SM Karthik Rangarajan (2591) - NM Frankie Newton (2255)
Wendy's (Charlotte)
Round 3
1.e4 e6 2.d4
d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
4.e5 Ne7 5.a3
Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6
7.h4 Black's plan is clear. To swap the
light squared bishops and play on the weakened light squares on the white's queen side and the c file.
How do I counter this? I saw Fuerstman vs Newton in the games archive, where Leland had quickly got his
rooks on a and b files. But black equalized with ease since there were no visible weaknesses in his pawn
structure. Since black is ready to spend two moves to exchange the light squared bishop and spend a few
more moves to get the knight out of a6 to a5 and c4, I realized that speed was the essence and hence
wanted to play on the king side, where the knight on a6 cannot participate and I can be effectively
a piece up until it comes back.
7...Ba6 8.Bxa6
Nxa6 9.h5 h6 But
for 9. ..h6, white plays h6 and weakens all dark squares on the black king side Here it is tempting
to play a move such as Qd3 developing the white queen and gaining a tempo. But it doesnt help since it
will aid black knight on a6 return to the scene soon with Nb8, c6 and a5. Also queen on d3 doesnt fit
into any concrete plan for white.
10.Qg4 Nf5 Also
possible was 10... Kf8 (i) On 10.. Kf8 I had planned 11. Nf3 c5 12. 0-0 (Blacks weaknesses are f7 and
g7. White intends to play Nh4, f4 and f5 and pounce on these weaknesses) A) 12. ..Rc8 13. Nh4 cd4
14. cd4 Rc2 15. f4 (planning f5) Nc7 16. a4 and Ba3, f5 gives white a strong attack B) 12. .. Qc7 13.
a4! cd4 14. cd4 Qc2 15. Ba3 with excellent compensation for the pawn. White has dangerous threats of
Rfc1, Qh4 etc
11.Nf3 White
plans Nh4, to undermine g7. Time is of essence. White should quickly get on with its pressure on the
king side before black stabilizes or castles long.
11...Qd7
12.Nh4 Nxh4 (i)
12. ..Rg8 13. Nf5 gf5 14. Qe2! (stopping 0-0-0) Nb8 15. a4 and Ba3, white gets a good position ii)12.
.. 0-0-0 13. Nf5 ef5 14. Qg7 Rhg8 15. Qh6 Rg2 16. Qf4 is similar to the game, but worser since f5
goes with a check when black queen moves in a lot of variations
13.Rxh4 Inferior
is 13. Qg7 After 13. .. Ng2+! 14. Qg2 Rdg8 and black is fine
13...
14.Qxg7
Rhg8 15.Qxh6 Rxg2 Now
its my turn to defend accurately in order to realize my advantage. I figured out that the march of my
h pawn will create a sense of urgency to black's attack.
16.Qf6 The
key to white's attack and defenses, f6 is the most suited place for the queen. White queen defends f2
and also overlooks h8 aiding the h pawn to roll,and also threatens taking d8 with check following by
h8=Q in a lot of future variations. White overall plan is to get its king to d2, Q on f6, play Bb2 if
necessary to defend the first rank and then roll the h pawn
16...Qa4 If
15. .. Rg1+ 16. Kd2 and black doesnt make any progress with its attack
17.Kd2
Qc4 (intending Qf1)
18.Bb2
Kb7 If 17. .. Qb5 18. Rb1 and black cannot
stop h6, h7 any more
19.h6 Black
is running out of time and has to come up with something real quick to stop the h pawn
19...Rh8
20.Rah1 Gettting the other rook into the
act
20...c5 Forced, black has
nothing better
21.h7 cxd4
22.Rxd4 My nerves crack under prolonged
pressure and as time trouble approaches Instead 21. cd4 should win on the spot, if A) 21. .. Rc8 22.
Rc1! and white repels all counter play B) 21. .. Qc8 22. Qf7+ Ka8 23. Rh6 and Rg6 wins for white
22...Qc8
23.c4 The bishop joins the party. Also
I knew that the knight was coming to e4 soon and therefore had to open up the center before that happened
23...Nc5 If
22. ..dc4 23. Qf3+ Qc6 24. Rd7+ Nc7 25. Qc6 Kc6 26. Rf7 wins
24.cxd5
exd5 25.Qf3 the
d pawn is more sacred than the f pawn. Denies black of the e4 square for the knight and exposes his king.
I can take the f pawn with a check too and then tak d5 but now I gain a tempo and its my turn to move
after I check on d5, which I can use it to my advantage.
25...Rg7
26.Qxd5+ Kb8 27.Qd6+
Ka8 28.Qd5+ Kb8
29.Qd6+ Ka8 Repeating
moves to complete 30 moves in the first time control
30.Qe7 exposes
d8 and forces Ne6
30...Ne6 31.Rd7 Risky
but turned out to the most effective. 30. Rd6 would have been safer. After 30. .. Rh7 31. Rh7 Rh7 32.
Qd7 white should win the end game with its extra pawn
31...f5 Also
possible were (i) 30. .. Rh7 31. Rh7 Rh7 32. Ra7+ Kb8 33. Qd7 and white forces the exchange of queens
and wins with its two extra pawns (ii) 30. .. f6 similar to the game with a few minor differences
32.Rxa7+
Kb8 33.Qxg7 Nxg7
34.Rxg7 Qc4 If
33. .. Qc6 34. Rh4! (i) 34...Rd8+ 35. Bd4 and wins 35. .. Rd4+ 36. Rd4 Qh6+ 37. f4 Qg7 38. Rd8+ and
h8=Q (ii) 34. ..Rc8 35. h8=Q Qc2+ 36. Ke3 a) 36. ..Qb3+ 37. Kf4 Qc4+ 38. Kg5 wins b) 36. .. f4+ 37.
Kf3! Qd3+ 38. Kg2 Qe4+/f3+ 39. Kh2 wins c) 36. ..Qc5+ 37. Kf3 Qd5+/Qc6+ 38. Kg3 and Kh2 wins d) 36. ..Qb2
37. Qb8+ Kb8 38. Rh8
35.Kc1 Qe4 If
35. ..Rc8 36. Kb1! Qc2/Rc2 37. Ka1 wins
36.Rhg1
Qf4+ 37.Kb1 Qxf2
38.Rc1 1-0 A key inference from the game
is that, white's attack and defence was possible only because of the off-sided knight on a6. Had the
knight been on any square other than a6, it would have wrecked havoc in white's camp. Annotated by Karthik
Rangarajan (Rg8 cannot be stopped)
1-0