Li Chao b's 2nd Round Game, Malaysian Open 2009

During the 2nd Round of the Open Section, 6th IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2009, the top seed, GM Li Chao b, China faced the WIM Zhang Xiaowen at the CitiTel, MidValley, Kuala Lumpur on the 23rd August 2009.

The French Defence was chosen by Black. By move 44, the top seed was a pawn up and in a good position for white. The following is an analysis of the game using Fritz 11.

(2) Li,Chao b - Zhang,Xiaowen [C10]
6th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan M'sian Open 2009, 23.08.2009

C10: French with 3 Nc3: Unusual Black 3rd moves and 3...dxe4 1.e2-e4 e7-e6 2.d2-d4 d7-d5 3.Nb1–c3 Bf8-e7 4.Ng1–f3 Ng8-f6 5.Bf1–d3 c7-c5 6.e4xd5 e6xd5 7.d4xc5 0–0 8.0–0 Nb8-d7 9.Nf3-d4

[9.Bd3-f5 Nd7xc5 10.Bf5xc8 Ra8xc8 11.Bc1–e3 Rf8-e8 12.Be3-d4 a7-a6 13.Rf1–e1 Nf6-e4 14.Nc3-e2 Nc5-e6 15.Bd4-e3 Ne4-d6 16.c2-c3 Nd6-c4 17.Be3-c1 Be7-f6 18.b2-b3 Nc4-d6 19.Qd1xd5 Nd6-b5 20.Qd5xd8 Re8xd8 21.Bc1–b2 Ne6-c5 22.a2-a4 Nb5-d6 23.Nf3-d4 Nc5-d3 Pikula,D (2513)-Stojanovic,M (2576)/Vrsac 2007/CBM 117 ext/0–1 (40); 9.Bc1–g5 Nd7xc5 10.Nf3-d4 Nc5-e6 11.Nd4xe6 f7xe6 12.Qd1–e2 a7-a6 13.Ra1–e1 Qd8-c7 14.f2-f4 Be7-d6 15.Kg1–h1 Bc8-d7 16.f4-f5 Ra8-e8 17.Qe2-f3 d5-d4 18.f5xe6 Bd7xe6 19.Bg5xf6 g7xf6 20.Re1xe6 Re8xe6 21.Qf3-g4+ Kg8-h8 22.Qg4xe6 d4xc3 23.b2xc3 Bd6-e5 Mitrovic,D (2321)-Raicevic,I (2303)/Nis 2008/CB39/½–½ (81)]

9...Nd7xc5 10.Nd4-f5N

[10.Rf1–e1 Bc8-g4 11.f2-f3 Nc5xd3 12.Qd1xd3 Bg4-h5 13.Bc1–g5 h7-h6 14.Bg5-h4 Bh5-g6 15.Qd3-d2 Rf8-e8 16.Ra1–d1 Qd8-a5 17.Re1xe7 Re8xe7 18.Bh4xf6 g7xf6 19.Qd2xh6 Qa5-c5 20.Kg1–f1 Ra8-e8 21.f3-f4 Qc5-c8 22.h2-h3 Re7-e3 23.Kf1–f2 Qc8-c5 24.Kf2-f1 Qc5-c4+ Furman,L-Taylor,T (2280)/Burbank 2004/CBM 102 ext/0–1 (37); 10.Rf1–e1!?² deserves consideration]

10...Bc8xf5= 11.Bd3xf5 The isolani on d5 becomes a target 11...g7-g6 Black threatens to win material: g6xf5 12.Bf5-d3 a7-a6 Covers b5 13.Qd1–f3 Ra8-c8 14.Bc1–h6 White threatens to win material: Bh6xf8 14...Rf8-e8 15.Ra1–d1 Qd8-b6 Black threatens to win material: Qb6xb2 16.Bh6-c1

[16.Nc3xd5 Nf6xd5 17.Qf3xd5³]

16...Re8-d8 [¹16...d5-d4!? 17.Nc3-e2 Nf6-d7µ]

17.Rf1–e1 White threatens to win material: Re1xe7 17...Be7-f8 18.Bd3-f1 The pressure on the isolated pawn grows 18...d5-d4 Black threatens to win material: d4xc3 19.Nc3-e2 White threatens to win material: Ne2xd4 19...Nc5-e4 White has a cramped position. White's piece can't move: f1 20.Ne2-f4 Rd8-e8 21.Bf1–d3 White threatens to win material: Bd3xe4. In the style of Nimzovich [21.Nf4-d5 Nf6xd5 22.Re1xe4 Re8xe4 23.Qf3xe4 Nd5-f6=]

21...Ne4-g5 Black threatens to win material: Ng5xf3 22.Qf3-g3 Re8xe1+ [¹22...Ng5-e4!? is an interesting idea 23.Qg3-f3 Ne4-c5=]

23.Rd1xe1± Qb6-a5 [23...Ng5-e6 24.Nf4xe6 Rc8-e8 25.Qg3-f3 Re8xe6 26.Re1xe6 Qb6xe6 27.Bc1–d2²] 24.Kg1–f1 White's piece can't move: c1 [24.Re1–e2 Rc8-e8 25.Bc1–d2 Qa5xa2 26.Re2xe8 Ng5-e4 27.Re8xf8+ Kg8xf8 28.Bd2-b4+ Kf8-g7+-] 24...Bf8-d6 [24...Bf8-b4 25.Re1–e2 h7-h6+-]

25.Qg3-h4± Ng5-e4 [25...Rc8-c5±] 26.Nf4xg6 [¹26.Bd3xe4 White would have gained the upper hand 26...Nf6xe4 27.Re1xe4 Qa5-b5+ 28.Nf4-e2+-] 26...h7xg6² 27.Bd3xe4 Nf6xe4 28.Qh4xe4 Bd6-b4 Black threatens to win material: Bb4xe1 29.Re1–d1 Qa5-b5+ 30.Kf1–g1 Rc8-e8 31.Qe4-d3 [31.Qe4xd4 Bb4-c5 32.Qd4-f6 Qb5-e2±]

31...Qb5xd3² 32.c2xd3 Re8-e2 [32...Kg8-g7 33.h2-h4²] 33.a2-a3± White threatens to win material: a3xb4 33...Bb4-a5 34.b2-b4 Ba5-c7 35.Bc1–d2 Bc7-d6 36.Kg1–f1 Re2-e8 37.Rd1–c1 Kg8-g7 38.Rc1–c4 Bd6-e5 39.f2-f4 Be5-f6 40.g2-g4 b7-b5 41.Rc4-c6 Re8-e6? [¹41...Re8-h8!? 42.g4-g5 Bf6-e7+-]

42.Rc6xe6+- f7xe6 43.Kf1–e2 e6-e5? [43...Kg7-f7+-] 44.g4-g5 [44.g4-g5 Bf6-d8 45.f4xe5+-] 1–0

Diagram 1. White played 44.g5 and Black Resigned.