Event "Makedonia Palace GP"]
[Site "Thessaloniki GRE"]
[Date "2013.05.28"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Svidler, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A22"]
[WhiteElo "2741"]
[BlackElo "2769"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2013.05.22"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 {this is slightly more popular than Nf3, which I
play with the intention of heading for an English Four Knights.} d5 {Black
challenges in the center and plays in the style of a reversed Sicilian.} 4.
cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 {with the extra tempo, White can immediately challenge the
central knight in this reversed Sicilian, which changes the flow of the game.}
Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. d3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 {a common placement for the bishop
in this line and in some other variations of the English. Bd2 is more passive
and also would block the repositioning of the Nf3.} Be6 10. Rc1 f5 {this is a
bit provocative and there are few high-level games with it. More often played
is ...f6, which is solid and scores about 50%.} 11. a3 Bf6 12. Nd2 {this
scores 68% for White in the database. I suspect that Black players have simply
not known how to best handle the position, which is equal but easier to play
as White.} Kh8 (12... Be7 {would be difficult to play, given that the bishop
had just moved, but it would effectively combat White's next ideas.}) 13. b4 {
now out of the database. This simple pawn thrust proves highly effective in
gaining White space and causing Black some annoying problems.} Rb8 {this is an
understandable reaction to the latent threat on the long diagonal from the Bg2.
The rook moves out of the potential pin and protects the b7 pawn, which will
allow the Nc6 to move when attacked without losing the pawn. However, this
also allows White the initiative and a slight plus.} 14. Bc5 $14 Ne7 15. b5
Nbc8 16. a4 {White continues to play naturally, reinforcing his space gain on
the queenside.} b6 17. Ba3 {White's positional advantage is now obvious to see,
with his bishops crisscrossing the board and Black's pieces relatively
awkwardly placed.} Nd6 18. Rc2 {White chooses to build up on the c-file prior
to making a move in the center. This is prudent but also allows Black to
reposition his pieces to better squares in response.} (18. e4 {playing this
now is preferred by Houdini, forcing the issue in the center before Black has
a chance to develop further. For example} f4 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Bf5 21. Qb3)
18... Rc8 19. Qc1 (19. Na2 f4 20. Nb4 a5 21. Nc6 {is an interesting
alternative.}) 19... Qd7 $11 {Houdini considers that Black has equalized here.}
20. Re1 Rfd8 21. e4 {a complicated position.} Bg5 {since this goes back to f6
after the next sequence, not sure if it accomplishes much.} 22. Qa1 c5 23. Nf3
Bf6 24. Bb2 {while Black has gotten ...c5 in, White in the same amount of time
has set up a battery on the a1-h8 diagonal and placed a knight on f3.} Ng6 (
24... Nf7 $5) 25. h4 h5 $6 {this seems terribly weakening.} (25... fxe4) 26.
Nd5 $16 {this move is hard to deal with, as it unleashes White's pressure on
e5 and the knight cannot be taken off without losing the pawn.} Nf7 (26... Bxd5
27. exd5 Re8 28. Nxe5 Bxe5 29. Bxe5 Nxe5 30. Rxe5 Rxe5 31. Qxe5 Re8 32. Qb2)
27. Qd1 {eyeing the hanging h5 pawn.} f4 28. Nh2 Bg4 29. Nxg4 hxg4 30. gxf4
Nxh4 31. f5 Nh6 {Black has managed to retain material equality, but at a high
cost. His kingside is shattered and his minor pieces are very awkwardly placed.
The two knights on the h-file will prove to be a major tactical vulnerability,
especially the Nh4, which has no retreat squares.} 32. f3 gxf3 33. Bxf3 Qf7 (
33... Nxf3+ $2 34. Qxf3 {and now the queen can combine well with the other
pieces in an attack against Black's king position. For example} Qf7 35. Bc1 Rd6
36. Rh2 Be7 37. Kh1 c4 38. dxc4 Rxc4 39. Rg1 $18) 34. Bh5 Qg8 {this allows the
following variation that Houdini finds.} (34... Qf8) 35. Ne3 (35. Nxf6 gxf6+
36. Kh1 Qb3 37. Rh2 Rxd3 38. Qxb3 Rxb3 39. Bc1 {and Black loses a piece.})
35... Qb3 36. Rd2 c4 {Black appears to be trying this in desperation.} 37. dxc4
Qb4 38. Nd5 Rxd5 39. cxd5 Bg5 40. Rf2 Rc3 41. Bxc3 Qxc3 42. Rh2 Bf4 43. Qe2 $18
{further material loss for Black is inevitable.} 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"]
[Site "Tromso NOR"]
[Date "2013.08.17"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Tomashevsky, Evgeny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D30"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2013.08.11"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. e3 Bd6 5. Bd3 f5 6. O-O Nf6 {we now have a
Modern Stonewall setup for Black. White, having been diverted from playing the
usual and more theoretically critical fianchetto with Bg2, now has a
Colle-type setup.} 7. b3 Qe7 {in order to preempt any White plans to exchange
off the Bd6 by playing Ba3.} 8. Ne5 {an aggressive and possibly premature move;
Bb2 is normal here, followed by additional piece development.} O-O 9. Bb2 Bd7 {
starting the classical bishop maneuver to the kingside. The more modern
development is with ...b6 and Bb7, but with the Ne5 and Bd3 placed where they
are, this method of developing the bishop would appear to be less effective.}
10. Nc3 Be8 11. cxd5 cxd5 {knowing when to exchange central pawns is an art in
the Stonewall. Here it seems to work in Black's favor, as the central tension
has been released and White no longer has any threats there. White can try to
obtain play down the c-file, but Black will be able to defend easily enough.}
12. Rc1 Nc6 13. Nb5 Bb4 14. a3 Ba5 15. Be2 {preventing ...Bh5 by Black and
getting the bishop on to a more useful diagonal in general.} a6 16. Nc3 Ne4 {
a thematic Stonewall move. Black is happy to open the f-file for his rook if
White exchanges on e4. Similarly, if White played f3 to kick the knight, it
would have a good square waiting on g5, while the Be2 would be worse off.} 17.
b4 Bc7 18. Nxe4 fxe4 {by this point Black must have been very happy with his
game. Although the engine evaluation is even, Black has fully equalized and
has accomplished his strategic goals out of the opening. The initiative now
passes to him.} 19. Qb3 {it's unclear what this was intended to accomplish,
beyond linking the rooks. The queen turns out to be awkwardly placed and away
from the developing kingside action.} Bxe5 20. dxe5 Qg5 21. Kh1 $6 {Perhaps
White thought his opponent would take the offered e5 pawn. Houdini recommends
simply bringing the queen back to d1, in order to prevent the next bishop move
by Black.} Bh5 (21... Nxe5 $6 22. Rc7 {and White has compensation for the pawn,
having regained some initiative and counterplay on the queenside.}) 22. f3 Qh6
$15 {Black can choose when to exchange pawns, due to the pin against the
hanging Be2.} 23. Rce1 exf3 24. gxf3 Rf7 $17 {Black's play continues to flow
naturally from the position; doubling rooks on the f-file is possible, as is
supporting the g-pawn with a rook on g7 if it advances. Meanwhile, White
struggles to do something meaningful.} 25. Bc1 Bg6 {done in order to provide
the queen with additional squares on the h-file.} 26. e4 Qh3 27. exd5 Nd4 {
Black rightly ignores the pawn for the time being and switches over to active
attack mode, having identified f3 as White's weak point.} 28. Qd1 Nxe2 29. Qxe2
Bh5 30. Kg1 {White has to avoid the fork of king and queen.} Bxf3 31. Qf2 Qg4+
32. Qg3 Qxg3+ 33. hxg3 Bxd5 {Black emerges from the middlegame struggle with
an extra pawn for the endgame, which he converts nicely.} 34. Be3 a5 35. b5 a4
36. Rxf7 Kxf7 37. Rf1+ Kg6 38. Rf4 h6 39. Kf2 Bb3 40. Rg4+ Kh7 41. Rd4 Rc8 42.
b6 Rc2+ 43. Ke1 Ra2 44. Bc1 Rg2 $19 45. Bf4 Rg1+ 46. Kd2 Ra1 47. Kc3 Rxa3 48.
Kb4 Ra1 49. Bd2 Bd5 50. Bc3 Ra2 51. Rd3 Kg6 52. Rd4 a3 53. Rd3 Kf5 54. Bd2 Ra1
55. Bc3 Ra2 56. Bd2 Ke4 57. Re3+ Kd4 58. Bc1 Rc2 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"]
[Site "Tromso NOR"]
[Date "2013.08.25"]
[Round "5.4"]
[White "Svidler, Peter"]
[Black "Andreikin, Dmitry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2746"]
[BlackElo "2716"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2013.08.11"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 {a pawn sacrifice by Black that gets away from the
the standard, heavily analyzed ...Bf5 lines and intends to nullify White's
active play.} 4. dxc5 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c3 {Bb5 is by far the most popular
continuation, but the text move is second and also trendy. Its function is to
immediately restrain the Black d-pawn and postpone committing the
light-squared bishop.} e6 7. Be3 {White decides to hold on to the c-pawn; b4
would be the alternative method of doing this. Following is an interestingly
unbalanced example of how Andreikin treated that approach in a high-level game:
} (7. b4 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nxe5 9. Bb5+ Nc6 10. Bb2 Be7 11. c4 Nf6 12. Nc3 O-O 13.
O-O-O d4 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Qxc6 dxc3 16. Rxd8 cxb2+ 17. Kxb2 Raxd8 18. Kc2 a5
19. a3 axb4 20. axb4 Ra8 21. Rb1 Rfd8 22. Qf3 Ne8 23. Rb3 Ra2+ 24. Rb2 Rd2+ 25.
Kxd2 Rxb2+ 26. Kc3 Bf6+ 27. Qxf6 Nxf6 28. Kxb2 Kf8 29. f3 Ke7 30. Kc3 e5 31. b5
Kd7 32. Kd3 Kc7 33. c6 Kd6 34. h4 Ne8 35. f4 exf4 36. Kd4 Nf6 37. c5+ Kc7 38.
Ke5 h6 39. Kxf4 Nd5+ 40. Ke5 Nc3 41. b6+ Kxc6 42. b7 Kxb7 43. Kd6 g5 44. Ke7
gxh4 45. Kxf7 Nd5 46. Kg6 Ne3 47. Kh5 Nf5 48. Kg6 Ne3 49. Kh5 Nxg2 50. Kg4 Kc6
51. Kh3 Nf4+ 52. Kxh4 Kd5 53. c6 Ke5 54. c7 Ng6+ 55. Kh5 {1/2-1/2 (55)
Nepomniachtchi,I (2704)-Andreikin,D (2718) Moscow 2012}) 7... Bxf3 {the
preferred database choice; the main alternative ...Nge7 scores highly (over 80
percent) for White.} 8. Qxf3 Nge7 {Black with this move favors solid
development and avoids giving White any targets, instead forcing White to
focus on covering his own weaknesses.} (8... Nxe5 {is what one would expect
here and is played much more often, but with less success; White scores 62
percent. A top proponent of the Caro-Kann, Igor Khenkin, prefers the text move,
which continues the spirit of the initial gambit. There are only a handful (4)
of games in the database, of which 3 are Khenkin's, but Black scores an
impressive 75 percent in them.}) 9. Bb5 a6 10. Ba4 Qa5 {a common move in this
variation once Bb5 is played, as it hits the bishop and c5 at the same time.}
11. Qd1 Nf5 12. b4 {now out of the database with the text move, which is the
obvious way to challenge Black's queen. The only other game to continue this
far was a win for Black:} (12. Bd4 Nfxd4 13. b4 Nf3+ 14. gxf3 Qc7 15. Qe2 g6
16. f4 Bh6 17. Qg4 O-O 18. h4 Kh8 19. Nd2 a5 20. Nf3 axb4 21. h5 Rxa4 22. hxg6
fxg6 23. Rxh6 bxc3 24. Nh4 Nxe5 25. Qg3 Re4+ {0-1 (25) Grekh,A (2355)
-Chernyshov,K (2570) Odessa 2007}) 12... Nxe3 {see how the theme of using this
knight for an in-between move after the queen is attacked is similar to the
game in the previous note.} 13. fxe3 Qc7 $11 {Black now has a somewhat cramped
but solid position, with ideas of undermining White on the queenside and also
targeting the e5 pawn. Meanwhile White is a pawn up but, with notable
weaknesses (especially the e-pawns) and faces developmental problems for his
pieces.} 14. Qd4 {taking advantage of the pin on the Nc6 to protect the e5
pawn.} Be7 15. Nd2 O-O (15... a5 {immediately is what Houdini recommends
instead of castling.} 16. Bxc6+ Qxc6 17. O-O axb4 {and compared with the game
continuation, White would not be in a position to challenge Black on the
a-file.; see the note to move 18.}) 16. Bxc6 Qxc6 17. O-O a5 18. Nf3 {White
focuses on his own plans and ignores Black's.} (18. a3 {is Houdini's
preference, which keeps the a-file closed or contested.}) 18... axb4 19. cxb4
Ra3 {excellent use of the a-file by Black, who now dominates the third rank as
well.} 20. h3 {despite being a pawn up, White has no obvious way to make
progress and several weaknesses to cover in his position. He can try to drum
up something on the kingside - he certainly is in no position to play on the
queenside currently, despite the 3-1 majority - but with only one minor piece
on the board, is unlikely to have enough material for an attack.} h6 21. Kh1
Qa6 {significantly improving his queen placement, doubling pressure on the
a-pawn and seizing the a6-f1 diagonal.} 22. Rf2 Rd3 {Black continues his
active play, seizing the initiative and continuing to make threats.} 23. Qf4
Qa3 24. Re1 g5 (24... Rc3 {is the plan Houdini prefers, with the idea of
rounding up the weak queenside pawns, for example} 25. Rd2 Rc4 26. Rd4 Qxb4 27.
Rxc4 dxc4 $17) 25. Qg4 Rxe3 {finally regaining the pawn, under very favorable
circumstances.} 26. Ref1 Qd3 27. a4 Qg6 $15 {Black chooses the solid defensive
option. Houdini says he could get away with . ..Re4 to go after the queenside
pawns and then weather the storm, but that would be uncomfortable for a while.}
(27... Re4 28. Qh5 Rxb4 29. Qxh6 Qh7 30. Qxh7+ Kxh7 $17 {no doubt Andreikin
saw this or a similar continuation and decided he didn't need to take the risk
of having his king position weakened.}) 28. Qd4 Qe4 29. Qb2 $6 {White
underestimates the danger on the kingside. This move protects e5 again, but
leaves Black's queen in a threatening position. Perhaps exchanging queens
would have been more prudent.} h5 $17 {Black seizes the opportunity and makes
the correctly aggressive move, threatening to continue with ...g4.} 30. Nd2 {
allows the next small tactic from Black} Rxh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg4 32. Rf3 Rh4 33. Rb3
Qe2 $19 {Houdini evalutes this as winning for Black.} 34. Qc3 Rg4 (34... Kg7 {
is the curious-looking move found by Houdini that advances Black's attack.
Black has a deflection tactic available that would allow him to make some
progress.} 35. Rf2 Rh1+ 36. Kxh1 Qxf2 37. Qe3 Qf5 {is a possible continuation,
with ...g4 to follow.}) 35. Rf2 Qe1+ {needing only a draw to advance, Black
goes for the repetition.} 36. Rf1 Qe2 37. Rf2 Qe1+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "URS-ch54"]
[Site "Minsk"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beliavsky, Alexander G"]
[Black "Jussupow, Artur"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A90"]
[WhiteElo "2630"]
[BlackElo "2645"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[EventDate "1987.03.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]

1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 d5 {...c6 would be a move-order finesse, as
the text move gives White the option to exchange on d5, although that is not
common.} 5. Nf3 c6 6. O-O Bd6 {the standard position for the Modern Stonewall.}
7. b3 {the main line.} Qe7 {aimed at preventing Ba3, which would allow White
to exchange off the Bd6.} 8. Bb2 O-O (8... b6 {is the major alternative,
choosing to develop the bishop to b7 or a6 and supporting options on the
queenside.}) 9. Nc3 {this is not considered the best placement for the knight
in a Stonewall, since it has fewer options while on c3.} Bd7 {whenever Black
plays this, the aim is to swing the bishop around to the kingside via e8.} 10.
Ne5 {White would be happy with a piece exchange on e5, as he would improve his
control over the dark squares with the Bd6 gone and have a strong, cramping
pawn on e5 afterwards.} Be8 11. Nd3 {this formation rarely appears in the
database and the move is more often seen when the other knight has been
developed via d2-f3, thereby obtaining a lock on e5.} Nbd7 12. e3 {this seems
like a generally passive waiting move. Black wins all three games in the
database after this.} g5 {Black wastes no time in initiating kingside
operations.} 13. a4 {White's forces are clearly more oriented toward the
queenside, so he logically starts expanding there.} Bg6 14. f4 {this seems to
play into Black's strategy by providing a target for the g-pawn and
distracting White from queenside expansion. White may have been worried about
an eventual Black ...f4 advance, however.} Bh5 {the immediate ...Bh5 would
have allowed White to block with the f-pawn after f3, although Black was
perhaps originally more interested in fighting for the e4 square.} 15. Qc1 Ne4
{a very thematic knight move in the Stonewall. While the knight is very active,
Black should not be afraid to exchange it, either, especially since the Nd7
can swing around to f6 to replace it.} 16. fxg5 {this seems a little premature
to me.} (16. a5 gxf4 17. Nxf4 Bf7) 16... Nxc3 {Black chooses to eliminate the
defender of the e2 square, to further activate his light-square bishop and
then exchange it.} 17. Qxc3 Be2 18. Rfe1 Bxd3 {Black exchanges off his "bad"
bishop for an excellent White knight.} 19. Qxd3 Qxg5 20. Ba3 {Black cannot
reasonably avoid the exchange.} Bxa3 (20... c5 21. cxd5 {wins a pawn.}) 21.
Rxa3 Nf6 {after the exchanges end, Black's knight is evidently superior to
White's bishop and he has the initiative on the kingside.} 22. Qf1 h5 23. Qf4
Qxf4 24. gxf4 (24. exf4 {seems safer for White.}) 24... Kf7 {clearing the way
for Rg8 and bringing the king closer to the center for the endgame.} 25. Ra2
Rg8 26. Kh1 Rg7 27. Bf3 Rag8 {Black's strategy is simple and dictated by the
one open file on the board.} 28. Rg2 {White's decision to trade down only
makes Black's task of penetrating White's position easier.} Rxg2 29. Bxg2 a5 {
prophlyaxis against a further pawn advance with b4.} 30. Kg1 h4 31. Kf1 Ng4 32.
h3 Nf6 {now Black will have the g3 square available and the Bg2 is further
restricted.} 33. Kf2 Rg3 34. c5 Ne4+ {the only way to make progress.} 35. Bxe4
{White rids himself of his "bad" bishop and prevents further penetration by
the knight.} fxe4 36. Rh1 Ke8 37. Rg1 {White decides to avoid passive defense
in the rook endgame, although Black's rook ends up being more active in a
decisive way.} (37. Rh2) 37... Rxh3 38. Rg7 Rh2+ 39. Kf1 Rh3 40. Kf2 Rh2+ {
repetition of moves presumably to make the time control.} 41. Kf1 Rb2 42. Rxb7
Kd8 43. Kg1 Re2 44. b4 axb4 45. a5 Rxe3 46. a6 Kc8 47. Rxb4 Ra3 48. Rb6 e3 49.
Rxc6+ Kd7 50. Rd6+ Ke7 51. f5 exf5 52. Rxd5 Rxa6 53. c6 Rxc6 54. Rxf5 Rg6+ {
Black's separated passed pawns cannot both be stopped.} 0-1

[Event "FIDE WGP Tashkent"]
[Site "Tashkent UZB"]
[Date "2013.09.28"]
[Round "9.1"]
[White "Zhao, Xue"]
[Black "Lagno, Kateryna"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[WhiteElo "2579"]
[BlackElo "2532"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2013.09.18"]

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 {Black heads for a Symmetrical English variation. Other
possibilities here would include a KID or Gruenfeld-type setup.} 3. Nf3 Bg7 4.
g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 e6 6. O-O {White chooses the most common move, which is a solid
line; d4 here would lead to a more active line with a pawn sacrifice.
Interestingly, White only scores about 47 percent with the text move.} Nge7 7.
a3 {both prophylactic against ...Nb4 and prepares an eventual b4 push. With
this variation, a less frequently played one, White scores over 51 percent.} d5
{Black decides to commit in the center, rather than the more popular O-O.} 8.
d3 O-O (8... dxc4 9. dxc4 Qxd1 10. Rxd1 Bxc3 11. bxc3 {is something a Class
player might prefer, exchanging off as many pieces as possible with Black and
inflicting doubled c-pawns on White. In concrete terms, however, White is left
with the two bishops and the dark-square one is a monster, with Black's
dark-square weaknesses beckoning. Play could continue} h6 12. Bf4 b6 13. Bd6
Bb7 14. Ne5 {and Black is already under significant pressure.}) 9. Bg5 {a
thematic idea, designed to provoke a weakening Black pawn advance.} h6 10. cxd5
exd5 (10... hxg5 11. dxc6 Nxc6 {looks fine for White.}) 11. Bxe7 {the decision
to exchange the dark-square bishop involves a tradeoff of time (in this case
gained by avoiding a retreat) versus the two bishops, which Black now gains.}
Nxe7 12. Rc1 Bd7 {this doesn't seem to be the best placement for the bishop.
Playing it to e6 or eventually to b7 would keep it more active.} 13. b4 cxb4 {
Black chooses to enter an IQP structure in exchange for greater piece activity.
} 14. axb4 Qb6 $11 (14... a5 $15 {is what Houdini prefers here, immediately
looking to create a passed pawn.} 15. bxa5 Qxa5) 15. Qb3 a5 16. Nxd5 {this
tactical option was not possible in the previous variation, where the queen
was on a5 instead of the more vulnerable b6 square.} Nxd5 17. Qxd5 Bc6 (17...
Qe6 $5) 18. bxa5 $14 {another tactical follow-up exploiting the location of
the Qb6.} Qxf2+ 19. Kxf2 Bxd5 {White is a pawn up here, with the passed d-pawn.
Black has some compensation in terms of the two bishops and White's
potentially weaker pawns.} 20. Rc5 Rfd8 21. Rb1 Bf8 22. Rcb5 Bc6 23. Ne5 {an
excellent idea from Zhao and confirmed by Houdini. The exchange sacrifice is
dangerous for Black to take.} Rdc8 (23... Bxb5 24. Rxb5 {the b-pawn will now
fall as well.} Rac8 25. Rxb7 $16) 24. d4 $16 {passed pawns must be pushed!} Bg7
{based on the game continuation, this seems to be a loss of time, as the
bishop will move back after a few moves.} (24... Bxb5 {the exchange sacrifice
is still good for White, but at least Black would get rid of one of the
powerful rooks on the queenside.} 25. Rxb5 Ra6 26. Bxb7 Rf6+ 27. Bf3) 25. Bxc6
bxc6 26. Rc5 {White takes advantage of the absence of the Bf8.} Ra6 27. Nf3 {
choosing to consolidate rather than play more aggressively with something like
Rb7.} Bf8 28. Rb6 {what masters call a "little tactic".} Rca8 (28... Bxc5 29.
Rxa6 Bd6 $18 {and now it will be much easier for White to try and push through
the passed a-pawn, whose queening square cannot be covered by the bishop.}) 29.
Rcxc6 Rxa5 {although material is still even after the tactic, now nothing
stands in the way of the d-pawn.} 30. Rb7 Ra2 31. Rcb6 Re8 32. Rb2 Raa8 33. Rc2
Bd6 {again a bishop move appears to lose time, as it could have moved directly
to g7 instead of taking three tempi to do it per the game continuation. The
idea appears to be that the bishop covers the e5 square, which it could also
do from g7.} 34. Rd7 Ra6 35. Rb2 Bf8 36. Ne5 Bg7 {the f-pawn is protected
tactically.} 37. Nf3 {given the lack of progress, one must think that White 
(and perhaps Black too) was looking to make a series of safe moves in order to
save some time on the clock.} (37. Nxf7 $2 Rf6+) 37... Rae6 38. Rc2 Re4 39. Rd2
Bf8 $2 {this bishop is now truly a drag on Black's play. White immediately
seizes the opportunity on e5, left uncovered by the bishop.} (39... g5 $5 {
Houdini thinks that Black's best option is to try to generate counterplay on
the kingside.}) 40. Ne5 $18 Bc5 {a desperation move.} (40... Bg7 $2 {no longer
helps, now that Black's Re4 is cut off from assistance and vulnerable.} 41. Kf3
{and Black loses material.}) 41. Nxf7 (41. dxc5 {is also winning for White.}
R4xe5 42. c6 Rc5 43. c7) 41... Bxd4+ 42. R2xd4 (42. R7xd4 $2 {White has no
need to abandon the knight, as the e-pawn can be lost without damaging her
winning prospects.} Kxf7 43. Rxe4 Rxe4 $14) 42... Rxe2+ 43. Kg1 {and now White
is a full piece up and her king cannot be trapped.} 1-0

[Event "Sinquefield Cup"]
[Site "Saint Louis"]
[Date "2013.09.10"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A85"]
[WhiteElo "2813"]
[BlackElo "2862"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[EventCountry "USA"]

1. d4 f5 {Carlsen has multiple variations of the Dutch Defense in his
repertoire.} 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 g6 {Carlsen opts for the Leningrad variation,
the most combative.} 4. Nc3 {g3 and the bishop fianchetto are normally
standard at the master level, as this is considered most challenging to
Black's setup.} Bg7 5. Bf4 {an atypical move, but lately the idea has enjoyed
some popularity against the Dutch. White only scores around 44 percent with
this, however.} d6 {continuing the standard Leningrad setup.} 6. e3 Nc6 {Black
has tried a wide variety of moves in this position, with castling being
preferred and ...c6 also popular. Playing ...Nc6 in the Leningrad can be
viable, but is largely ignored by popular theory.} 7. Be2 (7. d5 {is the
typical reaction against the Nc6 setup and why many Black players avoid the
knight move, since it can be immediately chased away with uncertain
repercussions. However, with the bishop on f4, Black would have the
counterstroke} e5 {which is a core strategic idea that also works tactically
here. For example:} 8. dxc6 (8. Bg5 Ne7 9. Be2 h6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 $11) 8... exf4
9. cxb7 Bxb7 10. exf4 Qe7+ {looks good for Black, whose pieces all have
excellent prospects, despite being a (doubled) pawn down.}) 7... O-O 8. O-O Ne4
$1 {while the knight placement is certainly good for Black, the main idea here
is to uncover the Bg7 and allow the key move ...e5 to follow.} 9. h3 e5 {also
winning a tempo by hitting the Bf4. Black appears to understand very well how
to exploit White's unusual bishop placement.} 10. Bh2 exd4 {by exchanging here,
Black will remove the e3 pawn from the defense of f4 and the kingside.} 11.
exd4 Ng5 {Black follows this up by targeting the d4 pawn via an attack on the
defending Nf3.} 12. Nxg5 Qxg5 13. f4 {White pre-empts a Black ...f4 push and
also chases Black's queen away from the king, although at the price of cutting
off the Bh2 from the action.} Qf6 14. d5 {necessary to avoid the pressure,
although this simply chases Black's knight to a good square.} Nd4 15. Kh1 c5 {
an excellent idea, reinforcing the central outpost, or if White chooses to
exchange on c6, opening the b-file and eliminating the central pawn.} 16. Bd3 {
White chooses to get on with the re-development of his pieces, rather than
exchange.} (16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Bd3 Rb8) 16... Bd7 17. Bg1 Rae8 (17... Rfe8 {
would seem indicated if Black wants to play a subsequent ...Rb8. Perhaps
Carlsen wanted to maintain the latent pressure on the f-file in the meantime.})
18. Qd2 a6 {looking to play the undermining ...b5 push.} 19. Rad1 Rb8 20. a4 {
Houdini considers this White's first significant error.} (20. Rfe1 $5) 20...
Qd8 $15 {the queen is repositioned to take advantage of the weakened White
queenside.} 21. Rb1 {White is now clearly on the defensive and Black's next
series of moves powerfully capitalizes on his initiative.} Qa5 22. Qd1 Qb4 23.
Bf2 Rbe8 24. Be1 Qb3 {Aronian now apparently felt he had little choice but to
exchange off the dominant Qb3; however, Black's remaining pieces will continue
to have a qualitative advantage.} 25. Qxb3 Nxb3 26. Bc2 Na5 $17 {switching to
target the c-pawn, rather than return to d4.} 27. Bd3 Re3 28. Rd1 Rb8 $15 {
instead of consolidating in the center, Carlsen tries to go for the ...b5
break again.} (28... Nb3 29. Bf2 Re7 30. Bc2 Na5 31. Bd3 Bd4 {is one
alternative possibility for central play.} 32. Bxd4 $2 cxd4 33. Ne2 Nb3 {and
White loses a pawn.}) 29. Bf2 Ree8 30. Ra1 {positions the rook to take
advantage of any exchange involving the a-pawn.} Bd4 31. Kg1 Be3 {Black here
seems to accept the idea of a draw, with a number of exchanges now occurring.}
32. Bxe3 Rxe3 33. Rad1 Rbe8 34. Kf2 Nb3 35. Rfe1 Rxe1 36. Rxe1 Rxe1 37. Kxe1
Nd4 $11 38. Kd2 Kf7 39. Be2 Kf6 40. Bd1 a5 {and it is clear that neither side
can make real progress.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "FWCM 2013"]
[Site "Chennai"]
[Date "2013.11.10"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2775"]
[BlackElo "2870"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 {these days the Advance Variation with e5 is the most
played (and also the most theoretical).} dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 {
Spassky introduced this move into top-level play and made it the standard. It
is an aggressive pawn thrust, but it makes perfect sense in the context of the
bishop's location and White's natural orientation to kingside play in this
variation.} h6 7. Nf3 e6 {a rare move, although Anand himself has played this,
along with the main line ...Nd7 and the alternative ...Nf6. The main line
prevents Ne5 by allowing Black to immediately exchange off the knight, so the
game continuation is the natural reaction.} 8. Ne5 Bh7 {no other square is
safe for the bishop.} 9. Bd3 {exchanging off the bishop is the most popular,
also logical from the standpoint of gaining time, as Black's bishop has made
more moves than White's equivalent and White will be left with more pieces
developed afterwards. Other commentators have also pointed out that Black's
attempt to snatch a pawn with ...Qxd4 fails to 10. Nxf7!} Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nd7 {
this knight needs to be developed sooner or later and challenging Black's Ne5
sooner is certainly a good idea.} 11. f4 {this is by far the most popular move,
although by no means forced. If White is going to play aggressively with 8.
Ne5, then this continuation makes sense to keep the space advantage on the
kingside. With this move, however, White is essentially committing himself to
castle queenside, as the kingside pawn shield is now almost nonexistent. (See
move 14 notes, however, for a game featuring Anand castling kingside)} Bb4+ {
a typical idea in the Caro-Kann, provoking the c-pawn advance and weakening
the future home of the White king.} 12. c3 Be7 13. Bd2 Ngf6 14. O-O-O {this is
an interesting choice. In the database Anand had previously played Qe2 and won
(as shown below). Every other database game saw the text move played, however.
Anand's previous play was somewhat risky and he probably expected that Carlsen
had prepared an improvement.} (14. Qe2 c5 15. dxc5 Qc7 16. b4 O-O 17. O-O a5
18. a3 Nxe5 19. fxe5 Nd7 20. Ne4 axb4 21. cxb4 Qxe5 22. Bc3 Qc7 23. Rad1 Rad8
24. Qg4 g6 25. Nd6 e5 26. Qc4 Nb6 27. Qe4 Nd7 28. h5 gxh5 29. Qf5 Bf6 30. Qxh5
Qc6 31. Rxf6 Nxf6 32. Qxe5 {1-0 (32) Anand,V (2783)-Ding Liren (2707) Paris/St
Petersburg FRA/RUS 2013}) 14... O-O 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe5 {Carlsen plays
a new move, according to the database, trading off the well-placed knight and
then centralizing his queen.} (16... Nf6 {is another logical continuation and
a standard idea in these types of positions.} 17. Qe2 Qd5 18. g4 h5 19. gxh5
Qe4 20. Qf2 Qf5 21. Rdg1 Nxh5 22. Qf3 Rfd8 23. Rg5 Bxg5 24. hxg5 g6 25. Ng4 Qd5
26. Qh3 Kg7 27. b3 b5 28. Re1 Rh8 29. Nh6 Rad8 30. Re5 Qd6 31. Qe3 Rxh6 32.
gxh6+ Kh7 33. Rc5 Qc7 34. Qd3 Rd5 35. Qxb5 Nxf4 36. Rxc6 {1/2-1/2 (36) Fercec,
N (2477)-Zelcic,R (2531) Zadar 2004}) 17. fxe5 (17. dxe5 Qd5 {forces the queen
trade, as otherwise the g2 and a2 pawns are forked.}) 17... Qd5 18. Qxd5 (18.
Qg4 {is what bloodthirsty fans wanted to see. Black again cannot snatch a pawn,
this time with ...Qxa2, because of 19. Bxh6!} f5 {is Houdini's continuation,
which it evaluates as completely equal, although it certainly makes for some
interesting play.} (18... Kh7 {is also a good defense and simpler.}) 19. Qg6
Qxa2 20. Bxh6 Rf7 21. g4 f4) 18... cxd5 19. h5 {this frees up the Rh1 from its
protective duties.} b5 {putting a minority attack in motion.} 20. Rh3 a5 21.
Rf1 Rac8 (21... b4 $5) 22. Rg3 Kh7 (22... b4 {now no longer works.} 23. Bxh6
bxc3 24. Bxg7 cxb2+ 25. Kxb2 Rb8+ 26. Ka1 {and Black no longer has threats
against the White king, leaving White with a winning advantage. One possible
continuation is} Rfc8 {which avoids major material loss but leaves Black in a
hopeless position.} 27. Bf6+ Kf8 28. h6) 23. Rgf3 Kg8 24. Rg3 Kh7 25. Rgf3 Kg8
1/2-1/2

[Event "63rd ch-RUS w 2013"]
[Site "Nizhny Novgorod RUS"]
[Date "2013.10.08"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Kosintseva, Tatiana"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2515"]
[BlackElo "2495"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "130"]
[EventDate "2013.10.05"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 {less challenging than taking on c5, but of
course solid for White. This move is frequently seen at the Class level.} Nc6
5. Nf3 Bg4 {this is essentially Black's ideal setup out of this variation and
the database statistics show it, as Black scores close to 63 percent.} 6. dxc5
{Kosintseva has played this frequently, including a prior game against
Kosteniuk from earlier this year in May. Black therefore must have had the
expectation that White would enter this line. The capture is usually made on
move 4 when first possible; this variation can be reached alternatively by
White playing the capture and following up with 6. c3, which however is not
the most aggressive continuation.} a6 $146 {a novelty on move 6! However,
perhaps not so unusual when it's one of Houdini's top choices. The move also
appears in their previous game, at a later point. Here it helps restrain the
idea of White pushing the b-pawn.} (6... e6 {is what Kosteniuk played before
and is most common.} 7. b4 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Qc7 9. Bf4 a6 10. Nd2 g5 11. Bg3 Nge7
12. Bd3 Bg7 13. Qe3 h6 14. f4 gxf4 15. Bxf4 d4 16. cxd4 Nd5 17. Qf2 Nxf4 18.
Qxf4 O-O-O 19. Nf3 Nxd4 20. O-O Nxf3+ 21. Qxf3 Bxe5 22. Rad1 Bxh2+ 23. Kh1 Rd4
24. Be4 Rhd8 25. Bxb7+ Qxb7 26. Qxb7+ Kxb7 27. Rxd4 Rxd4 28. Kxh2 Rxb4 29.
Rxf7+ Kc6 30. Rf6 Re4 31. Rxh6 Kxc5 32. Rh3 Re2 33. Ra3 Kb5 34. Kg3 a5 35. Kf3
Rc2 36. g4 a4 37. g5 Kb4 38. Re3 Rxa2 39. g6 Rd2 40. Rxe6 Rd7 41. Kf4 a3 42.
Ra6 Kb3 43. Rb6+ Kc2 44. Rc6+ Kb3 45. Rb6+ Kc2 46. Rc6+ {1/2-1/2 (46)
Kosintseva,T (2517)-Kosteniuk,A (2491) Geneva SUI 2013}) 7. Be3 Bxf3 {this
"little tactic" was of course foreseen by White. In other lines with an
earlier dxc5, White may try to hang on to the extra pawn. Here white cedes the
e5 pawn, but in exchange gets the two bishops.} 8. Qxf3 Nxe5 9. Qd1 {White
evidently wants to keep her options open regarding future placement of the
queen.} e6 10. Be2 Ne7 {in this French-type structure, the knight development
with Ne7-f5 is both common and effective.} 11. b4 {reinforcing c5 and untying
the Be3 from the pawn's defense.} Nf5 12. Bf4 Nc6 {by this point Black has
comfortable equality, with a dynamic balance between the minor pieces and pawn
structures. Black's position looks more natural to play, although there is no
real advantage.} 13. O-O g6 (13... Be7 {is also possible, with the idea of
exchanging off the Bf4.}) 14. Bd3 {the bishop was accomplishing nothing on its
previous diagonal and has limited scope, given Black's pawn structure, so now
it is going to exchange itself off.} Bg7 15. Bxf5 gxf5 {this looks like a
strange line for Black to enter, but a similar structure can occur, for
example, in the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation. Black argues that the
possibility of using the open g-file and stronger central pawn structure
outweigh the weakening of the kingside.} 16. Bd6 a5 (16... Bf8 {is Houdini's
preference, seeking to exchange the Bd6 or drive it away.}) (16... Nxb4 17. Re1
Qd7 {is an interesting possibility; the c3 pawn cannot capture, as it is
pinned to the Ra1. Black cannot hold onto the pawn (the d5 pawn can be
captured once the knight moves, due to the pin on the e6 pawn), but it would
be another way to disrupt White's queenside pawns. Play could continue} 18. a4
Rg8 19. g3 a5 20. Ra3 Na6 21. Qxd5 O-O-O $5) 17. bxa5 {this seems to be
exactly what Black wanted.} (17. b5 {it is unclear to me why White would not
prefer this to the text move, as it mobilizes the queenside pawn majority to
good effect.}) 17... Rxa5 18. Nd2 {evidently heading for b3 to help protect c5.
White offers the c3 pawn in the process.} Qd7 (18... Bxc3 {leads to
complicated play.} 19. Rb1 b5 20. a3 (20. cxb6 Qxd6 21. Nc4 Qc5 22. Nxa5 Qxa5
23. a4 $15) 20... Qa8 {and Houdini evaluates this as equal, but there is a lot
going on for both sides here.}) 19. Nb3 Ra4 {a master-level move, keeping the
rook advanced and mobile along the open fourth rank.} 20. Nd2 Ra3 21. Rb1 Be5 {
Black finally decides to exchange off the bishop.} 22. Bxe5 Nxe5 23. Re1 Ng6 (
23... Nd3 24. Re3 Nxc5 25. Nb3 Nxb3 26. axb3 O-O {is evaluated as equal by the
engine.}) 24. Qc1 {perhaps with the idea of exploiting the c1-h6 diagonal,
although this does not happen in the game.} (24. Nf3 $5) 24... Rxa2 {Black now
decides to take one of the pawns offered to her.} 25. Nf3 O-O 26. h4 f6 $6 {
this covers g5 and e5, but weakens e6 at the same time.} (26... Qc7 {instead
seizes a key diagonal and allows Black to make some threats.}) 27. Rb6 {White
fails here to put Black under maximum pressure, allowing her to strengthen the
center.} (27. h5 {would be the most testing move.} Ne7 28. Rb6 Nc6 29. Nd4 Re8
30. Qb1 Ra7 31. h6) 27... e5 {although the earlier ...f6 may not have been
fully accurate, the text move is now possible.} 28. Qb1 Ra7 29. Rd6 Qc8 30.
Rxd5 Ne7 31. Rd6 Qxc5 {the position has simplified now and is equal, with
Black's small material plus offset by the weaker pawn structure (3 pawn
islands versus 2) and White's piece activity.} 32. Qb3+ Kh8 (32... Kg7 $2 33.
Rd7) 33. Rd7 Ng6 34. Qe6 b5 {going for further simplification, at the cost of
one of Black's doubled pawns.} 35. Rxa7 Qxa7 36. Qxf5 Qg7 (36... Qf7 {would
neutralize a possible h5 push.} 37. h5 Nf4 38. Re4 Nxh5 39. Rh4 Nf4 40. Nxe5
fxe5 41. Rxh7+ Qxh7 42. Qxf8+ Qg8 {and White takes a perpetual check.}) 37. Rd1
(37. h5 {again would challenge Black most effectively.}) 37... Nf4 38. g3 Ne2+
39. Kg2 Qg6 40. Qxg6 hxg6 {Houdini considers this an equal endgame, although
Black has a small advantage based on her knight's activity.} 41. Rd7 Nxc3 42.
Rb7 (42. Rc7 Ne4 43. Rb7) 42... Kg8 (42... Rd8 $5) 43. g4 {White seems to be
overpressing on the kingside and creating potential weaknesses.} Rd8 44. h5 g5
45. Nh2 $6 {this appears to needlessly let Black's rook onto the fourth rank.}
(45. Rb6) 45... Rd4 $17 46. f3 Rd2+ $11 (46... e4 {is what Houdini prefers.}
47. fxe4 Rxe4 48. Kf3 Rf4+ 49. Ke3 b4 $17) 47. Kh1 {forced.} (47. Kg1 $2 Ne2+ {
and now the knight and rook combine to penetrate the kingside, for example} 48.
Kg2 Nf4+ 49. Kg1 Rg2+ 50. Kh1 Rg3 51. Rb8+ Kg7 52. Rb7+ Kh6 53. Rxb5 Nh3 54.
Nf1 Nf2+ 55. Kh2 Rxf3) 47... Rb2 48. Nf1 e4 49. fxe4 Nxe4 50. Ne3 (50. Kg1 $5)
50... Rb3 51. Nd5 Nf2+ 52. Kg1 Nxg4 {White's weakening pawn advance is finally
exploited by Black.} 53. Ne7+ Kf8 54. Nf5 (54. Kg2) 54... Rh3 (54... Rb2) 55.
h6 $6 {not sure what White's intent was here.} (55. Rxb5 Rxh5 56. Rb8+ Kf7 57.
Rb7+ Kg6 58. Ne7+ Kf7 59. Nf5+ {and Black cannot escape the checks, due to the
knight fork on g7.}) 55... Nxh6 56. Kg2 g4 57. Nd4 {Houdini shows a win for
Black now.} (57. Rxb5) 57... Re3 58. Kf2 Re4 59. Nxb5 Rb4 60. Rh7 Rxb5 61. Rxh6
Kg7 {unlike in the move 57 variation, White's rook now cannot attack Black's
pawns and king from the side, making the defense impossible.} 62. Rh4 f5 63.
Kg3 Kg6 64. Rh8 Rb3+ 65. Kg2 Kg5 0-1

[Event "63rd ch-RUS w 2013"]
[Site "Nizhny Novgorod RUS"]
[Date "2013.10.14"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Kashlinskaya, A."]
[Black "Charochkina, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2435"]
[BlackElo "2343"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "2013.10.05"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 {taking the pawn is the most challenging line,
although if White is unfamiliar with the opening, the text move may be safer.}
Nc6 5. Be2 cxd4 {Black eliminates the possibility of a delayed capture on c5.}
6. cxd4 Qb6 (6... Bf5 {is the other alternative, where Black chooses to delay
developing the queen. For example} 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-O Nge7 9. Qa4 Qd7 10. Nc3 Bg4
11. Be3 Nf5 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Ncxd4 14. Bd1 Nc6 15. Bf4 Bc5 16. Rc1 Bb6 17.
Qa3 Nfe7 18. Ba4 O-O 19. Rfd1 Ng6 20. Bh2 Qd8 21. Bxc6 bxc6 22. Ne4 Qh4 23. Nc5
{0-1 (23) Walter Travella,G (2055)-Illescas Cordoba,M (2640) Barcelona 1996})
7. Nf3 (7. Nc3 {is normally played here, the idea being to force Black to
close the diagonal for the light-square bishop.} e6 (7... Qxd4 8. Nxd5 Qxd1+ 9.
Bxd1 Rb8 10. Nf3 $14) 8. Nf3 Nge7 {and this now looks like a standard French
defense, with a positional plus for White.}) 7... Bg4 {Black does not waste
the opportunity to get the bishop out.} 8. O-O e6 9. Nbd2 Nh6 {the knight is
going to f5, so this is a typical idea in this type of position.} 10. h3 Bxf3 {
normally Black exchanges off the bishop in this situation. Time would be lost
with a bishop retreat and it is "bad" in any case because of the pawn
structure.} 11. Nxf3 Nf5 12. Be3 Nxe3 13. fxe3 {this is not in fact a bad
structure for White, who now has a half-open f-file and full protection for
the d4 pawn.} Be7 14. Rb1 {White signals a plan involving queenside pawn
expansion.} (14. Qd2 {seems more flexible.}) 14... O-O 15. b4 f6 {another
thematic move for Black, attacking the head of the White pawn chain.} (15...
Nxb4 $2 16. a3) 16. b5 Na5 (16... Nxe5 {is an interesting tactical alternative.
} 17. dxe5 Qxe3+ 18. Kh1 fxe5 {and Houdini evalutes the position as equal,
although obviously a lot of play can be had with the piece versus 3 pawns
situation.}) 17. Qd2 Rfc8 18. exf6 {White chooses to conduct the exchange of
the e-pawn on her terms. Otherwise, the Nf3 is essentially bound to protect e5,
since a pawn exchange initiated by Black would then create two weak e-pawns.}
Bxf6 19. Nh2 Nc4 20. Bxc4 dxc4 {the riskier choice, although Houdini evaluates
it the same as ...Rxc4. With the new pawn imbalance, Black hopes to use the
passed c-pawn to her advantage while containing White's central pawns.} 21. Ng4
Bg5 22. Qc3 {although the queen is not normally an ideal blockading piece,
here it remains well-placed, protecting e3 and occupying the long diagonal,
which potentially could be useful after a d5 push.} a6 {this seems unnecessary
at this point, as White was not going to make any more progress with the
b-pawn.} (22... Qd6 23. Ne5 Rc7 24. a4 Qd5 {is one possible alternative
approach that does not allow White nearly as much latitude as in the game.})
23. d5 h5 {entering a long tactical sequence.} 24. bxa6 Qxa6 25. Qe5 hxg4 26.
Qxg5 c3 27. Qe7 c2 28. Rbc1 exd5 (28... Qb6 $5 {and if} 29. Qxe6+ {then} Qxe6
30. dxe6 Rxa2 31. e7 Re8 {is fine for Black.}) 29. Qf7+ Kh7 (29... Kh8 {gives
Black an extra defensive resource in the form of the g-pawn.} 30. Rf5 g6) 30.
Rf5 {the threat is mate on h5.} Rc6 31. Rxc2 $14 Rh6 32. Rg5 Qf6 33. Qxf6 Rxf6
34. Rxg4 {the dust has settled and Black is disadvantaged in the rook endgame,
but not fatally so.} Ra3 35. Rg3 Rc6 36. Rb2 Rg6 37. Rxg6 Kxg6 38. Kf2 Kf5 39.
Rxb7 Rxa2+ 40. Kf3 Kf6 41. Rd7 Rd2 42. h4 Rd1 43. g4 Rf1+ 44. Ke2 Rh1 45. h5
Rh2+ 46. Kf3 Rd2 47. Rd6+ Kf7 48. Kf4 Rf2+ 49. Kg5 Rf3 50. Rd7+ Kf8 51. h6
gxh6+ 52. Kxh6 Rh3+ 53. Kg6 Rxe3 54. g5 {now the draw seems assured.} Rd3 55.
Rf7+ Kg8 56. Ra7 Kf8 57. Ra8+ Ke7 58. Kg7 Rg3 59. g6 d4 60. Ra1 d3 61. Re1+
1/2-1/2

[Event "World Teams 2013"]
[Site "Antalya TUR"]
[Date "2013.11.27"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E36"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2013.11.26"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 {entering the Classical variation of the
Nimzo-Indian. White, at the cost of some time, secures the bishop pair and
keeps his pawn structure intact.} O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 {an uncommon
variation that the ChessBase database however flags as "hot" and has been
favored by Kramnik. White scores 58 percent in the line overall.} 7. Nf3 dxc4
8. Qxc4 b6 {the position now takes on some of the Queen's Indian Defense
characteristics. At this point the database shows that White's score is down
to 52 percent, with an even position.} 9. Bg5 Ba6 10. Qc3 {a more modest move
than the favored and "hot" Qa4.} h6 11. Bxf6 {a novelty, although not
surprising; only one other game in this line is in the database. The exchange
ensures that White does not lose time by retreating his bishop. With its Black
counterpart already exchanged, White also does not have to fear the bishop's
absence on the dark squares.} Qxf6 12. g3 Bb7 13. Bg2 Na6 {this is intended to
support the ...c5 advance, but in fact is not necessary, as the below
variation shows.} (13... c5 14. dxc5 Qxc3+ 15. bxc3 Rc8 16. cxb6 axb6) 14. O-O
c5 15. Rac1 {placed in order to pre-empt a Black attempt to gain control of
the c-file.} Rac8 (15... Rfd8 {is preferred by Houdini. It is notoriously
difficult to decide where to place one's rooks and this often comes up in
analysis. In this case, it can be seen that Black is unopposed on the d-file
and has better long-term chances of penetrating there. In the short term, the
Rd8 covers the d7 square, a weakness which Nakamura now targets.}) 16. Ne5 {
this move is one of the key ones for the game, as it provokes a change in a
number of different positional characteristics.} cxd4 {Black tactically avoids
the threat of Nd7 with counter-threats. After the queen recaptures on d4, the
Ne5 is also pinned to it.} 17. Qxd4 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Nc5 {finally coming out of
its hole on a6.} 19. b4 {the obvious idea in the position, kicking the knight
off of its outpost, but perhaps premature here according to Houdini.} (19. Qe3
{would prepare the pawn thrust by taking away the b3 square from the Nc5.} Qf5
{Black needs to avoid being forked on d7} 20. b4 $14) 19... Nb3 20. Rxc8 {the
tactical justification for the previous move.} Rxc8 {superficially this looks
good for Black, but the rook is just going to be chased away on the next move.}
(20... Nxd4 $5 {creating a material imbalance, queen for two rooks, and
un-trapping the knight.} 21. Rxf8+ Kh7 (21... Kxf8 $2 22. Nd7+) 22. Nxf7 Qf5 {
a subtle move that allows the queen to go to e4 and then potentially capture
on e2} (22... Nxe2 {does not work, due to threats against Black's king. For
example} 23. Re1 Nd4 $2 (23... Qb2) 24. Rh8+ Kg6 25. Ne5+ Kf5 26. Nd7 Qe7 27.
Rf8+) 23. f3 Nxe2 {and now Black's king is OK, for example} 24. Rh8+ Kg6 25.
Re1 Nf4+ 26. gxf4 Kxf7 $11) 21. Qd7 $14 Rf8 22. f4 {a marvelous example of
creating an outpost. White's knight has already been a star of the game and it
will keep getting stronger. Meanwhile, Black's equivalent on b3 is trapped.}
Qf5 {preparing to come to the rescue of the Nb3} 23. Rf3 Qc2 24. Qd3 {White
defends e2 and forces a queen exchange under favorable circumstances.} Qxd3 25.
Rxd3 Nc1 26. Rd2 (26. Rd7 $5) 26... Rc8 27. h4 {restraining a potential ...g5
break from Black that would undermine the e5 outpost.} h5 {restrains in turn a
g-pawn advance and takes away the g4 square from the knight.} 28. b5 {White
seizes the opportunity to create another, more effective outpost for his
knight.} Rc7 {protecting the a7 pawn in advance of the knight move.} 29. Nc6
$16 {at this point White has a clear advantage, with Black's pieces tied down
on defense (the rook) or out of place (the knight), while their White
counterparts are active and dominant.} Kh7 30. Rb2 a5 {Black takes the
opportunity to tactically remove the a-pawn from threat; the b-pawn cannot
capture en passant, which would abandon the Nc6 to its fate.} 31. Kf2 Rd7 32.
Ne5 {with the a-pawn now out of reach, the knight returns to its previous
outpost to again threaten a 7th rank target.} Rc7 {the rook is still tied to
defending the 7th rank.} 33. Rd2 {White anticipates Black's next move, kicking
the knight.} f6 34. Nd7 Nb3 {Black now seems to have some breathing room to
regroup and the position is more symmetrical. However, White retains all the
winning chances.} 35. Nf8+ (35. Rd6 $5 {would be a more direct approach.} Nc5
36. Nxc5 Rxc5 37. Rxb6 $16) 35... Kg8 36. Rd7 Rxd7 (36... Rc3 {is preferred by
Houdini, although it also seems to lead to a losing game for Black.} 37. Nxe6
Nc5 38. Rxg7+ Kh8) 37. Nxd7 Nd4 38. a4 {White has consolidated and with the
win of the b-pawn coming, has a won ending. Black appears to realize this and
therefore attempts to shake things up with a piece sacrifice, but to no avail.}
Nxb5 39. axb5 a4 40. Nc5 {this seems like such an obvious move when you see it
played, although for "normal" chessplayers it could be hard to find. There is
no other way to get the knight back in time to stop the a-pawn, so it is
forced in that respect. It is immune from capture because then White's b-pawn
would win the queening race.} a3 41. Nb3 a2 42. Ke3 {the game is essentially
over now, as the king can march over to take Black's passed pawn, but Black
plays on in hopes of generating something on the kingside in compensation.} Kf7
43. Kd4 Ke7 44. e4 e5+ 45. fxe5 Ke6 46. Na1 {this is superior to capturing on
f6, since the Black king will now not be able to penetrate nearly as easily.}
fxe5+ 47. Kc3 g5 48. Kb2 gxh4 49. gxh4 Kd6 50. Nb3 {the Black king is barred
from the 5th rank and the game is sealed.} 1-0

[Event "World Teams 2013"]
[Site "Antalya TUR"]
[Date "2013.11.30"]
[Round "5.5"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Li, Chao b"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D90"]
[WhiteElo "2786"]
[BlackElo "2679"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2013.11.26"]
[WhiteTeam "USA"]
[BlackTeam "China"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "CHN"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {we now have a Gruenfeld-English setup on the
board} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Qb3 {White has a number of different options here. The
text move scores well at 62 percent in the database.} Nb6 {the overwhelming
choice is to retreat, rather than exchange off the knight. Interestingly,
Nakamura has also played this line as Black (see move 7 game variation).} 6. d4
Bg7 7. e4 {developing the dark-square bishop here is more popular, as in this
earlier top-level game featuring Nakamura as Black:} (7. Bf4 Be6 8. Qa3 Nc6 9.
e3 O-O 10. Be2 a5 11. O-O Nb4 12. Rfc1 c6 13. Be5 Bh6 14. Ne4 Nd7 15. Nc5 Nxc5
16. Rxc5 Nd5 17. Bc4 Qb6 18. e4 Nf6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Rc2 Qb4 21. Qd3 Rac8 22.
Ne1 Nd7 23. Bg3 c5 24. d5 Nf6 25. d6 Qxe4 26. dxe7 Rfe8 27. Qb5 Qb4 28. Qf1
Rxe7 29. Nd3 Qb6 30. Ne5 Nd5 31. Qe2 Nb4 32. Rc4 Bg7 33. Bh4 Ree8 34. Rd1 Nc6
35. Nd7 Qxb2 36. Qxb2 Bxb2 37. Rxc5 Rc7 38. Bg3 Rcc8 39. Rb5 Bg7 40. Rxb7 Nb4
41. a4 Nd5 42. Nb6 {1/2-1/2 (42) Kramnik,V (2800)-Nakamura,H (2758) Moscow 2011
}) 7... Bg4 {Black indirectly pressures the White center with this move.
Strategically, we have a situation with a classic pawn center versus an
Indian-style development by Black designed to put pressure on it.} 8. Bb5+ {
White knows well that Black will block with the c-pawn. The point of the move
is to cause Black to take away the c6 square from his own knight, forcing it
to a lesser square that does not influence d4.} c6 9. Ng5 {we are still in
theory here, but this is nonetheless an instructive in-between move. Rather
than simply retreat the bishop, White looks to improve his position first. But
what about the d-pawn?} e6 $146 {all previous games had featured castling, as
in the following high-level contest:} (9... O-O 10. Be2 Bxe2 11. Nxe2 e5 12.
dxe5 h6 13. Nh3 N8d7 14. f4 Nc5 15. Qc2 Nd3+ 16. Kf1 f5 17. exf6 Rxf6 18. Be3
Rf7 19. Rd1 Rd7 20. Nf2 Nxb2 21. Rxd7 Qxd7 22. Bc1 N6c4 23. h4 b5 24. Rh3 Rd8
25. Rg3 Nd1 26. e5 Qf5 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Rg6 Nce3+ 29. Kg1 c5 30. Ng3 Kf7 31.
Ra6 Bf8 32. Rxa7+ Be7 33. Nxd1 Rxd1+ 34. Kf2 Ng4+ 35. Ke2 Rxc1 36. Nxf5 Ke6 37.
Nxe7 h5 38. Nc8 c4 39. Nd6 Rc2+ 40. Kf3 Rc3+ 41. Ke4 Re3+ 42. Kd4 Rd3+ 43. Kc5
c3 44. Rc7 c2 45. Kxb5 Ne3 46. f5+ Kxe5 47. Nc4+ Nxc4 48. Rxc4 Rd5+ 49. Kc6
Rd6+ 50. Kc7 Rd2 51. a4 Rd4 52. Rc5+ Kf6 53. a5 Rd5 54. Rc6+ Kxf5 55. a6 Ra5
56. Kb6 Ra2 57. a7 Rb2+ 58. Kc7 Ra2 59. Kb7 Rb2+ 60. Kc7 {1/2-1/2 (60) Topalov,
V (2769)-Caruana,F (2786) Bucharest 2012}) 10. Be2 Bxe2 11. Nxe2 Bxd4 {in the
analagous position in the variation where Black castles first, only one person
in the database dared take the central pawn, and lost.} 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 {What is
going on here, then? Black is currently a pawn up and White apparently has no
immediate threats that could recoup the material. For Class players, most of
us would therefore hate to be White. One clue, however, is that Houdini rates
this position as a half-pawn advantage to White. Let's see how this is
translated on the board.} 13. Bd2 {threatening the skewer on c3} Qc5 (13... O-O
14. Qh3 $16) 14. Rc1 Qe7 15. a4 {the idea is to kick the Nb6 and expose the
half-open b-file.} N8d7 $6 {this allows White to implement his plan without a
fight.} (15... h6 $5 16. Nf3 Na6 17. a5 Nc8 $14 {would leave Black's pieces
awkwardly placed and not set up well for castling, but at least he would
retain the pawn for some compensation.}) 16. a5 Nc8 17. Qxb7 Rb8 18. Qxc6 {now
White is a pawn up and still has a much better position. The b2 pawn is
tactically protected from the Rb8, given the lack of other defenders of the
Nc8.} O-O 19. Nf3 Rd8 (19... Rxb2 {is still not possible:} 20. Qc3 Rb8 21. Bh6
{and Black either loses material or gets mated on g7.}) (19... Nd6 $16 {is
Houdini's suggestion, at least getting the knight back in the fight.}) 20. O-O
e5 (20... Rxb2 $2 {although the Black rook is no longer on f8 to be threatened,
taking the b2 pawn is *still* not possible, due to yet another tactical
comeback involving Bh6:} 21. Qxc8 Rxc8 22. Rxc8+ Nf8 23. Bh6 $18) 21. Rfd1 $18
{White brings his remaining piece into the game and Black is amazingly
helpless in this position. As noted in the previous variation, he actually has
a back rank problem, despite both his rooks being there, due to the holes
around his king and the unopposed White dark square bishop.} f6 22. Bh6 Kf7 {
getting off the back rank, but White has other threats as well. Note how
Black's pieces, especially the knights and rooks, are uncoordinated and get in
each others' way.} 23. Qc4+ {Nakamura no doubt calculated the next sequence
through to the endgame.} (23. Qc7 {played immediately, according to Houdini,
would give White a greater advantage in the middlegame, for example} Ke8 24.
Qc4 Nf8 25. Rxd8+ Qxd8 26. Qg8 Qd6 27. Nd2 {with Nc4 coming}) 23... Qe6 24. Qc7
{White exploits Black's weak rooks and overloaded Nd7.} Ke8 25. Rxd7 Qxd7 26.
Qxb8 Nb6 {a clever way to get the knight into the game, but White returns the
favor with his own counterattack.} 27. Nxe5 Rxb8 28. Nxd7 Nxd7 {White has
engineered a transition to what should be a winning endgame.} 29. h4 {
preventing Black from attempting to shut the bishop in with ...g5} Rb5 (29...
Rxb2 {still does not work for Black:} 30. Rc8+ Ke7 31. Ra8) 30. Rc8+ Ke7 31.
Rh8 Rxb2 32. Rxh7+ {White decides to munch on Black's kingside pawns rather
than on the queenside one.} Ke6 33. Be3 a6 34. Rg7 Ne5 35. Bc5 f5 36. Bd4 Rb1+
37. Kh2 Rb5 38. Bxe5 Kxe5 39. Rxg6 {Black now acknowledges that he is lost.}
1-0

[Event "Vrsanska Uhelna chess match 2013"]
[Site "Podebrady"]
[Date "2013.11.30"]
[Round "1.4"]
[White "Ziaziulkina, Nastassia"]
[Black "Dorfman, Iossif"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B18"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:07:17"]
[BlackClock "0:07:21"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Bc4 {a sideline that
has been popular in the past, for example used in the Tal-Botvinnik matches,
where its theory evolved considerably. White targets f7 and plans to follow up
with N1e2-f4, eyeing tactics on e6.} e6 7. N1e2 Bd6 {Black's response in this
variation to White's strategic plan is simple: exchange off the knight if it
goes to f4.} 8. h4 h6 9. Nf4 Bxf4 10. Bxf4 Nf6 11. h5 {in line with Spassky's
"modern" method of how to use the h-pawn in main line Caro-Kann. Here's an
alternate take from the 1960 Tal-Botvinnik World Championship match:} (11. Qd2
Nbd7 12. O-O-O Nd5 13. Rde1 N7b6 14. Bb3 Nxf4 15. Qxf4 Nd5 16. Qe5 O-O 17. Ne4
Qb8 18. Nd6 Rd8 19. Nc4 Nb6 20. Qxb8 Raxb8 21. Ne5 Bh7 22. Rh3 Nd7 23. c3 Nxe5
24. Rxe5 b6 25. Rhe3 Rbc8 26. Bc4 Rc7 27. b4 Kf8 28. g4 Bg8 29. Bb3 Bh7 30. f4
Bg8 31. Kb2 Bh7 32. h5 Rdc8 33. Bc2 Bg8 34. g5 f6 35. R5e4 c5 36. Bb3 cxb4 37.
cxb4 hxg5 38. fxg5 fxg5 39. Rg3 Rf7 40. Rxg5 Rf2+ 41. Ka3 Rc7 {1/2-1/2 (41)
Tal,M-Botvinnik,M Moscow 1960}) 11... Bh7 12. O-O O-O 13. Bd3 $146 {in
comparison with the main line, White now takes an extra tempo to exchange off
the Bh7. This is a reasonable trade in strategic terms, as Black's bishop
occupies an excellent diagonal and its White counterpart is hemmed in by
Black's pawn structure. Although this is one of Houdini's top choices,
according to the database it is a novelty. Presumably White players are
normally looking for something more ambitious in this variation.} Bxd3 14. Qxd3
Nbd7 {we now have a standard-looking Caro-Kann structure from the main line,
the difference being that White has bishop for knight. While this may provide
a slight edge, it is worth noting that White's knights can be effective
attackers in the main line, especially when targeting e6/f7, which is not
possible here due to the absence of both the light-square bishop and a
suitably placed knight.} 15. Rfd1 Re8 16. c4 Qa5 {the idea being to restrain
b4 and develop the queen to a more useful square. Also worth noting is how the
queen exerts lateral force along the fifth rank, especially against the h-pawn,
although Black is not able to make anything of it during the game.} 17. a3 Rac8
18. b4 Qa4 {Black takes advantage of the lack of a light-square bishop to
occupy the hole on a4.} 19. Qf3 (19. Ne4 $5 {threatening to occupy d6} Nxe4 20.
Qxe4 a5 {is still all right for Black, but White would thereby accentuate the
B v N dynamic.}) 19... a5 20. Bd2 (20. bxa5 Qxc4) 20... axb4 21. axb4 Qc2 {
Black logically continues her campaign of penetrating White's queenside with
her queen.} 22. Rac1 Qa2 23. Qc3 Qa8 {Black now opts to continue maneuvering
with her queen, rather than changing the position's structure.} (23... b5 {
would be a little more ambitious, although still generally equal.} 24. cxb5 (
24. Rc2 Qxc4 25. Qxc4 bxc4 26. Rxc4 Nb6 27. Rc5 Nbd5) (24. Qd3 bxc4 25. Rxc4
Red8 {now the c-pawn is protected tactically, for example} 26. Rdc1 $2 (26. Rc2
Qd5 27. Rdc1 Rb8) 26... Ne5) 24... cxb5 25. Qxc8 Rxc8 26. Rxc8+ Kh7 {would
produce a situation where the queen should be a little better than the two
rooks, for example.}) 24. Ra1 Qb8 25. Qc1 Qd6 26. Bf4 Qe7 {there is no rush to
capture on b4, as Black cannot hold the pawn.} 27. Re1 Qxb4 28. Rb1 Qa5 {the
probable continuation would be 29. c5 Ra8 30. Rxb7 Ra7 followed by a rook
exchange, which appeared sufficiently drawish for the two players to call it a
day.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Tata Steel Challengers"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2014.01.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Wojtaszek, R."]
[Black "Reinderman, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A85"]
[WhiteElo "2711"]
[BlackElo "2593"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "142"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 $5 {this actually is "hot" according to ChessBase and scores
50 percent. Although statistics are mostly meaningless this early in a game,
it's still an indication that the move should not be dismissed. There are many
transpositional possibilities, one of the attractions of the move.} 3. a3 {
prevents ...Bb4, preparing White's next move.} f5 {transposing immediately
into a Dutch Defense. The majority of the time Bb7 is played first, but
Reinderman has other plans for the bishop deployment.} 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. g3 Ba6 (
5... Bb7 6. d5 {with an independent line of play.}) 6. Bg2 c6 7. b3 (7. Qa4 {
is the other alternative that has been played, scoring 3-0 for White in the
database. It is an aggressive departure from standard development, but poses
more probems for Black on the queenside by pressuring the Ba6, c6 and b5.})
7... d5 $11 {now Black has a rather favorable version of the Stonewall, where
his light-square bishop is already developed and White has not done anything
comparably useful.} 8. Nh3 {a common alternate plan in the Stonewall - instead
of trying to dominate e5, with the more standard Nf3, White's knight instead
heads for f4.} Bd6 9. Nf4 Qe7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. a4 {White moves
to establish an outpost on b5, with the idea of trading knight for bishop.} O-O
13. Nb5 Bxb5 {a positional necessity. Black in the Stonewall normally tries to
avoid trading off the dark-square bishop, given his weakness on the dark
squares, so takes the Nb5 with the other bishop. From White's standpoint, this
rids Black of a strong piece on the a6-f1 diagonal and opens the a-file for
White's rook. From Black's standpoint, White's queenside pawns are now weak
and Black is left with a lead in development.} 14. axb5 Rfc8 15. Bb2 Nf8 {
Black overprotects e6, thereby freeing up his queen.} (15... Bxf4 16. gxf4 Nf8
{is Houdini's preference, with the idea of following up with ...Ng6-h4.
Black's dark-square weakness is not easily exploitable and White's two bishops
are constrained by the pawn structure.}) 16. e3 Qd7 17. Qd3 Ne4 {a standard
idea in the Stonewall. Here it may not be the most effective immediate choice
for Black.} (17... g5 $5 {is a more aggressive approach, but fully in keeping
with the Dutch.} 18. Ne2 h5) (17... Rc7 {is another possibility, looking to
immediately occupy the c-file.}) 18. Ne2 Rc7 19. Rfc1 Rac8 20. Rxc7 Qxc7 21.
Rc1 Qd7 22. Rxc8 Qxc8 {by capturing with the queen on move 20, the difference
on move 22 after the additional rook exchange is that the queen is on c8
rather than c7.} 23. f3 {this move is always expected after the knight sortie
to e4, but it of course further blocks the Bg2.} Nf6 24. Nc3 Bb4 {the bishop
had no future on the b8-h2 diagonal.} 25. Na2 Bd6 26. Bc3 {avoiding the
repetition after Nc3. The position does not justify White's playing for a win,
however.} Ng6 27. Nb4 Ne7 {the knight comes back to defend c6, the point of
the maneuver. Given the lack of a threat to e6, it was also doing nothing on
f8.} 28. Qd2 h6 29. Nd3 {clearing the square for the bishop, as White is
looking to exchange on d6.} Qd7 30. Bb4 Ne8 {Black again repositions a knight
to a more effective square.} 31. Bxd6 Nxd6 32. Ne5 $6 {White seems to be
trying too hard for the win. Alternatively, perhaps he saw the sequence
through move 35 and incorrectly evaluated it as an easy draw.} (32. Qb4) 32...
Qxb5 33. Qc3 Nf7 $15 {Black finds the best defense to White's threat to
penetrate with the queen.} 34. Bf1 (34. Qc7 $2 Nxe5 35. Qxe7 Qd7 $17 {and
White has almost nothing to show for the sacrificed pawn.}) 34... Qa5 35. Qxa5
bxa5 {perhaps White evaluated this position as easily drawn, which turns out
not to be the case.} 36. Nd7 Nd6 37. Kf2 Nc6 {Black's knights keep looking
better and better.} 38. Nc5 Kf7 {time to activate the king, which is
sufficient to protect e6.} 39. Ke2 g5 {now Black seizes some space on the
kingside.} 40. Kd3 Ke7 41. Be2 $6 (41. Bg2 {and now} f4 {does not work:} 42.
gxf4 gxf4 43. Bh3 $11) 41... f4 {Black finds the way to exploit the inaccuracy
of the bishop's location, using a temporary pawn sacrifice to undermine
White's center and achieve dominance with his knights.} 42. gxf4 gxf4 43. exf4
Nf5 44. Bf1 Ncxd4 $19 {White now will lose 2 kingside pawns and can only pick
up one of Black's on the queenside in return.} 45. Bh3 {White must start
desperately looking for counterplay.} Nxf3 46. Nb7 Nxh2 47. Nxa5 Kd7 48. b4 h5
49. Bxf5 exf5 50. Nb3 {the endgame is now lost for White, although he
apparently held out some hope for a draw, perhaps by sacrificing his knight to
eliminate all of Black's pawns.} Nf3 51. Ke3 Nh4 52. Nd4 Kc7 53. Kf2 Ng6 54.
Kf3 Ne7 55. Kg3 Nc6 56. Nxf5 Nxb4 57. Kh4 Nd3 58. Kxh5 Nxf4+ 59. Kg5 Ne2 60.
Kg4 Kb6 61. Kf3 Nc3 62. Ke3 Nb5 63. Kd3 Kc5 64. Ne3 a5 65. Kc2 a4 66. Nd1 Na3+
67. Kd3 (67. Kb2 {is no help, as this possible line of play shows:} Nc4+ 68.
Ka1 d4 69. Nf2 Kb4 70. Nd3+ Kc3 71. Nc1 d3 72. Na2+ Kb3 73. Nc1+ Kc2 74. Nxd3
Kxd3) 67... Nc4 68. Nc3 a3 69. Na2 d4 70. Kc2 Na5 {the most effective way to
make progress.} 71. Nc1 Kc4 0-1

[Event "Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2014 "]
[Site "The Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar"]
[Date "2014.01.28"]
[Round "1.37"]
[White "Malmdin, Nils-Ake"]
[Black "Salem, A.R. Saleh"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B10"]
[WhiteElo "2175"]
[BlackElo "2564"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2014.01.28"]

1. e4 c6 2. d3 {indicating that White will go into the King's Indian Attack.}
d5 3. Nd2 e5 4. Ngf3 Bd6 5. g3 Nf6 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. Re1 Nbd7 9. a3 {
more common here is either c3, reinforcing the center, or b3, preparing to
develop the bishop.} a5 {a typical reaction, restraining the b4 advance.} 10.
b3 d4 {while there are a variety of moves that are playable here, the text
move scores 100 percent for Black!} 11. Nh4 (11. Bb2 {seems better, in order
to make some progress on development and free up the first rank for White's
heavy pieces.}) 11... Bf8 {Black anticipates Nf5, hitting the bishop, and
proactively reinforces his kingside, as e5 no longer needs the bishop's
attention.} 12. Nf1 {this is consistent with White leaving the bishop on c1,
but appears to be too slow. Black will get his play on the queenside and in
the center before White can develop any threats on the kingside.} a4 13. b4 c5
{the pawn is used as a lever to open the c-file for Black.} 14. bxc5 Ra5 $5 {
an original way of getting the rook into play.} (14... Qc7 {is more
normal-looking and less committal.}) 15. Nf5 {White is playing too slowly and
not bringing enough of his army to bear.} (15. f4 $5 $15) 15... Rxc5 16. g4 Re6
$17 {Houdini agrees that this other unusual rook lift is the best for Black.
Along the third rank, the rook can immediately increase pressure on the c-file
and also be available for defense on the kingside, if needed. Black also
clears a retreat square for the knight, based on the threat created by White's
last move.} 17. h3 {White apparently still feels no sense of urgency.} (17. g5
{would at least be consistent.}) 17... Rec6 18. c4 {White chooses the least
worst option, jettisoning the doomed c-pawn and picking up the a-pawn in
return. However, Black is still in a dominant position and White has no
counterplay.} dxc3 19. Qxa4 c2 $19 {a powerful move, cutting the Qa4 off from
the kingside and ensuring White will have to cover the c1 square at all costs.}
20. Be3 Rc3 {Black keeps pounding away with his amazing rooks.} 21. d4 Qc7 {
forming "Alekhine's Gun", with the R+R+Q on the same file.} (21... R6c4 22. Qb5
exd4 23. Nxd4 Nc5 {is Houdini's preferred way to make progress.}) 22. g5 $6 {
this makes it easier for Black.} (22. Rec1 {blocking the pawn advance would
make for stronger resistance, on the next move as well.}) 22... Ne8 23. d5 {
this simply forces the rook to a better square.} R6c4 24. Qb5 c1=Q {White will
lose a piece with no compensation and a fractured position, so resigns. An
impressive c-file for Black!} 0-1

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2014.03.15"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D23"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2770"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 dxc4 5. Qxc4 {we now have a position
normally classified as belonging to the Queen's Gambit Accepted opening.
However, I believe it is a good way for Slav players to meet White's fourth
move, staying consistent with the spirit of the defense.} Bg4 (5... Bf5 {is by
far the most played here, although the text move scores slightly better and is
the "hot" move according to ChessBase. This is consistent with other lines of
the Slav, where ...Bg4 is now more often played or at least considered viable.}
) 6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. g3 (7. e3 {at first glance seems the logical follow-up, but
the text move's plan of developing the bishop on the long diagonal is the
overwhelming favorite. In this variation, White's dark-squared bishop is more
cramped, whereas in the game it can go to e3 later.}) 7... e6 8. Bg2 Be7 {
Black has pursued standard development and can be considered equal at this
point, with a solid position.} 9. Ne5 {very few games have continued this way,
with most continuing O-O. The text move only scores 33 percent for White. With
the knight sally, White hits the Bg4 (a difference from the Bf5 lines).} Bh5 {
moving the bishop to f5 would not make sense, as White could then play e4 with
tempo.} 10. Nxd7 (10. Ndf3 {would be my preference, reinforcing the Ne5.})
10... Nxd7 {with this move, Black chooses to fight for the c5 and e5 squares,
with the idea of allowing a pawn break; Anand in fact will play the ...e5
break.} 11. O-O O-O 12. Nb3 {White reinforces the d4 pawn - which otherwise is
awkwardly guarded by the queen - and eyes c5, while freeing up the Bc1. Black
can immediately challenge the knight's placement, however.} a5 13. a4 {
blocking the Black pawn's further advance.} (13. Nc5 {anticipating the Black
pawn advance to a4 results in a rather awkward situation for White, largely
because of the d-pawn.} Nb6 14. Qd3 Bxc5 15. dxc5 Qxd3 16. exd3 Na4) 13... Bb4
{with the a-pawn no longer a threat, the bishop moves to a more active outpost.
} 14. e4 e5 $146 {Anand's novelty, according to the database. White may have
been confident in this line due to the result of the following game:} (14...
Qe7 15. Be3 Rfd8 16. f4 Kh8 17. Rf2 f6 18. Bd2 e5 19. Bxb4 axb4 20. fxe5 fxe5
21. d5 Rac8 22. Rc1 Nb6 23. Qc5 Qxc5 24. Nxc5 cxd5 25. Bh3 Ra8 26. a5 Nc4 27.
Nxb7 Rf8 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. exd5 Nxb2 30. d6 Bf3 31. Rc8 Rxc8 32. Bxc8 Bc6 33.
d7 Bxd7 34. Bxd7 Nc4 35. Be6 b3 36. Bxc4 b2 37. Ba2 {1-0 (37) Ivanchuk,V (2769)
-Vallejo Pons,F (2697) Istanbul 2012}) 15. Be3 {the bishop finally gets into
the game.} exd4 16. Bxd4 Kh8 {a preventive measure, stepping out of the pin on
the a2-g8 diagonal.} 17. e5 $6 {overly optimistic, looking to seize space on
the kingside. Anand's previous move allows him to combat it with the ...f6
break.} (17. Rac1 {would be an example of a more solid continuation.}) 17...
Re8 18. f4 f6 19. exf6 (19. e6 {would eventually lose the pawn.} Nb6 20. Bxb6
Qxb6+ 21. Kh1 Qe3 22. Nd4 Rad8 23. Nc2 Qxe6 $17) 19... Nxf6 $15 {taking stock
of the position, Black's pieces look much more active and coordinated. White
now attempts to reduce this advantage through an exchange of minor pieces.} 20.
Bf3 Bxf3 21. Rxf3 {without the light-squared bishops on the board, Black
dominates fewer squares in White's camp, but the absence of White's bishop is
now felt in the center, which Black seizes on.} Re4 {Black now takes over the
initiative, with play revolving around the pinned bishop.} (21... c5 22. Bc3
Re4 {is a variation on the same idea.} 23. Bxf6 Rxc4 24. Bxd8 Rxd8) 22. Re3 (
22. Qd3 {doesn't offer White much relief either.} Qe8 {with similar play.})
22... Rxe3 23. Bxe3 Qe8 24. Bb6 {given the game continuation, this appears to
simply lose a tempo, although the immediate Bd4 also leaves White with
problems.} (24. Bd4 Rd8 25. Rc1 c5 26. Bxf6 (26. Be5 Ng4 27. Qe2 h5) 26... gxf6
27. Rc2 Rd1+ 28. Kg2 Qc6+ 29. Kh3 Rd5 {and Black has a comfortable advantage.})
24... Qh5 {this clears the e8 square for the rook and pressures the h-file,
with the threat of ...Ng4 looming.} 25. Bd4 Re8 {in comparison with the
previous variation, Black's queen is on h5 and the rook on e8, a significant
improvement. Black again has the potential threat of ...Re4 and White has no
good way of untangling the queen and bishop in the center.} 26. Rf1 {this
precipitates the loss, as both the game continuation and Houdini show,
although White was in difficulties anyway.} (26. Qd3 Rd8 27. Qc2 (27. Qc4 Ng4)
27... Ng4 28. Qe2 (28. h4 $2 c5 29. Bc3 c4 30. Nd4 Bc5 31. Qd1 Qg6 32. Qe2
Bxd4+) 28... c5 29. Bc3 c4 30. Nd4 Re8 $19) (26. Be5 Nd7 $17) 26... Ng4 27. Qc2
c5 {a surprisingly powerful move. Black once again can exploit the pinning
theme against the bishop and queen.} 28. Nxc5 (28. Be5 c4 29. Nd4 Bc5) (28. Bc3
Bxc3 29. bxc3 Ne3) 28... Rc8 {now White cannot parry the threat of ...b6} 29.
Rd1 Bxc5 30. Bxc5 h6 {negating White's potential back-rank threat.} 31. Kh1 {
and White resigned, with Black's most obvious win coming after ...Nf2+} 0-1

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2014.03.25"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A80"]
[WhiteElo "2787"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:20/3600:900+30"]

1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 {an unusual approach, usually this means White is
looking for a solid, unambitious game rather than to challenge Black early on.}
b6 {Black can often fianchetto the light-squared bishop to good effect when
given the opportunity. This also recalls the Bird-Larsen opening as White.} (
3... e6 {would be a standard response for Stonewall players and prevents
White's next move.}) 4. d5 $5 $146 {provocative, to say the least, and a
novelty already. However, the pawn proves to be difficult to deal with
effectively.} Bb7 5. Bc4 {White supports the d-pawn and makes it impossible
for Black to try and exchange it for the e-pawn with ...e6.} c6 {Black
therefore looks to exchange it off with the c-pawn.} 6. Nc3 cxd5 7. Nxd5 e6 8.
Nxf6+ Qxf6 9. O-O {both sides look OK coming out of the initial opening clash.
Black's d-pawn on the half-open file is an excellent target for the opposition,
implying that he will need to push ...d5 at some point.} Bc5 10. Bd2 Nc6 (10...
Qxb2 {was something Kramnik was obviously not worried about, since he would
obtain good compensation for the pawn.} 11. Nd4 Qa3 (11... Bxd4 $2 12. Rb1 Qa3
13. Bb4 Qa4 14. Qxd4) 12. Qh5+ g6 {and Black's position is full of holes, with
his queen offside as well.}) 11. Bc3 Qe7 12. a3 a5 {Black's typical reaction,
in order to prevent b4. Although White's immediate idea is foiled, a3 is still
useful because it takes away b4 from a Black piece and ...a5 is relatively
more weakening, abandoning the b5 square.} 13. Qe2 O-O 14. Rad1 d5 {while not
exactly forced, this is the obvious antidote for Black to White's play on the
d-file. We now have a Stonewall pawn structure.} 15. Bb5 Na7 {lacking any good
alternative squares, the knight challenges the bishop.} 16. a4 {a logical
follow-up, also indicating White is not satisfied with a draw, as otherwise a
repetition with Bd3 is possible.} (16. Ba6 Bxa6 17. Qxa6 {would be another way
to avoid the repetition, without the possibility of Black changing White's
pawn structure with an exchange on b5.}) 16... Bd6 {Svidler with this move
indicates he prefers to keep his knight on the board rather than exchange it.
This looks a little weird at first, with it posted at a7, but the knight will
eventually have greater freedom than the light-squared bishop.} (16... Nxb5 17.
axb5 Bd6 {is an alternative and rather different way to play, with the two
bishops for Black and a White pawn on b5. Black may be solid, but he has some
problems to solve here, especially the Bb7.}) 17. Ba6 {White looks to exchange;
his light-square bishop is not very useful either in a Stonewall structure.}
Nc6 {there are a number of options here. Svidler decides to use the tempo to
improve his knight's position.} 18. Bxb7 Qxb7 19. b3 {supports the otherwise
lonely a4 pawn and opens up a retreat on the long diagonal for the bishop.} Qa6
20. Qd2 {White has not changed his mind about his desire to win vs. draw, so
avoids the queen trade.} Rac8 21. Ng5 Rce8 {Svidler chooses to move the
queen's rook twice in order to protect the e6 pawn, rather than take the other
rook off the f-file. Counterplay there is evidently more important to him than
on the c-file.} 22. Bb2 h6 {there is no reason for Black to allow the knight
to remain at g5. This is also a useful preparation for a possible future ...g5,
a typical kingside attacking plan in the Stonewall.} 23. Nf3 Bb4 {Black sees
that c4 is a threat. He could have simply played the bishop to e7 for the same
result, but this maneuver helps get him closer to the time control.} 24. c3 Be7
25. c4 {although the bishop is no longer hanging on d6, White finds another
tactical justification for attacking Black's central strongpoint.} dxc4 {
taking on c4 is best, either now or after an intermediate move such as ...Bb4,
otherwise Black's pawn structure is compromised.} 26. Rc1 {White takes
advantage of another hanging piece, this time the Nc6.} b5 {this decision to
unbalance the queenside structure looks dangerous.} (26... Rc8 {is the solid
way to play, suggested by Houdini.} 27. Rxc4 Qb7 28. Rfc1 Rfd8) 27. axb5 Qxb5
28. Rxc4 {White in contrast to the above variation has significantly greater
scope for his pieces and can target Black's weaker kingside as well as look
for play on the c/d files.} Nb4 {this allows Black to significantly improve
the knight and closes the e1-a5 diagonal, but also cedes control of e5.} 29.
Ne5 Nd5 30. Qc2 Bd6 (30... Nb4 $5 {harassing the queen looks like a good
intermediate move here.}) 31. Nc6 Nb6 32. Rd4 $2 {Kramnik misses the
deflection tactic for Black. Easy to do, if one focuses on the center of the
board and assumes that the kingside is safe, without checking CCT.} (32. Nd4
Qe5 33. Nf3 Qb5 34. Rc3 $14) 32... Bxh2+ $1 {White has no choice but to take
on h2, leaving the Rf1 unprotected.} 33. Kxh2 Qxf1 $17 34. Qc3 $2 {although
this objectively leads quickly to a lost game, Kramnik must have decided that
a swindle was his only chance to save the game.} (34. Nxa5 {was objectively
best, recovering a pawn, but it's hard to picture a super-GM not being able to
convert the material advantage as Black in this position.}) 34... Rf6 {
blocking any funny business on the long diagonal.} 35. Ne5 Qxf2 {Svidler is
not distracted by White's desperate attempts to generate a threat and calmly
increases his advantage.} 36. Rf4 Qe2 37. Qd4 Nd5 38. Rf3 Rc8 {Black now goes
over to the offensive. The end is near.} 39. Rg3 f4 {Black finally gets to
attack down the f-file. Breakthrough is inevitable and White resigns.} 0-1

[Event "4th WGP 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2014.04.09"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Zhao, Xue"]
[Black "Lagno, Kateryna"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D94"]
[WhiteElo "2552"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2014.04.09"]

1. Nf3 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 {surprisingly, Black scores over 56 percent from
this very unassuming position.} 4. e3 {opting for central play, rather than
fianchettoing the bishop.} Nf6 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 cxd4 7. Nxd4 d5 {Black's score
is now over 61 percent in the database, with this Grunfeld-type setup.} 8. O-O
dxc4 9. Bxc4 a6 {White's score from here is now abysmal, with close to 75
percent for Black. A case of the visual impression of the board not conforming
to its reality. White's pieces look more developed, but Black will remedy that
shortly and has much more harmonious development. Meanwhile, White in reality
is not very coordinated and the dark-square bishop is a problem.} 10. a4 Qc7
11. Ba2 $146 (11. Qb3 {scores best here, although still at a poor 36 percent.})
(11. Qe2 $5) 11... Rd8 12. Bd2 {White is looking quite awkward.} e5 13. Nf3 Nc6
(13... Bg4 $15 {looks like the logical follow-up. Among other things it
threatens Bxf3, after which White would have to capture with the g-pawn, due
to the otherwise hanging Bd2. Black in this variation develops a piece
strongly and has the initiative.}) 14. Ng5 $11 {while the threat is easily
parried, it does cause Black to reverse her development and disrupts her
initiative.} Rf8 15. Rc1 {White looks OK now, with the position being equal.
Her pieces are now more active and doing useful things, other than getting in
each others' way.} e4 $6 (15... h6 {chasing the knight and freeing up the Rf8
looks like a good plan here.}) 16. Ngxe4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Bxb2 {Lagno must have
mis-evaluated this position when playing her 15th move, not seeing White's
follow-up threats.} 18. Qc2 {a subtle but strong move.} Bg7 19. Bb4 $1 {
White's active bishops now dominate and slice Black's position up, thanks to
the pin on the Nc6.} Rd8 {now the pendulum has swung back in White's favor,
with Black's pieces under pressure and uncoordinated.} 20. Ng5 {now Black
really could use that pawn on h6.} Bf5 {Black appears desperate for
counterplay.} 21. e4 Qf4 22. Nxf7 Rd4 23. Bd6 {White has multiple ways to win.}
(23. exf5 Nxb4 24. Ng5+ Kh8 25. Qc8+ Rxc8 26. Rxc8+ Bf8 27. Rxf8+ Kg7 28. Ne6+
Kh6 29. Nxf4 Rxf4 $18) 23... Bxe4 (23... Qxe4 24. Ng5+) (23... Rxd6 24. Nxd6+
Kh8 25. Nf7+ Kg8 26. exf5) 24. Qb3 Qf6 (24... Bd5 25. Qxd5 Rxd5 26. Bxf4 Rd4
27. Rc4 Rf8 28. Ng5 Kh8 29. Be3 $18) 25. Qxb7 Re8 26. Ng5+ Kh8 27. Nxe4 Rdxe4
28. Qxc6 {White converts her advantage into material gain. Black has no
counterplay and White's bishops continue to dominate, landing the final blow
on move 30.} h5 29. a5 Qg5 30. Bf7 1-0

[Event "4th WGP 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2014.04.09"]
[Round "1.6"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Kosintseva, Tatiana"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2618"]
[BlackElo "2496"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2014.04.09"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 {the QGD setup against the English can result in
a number of different kinds of games. Here White is already committed to a
kingside fianchetto, rather than central play.} 4. Bg2 dxc4 {this scores the
best of Black's possibilities here, with around 52 percent for White.
Completing the QGD setup with ...Be7 is the most popular choice, however.} 5.
Qa4+ {safely recovering the pawn} Nbd7 6. Qxc4 a6 7. Qb3 {an anticipatory
retreat. White from here scores close to 60 percent. This is a little more
aggressive than the other major option, Qc2.} c5 {a more classical-type move.}
(7... Rb8 {is the better-scoring, more modern alternative. Black gets the rook
off the long diagonal and overprotects b7.}) 8. d3 (8. a4 {immediately would
be aimed at restraining ...b5. White plays this a few moves later, however, as
Black prefers to focus on development rather than taking the opportunity to
push the b-pawn in the interim.}) 8... Be7 {the bishop often is developed
instead to d6 in this line.} 9. Nc3 O-O 10. a4 Nb6 $146 {White has won the
handful of previous games with this position in the database, so perhaps Black
trying something new is warranted.} (10... Qc7 $5 {would pursue more standard
development and makes sense to support the c-pawn, as well as putting another
piece in place to influence the e5 square.}) 11. O-O Nbd5 12. Ne5 $14 {White
sensibly occupies the now-undefended central square, heading for a more active
location for the knight on c4. This is the point of inflection for the game,
as White takes over the initiative and starts creating threats.} Qc7 13. Nc4
Bd7 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Bxd5 {an instructive decision to give up the
nice-looking bishop on the long diagonal in order to take advantage of the
knight's ability to occupy b6 and target the weak d5 pawn.} exd5 16. Nb6 Rae8 (
16... d4 {this positional exchange sacrifice is recommended by Houdini (!) -
not exactly a traditional materialistic engine choice.} 17. Nxa8 Rxa8 18. Bf4
Qc6 {the point is that White has now given up her bishop on the long diagonal
for nothing - the Nb6 having disappeared - and Black can try to exploit that
weakness. Black also now has a slight initiative.} 19. Rfe1 Bh3 20. f3 Be6 21.
Qc2 Rc8 $14) 17. Bf4 Qc6 18. Qxd5 {an indirect exchange of the Nb6 for the Bd7
- a wise choice. The knight has done its job, enabling the capture on d5, and
the light-square bishop would become dangerous in this open position without a
White counterpart.} Qxb6 (18... Qxd5 19. Nxd5 {would leave White with a strong
knight on d5 that could easily be swapped for one of Black's two bishops,
negating that potential advantage.}) 19. Qxd7 Bf6 (19... Qxb2 $2 20. Rab1 Qa2
21. Qxb7 Qxa4 22. Ra1 Qb4 23. Qxa6 $16) 20. Bd6 {another excellent choice,
keeping the pressure on Black and looking to make another indirect exchange,
this time of the queens.} Rd8 {forced, or Black loses the exchange.} 21. Bc7 {
also forced.} Rxd7 22. Bxb6 Re8 23. Rfe1 Bxb2 {Black regains the pawn at the
end of the sequence, but White still has an edge, as Black's queenside pawns
are more vulnerable than White's kingside grouping.} 24. Rab1 (24. Ra2 {an
alternative choice that places a rook on the second rank, with the benefit of
guarding e2 and remaining fully mobile.} Bd4 25. Rb1 c4 (25... Rc8 26. Rc2 Rc6
27. e3 Bf6 28. Rxc5 Rxd3 29. Rxc6 bxc6 30. Bd4 Kf8 31. Bxf6 gxf6 32. Rb8+ Kg7
33. Ra8 $16) 26. dxc4 Bxb6 27. Rxb6 $14) 24... Ba3 25. Rb3 (25. Kf1 {would
free up the Re1 from guard duty.}) 25... Bb4 26. Rc1 h6 (26... a5 {immediately
would secure equality, as Black could win back her c5 pawn immediately if
White took it.} 27. Bxc5 Rc7 28. Be3 Rxc1+ 29. Bxc1 Rxe2 $11) 27. e4 a5 {now,
however, the e-pawn is protected and the c5 pawn can be taken.} 28. Bxc5 Rc8
29. Be3 Rdc7 30. Rxc7 Rxc7 31. d4 $14 {the engine assesses that Black has some
compensation for the pawn - White still needs to activate her rook properly
and Black's is definitely better - but not enough to offset the material
advantage.} Rc2 32. d5 {while there is a good deal of play left, the central
pawn steamroller already looks like it spells doom for Black.} Kf8 33. Rb1 {
while Rd3 was also possible to activate the rook, this move will allow White
to challenge on the c-file.} Ra2 34. Rc1 Rxa4 {Black has again temporarily
regained her material equality, but now White has all the rook activity and
can combine that well with her central steamroller.} (34... Bd6 {would put up
stronger resistance.}) 35. e5 $18 Ra3 (35... b5 {moving to preserve the b-pawn
does not help, as White can use the extra tempo to advance the pawn and
activate her king decisively.} 36. d6 Ke8 37. Kg2 Ra3 38. Rc7 Rd3 39. Kf3 $18)
36. Rc8+ Ke7 37. Rc7+ {the rook now dominates both the only open file and the
7th rank. Nimzovich would be proud.} Ke8 38. Rxb7 Rd3 39. Rb8+ {perhaps played
to make the time control, with d6 being too complicated to calculate
immediately.} (39. d6) 39... Kd7 40. Rb7+ Ke8 (40... Kc8 {challenging the rook
appears to give Black more chances.}) 41. d6 f6 {the only way to break up
White's central duo.} 42. Rxg7 fxe5 43. Re7+ Kf8 44. Bxh6+ Kg8 45. Rg7+ Kh8 46.
Ra7 Rxd6 47. Bg7+ {nicely recovering the second pawn. Black at this point is
just playing on hope.} Kg8 48. Bxe5 Rd5 49. Bc7 Bc3 50. Kg2 Be1 51. h4 Rd2 52.
Bb6 Ra2 53. h5 Bd2 54. g4 a4 55. Bd4 a3 56. g5 {the position is now completely
hopeless. The three connected passed pawns on the kingside could beat Black's
rook if necessary. (...Bxg5 does not work because of Rg7+)} 1-0

[Event "4th WGP 2014"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2014.04.14"]
[Round "5.4"]
[White "Hou Yifan"]
[Black "Muminova, Nafisa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2618"]
[BlackElo "2321"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2014.04.09"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg2 a6 {this is not one of those types of
positions where ...a6 will be inevitably played at some point, so throwing it
in this early appears artificial. White scores a healthy 60 percent from this
position.} 5. d4 {transposing to a Catalan where Black's previous move
definitely looks strange. However, the point is that White cannot
automatically regain the pawn after the capture on c4, as ...b5 is now
possible.} dxc4 6. O-O {it's sometimes hard to remember that the Queen's
Gambit is actually a gambit, but now White is playing it as such.} Nc6 7. Nbd2
{not the most promising-looking move. Top players normally play e3 or Bg5.}
Nxd4 {although by no means obligatory, this has been played in all 8 database
games.} 8. Nxc4 {White has indirectly exchanged the d and c pawns.} Bc5 {Black
plays to maintain the central knight, rather than trade it off.} 9. Nfe5 {
White in turn also foregoes exchanging the Nd4, preferring to establish her
own knight in the center.} O-O 10. Be3 {developing a piece and maintaining
pressure in the center, temporarily pinning the knight against the hanging Bc5.
Interestingly, Houdini already gives a small plus to White, meaning she has
more than enough compensation for the pawn.} Ba7 {protecting the bishop in the
best way, although it still looks awkward.} 11. Rc1 $14 {What does White have
for the pawn? The Ne5 is excellently placed and cannot be easily driven off.
The Nc4 is also strong and can be routed to c6 if Black plays ...b5. White's
Bg2 also looks excellent, while its counterpart is doing nothing on c8 and
will be a pain to develop. Finally, the half-open c-file is already occupied
by a White rook.} c5 {Black attempts to play as actively as possible and
supports the d4 outpost.} 12. Bd2 {White judges that the bishop has no future
on the g1-a7 diagonal and prepares to reroute it. This also clears the square
for the e-pawn to kick the Nd4.} Nd5 {besides centralizing the knight, this
blocks the long diagonal and potentially will assist Black in developing the
queenside.} 13. e3 Nb5 14. Qe2 {while this develops the queen to a useful
square, the main effect is to clear d1 to develop the other rook.} Nd6 {Black
looks to start some exchanges, in the hopes of trading away White's advantages.
} 15. Rfd1 Nxc4 16. Nxc4 (16. Qxc4 {would give Black easier play.} Qc7 17. Nf3
b5 18. Qh4 f6 $11) 16... b5 17. Ba5 (17. e4 {immediately is also possible.}
bxc4 18. exd5 exd5 19. Bc3 {and although now down two pawns, White still has
the upper hand.} Be6 20. Bxd5 Bxd5 21. Qe5 f6 22. Qf5 g6 23. Qxd5+ Qxd5 24.
Rxd5 $14) 17... Qe7 18. e4 {White must continue to play actively.} (18. Ne5 $6
Bb7 {and now Black has a freer game and the material advantage will start
playing more of a role.}) 18... Nb4 {a committal move on the queenside. White
can now transform Black's pawn structure there to something much less
effective, while continuing her central play.} (18... Nf6 $5) 19. Bxb4 cxb4 20.
Ne5 (20. e5 Bb7 21. Bxb7 Qxb7 22. Na5 {is Houdini's preferred continuation.
White's pawn on e5 is strong and cramps Black, while her rooks look excellent
and the knight is prepared to hop into c6.}) 20... Qg5 (20... Bb7 {it seems
like finally getting this piece into the game would be a good idea.}) 21. Nc6
e5 {a useful move for Black that would have been prevented by an earlier e5 on
White's part.} 22. h4 {White pre-empts potential activity by Black on the
kingside and kicks the queen.} Qf6 23. b3 {White decides not to rush with the
pawn capture on b4 (and in fact never plays it).} a5 $6 {playing a pawn move
here essentially gives White a free tempo and shows too great an attachment to
the b4 pawn. The b5 pawn is immune to capture because of the threat to f2, but
White can immediately remedy that.} (23... Be6 $11) 24. Rc2 Bb7 $2 {ironically
the bishop finally develops, and it's the losing move.} 25. Nxa7 Rxa7 26. Rc7 {
the pin against the Ra7 and the fact that the Bb7 is otherwise unprotected
mean that White now has too many unanswerable threats.} Qb6 {this attempts to
remedy the pin situation, but White can powerfully double rooks on the 7th
rank and Black cannot do anything about it.} 27. Rdd7 a4 {Black attempts to
distract White with this queenside sortie, but to no avail.} 28. Kh2 {White
puts safety first, getting the king out of the f-pawn pin and off the back
rank.} h6 29. Qe3 Qa6 30. Qc5 {the queen now enters with decisive threats.}
axb3 {again, more desperately, attempting to distract White.} 31. Qxf8+ {and
it's mate in 3 (or 1, if Kxf8).} 1-0

[Event "ch-USA w 2014"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2014.05.09"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Krush, Irina"]
[Black "Eswaran, Ashritha"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "2489"]
[BlackElo "1979"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2014.05.08"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 {Black decides to head for a Hedgehog
formation.} 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 {the standard Hedgehog position in the
English.} 7. Re1 {this postpones d4 in order to support an e4 push.} O-O 8. e4
d6 {the key part of the Hedgehog pawn structure. Black's pawns along the 6th
rank act as a barrier against any White initiatives. The d-pawn needs to be
guarded well, however, as the d-file will be opened by White.} 9. d4 cxd4 {
otherwise White gains a true space advantage after the d5 advance.} 10. Nxd4
Nfd7 11. Be3 Ne5 {while centralized, the knight is going to be vulnerable to
the f4 push, which later turns out to be decisive.} 12. b3 Nbc6 13. h3 $146 {
a prophylactic move against the harrassing ...Ng4} (13. f4 {was played
immediately in the following game:} Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Nc6 15. Bf2 Rc8 16. Rc1 Qc7
17. Qd2 Qb8 18. g4 Rfd8 19. g5 Bf8 20. f5 Ne5 21. Qe2 g6 22. f6 h6 23. gxh6 Nd7
24. Rf1 Re8 25. Bg3 Rc5 26. Rcd1 Rh5 27. Nb5 Ne5 28. Bf4 a6 29. Nd4 Qd8 30. Nf3
Qc7 31. Nxe5 dxe5 32. Be3 Bxh6 33. Bxh6 Rxh6 34. Qe3 Rh8 35. Rf3 Rd8 36. Rxd8+
Qxd8 37. Qd3 Qd4+ 38. Qxd4 exd4 39. b4 Rh4 40. Ra3 e5 41. c5 bxc5 42. bxc5 Rf4
43. Rf3 Rg4 44. Rg3 Rf4 45. Rf3 Rg4 46. Rg3 Rf4 47. Rf3 {1/2-1/2 (47) Knott,S 
(2387)-Sarakauskiene,Z (2158) Liverpool 2006}) 13... Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Bf6 {the
threat here seems a bit cheap, while withdrawing support from d6.} 15. Qd2 a6
$2 {The Qd8 is now forced to cover both d6 and b6, something which White can
take advantage of. Remarkably, Black is essentially busted out of the opening
at this point.} (15... Be7 {would be rather humbling, but would limit White's
advantage.}) 16. Rad1 Be7 17. f4 {kicking the knight with tempo and allowing
the queen into the f2 square.} Nc6 18. Qf2 {Black now has no good options
regarding the fatally weak b-pawn.} Qb8 {this further reinforces the e5 square,
but otherwise buries the queen.} (18... b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nxb5 Nb4 21. a4 d5
22. exd5 Bxd5 $16) 19. Bxb6 Bd8 20. Re2 {White now has the obvious follow-up
plan of doubling rooks on the d-file.} Ne7 21. Red2 Bxb6 22. Qxb6 Nc8 23. Qe3
$18 {White is a clear pawn to the good and holds all the positional trumps,
including well-developed pieces and a space advantage. Houdini evalutes the
position as more than 2 pawns in White's favor.} Bc6 24. Ne2 Ra7 25. Nd4 Ba8
26. Nf3 (26. f5) 26... f6 27. Nd4 {it's unclear whether White was simply
repeating moves here in order to help with the time control, or had some other
purpose. In any case, the follow-up break of f5 is the key and could have been
played earlier.} Re7 28. f5 e5 {attempting to play in a more closed fashion,
but giving away the e6 square to make an outstanding outpost for the knight.} (
28... exf5 29. Nxf5 Re5 30. Nxd6 Nxd6 31. Rxd6 {also looks good for White,
however.}) 29. Ne6 Rfe8 30. c5 {White keeps up the pressure.} Qa7 31. b4 Bc6 {
attempting to blockade the pawns' progress.} 32. Kh2 {White chooses safety
first, getting the king off the a7-g1 diagonal before moving forward with her
breakthrough.} dxc5 33. bxc5 Bd7 34. Bf1 {White needs to get this bishop into
the game and can ignore the buildup against e6 for tactical reasons.} Bxe6 35.
fxe6 {and the pawn is tactically defended, due to the skewer on the a2-g8
diagonal.} Rc7 $2 {this loses quickly, due to allowing the penetration on the
8th rank to have greater effect, but Black had no counterplay in any case.} (
35... Qb7) 36. Rd8 Kf8 (36... Rxd8 37. Rxd8#) 37. Rxe8+ Kxe8 38. Qd2 {mate is
now inevitable.} Ke7 39. Qd8+ 1-0

[Event "ch-USA 2014"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2014.05.19"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Friedel, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2713"]
[BlackElo "2505"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2014.05.07"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 {the London System.} c5 {this and ...b6 are the two
most popular responses.} 4. e3 {continuing with the standard setup, although
c3 is also possible. Exchanging on c5 would simply give Black what he wants in
the center and develop the dark-squared bishop.} cxd4 {exchanging the c for
the d pawn, which according to classical theory is a plus. Of course this is
done all the time in the Open Sicilian by White, so general ideas only get you
so far.} 5. exd4 b6 {again, the most popular continuation. The light-squared
bishop will otherwise be out of the game.} 6. h3 {a typical feature of the
opening, although played early here. The main point is to provide a retreat
square for the Bf4, rather than to take g4 away from the Nf6.} Bb7 7. Bd3 Be7
8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 d6 {Black challenges the hold White has over e5, which
otherwise would be an excellent outpost for him.} 10. a4 {the idea is to
undermine Black on the queenside.} a6 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Bh2 {White anticipates
a challenge to the bishop and withdraws it to safer territory.} Re8 13. a5 {
demonstrating a deep understanding of the position. With this advance on the
wing, in fact Kamsky is undermining Black's position in the center.} d5 {while
a central pawn on d5 is not a bad thing in itself, here the pawn advance gives
up the e5 square and also blocks the Bb7.} (13... bxa5 14. Nc4 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 d5
16. Nxa5 $14) (13... b5 {is Houdini's preference, which maintains Black's
central configuration and makes fewer concessions to White.} 14. c4 bxc4 15.
Nxc4 Qb8) 14. c3 {Kamsky with this move reinforces d4 and gives his queen (or
bishop) the c2 square.} Bc6 (14... bxa5 {still does not work.} 15. Qa4 {and
the a5 pawn will fall, leaving its double on a6 a target.}) 15. axb6 Qxb6 16.
Ra2 Bb5 17. Bc2 {Kamsky's decision to avoid the piece trade I believe was
influenced by the must-win nature of the game. He likely assessed that in
practical terms, his winning chances would decrease, even if the position
appeared slightly better.} (17. Qe2 Bxd3 18. Qxd3 $14) 17... Rec8 {the action
looks to be over on the queenside, so Black commits his rook.} 18. Ne5 Nxe5 {
leaving the strong knight on e5 would do Black no good and the piece exchange
is also welcomed. However, White as a result of the maneuver gains more
control over the strategic square.} 19. Bxe5 Nd7 20. Bf4 a5 21. Re3 {the rook
lift idea looks a little crude, but again White needs the win. Black's forces
are also away from the kingside, so there is an intimidation factor to White's
potential attack.} Nf8 {a key turning point strategically. Friedel chooses to
shift his play back to the kingside for defense, mirroring Kamsky's efforts,
rather than play on the queenside where he has a space advantage and pressure.}
(21... a4 {here or on the next move is the engine's recommendation, as it
assesses that White will not be able to put together a successful kingside
attack.} 22. Ra1 (22. Bxa4 $2 Bxa4 23. Rxa4 Qxb2 $17) 22... Bd6 23. Bxd6 Qxd6
24. Rg3 g6 $11) 22. Qg4 Bd7 23. Be5 Ng6 24. Qh5 Rf8 {Black continues to play
White's game, rather than try to impose his own ideas.} 25. Nf3 Be8 26. Bh2 {
again preserving the bishop and anticipating possible Black tactics with the
Be8 now lined up on the Qh5.} f5 27. Nd2 {this clears the h5-d1 diagonal for
the queen.} Rf6 {while this reinforces Black's defense on the 6th rank, it
hampers his piece coordination.} 28. Re1 f4 $6 {this loosens Black's position
and gives back the g4 square to White.} (28... Bd6 $5 {looking to exchange
pieces.}) 29. Qg4 Bd6 30. Nf3 {the knight can now return to its more active
square, since the queen is safe.} Qc7 31. Kh1 {this looks like a waiting move,
as there does not appear to be a pressing reason to delay Ng5.} Bf7 {still
playing defensively and rather passively.} (31... Rb8 {would provide some
counterplay, or the aforementioned ...a4 idea.}) 32. Ng5 {now White looks to
be in control strategically.} Nf8 {Black has to contort himself even more to
cover his weaknesses, while White feels no pressure.} 33. Nxf7 Kxf7 34. Qf3 Rb8
35. Bg1 {apparently aimed at covering the f2 square, although the engine
considers that Kg1 is a better way to accomplish this. The bishop also
eventually provides support for d4 after the c-pawn is pushed, but locking the
piece away in the meantime seems a high price to pay.} (35. Kg1 Kg8 36. Qd3 $16
) 35... Kg8 36. Bd1 {a passive move that follows the previous passive move,
meaning that White has seemingly dissipated much of his pressure. I imagine
both players were in time pressure by this point, which explains the following
repetition.} Qc4 37. Ra4 Qc7 38. Ra2 Qc4 39. b3 Qc7 40. Qd3 {compared with the
above variation on move 36, White's bishops are significantly worse in this
position.} Rc8 41. Rc2 Qb7 42. c4 Qb4 (42... Bb4 $5 {seems to be a more
effective blockading piece for the queenside, leaving the queen available for
other duties.}) 43. Rf1 dxc4 {this transformation of the pawn structure
benefits White more than Black. Again Black gives up a key central square,
this time e4.} 44. bxc4 Rd8 45. Qe4 (45. f3 {is also possible.}) 45... a4 {
Black does not have sufficient support for the a-pawn, while in contrast the c/
d pawn duo is stronger and has better piece support.} 46. Bg4 $16 {the bishop
finally springs to life again, also clearing the first rank for the rook.} (46.
c5 {played immediately also looks very effective, as Houdini already evaluates
White as being the equivalent of two pawns up.} Bc7 47. f3 Ng6 48. Ra2 $18 {
and the a-pawn will fall.}) 46... a3 47. c5 a2 $2 {this loses material and
seals Black's fate, but perhaps Friedel thought it gave him the best practical
chances, setting a trap if the Bd6 is captured.} (47... Bc7) 48. f3 $18 (48.
cxd6 $2 Qb1 $1) 48... Bb8 (48... Qb1 49. Rcc1 $18) 49. Rxa2 Qc4 50. Raa1 {
although White is only a pawn up, it is a protected passed pawn. Meanwhile,
his pieces are so active and coordinated, and Black's are not, that it is
nearly impossible to imagine any way to save the game against someone like
Kamsky.} Rf7 51. Rfe1 Re7 52. Bf2 Ree8 53. h4 {a simple but effective idea, to
threaten to pry open Black's king position.} Re7 54. h5 Ree8 55. Rab1 {White
is able to make threats on both wings and also dominates the center.} Rd7 56.
Kg1 Qa2 57. c6 Rde7 58. Ra1 Qd2 59. Rec1 Ra7 60. d5 {Kamsky ruthlessly presses
home his advantage in the center, utilizing the pin on the Re8.} Rxa1 (60...
Qxd5 $2 61. Qxd5 exd5 62. Bxa7) 61. Rxa1 Bd6 62. dxe6 Qc3 63. Rd1 Bc5 64. Qxf4
1-0

[Event "15th Karpov GM 2014"]
[Site "Poikovsky RUS"]
[Date "2014.05.14"]
[Round "4.5"]
[White "Bologan, Viktor"]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A81"]
[WhiteElo "2655"]
[BlackElo "2735"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2014.05.11"]

1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c3 {White apparently
wants to avoid a theoretical duel in the Leningrad variation, settling for an
uncommon solid-seeming move rather than the usual c4. The immediate logic is
obvious, to reinforce the d4 strongpoint, but the line is certainly less
challenging to Black. One difference that Black should keep in mind, though,
is that White now has Qb3+ without a pawn blocking the diagonal.} a5 {Black
cheekily answers with an offbeat response of his own. This pawn move seeks to
restrain White's potential follow-up play on the queenside, including b4.
Prior to this game, however, it scored horribly, with no Black wins and White
scoring a similar number of wins and draws.} 7. Nbd2 {the natural square (c3)
having been occupied, White needs to take some extra time to get his knight
developed. From here White may also think about supporting the e4 advance.} Nc6
{when Black can get away with this knight development in the Leningrad, it's
usually a good idea to play it, since it fights directly for e5. The usual
advance d5 here is not playable for White, due to the c-pawn being a square
short of its usual post.} 8. Re1 d5 {a strong central reaction. Black sees
that exerting control over e4 and c4 is more important than any potential
resulting pawn structure weaknesses.} 9. Nb3 {the knight has now taken two
moves to get to a not-very-useful square.} Ne4 {another move Dutch players
always love to be able to execute unchallenged.} 10. a4 {otherwise Black
threatens to push the a-pawn and kick the hapless Nb3.} e6 {the structure is
now a hybrid of Stonewall and Leningrad. However, the main point of the move
was not the pawn placement, but rather to open the diagonal and support
Black's following move.} 11. Bf4 g5 {yet another favorite move in the Dutch.
Although Houdini still rates the position as equal, the fact that Black has
been able to consistently play his desired thematic moves and take over the
initiative this early is bad news for White.} 12. Be5 Bh6 {Black chooses to
avoid exchanging the Bg7 while also preventing White from establishing a
useful outpost on e5.} (12... Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Qe7 $11) 13. Rf1 {it seems that
White is already running out of good moves and can do little in the face of
Black's initiative.} g4 $15 14. Ne1 Nxe5 {now Black exchanges, with the knight
out of the way.} 15. dxe5 {now the pawn on e5 will be a source of weakness for
White.} c5 {playing this without preparation is possible for Black, although
perhaps not the strongest continuation.} (15... b6 {is favored by Houdini.})
16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Nxc5 Qb6 18. b4 $6 (18. Nb3 {instead would allow White to
regroup and address his backwards development while Black spends time
regaining the pawn.} Bg7 19. Qc2 Bxe5 20. Ng2 $11) 18... Rd8 {an easy decision
to seize the only open file.} 19. Qb3 {White now attends to his weak b-pawn,
but Black is able to continue making threats and improving his pieces without
impediment.} Rd5 {a powerful centralization move, threatening both e5 and c5
due to the pin of the b4 pawn against the unprotected Qb3.} 20. Qc4 $2 {
unfortunately for White, this just moves into another pin.} (20. Qb1) 20... Qc7
{attacking e5 again and pinning the Nc5. White has no good way to meet all the
Black threats.} 21. Nc2 $17 {the least worst option, leaving the Nc5 to its
fate but trying to stir up some counterplay.} (21. Qa2 {withdrawing the queen
helps, but is not sufficient to get White out of danger in the rest of his
position.} axb4 22. cxb4 Rd2 {made possible by the offside yet influential Bh6.
} 23. Qb1 Qxe5 24. Ra2 Rxa2 25. Qxa2 b6 26. Nb3 Qd5 $19 {and now Black's two
bishops are going to carve White up, assisted as needed by his central pawns
and more active major pieces.}) (21. Qb5 {would be a perhaps too-obvious try
for a swindle.} b6 $2 (21... Kf7 $19) 22. Qe8+ Kg7 23. Nxe6+ Bxe6 24. Qxe6 Rxe5
25. Qb3) 21... b6 22. Nd4 {the point being that the knight now threatens to
take on f5, with some counterplay, as the Rd5 would be hanging if Black
recaptured with the e-pawn.} Rxe5 {Black (perhaps in some time pressure?) goes
for the safe-looking choice.} (22... bxc5 {simply taking the piece, however,
looks best.} 23. Nxf5 Bg7 $17 {and regardless of what White does, Black takes
the e-pawn and has a fine position.}) 23. Nb5 Qe7 24. Nb3 $15 {White has
managed to extricate himself from the pin, with only a slightly worse game
according to the engine, although Black still looks threatening and the
defender will have to walk a tightrope. Unfortunately, White cannot maintain
equilibrium.} e3 {the only real try for an advantage.} 25. Qd4 (25. N3d4 {is
preferred by the engine, but this is not at all obvious.}) 25... exf2+ 26. Rxf2
Re4 {the strongest option for the rook, attacking the queen and keeping
control of e3, with the threat of ...Be3.} 27. Qxb6 axb4 (27... Be3) 28. cxb4
$2 {after this White is lost.} (28. Nd6 {the only move that lets White keep
equality, according to the engine. A sample line:} Be3 29. Qc6 Bxf2+ 30. Kxf2
Qa7+ 31. Qc5 Qxc5+ 32. Nxc5 Re5 33. cxb4 $11 {although down an exchange for a
pawn, the two connected passed pawns should be enough compensation.}) 28... Be3
(28... Rxb4 {also wins.}) 29. N3d4 (29. Qc6 {here does not work due to} Bb7 {
which would be prevented in the above variation by the Nd6.}) 29... Bb7 30. Rd1
Ra6 31. Qc5 Qxc5 {Black decides to accept the trade and exchange down into a
simpler won position.} 32. bxc5 Re5 33. Nd6 Ba8 34. Nc4 Bxf2+ {Black is forced
to finally pull the trigger on the pinned rook to win the exchange.} 35. Kxf2
Rxc5 {White has no compensation for the exchange and Black's rooks and bishop
can run rampant in the position.} 36. Ne3 Kf7 37. Nb3 Rc3 38. Nc1 Be4 39. Na2
Ra3 {the a-pawn will fall and then Black will just chew White up with his
stronger pieces and extra pawn.} 0-1

[Event "Lopota WGP 2014"]
[Site "Lopota GEO"]
[Date "2014.06.24"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Hou Yifan"]
[Black "Stefanova, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A10"]
[WhiteElo "2629"]
[BlackElo "2488"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2014.06.19"]

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. e3 {a rare continuation, with g3 being the overwhelming
favorite and Nf3 the next most popular option.} Bg7 4. d4 {the logical
immediate follow-up to the previous move, although waiting with Nf3 looks fine
as well.} d6 5. h3 {one effect of Black's last move was to release the
light-square bishop, so White decides to take away the g4 square prior to
further development.} Nc6 6. Nf3 e6 {freeing e7 for the knight development and
contesting the d5 square.} 7. Be2 (7. dxc5 {would force a queenless middlegame
after} dxc5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {but this is evidently not to White's liking and
looks very drawish.}) 7... Nge7 {here the knight stays out of the way of the
Bg7, allowing it to pressure d4.} 8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 Nf5 10. Bg5 Qb6 {Black
continues to pile up on d4, so White releases the tension.} 11. d5 Ncd4 12.
Nxd4 Nxd4 13. dxe6 {this sets up a long, partly forced sequence.} (13. Be3 {is
a possible alternative, after which the game could go a significantly
different route.}) 13... Bxe6 14. Be3 Nxe2+ ({Alternatives such as} 14... O-O {
do not work out well for Black, for example} 15. Kh1 {removing the king from
the unpinning tactic} Rac8 16. Nb5 Bxc4 17. Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxe2 19. Qd2 Qb5
20. Rfe1 Rfe8 21. Qh6 f6 22. Bxf6 $16) 15. Qxe2 Qc6 16. Nd5 {a common theme in
the English is to occupy d5 with a knight, even if it cannot be maintained
there, since often the results still favor White.} Bxd5 17. cxd5 Qxd5 {the win
of the pawn is only temporary for Black.} (17... Qa6 18. Qxa6 bxa6 $14 {would
leave Black with an annoying structural flaw on the queenside, but with a much
safer king position.}) 18. Bf4+ $16 Kf8 {now Black's king is stuck in the
center, also shutting out the Rh8 from play.} (18... Be5 {is no help, for
example} 19. Rad1 Qe6 20. Qb5+ Kf8 21. Bh6+ Bg7 22. Rfe1 Qf5 23. Qxb7 $18) 19.
Rfd1 {White continues with the initiative.} Qf5 20. Bxd6+ {now White has
regained the pawn and has positional dominance.} Kg8 21. Rac1 {mobilizing
White's "extra" rook.} h5 {attempting to move the king off the back rank and
free the rook stuck in the corner.} 22. Rc7 b5 {attempting to save the pawn.} (
22... Kh7 $5) 23. Rd3 {a strong rook lift idea, threatening to go to the
f-file.} Rc8 $2 {the losing move, although Black was in difficulties
regardless. With this move, Black sets herself up for a deflection tactic on
the Qf5, which is the only protector of the Rc8. Perhaps Black instinctively
thought the rook was protected by its back-rank partner, as would normally be
the case if the king weren't blocking it.} 24. g4 $1 hxg4 25. hxg4 {and the
Rc8 is lost, so Black resigns.} 1-0

[Event "Lopota WGP 2014"]
[Site "Lopota GEO"]
[Date "2014.06.24"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Ju Wenjun"]
[Black "Zhao Xue"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A15"]
[WhiteElo "2532"]
[BlackElo "2538"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2014.06.19"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O g6 {Black opts for the double
fianchetto formation rather than entering the Hedgehog proper with ...e6.} 6.
Nc3 Bg7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Be3 {this move has had significantly more
success than the more standard Rd1. White thereby prevents ...a6 and connects
the rooks earlier.} Nbd7 {the point of the previous move. Black does not want
to obscure his Bb7 by developing to c6.} 10. Rac1 {White gets his rook off the
long diagonal to its most useful square.} O-O 11. Qh4 {the more aggressive
option; Qd2 is the other standard move here.} Qb8 $6 $146 {the idea is
apparently to allow the king's rook to come to c8, but the queen and Ra8 are
then placed awkwardly in the corner.} 12. Rfd1 Rc8 13. b3 a6 {Black is now
able to play this thematic move and take away b5 from the Nc3.} (13... h5 {
would forestall White's next move.}) 14. g4 h6 (14... e6 $5 {would take
advantage of the placement of the Qb8 defending the pawn on d6.}) 15. g5 {this
ends up dissipating White's threats on the kingside.} (15. Bxh6 Bxh6 16. Qxh6
Nxg4 17. Qf4 Ngf6 18. Qe3 e6 19. Rd4 Kg7 20. Rcd1 $14) 15... hxg5 16. Bxg5 Rc5
{guarding against Nd5.} 17. b4 Rc7 {although the rook has been chased away, it
will end up guarding e7 and neutralizing the Nd5 threat anyway.} 18. Nd5 Nxd5
19. cxd5 Nf6 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Ng5 Bxg5 22. Qxg5 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Qd8 {White is
still better placed to continue to make threats, although Black should be able
to defend.} 24. h4 (24. Bh3 $5) 24... Rc8 25. Rxc8 Bxc8 (25... Qxc8 {simply
looks better. Black can in this line use her queen actively to counter White's
threats. For example} 26. Qxe7 Qc1+ 27. Bf1 Bxd5 28. Qxd6 Be6 29. Qg3 Bxa2 30.
Qb8+ Kh7 31. Qxb6 Qf4 32. Qxa6 Qg4+ 33. Bg2 Bd5 34. f3 Qd4+ 35. Kf1 Qd1+ {with
a perpetual.}) 26. h5 Kg7 27. Be4 {activating the bishop.} Qe8 (27... Qh8 {
here would again make the queen more active and able to pose threats to White,
even if Black had to stay a pawn down for a while.} 28. hxg6 f6 29. Qc1 Qh4 $11
) 28. f4 f5 (28... f6 {would take the sting out of White's position, for
example} 29. Qxg6+ (29. Qg2 g5 30. Bg6 Qd7 31. fxg5 fxg5 32. Qxg5 Qg4+ 33. Qxg4
Bxg4 34. Kf2 Kh6 $11) 29... Qxg6+ 30. Bxg6 Bg4 $11) 29. Bf3 Qf7 30. Kf2 Qf6 31.
Kg3 Bd7 32. Kh4 {White marches the king over to continue the kingside pressure
with all of her remaining pieces.} Be8 33. hxg6 Bb5 $6 {a key weakening move.
Black declines to restore material equality, evidently thinking she can still
hold the position. Leaving White with her advanced passed pawn seems
counterintuitive.} (33... Bxg6 34. Bh5 Kf7 $11) 34. Kh5 Kg8 $2 {the actual
losing move, according to the engine.} (34... Be8 {nothing better than to
return to targeting the passed pawn.}) 35. Qxf6 exf6 36. Kh6 a5 37. bxa5 bxa5
38. e3 Bc4 39. a3 Bb5 40. Bd1 {Black has no threats left and White can take
her time to consolidate the win.} Be8 41. Bc2 Bd7 42. g7 {Black is now in
zugzwang, as any move she makes will lead to a loss; she cannot cover the
a4-e8 diagonal, f5 pawn and f6 pawn all at the same time.} 1-0

[Event "Lopota WGP 2014"]
[Site "Lopota GEO"]
[Date "2014.06.24"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Dzagnidze, N."]
[Black "Koneru, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[WhiteElo "2541"]
[BlackElo "2613"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2014.06.19"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 {this enters into the complex of formations known
as the Closed English.} 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Rb1 {this accelerated rook development
has become more common, as White's obvious plan is to push the b-pawn. Often
White defers kingside development in this line, which is the point of the
accelerated version, but in this game the opening heads back into more
traditional channels.} a5 6. e3 {indicating that the king's knight will be
developed to e2, a more defensive position than f3 that also leaves the Bg2
unobstructed.} (6. a3 {continuing with the idea of b2-b4 is more common here,
scoring 56 percent in the database.}) 6... Nf6 7. Nge2 O-O 8. d3 d6 9. O-O Be6
{fighting for the key d5 square.} 10. Nd5 {a thematic move in the English;
White is not afraid of a trade on d5, which would give her an excellently
placed pawn and the two bishops. (...Nxd5 cannot be played due to the
resulting pawn fork of c6 and e6)} Qd7 {connecting the rooks and preparing to
try and trade off the Bg2.} 11. Nec3 {significantly improving the knight and
reinforcing d5.} Nd8 {Black has a number of possibilities here and can choose
to play on the queenside, kingside or in the center. Here she decides to
exchange off two minor pieces and reposition the knight on the kingside
following ...f5.} 12. Bd2 Nxd5 13. cxd5 Bh3 14. Bxh3 {while this looks
positionally suspect, allowing the Black queen into the weak white-square
complex, Black cannot exploit this effectively.} (14. Qb3 {is an alternative
approach, spending the tempo developing the queen and ending up with a
fianchettoed king.} Bxg2 15. Kxg2 f5 16. f3) 14... Qxh3 15. Qa4 {played
apparently with the idea of pressuring the a-pawn and complicating Black's
defense on the queenside. However, Black is able to proceed with her kingside
plans.} (15. Rc1 $5 {would appear to generate more immediate threats and
opportunities for White on the c-file.}) 15... f5 16. Nb5 (16. f3 {would
maintain better control over White's potentially sensitive kingside.} Nf7 17.
Ne2) 16... Nf7 $11 17. f4 (17. Nxc7 e4 18. f4 (18. Nxa8 $4 Ng5 19. f4 Nf3+ 20.
Rxf3 exf3 21. Kf2 Qg2+ 22. Ke1 Qe2#) 18... exf3 19. Rxf3 Ne5 20. Rf2 Nxd3 21.
Rg2 $11) 17... Rfc8 {Black is now able to neutralize White's play on the
queenside.} 18. Rbc1 {now this has much less impact than it could have
previously on move 15.} (18. Qd1 $5 {with the idea of redeploying the queen to
be able to cover the kingside.}) 18... c6 19. dxc6 bxc6 20. Nc3 {now White is
not worse, but the initiative has shifted to Black.} exf4 21. Rxf4 $6 {
evidently White was looking to try and harass the Qh3, but this move would
allow Black to get an advantage.} (21. exf4 $11) 21... Ne5 {now the knight
happily occupies the central square and threatens to go to g4.} 22. Nd1 Qh5 {
this lets up the immediate pressure and allows White to adjust.  The
threatened penetration of the queen to e2 can be contained.} (22... Ng4 {
immediately looks very good.} 23. Rf2 f4 {giving the Qh3 a retreat path along
the diagonal.} 24. exf4 Nxf2 25. Nxf2 Qe6 $15) 23. Bc3 Qe2 24. Qb3+ d5 25. Bxe5
{White is happy to exchange off the threatening, centralized knight.} Bxe5 26.
Rf2 {now the correct path for Black becomes more complicated and she goes
astray.} Qg4 $2 {apparently missing the next deflection tactic.} (26... Qe1+
27. Kg2 Qb4 $11) 27. Rxc6 Rd8 {the better defensive option, maintaining the
central pawn.} (27... Rxc6 28. Qxd5+ Kg7 29. Qxc6 $16) 28. d4 $16 Rab8 29. Qd3
Bg7 30. Rc5 {White can now calmly go about exploiting her material and
positional advantage. Note how the Nd1 and Rf2 may look awkwardly placed, but
in fact they hold the position together and neutralize Black's potential
counterplay.} h5 {Black evidently believes that she is lost and decides to try
and force some counterplay, in the hopes that White will make a mistake.} 31.
Rxa5 $18 {a simple and strong response.} Bh6 32. Qe2 Qe4 33. Qf3 Qd3 34. Qe2
Qe4 {repetition of moves due to time pressure, no doubt.} 35. Rc5 (35. Ra6 $5)
35... Re8 36. Qf3 Qd3 {Black has no better ideas at this point.} 37. Kg2 Re4
38. Rxd5 (38. Qe2 {would now force the queen exchange and simplify things for
White.}) 38... Rc8 {Black continues playing for a swindle.} 39. Rc5 Rxc5 40.
dxc5 Qc4 41. Nc3 Re5 (41... Rxe3 42. Qd5+ Qxd5+ 43. Nxd5 Rd3 44. Nb4 Rd4 45.
Nc6 $18) 42. Qc6 Kh7 43. e4 h4 {Black's last gasp.} (43... Qxc5 44. Qxc5 Rxc5
45. exf5 gxf5 46. a4 $18) 44. exf5 gxf5 45. Qd7+ Bg7 46. c6 Qg4 47. Rf4 h3+ 48.
Kf1 Qg6 49. Nd5 1-0

[Event "Lopota WGP 2014"]
[Site "Lopota GEO"]
[Date "2014.06.21"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Zhao, Xue"]
[Black "Stefanova, Antoaneta"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D11"]
[WhiteElo "2538"]
[BlackElo "2488"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2014.06.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 {this appears to have been played just to
get Black out of her standard book lines. The move itself is clearly inferior
to Nc3, among other things temporarily blocking the bishop development and
limiting the scope of the knight.} Bf5 {Black continues by developing the
bishop in classic Slav style.} 5. e3 (5. Nh4 {seems to be the a strong choice
here, immediately challenging the bishop and leaving the f3 square open for
the other knight in the event of a piece trade.}) 5... h6 {now the bishop has
a retreat square on h7.} 6. Ne5 (6. Be2 {is a more obvious follow-up,
developing the piece and preparing to castle.}) 6... e6 7. Bd3 {evidently the
point of the previous knight move.} Bxd3 8. Nxd3 Nbd7 9. b3 $146 {now out of
the database. Black has solid and thematic development, while White's appears
on the awkward side.} Qa5 {Black finds an unusual way of exploiting White's
offbeat development.} 10. O-O (10. Bb2 $11 {would be the obvious follow-up.})
10... Qc3 11. Nb1 {White chooses an unbalancing continuation, perhaps with the
hope of trapping the Black queen.} (11. Nb2 $11 {would avoid the following
sequence, although it makes White's minor pieces look even more awkward.})
11... Qxa1 12. Qc2 c5 {it is interesting to see how White's pieces get in each
other's way, preventing her from successfully getting to the Qa1. The other
problem White has to deal with is that, having already taken one rook, the Qa1
would have no problem sacrificing herself by taking the other rook on f1,
leaving Black doing fine material-wise.} 13. a3 $6 {White no doubt did not see
fully the next sequence, which gives Black a clear advantage.} (13. Nc3 dxc4
14. bxc4 (14. Bb2 $2 {this idea does not work in this and similar variations.}
cxd3 15. Qd2 Ne4 16. Nxe4 Qxa2 $19) 14... cxd4 15. exd4 Be7 16. Bf4 Qxf1+ 17.
Kxf1 O-O $11) 13... dxc4 14. bxc4 b5 {the key idea, attacking c4 and thereby
giving the queen a way out.} 15. cxb5 c4 $6 {pressing forward immediately. The
resulting pressure leads White to make an error, but Black could have prepared
better by developing instead.} (15... Rd8 {is a non-obvious move found by the
engine, the point being to target d4. For example} 16. Nc3 cxd4 17. Na2 (17.
exd4 Rc8 18. Bb2 Qa2 $19) 17... Nc5 18. Nxc5 dxe3 19. Nb7 exf2+ 20. Rxf2 Qe5
$19) (15... cxd4 {also looks good, opening lines for Black.} 16. Qb3 Ne4 17.
Bb2 Nec5 $17) 16. Nf4 {after this Black has her choice of good follow-up moves.
} (16. Bb2 {would now be OK for White and probably the best choice.} cxd3 17.
Qb3 {the Black queen is finally trapped.} Qxb2 18. Qxb2 Be7 $15) 16... Rb8 (
16... c3 {is found by the engine. The main point is that b2 is taken away from
White, while taking the c3 pawn leads to problems. For example} 17. Nxc3 Rc8
18. Bb2 Qa2 19. Rc1 Qc4 $19) (16... Nb6 $5 {is also possible.}) 17. Bd2 {
preparing to get at the queen from the other side, but Black can effectively
combat this idea.} Bxa3 18. Bc3 Bb2 19. Bxb2 Qa2 20. Nc3 Qb3 21. Qxb3 cxb3 $17
{after all the complications, Black has emerged an exchange up.} 22. Ba3 {
preventing castling and trying to prove some compensation for the material.}
Nb6 23. Rb1 Nbd5 {Black's strategy is to exchange pieces and get to a simpler
endgame situation where her material edge will give good winning chances. This
will also relieve her king position, with the centralized king becoming a
benefit.} 24. Nfxd5 {White has nothing better than to go into the series of
exchanges.} Nxd5 25. Nxd5 exd5 26. Rxb3 {regaining the pawn helps some, but
Black still has an obvious edge and no longer has to worry about her king.} Kd7
27. Bc5 a5 {correctly mobilizing the pawn.} 28. Ba7 $6 {this leads directly to
White's demise. Although she can make superficial progress, once that is done
Black is able to break through.} (28. Kf1 $5 {White now needs to get her king
into the action as well.}) 28... Rb7 29. b6 Rc8 $19 {the extra rook comes into
play in a dominating way.} 30. Kf1 Rc1+ 31. Ke2 Rc2+ 32. Kf3 Kc6 {now the king
penetrates decisively, collaborating with the mobile a-pawn.} 33. g4 a4 34. Rb1
a3 35. Rb3 a2 36. Ra3 Kb5 {and now White cannot prevent the a-pawn from
queening with the king's support, without giving up her rook.} 0-1

[Event "15th ch-EUR w 2014"]
[Site "Plovdiv BUL"]
[Date "2014.07.12"]
[Round "7.1"]
[White "Zhukova, Natalia"]
[Black "Gunina, Valentina"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D12"]
[WhiteElo "2451"]
[BlackElo "2501"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2014.07.06"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 {this
line shows most clearly the fundamental imbalance of the opening, with Black
giving up the two bishops but maintaining a solid structure.} 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9.
O-O Be7 (9... Bd6 {is much more common, for example in this recent game:} 10.
h3 a6 11. c5 Bc7 12. f4 Nh5 13. Qf3 f5 14. g4 Nhf6 15. g5 Ne4 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17.
Qg2 e5 18. Rd1 Qe7 19. b4 exf4 20. exf4 a5 21. d5 axb4 22. d6 Qe6 23. dxc7 bxc3
24. Be3 Rc8 25. Rd6 Qf7 26. Rc1 Nf8 27. Rxc3 Ne6 28. Qb2 Rxc7 29. Ra3 O-O 30.
Ra7 Re7 31. Qb3 Rd8 32. Qd1 Red7 33. Qb3 Rxd6 34. cxd6 Rd7 35. Ra8+ Nf8 36. Qa3
Qd5 37. Kg2 Kf7 38. Rb8 Ne6 39. Qa8 Qxd6 40. Rxb7 Rxb7 41. Qxb7+ Kg8 42. Qb3
Kh7 43. Kg3 Nxg5 44. a4 Nf3 45. a5 c5 46. Qa2 Qd3 47. Kf2 Nd4 48. Qd2 Qa3 49.
a6 Qxa6 50. Bxd4 cxd4 51. Qxd4 Qd3 {0-1 (51) Lou Yiping (2492)-Ma Qun (2613)
Jiangmen CHN 2014}) 10. h3 {a novelty in this position. In the above variation
it is a necessary defensive measure. Here developing a piece with Bd2 is
normally played.} O-O 11. Qc2 {now out of the database. While Black remains
solid, there is no easy way to make progress. The standard lever ...c5 is the
most obvious method, but its timing and combination with other measures makes
the situation more complicated, given the different possibilities for
transforming the pawn structure. The engine favors playing it earlier rather
than later.} Rc8 (11... c5 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. dxc5 Nxc5 $11 {
Houdini considers this equal, but a human player might not like the isolated
d-pawn. However, the classic isolani positional compensation is present in
terms of greater activity for Black's pieces and the space advantage of the d5
pawn versus the e3 pawn.}) (11... dxc4 12. Bxc4 c5 13. dxc5 Nxc5 $11 {would be
a more conservative way to implement the ...c5 lever, without the isolated
pawn as a result.}) 12. Rd1 Qc7 13. Bd2 {there is a reason this variation is
called the Slow Slav. Both sides need time to simply develop all their pieces
and set up useful moves.} a6 14. Rac1 dxc4 15. Bxc4 c5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 {Black by
this point has comfortable equality, with the two bishops looking to be a
factor only in the endgame rather than the middlegame.} 17. a3 {proactively
defending the b4 square from the Be7 (or a push of the Black b-pawn) and
preparing her own eventual pawn advance.} b5 18. Be2 Qb8 (18... Qb6 {may be a
slightly more active and flexible version of the idea.} 19. Be1 Rc7 {with the
idea of doubling rooks on the c-file.}) 19. Be1 Bd6 {Black's idea evidently is
to reposition the bishop, although this seems slow and perhaps not terribly
effective.} 20. b4 Nce4 {White by this point is in a similar strategic
position, not having any obvious ways to make progress.} 21. Bf3 Rc4 (21...
Bh2+ 22. Kh1 Ng5 23. Be2 Nge4 {looks good for Black, although this line would
require a lot of calculation. For example} 24. Qb3 (24. g3 $2 {the attempt to
trap the bishop would open up a number of tactical threats for Black.} Bxg3 25.
fxg3 Nxc3 26. Bxc3 Qxg3 27. Qd3 (27. Bf1 $2 Rxc3 28. Qxc3 Ne4 $19)) 24... Rxc3
25. Rxc3 Nxc3 26. Bxc3 Nd5 $11) 22. Qb1 {unpinning the queen} Nxc3 23. Bxc3
Rfc8 24. Bb2 (24. Qa1 {would be a more active continuation, forming a battery
on the long diagonal.}) 24... Bh2+ 25. Kh1 Be5 {now Black has repositioned her
bishop for free.} 26. Kg1 Bc3 (26... Bxb2 27. Qxb2 Rxc1 28. Rxc1 $11 {looks
like a simpler route for Black to a draw and is perhaps objectively better.
However, it becomes apparent from the game continuation that Black still is
looking for winning chances.}) 27. Bxc3 Rxc3 28. Rd8+ Rxd8 29. Rxc3 {the rook
positions make this position slightly more unbalanced than the previous
variation.} Nd7 30. Qe4 (30. Qc2 $5 {and it's unclear what Black can do to
generate any threats.}) 30... Ne5 31. g3 f5 32. Qb7 Qd6 {avoiding the queen
trade.} 33. Kg2 Nc4 34. Qc6 Qe5 35. Rc2 Kh7 {Black now unbalances the game
further in her attempt to generate winning chances, offering the a-pawn for an
attack.} 36. Qxa6 {the correct decision, although White still has to be
careful.} Nd2 $6 {perhaps Black was playing psychologically here, hoping to
bait her opponent into the losing move. If so, it worked.} (36... Rd3) 37. Bc6
$2 {either Qc6 or Qb7 protecting the bishop would have consolidated the pawn
advantage. At first glance, the text move appears strong and obvious, but
Black finds an excellent interference tactic.} Rd5 $1 {blocking the long
diagonal, which is now available for the Black queen's use as a road to
White's king. The combination of knight and queen proves devastating on the
attack. White can still draw, but the defense is difficult to find.} 38. Rxd2
$2 {the losing move.} (38. Bxd5 $2 {does not help, as the queen seizes the
diagonal on the recapture.} Qxd5+ 39. Kg1 Nf3+ 40. Kf1 Qd1+ 41. Kg2 Ne1+ {
winning.}) (38. Rc1 {is the only move and not at all obvious.} Qe4+ 39. Kg1
Nf3+ 40. Kf1 {and the best Black can do is a perpetual check.}) 38... Rxd2 39.
Qxb5 Qxe3 $19 {the game is essentially over now, but White plays on in vain
hope.} 40. Qf1 Qxa3 41. Qc4 Qb2 42. Qc5 Rc2 43. Qb6 Qe5 44. b5 Qe1 45. Qd4 Rd2
46. Qf4 Rd1 0-1

[Event "42nd GM 2014"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2014.07.18"]
[Round "5.4"]
[White "Meier, Georg"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D11"]
[WhiteElo "2632"]
[BlackElo "2743"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "2014.07.12"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 {this modern move (in place of the
formerly standard deployment to f5) is an interesting alternative. The bishop
is harder to exchange off for White and of course pins the knight. However,
the bishop is missed on the h7-b1 diagonal, where it is strong (and one of the
reasons why White normally immediately spends extra time in the opening to
exchange it off).} 5. Qb3 {immediately taking advantage of the bishop's
absence from the queenside.} Qb6 {the strongest response. Black does not care
if he ends up with doubled b-pawns after a queen exchange, with a half-open
a-file and the extra pawn on b6 influencing the c5 square.} 6. Nc3 {White
continues his development and focuses on the action at the d5 square, rather
than worrying about the potential exchange on f3.} e6 {as does Black.} (6...
Bxf3 {it would seem useful to inflict doubled f-pawns on White and weaken the
kingside structure, but White gets dynamic compensation in the center and the
half-open g-file, as the following recent game illustrates.} 7. gxf3 e6 8. e4
Qxb3 9. axb3 Bb4 10. e5 Ng8 11. Ra4 Be7 12. Rg1 g6 13. b4 Nd7 14. c5 f6 15. f4
Nh6 16. b5 Nf5 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Bd3 Nxd4 19. Rxd4 fxe5 20. fxe5 Nxe5 21. Be2
Bxc5 22. Rf4 Rb8 23. h4 Ke7 24. h5 Rhf8 25. Na4 Bb4+ 26. Kf1 c5 27. hxg6 hxg6
28. Rg5 Kd6 29. Rh4 Rb7 30. f4 Nc6 31. Rxg6 Ne7 32. Rg5 Nf5 33. Rh3 Ba5 34. Kg2
Bd8 35. Rg4 c4 36. b3 cxb3 37. Ba3+ Kc6 38. Rc3+ Kd7 39. Nc5+ {1-0 (39)
Wiedenkeller,M (2475)-Efimov,I (2395) Larnaka CYP 2014}) 7. Nh4 {White now
turns to the kingside and drives the bishop away to be exchanged, a common
plan in master play.} Be7 8. h3 {remarkably played 100 percent of the time in
the database.} Bh5 9. g4 Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bg2 {the logical follow-up for
development.} g5 {while this loosens Black's kingside pawns, it is more
important to fix White's h-pawn by controlling h4. Black scores 50 percent
from this position and appears to be fully equal.} 12. Bd2 Nbd7 13. Qa4 Qc7 {
moving the queen to a better diagonal and anticipating a possible c5 advance.
The b2 pawn is en prise, but tactically protected (after Rb1).} 14. cxd5 Nxd5 {
choosing to emphasize piece play slightly more with this recapture, rather
than doing it with the e-pawn.} (14... cxd5 {would simply give White an easier
game and more open lines on the queenside.} 15. Rc1 Qd8) 15. O-O O-O 16. Rac1
Rad8 {the a-pawn is tactically protected for Black, similar to how the b-pawn
was for White earlier on.} 17. Qc2 Qb8 18. Rfd1 Rfe8 {Black's maneuvers seem
rather slow, but White does not seem to have any way to take advantage of that.
} 19. Ne2 Nf8 20. a3 {a prophylactic move in order to take the b4 square away
from Black's pieces.} Ng6 21. b4 Nh4 {the point of Black's (slow) plan.} 22.
Qb3 e5 {of course Black could also exchange on g2 prior to playing the pawn
advance. The idea is to exchange the d-pawn and weaken White's center.} 23. Bh1
a6 24. a4 (24. Nc3 $5 {the point being that now if} exd4 (24... Nxc3 {is
better but after} 25. Bxc3 exd4 26. Bxd4 Bd6 {White has a more comfortable
game.}) 25. Nxd5 cxd5 26. Bxd5 $14) 24... exd4 25. Nxd4 Nf4 {a nice
tactically-enabled maneuver that forces the indirect exchange of the knights
and gives Black the initiative.} 26. exf4 Rxd4 27. fxg5 Red8 28. Be3 Rxb4 {
Black now has the advantage of a 3-1 queenside majority, but the position is
also more open for White's bishops and Black's Nh4 is mostly out of play.} 29.
Qc2 Qe5 {a strong centralizing move that gets the queen in the game and also
pressures the g5 pawn.} 30. Rxd8+ Bxd8 31. Rb1 a5 {this move gives White a
chance to avoid the threat to the h-pawn from a penetrating Black queen, but
White either failed to recognize this or decided that he did not like how the
variation would turn out.} (31... Rxb1+ 32. Qxb1 Bc7 33. Kf1 Qh2 34. Ke2 Qxh3
$17) 32. Bd2 (32. Rxb4 axb4 33. Qe4 Qa1+ 34. Kh2 Bc7+ 35. Bf4 Bxf4+ 36. Qxf4 {
Black's queenside majority looks quite threatening here, but White's active,
centralized queen helps compensate, especially with Black's king being open to
harassment and White being able to bring the bishop into play via e4.}) 32...
Bc7 {a threat for a threat. Black's threat to the king is the most urgent, so
White is forced to address it first.} 33. Kf1 Qh2 34. Ke2 Qe5+ 35. Kf1 Qh2 36.
Ke2 {a repetition of the sequence which White is perfectly happy with. Black
probably did not mind getting close to making time control either.} Rxb1 37.
Qxb1 Qxh3 38. Qe4 Ng6 {Black must activate his knight in order to have any
chance of realizing his advantage.} 39. Qe8+ {as noted in the above variation,
White's queen is well positioned to harass Black's king and its activity
partially compensates for Black's material advantage.} Nf8 40. Bf3 Qh2 41. Be3
Qe5 {by exchanging, Black benefits by getting rid of his queen's more active
counterpart and allowing the Nf8 to get moving again. However, White's two
bishops now come more fully into their own.} 42. Qxe5 Bxe5 43. Be4 Ne6 44. g6
Bf4 45. Bb6 {of course White is not interested in breaking up his bishop pair.}
Bc7 46. Be3 Kf8 {Black could of course repeat moves, but he is still trying to
find some way to make progress.} 47. Kd3 {White now mobilizes his king and
heads it for the most crucial sector of the board, to pit it against Black's
pawns.} Ke7 (47... fxg6 $5 48. Bxg6 Nf4+ 49. Bxf4 Bxf4 {would get rid of
White's bishop pair but end up with opposite-colored bishops. Black evidently
felt this was too drawish, but the game continuation ends up offering nothing
better.}) 48. Kc4 fxg6 49. Bxg6 Kf6 50. Bf5 g6 51. Bxe6 {preserving the bishop
would seem better, but White decides to rely on the opposite-colored bishop
dynamic and his kingside pawn majority to offset Black's pawn and achieve a
draw.} Kxe6 52. f4 Bb8 {both sides now indulge in bishop maneuvers and Black
shuffles his king between e6 and f7, to restrain White's pawn majority. Black
decides not to potentially overpress his advantage and the game ends
peacefully.} 53. Bd2 Bc7 54. Be3 Bd6 55. Bd2 Kf7 56. Be3 Bb4 57. Bc1 Ke6 58.
Be3 Kf7 59. Bc1 Ke6 60. Be3 Kf7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Hans Suri Mem 2014"]
[Site "Biel SUI"]
[Date "2014.07.19"]
[Round "6.2"]
[White "Wojtaszek, Radoslaw"]
[Black "Motylev, Alexander"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D12"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2698"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2014.07.14"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 {the traditional approach to the Slow
Slav.} 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. Bd2 Nbd7 9. Qc2 Be7 {an older move
that has given way to ...Bd6, but nonetheless has a better overall score in
the database.} 10. h3 a6 11. Be2 Rc8 (11... O-O {seems like a solid choice
here, as White has no threats for the moment.}) 12. O-O {a very reasonable
move, but now out of the database.} dxc4 {starting a largely forced sequence
that simplifies the structure in the center and on the c-file.} 13. Bxc4 b5 14.
Be2 c5 15. dxc5 Rxc5 (15... Nxc5 {would be more standard and lead to equality.}
) 16. b4 Rc7 {apparently the idea behind the rook capture on the previous move,
in order to leave c8 available for an eventual doubling of heavy pieces on the
file. This appears to be a little slow and awkward, however, leaving Black
slightly behind in development.} 17. Qb3 Nb6 (17... O-O $5) 18. Rfd1 Nc4 19.
Be1 {White correctly keeps the two bishops on the board, as part of his only
chance for an advantage in the endgame. Black also now has to be careful.} Qb8
{interestingly, this is the only move that does not lead to a significant
White advantage, as the pawn advance a4 threatens to crack open the queenside
and win a pawn. Black's failure to castle earlier helps White in that regard.}
({for example:} 19... Qc8 20. a4 Nd6 21. axb5 axb5 22. Nxb5 Nxb5 23. Bxb5+ Kf8
$18) 20. a4 O-O 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ra6 {after this move, which releases the
pressure by not making any new threats, Black consolidates his position and
both sides head for a draw.} (22. Rd4 Ne5 23. Nxb5 Rb7 24. Qa4 Nd5 25. Rb1 $14
{White may not in the end be able to keep the b-pawn, but Black has no other
compensation and will have to struggle to regain the material.}) 22... Rfc8 23.
Rda1 Kh7 24. Ra8 Qb6 25. R8a6 Qb8 26. Ra8 Qb6 27. R8a6 Qb8 28. Ra8 Qb6 29. R8a6
1/2-1/2

[Event "Sinquefield Cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.08.31"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D11"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Houdini"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 {for some reason this is a "hot" line, as
shown by the database, with a number of professional-level players using it in
2014 to good effect. It's hard to imagine this being an objectively strong
threat to the Slav, however.} Bf5 {standard and best.} 5. Nh4 {the
overwhelming choice lately for White, although the calmer g3 enjoys slightly
more popularity historically. Here is a recent high-level example:} (5. g3 e6
6. Bg2 h6 7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. Nxd7 Qxd7 9. O-O Be7 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 Rfd8 12. e3 b5
13. c5 a5 14. a4 b4 15. f3 Bd3 16. Rf2 Qc7 17. Rc1 Nd7 18. e4 Qa7 19. Nf1 Ba6
20. e5 Rf8 21. f4 f5 22. exf6 Nxf6 23. Qc2 Rae8 24. Re1 Bd8 25. Nd2 g5 26. Bh3
g4 27. Bf1 Bxf1 28. Kxf1 Qh7 29. Qd1 Bc7 30. Rfe2 Qf5 31. Re3 Kf7 32. Kg1 Rg8
33. Qe2 Nd7 34. Nf1 Re7 35. Bc1 h5 36. Nd2 Rge8 37. Rf1 Kg8 38. Rf2 Rf7 39. Nf1
Rfe7 40. Re5 Bxe5 41. fxe5 Qe4 42. Qxe4 dxe4 43. Bf4 Rf7 44. Nd2 e3 45. Bxe3
Rxf2 46. Kxf2 Kf7 47. Nc4 Ra8 48. Bg5 Nf8 49. Nd6+ Kg7 50. Bf6+ Kg8 51. Ke3 Nh7
52. Be7 Kg7 53. Bh4 Kg6 54. d5 exd5 55. e6 Nf6 56. e7 Ne8 57. Kd4 Rb8 58. Ke5
Ng7 59. Bf6 Ne8 60. Nxe8 Rxe8 61. Ke6 Ra8 62. Bd4 Rb8 63. Be5 Rg8 64. Bc7 d4
65. Bxa5 d3 66. Bxb4 {1-0 (66) Krasenkow,M (2633)-Cramling,P (2525) Stockholm
SWE 2014}) 5... Be4 {provoking White's next. Also, since the bishop will
inevitably be traded for a knight, Black would have no problem doing this on
e4 instead of g6.} 6. f3 Bg6 7. e3 e6 8. g3 {this doesn't seem natural. The
engine makes it a top choice, however White never seems to follow up on the
idea.} (8. Nxg6 {is the obvious move, but all four database games with this
line are White losses, which undoubtedly was noted by Nakamura during his
preparation.}) 8... Be7 9. a3 Nbd7 {Black continues developing naturally and
unhurriedly.} 10. cxd5 cxd5 {Black chooses to keep the overall pawn structure
as equal (5 and 2). Otherwise, White's kingside majority looks like it might
be the source of potential attacking pressure, even if not decisive.} 11. Nxg6
{White finally finishes off the knight maneuver.} hxg6 12. Bd3 e5 {Black
chooses an aggressive posture in the center, knowing that his lead in
development (three pieces to two) and better structure would benefit from its
opening.} 13. O-O O-O 14. Qb3 Qc8 $5 {this appears to be an attempt to avoid a
possible drawing line. Placement on the c8-h3 diagonal is also advantageous
for Black.} (14... Bd6 {or similar moves would try to bait White into taking
the b-pawn, with a draw a likely result. For example:} 15. Qxb7 Rb8 16. Qxa7
exd4 17. exd4 Ra8 18. Qb7 Qe7 19. Kg2 Rfb8 {with a draw by repetition coming,
as the queen cannot flee to safety but cannot be cornered either.}) (14... a6
15. Qxb7 exd4 16. exd4 Bc5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. Qb4 Nxd3 {is another interesting
variation on this theme.}) 15. Nb1 {Houdini agrees this is the best move, in
order to reposition the knight to c3, but this also points up the deficiency
of developing the knight to d2 in the first place.} exd4 16. exd4 Nb8 {with
the central pawn structure now resolved, Black decides his knight is also
better off repositioned, to pressure d4.} 17. Nc3 Nc6 18. Be3 (18. Nxd5 Nxd5
19. Qxd5 Nxd4 $11 {; White cannot capture on d4 due to the bishop skewer on c5.
}) 18... Qd7 19. Rad1 Rfd8 {overprotecting d5.} 20. Rfe1 Ne8 {Caruana is now
able to reposition his other knight in an interesting maneuver, one that
allows his bishop to spring to life.} 21. Bf2 Nc7 22. Bf1 (22. Qxb7 $2 Rdb8 $19
) 22... Bf6 {after the bishop maneuver, it appears that White will have more
long-term trouble with pressure against his d-pawn than Black.} 23. Qa2 {
moving the queen out of the way of the b-pawn. White is looking to generate
some activity on the queenside, with few prospects in the center or on the
kingside.} g5 {this move often features in Black's plans in this type of
position, as the advanced g-pawn is in fact not that weak and can usefully
gain space. Here Caruana's idea is also to clear the 8th rank by subsequently
fianchettoing the king.} (23... Rab8 {is a more prosaic alternative, preparing
to push ...b5}) 24. b4 g6 25. Qd2 {getting the queen out of the corner to a
more useful square.} Kg7 26. b5 Ne7 (26... Na5 {is also possible. For example}
27. Nxd5 Qxd5 28. Qxa5 Ne6 29. Qd2 Nxd4 30. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 31. Kg2 $11) 27. Be3 Ne6
28. Bh3 Nf5 {with Black's knights getting ever more active, White decides to
exchange bishop for knight.} 29. Bxf5 gxf5 30. f4 {the kingside pawn structure
is now defined by Black, who prefers to close it.} (30. Ne2 Qxb5 31. Qc2 $1 {
with about equal position}) 30... g4 31. Qd3 Rac8 {Black has the easier game
and it's hard to find something productive for White.} 32. Rc1 (32. Qxf5 $2 {
doesn't work.} Nxd4 33. Qxd7 Nf3+ 34. Kf2 Rxd7 {and Black wins material.})
32... Rc4 $15 {Black's pressure is making things very uncomfortable for White,
who has to cover both d4 and b5.} 33. Ne2 Nc7 {Caruana shifts the knight again,
making maximum use of his minor pieces.} 34. Nc3 {the engine now shows White
at a significant disadvantage.} (34. Rxc4 {would lead to a rook endgame with
Black a pawn up.} dxc4 35. Qxc4 Nxb5 36. a4 Nxd4 37. Nxd4 Bxd4 38. Bxd4+ Qxd4+
39. Qxd4+ Rxd4) (34. b6 {Houdini suggests jettisoning the pawn in order to
inflict structural damage on Black's queenside.} axb6 35. Rxc4 dxc4 36. Qxc4
Ra8 37. Qd3 Nd5) 34... Rc8 (34... Nxb5 35. Nxb5 Qxb5 36. Qxf5 Qd7 {is not as
good for Black.}) 35. h3 {perhaps Nakamura thought he was already lost here
and tried to generate counterplay in desperation.} (35. a4 {would hold things
together temporarily, but Black can reposition his pieces again to further
increase the pressure and achieve an advantage. For example} Ne8 36. Re2 Nd6
37. Rec2 Qe6 38. Bf2 Rb4 39. Qd2 Rcc4 $19) 35... gxh3 36. Kh2 Nxb5 37. Nxb5
Qxb5 38. Kxh3 (38. Qxf5 $2 Qb2+ {with mate to follow.}) 38... Qd7 $19 {Black
is now a clear pawn ahead, with a 2-1 queenside majority and far superior
piece placement.} 39. Kg2 b5 40. Rb1 a6 41. Rbc1 Qe6 42. Bf2 Rxc1 {Black is
happy to take two rooks for the queen.} 43. Rxe6 fxe6 44. g4 {Nakamura
probably had this in mind when playing 35. g3. White seeks to open lines on
the kingside for his queen. His bishop is the wrong color, though, for this to
be effective.} fxg4 {this is enough to maintain the endgame advantage,
although a tactical option would have won quickly.} (44... Bh4 {is a
non-obvious sacrifice. It works by making White's queen vulnerable, since his
king, without the Bf2 for protection, can then be skewered.} 45. Bxh4 (45. Qe3
R8c2) 45... R8c3 46. Qe2 R1c2) 45. Qe2 Kf7 46. Qd3 {Black's g-pawn is
tactically protected, given the rook skewer at g8.} R1c2 47. Qh7+ Ke8 48. f5 $2
{aggressive but losing.} (48. Kf1) 48... Bxd4 $1 {Black of course had to
calculate the next sequence carefully.} 49. Qg6+ Kd8 50. Qxe6 Rxf2+ 51. Kg3
Rc3+ 52. Kxg4 Rg2+ 53. Kf4 Rf2+ 54. Kg4 Kc7 55. Qe7+ Kb6 56. Qd8+ Rc7 {by this
point Black has marched his king into a safe zone, where White cannot further
sustain any attacks.} 57. Qxd5 Bc5 58. Qd8 Kb7 59. f6 Bxa3 60. Qd5+ Kb6 61. Qd8
Bc5 {with the bishop and rook covering the f8 queening square, and Black's
other rook dominating the back ranks, the game is hopeless for White.} 62. Qb8+
Rb7 63. Qd8+ Ka7 64. Qd5 Bb6 65. Kg5 Rc7 66. Kg6 b4 67. Qe6 Bd4 0-1

[Event "2nd Sinquefield Cup 2014"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2014.09.03"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Vachier Lagrave, M."]
[Black "Caruana, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "2768"]
[BlackElo "2801"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2014.08.27"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 {Caruana starts off this time with a QGD structure.} 3. Nc3
Be7 4. Bf4 Nf6 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 {although this may appear a little premature,
leaving the kingside still undeveloped, it's the second most popular option 
(after Nf3) and scores well.} Nbd7 {Black keeps his options open while
developing the knight.} 7. c5 $146 {releasing the central tension is usually
favorable to Black in these types of positions, as the d5 pawn becomes a major
strongpoint. The extra space gained on the queenside is not sufficient
compensation.} (7. cxd5 {scores well (over 70 percent), as shown in this
Kasparov-Karpov clash:} exd5 8. Nf3 c6 9. h3 Re8 10. Bd3 Nf8 11. O-O Ng6 12.
Bh2 Bd6 13. Bxd6 Qxd6 14. Qc2 Be6 15. a3 a5 16. Na4 Nd7 17. Rb1 Ngf8 18. b4
axb4 19. axb4 b5 20. Nc5 Nb6 21. Ra1 f6 22. Nxe6 Qxe6 23. Nd2 Nc4 24. Nb3 Qe7
25. Nc5 g6 26. e4 Kg7 27. Qc3 Nd7 28. exd5 cxd5 29. Rxa8 Rxa8 30. Re1 Qf7 31.
Ne6+ Kg8 32. Nc7 Rb8 33. Be2 Ndb6 34. Nxb5 Re8 35. Bf1 Qd7 36. Rxe8+ Qxe8 37.
Na3 Qc6 38. b5 Qc7 39. Nc2 Kg7 40. Ne3 Qd6 41. g3 h5 42. h4 f5 43. Bxc4 dxc4
44. d5+ Kh7 45. Qd4 Nd7 46. Nxc4 Qb4 47. d6 Qxb5 48. Nd2 Qc6 49. Nc4 Qb5 50.
Ne3 Qb1+ 51. Kg2 Qb7+ 52. Qd5 Qxd5+ 53. Nxd5 Kg7 54. Kf3 Kf7 55. Nc7 Ne5+ 56.
Kf4 Nc4 57. d7 Ke7 58. Kg5 Nd2 59. Kxg6 Ne4 60. Kxf5 Nxf2 61. Ne6 Kxd7 62. Nf4
Ke7 63. Nxh5 Kf7 64. g4 Nd1 65. Nf4 Ne3+ 66. Kg5 Kg7 67. h5 Nc4 68. Nd3 Nd6 69.
Nc5 Nf7+ 70. Kf4 Kh6 71. Ne4 Nd8 72. Ke5 Nc6+ 73. Kf6 Nb4 74. Nc3 Nd3 75. Nd5
Nc5 76. Kf5 Nb3 77. Nf4 Nd4+ 78. Kf6 Nf3 79. Nd3 Nh2 80. Kf5 Nf3 81. Ne5 Nd2
82. Kf4 Nb3 83. Nf7+ Kg7 84. Nd6 Nd4 85. g5 Ne6+ 86. Kg4 Kh7 87. Nf5 Nf8 88.
Nh4 Ne6 89. Ng2 Kg7 90. Nf4 Nd4 91. h6+ Kh7 92. Kh5 Nf5 93. g6+ Kg8 94. Kg5 Ne3
95. Nh5 Nd5 96. Nf6+ {1-0 (96) Kasparov,G (2812)-Karpov,A (2619) Valencia 2009}
) (7. Nf3 {is the other obvious choice.}) 7... Ne4 8. Bd3 (8. Nxe4 {causes
Black no problems. For example} dxe4 9. Bc4 e5 10. Bg3 (10. Bxe5 Nxe5 11. dxe5
Qxd1+ 12. Rxd1 Bxc5 $15) 10... exd4 11. exd4 c6 $11) 8... f5 {Black chooses to
head for a comfortably equal version of a Stonewall, supporting the Ne4.} 9.
Nf3 c6 {the Stonewall is now complete. While the position is equal, Black must
be happy with his situation, as he has achieved a favorable version of the
opening with White's forces not deployed very threateningly.} 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11.
Bxe5 Bf6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 {given White's development scheme, he no longer has the
ability to control e5 with a piece, so Black is able to successfully remedy
this standard Stonewall weakness.} 13. Ne2 e5 14. Qa4 $6 {MVL admitted
afterwards that he miscalculated the strength of Black's responses.} (14. O-O
$5) 14... Qh4 (14... Qg6 {is the engine's choice.} 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. O-O Bg4
17. Rc2 exd4 18. Qxd4 Rf6 $15) 15. g3 $6 {White was worried about castling
into a Black attack, but the text move ends up being more weakening.} (15. O-O
Nd2 {could lead to a repetition.} (15... Nf6 {would be more challenging, but
White remains equal. One possible continuation:} 16. Qb4 e4 17. Bc2 g5 18. Qd2
Ng4 19. h3 Nf6 20. f4 exf3 21. Rxf3 $11) 16. Rfd1 Ne4 17. Rf1) 15... Qg4 $15 {
by playing the obvious move, Black seizes the positional advantage.} 16. Rf1 (
16. Qd1 {would bring the queen back for defense, although it doesn't solve
White's problems and Black retains an edge. For example} exd4 17. exd4 (17.
Nxd4 Qxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Nxc5) 17... Ng5 18. f4 Ne4 $15) 16... Ng5 {illustrating
how well the knight and queen can combine when attacking.} 17. Kd2 $2 {White's
king now runs away, but at the cost of a pawn.} (17. Ng1 $5) 17... Nf3+ 18. Kc3
Nxh2 {although White will have the half-open h-file, this is insufficient
compensation for the material.} 19. Rh1 Nf3 20. Qa5 {eyeing the c7 square for
penetration, although this is not a serious threat to Black.} Qg5 {Black
adjusts with his own queen in response, so she can be brought back as
necessary.} 21. dxe5 Qe7 {much stronger than simply recapturing immediately
with the Nf3, which might have been a Class player's choice. The queen now
covers the 7th rank and pressures c5; meanwhile, the e5 pawn is not going
anywhere.} 22. Nd4 Nxe5 23. b3 $2 {this is simply too slow. Black now takes
advantage of White's exposed king position and awkwardly placed pieces with a
pawn break.} (23. Kd2 $5) 23... b6 $1 {now White is essentially lost.} 24. cxb6
c5 {Black's pieces can now activate with deadly force, making threats that
White cannot counter.} 25. Nb5 Bb7 $19 26. bxa7 (26. Rhd1 {avoiding the
discovered attack still does not help White too much.} Nc6 27. Qa4 axb6 28. Qh4
Qe5+ 29. Kd2 Nb4 $19) 26... d4+ 27. exd4 Nxd3 28. Kxd3 Bxh1 29. Rxc5 Qe4+ 30.
Kc4 Qe2+ 31. Kb4 Qd2+ 32. Rc3 Bc6 {taking advantage of the pin on the Rc3. At
this point, Black just needs to mop things up, as White is down significant
material with a very exposed king.} 33. a4 Bxb5 34. Kxb5 Qxd4 (34... Rxa7 {
would end things quicker, according to the engine. Black picks up the pawn
with the deflection tactic and also forces the indirect exchange of rooks.} 35.
Qxa7 Qxc3 36. b4 Qd3+ 37. Ka5 Rd8 $19 {; perhaps Caruana thought the text move
led to a less risky endgame.}) 35. Rc7 Rfd8 {continuing to play it safe in the
endgame, not going for any flashy tactics and deep calculation.} 36. Qb6 Rd5+
37. Ka6 {hoping for a miscalculation by Black.} Rd6 38. a5 Qd3+ 39. Kb7 Qd5+
0-1

[Event "Sharjah WGP 2014"]
[Site "Sharjah UAE"]
[Date "2014.08.30"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Hou Yifan"]
[Black "Kosintseva, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2661"]
[BlackElo "2494"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2014.08.25"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ {recovering the pawn
immediately is normal here, although White can head for a true gambit by
castling.} Nbd7 6. Qxc4 c5 7. Qb3 {while not necessary at this point,
repositioning the queen can be done with the text move or Qc2.} Rb8 {Black
will eventually want to develop with ...b6 and ...Bb7, so getting the rook out
of the way of the Bg2 is a prerequisite.} 8. d3 Bd6 9. Nc3 a6 {taking away the
b5 square from the Nc3, a necessary prophylactic move.} 10. Nd2 {this is a
somewhat unusual idea and follows most recently the game Seirawan-Kaidanov 
(2012). The Bc1 is blocked in temporarily, but the knight will be repositioned
on e4.} O-O 11. O-O b6 12. Nde4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Be7 {the game now diverges, to
White's favor, as Black's bishop is more passive.} (13... Be5 14. Bd2 Nf6 15.
Bc3 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 b5 18. a4 Bb7 19. Bxb7 Rxb7 20. axb5 axb5 21.
Ra6 Qc7 22. Qa2 b4 23. Qc4 Rfb8 24. cxb4 Rxb4 25. Qc3 Rb3 26. Qc4 R3b4 27. Qc3
Rb3 28. Qc4 R3b4 29. Qc3 {1/2-1/2 (29) Seirawan,Y (2643)-Kaidanov,G (2594)
Saint Louis 2012}) 14. Bf4 e5 {forced, otherwise White can follow up
effectively with Nd6.} 15. Be3 Bb7 16. f4 {here Komodo 8 prefers the plan of
disrupting Black's queenside pawn majority, using the a-pawn as a lever. This
was also played in the following game, having reached the same position by
transposition.} (16. a4 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 a5 18. Bd2 Bg5 19. Bc3 Kh8 20. Bc6 Qc7
21. Qd5 Rbd8 22. Bxd7 Rxd7 23. Qxe5 Qxe5 24. Bxe5 Re8 25. f4 Bf6 26. Bxf6 gxf6
27. Kf2 Rd4 28. b3 f5 29. Rfc1 Kg7 30. Ra2 Rd6 31. Rd2 Red8 32. Rc3 h5 33. e3
Kf6 34. Ke2 h4 35. d4 hxg3 36. hxg3 cxd4 37. Rcd3 Ke6 38. Rxd4 Rxd4 39. Rxd4
Rc8 40. Rc4 Rb8 41. Rc6+ Ke7 42. Kd3 b5 43. Rc5 bxa4 44. bxa4 Rb3+ 45. Kd2 Kf6
46. Rxa5 Ra3 47. Ra6+ Kg7 48. Ke2 Ra1 49. Kd3 Ra3+ 50. Kd4 Rb3 51. Rc6 Ra3 52.
Rc4 Kg6 53. Kc5 Kh5 54. Kb4 Rxe3 55. Rc3 {1-0 (55) Vaganian,R (2590)-Enders,P 
(2475) Germany 1992}) 16... Bxe4 17. Bxe4 Nf6 18. Bf3 exf4 19. gxf4 {a big
strategic decision on how to recapture. White creates a half-open g-file,
likelier to create additional opportunities against her opponent's king, but
also weakening her own shield.} Qd7 20. Kh1 {the obvious follow-up, otherwise
the g-file will do White no good.} Ng4 (20... h5 {is an interesting idea here,
establishing an outpost for the knight before launching it into enemy
territory.}) 21. Bg1 {White now has to block the g-file of her own accord, in
order to preserve the two bishops and keep her defenses intact.} Rfd8 {this is
problematic, as it leaves f7 weakened.} (21... Bf6 $5) 22. Rad1 Bf6 23. d4 {a
masterly move. Doing the simple math of taking on d4, this looks suicidal, but
White recognizes that her opponent's pieces are overloaded and she can strike
in the center.} cxd4 24. e4 Nh6 25. Rd3 {White chooses not to follow up with
the immediate e5, preferring to do some maneuvering with her pieces first,
building up their attacking potential.} (25. e5 Be7 26. Rxd4 {would regain the
pawn immediately, but likely lead to simplifications. For example} Qh3 27. Be2
Qxb3 28. axb3 Bc5 29. Rxd8+ Rxd8 30. Bxc5 bxc5 $11 {White can now capture the
a6 pawn, but then Black's rook would be able to camp on the second rank.})
25... Qe6 (25... g6 $5 {is a defensive idea that could be good for Black,
giving the bishop a retreat square on g7.}) 26. Qd1 {White decides to preserve
her queen and offer a second pawn.} (26. Rfd1 {is perhaps the more natural
move, as Black gains little or nothing by exchanging on b3.}) 26... Qxa2 27.
Rf2 Rbc8 (27... Qe6 {is a retreat that could be played now or in the near
future, that would bring the queen back into play on the kingside for defense.}
) 28. Rg2 Qc4 29. Rgd2 {White evidently has second thoughts about pursuing a
kingside strategy and switches back to the center, although this is
effectively a loss of tempo with the rook.} (29. e5 Be7 30. Be4 $11) 29... Qc1
$15 30. Qe2 {White is consistent in not wishing to trade queens, until forced
to.} Be7 31. f5 {finally the mobile center pawns start rolling.} f6 (31... Bf6)
32. Rd1 Qc2 33. R3d2 Qc4 34. Qxc4+ {White now decides to get a pawn back.} (34.
Rxd4 $5) 34... Rxc4 35. Be2 Rb4 36. Bxa6 Bc5 {Black has now reasonably
consolidated her extra pawn, although it will certainly be a continuing target
on d4.} 37. b3 {possible due to all of Black's pieces being tied to protecting
the advanced d-pawn.} Kf8 38. Bc4 Ke7 $6 {this slip costs a tempo, as the king
has to retreat to protect the pawn again.} (38... Nf7 {would allow Black to
follow up with either ...Ng5 or ...Nd6, as needed.}) 39. Rg2 Kf8 40. Bf2 Nf7
41. Bg3 Ng5 {Black here appears primarily concerned about blocking threats
along the g-file.} (41... Nd6 42. Bxd6+ Bxd6 43. Rdg1 (43. Rxd4 $2 b5 $19)
43... Rd7 $15) 42. Bd5 $11 {an excellent move, cutting off the Rd8 and
centralizing the bishop, which is unchallenged on the light squares.} Bd6 43.
Bxd6+ Rxd6 44. Ra2 (44. h4 $5) (44. Rd3 {also seems logical, protecting the
third rank and preparing for transfer to g3 along with the threat of h4.})
44... Rd7 45. Ra8+ Ke7 46. Kg2 Nf7 (46... Rc7 {is a subtle move, but one that
ends up costing Black less.} 47. Bc4 b5 48. Rb8 Kd6 49. Rxd4+ Ke5 50. Rd1 Kxe4
$15) 47. Rg8 Ne5 48. Rxg7+ {while the engine shows complete equality here, the
momentum is on White's side and she has the easier game.} Kd6 49. Rg8 d3 50.
Kf2 Ra7 51. Rd2 Kc5 52. Ke3 {note how both players emphasize king activity in
the center.} Rb5 (52... Ra1) 53. Rc8+ Kb4 54. Rxd3 $1 {this is not forcing -
the engine finds a reasonable defense for Black, even a pawn down - but the
decision to offer the exchange sacrifice is a winning one and psychologically
hard to turn down.} Nxd3 (54... Rc5 55. Rxc5 bxc5 56. Rd2 Kc3) 55. Kxd3 $16 {
Komodo 8 now has White a full pawn equivalent ahead in its evaluation, despite
being materially a pawn down. White's bishop is magnificent and her king is
better centralized. The ending remains tricky, however.} Ra1 56. Rc6 Rd1+ 57.
Ke3 Rbxd5 {Black decides to return material, but exchanges down into an
inferior ending. Compare this with the pawn-down position from the move 54
variation and it's obvious White is much better.} (57... Re1+ $5) 58. exd5 b5
59. Rxf6 Rxd5 60. Ke4 Rd2 61. Rh6 Kxb3 62. f6 $18 {White's advanced passed
pawn will decide the game.} Re2+ 63. Kd5 Rf2 64. Ke6 Re2+ 65. Kd7 Rf2 66. Ke7
Re2+ 67. Kf8 Kc4 68. f7 b4 69. Rf6 b3 70. Kg8 b2 71. Rf1 Rg2+ 72. Kh8 b1=Q 73.
Rxb1 Rf2 74. Kg8 Rg2+ 75. Kf8 Kd5 76. Re1 Ra2 77. Ke7 {and Black will have to
give up the rook for the f-pawn.} 1-0

[Event "Sharjah WGP 2014"]
[Site "Sharjah UAE"]
[Date "2014.08.31"]
[Round "6.4"]
[White "Zhu, Chen"]
[Black "Muminova, Nafisa"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D11"]
[WhiteElo "2461"]
[BlackElo "2315"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2014.08.25"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. cxd5 Bxf3 {the most
popular and best-scoring response. White's queen is diverted to the kingside
as a result, which lessens the impact of the bishop's absence from the
queenside.} 7. Qxf3 cxd5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Bd3 Bb4 $146 {...Nc6 is the normal move
here. The dark-square bishop typically goes to e7 or d6 rather than b4.} 10.
Bd2 Nc6 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfd1 Rc8 {a typical Slav middlegame structure is on
the board, with a symmetrical pawn structure and open c-file. White has the
two bishops, but their scope is relatively constrained.} 13. Qe2 Qe7 14. Rac1
Rfd8 15. a3 Ba5 16. b4 Bc7 17. f4 Bd6 {at this point one has to question the
wisdom of the bishop's long journey to d6, when this could have been played
directly on move 9. Black shortly will use a pawn lever to break up White's
queenside, so perhaps that was her original strategic concept.} 18. Rb1 Ra8 19.
Na4 a5 20. bxa5 {this release of tension seems to favor Black's idea, rather
than immediately pressing the chance for a White advantage. Two potential
alternatives:} (20. b5) (20. Nb6) 20... Nxa5 21. Nb6 Ra7 22. a4 Ba3 {taking
advantage of the Q+B battery.} (22... Nc6 $5) 23. Bxa5 {this exchanges a bad
bishop for a knight on the rim. While not a bad idea in the short term, White
does give up the one slim long-term strategic advantage she has.} (23. Rb5 Nc6
24. Rdb1 $14) 23... Rxa5 24. Qd2 Ra7 25. Qc2 Qf8 {keeps the Q+B battery active
while lending the queen's strength to the eigth rank.} 26. Rb3 g6 {breaks the
indirect pin on the Nf6, which otherwise was tied to defending h7. Also
importantly prevents the f5 advance.} 27. Rdb1 Bd6 $11 {White's temporary
pressure has ebbed and Black will be able to easily parry White's further
attempts at activity.} 28. Rc3 Bb4 29. Rc7 Kg7 30. g4 Ba5 31. g5 Ne8 {although
White has a space advantage and a rook sitting on c7 (temporarily), it is
interesting to note the lack of any real threats. The Bd3 is effectively out
of the game due to the pawn structure and the rook cannot do anything with the
c-file.} 32. Rc5 Nd6 33. Qd1 {White apparently does not want to acknowledge
her lack of threats and tries to regroup her pieces. However, this works to
Black's advantage.} Bxb6 34. Rxb6 Rda8 $15 {at this point, Black's knight is
superior to White's bishop and Black's pieces are cooperating much more
effectively than White's.} 35. Rb4 Qe8 36. Bc2 Nc4 {White's lack of piece
coordination, especially with the rooks, is visibly evident.} 37. Kf2 b6 {this
allows White to return to equality.} (37... h6 {is the engine's recommendation
to try for an advantage.} 38. gxh6+ Kxh6 39. Rc7 b6 40. Rxa7 Rxa7 $17 {Black
can now target the isolated h-pawn and penetrate on the kingside with his
queen.}) 38. Rcb5 Qd7 39. Qd3 $6 {this sets up a tactical weakness on the
c-file.} (39. Bd3) 39... Qc7 (39... Rc8 {in return for sacrificing the b-pawn,
Black gains control of the c-file and can penetrate to the back ranks.} 40. Bb3
Nd6 41. Rxb6 Rac7 $19) 40. Bd1 Ra6 {Black decides to concentrate on protecting
the b-pawn and shutting down any White activity rather than unbalancing the
game, evidently not evaluating that it would be clearly to her benefit.
Several possibilites for advantage include:} (40... h6 $5 {this idea would
again work to good effect here.}) (40... Rh8) (40... Rc8) 41. Rb1 Nd6 42. R5b2
Nc4 43. Rb4 R8a7 44. Ke2 Nd6 {the piece shuffling indicates both sides are
happy with a draw.} 45. R4b2 Nc4 46. Rb4 Nd6 47. R4b2 Nc4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Sharjah WGP 2014"]
[Site "Sharjah UAE"]
[Date "2014.09.02"]
[Round "8.5"]
[White "Danielian, Elina"]
[Black "Muminova, Nafisa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A11"]
[WhiteElo "2490"]
[BlackElo "2315"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2014.08.25"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 {Black chooses a Semi-Slav type setup.}
5. b3 Nbd7 6. Bb2 Bd6 7. Qc2 O-O 8. Be2 Re8 9. h3 (9. O-O {can also be played
immediately and is the most popular in the database. One recent game:} a6 10.
d4 b5 11. e4 b4 12. e5 bxc3 13. Bxc3 Bc7 14. exf6 Nxf6 15. Rad1 Ne4 16. Bb2 Bb7
17. Bd3 f5 18. Ne5 c5 19. Bxe4 cxd4 20. Bf3 Bxe5 21. Bxd4 Bd6 22. Bb2 Qc7 23.
h3 Rad8 24. Rfe1 Bb4 25. Be5 Qc8 26. Rf1 dxc4 27. Bxb7 Qxb7 28. Qxc4 Rc8 29.
Qe2 Red8 30. Bb2 Qe4 31. Qxa6 Ra8 32. Qb6 Rdb8 33. Qc7 Rb7 34. Rd8+ Bf8 35. Qd6
Rxd8 36. Qxd8 Ra7 37. Rc1 Ra8 38. Qd7 Rxa2 39. Rc7 Qb1+ 40. Kh2 h6 41. Qf7+ Kh7
42. Bxg7 {1-0 (42) Mikhalevski,V (2519)-Steinberg,N (2416) Beersheba 2014})
9... e5 10. cxd5 cxd5 (10... Nxd5 $5) 11. Nb5 {with the pawn on c6 now gone,
the nimble knight can activate itself and target Black's dark-square bishop.}
Nf8 (11... Bb8 {would preserve the bishop, which has to cover the c7 square to
prevent a knight fork. This looks a little awkward, but appears best
strategically.}) 12. Rc1 $14 {deploying the rook usefully and sealing the fate
of Black's bishop, which must now suffer being exchanged.} a6 (12... Bb8 {no
longer would preserve the bishop, as it would have to exchange itself for the
knight after Nc7.}) 13. Nxd6 Qxd6 14. O-O $16 {Komodo 8 already gives a
significant positional plus to White, who dominates the only open file and has
the two bishops. Black's forces meanwhile are uncoordinated.} N6d7 15. Qc7 Qe7
{Black evidently assesses that the exchange of queens would lessen her
practical chances for counterplay.} (15... Qxc7 16. Rxc7 Ne6 17. Rc2 f6 18.
Rfc1 $16) 16. Rc2 (16. Qa5 $5 {is an interesting alternative.} Qd6 17. Ba3 Qg6
18. Kh1 Qe6 19. Rc7) (16. Nxe5 $2 {would be a tactical blunder.} Nxe5 17. Qxe7
Rxe7) 16... Ne6 17. Qa5 e4 18. Nd4 {White's knight is happy to go to such an
excellent central outpost. If Ne6 exchanges it, White can then penetrate on c7.
} Qg5 {Black protects the d-pawn, but White is going to have a free hand on
the queenside.} (18... Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Ne5 20. Qxd5 Nc6 21. Bc5 $16) 19. Nxe6
Rxe6 20. Rfc1 {a preparatory move that is a more conservative way to maintain
the advantage.} (20. f4 $5 {immediately is suggested by the engine. This kicks
the queen and picks up the d5 pawn, or otherwise leads to more problems for
Black.} Qh4 (20... b6 21. fxg5 bxa5 22. Rc7 $18) (20... exf3 21. Bxf3 $18 {
White is going to win the d-pawn in this line as well, as she has the
back-rank threat of playing Qd8 if the Qg5 is deflected. For example} b5 $2 22.
Bxd5) 21. Qxd5 $18) 20... Re8 {protects against possible back-rank threats,
such as those shown in the previous variation.} 21. f4 exf3 22. Bxf3 b5 {
defending the d-pawn by interference with the Qa5.} 23. Qc7 Nf8 24. h4 {a
masterly move that again threatens to deflect the queen from protection of d5.}
Qf5 (24... Qxh4 25. Bxd5 Be6 26. Bxa8 Rxa8 $18) 25. Qg3 {targeting the g-pawn
and causing another weakness in Black's structure.} g6 {this turns out to
severely weaken Black's defense.} (25... f6) 26. Rc5 Bb7 27. Rc7 Bc8 (27...
Rab8 28. Bg4 Qe4 29. Qf2 $18) 28. R7c5 {repetition here was probably for time
management purposes, bringing the time control closer for free.} Bb7 29. e4 {
White continues pressing against the d5 pawn. She will never actually capture
it, but all of her threats cause her opponent to lose ground in responding to
them.} Rxe4 {Black decides in desperation to sacrifice the exchange in order
to try to relieve the pressure.} (29... Qe6 30. Bg4 Qxe4 31. Rc7 $18) 30. Bxe4
Qxe4 31. Re1 {note how the Qg3 assists rook placement on both e1 and c7.} Qf5
32. Rc7 Bc8 33. Qc3 {now Black's kingside holes become the decisive factor.} f6
34. Qxf6 {White now has a number of ways to win and picks a safe and easy one.}
Qxf6 35. Bxf6 Nd7 36. Bd4 Kf8 37. Rec1 {the Bc8 is lost and with it, the game.}
1-0

[Event "Baku FIDE Grand Prix 2014"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "2014.10.03"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Andreikin, D."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A81"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]
[BlackElo "2764"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]

1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 g6 {the Leningrad Dutch.} 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c3
{White here probably wanted to avoid Nakamura's deep preparation against the
standard continuation of c4.} d6 7. Qb3+ {the most popular idea as a follow-up.
White takes advantage of the diagonal being clear.} e6 {this is something of a
concession to White, as Black would prefer to be able to play e5, but on the
positive side the move also reinforces d5, while e6 is no longer a weak point.}
8. Bg5 {Ng5 is popular here, opening up the long diagonal for the bishop, as
well as the more prosaic Nbd2.} Qe8 $146 {the usual idea behind this move in
the Leningrad is to support an advance of the e-pawn, as well as give the
queen a path to the kingside after g6 is vacated.} (8... Nc6 $5 {scores the
best for Black, albeit based on only a handful of games. The point is that the
pawn advance d5 is not possible at this stage, unlike in the main line with a
pawn on c4.}) 9. Nbd2 Nh5 {Black decides to leave the queenside undeveloped
and start operations on the kingside immediately.} 10. Ne1 h6 11. Be3 g5 {
continuing to ignore the queenside, despite the threat to the b-pawn.} 12. f4 {
preempting the push of the f-pawn by Black.} (12. Bxb7 Bxb7 13. Qxb7 Nc6 {is
OK for Black, who is threatening to push with ...f4 (trapping the bishop) or
seize the b-file. For example} 14. f3 Rb8 15. Qa6 (15. Qxc7 $2 Rf7 16. Qxd6 Bf8
{and the queen is trapped.}) 15... f4 16. gxf4 gxf4 17. Bf2 Rxb2 $11) 12...
gxf4 13. Bxf4 Kh8 14. Be3 Nc6 15. Nd3 b6 {it's interesting to see Black take
the time now to secure the b-pawn, when he could continue pressing in the
center.} (15... e5 $5 {would force the issue.} 16. dxe5 dxe5 $11) 16. g4 {
White can do a variety of things here. This does not seem to be the most
productive, however.} Nf6 {Black chooses to decline the sacrifice. Nakamura
tends to be the one who prefers having initiative or other compensation for
material, rather than the other way around.} (16... fxg4 17. Rxf8+ Bxf8 {is
evaluated as equal by the engine. White has some play for the pawn on the
kingside and down the f-file.}) 17. gxf5 exf5 {while Black's pawn structure is
shattered on the kingside, White is no better. Black's pawn on f5 is also
difficult to attack and he has prospects on the g-file.} 18. Bf2 Be6 19. Qc2
Bd5 20. Nf3 Be4 {after this lengthy bishop maneuver, Black has fully equalized
and seems to have a clearer strategy to follow on the kingside.} 21. Qd2 Ne7 {
with the Be4 covering the diagonal, the knight can now reposition itself
without risk.} 22. Bh4 {White looks to exchange his "bad" bishop for one of
Black's good knights, but this also will remove a key dark-square defender
from the game.} Ng6 23. Bxf6 Rxf6 24. Rf2 c5 {this move highlights one of the
interesting things about the Dutch, in that Black has to look at playing on
all portions of the board to be most effective, and not just fixate on the
kingside. Black now threatens to push ...c4 and would welcome the open d-file
if the pawn were exchanged.} 25. Raf1 Qe6 26. a3 Rg8 $17 {Black can now build
up pressure rather easily on the kingside and center (g- and e-files) and he
has firmly taken over the initiative.} 27. Kh1 Kh7 28. Qe3 {this move
highlights how White's pieces are awkwardly placed and not cooperating well,
as well as the lack of constructive plans available to White.} Re8 29. Qd2 Rg8
30. Qe3 {a repetition sequence that no doubt helped with the time control.} c4
31. Nf4 $6 {this allows Black to solve the problem of what to do with the Ng6,
as he now exchanges it off and places a much more effective rook on the square.
} (31. Nde1 $5) 31... Nxf4 32. Qxf4 Rg6 33. h3 {this does not appear very
helpful, but White is in serious difficulty anyway.} (33. Rg1 $5) 33... Bf6 34.
Kh2 Be7 35. Bh1 {evidently the point of the earlier maneuvers on the h-file.
Removing the bishop as a target does not rescue White from his predicament,
however.} R8g7 {clearing the g8 square for the queen.} 36. Rg2 Bg5 $1 {the key
move and the result of excellent calculation by Black.} 37. Qg3 (37. Nxg5+ hxg5
$19 {and both the Qf4 and Rg2 are attacked, so White loses material.}) 37...
Bc1 $19 {White is now embarrassed on the g-file.} 38. Rxc1 {White cannot save
the queen without giving a winning attack to Black. For example} (38. Qf2 Bf4+
39. Kg1 Bg3 40. Qe3 f4 41. Qc1 (41. Qd2 Qxh3 42. e3 Bh2+) 41... Qxh3 $19) (38.
Qh4 Rxg2+ 39. Bxg2 Qg6 40. Bh1 Be3 $19 {and White has no good moves, with
mating possibilities for Black looming.}) 38... Rxg3 39. Rxg3 Bxf3 {Black
decides to simplify down into a won endgame.} (39... Rxg3 {might be a more
obvious way to do it for most Class players.} 40. Kxg3 f4+ 41. Kh2 Bf5 $19) 40.
Rxg7+ Kxg7 41. Bxf3 Qe3 42. Rg1+ Kf6 43. Bh5 Qd2 {White's series of checks
cannot harm the Black king and Black's queen in the end can simply pick off
the remaining pawns, so White then resigns.} 44. Rg6+ Ke7 45. Rg7+ Kd8 46. Rg8+
Kc7 47. Rg7+ Kb8 48. Rg8+ Kb7 0-1

[Event "Baku FIDE Grand Prix 2014"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "2014.10.07"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Tomashevsky, Evgeny"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A84"]
[WhiteElo "2748"]
[BlackElo "2701"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[SourceDate "2014.01.04"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. e3 f5 {this is a typical way master-level
players reach the Dutch Stonewall, avoiding various sidelines that White could
play after starting with 1...f5.} 5. Bd3 {normally in the man line White
fianchettoes this bishop against the Stonewall. Here he's already played e3,
so now g3 followed by Bg2 could be considered a waste of time, and create a
positional weakness on the light squares.} Nf6 6. O-O Bd6 7. b3 Qe7 {a
standard response from Black; White otherwise can play Ba3, intending to
exchange the Bd6 and leaving Black weak on the dark squares.} 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Nc3
Bd7 {this is played only a handful of times in the database, but is
nevertheless considered "hot" because of recent high-level games, including
this one. Black intends to follow the old Stonewall development plan with the
light-square bishop, swinging it to the kingside. As we'll see later on,
however, it never quite makes it there.} (9... Ne4 {is the overwhelming choice
here.}) (9... Nbd7 {also looks reasonable.}) 10. Ne5 Be8 $146 11. Ne2 {this
looks a little curious, but it lets the Bb2 add its support to e5,
anticipating Black's next move.} Nbd7 12. f3 {taking away the e4 square from
Black.} c5 {the Stonewall pawn formation is not intended to be a static
structure for the whole game. Part of playing it well is knowing when to look
for pawn breaks and exchanges in the center. By now Black has mostly finished
his development and can support the text move.} 13. Rc1 Rd8 14. Qc2 dxc4 15.
Bxc4 cxd4 16. exd4 Nb6 {Black now controls d5 and can blockade and pressure
the isolated d-pawn. Envisioning this was part of the idea behind Black's
earlier ...Rd8.} 17. Nf4 {targeting Black's weak e6 pawn in turn. Now Black
could also defend by blocking on d5, which would transform the central pawn
structure, but he prefers to keep White's pawn isolated on an open file.} Nxc4
(17... Nbd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 exd5 20. Rfe1 $14 {White's game is easier
and Black will have to play somewhat defensively, but this appears to be at
best only a slight plus for White.}) 18. Qxc4 (18. bxc4 $5 {is preferred by
the engine. Black could then exchange on e5 immediately, for example} Bxe5 19.
dxe5 Nd7 {and White's e- and c-pawns look like long-term weaknesses, which may
have been what put off Gelfand. He would have some dynamic play in return, for
example on the a3-f8 diagonal, and the initiative. Komodo 8 judges the
position a clear (if small) plus for White.}) 18... Bd7 (18... Bf7 $5) 19. Nxd7
{otherwise Black has no troubles.} (19. Rfe1 {supporting the knight (or with
Qe2) allows Black to exchange major pieces on the c-file and free up his game.}
Rc8 20. Qd3 Rxc1 21. Bxc1 Rc8 $11) 19... Bxf4 {a key in-between move and not
the only one of the sequence that is now triggered.} (19... Rxd7 20. Qxe6+ Qxe6
21. Nxe6 Re8 22. Nc5 Rde7 $14 {Black has compensation in the form of the
e-file and better bishop, but a pawn is still a pawn.}) 20. Nxf8 Bxc1 21. Nxe6
Be3+ {another necessary in-between move.} 22. Kh1 b5 {a deflection tactic that
essentially forces the queen trade.} 23. Qc7 Qxc7 24. Nxc7 b4 25. d5 {the pawn
is still eventually doomed.} Bb6 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Rc1 a5 28. g3 Bxc7 29. Rxc7
Rxd5 {the players have now reached a drawn rook ending. Black's king can
easily cover the weaknesses on the kingside and Black's rook is too active for
White to make any progress.} 30. Rc2 Kf7 31. Kg2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Shamkir 2015"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.04.19"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A90"]
[WhiteElo "2802"]
[BlackElo "2863"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 {Black indicates his intention to enter a Modern
Stonewall, an opening with which Carlsen has a great deal of experience.} 4. c4
c6 5. Nf3 d5 6. O-O Bd6 {the standard Modern Stonewall position, which can be
reached via a variety of move orders. Caruana now goes for a standard
development plan.} 7. b3 Qe7 8. Bb2 {without the Black queen on e7, this
bishop could have gone to a3 and exchanged off its counterpart, leaving
Black's position weak on the dark squares.} b6 {the alternative to playing for
the classical Stonewall light-square bishop development (Bc8-d7-e8-h5).} 9. Ne5
{a relatively aggressive continuation, targeting the c6 pawn.} Bb7 {aside from
being an obvious follow-up to the previous move, it protects c6 and therefore
allows the Nb8 to be developed.} 10. Nd2 O-O 11. Rc1 a5 {expanding on the
queenside before developing the knight. Black scores well from here, over 54
percent in the database.} 12. e3 Na6 {with this move, Black commits to a
queenside strategy. The knight is not available to help cover the center, but
can be effective on b4 or supporting a potential ...c5 advance.} 13. Nb1 $146 {
this may have been part of computer preparation; at least Komodo 8 likes it
very much.} (13. Qe2 {is typical in this position, connecting the rooks,
keeping an eye with the queen on c4 and also the kingside and center.
Following is a high-level illustrative game, with some similar themes (such as
the ...a4 push by Black) as in the main game.} a4 14. bxa4 Bxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7
16. a5 Nac5 17. Bc3 bxa5 18. Nb3 Nxb3 19. axb3 Nc5 20. Qc2 Ne4 21. Bb2 a4 22.
bxa4 Ba6 23. f3 Ng5 24. cxd5 Bxf1 25. d6 Qa7 26. Bd4 Qa6 27. Rxf1 c5 28. Bxc5
Rfc8 29. Rc1 Rc6 30. h4 Rac8 31. d7 Rd8 32. hxg5 Rxd7 33. f4 Rc8 34. Bf1 Qb7
35. Bc4 Re8 36. Bb5 {1-0 (36) So,W (2656)-Reinderman,D (2573) Wijk aan Zee 2010
}) 13... Bxe5 {now that Black is prepared to move ...c5, the dark-square
bishop is not indispensible.} 14. dxe5 Ne4 {chasing the knight away with f3
would not be terribly constructive for White, so it is well placed here while
being ready to relocate to c5.} 15. Qe2 {White could try to challenge in the
center and create an imbalance, although Black should still be fine:} (15. cxd5
exd5 (15... cxd5 16. Qd4 Nec5 17. Ba3 $14) 16. Nc3 Nec5 $11 (16... Qxe5 $2 17.
Nxe4 Qxb2 18. Nd6 Rab8 19. Nxb7 Rxb7 20. Rxc6 $16)) 15... a4 (15... Nc7 16. f3
Ng5 17. h4 Nf7 18. e4 fxe4 19. fxe4 dxc4 20. Qxc4 c5 21. Rfd1 {1/2-1/2 (21)
Komarov,D (2575)-Gleizerov,E (2540) Leeuwarden 1995}) 16. Nc3 {White still
appears uninterested in complicating the situation in the center. This makes
the position easier for Black to play, however.} (16. Ba3 $5 c5 17. f3 Ng5 18.
cxd5 {looks more challenging.}) 16... axb3 17. axb3 Qb4 {Black now has a
comfortable game on the queenside, with nothing to worry about from White.} 18.
Nxe4 dxe4 19. Qc2 {protecting b3} Nc5 20. Bc3 {starting an essentially forced
sequence.} Qxb3 21. Qxb3 Nxb3 22. Rb1 Nc5 23. Rxb6 Na4 24. Rxb7 Nxc3 {the end
of the material-trading sequence. Caruana may well have been looking ahead to
this on move 16, seeking simply an equal, drawish endgame against Carlsen.} 25.
Re7 Rfe8 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Ra1 {it is indeed hard to see an obvious way for
either player to make progress at this point.} Rd8 28. Bf1 {it's somewhat
ironic that Black's "bad" light-square Stonewall bishop is criticized so
strongly in this opening, when White often ends up with just as bad of a piece.
} c5 {fixing White's c-pawn in the way of the bishop.} 29. Ra3 Nb1 30. Ra1 (30.
Ra6 {seems logical here, keeping the rook active.}) 30... Nd2 31. Be2 $6 {
White's first mistake in the game. Understandably he wants to activate the
bishop, but the next sequence gives Black a positional edge.} (31. Kg2 {would
prepare the idea, by controlling f3.}) 31... Nf3+ 32. Bxf3 {forced, otherwise
the e5 pawn is lost.} exf3 $15 {the f3 pawn may be doubled and isolated, but
it is very difficult for White to attack. Meanwhile, it controls g2 and White
has to watch for back-rank mate threats. White's own equivalent doubled and
isolated pawn on e5 is not nearly as effective.} 33. h3 {getting space for the
king.} h5 {the only move that keeps the pressure on.} 34. g4 fxg4 35. hxg4 h4 {
for the club player, it would be tempting to simply take the g4 pawn. However,
creating the passed h-pawn is much stronger for Black, since he can quickly
support it.} 36. Kh2 (36. g5 Kh7 37. Kh2 Kg6 38. Kh3 Kh5 39. Rg1 Rd2 $19) 36...
Rd2 37. Kh3 g5 $19 {Black's structural pawn strengths and an active rook on
the second rank mean that he has multiple threats and is on the winning path.}
38. e4 Rd4 39. Ra8+ Kf7 40. Ra3 (40. Ra7+ {doesn't save White, but it at least
makes things more complicated.} Kg6 41. Ra6 Rd1 {threatening mate} 42. Kh2 (42.
Rxe6+ Kg7 43. Kh2 (43. Re7+ Kf8 {and Black mates.}) 43... Rf1 44. Re7+ Kf8 45.
Re6 Rxf2+ $19) 42... Rf1 43. Rxe6+ Kg7 44. Re7+ Kf8 45. Re6 Rxf2+ $19) 40...
Rxc4 41. Rxf3+ Ke7 42. Re3 Rd4 {clearing the way for the c-pawn. Black has
passed pawns on both wings and the win is near.} 43. f3 c4 44. Ra3 Rd3 45. Ra7+
Kd8 46. Kg2 c3 47. Ra4 c2 48. Rc4 Rd2+ 49. Kh3 Kd7 50. Rc5 Rf2 51. f4 Rf3+ 52.
Kh2 Rxf4 0-1

[Event "ch-USA 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2015.04.02"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gareev, T."]
[Black "Holt, C."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D10"]
[WhiteElo "2604"]
[BlackElo "2530"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2015.03.31"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 {in this early Exchange Slav variation,
the bishop move is the "hot" option acording to ChessBase. In the past couple
years, both Carlsen and Aronian have played it at the highest level. It also
scores the best (57 percent), although that score is not necessarily
reflective of the highest level.} Nc6 5. e3 {in keeping with the London
System-type bishop development.} Nf6 6. Nc3 Bf5 {Black continues with standard
development.} 7. Qb3 {the most challenging option. White takes immediate
advantage of the Black bishop's development away from the queenside.} Na5 {
there is an analagous position in the Caro-Kann Exchange variation, in which
Black faces a similar choice in how to defend the b-pawn. In the Slav, the
text move is both most popular and best scoring, instead of defending with the
queen.} 8. Qa4+ Bd7 {this loses a tempo for the bishop, having moved twice,
but the White queen has the same problem.} 9. Qc2 e6 {the main alternative is
the immediate ...Rc8.} 10. Bd3 Nc6 11. a3 {the obvious prophylactic move,
guarding against ...Nb4.} Nh5 {now it is Black's turn to make some threats.
Harrassing the Bf4 is a common idea, but Black has not had sufficient time
earlier in the game for it.} 12. Be5 Rc8 (12... Nxe5 13. dxe5 Qg5 $5 {is the
engine's recommendation. The h7 pawn cannot be taken by White and White's
kingside is exposed.}) 13. Nf3 Nxe5 {only one other game in the database with
this move.} (13... f6 {is more often played (out of a handful of games),
although it is certainly sharper, as shown in the following GM-level game:} 14.
Bxh7 fxe5 15. Qg6+ Ke7 16. Qxh5 Be8 17. Qg5+ Kd7 18. Qxd8+ Kxd8 19. Ng5 Ke7 20.
dxe5 Nxe5 21. Rc1 Bd7 22. f4 Nc4 23. Nd1 Kf6 24. Bd3 Nxb2 25. Rxc8 Nxd3+ 26.
Kd2 Bxc8 27. Kxd3 Bxa3 28. Nf2 e5 29. g4 Bd7 30. Ke2 e4 31. h4 Bb5+ 32. Kd2
Bb4+ 33. Kc2 Ba4+ 34. Kb1 a5 35. h5 Bc6 36. Kc2 Bc5 37. Kd2 a4 38. Rb1 a3 39.
Nd1 Ra8 40. Nc3 b6 41. Na2 d4 42. exd4 Rd8 43. Re1 Rxd4+ 44. Kc2 Ba4+ 45. Kb1
e3 46. Nc3 Bc6 47. Nh7+ Kf7 48. Ng5+ Kg8 49. Ne6 Rc4 50. Nxc5 Rxc3 51. Ne6 Be4+
52. Ka1 Bd5 53. Nd4 Rd3 54. Nf5 e2 55. Ne7+ Kf7 56. Nxd5 Rd1+ {0-1 (56)
Khenkin,I (2644)-Savic,M (2525) Budva 2009}) 14. Nxe5 Nf6 {Black isn't doing
badly here, but White appears to have a slight edge. Note the difference
between this position and Black's move 12 variation, i.e. White's strong Ne5.}
15. f4 Bd6 16. O-O g6 {this defensive move stops the f5 push and by blocking
the diagonal also frees up the Nf6 from defending h7.} (16... O-O $5 {is
certainly possible here and the engine considers the move to equalize. However,
White's pieces are all pointing at the kingside and he would no doubt launch
an attack using the kingside pawns as well. Black has good defensive resources
in these types of positions, but they can be hard to deal with in practical
terms.}) 17. Rf3 {White is emphasizing piece play on the kingside,
transferring the rooks accordingly.} (17. Qb3 $5 {would make things awkward
for Black on the queenside. White however seems more interested in kingside
play.} Bc6 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Na4 $14) 17... Qe7 {this seems like a rather
awkward and unnecessary maneuver to me, although I've done something similar
in a past related position, with the idea of fianchettoing the queen for
defensive purposes.} (17... O-O {looks fine.}) 18. Raf1 O-O 19. Rh3 {this is a
major strategic decision for White, to focus on piece play on the kingside or
try for an attack by pushing the g-pawn.} (19. g4 $5 Bxe5 20. fxe5 {and now if}
Nxg4 21. Qg2 Nh6 22. Rh3 {White has compensation for the pawn, as the knight
can be brought into the kingside attack via e2-f4-h5.}) 19... Be8 {Black
preserves the bishop, evidently considering that White has no real ability to
take advantage of Black's cramped position.} (19... a6 $5 {would take away the
b5 square from White's pieces.}) 20. Qc1 Bc7 {preparing to move the bishop to
a better diagonal, for example a5-e1.} 21. Qe1 Nd7 {getting out of the way of
the f-pawn and also potentially looking to trade on e5.} 22. Nf3 f5 {the
engine considers this position completely even. Given the semi-closed nature
of it and Black's ability to easily defend the few weak points, this
evaluation seems logical. It is hard to see how White can make any real
progress.} 23. Nb5 a6 24. Nxc7 Rxc7 {with the exchange of minor pieces, Black
no longer has the two bishops, but is also less cramped.} 25. Ng5 Nf6 {moving
back to protect h7 again.} 26. Qa5 Bf7 {the bishop plays a useful defensive
role here, although it looks a little strange. Neither bishop is happy in this
quasi-Stonewall pawn formation.} 27. Nf3 {in keeping with the Stonewall theme,
the knight heads for e5.} Rfc8 28. Ne5 Be8 {Black continues to preserve the
bishop.} 29. Rhf3 {beginning the transfer of the rook away from its now
unproductive h-file location.} Bb5 {an interesting choice. Black sacrifices a
pawn for piece activity and practical chances.} 30. Bxb5 axb5 31. Qxb5 Ne4 {
threatening the fork on d2. It is also interesting to compare the two knights;
the one on e4 is significantly more effective, since its counterpart on e5 has
all of its penetration squares on the 6th and 7th ranks covered.} 32. Rd1 Rc2
33. Rff1 $2 {this is the turning point in the game. Black is now able to
combine his pieces effectively together to create threats.} (33. Nd3 {was
necessary to defend.}) 33... Qh4 $1 $17 {this gives up the d7 square to White,
who however has no time to take advantage of it.} 34. Rde1 (34. Qd7 $2 Rxg2+ $1
35. Kxg2 Rc2+ 36. Rd2 {and mate follows.}) 34... Nd2 {tactially, the Rf1 now
has nowhere to go, so White loses the exchange. Gareev may have missed this on
move 33.} 35. Re2 (35. Rf2 $2 Nf3+ $1 36. Rxf3 Qxe1+ $19) 35... Nxf1 36. Nf3
Qd8 {thinking defensively before consolidating the advantage.} 37. Kxf1 Rxe2
38. Kxe2 Rc2+ 39. Nd2 Qc8 $19 {Black has clear advantages both materially and
positionally, but a number of moves remain before he can convert them.} 40. Kd3
Rc1 41. a4 Kg7 42. Qb4 Qc7 {carefully limitng the scope of White's queen.} 43.
Ke2 Kf7 {the king now takes over the duty of protecting the e7 square.} 44. h3
h6 45. Qb5 Qc6 46. Qb4 {exchanging queens is technically best according to the
engine, but in practical terms White's best hopes to hold on are with queens
on the board.} Ke8 47. Kf2 g5 {Black switches to the kingside to open up some
space. His queen and rook and better positioned to take advantage of it.} 48.
fxg5 {this seems to play into White's idea, effectively giving Black more
space.} hxg5 49. Nf3 Rc4 50. Qb3 Rc2+ 51. Kg1 (51. Kg3 $5 f4+ 52. exf4 gxf4+
53. Kh2 $17 (53. Kxf4 $2 Rxg2 $19)) 51... g4 {now the kingside pawns make
their weight felt.} 52. hxg4 fxg4 53. Ne1 Re2 $19 54. Qd1 Rxe3 55. Nd3 Qc4 {
it's clear by this point that White cannot hold.} 56. Nf4 Re4 {a simple path
to victory.} (56... g3 $5 {is the engine's choice, which is simply
unncessarily flashy, allowing White's queen to penetrate on h5 before he
eventually loses to a mate in 11. One of the pitfalls of using computer
analysis is to think that this move would actually be better over-the-board,
when the text move also wins and is much more easily calculated.}) 57. g3 Qxd4+
58. Qxd4 Rxd4 59. Nxe6 Rxa4 60. Nc7+ Kd7 61. Nxd5 Ke6 {and it's all over.
Black will inevitably pick up the b-pawn and win.} 0-1

[Event "ch-USA w 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2015.04.04"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Wang, Annie"]
[Black "Foisor, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D13"]
[WhiteElo "1901"]
[BlackElo "2276"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2015.03.31"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 {White opts for a traditional Slav
Exchange variation, unlike in Timur Gareev's round 2 game with Bf4.} Nf6 5. Nc3
Nc6 6. Bf4 Nh5 {a useful offbeat option, that scores the best of any 6th moves
for Black in the database.} (6... Bf5 {is the classical response.}) 7. Be5 f6
8. Bg3 Nxg3 (8... Bg4 $5 {is the engine's preference, although there are no
games in the database with this move. It looks somewhat counterintuitive, but
perhaps is worth further investigation.}) 9. hxg3 e5 {the natural follow-up to
the ...f6 push. Black gains some central space.} 10. e3 (10. dxe5 $6 {doesn't
work due to} d4 {and now} 11. Nb1 Qa5+ 12. Nbd2 fxe5 $15) 10... e4 11. Nd2 Be6
{developing the bishop and overprotecting d5.} 12. a3 {not the most
challenging approach.} (12. Ndxe4 {is now tactically possible, due to the pawn
fork on d5.} dxe4 13. d5 Bxd5 14. Qxd5 (14. Nxd5 Qa5+ $11) 14... Qxd5 15. Nxd5
O-O-O 16. Rd1 {here Black's king position is a little airy and White's pieces
have slightly better prospects, although after Black tucks his king away with .
..Kb8 the position looks safe enough.}) 12... Be7 $6 {Black here seems to
either overlook or discount the possibility of the pawn fork trick Ndxe4,
which now after a3 has been played could lead to more of an advantage for
White.} (12... f5 $5 {would address the issue.}) 13. Be2 (13. Ndxe4 dxe4 14. d5
Bxd5 {and now} 15. Nxd5 {is much more awkward for Black than in the above
variation.} Qa5+ {is no longer good, due to the pawn advance b4, protected an
additional time by the a3 pawn.}) 13... O-O 14. b4 {in these types of
positions Black appreciates the fact that the b-pawn advance leaves a wake of
weakened squares. The more advanced b-pawn can also be undermined.} f5 ({If
Black preferred to play on the queenside, one approach might be} 14... a5 15.
b5 Nb8 16. Qb3 Qd6 17. Na4 b6 18. O-O Nd7 $11) 15. Nb3 {White repositions her
worst piece, always a good strategic principle.} Bf7 {anticipating a White Nc5.
} 16. Rc1 (16. Nc5 {is still a logical follow-up, as the knight cannot easily
be forced to retreat. For example} b6 (16... Rb8 $5) 17. Na6 {and even though
it is on the rim, the Na6 is rather annoying for Black.}) 16... a5 {this pawn
break is now more obvious, especially with the Nb3 as a potential target of
the advancing pawn.} 17. b5 Na7 18. a4 {this shuts down further advances by
the a-pawn, but gives up the diagonal to Black's bishop.} b6 {Black decides to
close off c5 before doing anything else.} (18... Bb4 $5) (18... Rc8 $5) 19. Bh5
{White overoptimistically tries to distract Black with play on the kingside.
The bishop of course cannot be exchanged without giving White an attack.} g6
$15 {however, with this simple move, which has no real drawbacks for Black,
White effectively loses a tempo and Black gains the initiative. The engine has
shown a small plus for Black for several moves; at this point it becomes more
evident.} 20. Be2 Qd6 {the queen occupies the best logical square for the
knight currently stuck on the rim (Na7-c8-d6). However, we will see there are
compensations for this.} 21. O-O h5 22. Qe1 Rae8 {this gets the rook into the
game, so at least there aren't two unproductive pieces on the a-file. However,
it could be of more use on the c-file, and eventually goes there.} 23. Nb1 {
Black's space advantage is now obviously seriously cramping White.} Bd8 24. Rc2
Kg7 {getting the king out of the way of the rook, so it can go to the h-file.
This could also have been played a move earlier.} 25. Qc1 Rh8 {White now faces
a serious problem on the h-file and the kingside in general, with Black
threatening to advance ...h4 and crack open his position.} 26. f4 $6 {White
probably did not want to be squeezed to death and tries to get some space here.
Unfortunately the resulting opening of the position is better exploited by
Black.} exf3 27. Rxf3 Qb4 $17 28. N3d2 Bg5 {the bishop finally gets active.}
29. Nf1 {White's structure at this point is simply awful, with doubled g-pawns
and a backward e-pawn that desperately needs protection. All White has going
for her at this point is the c-file, which however can be easily challenged by
Black.} Rc8 (29... Qxa4 {is also possible, but pawn snatching is not necessary
for Black to further improve her position.}) 30. Rxc8 (30. Nc3 $5 {would put
up stronger resistance.}) 30... Rxc8 31. Qd1 {now Black controls the c-file as
well, with additional threats after her next move.} Qb2 $19 32. Qd3 Rc1 (32...
Rc2 {would have been my natural preference, establishing the threat on the
second rank, and is still winning; the text move is more effective, however.})
33. Nbd2 Rc3 34. Qb1 Qa3 35. Qe1 Rc1 36. Qf2 Qxa4 {collecting the pawn is
perhaps the simplest way forward and an easy decision before the time control.}
37. Bd3 Be6 {wisely stifling any counterplay involving a sacrifice on f5.} 38.
Qe2 (38. Bxf5 Bxf5 39. Rxf5 gxf5 40. Qxf5 Be7 41. Qe5+ Bf6 42. Qxd5 Nc8 $19)
38... Qb4 (38... Qd1 {would head for a simplified and won endgame, but Black
prefers to keep up the pressure in the middlegame.}) 39. Kh2 a4 {passed pawns
must be pushed!} 40. Rf2 a3 41. Nf3 Bf6 42. Nh4 Bxh4 {well worth exchanging at
this point, as the bishop was not doing much otherwise and it eliminates a
possible attacker.} 43. gxh4 Bd7 {going for the obvious b5 target.} 44. Qf3
Qd6+ 45. Ng3 Nxb5 {at this point it's hard to see how Black could possibly
lose, although White perhaps was pinning some hope on a sacrificial kingside
breakthrough.} 46. Qe2 Nc7 (46... Qe7 {would be an elegant tactical way of
meeting the threat, with the idea being ...Qxh4 followed by Qxg3.}) 47. Qd2 Rc6
{Black over the next few moves sorts out her pieces and then finally gets her
queenside pawns moving, which decides the game.} 48. Rf4 Ne6 (48... b5 {
immediately is more effective, as White cannot stop the next move to b4 and
Black puts more pressure on her opponent immediately. It is instructive to
note, however, that Black having built up such a positional advantage can take
the time to sort her pieces - especially the knight - while keeping her
winning advantage in hand.}) 49. Rf3 Rc8 50. Kg1 Nf8 51. Qf2 Rc1+ 52. Kh2 Nh7
53. Qd2 Rc7 54. Kg1 Nf6 55. Ne2 b5 56. Bb1 b4 57. Qd3 Ne4 {the knight, after
many moves, reaches a dominant square and then deals the final blow. Black
surely planned to play ...Nc3 next, but White now offers a better target.} 58.
Qb3 Nd2 0-1

[Event "ch-USA w 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2015.04.08"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Paikidze, N."]
[Black "Melekhina, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[WhiteElo "2333"]
[BlackElo "2235"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "2015.03.31"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 {via a somewhat unusual
move-order we have arrived at a Symmetrical English. Black will follow the
plan of using ...e5 to challenge for control of the center and break symmetry,
while White pursues a queenside strategy.} d6 6. O-O e5 {this advance gives
Black a lock on d4 and greater central presence/control via her pawns. On the
other hand, it blocks the Bg7 and creates a hole on d5.} 7. d3 {this opens up
the c1-g5 diagonal for the bishop and also helps restrain a potential future ..
.e4 advance.} Nge7 {the standard place for the knight in this variation. The
knight, if placed instead on f6, would get in the way of both the Bg7 and the
f-pawn, which Black may play to f5 at some point.} 8. a3 O-O 9. Rb1 a5 10. Bd2
{White's dark-square bishop development in this line is somewhat problematic,
in that there is no obviously good square for it that does not also get in the
way of other pieces. Keeping it on c1 makes no sense, however, so placing it
on d2 is fine and the most common option. There it may also help control b4
when the time comes to make a pawn break there.} Rb8 11. Ne1 {initiating the
standard plan of repositioning the knight to c2, from where it is able to help
White force through the b4 break. This looks awkward at first glance, but in
reality the knight is doing little on f3 and moving it also opens up the Bg2
to good effect on the long diagonal.} Be6 {Black similarly has little scope
initially for her non-fianchettoed bishop, but there is a more obvious choice
of where to place it. From e6, it can help cover the hole on d5 in tandem with
the Ne7. Black's subsequent push of the d-pawn is also consistent with the
central strategy originally initiated by playing ...e5.} 12. Nc2 d5 13. cxd5
Nxd5 {this recapture is always done with the knight, otherwise White would
gain the advantage of the two bishops after exchanging with the Nc3.} 14. Ne4 {
an uncommon move. Exchanging on d5 with the knight is more common, as is the
alternative Ne3.} b6 {the obvious way to protect the c5 pawn.} 15. Ng5 Bc8 {
naturally Black wants to preserve the bishop and avoid giving White the two
bishops.} 16. Ne3 {a move that necessarily reflects an understanding of what
is happening on the squares g5 and b4. The game is still in the database,
which interestingly shows White scoring over 70 percent in the dozen games
available, although the position seems quite equal (including to the engine).}
Nxe3 (16... Qxg5 17. Nxd5 Qd8 18. b4 $11) 17. Bxe3 Nd4 {here Black diverges
from previous games, which continued ...Bb7. The most recent example:} (17...
Bb7 18. Nf3 Kh8 19. Qd2 Re8 20. Rfe1 Qe7 21. Qc2 h6 22. Qc4 f5 23. Qh4 Qxh4 24.
Nxh4 Kh7 25. Rec1 Rbc8 26. Kf1 Ba8 27. Rc2 Rf8 28. Nf3 f4 29. Bd2 g5 30. Bc3 b5
31. gxf4 gxf4 32. Rbc1 Rg8 33. Be1 {1/2-1/2 (33) Lehmann,C (2100)-Borulya,E 
(2293) Germany 2008}) 18. b4 {White finally gets in the break with the b-pawn.}
cxb4 19. axb4 Bg4 (19... a4 $5 {is preferred by the engine. The pawn is
tactically defended, as Qxa4 would be followed by ...Nxe2.} 20. b5 Bg4 21. Nf3)
20. f3 {this is a committal and seemingly antipositional move by White, who
temporarily shuts off the Bg2 and cuts off the f3 square from the Ng5. However,
it's more dynamic than an alternative like Re1.} (20. Nf3 $5) 20... Bd7 21. Ne4
axb4 $6 {although Black still has a passed pawn after this trade, having an
outside passed pawn on the a-file would be a greater advantage.} (21... a4 {
is now an even stronger idea than before, since the passed pawn is protected
by the Bd7.}) 22. Bxd4 exd4 23. Qb3 {White correctly is not in a rush to
recapture the pawn, choosing to develop her queen first in an effective manner.
} Re8 {lining up against the undefended e2 pawn and pinning the knight. This
also frees up the f8 square for a bishop retreat.} 24. f4 {interestingly this
appears to be White's only good move. It frees up the Bg2, most obviously, and
her other pieces are already optimally placed.} (24. Qxb4 $2 {this would lift
the pin on the f-pawn, to White's detriment.} f5 25. Nd2 Rxe2 $17) 24... Bf8 (
24... h6 {would be a prophylactic move, taking away the g5 square from the
knight.}) 25. Ng5 {another example of a patient master-level move. While Black
has protected the b4 pawn, her pawn structure in the center and queenside is
shattered and too vulnerable to protect in the long term. This means that
White need not worry about the material deficit. Instead, she now starts a
threat of her own against the weak f7 square. This threat trumps the previous
pin of the knight against the e2 pawn, which we therefore can say has been
tactically broken.} Be6 {an inaccuracy which allows White to gain some
traction.} (25... Qf6 {or ...Qe7 defends the f7 pawn without allowing the
minor piece exchange as in the game.} 26. Bd5 Rxe2 27. Nxf7 Kg7 $11) (25... Re7
{is also possible.} 26. Bd5 Be8 27. f5 Rxe2 28. Nxf7 Bxf7 29. Bxf7+ Kh8 $11)
26. Nxe6 fxe6 {in contrast with the above variations, Black no longer has the
threat of ...Rxe2 because of the pawn on e6.} 27. f5 (27. Bc6 $5 Re7 28. Qxb4 {
might be a simpler approach, regaining the pawn with the idea of pursuing play
on the queenside. In the game, White instead prefers to increase pressure on
the kingside.}) 27... gxf5 28. Rxf5 {taking advantage of the pin on the a2-g8
diagonal.} Rc8 {the best way to improve Black's position. She can't do
anything about all of the air in front of her king, but she can activate the
rook on the open file.} 29. Bd5 {an excellent, master-level move. White
increases the pressure on the diagonal in the most effective way, while the
bishop cannot be taken for tactical reasons.} Qd6 {Black appears to be trying
to hold onto the extra material, in this case the b4 pawn, rather than placing
her pieces on the most effective squares.} (29... exd5 $2 30. Rxd5 {and Black
will lose material, due to the discovered double check threat.}) (29... Qd7 $5)
30. Rg5+ Kh8 31. Be4 {the bishop now needs to be moved, with the tactical
threat of discovered check no longer there.} Rc5 32. Rg4 {exchanging on c5
would just help Black get her pawn structure in order.} b5 {I'm not sure of
the point of this, which may simply be a waiting move. If so, bringing the
rook back to c7 would create fewer potential problems, as we'll see shortly.}
33. Rf1 {bringing another major piece into the kingside attack.} Rc3 34. Rf7 {
threatening mate on h7.} Rc7 {now we see why this would have been better
played earlier, as Black is simply a tempo down.} 35. Rf5 {again using
tactical themes involving the e6 pawn. The pawn remains pinned, but this time
against the mating square g8 rather than the Black king.} Bh6 $6 {under
pressure, Black finally cracks. She was probably focused on getting rid of the
mate threat on g8, which is now covered by the Re8. She also probably saw the
threats she could make after placing the bishop on e3, but White is able to
easily parry them.} (35... Rc5) 36. Rxb5 $16 {now we see another drawback of
Black's move 32. She now has no material compensation for her positional
difficulties.} Be3+ 37. Kg2 Qf8 38. Bf3 {shutting down any threats on the
f-file.} Rc1 39. Qxb4 {ignoring the check on g1. This is also a characteristic
of master-level play, as amateurs too often are afraid of checks.} Rg1+ 40. Kh3
{emotionally these kind of moves can feel awkward and scary, as the king has
very limited squares. However, calculation shows that Black has run out of
threats.} Qf7 $2 {it's not obvious at first glance why this is bad, although
White is able to quickly achieve a won position. Black does not realize that
she has effectively given up control over the 8th rank.} (40... Qxb4 {is
judged best by the engine, although it will likely result in a winning endgame
for White.}) 41. Qd6 $18 {and there is nothing Black can do to avoid mate or
major material losses. The immediate threat is Qe5+, while the queen can also
support exchanging off the Re8.} (41. Rb8 {is probably the easiest winning
continuation to spot, although the text move is more elegant and decisive. The
problem for Black is that her back rank is under-defended, given the control
of the Rg4 over the g-file and Black's king in the corner.} Qh5+ 42. Rh4 Qf5+
43. g4 Qf7 44. Qb7 Qxb7 45. Rxe8+ Kg7 46. Bxb7 $18) 41... Qf6 (41... Bh6 42.
Qxd4+ Bg7 43. Qxg1 $18) 42. Rb8 Qh6+ 43. Rh4 Qg6 44. Rxe8+ Qxe8 {unfortunately
for Black, getting rid of the 8th rank threat has now left her vulnerable
again on the a1-h8 diagonal.} 45. Qe5+ Kg8 46. Rg4+ 1-0

[Event "ch-USA w 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2015.04.09"]
[Round "8.3"]
[White "Abrahamyan, Tatev"]
[Black "Paikidze, Nazi"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2322"]
[BlackElo "2333"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2015.04.01"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 {entering the "Main Line" Caro-Kann, although these
days it's the Advance Variation (3. e5) that is most played at the
professional level.} dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 {the Classical Caro-Kann.} 5. Ng3 Bg6 6.
h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 {the standard
position in this line. Now Black varies, however.} a5 $5 {this appears to be a
new idea. Very little played, but with some recent high-level games where
Black scores well.} (11... Ngf6 {is normally played here.}) 12. O-O-O {this
seems to be an almost reflexive choice by White and scores 40 percent in the
database (the alternative c4 scores 0 percent). The logic is that Black no
longer can castle queenside safely, so by default must have the king stay in
the center or castle kingside. White therefore castles queenside and keeps the
rook on the h-file, for future attacking possibilities. This does in part play
into Black's main idea, however, which is to gain space on the queenside and
play there.} Bb4 {this provokes White's next move, which however is not forced.
The move is universally played in the database, an indication that it is
considered the obvious follow-up idea and the reason for playing ...a5 in the
first place.} 13. c3 (13. Ne4 $5 {ignoring the bishop sortie and spending the
tempo on mobilizing the knight is another option.}) 13... Be7 {having done its
job, the bishop returns to its standard square. Now White's king is less
secure, since the c3 pawn is a possible target for a future pawn lever.} 14.
Qe2 Ngf6 {at this point we have a standard position, but with c3 and a5 thrown
in. Structurally this has to favor Black a little, but this may be offset by
the tempo invested in the pawn move, unless it is put to further good use.} 15.
Ne5 {a standard attacking formation by White, seizing the central square and
freeing up the space in front of the f-pawn.} O-O {while it will take good
defensive (or counter-offensive) skills to protect the Black king, it's still
far better off castled than sitting on the e-file.} 16. f4 Re8 {this is a
standard defensive rook move in this line. While at first glance it may seem
unnecessary, the e6 pawn can become a serious weak point and tactical focus
for White, so the Re8 will help with that, as well as leaving the f8 square
potentially open for a bishop retreat.} 17. Kb1 {this proactively gets the
king off the c-file and protects the a2 pawn.} (17. f5 {is played in the only
other game in the database, but Black is able to neutralize this more
aggressive approach.} Bd6 18. fxe6 Rxe6 19. Nf5 Bxe5 20. dxe5 Rxe5 21. Qf3 Qf8
22. g4 Qc5 23. Be3 Qc4 24. Bd4 Qe2 25. Qxe2 Rxe2 26. g5 Ng4 27. Rdg1 c5 28.
Rxg4 cxd4 29. Rxd4 Nc5 30. gxh6 gxh6 31. Nxh6+ Kh7 32. Ng4 a4 33. Rf1 Kg8 34.
Nf6+ Kh8 35. Rd2 Re6 36. Kc2 b5 37. Rf5 Rc8 38. h6 Rec6 39. h7 Ne6 40. Rxb5 a3
41. Rf5 axb2 42. Kxb2 Rxc3 43. Rg2 Ng7 44. a4 R3c6 45. Rf3 Rb6+ 46. Ka3 Rc1 47.
Rb2 Ra1+ 48. Ra2 Rab1 49. Rc2 Ra1+ 50. Ra2 Rab1 {1/2-1/2 (50) Bobras,P (2535)
-Socko,B (2611) Germany 2015}) 17... a4 {Black normally would be looking to
play the ...c5 break around this time, and this would still be a viable way to
play. However, with the advanced a-pawn and White's king on the queenside, the
text move is natural.} 18. Nf1 {this seems like it just wastes time. Although
it frees up the space in front of the g-pawn, so would the alternative Ne4.
Perhaps White was reluctant to let Black exchange a pair of minor pieces on e4,
fearing it would harm her attacking possibilities.} (18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Nxe5
20. fxe5 a3 21. b3 Bg5 $11 {does look OK for Black, for example.}) 18... a3 19.
b3 c5 $15 {in contrast with the variation above, White's pieces are
uncoordinated and Black's look well placed to follow up on the ...c5 break.}
20. g4 cxd4 21. g5 {the point of White's very aggressive play. Black now
chooses the wrong path.} dxc3 $6 (21... hxg5 {this is a difficult move to play
at the board, since it seems that White can now crash through on the kingside
in a typical attack. However, this is not the case.} 22. h6 {for example is a
typical move that normally threatens to break everything open.} (22. Nxd7 Nxd7
23. h6 g6 24. fxg5 Bxg5 $15 {is the best the engine can come up with, but
Black is fine.}) 22... Nxe5 23. h7+ {looks most threatening} (23. fxe5 Qd5 $17)
23... Kh8 24. fxe5 d3 $19 {and White has nowhere to go on the h-file, thanks
to his own h7 pawn.}) 22. gxf6 c2+ (22... cxd2 {is similar:} 23. fxe7 Qxe7 24.
Nxd2 $16) 23. Kxc2 Nxf6 $16 {Black has sacrificed a piece for two pawns and an
attack - which is always tempting, but only profitable if the attack lasts.
Here, White's king appears open, but after a few moves she is able to
consolidate her position.} 24. Kb1 {playing it safe, which allows Black the
chance for compensation.} (24. Ng3 Rc8+ (24... Qc7+ 25. Kb1 Rac8 26. Rc1 $16)
25. Kb1 Nd5 26. Qb5 $16) 24... Rc8 $6 {this looks like an obvious follow-up,
but is not threatening enough.} (24... Qd4 {threatening mate on b2 appears to
be Black's best chance for compensation. It's well worth remembering that
Black often needs to have a centrally-placed queen in order to do well (or
even sometimes survive) in the Classical Caro-Kann.} 25. Bc1 Ne4 $1 {a hard
move to spot, since it leaves the queen hanging. Black will regain the
material after forking on c3.} 26. Rxd4 Nc3+ 27. Ka1 Nxe2 28. Rc4 b5 29. Rc6
Rac8 {looks close to equal.}) 25. Ng3 {White has the time to redevelop the
knight, heading for e4.} Nd5 26. Rhe1 {this is too slow.} (26. Ne4) 26... Qb6
27. Ne4 f5 28. Nf2 {now Black can equalize, but she instead goes for a tactic
on e3 that does not fully work.} Rc3 $6 {here the rook cannot be captured, but
the maneuver Nf2-d3 gives White the advantage, unlike in the ...Bh4 variation
where Black would get the exchange in compensation.} (28... Bh4 29. Nfd3 Bxe1
30. Rxe1 Rc3 $11) (28... Qd4 {remains a good idea as well.}) 29. Nfd3 Rec8 30.
Rc1 Rxc1+ 31. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kxc1 {the exchanges can only benefit White, due
to the material balance.} Qg1+ 33. Kc2 (33. Qe1 $5) 33... Qa1 34. Nc1 $14 {
although White's king is more exposed, this is not sufficient compensation for
the material, since Black cannot put together sufficient threats against it.}
Bf6 $2 {overlooking White's threat on the e-file, although White immediately
returns the favor.} (34... Qb2+ 35. Kd1 Qd4 $16 {would keep the queen active
and centralized, while making the most of White's king in the center.}) 35.
Ned3 $6 (35. Ng6 Qb2+ 36. Kd1 $18 {and either the e6 or b7 pawn will fall to
White's queen.}) 35... Nc7 (35... Kf7 {would protect e6 less awkwardly and
keep the centralized Nd5.}) 36. Bb4 Bb2 37. Bd6 Bxc1 38. Nxc1 Qb2+ 39. Kd1 $16
{White has covered all her bases and the reduced material makes her advantage
more clear.} Qd4+ {exchanging on e2 would of course just give Black an
obviously lost endgame.} 40. Qd2 Qg1+ 41. Kc2 Nd5 42. Bxa3 {an obvious move,
but threatening the e6 pawn again with the queen (Qe2) might be more
advantageous, as the a3 pawn isn't going anywhere.} Qh1 43. Nd3 Qxh5 {Black is
still fighting hard and looking for imbalances - in this case kingside pawns
to match White's queenside pawn threat - that can give her drawing chances.}
44. Bb2 Qf3 45. a4 h5 46. Bd4 h4 47. Qf2 Qh5 48. Qg1 Qf7 $6 {Black gives up
the queen's activity, which has served her so well up to this point.} (48...
Qe2+) (48... Qh6 {would alternatively maintain support for the h-pawn while
pressuring f4.}) 49. Kb2 Nf6 50. Qg5 {White in contrast now muscles in with
her queen.} h3 {it's looking desperate for Black now.} 51. Nf2 $19 (51. Qg3 {
is simpler and better, guaranteeing the loss of the h-pawn.}) 51... h2 52. Qh4
{this allows Black to start making threats again.} (52. Qg2 {interestingly is
the only move that retains White's significant advantage, again due to forcing
the issue with the h-pawn. Black unlike in the game cannot play ...Qf7 in
response, as then the response would simply be Bxf6, with the g-pawn pinned.})
52... Qd7 53. Bxf6 $6 {White (perhaps in time trouble) seems to want to
simplify, even at the cost of material.} (53. Bc3 $5) 53... Qd2+ $1 {this
intermediate move equalizes, as opposes to simply recapturing on f6
immediately.} 54. Ka3 Qd6+ $2 {unfortunately, the recapture was now necessary
for Black to get back in the game.} (54... gxf6 {and now whatever White does,
Black will be able to get a perpetual after playing ...Qc1+}) 55. b4 gxf6 56.
Qxh2 $18 {in contrast with the above variation, Black's queen is now out of
position and has to spend a tempo, giving White time to act.} Qd4 57. Qg3+ Kh8
58. Nd3 (58. a5 $5 {passed pawns must be pushed!}) 58... Qc3+ 59. Ka2 b6 60.
Qe3 Kh7 61. Qe2 Kg6 62. Qd1 e5 {to Black's credit, she continues to fight,
taking whatever space White will give her.} 63. Qg1+ Kf7 64. Qd1 Kg6 65. Qg1+
Kf7 66. Qd1 Kg6 67. Qg1+ {and White takes the draw, evidently not seeing a way
to make progress.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "U.S. Womens Championship 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis"]
[Date "2015.04.10"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Ni, Viktorija"]
[Black "Nemcova, Katerina"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A26"]
[WhiteElo "2188"]
[BlackElo "2279"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. a3 {White has many playable options on move
four of the English Four Knights variation. This one is more in the spirit of
a reversed Sicilian, but can also transpose to more standard English positions
(as happens in the game).} g6 {this is a standard English way to develop the
bishop and scores relatively well for Black (around 47 percent).} (4... d5 {
would be the way to directly challenge White, in the style of the Open
Sicilian (reversed). However Black only scores 42 percent in this line.}) 5. d3
Bg7 6. Bg5 {this isn't found in many high-level games and is an accelerated
development of the dark-square bishop.} h6 7. Bxf6 {consistent, otherwise
White loses time retreating the bishop. The game is now already out of the
database.} Bxf6 8. g3 O-O 9. Bg2 Bg7 {the bishop retreats to protect h6 and
get out of the way of the f-pawn.} 10. O-O {White now has a rather
standard-looking English position, as does Black.} d6 11. Rb1 {White's typical
plan is to use the b-pawn advance to expand on the queenside and push the Nc6
away, leaving the long diagonal open for White's bishop.} a5 {Black chooses to
(temporarily) challenge the b-pawn advance, rather than move forward with
other development and preparing counterplay on the other wing. The text move
will result in opening the a-file for Black's rook, after the pawn exchange.}
12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 Be6 14. Nd5 $6 {while it's a key principle of the English
to occupy d5 with a knight when advantageous, it's often difficult to
understand when it is best to do so. Here the knight move is premature, as it
would allow Black to block the long diagonal more effectively.} (14. b5 Ne7 15.
Qc2 {is a standard and good approach.}) 14... Qd7 {with the evident idea of
playing ... Bh3 as a follow-up. This is rather slow, however.} (14... Ne7 $5 {
and now} 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. Nd2 c6 17. b5 d5 $15 {is good for Black. For
example} 18. bxc6 bxc6 {and it's clear White has no threats, while Black has a
strong center and better prospects on the queenside as well.}) 15. Nd2 {this
now allows the bishop to support the Nd5, which is in a strong position.} (15.
b5 Ne7 16. Nd2 {would also be fine. If the Nd5 is exchanged, White would have
doubled d-pawns, but the strength of the d5 pawn would be compensation for
that.} Bxd5 17. cxd5 $11) 15... Ra2 {not a bad move, but the resulting
continuation is a little awkward for Black.} (15... Ra3 {is the rook move
preferred by Komodo 8. The difference with the text move is that the rook on
a3 controls c3 and cannot be challenged by a White knight.}) (15... Nd4 {is
another possibility. The knight otherwise is going to be placed rather
awkwardly after White's b-pawn advance. One sample continution:} 16. e3 Bxd5
17. cxd5 Nb5 $11) 16. b5 Nd8 {essentially forced, in order to protect the b7
pawn.} 17. Nb3 {the idea behind this move is apparently to support an eventual
c5 advance. This eventually comes to fruition, but the knight is nevertheless
not optimally placed.} (17. Nc3 {is the obvious move here, hitting the Ra2 and
clearing the long diagonal for the bishop.}) 17... c6 18. Nb4 (18. Nc3 {is
also still possible.}) 18... Ra8 19. bxc6 bxc6 20. Qd2 {it's sometimes
difficult in the English to figure out the best square for developing the
queen. In any case, it's important to get the rooks connected and maximize the
queen's utility. Here the choice is between d2 and c2. On d2, the queen has
open diagonals (c1-h6 and a5-e1) but it's not clear if they can ever be
utilized. On c2, it might better support the queenside and would leave d2 open
for the Nb3.} Bh3 $6 {Black follows up with her original idea of exchanging
the Bg2.} (20... f5 {is perhaps more to the point, getting Black's counterplay
on the kingside going sooner.}) 21. Rfd1 $6 {this effectively loses a tempo
for White.} (21. Bxh3 $5 {an English player needs to know when to exchange the
Bg2 like this. While Black's queen always looks threatening on h3, without the
support of a knight or advanced pawns it will be less effective.} Qxh3 22. c5 {
taking advantage of the Nb3's presence} d5 23. Ra1 $11) (21. Ra1 {is another
alternative, challenging the Ra8.}) 21... Bxg2 $15 22. Kxg2 f5 (22... Ne6 $5 {
would get the knight back in the game, connect the rooks and again control c5.}
) 23. c5 {evidently this was the idea behind the positioning of the Nb3.} d5
24. d4 e4 {Black by this point has a stronger center and more space, so White
needs to turn her attention to trying to contain Black's threats.} 25. f4 {
this can be a key defensive move for White in these position types.} exf3+ 26.
exf3 f4 27. g4 (27. gxf4 $2 Ne6 28. Nd3 Qf7 $17 {and White's shattered
kingside pawns will not provide an adequate defense.}) 27... Ne6 28. Re1 Ra3 $6
{making this rook more active isn't a bad idea, but again this is not the best
square for it on the a-file.} (28... Ra4 {exerts indirect pressure on d4 and
can't be chased off by a knight.}) (28... Rfb8 $5 {gets the other rook into
the game effectively and illustrates how White's opening of the queenside can
also be a weakness, with Black's rooks looking much better placed.}) 29. Nc2
Raa8 $6 {this makes the maneuver just a waste of time.} (29... Ra4) 30. Qd3 (
30. Na5 $5 {threatening Rb7 is an interesting idea.}) 30... Qf7 31. Re2 $11 {
at this point White has blunted Black's initiative and can start manuevering
again.} h5 {a good practical move by Black, as White does not find the best
continuation.} 32. h3 $6 {this sort of defensive move is often instinctual, as
it appears more solid than exchanging on h5. However, in that event White will
be the one controlling the g-file, so it's actually better.} (32. gxh5 gxh5 33.
Rg1 $11 {followed by Kh1 and White is fine.}) 32... hxg4 (32... Qf6 $15 {
threatening to penetrate on the kingside, looks more effective.}) 33. hxg4 Rae8
{this removes Black's possibility of making threats on the a-file. If Black
wants a rook on e8, Rf8-e8 makes more sense, since the f-pawn is already
overprotected.} 34. Rbe1 {White again looks fine, now that Black's threats
have dissipated.} Bf6 $6 {this is too slow and allows White some initiative.} (
34... Qf6 $5) 35. Nb4 {now the knight is not tied to the d-pawn and can make
threats of its own.} Nd8 {the only way to protect the c-pawn without losing
something somewhere else.} 36. Rxe8 $6 {this is not forced and is a good
example of how it is often better to maintain tension and even increase it,
rather than release it prematurely.} (36. Na5 {would be the most challenging
for Black, who would then have to find} Bh4 {to keep things equal.}) 36... Rxe8
37. Rxe8+ Qxe8 38. Qd2 {at this point the position looks equal/drawn, so
perhaps White simply wanted to head for a draw earlier.} Ne6 39. Na5 Nxd4 {one
of multiple drawing continuations. White will win the d5 pawn with her queen,
but this leaves the back ranks open for Black's queen to penetrate and give
perpetual check.} 40. Naxc6 Nxc6 41. Qxd5+ Kg7 42. Nxc6 Qe2+ 43. Kg1 Qe1+ 44.
Kg2 Qe2+ 45. Kg1 Qe1+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "U.S. Womens Championship 2015"]
[Site "Saint Louis"]
[Date "2015.04.11"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Nemcova, Katerina"]
[Black "Paikidze, Nazi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B18"]
[WhiteElo "2279"]
[BlackElo "2333"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {this move has little independent value, as Black
almost always takes on e4 in response. However, an alternative is ...g6
followed by ...Bg7, in which case White will follow with c3, blunting the
pressure on the long diagonal.} dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 {the Classical Caro-Kann.} 5.
Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3 {an unusual choice. The knight normally goes to f3 and the
development N1e2 used to be another popular significant option. The text move
is obviously offbeat, but it scores well (58 percent) and has been used in
some recent high-level games.} Nf6 7. Bc4 (7. Nf4 {would transpose to the N1e2
lines.}) 7... e6 8. O-O Be7 (8... Bd6 {is often used in the N1e2-f4 lines to
fight for the f4 square and is the normal choice here as well. The text move
indicates that Black in this game may have had a greater concern for the h4-d8
diagonal and the g5 square. Here's a recent game that parallels White's plan
in the main game, using the f4 advance:} 9. f4 Qc7 10. Kh1 O-O 11. f5 exf5 12.
Nxf5 Nbd7 13. Nxd6 Qxd6 14. Bf4 Qb4 15. Bb3 a5 16. c3 Qb6 17. Bd6 Rfe8 18. Nf4
Be4 19. Nh5 Bg6 20. Nf4 Be4 21. Nh5 Bg6 22. Nf4 Be4 {1/2-1/2 (22) Rozentalis,E
(2604)-Prohaszka,P (2599) Austria 2015}) 9. f4 {now out of the database,
although more because of Black's unusual bishop move. The text move is also
usually played in response to ... Bd6 (as shown in the game quoted above). The
f-pawn advance is a logical follow-up to Nh3 as an independent line, as White
takes advantage of the f4 square being open (i.e. not occupied by a knight).
It also influences g5 and e5 to White's advantage.} (9. Nf4 {is usually where
the knight goes.}) 9... Qd7 {this doesn't appear to be a bad move and
reinforces f5. However, it blocks the Nb8's development temporarily and the
f-pawn's advance is not to be feared.} (9... O-O 10. f5 exf5 11. Nxf5 Bxf5 12.
Rxf5 c5 $11) 10. Kh1 {this gets the king off the now-weak g1-a7 diagonal and
removes future potential tactics involving exchanges on d4 or c5. However,
it's also a bit slow and should allow Black to fully equalize.} (10. Be3 {
played immediately should save a tempo and cover the diagonal.}) 10... O-O (
10... c5 $5 {whenever Black can get this pawn break in effectively without
king safety issues, it's normally a good idea. White doesn't appear to have
anything useful to do in response. For example, the engine can only come up
with} 11. f5 exf5 12. dxc5 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 O-O $11) 11. Be3 {this reinforces d4
and helps restrain ...c5. However, now that the king is off the diagonal, it's
not the most effective use of White's time.} (11. Ng5 {would seem more to the
point here, again logically following up on the presence of the Nh3. Otherwise
the knight is effectively doing nothing. Chasing it away with} h6 $6 {would
simply waste a tempo helping the knight to a better square, from where it
could then go to e5 (a much better square).}) 11... c5 {White is now better
positioned to combat this pawn break.} (11... Na6 {gets the knight into the
game and White has nothing better than to exchange it. This shatters the
queenside pawn structure, but in Black's favor are the two bishops and a
semi-open b-file.} 12. Bxa6 bxa6 $15 {Komodo 8 gives Black a small plus here.
Black's pieces are, in addition to the above points, better coordinated.}) 12.
f5 {White chooses to try for some action on the kingside rather than trade in
the center, which would lead to a more simplified position:} (12. dxc5 Qxd1 13.
Raxd1 Bxc2 14. Rc1 $11 {although the engine rates this position as equal,
White seems to have the easier position to play, at least for the short term.})
12... Bxf5 (12... exf5 13. dxc5 Qc8 {would preserve the Bg6, unlike the text
move. Although the bishop is more of a "big pawn", it does well as a defensive
piece on the kingside and is certainly no worse than the Nh3.} 14. b4 (14. Nf4
Bxc5 $15) 14... Rd8 15. Qe2 Nc6 $11) 13. Nxf5 exf5 14. dxc5 Ng4 {Black at this
point has achieved equality and just needs to complete her development. The
text move is a nice way for Black to threaten the bishop and occupy a rare
advanced outpost on the kingside.} 15. Bg1 g6 {Black should not be afraid to
enter into this type of pawn structure when necessary, in this case to protect
the advanced f-pawn. The dark square weakness can be covered by the bishop,
while White's bishop is in no position to exploit it.} 16. Bd5 $6 {this looks
overly aggressive. White needs to be careful about the weak c-pawn, which is
easily attacked again, and also needs to bring the Nh3 into the game.} (16. b4
a5 17. c3 $11) 16... Qc7 17. b4 {the difference with the earlier variation is
that the Qc7 is now pressuring c5 already. Also note the threat to h2 from the
knight and queen, which means the Bg1 cannot currently move without allowing a
mate.} Nc6 {Black finally has all her minor pieces developed, and to effective
squares. The queen's rook will also go to a nice square on d8.} (17... a5 $5 {
would more directly attack the exposed queenside.} 18. c3 axb4 19. cxb4 Bf6 20.
Rb1 Nc6 {and Black now has the initiative, for example} 21. Qb3 Bd4 $15) 18.
Rb1 Rad8 19. c4 b6 {Black has a number of reasonable choices here.} (19... Bf6
{preparing ...Be5 would redeploy the bishop effectively.}) 20. Nf4 {White
wastes no more time in getting her knight back into the game.} bxc5 21. bxc5 {
The doubled c-pawns may be a long-term weakness, but they're also passed pawns.
White's pieces are also now working together much better.} Rb8 $6 {Black may
have done this just on general principles, without looking at the tactics
fully. If she could recapture on b8 with the rook, that would certainly help
her position. Unfortunately it doesn't work out that way.} (21... Bg5 $5) (
21... Rc8 $5 {would free the d8 square for the other rook and also line up on
the weak pawns.}) 22. Rxb8 Nxb8 {ugly, but better than the alternative.} (22...
Rxb8 {the main problem with this is that now when the White bishop goes to h2,
it has targets on both c7 and b8.} 23. h3 Nge5 (23... Nf6 24. Bh2 Qd7 25. Bxc6
Qxc6 26. Nxg6 hxg6 27. Bxb8 $16) 24. Bh2 Bf6 25. Nd3 Re8 26. Qa4 $16) 23. h3
$14 Ne5 24. Re1 {White brings her rook to a more effective file and generates
additional potential tactical problems for Black, now that the e-file is under
pressure. The Qc7 is a bit overloaded, as it cannot protect the Ne5 and
support an exchange on c5 at the same time.} Bh4 {Black's best option, getting
the bishop off the e-file and gaining a tempo with the attack on the Re1.} 25.
Re2 Nbc6 26. Bxc6 {this dissipates some of White's pressure. The knight will
now also get off the e-file.} (26. Bh2 $16 {still looks very effective.}) 26...
Nxc6 27. Qd6 Qc8 {Black naturally does not exchange on d6, which would create
two monster passed pawns for White.} 28. Nd5 {this position is probably what
White was looking at when she decided to exchange on c6. She still has an edge,
but with fewer pieces on the board there are less attacking chances.} Re8 29.
Rxe8+ Qxe8 {with the additional exchange, Black probably was looking to head
into an endgame with a small disadvantage, but with good drawing chances. The
c-pawns look like they can be blockaded effectively.} 30. Nc7 $6 {the idea
behind this move is not clear to me. In the game, it results in Black's queen
moving to a much more effective centralized position, without generating any
evident threats.} (30. Bf2 {would be a clever tactical way to improve White's
position and get the Black bishop off the h4-e1 diagonal. The bishop has to
protect f6 due to the fork threat from the Nd5.}) 30... Qe4 $11 31. Qd5 Bg3 {
the bishop is now free to move and attacks the Nc7 "backwards" along the
diagonal.} 32. Nb5 Qe1 {with the threat of ...Bf2} 33. Nd6 $2 {White chooses
to counterattack with a threat to f7, but she runs out of threats first,
losing the game.} (33. Nd4 {is the necessary defensive move.} Nxd4 34. Qxd4 $11
) 33... Ne5 $1 {holds everything together for Black.} 34. Qa8+ {this starts a
long sequence where Black's king is chased almost the entire length of the
board, but eventually finds refuge.} (34. Nxf5 gxf5 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qg5+ Ng6
$19 {is the best try for White, but still leaves Black winning. For example}
37. Qxf5 Be5 38. Qf2 Qc1 39. c6 Qxc4 {and Black's material advantage is
decisive.}) 34... Kg7 35. Ne8+ Kh6 36. Nf6 Bf2 {Black had to calculate
everything precisely to proceed with this move, but saw correctly that White
would not be able to deliver mate or get a perpetual check.} 37. Qf8+ Kg5 38.
Nxh7+ Kf4 39. Qh6+ Ke4 40. Ng5+ Kd3 {White has run out of moves and mate on g1
is coming.} 0-1

[Event "3rd GRENKE Chess Classic"]
[Site "Baden Baden GER"]
[Date "2015.02.06"]
[Round "4.3"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A90"]
[WhiteElo "2797"]
[BlackElo "2865"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2015.02.02"]

1. d4 f5 {The Dutch Defense is an opening that often uses alternative
move-orders, especially to reach a Stonewall formation, as seen in Annotated
Game #147 (a Slav Stonewall). Here Carlsen plays very straightforwardly with
the text move. This may have had a psychological element as well, since the
Leningrad Dutch - something Carlsen had played recently and lost with - is a
more common choice and essentially requires Black to start with ...f5.} 2. g3 {
Anand goes for the standard professional-level approach of a kingside
fianchetto against the Dutch.} Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 c6 {a useful illustration
of move-order importance, as White could exchange on d5 with a slight
advantage if ...d5 were played immediately.} 5. Nf3 d5 6. O-O Bd6 {the
defining position of the main line of the Modern Stonewall.} 7. b3 Qe7 8. Ne5 {
Bb2 and a4 (preparing Ba3) are much more popular choices. The text move is the
third most often played and scores well (60 percent) - even better than the
other two moves - but this may reflect the quality of opposition as well. The
drawback of White's choice here is that it does not immediately help his
development.} O-O {Carlsen drew the one previous game he had played in this
line, with the alternate choice of ...b6 (the modern approach to Stonewall
development). While the text move is relatively noncommittal, if Black wants
to play ...b6 and continue his development by getting the light-square bishop
out, the earlier the better.} (8... b6 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nc4 Nc6 11. Nxd6+ Qxd6
12. a4 Qd7 13. Ba3 Kf7 14. Nc3 Ba6 15. f3 Rhe8 16. Qd2 Kg8 17. Rfc1 Rac8 18.
Ra2 h6 19. Rac2 Na5 20. Rb1 Rc7 21. Na2 Rxc2 22. Qxc2 Nc6 23. Qd2 e5 24. dxe5
Rxe5 25. Re1 Qe6 26. f4 Rxe2 27. Rxe2 Bxe2 28. Nc3 Bh5 29. Bxd5 Nxd5 30. Qxd5
Qxd5 31. Nxd5 Bf7 32. Ne7+ Nxe7 33. Bxe7 Bxb3 34. a5 bxa5 35. Kf2 a4 36. Ke3
Kf7 37. Ba3 g5 38. h4 Kg6 39. hxg5 hxg5 40. Kd2 Kh5 41. fxg5 Kxg5 {1/2-1/2 (41)
Van Wely,L (2692)-Carlsen,M (2835) Wijk aan Zee 2012}) 9. Nd2 {this may look a
bit unnatural, but if White's bishop goes to b2, it will need an unimpeded
diagonal to be of any use, so the "natural" square on c3 is not as good. The
knight will also be able to transfer to f3 and support e5 that way.} a5 {
the text move is not a new idea, but it is still far from the main line ideas.
It appears to have been played to good effect recently by other players,
however, so perhaps that also attracted Carlsen to it.} 10. Bb2 (10. a4 Na6 11.
Ndf3 Nb4 12. Ba3 Ne4 13. c5 Bc7 14. Bxb4 axb4 15. Nd3 Ba5 16. Nfe5 Nc3 17. Qd2
Bd7 18. f3 Be8 19. h4 Bc7 20. Qe3 b6 21. Rfe1 Rd8 22. Rac1 bxc5 23. Nxc5 Bd6
24. Ncd3 Rc8 25. Nc5 Kh8 26. Qf2 Bxe5 27. dxe5 Ra8 28. Qd4 Bf7 29. Nd3 Rfb8 30.
e3 Ra5 31. Rxc3 bxc3 32. Qxc3 Ra6 33. Nc5 Ra7 34. f4 Kg8 35. b4 g6 36. a5 h6
37. Bf1 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Bd3 Rc8 40. Rc1 Be8 41. Qd4 Rca8 42. Rc2 Bh5 43.
Rh2 Bf3 44. Kf2 g4 45. Rh5 Qe8 46. Rh4 Rh7 47. Qa1 Rxh4 48. gxh4 Qe7 49. Kg3
Kf7 50. Qa2 Kg6 51. Qc2 Kh5 52. Qh2 Rxa5 53. bxa5 Qxc5 54. a6 Qxe3 55. Qf2 Qxd3
{0-1 (55) Reshetnikov,R (2106)-Tugarin,A (2230) Voronezh 2015}) 10... Nbd7 {
it is more common to have reached this position by first playing the text move,
then a5. The database shows several games by Moskalenko is this line, for
example.} 11. Qc2 a4 $5 {Moskalenko's idea, to disrupt White's queenside. This
goes against traditional ideas of the Stonewall, which feature play
exclusively in the center and kingside. However, Black can effectively
distract White by using this approach and perhaps (as in this game) later on
generate some chances himself on the queenside. Black need not fear White
simply taking the a-pawn, as the pawn is not defensible and the capture may
cause more problems by weakening the queenside structure.} 12. Ndf3 (12. bxa4
Ne4 13. Ndf3 Qd8 14. Nd3 Qa5 15. Nf4 Bxf4 16. gxf4 Qxa4 17. Qxa4 Rxa4 18. cxd5
exd5 19. e3 Nb6 20. Ne5 Be6 21. Nd3 Nd7 22. Rfd1 Rfa8 23. a3 Nd6 24. Ra2 Nc4
25. Rda1 Kf7 26. Bf3 g6 27. Bd1 R4a7 28. Bc1 Ke7 29. Bb3 b5 30. Kf1 Kd6 31. Ke2
h6 32. a4 g5 33. fxg5 hxg5 34. axb5 Rxa2+ 35. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 36. Bxa2 cxb5 37. Nb4
Ndb6 38. Bd2 Nd7 39. Bc3 Nb8 40. Bb3 Nc6 41. Nd3 Ke7 42. f3 Kd7 43. Be1 Ke7 44.
Bg3 N6a5 45. Bc2 Nc6 46. Nc5 f4 47. Bf2 fxe3 48. Bxe3 Nxe3 49. Kxe3 Kf6 {
1/2-1/2 (49) Kiriakov,P (2555)-Moskalenko,V (2540) playchess.com INT 2006})
12... Ne4 {this is a standard, strong Stonewall move. White will have to
either awkwardly attack the knight with f2-f3, or exchange it off, in which
case Black gets a freer game from the exchange of minor pieces.} 13. e3 {
this seems like a waiting move on Anand's part, as it doesn't accomplish much
for White.} a3 {the pawn advance now becomes even more annoying for White.} 14.
Bc3 Nxe5 (14... g5 $5 {is an interesting option more in line with standard
Stonewall plans for kingside attacks.}) 15. Nxe5 Bd7 16. Nxd7 {I'm not sure
why Anand chose to exchange pieces here, since it would seem to favor Black
slightly. The centralized Ne5 could then be exchanged by Black, it is true,
but White would then have a strong central e5 pawn.} (16. f3 $5) 16... Qxd7 17.
c5 Bc7 18. b4 {White with his last two moves has gained queenside space, which
can't be bad, but it's hard to see any concrete threats as a result of it.} h5
{the engine agrees this is a strong move, but it's certainly not one a Class
player would think of. Its usefulness becomes more apparent later. Among other
things, it eventually may threaten ...h4 and it also frees up another escape
square for the king.} (18... b5 $5 {is something I might be tempted to go with
here. For example} 19. cxb6 Bxb6 20. Rfc1 Rfc8 $11 {White will find it
difficult to make any progress and Black can think about redeploying the
bishop via d8 to e7 or f6, as well as moving the knight to d6 and then onward.}
) 19. Be1 {the piece is doing absolutely no good where it is, so a better
place must be found.} e5 $5 {Carlsen immediately takes advantage of the
relaxing of pressure on e5 and opens the diagonal for his bishop. Note how
effective the a3 pawn becomes as a result of this.} 20. dxe5 {this is not
forced, but otherwise Black can get some useful pawn play on the e file 
(occupying e4 after the knight vacates it) or support a thematic push of the
f-pawn.} Bxe5 21. Rd1 Qe6 {moving the queen off the d-file and the pin, while
giving it a better diagonal and potential mobility along the 6th rank.} 22. f3
{White finally kicks Black's central knight from its post.} Nf6 23. Bh3 g6 {
in this position, it's now evident that having Black's pawn on h5 helps
restrain any ideas of a White break on g4.} 24. e4 {the logical next step for
White in terms of increasing his activity, especially in terms of pressuring
f5. However, the game now becomes more complicated and Black's open lines are
just as good as White's.} dxe4 25. fxe4 Bb2 $1 {this is a great idea, using an
interference tactic to attack the a2 pawn. White, somewhat surprisingly, has
no other way of defending it. The strength of the Black bishop and the a-pawn
is evident. White still has counterchances, however.} 26. exf5 Qxa2 27. Bf2 {
shutting down the discovered check threat.} (27. fxg6 $4 {fails to a
discovered check tactic, with the Qc2 hanging.} Bd4+) 27... g5 {an excellent
example of cold-blooded defense. Exchanging on f5 would just give White more
lines into Black's king position. The h and g pawns both look weak, but White
cannot exploit them.} 28. Rfe1 Qf7 {time to redeploy the queen back to an
effective square, among other things defending the 7th rank.} 29. Re6 Ng4 {
an aggressive choice.} (29... Rfe8) (29... Rae8) (29... Nd5 {is also an
interesting possibility:} 30. Rg6+ Kh7 {and now} 31. f6 {doesn't quite work,
due to} Qxg6 32. Bf5 Rxf6 33. Bxg6+ Rxg6 $17 {looks good for Black, for
example. It's interesting to compare the tactics in this line with the main
game, since in both cases Black's a-pawn ends up being the deciding factor.})
30. Bxg4 hxg4 31. Rg6+ Kh7 32. Rd7 $4 {a fancy move which does not work.} (32.
Re6 $11) 32... Qxd7 33. f6 {this looks devastating - or that it at least could
get White a perpetual check - but Black can now return the material with his
own deflection tactic.} Qd1+ $1 {The cleanest.} (33... Bxf6 {may have been
what Anand expected, which gives White a drawing line:} 34. Rxf6+ Kh8 35. Rh6+
Kg8 36. Rg6+ Kh8) (33... Rxf6 $1 {however also wins:} 34. Rxf6+ Kg8 35. Rg6+
Kf8 {now there is no longer the Rf8 to block the king and White has no more
checks due to the Bb2 controlling f6.}) 34. Qxd1 Kxg6 35. Qd3+ Kh6 {with White
out of checks and unable to further penetrate Black's position, the passed
a-pawn now decides the game.} 36. h4 gxh3 {now White can postpone the
inevitable for a while, but it's only a matter of time before he has to give
up material to prevent the a-pawn from queening.} 0-1

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2015"]
[Site "Caleta ENG"]
[Date "2015.01.27"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Vojinovic, Jovana"]
[Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A80"]
[WhiteElo "-"]
[BlackElo "-"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2015.01.27"]
[TimeControl "?"]
[WhiteClock "?"]
[BlackClock "?"]

1. d4 f5 {Nakamura is one of the few top GMs who uses the Dutch on a regular
basis. He's currently the world number 2, so it seems to be working for him.}
2. Bg5 {like with the Trompowsky Opening after Black plays 1...d5, this early
Bishop sortie can be unexpected and highly annoying.} 2... c6 {this is only
the fourth most popular move (...g6 being the primary choice in the database),
but scores the best for Black (45 percent).} 3. e3 Qb6 {this is the idea
behind the previous move. Since White has developed his bishop early, Black
will seek to take advantage of its absence on the queenside. This is also
analagous to other "poison pawn" variations (such as in the Najdorf Sicilian)
involving taking the b-pawn with the queen.} 4. Nd2 {this scores much better
in the database than the cautious defensive move b3. Here's a sample of how
Black could play in that variation:} (4. b3 g6 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. Nd2 h6 7. Bf4 d6
8. c3 Nf6 9. Ne2 O-O 10. Qc2 Nbd7 11. Bc4+ Kh7 12. Be6 c5 13. h4 cxd4 14. exd4
Nh5 15. Nf3 Ndf6 16. Bc4 e5 17. Bd2 d5 18. dxe5 Ng4 19. Bxd5 Qxf2+ 20. Kd1 Qc5
21. c4 Nf2+ 22. Kc1 Nxh1 23. Kb2 Nf2 24. Bc3 Ng4 25. Bd4 Qe7 26. Qc3 Be6 27.
Re1 Rfd8 28. Bxe6 Qxe6 29. Nc1 Ng3 30. Nd3 Ne4 31. Qb4 Rxd4 32. Nxd4 Nxe5 33.
Nf4 Qd7 34. Rd1 Nc6 35. Qb5 a6 36. Qa4 Bxd4+ 37. Kc2 Nc5 38. Qa3 Qe7 39. b4
Qe4+ { 0-1 (39) Amura,C (2303)-Claverie,R (2517) Mar del Plata 2014}) 4...
Qxb2 { following up by taking the offered pawn, otherwise the early queen move
doesn't make much sense.} 5. Rb1 (5. Bd3 {is the other popular way to play.}
{!?}) 5... Qc3 6. g4 {a novelty that is obviously very aggressive. Apparently
no one else has tried it in international play since this game.} (6. Ne2)(6.
Bd3) 6... Qa5 {unconventional play from Nakamura, for which he is well known.
I suspect he was being deliberately provocative with his lower-rated opponent.}
 (6... fxg4 {is the engine recommendation. Of course the computer has no fear
of the consequences to Black's kingside and considers the position level.} 7.
Qxg4 {does appear premature}{?!} (7. Rb3 Qa5 8. Qxg4 {is an improved version
of the idea for White.})7... Qxc2 8. Ngf3 Nf6 9. Qh4 d6 {now White does not
seem to have any way of breaking through to Black's king and therefore does
not have enough compensation for the pawns.}{⩱})(6... d6 {is another, somewhat
more conventional option.}{!?} 7. gxf5 Bxf5 8. Rxb7 Qxc2 {and Black should be
OK.}) 7. gxf5 Qxf5 8. h4 (8. Ngf3 {!?}{has the advantage of developing a piece
while protecting the Bg5.}) 8... Qa5 {at this point Black's only developed
piece is his queen, but he has the extra pawn and is threatening the a-pawn.
Meanwhile, White is ahead on development but has a weaker pawn structure
overall as well. The position in any case is quite imbalanced, probably what
Nakamura was going for.} 9. Nh3 {this leaves f3 open for the queen, but is a
bit awkward development of the knight, even if it can go to f4.} 9... g6
{another provocative, apparently weakening move.} (9... Nf6 {seems perfectly
fine here.} 10. Nf4 Ne4 11. Bd3 Qxd2+ 12. Qxd2 Nxd2 13. Kxd2 d6 {however,
while Black is equal, the dynamic chances in the position are certainly with
White, so again this is probably not what Nakamura was looking for.}) 10. Bd3
(10. Qf3 {seems more to the point here.}{!?}) 10... d6 11. Qf3 Nd7 {finally,
another piece developed!} 12. h5 {this is premature and lets Black equalize
without difficulty. Having additional forces / pressure would have been good
for White before making the pawn advance.} (12. Rg1)(12. Nf4) 12... Ndf6 13.
hxg6 hxg6 14. Bxg6+ {while visually the position looks scary for Black, after
the king sidesteps to d8, White has no further attacking prospects. Black
however had to calculate carefully to understand this.} 14... Kd8 15. Bf4
{this appears to be the turning point where Black takes over the initiative.}
(15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Nf4 Rxh1+ 17. Qxh1 Bg7) 15... Kc7 {wisely evacuating the
king and protecting b7, freeing up the Bc8.} 16. Ng5 Rxh1+ (16... Bg4 17. Rxh8
Bxf3 18. Ngxf3 {looks all right for Black, but White has compensation for the
material and would have the more active position, again something Nakamura
would not prefer. For example} 18... Qxa2 19. c4 Bg7 20. Rh1 Nd7 21. Rh7) 17.
Qxh1 Bh6 {this is a strong and (for White) annoying move. The Ng5 is
threatened, but cannot simply retreat to f3 without allowing a bishop exchange
on f4 that would shatter White's center.} 18. Qh4 {the only move.} (18. Qg2 {?}
 18... Bg4 {interfering with the queen's defense of the Ng5.})(18. Nh3 {?}
18... Bxh3 19. Qxh3 Bxf4) 18... Bd7 (18... Nd5 { immediately is preferred by
the engine.}{!?}) 19. Bd3 {?!} (19. c4 {would now take away use of the d5
square by the knight.}) 19... Nd5 {now Black has a solid advantage, as White
has run out of threats. Black meanwhile is threatening Nxf4, White's king
position is significantly worse and Black can also pick up the a-pawn at his
convenience.}{∓} 20. Ne6+ {White attempts to solve his problems by tactical
means, and fails.} (20. Nh3 Nxf4 21. Nxf4 Bxf4 22. Qxf4 Nf6 {∓}) 20... Bxe6
21. Bxh6 Nc3 (21... Ngf6 {is also good, preparing ... Rg8.}) 22. Ra1 Qb4
{moving the queen out of the pin on the a-file and preparing to take the a2
pawn.} 23. Kf1 Nxa2 {Black has realized his advantage on the board and White
has no counterplay. The passed a-pawn will now prove decisive for Black.} 24.
Rd1 Nc3 25. Re1 Nxh6 {finally the other knight moves! And an effective one at
that, removing the two bishops' advantage from White and further simplifying
down material.} 26. Qxh6 Bd7 {it's now clear that White can do little to stop
Black's queenside plans, but he nevertheless tries. }{−⁠+} 27. f3 a5 28. Kf2
a4 29. Qg5 Rh8 {the rook is not in fact needed behind the a-pawn and this also
helps keep White's rook out of the game by preemptively seizing the h-file.}
30. Qg3 Nd5 {with a discovered attack against the Nd2.} 31. Rd1 c5 (31... a3
{might be simpler.}) 32. Bc4 Nc3 33. Re1 b5 {nothing can save White, so he
stops the game.} 0-1

[Event "Gibraltar Masters 2015"]
[Site "Caleta ENG"]
[Date "2015.01.28"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Harika, Dronavalli"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E14"]
[WhiteElo "2776"]
[BlackElo "2496"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2015.01.27"]

1. Nf3 {While this is often the first move of a Reti Opening, it's also a good
way to be noncommital at the start of the game.} Nf6 {Black obviously thinks
the same way.} 2. c4 e6 {this is now technically an English Opening and is
classified as such, even though White eventually plays d4.} 3. b3 {an offbeat
but perfectly fine and successful (57 percent) opening approach.} d5 {Black
decides to adopt a QGD structure, a solid approach.} 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 {the
double fianchetto with g3-Bg2 is also popular.} O-O 6. d4 {Nakamura plays this
with the idea of subsequently developing the light-square bishop to d3, rather
than the more conventional e2.} b6 {now Black is going for a QGD-Tartakower
formation by fianchettoing his light-square bishop.} 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O c5 9.
Nbd2 (9. Qe2 {is an interesting alternative, freeing up d1 for the rook and
forming a battery on the f1-a6 diagonal.}) (9. Nc3 {used to be played more
often, but at top levels not so much recently.}) 9... Nc6 10. Rc1 Rc8 {
interestingly, up until this point Nakamura is following (intentionally or not)
a successful game of his opponent's (as White) from 2013. Now, as Black,
Harika varies from what her opponent did previously, but she still ends up
losing.} (10... cxd4 {is considered equal by the engine.} 11. exd4 Nh5 12. g3
g6 13. Qe2 Nf6 14. Rfd1 a5 15. a3 Re8 16. Nf1 Bf8 17. Ne3 Bh6 18. Ne5 dxc4 19.
Bxc4 Qd6 $2 20. Bb5 Rac8 21. Bxc6 Bxc6 22. Rxc6 Rxc6 23. Qf3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Rc2
25. Qxf6 Re7 26. d5 Rxb2 27. Nc4 Qc5 28. d6 Qh5 29. Nxb2 {1-0 (29) Harika,D 
(2475)-Khotenashvili,B (2514) Tashkent 2013}) 11. a3 {taking the b4 square
away from the Nc6. Nakamura has an equal position and appears not to want to
hurry with any major plans, but rather see in what direction his opponent
wishes to go.} Re8 {following a similar plan as in the game cited above.} 12.
Re1 Bf8 {this is a logical follow-up and presumably aimed at defending the
kingside, but the bishop is obviously less active than it could be elsewhere,
for example on d6. Unlike the above game cited with Harika as White, here she
never plays the freeing ...g6, which is necessary to activate the bishop.} 13.
dxc5 bxc5 14. cxd5 exd5 15. Qc2 h6 (15... g6 {is possible here, and probably
preferable. It blunts the b1-h7 Q+B battery that White has established, while
giving the Bf8 an outlet. Perhaps Black did not like the looks of opening the
long diagonal to White's Bb2.}) 16. Qb1 {this prudently removes the queen from
the c-file while preserving the battery on the diagonal. It also serves as
another waiting move for Nakamura, which works to his advantage.} (16. Bf5 {
is a more conventional approach.}) 16... Nd7 {this does not appear
strategically consistent with the idea of maintaining a strong kingside
defensive presence.} 17. Bh7+ Kh8 18. Bf5 {the advantage of this sequence,
beyond simply moving to f5 directly, is that Black's king is slightly more
vulnerable and her g-pawn is pinned, creating some tactical ideas for White.}
Rb8 {moving away so the Nd7 is freed from the pin on the diagonal.} 19. Qa1 {
very hypermodern of Nakamura and an idea associated with the Reti Opening. The
queen in the corner exerts pressure on the center and against Black's king.}
Qe7 $6 {one gets the impression that Black did not know how to proceed in this
type of position. White now immediately takes advantage of this slip.} 20. b4 {
threatening to continue with b5, which would be very awkward for the Nc6.
Again the idea is to dominate the center through indirect means, in this case
chasing away a piece defending e5.} cxb4 21. axb4 a6 {the logical follow-up,
preventing b5. However, now White has other useful things he can do.} 22. Nb3 {
the exchanges have given White a potential strong outpost on c5. Black's
d-pawn is also now isolated and White has the square in front of it (d4)
blockaded, making the pawn weak.} Nde5 (22... Nb6 $5 {would more directly
address Black's d-pawn weakness.}) 23. Nxe5 Nxe5 24. Nc5 {after the piece
exchange White's position is improved, with the strong c5 outpost occupied;
note also how Black's Bf8 is doing nothing constructive. Here perhaps Nakamura
expected the symmetrical ...Nc4 from Black, occupying her own outpost and
cutting off the c-file. However, Harika goes wrong with her next move.} Nf3+ $2
{this sacrifice must be either the result of miscalculation or desperation on
Black's part.} 25. gxf3 Qg5+ 26. Bg4 h5 27. Nxb7 Rxb7 28. Qxa6 {the key move
from White's perspective. Black must lose a tempo due to the threat and White
can simplify into a favorable position after making some counterthreats.} hxg4
(28... Rxb4 29. Bc3 Rc4 30. h4 Qxh4 31. Bd7 Rd8 32. Bb5 $18) 29. f4 {another
key move for White, keeping the tension of multiple threats.} (29. Qxb7 $4
gxf3+ 30. Kf1 Qg2#) 29... Qe7 $18 {so White emerges from the sequence with an
extra (passed) pawn and a winning game.} 30. b5 {passed pawns must be pushed!}
Qd7 31. b6 Bb4 32. Red1 Re6 33. Bd4 {note again how Black's dark-square bishop
is not doing anything constructive and how its White counterpart is helping
dominate the game.} Rh6 $2 {this attempt to generate some threats on the
h-file in fact leads to quick victory for White, as the rook partially blocks
an outlet for the cornered Kh8.} (33... Bd6 {would allow resistance for a
while longer.}) 34. Qa8+ Kh7 35. Rc8 Kg6 36. Rg8 Rh7 37. Qc8 {almost anything
wins at this point. A queen exchange would lead to an easy (for a GM) endgame
win, so Nakamura does not mind that possibility.} Qe7 {this leads to a quicker,
merciful end.} (37... Qxc8 38. Rxc8 Ba5 39. Ra1 Bxb6 40. Ra6 f6 41. Rxb6 Rxb6
42. Bxb6 $18 {the extra bishop and Black's doomed d-pawn ensure a White
victory.}) 38. Qxg4+ {and mate follows.} 1-0

[Event "43rd GM 2015"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2015.07.04"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Nisipeanu, Liviu Dieter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2783"]
[BlackElo "2654"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "165"]
[EventDate "2015.06.26"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.07"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 {an unusual approach, but not a bad one. Should Black proceed
in a classical fashion, for example, White can play a Nimzo-Indian in reverse
and with an extra tempo.} Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. b3 {now the game is in English
Opening territory.} c5 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. cxd5 {otherwise Black is strong in the
center and can even think about ...d4.} exd5 7. Bb5 {White now has a similar
structure to a Nimzo-Indian (reversed). One point of the move is to restrain ..
.d4 by pinning the Nc6.} Bd6 {the most active square for the bishop. Black
does not need to worry about the d5 pawn at the moment; the only drawback of
the bishop's presence on d6 is blocking the Qd8's defense of the pawn.} 8. d4 {
an unusual decision at this point, as White normally castles and may not
necessarily follow up with d4.} cxd4 9. Nxd4 {White now has a classic (reverse)
IQP position.} O-O {the obvious move for Black here would be to protect the
Nc6, but if White takes it and the pawn after double captures on c6, the
resulting positions would be unfavorable.} 10. O-O (10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Bxc6 Bg4
{this is the problem with White's choice in this line. Black now develops his
pieces with tempo and forces White into an awkward situation.} 12. f3 {
compromising the pawn shield around White's king.} Rc8 13. O-O {is ugly but
may be best.} (13. Bb7 Bb4+ 14. Nd2 Rc7 $17) (13. Bxd5 $2 Bb4+ $19) 13... Rxc6
14. fxg4 Qb8 $15) (10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Nxc6 Qc7 {threatening the Nc6 and forming
a battery against h2. Now White will not be able to castle and Black has a
lead in development, which add up to more than a pawn's worth of compensation.
For example} 12. Bxf6 Qxc6 13. Bd4 Bb4+ 14. Kf1 Bf5 $15) 10... Qc7 11. h3 {
now we are out of the database. Kramink may have used this prophylatic move as
an improvement to the following game:} (11. Nf3 Bg4 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Nc3 Bxh2+
14. Kh1 Be5 15. Nxd5 Qd6 16. Nf4 Bxf4 17. exf4 Qxf4 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Qd4 Qh6+
20. Nh2 Be6 21. Kg1 Rfd8 22. Qc3 Qg6 23. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Bd5 25. f3 Re8 26.
Ng4 Kg7 27. Kf2 h5 28. Ne3 h4 29. Rh1 Qg3+ 30. Kf1 Re5 31. Rh3 Qg5 32. Kf2 Be6
33. g4 Rc5 34. Qd2 Rd5 35. Qc3 Rc5 36. Qd2 Rd5 {1/2-1/2 (36) Agzamov,G (2485)
-Geller,E (2545) Yerevan 1982}) 11... Bh2+ 12. Kh1 Be5 {this sequence
involving forcing the king to h1, instead of simply moving ...Be5 to pin the
knight, results in a position where white's king has fewer potential flight
squares.} 13. Qc2 {protecting the Bb2 and therefore unpinning the knight,
while exerting pressure down the c-file.} Bd7 14. Nf3 {this quasi-forces the
exchange of bishops, as Black does not want to give White the long diagonal
for free.} Bxb2 15. Qxb2 Rac8 16. Rc1 {this move is rather committal, as
White's heavy pieces are now all on the queenside.} Qd6 {unpinning the Nc6.}
17. Nc3 {White finally gets all of his pieces developed; the queen's knight
has been rather neglected until now.} Ne5 $6 {the normal strategic rule in
playing IQP positions is for the player NOT possessing the IQP to exchange
pieces; this leads to fewer complications and causing the pawn's weakness to
become more pronounced. It's not clear why Black chose to ignore this rule,
since the piece exchanges that follow are entirely voluntary.} ({something like
} 17... a6 18. Bd3 Rfe8 {looks simple and balanced for Black.}) 18. Be2 $5 (18.
Nxe5 {is the more obvious approach to the position.} Qxe5 19. Bxd7 Nxd7 20. Rc2
$14 {with the idea of following up with Rd1 and Ne2 to pressure the IQP and
control the space in front of it.}) 18... Nxf3 {again unforced, but a logical
follow-up to the previous knight move.} 19. Bxf3 {the engine rates the
position as equal, although it's clearly easier for White to play against the
IQP than it is for Black to come up with any real counterplay.} Qe5 20. Qd2 {
unpinning the Nc3.} Be6 {the bishop being used as a "big pawn" is ugly but
effective in supporting d5.} 21. Nb5 Bd7 {Black appears content to shuffle
pieces at this stage, since he doesn't have anything better than a draw as a
prospect.} 22. Qd4 {continuing to exchange pieces.} (22. Nxa7 $2 Ra8 {and the
knight is out of squares.}) 22... Qxd4 23. Nxd4 a5 $6 {this seems to
excessively loosen Black's position and grant White some initiative. The pawn
becomes a significant weakness later in the endgame.} (23... a6) (23... Ne4)
24. g4 {This is the type of move that is sometimes difficult for Class players
to envision, since it weakens the pawn shield in front of the king. However,
Kramnik reacts appropriately to the situation and judges that the game has now
reached the stage, with the queens off the board, of an endgame where his king
needs to be activated. The advanced g-pawn also controls additional space.} h6
25. Kg2 $14 Rxc1 26. Rxc1 Rc8 27. Rb1 {an interesting choice. Basically, if
White exchanges the rooks, he technically has a slight edge, but it's very
doubtful he'll be able to do anything significant to compromise Black's
position with only the two minor pieces remaining. With the text move, White
retains the rook and Kramink evidently still hopes to squeeze out a win if
Black falters.} Ra8 {perhaps this is intended as a threat to advance the
a-pawn, although it doesn't seem very significant.} 28. Ne2 {White switches
plans and repositions the knight to directly pressure the IQP.} g5 {I'm not
sure what this was supposed to accomplish, as White's g-pawn was already
restrained and the Ne2 can simply go to c3 instead of f4. It was probably
better to use the tempo to get the rook back in the game.} (28... Rc8) 29. Nc3
Be6 {back to static defense of the pawn.} 30. Rd1 Rd8 {play is predictably
revolving around the IQP. With the Rd8 unprotected, however, White can use
this tactical situation to force the issue with his next move.} 31. e4 d4 {
otherwise the pawn is lost.} 32. Kg3 {Kramnik does not rush to take the pawn,
first removing the king from a potential tactic involving a check from a
future ...Nf4.} ({For example} 32. Nb5 $6 d3 33. e5 Nd5 $11 {and the d3 pawn
is tactically protected by the knight fork on f4.}) (32. Rd3 $5 {is also
possible, blocking the pawn from advancing. The knight still cannot be taken
due to the pin against the unprotected Rd8.}) 32... Rc8 33. Nb5 Nd7 {as the
d-pawn is lost, black repositions the knight to a better square in the center,
also blocking the e-pawn.} 34. Nxd4 Ne5 {although White is now a pawn up,
Black has some positional compensation in the form of his better-placed pieces.
In particular, the Rc8 threatens to penetrate White's back ranks.} 35. Be2 (35.
Nxe6 $6 fxe6 36. Be2 Rc2 $11) 35... Rc3+ 36. f3 Kg7 37. Rd2 {relieving the Nd4
of the burden of guarding the c2 square against Black's rook.} Kf6 {Black is
looking to get his king into the fight.} 38. Nf5 Bxf5 {a good decision by
Black to exchange. The knight would be powerful on the 5th or 6th ranks (f5 or
d6) and White's pawns are doubled as a result, making it a little harder for
him to make progress.} 39. exf5 Ke7 $16 40. Rd5 {correctly and aggressively
striking at the centralized knight and the undefended, advanced a-pawn.} Nc6 (
40... Kf6 $5 {is possible, for example} 41. Rxa5 Rc2 {and Black will regain
the pawn. One sample continuation:} 42. Kf2 Nc6 43. Rd5 {defending against ...
Nd4, winning the pinned Be2.} Rxa2 $16) 41. Bb5 b6 42. h4 {getting the
kingside majority moving.} f6 {shoring up g5 and creating a potential knight
outpost on e5.} 43. Bxc6 {done in order to eliminate the knight, which
otherwise would become strongly centralized on the dark square e5 and help
restrain White's kingside advance.} Rxc6 44. hxg5 hxg5 {"all rook endings are
drawn" is a saying that is not technically true, but is often the case because
they are so hard to win. White's extra pawn is doubled and Black's rook and
king are active, so it's not simply "a matter of technique" to win from this
point.} 45. a4 Rc3 46. Rb5 Rc6 47. f4 {Kramnik decides to force the issue on
the kingside immediately.} Rc3+ {in order to drive the king away from
supporting f4. Of course, the drawback is abandoning the b6 pawn. As typical
in rook endgames, one cannot get something for nothing. The engine assesses
that conducting a straight exchange on f4 and continuing to protect the b-pawn
would be better for Black.} 48. Kf2 gxf4 49. Rxb6 $18 {Komodo 8 shows White at
over +4 at this point.} Kf7 {the king heads back to the kingside, with the
evident idea of trying to make it to g5.} 50. b4 {this was an unnecessary
concession.} (50. Rb5 Kg7 51. Rxa5 Kh6 (51... Rxb3 52. Ra8 $18 {and the a-pawn
cannot be stopped by Black.}) 52. Ra8 $18) 50... Rc2+ 51. Kf3 Rc3+ 52. Kf2 {
this seems to be where Kramnik passes up a good winning chance.} (52. Kxf4 Rc4+
53. Kf3 axb4 54. a5 $18) 52... Rc2+ 53. Ke1 Rc1+ 54. Kd2 f3 {compared with the
variation above, Black is doing much better. The Rc1 of course cannot be taken,
since the f-pawn would then queen.} 55. Ke3 Rc3+ 56. Kf2 axb4 57. Rxb4 Kg7 {
Black's king slowly gets closer to its goal.} 58. Kg3 (58. Rb8 $5 {is the best
chance for White, according to the engine.} Rc4 59. Ra8 Rxg4 60. Kxf3) 58...
Ra3 59. Rb7+ Kh6 60. Ra7 f2+ $1 {the key move for Black, which allows him to
draw.} 61. Kxf2 Kg5 {the combination of the Ra3 cutting off the White king and
the blockade on f6-g5 mean that White can no longer make progress. If White
simplifies to having a passed pawn, Black's king and rook position mean that
it will not be able to queen, lacking the White king's support.} 62. Ke2 {
White nevertheless continues the game in the hopes of his opponent committing
an error.} (62. Rg7+ Kf4 63. Rg6 Rxa4 64. Rxf6 Kxg4 $11) 62... Kxg4 63. Ra5 Kf4
64. Kd2 Ke4 65. Kc2 Kd4 66. Ra6 Rc3+ 67. Kb2 Rc4 68. Ra5 Rb4+ 69. Ka3 Kc4 70.
Ra6 Rb3+ 71. Ka2 Rb4 72. Ra8 Kc5 73. Ka3 Rf4 74. Rb8 Rf1 75. Rb5+ Kc4 76. Kb2
Rf2+ 77. Kb1 Kc3 78. a5 Kc4 79. Rb7 Rxf5 80. a6 Ra5 81. a7 Kc5 82. Rf7 Kb6 83.
Kc2 1/2-1/2

[Event "3rd Golden Apricot 2015"]
[Site "Malatya TUR"]
[Date "2015.08.25"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Cam, Vedat"]
[Black "Volkov, Sergey"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A85"]
[WhiteElo "1872"]
[BlackElo "2589"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 8"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "2015.08.25"]
[TimeControl "?"]
[WhiteClock "?"]
[BlackClock "?"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 {instead of following up with the standard QGD
moves, Black heads for a Stonewall by transposition.} 4. e3 Bd6 {typically ...
f5 would be played immediately when transposing to the Stonewall. The text
move may try to tempt White into the c5 advance, which is normally in Black's
favor because it leaves his central d5 outpost unchallenged.} 5. Nc3 f5 6. Bd3
Nf6 {Black has now reached the standard Modern Stonewall formation.} 7. Bd2
O-O 8. O-O Ne4 {the overwhelming favorite move in the database. Black follows
the typical Stonewall plan with his knights, seizing the outpost on e4. With
White's bishop on d3, the Nc3 cannot exchange off the Ne4 due to the resulting
pawn fork.} 9. c5 {this move scores only 6 percent (!) in the database out of
nine games, illustrating its strategic weakness.} 9... Bc7 {Black's bishop is
no less effective on c7, as its primary function is exerting pressure on the
b8-h2 diagonal.} 10. b4 a6 {there are several different ways Black could play
here. The game continuation is relatively straightforward, restraining further
advance of the b-pawn, then getting the knight and queen developed.} 11. a4
Nd7 12. b5 {White's plan of rapid queenside expansion looks like it puts him
ahead of Black in development. White's initiative is only temporary, however,
as Black's position holds no weaknesses despite White's space advantage.}
12... Qf6 { this does multiple things for Black, including adding support for
the idea of the ...e5 break and positioning the queen well for further action
on the kingside.} 13. b6 {this move is probably unavoidable, according to
Komodo 8. Black is threatening to undermine the queenside pawns with ...e5, so
maintaining the tension with the b-pawn could eventually lead to a collapse of
White's extended pawn formation. However, once the queenside pawns are locked
up, then the game becomes strategically much easier for Black; the only open
play is on the kingside, which is the natural hunting ground for the
Stonewall. } 13... Bb8 {the bishop is still very much in play here, although
the Ra8 is now locked to its square. The problem with the rook will be offset
by the inability of White to transfer his queenside rook, or other needed
forces, to the kingside in an effective manner.} 14. Rc1 e5 {illustrating the
classic principle of reacting to a flank advance by breaking in the center.
Note how Black's pieces are activated by this freeing advance. In addition to
the strategic aspects, there is now a tactical threat of ...Nxc3 followed by
the pawn fork ...e4.} 15. Ne2 (15. Nxe5 {disrupting Black's formation in the
center is the only way to stay relatively equal.} 15... Bxe5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17.
Bb1 Qe7 18. Be1 Nc4 (18... Nxc5 {?} 19. Nxd5 cxd5 20. Qxd5+)) 15... Nxd2 16.
Nxd2 e4 {this is no longer a double attack, but is still a highly advantageous
move. The pawn lever ...f4 is now an obvious future threat.}{⩱} 17. Bb1 Qh6
{hitting h2. A standard follow-up plan for Black would now be ...g5, coupled
with ...Nf6, ...Kh8 and ...Rg8, to get the kingside attack rolling.} 18. g3
{under pressure, White chooses poorly. Blunting the attack on the b8-h2
diagonal looks like an obvious choice, but now Black can end things much more
quickly.}{?} (18. h3 {⩱}) 18... Nf6 {usually, moving a knight to f6 is routine
rather than devastating. Here, however, the light-square weakness on the
kingside means that it can go to g4 and combine with the Qh6 on the attack.
White has no good options to defend against this threat.}{−⁠+} 19. Kg2 (19. h4
Ng4 20. Rc3 g5 {−⁠+})(19. f3 Qxe3+ {−⁠+}) 19... f4 {there's a reason this pawn
advance is a key attacking concept in the Dutch. White's position now falls
apart; Black has a significant preponderance of material participating in the
kingside attack, having with f5-f4 just added the Bc8 to it (removing the
blocking pawn on f5 and hitting h3). Meanwhile, White's pieces are barely in
the game.}{!} 20. exf4 (20. Nxf4 {temporarily staves off defeat, but Black can
then penetrate White's position at his leisure.} 20... Bxf4 21. h4 (21. exf4
Qh3+ 22. Kg1 Ng4 {−⁠+})21... Bb8 22. Qe2 Bg4 23. Qe1 Qh5 24. f3 exf3+ 25. Nxf3
Ne4 {−⁠+}) 20... Qh3+ {and the follow-up ...Ng4 cannot be stopped.} 0-1

[Event "ch-USA 2016"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Lenderman, Alexsandr"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2787"]
[BlackElo "2618"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 9"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2016.04.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 {the Semi-Slav} 5. g3 {here White goes
with a kingside fianchetto approach, typical of a Catalan-style opening. I
also prefer to play this way vs. a Semi-Slav style setup, although I'm not a 1.
d4 player. This is also in effect a gambit approach, since Black can opt (as
in the game) to take and try and hold the c-pawn.} dxc4 (5... Nbd7 {is most
often played here and often signals a desire to keep the central structure and
play for the e5-e4 break eventually.}) 6. Bg2 b5 7. O-O Bb7 8. b3 {this is the
only game in the database with this move; Nakamura is often not afraid to be
experimental in the opening. Most often played is Ne5, focused on targeting
the c6 pawn, but White scores below par (45 percent).} ({Here's one game with
a similar approach, although Nakamura accelerates the idea by a tempo.} 8. Ne5
Qb6 9. b3 cxb3 10. Qxb3 Be7 11. Rd1 O-O 12. e4 a5 13. Be3 a4 14. Qc2 Qa5 15. a3
Na6 16. Nd3 Rac8 17. Rdb1 Ba8 18. Bd2 Qd8 19. e5 Nd5 20. Ne4 Nb6 21. Ndc5 Nxc5
22. dxc5 Nd7 23. Bf4 g5 24. Be3 Nxe5 25. Rd1 Qc7 26. Nxg5 Ng6 27. h4 Rfd8 28.
h5 Nf8 29. Qc3 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 Rd8 31. Re1 e5 32. f4 Bf6 33. Ne4 Bg7 34. f5 Qe7
35. h6 Bh8 36. Bg5 f6 37. Be3 Qf7 38. Nd6 Qa7 39. Qc2 {1-0 (39) Hovhannisyan,M
(2515)-Hautot,S (2360) Charleroi 2015}) 8... cxb3 {here I wonder if this move
wasn't in part driven by psychological factors, as a relatively safe-looking
approach.} (8... b4 {looks the most testing, as Komodo assesses.} 9. Na4 c3 10.
a3 a5 11. Ne5 Nbd7 {and Black looks fine, with the c6 pawn tactially protected,
for example:} 12. Nxc6 $2 Qc7 13. Ne5 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qxe5 $17) 9.
Qxb3 {now the game has transposed back to the database, with a very small but
very favorable record for White (75 percent).} Be7 10. Ne5 a6 11. Rd1 O-O 12.
Ne4 {an effective move for the piece. The knight on c3 is not contributing
materially to White's game, so Nakamura prepares to transfer it. Bg5 has been
previously played here, with success, but Nakamura prefers to leave that
square open for the Ne4 to move to.} Qc7 (12... Nbd7 $5 {would directly
challenge the Ne5.}) 13. Ng5 {showing the value of targeting the traditionally
weak f7 pawn, even when it is still protected by the Rf8, when the square e6
is also under attack. This is also a typical tactical theme in the Caro-Kann,
where Black has to watch for sacrifices involving attacks on f7/e6.} a5 (13...
h6 $6 14. Ngxf7 Rxf7 15. Qxe6 {and Black has problems.}) 14. Bh3 {we are still
far from the point where forced variations will get White anything. Nakamura
bides his time and is content to engage in a maneuvering battle. Here e6 is
targeted yet again, ignoring the (overprotected) c6 pawn.} a4 15. Qc2 {at this
point the engine shows a slight plus for White. Black cannot have been too
happy with the opening, as evident after the next move, which brings all the
queenside pieces back to their original squares.} Bc8 {a logical and correct
move to protect e6, but it still must have been annoying to have to do. Black
has little dynamic play available and his approach must be to hold onto the
extra pawn and hope White's initiative proves fruitless. Normally Black would
also try to look for a way to give back the material to fully equalize, for
example in the move 17 variation below.} 16. Bf4 Qd8 {the queen has to move
off the b8-h2 diagonal because of the threat of discovered attack.} 17. Ng4 {
containing the obvious threat of exchanging the Nf6 and playing Qxh7 mate.} g6
{this weakens the king position and helps make Black's edge more concrete.} (
17... Nbd7 $5 18. Be5 h6 19. Nxf6+ Nxf6 20. Bxf6 hxg5 21. Bxe7 Qxe7 22. Qxc6
Bd7 {and the engine shows equality, but the position looks much easier for
White to play.}) 18. Nxf6+ Bxf6 19. Ne4 Bg7 (19... Be7 $5 {helping cover d6
may have been better, in light of White's 21st move, although it's
understandable wanting to fill the kingside holes.}) 20. Bg2 $16 {the long
diagonal becomes more important to occupy again, now that the sac threat
against e6 is over. The engine's significant plus for White is easy to
visualize here, given White's advantage in development (five pieces to one)
and space.} Qb6 21. Bd6 {a good example of how to exploit better developed
pieces and seize yet more space.} Re8 22. Rac1 Qd8 {moving back to the
original square. Black has to be frustrated by this point.} 23. Bc5 Ba6 24. Bb4
Qc7 {playing defensively around the c6-pawn. But now Nakamura illustrates the
principle of the benefits of opening the position when ahead in development,
as well as highlighting the tactical danger of placing pieces (the Qc7) onto
undefended squares.} (24... Bb7) 25. d5 $1 $18 {this pawn lever effectively
breaks open the position for White's pieces in the center.} exd5 26. Nd6 {
the point being a double attack (with the knight on the Re8 and the Bg2 on the
d5 pawn; the c6 pawn is pinned against the Qc7 and no longer protects d5).} Qd7
{hoping that giving back material (i.e. the Re8) will exhaust White's
initiative.} (26... Rf8 27. Bxd5 Qe7 {moving out of the pin still leaves White
with a big advantage and Black with little he can do about it, for example} 28.
Bg2 Qe5 29. Rd2 Bc8 30. Bc5 Bd7 31. Nxb5 Rc8 32. Nd6 $18) 27. Nxe8 Qxe8 {
there is now less material on the board and the balance is roughly even, but
White still has the far-better developed pieces, so continues to find success
by opening lines in the center.} 28. e4 d4 29. e5 {and the pawn is tactically
protected, as either the bishop or queen taking on e5 would be followed up by
Re1, losing Black material.} h5 {this gives Black an escape square on h7, but
there's little else he can do at this point.} 30. f4 {the pawn on d4 is now
doomed and trying to keep the material balance doesn't help Black.} f6 31. Rxd4
fxe5 32. fxe5 Bc8 (32... Bxe5 $2 {the pawn is still tactically protected} 33.
Re4 $18) 33. Rcd1 {a simple yet powerful follow-up.} Bd7 {Black blocks the
penetration of a rook on d8, but now White has too many other threats,
including on g6.} 34. Rd6 Qxe5 35. Qxg6 Qf5 36. Bc3 {a beautiful move which
puts maximum pressure on Black. Now the Bg7 is doomed.} (36. Rf1 {would be a
less incisive but still practical way of winning.} Qxg6 37. Rxg6 $18) 36... Qf7
37. Rf1 Qxg6 38. Rxg6 {and after the bishop goes, White will have a mate in 5.}
1-0

[Event "ch-USA w 2016"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.17"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Yu, Jennifer R"]
[Black "Yip, Carissa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[WhiteElo "2157"]
[BlackElo "2164"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 9"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2016.04.14"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 {by far the top choice in the database.
White goes for immediate piece pressure in the center using the long diagonal.}
(4. Nf3 {is the second most popular choice in the database. White avoids
committing to the early fianchetto.}) 4... g6 5. Bg2 Nb6 6. Nf3 {in contrast
with the move 4 variation, White has chased away the Nd5 before her own knight
comes out.} Bg7 7. O-O {retaining maximum flexibility for as long as possible.}
Nc6 8. d3 {White cannot reasonably play d4 here, due to Black's piece pressure
on the center, but this more modest pawn advance releases the c1 bishop and
asserts control over c4 and e4.} O-O 9. Rb1 {an interesting choice by White.
Instead of playing a natural bishop developing move, for example Be3 or Bd2,
as a follow-up to the previous move, she prefers to initiate queenside action
immediately.} Bf5 {a somewhat puzzling square for the bishop, since it's left
potentially exposed to harassment by a knight or by an eventual e4 or g4 push,
should circumstances favor that. It is in a position to prevent Ne4, however,
as a minor piece exchange on e4 would then give Black a 3-2 pawn majority on
the queenside.} 10. h3 {this appears to be aimed at nullifying a potential
future Q+B battery on the c8-h3 diagonal, after which White plays Kh2 to
defend h3. White by this maneuver ensures that she keeps the Bg2 on the board
rather than having Black try to exchange it.} (10. Be3 {alternatively would
simply ignore Black's idea of exchanging the bishop, in favor of development.
Play could continue} Qd7 11. Qd2 Bh3 12. Bh6 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 {and now White will
be able to likewise exchange Black's bishop on the long diagonal, which is at
least as valuable as its White counterpart.}) 10... e5 11. b4 {White presses
ahead with her queenside expansion plan.} Nd4 12. Nxd4 $6 {this unnecessarily
gives Black a strongly-supported central pawn, without sufficient compensation
elsewhere in the position.} (12. Nd2 $5 $11 {looks a little passive, but it
unleashes the Bg2 and keeps White's options open.}) 12... exd4 13. Ne4 {
now White's knight lands on a nice central square, but it may have been of
more use on c3, hitting b5 and d5.} Nd5 {Black now has a nicely centralized
knight of her own.} 14. Bd2 {by this point there are no real alternative
squares for developing the bishop.} c6 15. b5 {an easy move to play for White,
since her main idea, starting with the 9th move, has been to push the b-pawn
into Black's camp. This is a standard minority attack idea, seeking to
undermine support for Black's center.} Qe7 {a safe-looking choice, although
White's next move is also obvious and will help give her targets on the
queenside.} (15... cxb5 16. Rxb5 {and White will have dynamic play on the
queenside, although Black's strengths in the center balance this, along with
the long-term 2-1 majority on the queenside.}) 16. bxc6 bxc6 17. Qc2 {
pressuring the backwards c-pawn on the half-open file is now an obvious
strategy for White.} Rac8 18. Rb3 {with the idea of dominating the open b-file.
} (18. Qc5 $5 Qxc5 19. Nxc5 {would be a nice-looking positional gain for White,
occupying c5 with a knight and opening up the long diagonal.}) 18... c5 {
Black correctly looks to advance and then hopefully liquidate the c-pawn,
which otherwise will be a long-term weakness.} 19. Rfb1 {consistent, but it
gives Black the opportunity to resolve the situation with the c-pawn.} (19. Rc1
$6 {would fail to prevent the advance of the c-pawn, which tactically still
works:} c4 20. dxc4 Nc3 21. Bxc3 dxc3 $17 {and White is cut off from
protecting the c4 pawn, which Black will soon be able to take and thereby
restore the material balance, while also having control over the center and a
menacing passed c-pawn.}) 19... Nb6 {this appears to be a turning point in
terms of the initiative. Instead of pressing forward, which is tactically
possible, Black retreats and then focuses her attention elsewhere.} (19... c4 {
and now play is similar to the above variation:} 20. dxc4 ({inserting} 20. Rb7
Qa3 {may be an improved version of the idea for White}) 20... Nc3 21. Bxc3 dxc3
$15) 20. Rb5 {adding sideways pressure against the c-pawn.} Rfe8 21. Bg5 {
White is now the one making threats and forcing Black to play reactively.} (21.
Rxc5 $2 Bxe4 $19) (21. Nxc5 $6 {the pin against the Qc2 will prove awkward
after} Be5 $15 {and now Black threatens simply ...Bd6, also with ideas of
possibly sacrificing on g3 in the future.}) 21... f6 $2 {a very committal move
that is also unnecessary; there are several reasonable queen moves. Blocking
the Bg7 effectively takes away a key piece from Black's game. Although Yip
then moves to undo the block, the whole process leaves her more vulnerable and
White well-positioned to exploit this.} 22. Bf4 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 f5 24. Bf3 {
now it's obvious that White can support an h-pawn advance with her bishops.}
Be5 {Black continues to attempt to exchange her way out of her difficulties.}
25. Bxe5 Qxe5 {it's interesting to see that the minor piece exchanges have had
their desired effect on the kingside, but look at the remaining pieces.
White's light-square bishop is huge, while the black knight is mostly
ineffective. White's rooks are also very active and the c-pawn's weakness is
magnified.} 26. Rc1 Nd7 27. Qc4+ {White's light-square dominance is well
illustrated by this sequence.} Kh8 28. Rb7 Qd6 29. Rxa7 $18 Ne5 {still trying
to exchange her way out of trouble, except now she is material down.} 30. Qd5 {
a safe approach to handling the position.} (30. Qb5 {is the engine's
suggestion, but it involves giving Black some more risky-looking activity, for
example} Nxf3+ 31. exf3 {and Black has the e-file to work with and some
potential kingside counterplay, although it does not work out in calculation,
largely because the c-pawn is too vulnerable to capture.} Qc6 32. a4 $18) 30...
Nxf3+ 31. Qxf3 {White's advantage is solid - a passed a-pawn and no real
weaknesses, while Black still has the backwards c-pawn - and Black can do
little about it.} Qb6 32. Rb7 Qe6 {targeting the one slightly weak point (e2)
in White's position and supporting a c-pawn advance...which, however, will be
problematic.} 33. Rc2 c4 $2 {this advance comes far too late now and out of
desperation.} (33... Qc6 $18) 34. dxc4 {the simplest approach, just take the
pawn.} Rxc4 35. Rxc4 Qxc4 {optically it looks like the position is not
terribly worse for Black, with the weak c-pawn now gone, but now her exposed
king position can be exploited by White's queen.} 36. Qf4 $1 {an excellent
example of a decisive queen move that does multiple things. Useful ones
include covering c1, getting on the open b8-f4 diagonal and pressuring the
d-pawn. However, the most important threat is now to Black's h-pawn, which
cannot be adequately defended from the Q+R combination.} Rxe2 {Black
desperately tries to distract White, but to no avail.} 37. Qb8+ Qg8 38. Qd6 {
with an unstoppable threat on the long al-h8 diagonal.} Re1+ 39. Kh2 1-0

[Event "ch-USA w 2016"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.22"]
[Round "8.6"]
[White "Yu, Jennifer R"]
[Black "Melekhina, Alisa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[WhiteElo "2157"]
[BlackElo "2205"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 9.3"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.04.14"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nf3 e5 {breaking the symmetry and
establishing a central pawn presence.} 6. O-O Nge7 {the idea here is not to
block the f-pawn's advance later.} 7. Ne1 {White's idea is to redeploy the
knight via c2. This is slow, but the opening is largely about maneuver rather
than attack.} d6 8. Nc2 {from here the knight can support the b4 advance or
move to e3 to increase domination of the d5 square.} h5 $5 {this move scores
well in the database - although see the next annotation - but is not often
played. There is only one game listed in 2015 with it, for example.} (8... Be6
{is the more conventional choice, along with castling.}) 9. d3 {both Komodo
and the database indicate that the reaction h4 should be avoided. In the small
sample (19) of games available, it has been played roughly half of the time
and scores badly at 25 percent. That said, White appears to be OK in the line,
although it allows some additional attacking ideas for Black, as in the
following game:} (9. h4 g5 10. hxg5 h4 11. Ne3 hxg3 12. fxg3 Be6 13. Ncd5 Qd7
14. Nf6+ Bxf6 15. Rxf6 Rg8 16. Nd5 O-O-O 17. d3 Nf5 18. Rxf5 Bxf5 19. Nf6 Qc7
20. Qf1 Be6 21. Nxg8 Rxg8 22. Bd2 Nd4 23. Qf2 Bg4 24. Bd5 Nxe2+ 25. Kg2 Nd4 26.
Qxf7 Qxf7 27. Bxf7 Bf3+ 28. Kf2 Rh8 29. Re1 Rh2+ 30. Ke3 Bh1 31. Rxh1 Re2# {
0-1 (31) Markos,J (2327)-Navara,D (2433) Pardubice 2000}) 9... h4 {the most
logical follow-up. If Black is going to advance the h-pawn, she should go all
in.} 10. Ne3 {most played here, although the engine evaluates that first
proceeding with standard play centered around the b-file is fine.} (10. a3 a5
11. Rb1 a4 12. Bg5 f6 13. Bd2 h3 14. Bh1 O-O 15. Ne3 {is one possibility.})
10... Be6 {this gets the bishop out, but Black did not need to develop it this
early, as it is doing fine on its original square for now. It does nothing to
impede White's next move.} 11. Ned5 f6 {this seems a little premature and
commital.} (11... h3 $5 {is the engine's choice, which would avoid White's
later gxh4.}) 12. Qe1 {Yu here is signaling a shift in commitment to a
kingside strategy, placing her queen on the e1-h4 diagonal and preparing her
next move.} (12. Rb1 $5 {would continue with queenside and central play.})
12... Qd7 13. f4 O-O-O {Melekhina notes the strategic shift and castles on the
opposite wing, making White's threat of expansion on the kingside less urgent.}
14. fxe5 fxe5 $6 {this looks like a logical and "clean" move visually, but
immediately gives White some advantage to play with, including the open f-file
and the initiative. From here on out, the game gets wilder.} (14... Bxd5 $5 {
with the idea of exchanging material and reducing potential White threats.} 15.
Nxd5 Nxe5 16. gxh4 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 f5 $11) 15. gxh4 {ugly-looking but effective.
Black has some compensation for the pawn, due to the weak doubled h-pawns, but
White does an admirable job of covering the weaknesses and playing actively.}
Bh3 $2 {it turns out that Black needs to worry more about her white-square
weaknesses, especially on f7, with the absence of this bishop. White has a
number of ways to take advantage of this.} (15... Bxd5 {is still a good idea,
but leaves White in better shape compared with the above variation:} 16. Nxd5
Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Nd4 18. Bg5 $14) 16. Bg5 (16. Rf7 $1 {and Black has some
unsolvable problems related to the 7th rank and king position, for example}
Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Bh6 18. Bxh6 Rxh6 19. Nxe7+ Nxe7 20. Nd5 Re8 21. Qa5 $18) 16...
Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Rdf8 18. h3 {White evidently was concerned about ...Qg4+ here,
although the engine shows that is not necessary.} (18. Nxe7+ Nxe7 19. Rxf8+
Rxf8 20. Bxe7 Qxe7 21. Nd5 $16 {and Black no longer has any real compensation
for the pawn.}) 18... Nf5 $11 {a good consolidating move by Black. With this
and the previous rook move, she has shut down threats along the f-file. White
can also no longer trade down material, as in the previous variation.} 19. Ne4
{centralizing the knight and recognizing that the e4 square is superior to b5
for it now.} Bh6 $6 {continuing with the theme of moving bishops away from
controlling key squares, in this case f6. This time White takes advantage of
it better.} (19... Ncd4) 20. Nef6 $16 Qe6 21. e4 {White has regained the
initiative and revived the utility of the f-file.} Nxh4+ {a piece sacrifice
based on an interesting tactical idea for Black.} (21... Nfd4 $16 {is the
safer choice.}) 22. Bxh4 Bg5 $2 {unfortunately for Black, this bishop move
doesn't work. Yu spots the refutation, which is not obvious. Two white pieces
are hanging (the Bh4 and the Nf6) and the Bh4 can't move without allowing ...
Qxh3. However, White finds a creative solution by giving back the piece.} (
22... Bf4 {is the only good continuation here, with the threat of ...g5 and ...
Qxh3.} 23. Rxf4 exf4 24. Nxf4 Qe5 25. Nxg6 Rhg8 26. Nxg8 Rxg8 27. Kh1 Rxg6 28.
Qf2 $16 {still works out fine for White, however.}) 23. Nc7 $1 Kxc7 24. Nd5+ {
The Nf6 escapes with tempo, thanks to the sacrifice of its brother.} Kd7 {
now Black has problems with hanging pieces instead and loses at minimum the
exchange.} 25. Rxf8 Bxh4 (25... Rxf8 26. Bxg5 $18) (25... Rxh4 26. Qg3 Rh5 27.
Raf1 $18) 26. Qf1 (26. Rxh8 {might be simpler, with two rooks vs. queen in a
position where the rooks will dominate.} Bxe1 27. Rxe1 $18) 26... Rh5 (26...
Rxf8 27. Qxf8 Be7 28. Qg7 $18 {and Black cannot stop the rook transfer to f1
and then f6 or f7.}) 27. Qf7+ Qxf7 28. Rxf7+ Ne7 29. Raf1 {an illustration of
the importance of the open f-file in the game, along with the weak 7th rank.
Black's fate is now sealed.} Rh8 30. Rg7 Re8 31. Rh7 Bg5 32. h4 Bf4 33. Nf6+
1-0

[Event "ch-USA w 2016"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.25"]
[Round "11.2"]
[White "Krush, Irina"]
[Black "Paikidze, Nazi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A07"]
[WhiteElo "2465"]
[BlackElo "2346"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 9.3"]
[PlyCount "128"]
[EventDate "2016.04.14"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 {a noncommital response to White's first move, while ruling out an
immediate e4 as follow-up.} 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bg4 {this is slightly
more challenging than the other standard move developing the bishop to f5.} 5.
d3 {continuing with the standard plan of the King's Indian Attack setup. White
will eventually play e4.} Nbd7 {the knight needs to be developed in any case,
and this provides the option of supporting an ...e5 push.} 6. h3 Bh5 7. Qe1 {
getting off the h5-d1 diagonal and behind the e-pawn.} e5 {played the vast
majority of the time, forming a pawn duo in the center.} (7... e6 {is
certainly possible, but is unambitious and drawish.}) 8. e4 dxe4 {not
necessarily obligatory, but almost always played. The following game shows how
problems can develop for Black by delaying it.} (8... Bd6 9. exd5 Bxf3 10. Bxf3
Nxd5 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 O-O 13. Rb1 Qc7 14. Bd2 f5 15. Qe2 Rae8 16. Bg2 Kh8
17. Qh5 Bc5 18. Bg5 Bb6 19. Rb4 Re6 20. Rh4 h6 21. d4 f4 22. gxf4 exd4 23. Qg4
Rg6 24. Be4 Rxf4 25. Qxf4 Qxf4 26. Rxf4 Rxg5+ 27. Kh1 Nf6 28. cxd4 Bxd4 29. Rd1
Bb6 30. Bf5 Kg8 31. c4 Bc7 32. Rf3 b5 33. cxb5 cxb5 34. Rb1 a6 35. Rc1 Be5 36.
Rc6 Kf7 37. Rxa6 Bd4 38. Rd6 Bc5 39. Rc6 Be7 40. Rc7 g6 41. Re3 {1-0 (41)
Movsesian,S (2695)-Zontakh,A (2546) Loo 2013}) 9. dxe4 Bc5 {developing the
bishop to its most effective diagonal.} 10. a4 a5 {preventing a b4 advance.}
11. Na3 {actually the most common move played here, but scoring only 46
percent for White in the database. The point is to transfer the knight to c4.}
O-O 12. Nc4 Qc7 {protecting e5 and connecting the rooks.} 13. Bd2 b6 {the
obvious move, to ensure the a5 pawn is protected and Black's pieces are not
tied down to it.} 14. Nh4 {intending to go to f5, but the knight ends up stuck
here for a long time before exchanging itself for the bishop on g6.} Rfe8 {
developing the rook, which was doing nothing on f8.} 15. Kh1 {getting off the
a7-g1 diagonal and preparing to push the f-pawn.} Bg6 {anticipating the push
g4 and pressuring e4, essentially inviting the following exchange.} 16. Nxg6
hxg6 {although White now has the two bishops, the individual minor piece trade
is a fine idea for Black. Her light-square bishop was not doing anything very
important and the White knight on the kingside otherwise could effectively
support a pawn advance and/or could go to f5.} 17. f4 {a natural move, but
perhaps White could have taken some more time to prepare it. Black is able to
launch a counterstroke on the queenside.} b5 {the tactics work in Black's
favor if White accepts the pawn sacrifice.} 18. Bxa5 (18. Nxa5 {is inferior,
as the Na5 is out on a limb and its protectors can become overloaded, while
Black has multiple other threats.} exf4 19. axb5 f3 20. Rxf3 (20. Bxf3 cxb5 $15
{and now Black can threaten the g3 and c2 pawns after ...Bd6.}) 20... cxb5 21.
Rb3 Bd6 $15 22. Re3 (22. Rxb5 $2 Nc5 $17)) 18... Qc8 19. axb5 cxb5 20. Nd2 {
the engine assesses the position as equal, as White's pieces are not as well
coordinated as her opponent's and Black can start making threats along the
e-file.} exf4 21. gxf4 Nd5 {a key move in the sequence, as the knight takes
advantage of the pinned e-pawn to use d5 as an outpost and threaten to go to
e3.} 22. Rf3 {defending the e3 square, albeit awkwardly.} (22. b4 $5 {is a
recurring idea in this position that the engines identify. White at least
temporarily gives back the pawn in order to better activate her pieces and
deflect Black's threats. For example} Nxb4 23. Qb1 Nc6 24. Qxb5 Nxa5 25. Rxa5
Rxa5 26. Qxa5 Nf6 $11) 22... f5 $6 {this invites the advance of the e-pawn,
which essentially solves White's problems with it.} (22... N7f6 {would
increase the pressure and not allow for the advance, as if} 23. e5 $6 Nh5 $17 {
and now the f-pawn is under fire.}) 23. e5 g5 {evidently this was Paikidze's
idea, to pressure the e-pawn by undermining its support. White is faced with
some complex choices.} 24. fxg5 $2 {this was unnecessary and justifies Black's
play.} (24. Qd1 {would get the queen out of the pin first and improve on the
idea.} gxf4 $2 (24... N7b6 25. fxg5 Rxe5 26. b4 Bxb4 27. Bxb4 Nxb4 28. Rxa8
Nxa8 29. Rb3 $16) (24... Nxf4 $2 25. Rxf4 gxf4 26. Bd5+ Kf8 27. Qh5 $16) 25.
Nc4 bxc4 26. Qxd5+ $18) (24. b4 $5 {has similar ideas as in the variation
above. The hanging Nd5 and the open long diagonal give White some tactical
possibilities and Black has to be careful.}) 24... Nxe5 {Black now takes over
the initiative. The two centralized knights in combination with the Re8 and
Bc5 can make a variety of threats in this wide-open position.} 25. Rf2 $2 {
preserving the rook in this way just leads to more trouble for White. The
engines suggest a positional exchange sacrifice.} (25. Qg3 $5 Nxf3 26. Bxf3 $17
) (25. Rf1 Ne3 $17) 25... Ne3 $19 {it's clear by this point that for the
investment of a pawn, Black's pieces are now dominating the game. This is a
more positional road to victory.} (25... Nd3 $1 {is even stronger, with a
double attack on the queen and rook. White loses material in all lines, for
example} 26. Bxd5+ Kh7 27. cxd3 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Bxf2 $19) 26. Nb3 {protecting
the c2 pawn by opening the second rank, but it would be safer to get the queen
out of danger with Qb1.} Nxg2 {Black again passes up the ...Nd3 tactic.} 27.
Rxg2 $17 f4 {following the precept that passed pawns must be pushed, although
this reduces the pressure of Black's pieces.} (27... Nf3 $5) 28. Qc3 Nc4 (28...
f3 {is favored by the engines and is the logical continuation of the previous
move's idea.}) 29. Qf3 {White has been doing a good job of containing Black's
threats as best she can and the engines show only a slight advantage for Black
at this point.} Qf5 $15 30. Nxc5 {White logically wants to eliminate Black's
strong bishop, but now the Ba5 is hanging. This is a case of where "doing
something" in a position is actually inferior to waiting.} (30. g6 $5 {is the
engine recommendation, a waiting move that also restricts Black's king.} Rac8
31. Qg4 Qxg4 32. Rxg4 Bd6 $15) 30... Qxc5 31. b4 Qf5 $17 {looking at how the
position has transformed, White's bishop is now largely locked away, although
may get back into the action via c7. Meanwhile Black's control of the e-file
and the well-placed Nc4 are key advantages; the Ra8 can also easily get into
the action.} 32. Rf2 Re4 33. Rg1 Rae8 34. Bc7 $2 {an apparently logical idea,
to increase pressure on the f-pawn and have the bishop do something useful,
but now Black's domination of the e-file and her rooks will decide the game.} (
34. Kh2 {would protect the h-pawn, which is vulnerable to pressure along the
3rd rank.}) (34. Qg4) 34... Re3 $1 $19 35. Qxf4 Rxh3+ {a good example of the
principle of looking for tactical exchanges, in this case the f-pawn for the
h-pawn, since White could not take and also protect at the same time.
Obviously the loss of the h-pawn hurts White much more than the f-pawn does
Black, due to White's vulnerable king.} 36. Kg2 Ne3+ 37. Qxe3 {forced.} Qg4+ {
here the value of the tactic of gaining a tempo is illustrated, with White's
queen moving out of danger.} 38. Qg3 Rxg3+ 39. Bxg3 Re3 40. Kh2 Qh5+ {a nice
little tactic to pick up the g-pawn and give Black a passed pawn on the
kingside.} 41. Kg2 Qxg5 {White does not have compensation for being down
material (R+B vs Q). It is instructive to see how Black's Q+R combination
holds the initiative and how White is essentially helpless to do anything from
this point forward.} 42. Kh2 Re6 43. Rgg2 Qh5+ 44. Kg1 Qd1+ 45. Rf1 Qd4+ 46.
Rff2 Re1+ 47. Kh2 Qd1 48. Bf4 Qh5+ 49. Kg3 Rh1 50. Rh2 Rg1+ 51. Rhg2 Rh1 52.
Rh2 Qg6+ 53. Kh3 Qe6+ 54. Kg3 Re1 55. Rhg2 Qg6+ 56. Kh2 Qe4 57. Bg5 Qxb4 {
an illustration of the power of the queen to reposition herself with tempo and
then pick up additional material in an endgame.} 58. Bf4 (58. Bf6 $2 Qd6+ 59.
Kh3 Rh1+ 60. Kg4 gxf6 $19) 58... Qe7 59. Kg3 Re6 60. Kh3 Qd7 61. Kh2 Re4 62.
Kg3 Qf5 63. Rf3 g5 {Black is now able to bring another piece into the attack.}
64. Bxg5 {one last attempt at setting a trap.} Rg4+ {the tactical intermediate
move that finishes things off.} (64... Qxg5+ $4 65. Kh3) 0-1

[Event "World Junior Open 2016"]
[Site "Bhubaneswar IND"]
[Date "2016.08.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bersamina, Paulo"]
[Black "Xiong, Jeffery"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B23"]
[WhiteElo "2402"]
[BlackElo "2633"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 9.3"]
[PlyCount "155"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. O-O Bg7 7. Bc4 {this
seems like a bit of a waste of time in the opening, especially after the next
move. Presumably it was done to preserve the bishop from exchange.} Na5 8. Be2
Nf6 {this looks like it makes the knight a target for an advance of the e-pawn,
but that would not turn out particularly well for White.} 9. Qe1 {at around 48
percent, this scores better than anything else for White in the database, but
it's still not a good thing. Black has fully equalized already while White
continues to lose time in the opening.} (9. e5 dxe5 10. Nxe5 (10. fxe5 $6 Ng4
$17) 10... O-O $11 {and Black has a comfortable game.}) 9... Nc6 10. Bc4 {
inviting a repetition of moves, although Black can do better.} Nd4 (10... O-O
$5 {the engine suggests castling first, which looks safer.} 11. d3 Nd4) 11. Qh4
$6 {this doesn't work and I'm not sure what White was looking to do here by
offering the c2 pawn as a sacrifice. Even simply castling in response is fine
for Black.} (11. Nxd4 {simplest appears best here.} cxd4 12. e5 dxc3 13. exf6
Qb6+ 14. Rf2 Bxf6 $11) 11... b5 {an interesting idea that further complicates
the game and keeps the tension up, which is probably what Xiong wanted.} (11...
Nxc2 12. Rb1 Nd4 $17 {and White doesn't have any real threats. For example} 13.
Ng5 $2 (13. b3 $17) 13... d5 (13... e6 {is also sufficient}) 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15.
f5 (15. Nxh7 $2 {the knight is pinned here and Black now has a free hand.} Nb6
16. b3 Nxc4 17. bxc4 Bc6 $19) 15... Bf6 $19) (11... O-O 12. f5 $5 {should be
OK for Black, but gives White at least the appearance of some initiative.}) 12.
Nxd4 cxd4 13. Nxb5 Qb6 {Black has (temporarily) invested a pawn, but has the
initiative in return.} 14. a4 a6 15. a5 Qc6 16. Na3 Nxe4 {now Black has his
pawn back and a favorable position, while White's pieces are uncoordinated and
he lacks an obvious plan to make progress.} 17. d3 Nf6 18. Nb1 {an excellent
illustration of how time in the opening and early middlegame can be valuable.
The knight has journeyed back to its original square, with associated tempo
loss, while Black can now make progress in the center.} (18. Bb3 $5 $15 {
would clear the c4 square for the knight instead.}) 18... d5 19. Bb3 Qc5 {
this avoids having White play Ba4. While d6 seems like a more useful square
for the queen, being less limited, Xiong no doubt had the next knight maneuver
to e3 in mind, which the queen supports.} 20. Re1 Ng4 21. Re2 Ne3 {Black would
be quite happy to have White capture the knight, thereby undoubling the Black
d-pawns and giving him a passed pawn on e3.} 22. h3 {another time-wasting move.
} (22. Nd2 $5 {White really needs to get more of his pieces into the game.})
22... O-O {White now has no prospects on the kingside and it's about time to
get the king to safety away from the center.} 23. Qe1 Rab8 {activating the
rook; Black wants to play with all of his pieces. This may seem to ignore
White's last move, which adds pressure to the Ne3, but it still cannot be
taken without benefiting Black.} 24. Ra3 {again a move illustrating how
awkward White's position is.} (24. Bxe3 dxe3 {opening up the long diagonal and
the d4 square for the Bg7} 25. Rxe3 $2 Bd4 $19) 24... Rfc8 $19 {by this point
White is under huge pressure, which will simply get worse, and can do nothing
about it.} 25. Kh1 {moving off of the g1-a7 diagonal and taking away the ...
Bd4 tactic, but it still doesn't help much.} Bf5 26. Bxe3 dxe3 27. Rxe3 Bxb2
28. Ra2 Bd4 {Black can again safely ignore White's threat to pick up a pawn,
in this case on e7.} 29. Rf3 (29. Rxe7 Bf2 $1 {and now wherever the queen
moves, the Re7 will be left hanging, or White opens himself to back rank
problems.} (29... Bxd3 {would also be sufficient, as the Bb3 would be hanging
after a recapture on d3}) 30. Qe2 (30. Qd2 Rxb3 31. cxb3 Qxe7 32. Qxf2 Rc1+)
30... Rxb3 {winning the piece, as if} 31. cxb3 $2 Qc1+ $19) 29... h5 {stopping
g4 to kick the Bf5} 30. Nd2 {White finally gets all of his pieces developed,
on move 30.} Bc3 31. Qf2 e6 {an instructive decision. Black heads for the
endgame, which he must be confident of winning, as he will pick up the
indefensible a5 pawn in the process.} 32. Qxc5 Rxc5 {After the exchange of
queens Black wins the a-pawn and the game is practically over.} 33. Nf1 Rxa5
34. Rxa5 Bxa5 {Black has the outside passed a-pawn, the two bishops, and a
well-placed rook, which should (and do) lead him to victory from this point on.
} 35. Kh2 Bc3 36. g3 a5 {passed pawns must be pushed!} 37. Ne3 {designed to
support the g-pawn advance} Rb4 {Black can also just make a waiting move with
the bishop here, such as ...Bg7. This would remove White's subsequent threat
along the third rank with the rook, although it perhaps doesn't matter in the
end.} 38. g4 hxg4 39. hxg4 {Black can now play this several different ways.
The problem for White is that his bishop is trapped after ...a4} Bxd3 40. Ng2
a4 41. Bxa4 Be4 42. Rxc3 Rxa4 {Black is still winning comfortably after the
end of the sequence - remaining a pawn up, with a strong bishop vs. knight,
and one pawn island versus two. However, those of us with lesser endgame
technique might not have chosen this particular path.} 43. Ne1 Ra1 44. Re3 Rc1
{the ideal spot for the rook, behind White's isolated pawn.} 45. Re2 Kf8 {
time to bring the king into the game.} 46. Kg3 Ke7 47. g5 Kd6 48. Kf2 Bf5 49.
Nd3 Rh1 50. Ne5 Rh2+ {once the rooks come off, the win becomes more trivial
for Black.} 51. Ke3 $6 {this allows the following tactic} (51. Kf3 Rxe2 52.
Kxe2 $19) 51... d4+ 52. Kd2 Rxe2+ 53. Kxe2 Kd5 {compared with the above
variation, Black is significantly ahead with the d-pawn and his king position
in the center. Although the f-pawn will fall, this doesn't affect Black's
defense against the White pawns, as Black's king will penetrate.} 54. Kd2 Ke4
55. Nxf7 Kxf4 56. c3 d3 {White could simply resign at this point, but
apparently decides to play on in the hopes of a blunder by his opponent.} 57.
Nd6 e5 58. Nc4 e4 {Black has two connected passed pawns in the center, will
grab the g5 pawn giving him a third passed pawn, and Black's bishop covers the
c8 queening square for White.} 59. Ne3 Kxg5 {a minor piece exchange is fine
for Black, since the White king can't cover all of the passed pawns.} 60. Ke1
Bg4 61. Nd5 Kf5 62. Kd2 Ke5 63. Ne7 g5 64. Ke3 Bf3 65. c4 g4 {passed pawns 
(especially outside ones) must be pushed!} 66. Ng6+ Kd6 67. Nh4 Kc5 68. Nf5
Kxc4 69. Kd2 {is White playing for stalemate now? Hardly seems sporting.} Kd5
70. Ke3 Ke6 71. Ng3 Ke5 72. Nf1 Kf5 {Black's king now runs around the wing to
escort his outside passed pawn.} 73. Ng3+ Kg5 74. Nf1 Kh4 75. Kf2 Kh3 76. Ke3
g3 77. Nd2 g2 78. Kf2 0-1

[Event "TCh-RUS Women 2016"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2016.05.01"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Lagno, Kateryna"]
[Black "Goryachkina, Aleksandra"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B10"]
[WhiteElo "2529"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 10"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2016.05.01"]
[WhiteTeam "SSM Legacy Square Capital Moscow"]
[BlackTeam "University Belorechensk, Krasnodar"]

1. c4 c6 2. e4 {now we have a Caro-Kann} d5 {virtually the only response that
makes sense after 1...c6, although I suppose one could transpose eventually
into a Modern Defense or the like without ...d5.} 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 {
this keeps the opening in its own unique variation.} (4. d4 {is another
transpositional alternative, this time to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack.}) 4...
Nf6 (4... Qxd5 {is the main alternative, but White scores 68 percent in the
database afterwards. The Black queen will inevitably lose time relocating from
d5.}) 5. Nc3 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 {all natural developing moves by White so
far.} g6 {although not used very often, this variation scores far better than
its more classical counterparts, ...Nxc3 and ...e6.} 8. Qa4 Qd6 {an
interesting choice that requires careful evaluation of the next sequence.} (
8... Nb6 $5 {is almost always played here.} 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Qxc6+ Bd7 11. Qe4
Bg7 $11 {almost all of the database games from this point end in a draw, with
Black's compensation for the pawn including the two (outstanding) bishops,
play against the isolated d-pawn, and good avenues for the rooks.}) (8... Bd7
$4 9. Nxd5 $18) 9. Ne4 {now we are in new opening territory.} Qe6 10. Nfg5 Qd7
11. Nc5 Qc7 $11 {at the end of the forcing sequence, White has kicked around
the Black queen, but Black is not really behind in development, as she will
have an easy time getting her bishops out, compared to the Bc1. White's minor
pieces are all forward deployed, but not working together particularly well.
Komodo assesses the position as equal, but White is the one who can misstep
more easily here.} 12. O-O (12. Qd4 $5 {is the engine's recommendation.} Nf6
13. Qc4 e6 $11) 12... Bg7 $15 {Black is now starting to look more dangerous,
as the Bg7 is now a monster on the long diagonal and White has no real threats.
} 13. Bc4 Qd8 {the best way of maintaining the tension in the center, not
afraid of the following sequence.} 14. Nxb7 Bxb7 15. Qb5 O-O {a cold-bloodedly
correct move.} 16. Qxb7 Ndb4 {eyeing the c2 square and restricting the White
queen.} 17. Qb5 Rb8 18. Qa4 Ne5 {for the cost of the sacrificed b-pawn, Black
has far more piece activity, while for White the Bc1 and Ra1 are not playing.}
19. Be2 {this is too passive.} (19. d3 $5 {would give back material in order
to get the Bc1 and Rf1 into the game.} Nbxd3 20. Rd1 Nxc4 21. Qxc4 Ne5 $15)
19... Ned3 $17 (19... Nbd3 $5 {also looks good.}) 20. Nf3 {it is remarkable to
compare this position with the one on move 11, as all of White's pieces have
retreated while Black's have advanced, and now White is behind in development.}
e5 {Black has an excellent position, but it's not clear exactly what plan is
best. Dominating the c-file looks good, while taking the b2 pawn at this point
does not. In the game, Goryachkina with this move chose to occupy the enter
with the e-pawn. She must have also calculated the next sequence as part of it,
perhaps even playing the text move to encourage her opponent to challenge the
Nb4.} (20... Rc8 $5) (20... Nxb2 $6 21. Bxb2 Bxb2 22. Rab1 Nd5 23. Qxa7 $11)
21. a3 $6 {White must have been feeling a little desperate by this point.} (21.
Bxd3 {would have helped White gain some maneuvering room and eliminated one of
the two forward-deployed knights, at the cost of a pawn.} Nxd3 22. Ne1 Nxb2 $15
) 21... Nf4 {a forced move for Black in response, creating a counter-threat
against the Be2 while the Nb4 is hanging.} 22. Bd1 Nbd3 {now the Nb4 has a
place to go and Black is even more dominant. White has no good moves available,
although the engine suggests Ne1 as the best defense.} 23. g3 Nc5 {a "good
enough" type of move that preserves Black's advantage.} (23... e4 {is what the
engine prefers. It would take advantage of the e-pawn's position and launch a
decisive attack. For example} 24. gxf4 exf3 25. Bxf3 Re8 {and the f-pawn will
eventually fall while Black remains dominant positionally. However, this
requires a number of moves to fully unfold and in practical terms it does not
look easy to clearly evaluate the situation at the board.}) 24. Qc4 Nfd3 25.
Bc2 e4 $1 $19 {now the pawn advances to good effect, sacrificing itself to
achieve Black's complete piece dominance.} 26. Bxd3 Nxd3 27. Qxe4 Re8 28. Qa4 {
this immediately lets Black's queen into d5, but White has severe problems in
any case.} (28. Qc4 Rc8 29. Qb3 Re4 {and now the rook can transfer to the
c-file and pressure the trapped Bc1.}) 28... Qd5 29. Nh4 (29. Kg2 Re1 $19) (29.
Qd1 Bxb2 30. Bxb2 Nxb2 31. Qc2 Rec8 32. Qb1 Qxf3 $19) 29... Nxf2 {and Black
can follow up with ...Re1 and/or ...Bd4 to end the game.} 0-1

[Event "42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Open"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2016.09.09"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shankland, Samuel L"]
[Black "Sethuraman, S P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D13"]
[WhiteElo "2679"]
[BlackElo "2640"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 10"]
[PlyCount "150"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 (4... Bf5 {is the other main choice
here to stay within the Slav Defense. It's largely a matter of taste which to
choose, although this variation offers White an easy route to exchange the Nf3
for the Bf5, if desired.}) 5. cxd5 cxd5 {after the exchange of pawns, Black
now has to worry about the e8-a4 diagonal. However, the trade-off for White is
reducing the central tension and opening the c-file, which Black usually can
find useful.} 6. Nc3 e6 {White scores a remarkable 68 percent after this move,
according to the database. It's remarkable because it doesn't seem warranted
with the solidity of Black's position.} 7. Qa4+ {taking advantage of the open
diagonal to harass Black.} Nbd7 (7... Nc6 $6 {lets White pile up the pressure
and has not been played in the database.} 8. Ne5 Rc8 9. Bb5 Qb6 {and now 10.
f3!? or 10. b3 look good for White, who can play comfortably on either the
kingside or queenside.}) 8. Ne5 {the difference here from the previous
variation is that while the knight on d7 is still pinned, it is amply defended.
} a6 {a prophylactic move to take away the b5 square from White's bishop (or
knight).} 9. f3 $5 {only played once before in the database (a White loss),
but Komodo has it near the top of its choices.} (9. Nxg4 {is a more standard
choice, with a knight for bishop exchange.} Nxg4 $11 {however, this takes the
pressure off Black.}) 9... Bf5 10. g4 {the (only) logical follow-up to White's
previous move. The kingside space advantage is real, but Black need not panic.
However, it requires careful assessment and calculation to select the (only)
reply that keeps the balance.} Bg6 $6 {this obvious move allows White to
benefit from his space advantage and keep pressing.} (10... b5 {counterattacks
immediately, to good effect:} 11. Qd1 {shifting the queen toward the kingside
action} Nxe5 {another counterattack} 12. dxe5 Nxg4 {definitely not an obvious
move} 13. fxg4 Qh4+ 14. Kd2 Bxg4 15. Qe1 Qg5 {and the engine assesses that
Black has full compensation in an equal position. It is certainly more fun to
play the Black side here.}) 11. h4 $16 b5 {still the best idea, but one move
too late to preserve Black's game. This is a common phenomenon found in
analyzing my own games, as well.} 12. Qd1 b4 {Black must keep up his
counterplay on the queenside, as White is much better equipped to play on the
kingside.} 13. h5 {Shankland correctly presses his own plan and ignores
Black's threat.} Bxh5 {with nowhere else to go, the bishop's best move is to
kamikaze while the Nc3 remains under threat.} (13... bxc3 14. hxg6 Nxe5 15.
dxe5 Nd7 16. gxh7 $16) 14. Nxd7 {this looks like the easier way for White to
proceed, eliminating the idea of ...Nxe5. The engine instead suggests moving
the Nc3 out of harm's way first, for example:} (14. Ne2 {preparing for a
kingside transfer} Bg6 {now Black seems to have gotten away with taking the
h-pawn, but...} 15. Nxg6 fxg6 {forced, due to the pin on the Rh8} 16. Nf4 Kf7 {
to protect the g6 pawn, again because of the pin} 17. e4 $16 {and White has
more than enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn, with Black's king in an
awkward position.}) 14... Nxd7 15. Rxh5 {choosing to have the semi-open h-file
and an active rook.} (15. Nxd5 {would mirror the bishop's kamikaze efforts;
Black could then continue with the same tactical motif:} Bxg4 16. Nf4 g5 17.
fxg4 gxf4 18. Qf3 fxe3 19. Bxe3 $14 {and Black keeps the extra pawn, but White
has compensation with better development and (probably) king safety.}) 15...
bxc3 16. bxc3 Qc7 {targeting the backward c-pawn.} 17. Bd2 {although White has
the two bishops, this doesn't seem to be an advantage here, as their scope is
currently limited.} Bd6 18. Bd3 Nb6 {eyeing the c4 square.} 19. Ke2 {clearing
the first rank for White's heavy pieces and getting off the h4-e1 diagonal.} h6
{this turns out to be rather loosening of Black's kingside and to give White
an easy target, although technically speaking it is not a bad move. Other good
options:} (19... Rb8) (19... g6) 20. g5 {Black still has the problem of the
pin on the Rh8.} Kd7 {connecting the rooks and eliminating the pin problem.}
21. gxh6 gxh6 {Black's h-pawn is now passed, but also a middlegame target.} 22.
Rb1 Rag8 {it's always difficult to select from different plausible-looking
placements of a rook. Perhaps Black had the intent of provoking White's next
move.} (22... Rab8 $5) 23. Bxa6 $2 {Shankland must have not seen a way for
Black's resulting attack to bear fruit here.} (23. f4 {is preferred by the
engine, which would block the Black dark-square bishop and also better prepare
the capture on a6.}) 23... Rg2+ $19 24. Kd3 (24. Kf1 Rhg8 25. Rh1) 24... Ra8 {
switching to offense along the a-file.} 25. Bb5+ Kd8 26. Rxh6 Rxa2 {White
remains a pawn up but his king is in an awful position and Black's rooks on
the second rank are strongly placed.} 27. Rh8+ Ke7 28. Re8+ Kf6 {White is now
out of threats.} 29. Be1 Kg7 {stopping ideas like Bh4, but} (29... Bg3 $5 {
would get the Black bishop into the attack and remove a key White defender.
This looks like the simplest way to proceed.}) 30. f4 {blocking out the Black
bishop.} f5 (30... Nc4 $5 {would (again) bring another piece into the attack,
with strong threats.}) 31. Qb3 {Black is still winning here, but has yet to
make a knockout move. White meanwhile is doing his best to contain Black's
threats and generate some of his own, making winning continuations less
obvious to find. The text move for example now makes the e6 pawn vulnerable.} (
31. Rxe6 $4 Qc4+ 32. Bxc4 dxc4#) 31... Qf7 {protecting the e-pawn, but now
removing the sacrificial tactic on c4.} (31... Rh2 {is a subtle continuation,
seizing the h-file and setting up the threat of ...Ra3 with a deflection
tactic, for example:} 32. Rxe6 Ra3 {and now} 33. Qxa3 $4 {runs into the same
mating sacrifice on c4 as in the above variation.}) (31... Bxf4 {is a
not-so-subtle way to proceed and win, shattering the pawns around White's king:
} 32. exf4 Qxf4 33. Re7+ Kf6 $19 {with a mate in eight, according to Komodo.})
32. Qd1 Nc4 33. Rd8 $1 {according to the ChessBase article, Sethuraman only
had about two minutes left on his clock at this point, with many complications
to resolve.} Be7 $6 {the obvious move, which however gives White a lot of
breathing room.} (33... Nxe3 {is flagged by the engine as best, again with the
idea of shattering White's protective pawns, although it is hardly easy to
calculate.} 34. Kxe3 Bxf4+ 35. Kxf4 Rg4+ 36. Ke5 (36. Kf3 $2 Qh5 {with a
mating net}) 36... Qf6+ 37. Kd6 Qxd8+ {winning}) 34. Rd7 $17 Rab2 {this gives
White the ability to get back to equality, with the following move.} (34...
Nb2+ {is probably the simplest line, forcing the win of an exchange.} 35. Rxb2
Raxb2 {but Black may have been put off by the following line:} 36. Bh4 Bxh4 37.
Rxf7+ Kxf7 $19 {with a large advantage, but not so easy to evaluate. For
example after} 38. Qh5+ Kg7 {wins handily, as the Bh4 cannot be captured due
to the mate on d2. Calculating all this in time trouble would be difficult if
not impossible, though.}) 35. Bxc4 dxc4+ 36. Kxc4 Qe8 (36... e5+ $5) 37. Rxb2
Rxb2 38. Qa1 Rb8 {again, what looks like an obvious harmless move turns out to
be bad for Black.} (38... Re2 39. Kd3 Rxe3+ 40. Kxe3 Qxd7 $11) 39. Qa7 $18 {
now Black is the one under major pressure.} Kf8 40. Kd3 {now White's king is
no longer exposed to Black counter-threats.} Ra8 41. Qb7 Rb8 42. Qh1 {playing
it safe by preventing ...Qh5 and trading off material, leading into an endgame.
} (42. Qc6 $5 Qh5 43. Bd2 $18) 42... Qxd7 43. Qh8+ Kf7 44. Qxb8 $16 {queen and
minor piece endgames are complicated and difficult, but Shankland manages to
convert his two-pawn advantage at his leisure. His opponent could not have
been in a positive frame of mind for a long, grinding defense. White keeps
threatening to exchange queens while removing his king from annoying checks.}
Qc6 45. Qb2 Qe4+ 46. Kd2 Qg2+ 47. Kc1 Qf1 48. Kd1 Qd3+ 49. Qd2 Qc4 50. Qe2 Qa4+
51. Qc2 Qc4 52. Kd2 Qf1 53. Qd3 Qh1 54. Qe2 Qe4 55. Qh2 Qb7 56. Ke2 Qb2+ 57.
Bd2 Qb5+ 58. Kf2 Kg6 59. Qg2+ Kf7 60. Qf3 Bh4+ 61. Kg2 Qd3 62. Qh5+ Kf8 63. Qd1
Kg7 64. Qg1 {an interesting tactical trade of material.} Qxd2+ 65. Kh3+ Kf8 $2
(65... Bg5 {is found by the engine. It is very counter-intuitive, but having
the bishop choose to sacrifice itself on g5 appears to make it impossible for
White to make progress after Black regains one of the pawns. For example} 66.
Qxg5+ Kf7 67. Qh5+ Kg7 {White has no checks now and must lose either the e- or
c-pawn.}) 66. Kxh4 $18 Qxc3 {in contrast with the above variation, White now
can penetrate the kingside and threaten Black's king.} 67. Kh5 Qc6 68. Kh6 Qf3
69. Qg7+ Ke8 70. Qe5 Kd7 71. Kg7 Qg4+ 72. Kf8 Qh4 73. Qg7+ {starting the final
sequence.} Kd6 74. Ke8 Qh5+ 75. Qf7 {calculating the won K+P endgame for White.
} Kd5 {Black hangs the queen and resigns, although he was lost anyway.} (75...
Qxf7+ 76. Kxf7 Kd5 (76... Kd7 77. d5 {an instructive temporary pawn sacrifice
in the ending, undermining the f-pawn and allowing the win.} exd5 78. Kf6 {
and wins.}) 77. Ke7 {and the e-pawn is doomed.}) 1-0

[Event "42nd Olympiad Baku 2016 Open"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2016.09.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Adhiban, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A07"]
[WhiteElo "2808"]
[BlackElo "2671"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin / Komodo 10"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 {it's been noted by commentators that Kramnik in
2016 often largely avoided theoretical duels in the opening, in favor of
simple flank opening development early on. This parallels Carlsen's similar
practice of often "just playing chess", a strategy that succeeds when your
overall level of understanding and effort is better than your opponent's.} Bf5
4. O-O c6 {Black is using a Slav-type structure, which is solid if unambitious.
} 5. d3 e6 6. Nh4 {a standard maneuver against a Slav bishop developed to f5.}
Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Qe1 {removing the queen from the line of the pin and
supporting the idea of an e-pawn advance.} Be7 9. f4 Nfd7 {pressuring the Nh4,
among other things so that it cannot support f4-f5.} 10. Nf3 {White's last two
moves have now given him a mainline Leningrad Dutch (!) structure in reverse.
Kramnik knows these structures well.} f5 {presumably aimed at deterring the
thematic Leningrad Dutch e-pawn advance, but...} 11. e4 {anyway!} Bxf3 {
an understandable decision to exchange minor pieces, as the bishop is
currently largely locked out of the game by its own pawns on the light squares.
} 12. Bxf3 {nevertheless, the exchange seems to leave White in a good position
on the kingside, with his own bishop now improved.} O-O 13. Nc3 {White at this
point has a clean structure with his pieces working relatively well together.
Black now has a Stonewall pawn structure, but his pieces are not as well
placed or developed.} fxe4 14. dxe4 d4 {this seems overly ambitious. Black
completely gives up his solid central pawn wedge in a forward thrust for space.
It certianly inconveniences White temporarily, but in the longer term it
weakens Black's game.} 15. Nd1 e5 16. Nf2 {Kramnik has plenty of time to
usefully reposition the knight, as Black has to take additional time to shore
up his advanced d4 pawn and get his pieces out.} c5 17. Qe2 {putting the queen
on more useful diagonals and clearing the back rank to connect the rooks.} Nc6
18. Bg4 {a beautiful place for the bishop. Now the downside of Black's earlier
decisions - to exchange off his light-square bishop and advance the pawn wedge
- is highlighted.} Kh8 19. Be6 exf4 {done in order to inconvenience and
disrupt White's kingside.} 20. gxf4 {here Komodo assesses the position as
completely level, although it seems easier to play as White. Adhiban makes a
rather drastic decision to try to further disrupt White's structure, but this
time the weaknesses he leaves behind after the g-pawn advance become more
acute.} g5 $6 ({After something like} 20... Qc7 21. Nd3 {White has an equal
but pleasant game, with ideas like f4-f5, Kh1 followed by Rg1, etc.}) 21. Ng4 {
the knight hops to a strong square, with multiple benefits (blocking the
g-file, eyeing h6 and f6 as well as e5).} (21. f5 {also looks good here.})
21... gxf4 22. Bxf4 $16 {White's two bishops are looking really good now.} Qe8
{shifting diagonals with the idea of redeploying to g6.} 23. e5 $5 {this is a
key moment and White has multiple ways to proceed. Kramnik picks a world-class
and complex way, by offering the Ng4.} Bh4 (23... h5 {is the critical way to
oppose White's idea, by threatening the Ng4.} 24. Kh1 (24. Nh6 $2 {is one
option and something many Class players would first consider, since it looks
aggressive.} Qg6+ {is the big problem with it.} 25. Kh1 d3 (25... Qxe6 $2 26.
Qxh5 $1 {leads to mate and would justify White's aggressive play.}) 26. Qg2 (
26. cxd3 $2 Nd4 {and Black wins due to the hanging Be6.}) 26... Qxe6 27. Rg1
Rg8 28. Nxg8 Rxg8 $17) 24... d3 (24... hxg4 $2 {loses to} 25. Qxg4 {with a
completely open field in front of Black's king, versus White's queen, two
bishops and rook.}) 25. Qg2 Nd4 {a similar idea as in the above variation, but
now the queen is on g2, so White can play} 26. Bd5 $16 {with heavy kingside
pressure.}) 24. Bc4 {withdrawing the bishop after the discovered attack, but
its effectiveness is not lessened any, plus e5-e6 is now a possibility.
White's space advantage and mobility gives him a significant plus.} Qg6 25. Kh1
{avoiding the ...h5 threat, now that the Qg6 is present.} Bg5 {naturally Black
seeks to exchange off one of White's two bishops, but to no avail.} 26. Bh2 {
again, the bishop retreat shows no loss of effectiveness for the piece, plus
the f-file is uncovered.} Nb6 (26... Rxf1+ {would be an attempt to exchange
off material and reduce White's threats, but after} 27. Rxf1 Rf8 28. Rxf8+ Nxf8
29. e6 $1 $18 {the advanced passed e-pawn gives White the advantage.}) 27. Bd3
$18 {moving the bishop to an even better diagonal.} Qe6 28. Qe4 {sometimes the
obvious threats (in this case mate on h7) are still best.} Qd5 29. e6 $1 {
passed pawns must be pushed! White now would be fine with a queen exchange.}
Rae8 30. Rxf8+ {now reducing material favors White's positional advantages,
with the pawn sitting on e6.} Rxf8 31. Ne5 (31. Rg1 {is favored by the engines
as an enhanced version of the idea behind the text move.} Qxe4+ 32. Bxe4 Kg7
33. Ne5 $18) 31... Qxe4+ 32. Bxe4 Nd8 33. a4 {an interesting idea and not one
Class players would consider, given that it surrenders the e-pawn.} (33. Nd7 {
has been noted as a more direct route to victory.} Nxd7 34. exd7 Kg7 (34... Rf7
35. Be5+ Bf6 36. Bd5 $1 $18) 35. Rg1 Kh6 {and now White can win with either
Bd5, controlling key squares, or going for material with Bxh7. It is still
complicated, however.}) 33... Nxe6 34. a5 {the point of the idea, chasing the
knight away from defending the d7 square while the b-pawn is hanging and
cannot be protected.} Nc8 35. Nd7 {Kramnik by this point evidently saw a path
to a win and was comfortable following it, without necessarily seizing every
available opportunity.} (35. Bd5 $5 Nf4 36. Nf7+ Kg7 37. Nxg5 Nxd5 38. Ne6+ Kf7
39. Nxf8 $16) 35... Re8 $2 {not the best defense. It looks obvious, lining up
against the hanging Be4, but White now uses the available tempo-gaining check
to dominate Black's side of the board.} (35... Rd8 36. Bxb7 (36. Be5+ {as in
the game continuation is also a strong idea.}) 36... Ne7 37. Ne5 $16 {with the
two bishops so powerful and Black's weaker pawn structure, Kramnik must have
felt he could bring the point home with best defense here.}) 36. Be5+ Ng7 (
36... Kg8 37. Bd5 b6 38. Rf1 $18 {and Black loses material.}) 37. Rg1 (37. Rf1
$5) 37... Bh6 38. Bxb7 $18 {at this point White has achieved total dominance
and can leisurely go about winning. Black has too many weaknesses, for example
at h7 and c5, while White's three advanced minor pieces combine very
effectively against them and the rook.} Ne7 39. Nf6 Rf8 40. Be4 Ng8 41. Nxh7
Re8 42. Ng5 {tactically defending the Be5 with the threatened fork (and mate)
on f7.} Re7 43. Bd3 Bxg5 44. Rxg5 {threatening mate on h5 now, given the
pinned Ng7.} Nh6 45. Bxg7+ {a simple, clean finish.} Rxg7 46. Rh5 1-0

[Event "10th Tal Mem 2016"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2016.10.02"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Giri, Anish"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A20"]
[WhiteElo "2795"]
[BlackElo "2755"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 10"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 {this very early fianchetto is a popular way to play the English
} Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 {the most challenging, immediately looking to establish a
central presence.} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 {now it looks like a reversed
Sicilian, doesn't it? In fact that is how ECO classifies it.} 6. O-O Nb6 7. d3
{with Black controlling d4, White must opt for a more restrained game, looking
to control the center with pieces, which is the point of the original setup.}
Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Nbd2 {this move eyes both e4 and c4, but neglects d5. It
does leave the c-file half-open for White's rook, though.} (9. Nc3 {would be a
fine (and more natural) alternative development for the knight, focusing more
on the key d5 square.}) 9... Be6 (9... Nd5 $5 {would be the way to immediately
take advantage of the knight development; the engine considers the resulting
position completely equal after 10. Rc1 and the exchange on e3. The only other
game in the database continued} 10. Nc4 Nxe3 11. Nxe3 Re8 12. Rc1 Bf8 13. Rxc6
bxc6 14. Qc2 Rb8 15. b3 Bd7 16. Nd2 Rb6 17. Ne4 a5 18. Nc4 Ra6 19. Nb2 Be6 20.
Nc5 Bxc5 21. Qxc5 Bd5 22. Rc1 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Qd5+ 24. Qxd5 cxd5 25. Rxc7 Raa8
26. Na4 Rec8 27. Re7 Re8 28. Rd7 Red8 29. Re7 f6 30. e3 Rac8 31. d4 exd4 32.
exd4 Re8 33. Ra7 Rc2 34. Nc5 Ree2 35. Ra8+ Kf7 36. Ra7+ Kg6 37. Nd3 Kh6 38. Kf3
Red2 39. Ke3 Re2+ 40. Kf3 Rxa2 41. Rd7 g5 42. Rxd5 Kg6 43. g4 Red2 44. Ke3 Re2+
45. Kf3 Red2 46. Ke3 h5 47. h3 h4 48. Rd6 Rd1 49. Ne5+ Kg7 50. Rd7+ Kg8 51.
Rd8+ Kg7 52. Rd7+ Kg8 53. Rd8+ Kg7 54. Rd7+ Kg8 55. Rd8+ Kg7 56. Rd7+ Kg8 57.
Rd8+ Kh7 58. Rd7+ Kg8 59. Rd8+ Kg7 60. Rd7+ Kg8 61. Rd8+ Kg7 {1/2-1/2 (61)
Artemiev,V (2663)-Matlakov,M (2691) Sochi 2016}) 10. Rc1 Qd7 {telegraphing
Black's intent to exchange the g2 bishop.} 11. a3 {sort of a waiting move, but
also done to take away the b4 square from Black (usually to prevent ...Nb4 as
a reaction to Qc2).} Bh3 12. Bxh3 {masters can play this move with ease in the
English, even though it looks anti-positional. If Black could follow it up by
bringing additional pieces into a kingside attack, then it would be bad, but
often the exchange on h3 simply means that Black's queen is offsides for a
while.} (12. b4 {is not a bad other option, but in this position White doesn't
have much more to gain beyond this move on the queenside, so taking the time
to first get Black's queen out of position is worth it.}) 12... Qxh3 13. b4 $14
Bd6 {this is done to protect e5 and subsequently maneuver the Nc6, but it
seems somewhat contrived, as if Black has nothing better to do. Bringing the
queen back on side with ...Qe6 or ...Qd7 would seem more productive.} 14. Qb3 {
the natural spot for the queen, which no longer faces opposition from a bishop
on the light squares and has a beautiful diagonal now; this is another reason
why Aronian was happy to exchange off the bishops.} Ne7 15. d4 {Aronian judges
the time is right to release some of the pent-up energy of his minor pieces
clustered in the center and challenge/eliminate Black's presence there.} exd4 {
essentially forced, as it would be more awkward for Black to try to defend
with something like ...Nc6.} 16. Bxd4 {now the bishop has an excellent
diagonal as well and cannot be easily opposed by its Black counterpart.} Nc6 {
Black moves to trade off the centralized bishop.} 17. Ne4 {White has to be
careful to maintain momentum here. Piece activity is more important than
avoiding the bishop for knight swap.} (17. Bb2 {for example would allow Black
to get some counter-pressure with} Rfe8) 17... Nxd4 18. Nxd4 {White's pair of
knights are doing well by being centralized, while Black's minor pieces are
comparatively restricted.} Qd7 $6 {Here Giri seeimgly invites the following
sequence, by enabling the potential tactics down the d-file.} (18... Be5 $5 {
immediately is playable.}) 19. Rfd1 $16 {now both of White's rooks are in the
game, while Black's are still at home. The game illustrates the latent power
of rooks when they are opposing queens (or kings) down a file, even with
multiple pieces in the way.} Be5 20. Nc6 Qe8 21. Na5 (21. Nxe5 {is an
alternate way to play that may be a more obvious one for most (at least Class)
players.} Qxe5 22. Nc5 {and now Black's b- and c-pawns are under potential
threat, while Black can gobble the e-pawn. For example} Qxe2 23. Nxb7 Qe7 24.
Qc3 $16) 21... Rb8 22. Nc5 Qc8 23. Qf3 {White builds up single-mindedly
against the b7 pawn while tying Black's pieces to its defense.} c6 24. b5 $1 {
a brilliant idea to increase the pressure on the queenside, involving an
exchange sacrifice, and probably why Aronian chose the approach with 21. Na5
in the first place. (And why for the rest of us 21. Nxe5 would probably be the
easier way to go.)} Bb2 (24... cxb5 $2 25. Nd7 $18 {and Black has no good
options.}) 25. bxc6 {the sharpest and most effective continuation.} ({Avoiding
the exchange sacrifice with} 25. Rc2 {is less good, as after} cxb5 {White has
to contend with the pin on the Nc5.}) 25... Bxc1 26. Rxc1 Qc7 (26... bxc6 {
is shown by the engine as the least bad option, but then} 27. Nxc6 {forks the
Rb8 and the undefended e7 square (which would fork the Black king and queen),
so in this variation White can regain the exchange and then be a clear pawn up.
Giri evidently didn't like this, so went for the more complicated game
continuation.}) 27. cxb7 $18 {although the engine shows a big advantage for
White, the winning continuation is tricky to find.} Na4 {trying to exploit the
pin on the Nc5, however} 28. Ncb3 {holds everything together.} Qe7 29. Nd4 {
Although Qf4 could be played immediately to good effect, White is still
handily winning with this move, which threatens a fork on c6.} Qg5 {targeting
the Rc1 and Na5, but now White has a brilliant finish.} 30. Qf4 {this works on
multiple levels, as after an exchange on f4 Black would have no defense
against Ndc6 and subsequent material losses. In the game continuation, Aronian
exploits Giri's back-rank problems.} Qxa5 31. Qxb8 $1 Rxb8 32. Rc8+ Qd8 {
at first this looks like it holds Black together, but after} 33. Rxd8+ Rxd8 34.
Nc6 $1 {the knight and b-pawn threats prove decisive after all.} (34. Nc6 Re8 (
34... Rd1+ 35. Kg2 Rb1 36. Nb4 {and the b-pawn queens.}) (34... Rb8 35. Nxb8
Nc5 36. Nc6 Nxb7 37. Nxa7 {and Black will not be able to stop both the a-pawn
and White's 4v3 kingside majority.}) 35. Ne7+ Kf8 36. Nc8 $1 {and the b-pawn
queens, with a blocking motif along the 8th rank similar to the above
variation's one along the b-file.}) 1-0

[Event "8th London Classic 2016"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2016.12.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Nakamura, Hi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2760"]
[BlackElo "2779"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 10"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 {the standard reaction after
Nf3 in this version of the Advance variation. The ability to pin the Nf3 is
one of the benefits of playing 3...c5 rather than ...Bf5.} 6. c3 {this deters .
..Qa5 and prepares the b-pawn advance.} (6. Bb5 {is the main move here.}) 6...
e6 7. b4 a6 {preventing ...Bb5, but slowing development.} (7... Nge7 $5) 8.
Nbd2 Nxe5 {this is an earlier and an easier recovery of the pawn than is
normal for Black in the variation. White in this line has chosen to emphasize
queenside play instead.} 9. Qa4+ Nd7 {now out of the database. This move
choice preserves the queens on the board and indicates that Nakamura wants a
middlegame fight.} (9... Qd7 {had been tried twice before in the database,
both times resulting in a loss. Most recently:} 10. Qxd7+ Nxd7 11. Bb2 Bxf3 12.
Nxf3 Be7 13. Be2 Bf6 14. O-O Ne7 15. Rab1 O-O 16. c4 a5 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. a3
axb4 19. axb4 Ra2 20. Rfe1 Ne5 21. cxd5 Nxf3+ 22. Bxf3 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 exd5 24.
Re7 Rb8 25. g3 Rd2 26. Rd7 Rd4 27. Rd6 Rc8 28. Rxf6 Rc6 29. Rd6 Rd2 30. Kg2 Kf8
31. Kf3 Rd4 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. Rb2 Rf6+ 34. Kg2 b6 35. cxb6 Rxb6 36. b5 Rd1 37.
Kf3 Kf6 38. Ke2 Rd4 39. Rb3 Ke7 40. Ra8 Re4+ 41. Kf3 Ree6 42. Ra7+ Kf6 43. Kg2
Kg6 44. Ra4 h6 45. Rd4 Red6 46. Kf3 Kf6 47. Ke3 Rd8 48. Rf4+ Ke5 49. Rxf7 d4+
50. Kd3 Rd5 51. Re7+ Kf5 52. Re4 Rdxb5 53. Rxb5+ Rxb5 54. Rxd4 {1-0 (54)
Nevednichy,V (2554)-Zelcic,R (2548) Tromsoe 2014}) 10. Ne5 Ngf6 {Nakamura is
not concerned about the knight for bishop trade on g4 and continues with
development.} 11. c4 $6 {while active-looking, the main problem with this move
is that it leaves White's queenside pawns overextended, which Nakamura takes
advantage of with his next move. Presumably Topalov was looking to exchange on
d5 at some point and get rid of his doubled pawns.} (11. Nxg4 {is a more
obvious follow-up, obtaining the two bishops, although it doesn't offer much
for White beyond equality. Topalov is obviously trying for more, which
requires the knight to stay on e5.} Nxg4 12. Be2 Qh4 $5 (12... Nge5 $11) 13.
Bxg4 Qxg4 $11) 11... a5 {now White cannot take on a5 or advance the b-pawn
without losing the c5 pawn.} 12. Nb3 (12. cxd5 axb4 13. Qb5 Bxc5 $15) 12...
axb4 {this capture is made even more annoying for White because the Queen is
tied to the pin of the Nd7, which otherwise could take the hanging Ne5, so
recapturing on b4 is not possible.} 13. Qb5 {the only move.} Be7 14. c6 {
this looks a bit scary at first, but Black emerges unscathed from the sequence
rather better.} (14. cxd5 {doesn't seem to work any better for White, as after}
O-O 15. Nxg4 (15. d6 Nxe5 $17) 15... Nxg4 {White either must accept the loss
of the c5-pawn or allow Black to go into a dangerous-looking sequence with} 16.
h3 Nxf2 (16... Nge5 {is the safe alternative}) 17. Kxf2 Bf6 18. Rb1 Rxa2+)
14... bxc6 $15 15. Nxc6 Qc7 {and the b-pawn is tactically protected. White
does not have sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn and has no good
choices at this point.} (15... Qb6 $6 {looks tempting, directly protecting the
b-pawn, but is worse for Black after} 16. Be3 Qxb5 17. cxb5 $14 {and now the
advanced b-pawn White has acquired is a strength rather than a liability.}) 16.
f3 (16. Nxb4 $2 Rb8 {winning material.}) 16... Bf5 {so the bishop ends up on
f5 after all, and is nicely placed there.} 17. Nxe7 Rb8 {a key intermediate
move, preserving the b-pawn.} 18. Nxf5 $2 {now Topalov goes "all in" with the
material sacrifice, which has some shock value but favors Black.} (18. Qa5 {
this more solid alternative must have looked unappetizing to Topalov after}
Qe5+ 19. Kf2 Kxe7 $15) 18... Rxb5 19. Nxg7+ Ke7 $17 {Black does not have to be
in a rush to trap the knight with ...Kf8.} 20. cxb5 Nc5 {this allows time for
White to seize the long diagonal.} (20... Qe5+ $1 21. Be2 Nc5 22. Rb1 Nd3+ 23.
Kf1 Nxc1 24. Rxc1 Nd7 $17) 21. Bb2 Nxb3 22. axb3 $11 Qf4 23. Be2 {although
White must be desperate to activate his pieces, this gives Black time to do
the same, getting his rook into play very effectively.} (23. Ra7+ $5 Nd7 24.
Nf5+ {now the bishop's presence on b2 is a saving grace for White.} exf5 25.
Rxd7+ Kxd7 26. Bxh8 $11) 23... Rc8 24. Rd1 Qg5 {this looks quite threatening
to both the Ng7 and g2 pawn, but moving the rook to c2 immediately appears
stronger. The Ng7 is dead anyway and the Rc2 creates new threats.} 25. b6 $6 (
25. O-O Qxg7 26. Bd4 {and Black may have a slight edge, but no immediate
threats.}) 25... Rc2 26. Bxf6+ Qxf6 27. Nh5 {a nice try at extracting the
knight, but now the Black queen and rook combine well in making new, decisive
threats.} (27. b7 Qc3+ 28. Kf1 Qc7 {and the b-pawn is indefensible.}) 27...
Qc3+ 28. Kf1 Qe3 $19 {now the power of the queen is demonstrated. Black will
pick up both of White's defenseless queenside pawns, while the rook on the
second rank helps paralyze White's pieces. Note how poorly they coordinate and
the fact that the Rh1 is completely out of play, with the Nh5 not much better.}
29. Re1 Qxb6 {an easy path to victory, as White is essentially helpless.} (
29... d4 $5 {is the engine's preference, ramming through the passed pawn and
picking up the Be2. For example} 30. b7 d3 31. Ng3 dxe2+ 32. Nxe2 Qb6 $19) 30.
Nf4 Qe3 31. g3 Qxb3 {Topalov now tries to put up a fight and activate his
pieces, but it's too late. Just seeing the passed d- and b-pawns makes it
rather obvious.} 32. Kg2 Kf8 33. Kh3 Qb2 34. Rb1 Qf6 35. Rhe1 (35. Rxb4 Qh6+
36. Kg2 e5 $19 {and White loses a piece.}) 35... e5 {again, Nakamura chooses a
straightforward winning path.} (35... Qf5+ {would allow Black to play a
tactical trick using the h7-b1 diagonal.} 36. Kg2 e5 37. Nxd5 Rxe2+ 38. Rxe2
Qxb1 $19) 36. Nxd5 Qe6+ 37. Kg2 Qxd5 38. Rxb4 Qd2 39. Rb8+ {getting out of the
queen fork} Kg7 40. Kf1 Qh6 41. Kg2 (41. Rb4 $5) 41... e4 {the correct break,
opening White's position further.} 42. Rb3 Qe6 {White's king remains the more
vulnerable one, due to Black's mobility and Q+R combination.} 43. Re3 exf3+ 44.
Kxf3 Qh3 45. Rd1 (45. Rh1 $2 Qf5+ 46. Kg2 Qd5+ 47. Kg1 Rc1+ 48. Bf1 Rxf1+ 49.
Kxf1 Qxh1+) 45... Qh5+ {a strong intermediate check that heightens the impact
of the capture on h2, with tempo.} 46. Kf2 (46. g4 $2 {is no help} Qh3+) 46...
Qxh2+ 47. Kf3 Rc6 {a strong redeployment of the rook. Black again has time to
spare, with a lack of any White counterplay.} 48. Rd4 Rg6 49. g4 Rf6+ 50. Ke4
Qh1+ 51. Kd3 Qb1+ {note how White's two rooks actually hinder rather than help
him, in the face of the queen's mobility.} 52. Kd2 Qb2+ 53. Kd3 Rc6 {and White
loses material.} 0-1

[Event "81st Tata Steel Masters 2019"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2019.01.12"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Van Foreest, Jorden"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B13"]
[WhiteElo "2612"]
[BlackElo "2773"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 11.2"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 {the Exchange Variation has been making
a comeback at high levels.} Nf6 (4... Nc6 {is the main line, forcing White to
play c3 in response.}) 5. c3 {White plays it anyway, which eventually leads to
a transposition back to the main line, at least for Black.} Qc7 {placing the
queen on c7 this early used to be a quirky sideline. It's now more mainstream,
I'm sure in large part due to its practical success. The main idea is
straightforward, to take over the b8-h2 diagonal and prevent White from
playing Bf4. As the queen wants to go here in most lines anyway, playing it
early and preventing White's bishop from seizing the diagonal makes a lot of
sense.} 6. h3 {this is seldom played. The evident idea is to take away the use
of the g4 square from Black, for either the knight or bishop.} g6 {a new move
in this position according to the database, but not a new idea in the Exchange
Variation. Black looks like he is fianchettoing his bishop, but in fact the
main idea is to play play ...Bf5 and then open the g-file.} 7. Nf3 Bf5 8. Ne5 {
White holds off on the bishop exchange and places his knight on the e5 outpost,
ready to take back on d3. This also potentially opens up f3 for his queen.} Nc6
{although this position isn't in the database, for Black it's a standard setup
in the Exchange Variation. In this game, White is further behind in
development than normal, with only two pieces out to Black's four.} 9. Bf4 {
now White has essentially caught up, as Black will have to move the queen
again either immediately or after an exchange on e5.} Qb6 (9... Nxe5 {it might
seem under general principles that exchanging off White's central knight is a
good proposition. However, leaving the a4-e8 diagonal open results in a small
plus for White. For example, this continuation leaves Black's king in the
center:} 10. Bxf5 Nd3+ 11. Bxd3 Qxf4 12. Bb5+ Nd7 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7 14. O-O $14) (
9... Bxd3 {engines like this move, but it betrays the original idea of the
variation.} 10. Nxd3 Qb6 11. O-O {and White has an easy game, while Black is
solid but without real prospects.}) 10. Bxf5 gxf5 {this is what Anand was
going for with the variation.} 11. Nd3 {this avoids a possible exchange on e5
and protects b2, but is still a backwards move of the same piece in the
opening. Moreover, exchanging on e5 or taking on b2 for Black does not look
dangerous.} (11. Nd2 Nxe5 (11... Qxb2 $6 {going pawn hunting will leave Black
dangerously behind in development.} 12. Rb1 Qxa2 13. O-O Qa6 14. Ra1 Qb5 15.
Qf3 $16 {with Rfb1 a threat.}) 12. dxe5 Nd7 13. O-O Rg8 14. Nb3 $14) 11... e6 {
the standard consolidating move for Black in this structure.} 12. Nd2 {getting
the final minor piece out.} Rg8 {by this point Black has achieved a dynamic
equality. He has some longer-term structural weaknesses (including the h7 pawn
and dark-square holes) but in return he has dynamic piece play and the
half-open g-file.} 13. O-O O-O-O {the only real place to put the Black king,
also developing the queenside rook.} 14. a4 {now that Black has committed with
his king, White grabs some space on the queenside. This is not dangerous for
Black, though, as a4-a5 is not yet possible.} Ne4 {improving this piece
considerably, as the most it was doing on f6 was guarding h5. With Black's
king tucked away on the queenside, though, that is not critical.} 15. Rc1 (15.
Qh5 Rg7 $11) (15. f3 Ng3 16. Rf2 Be7 $11) 15... Bd6 {a case where exchanging
minor pieces is clearly indicated for Black. White's dark-square bishop would
otherwise help dominate the dark squares, while the Black counterpart has
nowhere else as useful to go.} 16. Bxd6 Nxd6 17. b4 {this type of position is
important for Caro-Kann players to understand. White's pawn thrusts on the
queenside look scary, but Anand deals with them effectively.} Kb8 {taking the
king off the c-file and removing it from potential tactics involving the rook
opposite it. Also vacates the c8 square for another piece. This is a good
example of a move that "doesn't do anything" immediate but is valuable in the
long run, with White not having a concrete threat in the meantime.} 18. Qe2 (
18. a5 Qc7 19. Nc5 Ne4 $11) 18... Qc7 {proactively retreating the queen. It
was doing no good on b6 anyway, now it can move along the 7th rank and also is
well-positioned on the b8-h2 diagonal.} 19. Qe3 {White with this move
basically admits he has nothing on the queenside and tries to generate some
action in the center.} Ne7 {improving his weakest piece. On c6 the knight was
shut down by White's pawns.} 20. f3 $6 {perhaps attempting to be prophylactic
and shut Black's knight out of e4. However, now White has a more serious
dark-square weakness, absent his bishop, and it affects the space in front of
his king, with g3 and e3 now becoming more vulnerable.} (20. Kh1 {would step
away from the g-file and keep the balance.}) 20... Ng6 {Black's knight
immediately gets into play. The threat is now f5-f4, as we shall see.} 21. Ne5
$2 {White must have miscalculated the impact of Black's next move.} (21. Kh1 {
as in the previous note is more prudent, but Black still gets an edge.} f4 {
the pawn is tactically protected, due to a "removal of the guard" being
available if White takes with the knight.} 22. Qe1 (22. Nxf4 $2 Nf5 $1 {
chasing away the queen and the Nf4's only protection.}) 22... Nf5 23. Rf2 {
and White's pieces are awkwardly tied up.}) 21... f4 22. Qe1 Nf5 23. Nxg6 {
this just clears the way for Black on the g-file, but White appears to be
losing in all variations.} (23. Rf2 {would be analagous to the above variation,
but now White has a lot more problems. The Ne5 is vulnerable to ...f6, among
other things.} Ngh4 $1 {and White has no good response to Black's threats,
including piling up on the g-file and playing ...Ne3.} 24. Nf1 (24. c4 {
doesn't gain White anything after} Rc8 $19) (24. Ng4 h5 25. Nf6 Rg6 26. Qe5 Ne3
{and White loses material.}) 24... f6 25. Ng4 h5 26. Ngh2 Rg6 $19 {it's
looking grim for White on the g-file and Black also has the ...e5 pawn lever
coming.}) 23... Rxg6 24. Rf2 Rdg8 {simple and effective.} 25. c4 (25. Qe5 {
exchanging queens won't help White.} Qxe5 26. dxe5 Nh4 $19 {and the g-pawn
falls.}) 25... Ne3 {Black correctly ignores the attempt at counterplay on the
c-file.} 26. cxd5 Nxg2 {no need to wait for the capture, as White's queen is
now also en prise.} 27. Qe5 Qxe5 28. dxe5 Ne1+ {with the fork ...Nd3 to follow.
A strong finish to the game by Anand.} 0-1

[Event "81st Tata Steel Masters 2019"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2019.01.13"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Duda, Jan-Krzysztof"]
[Black "Van Foreest, Jorden"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B13"]
[WhiteElo "2738"]
[BlackElo "2612"]
[Annotator "ChessAdmin/Komodo 11.2"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 {an alternative try to the usual Bd3.
White accelerates his seizure of the h2-b8 diagonal and does not let Black's
queen get to c7.} Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 (5... Bf5 {is in alternative way to play,
anticipating the Bd3 development by White and looking to exchange off bishops
early. In the game, this happens much later and also results in a change of
Black's kingside pawn structure.}) 6. Nd2 {the second most popular move in the
database. White prepares to support Ngf3 after Black's next.} Bg4 7. Qb3 {
a normal reaction by White, once the bishop ceases protecting the b7 pawn.} Qc8
{this is less committal than the alternative ...Na5.} 8. Ngf3 e6 9. Bd3 (9. Ne5
$5 {is an interesting idea here, but simply retreating the bishop to f5 seems
to take any sting out of it.} Bf5 $11) 9... Bh5 {a relatively rare option,
with ...Be7 being standard. The idea here is to retreat to g6 and exchange off
the Bd3, which otherwise is well-positioned to target Black's kingside.} 10.
O-O Bg6 11. Bxg6 {Komodo, in contrast to some other engines, assesses that it
is better for White to not exchange on g6. For White, often the idea behind
this exchange is to create a target for an h-pawn thrust, which is what in
fact occurs later on.} hxg6 12. Rae1 {committing to a central/kingside
strategy.} Be7 $11 {Taking stock of the position, Black has full equality. The
light-squared bishop exchange has left Black solid on the kingside and White
has no obvious advantage, although he can try for play on the h-file, as in
the game. Duda's next move is a novelty in the database and was likely an
attempt to introduce some uncertainty into the position, while again looking
for chances on the h-file.} 13. g3 $146 {as we will see later, the idea of
this move is to prepare the pawn thrust h2-h4.} (13. Ne5 {is a typical try by
White that scores well in the database (67 percent), but should not
objectively be a concern to Black. The database figures also seem to be skewed
by lower-rated games.} Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd7 {similar to the game continuation
looks fine for Black.}) 13... O-O {no reason to postpone castling.} 14. Ne5
Nxe5 {Black chooses to remove the well-placed central knight immediately.
Although not forced, this is an excellent defensive idea, as otherwise White
typically starts developing tactical ideas on the e-file to target the e6 pawn,
with a knight sacrifice a possibility later on g6 or f7.} 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. h4 {
White follows up on his earlier idea of g3. Should Black be worried? As the
defender in this type of position, the usual assessment is that after two
minor piece exchanges, Black should be all right, since the sacrificial
possibilities by White are limited. White will also need time to bring his
other pieces to bear on the kingside.} Nc5 {puts the knight on its best square,
kicking the queen and eyeing e4 and d3.} 17. Qc2 Qc6 {putting the queen on the
long diagonal and improving its mobility. Now White's lack of a light-squared
bishop to oppose it is highlighted.} (17... b5 {is what the engines like in
this position, following up with ...Qb7 to put the queen on the long diagonal
and give black the option of a minority attack on the queenside.}) 18. Re3 {
this just ends up being awkward for White and wasting time. Presumably the
idea was to eventually transfer the rook along the third rank.} (18. Nf3 $5)
18... Qa6 {pressuring the a-pawn and also placing itself on another useful
diagonal.} 19. Qb1 {with this move, it's clear that White no longer has the
initiative and must start responding to Black's threats.} Rac8 20. Kg2 {
needed to clear the first rank for his rook to shift to h1.} b5 {now Van
Foreest plays the pawn advance, gaining space and with the eventual idea of a
minority attack along with the a-pawn.} 21. Bg5 Qb7 {although Black has been
moving his queen often, each time it has been with a purpose and has improved
his relative position. This time is no different, as the queen will still be
well-placed on e7 after the exchange of bishops, and the a-pawn is now free to
advance.} 22. Bxe7 Qxe7 23. Rh1 a5 24. Qd1 b4 {Black's counterplay on the
queenside balances White's play on the kingside.} 25. Qg4 (25. h5 {would
amount to the same thing after} bxc3) 25... bxc3 {active defense.} (25... Qb7
$5 {is another interesting way to defend.} 26. h5 d4+ 27. Rf3 bxc3 28. bxc3
dxc3 29. hxg6 fxg6 30. Qxg6 Rf5 $11 {and White has nothing better than a
perpetual.}) 26. bxc3 Rb8 {Black again correctly emphasizes counterplay,
threatening to go to b2 with his rook.} 27. h5 g5 {Van Foreest goes for the
option that is equal, but allows him to keep going in hopes of a win. The
correct decision, as it turns out.} (27... Rb2 28. hxg6 fxg6 29. Qxg6 Rxd2 30.
Qh7+ Kf7 {is a perpetual for White.}) 28. h6 g6 {this defensive idea should be
well known to Caro-Kann players, to prevent a breakthrough on the h-file.} 29.
Nf3 {targeting the weak g5 pawn, but} Ne4 {holds everything together for Black.
} 30. Re2 {covering the second rank against the threat of ...Rb2. However,
this leaves the c-pawn hanging.} Nxc3 31. Rc2 Ne4 32. Nd4 {although Black is a
pawn up, now White gets to have equivalent play for it, gaining the initiative
in compensation. The main threat here is the knight fork on c6.} Rbc8 33. Nc6
Qa3 {preserving the a-pawn.} 34. Rhc1 Kh7 {another important defensive idea
for Black, blockading the h-pawn to prevent a future sacrifice on h7. The
h-pawn is now a long-term liability for White, especially in an endgame, when
Black opening the h-file by capturing the pawn will no longer be of
consequence. Black does have to be careful to manage potential threats from
any occupation of the f6 square by White, however.} 35. Qe2 {now Black has to
take care of his Ne4, which is out of squares after a White pawn advances to
f3. Previously it could have gone to d2, with the tactical idea of Rxd2
followed by ...Qxc1. The Qe2 instead now covers the d2 square.} g4 {Black
gives back the material so his pieces regain freedom of movement.} 36. Qxg4 Rc7
37. Qf4 {this appears to be a try by White to maintain winning chances.} (37.
f3 {leads to lines where Black can win the a-pawn, but his queen is too
exposed to White's rooks for it to matter, so essentially White can get a
perpetual on the queen.} Nd2 38. Rc3 Qb2 (38... Qxa2 {doesn't gain Black
anything either} 39. R3c2 Qa3 40. Rc3 Nb3 $11) 39. R3c2 Qa3 $11 {with a
repetition of position to follow, whether Black takes the a2 pawn or not.})
37... Rfc8 $15 {obvious and good. Now White has to be careful about the Nc6,
which has only one viable square (d4), as well as his currently
under-protected rooks.} 38. g4 $6 {White likely underestimated the
consequences of Black's next move.} (38. Qg4 Qd3 $15) (38. Nd4 {bailing out
with the knight is likely the best (and most practical) option.} g5 {now has
much less sting, since the g4 square is available for the queen.} 39. Qg4 Rxc2
40. Rxc2 Rxc2 41. Nxc2 Qf8 $15) 38... g5 $1 39. Qh2 (39. Qf3 Qxf3+ 40. Kxf3 f6
41. exf6 Nxf6 {and the h-pawn will fall after} 42. Nd4 Rxc2 43. Rxc2 Rxc2 44.
Nxc2 e5 {first preventing the knight's return to d4} 45. Ne3 Kxh6 $17 {and
Black (at the GM level) should be able to convert the endgame with his extra
passed d-pawn.}) 39... Nd2 $19 {using the same tactical idea with the knight
move to d2 as before, but now threatening ... Qf3+. By this point, White is
essentially lost.} 40. Rc3 (40. Qg3 {is objectively better, but still leads to
a lost endgame, so White tries something else.} Qxg3+ 41. Kxg3 Kxh6 $19) 40...
Qa4 {the only winning move, threatening the g4 pawn. It's not too hard to find,
though.} 41. Qh5 {protecting the pawn, but now Black's queen dominates in the
center.} Qe4+ 42. Kh3 (42. f3 Qe2+ 43. Kg3 Nf1+ $19) 42... d4 {passed pawns
must be pushed! Now White's position collapses all over the board.} 43. Rg3 (
43. Qxg5 $2 Rg8 $19) 43... Qf4 {threatening the f2 pawn as well as ...Ne4 with
a double attack on the rooks.} 44. Rd1 Ne4 {an elegant finish.} (44... Rxc6 {
is straightforward, but perhaps required a bit more calculation. Or Black just
preferred winning with the text move.} 45. Rxd2 Rc3 (45... Qxd2 $2 46. Qxf7+ {
with a perpetual.}) 46. Rb2 Rxg3+ 47. fxg3 Qf1+ 48. Rg2 Rc2 $19) 45. Rxd4 Nxg3
46. fxg3 (46. Rxf4 Nxh5 {and Black is a full rook up, with the Nc6 next to
fall.}) 46... Qf1+ 47. Kh2 Rxc6 48. Qxg5 Rc2+ 49. Rd2 Rxd2+ 50. Qxd2 Rc1 0-1