MICHIGAN CHESS ASSOCIATION
Analysis by Vasik Rajlich
Rajlich,V.-Schmaltz,R.(2475 FIDE) (New York
Open, Round 5)
King's Indian: Sämisch (Panno-Ruban) by transposition
[E84/11
(2nd ed.)]
1998.03.18. USA New York, NY [TC:40/120; G/60]
1.e4 d6 2.d4
Nf6 3.f3 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3
O-O 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nc6
8.Nge2
Rb8 9.h4 h5 10.O-O-O b5
11.Bh6
Back to play
My impression is that Black struggles horribly
in this variation. After the normal 11...e5 White seems to have three ways
to obtain a clear advantage:
A) 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.dxe5
dxe5 14.Qe3 Qe7 15.Nd5(+/-).
B) 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.d5
Na5 14.Ng3, when both 14...bxc4 15.Be2, intending Ng3-f1-e3; and 14...Nxc4
15.Bxc4 bxc4 16.Nf1, again intending Ne3, are(+/-).
Sonny and I played a large number of "5/15" games
in the 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.d5 Na5 14.Ng3 bxc4 and 14...Nxc4 variations a couple
of years ago, optimistic that Black could find an acceptable way to meet
such a slow manoever (Ng1-e2-g3-f1-e3), but my final conclusion was that
White stands better since Black's attack is restricted to pressure against
b2 which White can easily handle.
C) 12.Nd5 Bxh6 (12...bxc4
13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.d5 Nd4 [Gallagher recommends 14...Nb4 15.Nc3 Re8 but after
16.Bxc4 a5 17.g4 Black is suffering] 15.Nxd4 c3, as in Palsson-Rajlich,
Toronto '96, looks promising for black but my eventual conclusion from
that game was that black has insufficient compensation for his material
losses.) 13.Qxh6 bxc4 14.g4 and White has a tremendous attack.
While Black's position in this variation is a
little shaky, it does give opportunities for creativity and innovation:
11...bxc4!?/?!(+/-)
With this move, Black allows White an immediate
12. g4. In return, he intends to put his pawn on c4 to good use. My current
assessment is that 11...bxc4 enables white to gain a comfortable edge.
12.g4 e5
This seems better than:
A) 12...hxg4 13.h5
gxf3 (13...Nxh5 14.Rxh5 gxh5 15.Qg5 is Black's punishment for not playing
11...e5) and now Gallagher gives 14.Bxg7 fxe2 15.Qh6! exd1Q+ 16. Nxd1 Nh7
17.hxg6(+-).
B) 12...Nb4 13.Ng3
c5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.d5 Rh8 16.Bxc4 when Black tried 16...Bd7 17.a3 Qc7 etc.,
1-0, in Salov-Khalifman, USSR Ch. '87.
13.d5
Clearly inferior were:
A) 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Qe3,
when Black has improved on the 11...e5 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Qe3 line.
B) 13.Ng3 exd4 14.Nd5
d3 15.gxh5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Nb4(-+).
13...Nb4
The point of 11...bxc4, as Black's attack is far
stronger with the QN on this square than on a5.
14.Ng3 c6
White to play
This is the critical position for the evaluation
of 11...bxc4. White has:
A) 15.Nf5?(-+). Since
this is the game continuation, its consequences are considered below.
B) 15.Nxh5?(-/+)
15...Nxh5! (15...Bxh6? 16.Qxh6 [16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17. Qxh6 Qxf3(-+) 18.Bxc4
{18.dxc6 Be6 <18...Qxh1 19.Bxc4 Qf3 20.Qxg6+(=)> (-+)} 18...Qg2 19.Bb3
Nd3+(-+)] 16...gxh5 17.gxh5 cxd5 18.Rg1+ Bg4 19.Bh3(+-)) 16. gxh5 cxd5
17.exd5 (17.Bxg7 [17.Nxd5 Nxa2+ 18.Kb1 c3(-+)] 17...Kxg7 18.Nxd5 Nxa2 19.Kb1
c3 20.Nxc3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Be6(-/+); other moves allow 17...d4) 17...Bf5 and
the position of the black king is more solid than the position of the white
king.
C) 15.dxc6? Qa5 16.Bxc4
(16.a3 Nxc6 and Black's QN will be strong on d4.) 16...Be6! 17.Bxe6 fxe6
18.a3 (18.Kb1 Rxf3(-+)) 18...Nxc6 and again ...Nd4 will be strong.
D) 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Bxc4
cxd5 17.Bxd5 and White has an advantage in all variations:
D1) 17... Nfxd5 18.exd5
Rh8 19.a3(+-).
D2) 17...hxg4 18.h5
Nfxd5 (18...gxh5 19.Nxh5+ Nxh5 20.Qxh5 Rh8 21.Rdh1(+-); 18...Rh8 19.hxg6
fxg6 20.Rxh8 Qxh8 21.Rh1 Nh5 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Qg5+(+-)) 19.cxd5 Bf5 (19...g5
20.a3(+-)) 20.fxg4 Bxg4 21.hxg6(+-).
D3) 17...Rh8 18.gxh5
(18.a3 Nbxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Qxd5 hxg4 should be OK for Black.) Nxh5 19.
Nxh5 Rxh5 20. a3 Nxd5 21. Qxd5(+/-).
15. Nf5? (-+) 15...Bxf5 16.gxf5 cxd5 17.exd5
17.fxg6 d4 18.gxf7+ Rxf7 19.Bxc4 (19.Bxg7 Kxg7
20.Bxc4 dxc3 21.Qg5+ Kf8(-+)) 19...dxc3 (19...d5 20.Nxd5(+-)) would lead
to the following position:
White to play
When White would have no sufficient continuation:
A) 20.Bxf7+ Kxf7
21.Qg5 cxb2+ 22.Kb1 Bxh6 23.Qxh6 Qf8(-+)
B) 20.Qg2 (or 20.Qg5)
20...d5(-+)
C) 20.bxc3 Qc7(-+).
17...Qa5 18.a3 Nd3+?
18...Nfxd5 was crushing: 19.axb4 (19.Bxg7 Nxc3
20.Qh6 Nba2+ 21.Kc2 [21.Kd2 Ne4(-+)] 21...Qa4+ 22.Kd2 Qxd1+(-+); 19.Nxd5
Na2+ 20.Kb1 c3(-+)) 19...Qa1+ 20.Nb1 c3 21.bxc3 Nxc3 22.Qxc3 Bxh6+ 23.Kc2
Rfc8 24.Bc4 Qa4+ and Black is winning.
18...Nd3+, however, still leaves Black with a
winning position.
19.Bxd3 cxd3 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Qxd3 Rfc8 22.fxg6
No better were:
A) 22.Rd2 Nxd5 23.Qxd5
Rxc3+ 24.bxc3 Qxc3 25.Rc2 (25.Kd1 Rb1+(-+)) 25...Qa1+(-+).
B) 22.Rh2 Nxd5 23.Qxd5
Rxc3+ 24.bxc3 Qa3+ 25.Kc2 Qa2+(-+).
C) 22.Qc2 gxf5(-+).
22...Rb3
Unfortunate for black would have been 22...Nxd5
23.gxf7 Nxc3 (23...Rxc3+ 24.bxc3 Qxa3+ 25.Kd2(+-)) 24.Rhg1+ Kh8 25.f8Q+
Rxf8 26.Qg6(+-).
23.Kc2 Qa4 24.Kd2 Rxb2+ 25.Ke1 Qxa3 26.Rc1 Rxc3 0-1