Fine Win By Nicholas In 2nd Game Malaysian Masters 2009

In the 2nd game of the Malaysian Masters Semi-final, FM Nicholas Chan played white and chose the Queen’s pawn opening against IM Lim Yee Weng. The game was held at the Dato’ Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Wilayah Kompleks, Kuala Lumpur at 3 pm, Friday, 27th November 2009.

The game transpired to a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. The details of the game is as follows:-

[Event "Malaysian Masters 2009"]
[Site "DATCC, Kuala Lumpur"]
[Date "2009.11.27"]
[Round "2"]
[White "FM Nicholas Chan"]
[Black "IM Lim Yee Weng"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D29"]
[Annotator "Fritz 11 (2m)"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2009.11.27"]
[EventRounds "2"]
[EventCountry "MAS"]

{D29: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical main line: 7 Qe2 with early ...Nbd7}
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 a6 6. O-O c5 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bb3

Picture 1. White played 8.Bb3 in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted.

8. …. Bb7 9. Rd1 Nbd7 10. a4 b4 11. a5 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Be7 13. Bc4 O-O 14. Bd3 N(14.b3 e5 (14... cxd4 15. exd4 Nd5 16. Bb2 N7f6 17. Rdc1 Qd6 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. Nc4 Qf4 20. Ne3 Bd6 21. Nc4 Qg4 22. h3 Nf4 23. hxg4 Nxe2+ 24. Kf1 Nxc1 25. Nxd6 Bxf3 26. Bxc1 Bd5 27. Bd2 Rab8 28. Ra4 Bxb3 29. Rxb4 {Grochowalski,P (2121)-Nester,I (2385)/Rewal 2008/CBM 126 Extra/0-1 (39)}) 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Bb2 Nfg4 17. h3 Nxf3+ 18. Nxf3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Qh2+ 20. Kf1 Bf6 21. hxg4 Bxb2 22. Rd7 Qh1+
23. Ke2 {1-0 Bedos,M (2300)-Lavabre,F (2139)/France 2000/EXT 2005}) (14. h3 Rfc8 15. Bd3 cxd4 16. exd4 Nd5 17. Nc4 Nf4 18. Bxf4 Qxf4 19. Qe3 Qxe3 20. fxe3 Rc7 21. Nfe5 Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Rac8 23. Nf3 g5 24. Kf2 h5 25. Nd2 Kg7 26. Nb3 f5 27. Rdc1 g4 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 {Vucic,M (2385)-Raetsky,A (2440)/Zuerich 1998/EXT
2006/0-1 (36)}) 14... Rfd8 15. h3 {Controls g4} Nd5 (15... g6 16. Nc4 =+) 16.Ne4 cxd4 17. exd4 N7f6 (17... Rdc8 18. g3 $11) 18. Ne5 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 {White
has an active position} Nf6 {Black threatens to win material: Nf6xe4} 20. Bd3 g6 {Secures f5} (20... Rxd4 ? {is no good} 21. Bxh7+ {Discovered attack: d3,
d1-d4} Nxh7 22. Rxd4 +-) 21. Be3 Rdc8 22. Rdc1

Picture 2. White plays 21.Be3.

{White threatens to win material: Rc1xc7} Qd8 23. Nc4 (23. Rxc8 Qxc8 24. Nf3 Nd5 $11) 23... Nd5 ={The knight feels good on d5} 24. Be4 {White has an active position} Rab8 (24...Nxe3 25. Bxb7 (25. Qxe3 $143 Bg5 26. Bxb7 Bxe3 27. fxe3 Rab8 28. Bxc8 Rxc8 -+(28... Qxc8 $6 29. Ne5 Qe8 30. Rc7 -+)) 25... Nxc4 26. Bxc8 (26. Rxc4 ?! Rxc4 27. Qxc4 Rb8 28. Bxa6 Bf6 =) 26... Rxc8 27. Rxc4 +-) 25. Bd3 (25. Bd2 Bg5=) 25... Bc6 (25... Bf6!?=-{should not be overlooked}) 26. Ne5 += Bb5 (26... Nxe3 ? {fails because of} 27. Nxc6 (27. Qxe3 ?! Bb7 =) (27. fxe3 ?! Bb5 +=) 27... Rxc6 28. Rxc6 +-(28. fxe3 ?! {is much weaker} Rxc1+ 29. Rxc1 Qxa5 =) (28. Qxe3 ? {is tempting, but} Bg5 29. Rxc6 Bxe3 30. fxe3 e5 -+))
27. Bxb5 Rxb5 28. Qf3 Bf6 29. Rxc8 Qxc8 30. Rc1 Qe8 31. Ng4 {White threatens to win material: Ng4xf6} (31. Nc6 Bd8 =) 31... Bg7 $15 32. Nh6+ Bxh6 33. Bxh6
Rxa5 34. Qg3 Rb5 35. Qe5 {White has a mate threat} f6 {Black threatens to win material: f6xe5}

36. Qd6 {White threatens to win material: Qd6xa6} Rb6 {Black threatens to win material: Rb6xd6} 37. Qc5 Rb8 ?? {Black has let it slip away}
(37... g5 $142 $15 {is the best option Black has}) 38. Qa7 +-Ne7 39. Rc7 Nf5

Picture 3. Black plays 39. ..Nf5 and white has checking chances.

40. Rg7+ !

{Clearance: c7} (40. Rxh7 $6 Ra8 41. Rg7+ Kh8 42. Rh7+ Kg8 =}
40... Kh8 (40... Nxg7 41. Qxg7# {Mate attack Clearance}) 41. Rxh7+ Kg8 42. Bf4
Ra8 43. Qb7 g5 ?? {sad, but how else could Black save the game?} (43... e5 $142 44. dxe5 Rb8 +-) 44. g4 +- Qg6 (44... gxf4 ?? {Black's fate is sealed if he
captures the bishop} 45. gxf5 Qf8 46. Rh4 Qg7+ 47. Rg4 Qxg4+ 48. hxg4 +-)

45.gxf5 (45. Qxa8+ ?! Kxh7 46. gxf5 Qxf5 +-) 45... exf5 46. Qxa8+ (46. Bd6 {might be the shorter path} Rd8 47. Rc7 g4 +-)

 

Picture 4. White plays 46.Qxa8+ as both sides loses a rook each in the exchange. Leaving White a piece ahead.

46... Kxh7 47. Qb7+ Kh6 (47...Qg7 48. Qxg7+ Kxg7 49. Kf1 +-)  48. Bd6 a5 (48... g4 49. Bf4+ Kh5 50. h4 +-)
49. Qc8 (49. Qa8 {and White can already relax} Qf7 50. Qxa5 Qd7 51. Qxb4 f4 +-)

49... Qf7 (49... Kg7 {a fruitless try to alter the course of the game} 50. d5 f4 51. Be7 +-) 50. Qxf5 1-0

Picture 5. White played 50.Qxf5. White is a piece up, White Queen checks the a5 and f6 black pawns and wins 1-0.