Malaysian Masters Semi-Finals, 1st Game, IM Lim Yee Weng vs FM Nicholas Chan

Today, Hari Raya Aidil Adha’ the two chess supremos decided to face-off in their semi-final Malaysian Masters at the Dato Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Kompleks Wilayah, Kuala Lumpur, 27th November 2009. The first game between IM Lim Yee Weng and FM Nicholas Chan ended in a draw where, black chose to play the Sicilian Maroczy Bind.

 

Picture 1. FM Nicholas Chan(left) vs IM Lim Yee Weng (right)

It is slightly different from the Sicilian Dragon where white plays 5.c4 causing the diversion from the Sicilian Dragon opening.

[Event "Malaysian Masters 2009"]
[Site "DATCC, Kuala Lumpur"]
[Date "2009.11.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "IM Lim Yee Weng"]
[Black "FM Nicholas, Chan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B36"]
[Annotator "Fritz 11 (2m)"]
[PlyCount "55"]

{B36: Sicilian: Maroczy Bind: Gurgenidze System} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3

Picture 2. White plays 5.c4  turning it into a Sicilian Maroczy Bind opening.

6…. Nxd4 7. Qxd4 d6 8. Bg5 Bg7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. Bd3 Be6
11. Rc1 Ng4 $146 (11... Qa5 12. O-O (12. Nd5 Qxa2 13. Nxe7+ Kh8 14. O-O Ng8 15.Nxg8 Rxg8 16. b4 Qxd2 17. Bxd2 Rgc8 18. f4 Bd4+ 19. Kh1 f6 20. h3 Rc7 21. f5
gxf5 22. exf5 Bf7 23. Bf4 Be5 24. Bxe5 fxe5 25. f6 Rac8 26. Bf5 Rd8 {Tilicheev,V (2189)-De Filomeno,S (2102)/Herceg Novi 2008/CBM 126 Extra/1-0 (35)}) 12...
Rfc8 13. b3 a6 14. Rfe1 Kf8 (14... Rab8 15. a4 Kf8 16. h3 Rc7 17. Rc2 Qb4 18.Rb1 Rcc8 19. Qe2 Qc5 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. exd5 a5 22. Be3 Qc7 23. f4 Kg8 24. f5 Rf8
25. Qf2 b6 26. Rf1 Nd7 27. Re2 e6 28. fxe6 fxe6 29. Qh4 {Smejkal,J-Holm,S/Budapest 1975/MCL/1-0 (40)})

15. Rc2 b5 16. cxb5 axb5 17. Rec1 b4 18. Nb5 Rxc2
19. Rxc2 Bd7 20. Nc7 Rc8 21. Qc1 Qe5 22. Rc4 Ng4 23. Bf4 Qa1 24. h3 Qxc1+ 25.Rxc1 Ne5 26. Ba6 {Polugaevsky,L (2630)-Jansa,V (2535)/Sochi 1974/EXT 2001/1/2-1/2 (31)}) (11... Rc8 12. b3 Nd7 13. O-O Ne5 14. Bb1 a6 15. Kh1 Ng4 16. h3 Nf6 17. Rfe1 b5 18. cxb5 axb5 19. Nxb5 Qd7 20. Qd3 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Nxe4 22. Qxe4
Qxb5 23. Bxe7 Re8 24. Bxd6 Qd7 25. Qc6 Qd8 26. Bd3 {Kohl,H-Geisdorf,H/Zell 1977/EXT 1999/1-0 (43)})

12. Be2 f6 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 {Black has the pair of
bishops} 14. Be3 Qa5 15. O-O {White castles and improves king safety} Be6 16.b3 {Covers c4} a6 {Secures b5} 17. Rfd1 Rac8 18. Qe2 Qh5 19. f3 Bh6 20. Nd5 Rfe8 21. Bxh6 Qxh6 22. Rc3 Kf8 23. Rcd3 Rc5

Picture 3. Black repeats rook R5c6-R6c5-R5c6 three times and white repeats move Nb4-Nd5-Nb4 and the draw was mutually agreed.

24. a4 Rec8 25. R3d2 R5c6 26. Nb4 Rc5 27. Nd5 R5c6 28. Nb4 1/2-1/2

Game ends in a draw after 28 moves in this first game between two titanic chess supremos of Malaysia.