FACED a junior (born 2009) who beat a 2104 in round one but lost to a 1338 in round three.
Andrea Stanković (1534) - Spanton (1831)
34th Belgrade Trophy International Round 8
QGD Tartakower
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Rc1 c5
So far we had both gained two minutes on the clock (the time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves, then a further 15 minutes, with a 30-second increment from the start). So at this point both clocks showed 92 minutes, but AS spent 38 minutes on her next move. John Nunn has a rule-of-thumb - I believe I read it in Secrets Of Practical Chess (I have the original 1998 edition) - that when players spend more than 20 minutes over a move, they often come up with a real stinker.
11.Qe2
But there is nothing wrong with this move, which has been played by Petrosian, Taimanov, Gligorić, Najdorf, Karpov and many other greats, and scores a better percentage in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database than the slightly more popular 11.cxd5.
11...Rc8 12.b3!?
This little-played move scores 64% in Mega20. Karpov preferred 12.Bg3 when he reached this position in a win over Geller in 1981.
12...Ne4 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe4!?
This seems to be a novelty, albeit in a position that is anyway fairly rare.
14...dxe4 15.Nd2 Nf6!?
Stockfish12 prefers 15...f5, but Komodo11.01 switches between that and the text.
16.Rfd1 Rfd8
Possibly the wrong rook. The c file is unlikely to open, so 16...Rcd8!? makes sense, leaving the king's rook to occupy the e file or even stay where it is.
17.Nf1 h5!?
Komodo11.01 comes to like this, but it finds less favour with Stockfish12 at first, although it comes to quite like it too. The idea is partly to create a support point for the f6 knight at g4, but also to be ready with ...h4 if the f1 knight comes out at g3. The engines' first choice is 17...Nd7, intending ...f5.
18.Qc2 h4 19.Rd2?!
The engines reckon White needs to play h3, either immediately or after dxc5.
19...Rd7?!
The engines reckon 19...h3 is strong, eg 20.Ng3 hxg2 21.Ncxe4 Nxe4 22.Nxe4 Qh4 23.Ng3 cxd4 etc, or 20.g3 Nh7 21.Nxe4 f5 22.Nc3 Ng5 with fantastic play for a pawn.
20.Rcd1 Rcd8
No longer so strong is 20...h3, eg 21.Ng3 hxg2 22.dxc5 Rxd2 23.Qxd2 Qxc5 24.Kxg2 with equal play, according to the engines.
21.dxc5 bxc5 22.h3 Bc6 23.Kh2!?
A strange-looking move, at least to me, but the engines are OK with it. I guess the idea is to protect h3 as AS is planning to push her g pawn. I was expecting something like 23.Rxd7 Rxd7 24.Rxd7 Qxd7 25.Nd2 Qb7 with equality.
23...Rd6 24.g3?!
Consistent, but almost certainly wrong. The engines give 24.Kg1!?, or mass exchanges on d6 followed by Kg1.
24...g5?!
Missing the chance for a strong attack. The engines give 24...Rxd2 25.Rxd2 Nd7! with ...Ne5 to come, and if 26.Nxe4 then 26...f5 27.Nc3 hxg3+, when Black has a big attack against the weakened white king, whichever way White captures on g3.
25.gxh4 gxh4 26.Rxd6 Rxd6 27.Nd2?!
The engines find it difficult to come up with a good move for White, but again reckon Kg1 is one of the better options, albeit with a slight edge for Black.
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| The position has become very sharp |
*****
*****
*****
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27...Qd7?
The engines' 27...Rd3! is strong as the e4 pawn is immune, eg 28.Ncxe4 Nxe4! 29.Qxd3 Nxf2, when ...Qc7+ is a massive threat. The engines also reckon 27...Kf8 gives Black an advantage.
28.Rg1+?!
This check is probably a mistake. Best may be 28.Qb2!? with what the engines reckon is roughly equal play.
28...Kf8 29.Ndxe4?
The engines reckon necessary is 29.Ndb1!? Qc7 30.Kh1 but much prefer Black after 30...Rd3.
29...Nxe4?!
Not 29...Bxe4? 30.Nxe4 Nxe4 31.Qxe4, when White is a pawn up and her queen is in no more danger than Black's, but 29...Rd3! is devastating because of White's weaknesses along the h2-b8 and h1-a8 diagonals.
30.Nxe4 Rd3!
The only move to keep the game going.
31.Qb2?
Correct is 31.Rg8+! Ke7 (31...Kxg8?? 32.Nf6+) and now the move I missed, 32.Re8+!, after which 32...Qxe8 33.Qxd3 Qb8+ 34.f4 Bxe4 35.Qxe4 Qb4 leaves White a pawn up but the position is dead-equal, according to the engines, as the White king is exposed to checks.
31...Qc7+
Not 31...Bxe4? 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qxh4+ and Qxe4.
32.f4 Bxe4 33.Qh8+ Ke7 34.Qxh4+ Kd7 35.Qf2 Qd6 36.Re1 Rd2 37.Re2 Rxe2 38.Qxe2 Qd3 39.Qxd3?!
This is objectively best, according to the engines, but it is tantamount to resigning.
39...Bxd3 (0-1, 70 moves).
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| Window, Hotel Slavija |
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