MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION
Analysis by Sonny Kamberi
Ward,T.-Kamberi,S. (Michigan Invitational,
Round 2)
Italian [C54/07 (3rd ed.)]
1998.06.27. USA Ann Arbor, MI
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4
If you want to play one of the slow systems of
the Italian Opening with White, this is an excellent move order since it
avoids the Petroff Defense.
2...Nf6 3.Qe2
This is a bit unusual, the normal move here being
3.d3. Tom, however, probably wanted to retain the option of playing
d4 in one go in some variations.
3...Bc5
Quite acceptable, since the line 4.Bxf7+? Kxf7
5.Qc4+ d5 6.Qxc5 Nxe4 would obviously favor Black.
4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 d6 6.d3 Be6 7.Nbd2 a6
Now we've transposed into the Giuoco Pianissimo,
one of the quietest lines available to White in the Italian Opening.
With this system, White foregoes an immediate d4, building up his
forces with c3, d3, O-O, Nbd2, Re1, and Nf1, waiting for the most favorable
moment to play the move d3-d4. Black normally counters this
plan by playing ...Ne7 which clears the way for him to advance his
central pawns with ...c6 and ...d5. The knight on e7 normally then
finds a good home on g6 where it is prepared to jump into f4 if
need be. Because the breaks d4 and ...d5 form such an important part
of the plans of both players, it is advantageous for the players
to move the c4 and c5 bishops so that when the central breaks come
the bishops will not be attacked. With his last move, Black decides
to withdraw his bishop all the way to a7 where it will be very safe
from harrassement by any of White's pieces or pawns.
8.O-O O-O 9.Nb3 Ba7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Be3
After 11.Bh4, Black can safely reply 11...g5!
since 12.Nxg5? hxg5 13.Bxg5 Bxc4 14.dxc4 Qe7 15.Qf3 Kg7 16.Qg3 Qe6
allows Black to break the pin and defend successfully. Also, 15.Kh1
Qe6 16.f4 exf4 17.Rxf4 Nh7, and Black would achieve a winning position.
11...Ne7?!
Now Black's rook gets pushed to an inferior
square. Instead, I should have played 11...Bxe3 when White would
be forced to recapture with the queen because 12.fxe3? Bxc4 13.dxc4
Nxe4 wins for Black. Fortunately for me, this mistake isn't sufficient
to lose the game.
12.Bxa7 Rxa7 13.d4 Bxc4 14.Qxc4 Ng6 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Rad1
Qc8?
I thought that this move would allow me
to work up a nice attack against Tom's king, but the further course of
the game shows that White's command of the d-file is much more valuable
than any attacking chances Black may get. I should have played
16...Qe7
when it is much easier for me to coordinate my rooks to challenge the d-file,
for instance 17.Nc5 a5! followed by ...b6 and ...c5 and even the
miserable looking rook on a7 can swing over to the d-file by ...Ra7-d7.
The position would then take on a very drawish character.
17.Nc5 Re8 18.Rfe1 Ra8 19.Nd3 Nh5
I was still dreaming of an attack. Instead,
I should have tried to come up with some way to counteract White's
coming
pressure on the d-file, in which case I could have probably saved the game.
20.h3!
A nice move, effectively containing Black's
king side attacking plans by keeping the queen out of g4.
20...Nhf4 21.Nxf4 Nxf4 22.Rd2 Re6 23.Red1 Rg6
Unbelievably, I was still blissfully ignorant
of Tom's next move, just thinking that he was going to play 24.Rd8+?
which would turn out excellently for Black.
24.Rd7! Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Qe8 26.Rxc7 Kh8
26...Rd8 loses to 27.Rxd8 Qxd8 28.Rc8, while 26...b5
doesn't help because of 27.Qc6 with a great ending in prospect for
White.
27.Rdd7
27.Qxf7?? was a mistake because of 27...Qb5+,
but 27.Rxf7 was perfectly good, winning easily. Of course,
Tom's move in the game wins too.
27...f6 28.Qf7 Qxf7 29.Rxf7 Rd8 30.Rfd7 Rxd7 31.Rxd7
h5
32.h4 g5 33.hxg5 fxg5 34.Rf7 Rg4 35.Nxe5 Rh4 36.Rxf4 Rxf4 37.Ng6+ Kg7 38.Nxf4
gxf4 39.f3 Kf6 40.Kg2 Kg5 41.Kh3 1-0
Kamberi,S.-Rajlich,V. (Michigan Invitational,
Round 4)
Benoni: Modern (Four Pawns) [A69/10
(2nd ed.)]
1998.06.28. USA Ann Arbor, MI
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
To my knowledge, this is the first time that Vas
has played the Benoni in a tournament or
match game. Vas and
I have played about three dozen tournament and match games, in addition
to studying together a great deal, so I know his repertoire very
well. In such a situation, it is essential to play something
different from your normal practice to avoid a prepared variation.
3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3
The Four Pawns Attack can be used against either
the Benoni or the King's Indian, and I was familiar with this variation
because of my study of the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4
O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 from the King's Indian. Vas is
a considerable expert on the King's Indian, but he doesn't play
6...c5 against the Four Pawns, so I figured he wouldn't know this tricky
line very well.
8...O-O 9.Be2 Re8 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Ng4 12.Bg5 Qb6
13.O-O Qxb2?
This appears to lead to a very bad position for
Black by force. The correct move was 13...Nxe5 with enormous
complications in which Black can hold his own according to theory.
14.Nb5 Bxe5
14...Nxe5 was equally hopeless, allowing White
two ways to win. First, White could play 15.Nc7 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3
Bd4+ 17.Kh1 Qxa1 18.Qxa1 Bxa1 19.Rxa1 Bd7 20.Nxa8 Na6 21.d6, and wins.
Vas saw all this at the board! I certainly didn't, and was
simply going to play 15.Rb1 Nxf3+ 16.Bxf3 Qe5 17.Qd2, with what
I considered to be excellent compensation. In fact, with the White
threats of 18.Bf4 followed by 19.Nc7 and 18.Rbe1, I can't find any defense
for Black. Black's best defense seems to be 14...Na6 15.Rb1 Qxa2
16.Nd6 Rxe5 [16...Rf8 allows 17.e6! fxe6 18.Bc4 Rxf3!!? 19.Bxa2 Bd4+ 20.Qxd4!
Rxf1+ 21.Rxf1 cxd4 22.dxe6 and White is winning.] 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxc8
Rxc8 19.Rxb7. Normally, two pawns are sufficient compensation for
the loss of the exchange, but in this position White's passed d-pawn
and agressive pieces give him a huge advantage.
15.Rb1 Qxa2
After 15...Qxe2 16.Qxe2 Bxh2+ 17.Nxh2 Rxe2 18.Nxg4,
White is winning.
16.Nxe5 Rxe5 17.Nc3 Qxb1
Vas thought he would have enough material for
his queen after this move, but his lack of development will inevitably
mean that he will lose further material, leaving him in a hopeless position.
Still, 17...Qa5 18.Bxg4 Qxc3 19.Bxc8 would have allowed a White win.
18.Qxb1 Rxg5 19.h4
Winning a piece. The rest of the game
is
just a mop-up operation.
19...Re5 20.Bxg4 f5 21.Bf3 a6 22.Qb6 Nd7 23.Qd8+ Kf7
24.d6 Re8 25.Bd5+ Kf8 26.Qg5 Kg7 27.Rxf5 1-0