Nakamura Escapes With Draw

14 September 2010, Kuala Lumpur – During the US Chess League, week 4 going into its sixth season, GM Hikaru Nakamura of St Louis Arch Bishops met GM Becerra of Miami Sharks. Internet Chess Club showed the games live on ICC this morning.

Julio Becerra pushed Hikaru Nakamura to the edge on Board 1 of this match, but Nakamura's defense was too stubborn, and it allowed St. Louis (2-2) to hold on to the draw. This was Miami's (0.5-3.5) first score of the season, and will need a strong finish to qualify for the postseason. If GM Renier Gonzalez can continue to play at the level he showed this week, you can't count them out.

The Nimzowitsch- Larsen Opening transpired during the game.

Pix 1. Julio Becerra of Miami

[Event "ICC"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2010.09.14"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nakamura-STL"]
[Black "Becerra-MIA"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Fritz 11 (2m)"]
[PlyCount "189"]
[EventDate "2010.09.14"]
{A01: Nimzowitsch-Larsen Opening} 1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bd6 {
last book move} 5. Bxc6 (5. Nc3 $5 $11 {looks like a viable alternative}) 5...
dxc6 $17 6. d3 O-O (6... Bg4 7. Ne2 $17) 7. Nd2 $15 Re8 8. h3 {Controls g4} a5
9. a4 Nd7 (9... Nd5 $5 $15) 10. Ngf3 $11 Qf6 11. O-O Qh6 12. e4 (12. Nc4 b6 $14
) 12... Re6 13. Nh2 Rg6 14. Ng4 Rxg4 15. hxg4 {White wins the exchange}

Pix 2. White played 15. hxg4 winning the exchange but exposing the h-file to weaken white’s defences.
15…..Nf6 16.g5 Qxg5 (16... Qxg5 17. Nc4 {Combination}) (16... -- $140 17. gxh6 {Wins
material}) 17. f4 (17. Nc4 Ng4 18. Qf3 Be6 $14) 17... Qh6 18. Nf3 {White
threatens to win material: Nf3xe5} (18. Bxe5 Ng4 19. Nf3 Bxe5 20. fxe5 Qe3+ 21.
Kh1 Qh6+ 22. Kg1 Qe3+ 23. Kh1 Qh6+ 24. Kg1 $11) 18... Ng4 (18... Qxf4 $142 19.
Qc1 Bc5+ 20. d4 Qxc1 21. Raxc1 Bb4 $15) 19. Re1 (19. Bxe5 $142 {would keep
White alive} Bxe5 20. fxe5 Qe3+ 21. Kh1 Qh6+ 22. Kg1 Qe3+ 23. Kh1 Qh6+ 24. Kg1
$11) 19... exf4 $19 20. Bc1 (20. Qd2 Be6 $19) 20... Be6 (20... Bb4 21. Ra2 $19)
21. e5 (21. d4 f6 $19) 21... Bb4 22. Re4 g5 23. Qe2 (23. Bd2 Bc5+ 24. d4 Bb6
$19) 23... Bc3 24. Rb1 Bd5 25. Bb2 Bxb2 26. Rxb2 Re8 27. c4 (27. b4 axb4 28.
Rbxb4 Bxe4 29. dxe4 b6 $19) 27... Bxe4 28. Qxe4

Pix 3. White played 28.Qxe4 taking the bishop. At this point, black missed a stronger move then the one played during the game. Black could have played the stronger 28…Rxe5! keeping the knight at g4 and the possible black check Qe2! as strong counterplay!

Pix 4. If black had played 28…Rxe5! the outcome of the game could have ended with a win for black’s team, Miami, instead.

28….Nxe5 $1 {it's best to give back material.} 29. Nxe5 (29. Nxe5 Qd6 {Combination}) (29. -- $140 Nxf3+ {Threat} 30. Qxf3 (30. Kf1 Rxe4 {Discovered attack}) (30. Kf2 Rxe4 {Discovered
attack} (30... Qh4+ {Decoy})) (30. gxf3 Rxe4 {Discovered attack}) 30... Re1+ {Deflection}) 29... Qg7 (29... Qd6 $5 30. Nxf7 Qc5+ 31. d4 Rxe4 32. dxc5 Kxf7 33. b4 $19) 30. d4 f6 31. b4 fxe5 (31... axb4 32. Rxb4 fxe5 33. Rxb7 $19) 32.bxa5 Rd8 (32... Qd7 $142 $5 33. Rxb7 exd4 34. Rxc7 Qxc7 35. Qxe8+ Kg7 $11) 33.Qxe5 $15 Qxe5 34. dxe5 {A rook endgame occured.} Ra8 {Black threatens to win material: Ra8xa5} 35. Rxb7 Rxa5 36. e6 Kf8 (36... Rxa4 $4 {it may look tempting but Black must resist capturing the pawn} 37. Rb8+ (37. Rxc7 $6 {is not possible} Kf8 $11 (37... Rxc4 $4 {taking the pawn will cause Black grave problems} 38. Rc8+ Kg7 39. e7 $18)) 37... Kg7 38. e7 Ra1+ 39. Kf2 Ra2+ 40. Kf3 Ra3+ 41. Kg4 $18) 37. Rxc7 Rxa4 38. Rxc6 {White has a new passed pawn: c4} Ke7 39. Rc7+ Kxe6 40. Rxh7 Rxc4 41. Rh3 Rc1+ 42. Kf2 g4 43. Ra3 Rc2+ 44. Kf1 g3 {Black has a new strong pawn: g3} (44... Ke5 $142 $5 $17) 45. Ra5 $11 Rd2 46.Rb5 Rf2+ 47. Kg1 Re2 {Black has a mate threat} 48. Kf1 {White threatens to win material: Kf1xe2} Re5 49. Rb8 Kf5 50. Rf8+ Kg4 51. Rg8+ Rg5 52. Ra8 Rb5 53.
Rg8+ Kf5 54. Rf8+ Ke4 55. Re8+ Re5 {Black threatens to win material: Re5xe8} 56. Ra8 Rc5 57. Re8+ Re5 {Twofold repetition} 58. Rf8 Ke3 59. Ke1 Re7 60. Ra8 Rd7 61. Re8+ Kd3 62. Rf8 {White threatens to win material: Rf8xf4} Rd4 63. Rf7 Re4+ 64. Kf1 Rc4 65. Rd7+ Rd4 66. Ra7 Kd2 67. Ra2+ Ke3 68. Re2+ Kd3 69. Re7 Kd2 70. Ra7 Rd3 71. Re7 Ra3 72. Rd7+ Ke3 73. Re7+ Kd3 74. Rd7+ Ke4 75. Re7+ Kf5 76.Re1 Ra2 77. Kg1 Rf2 78. Re8 Rd2 79. Re1 Rd5 80. Kf1 Re5 81. Ra1 Kg4 82. Rb1 Rh5 83. Kg1 Rh8 84. Ra1 Rd8 85. Rb1 Rd6 86. Kf1 Kf5 87. Re1 Rh6 88. Kg1 Re6 {Black has a mate threat} 89. Ra1 Re2 90. Kf1 {White threatens to win material: Kf1xe2} Rf2+ 91. Kg1 Ke4 92. Ra4+ Kd3 93. Ra3+ Kc4 94. Ra4+ Kb3 ……

Pix 5. A drawish rook ending with white playing 95. Ra8.

95. Ra8. Draw 1/2-1/2. 

GM Becerra of Miami, could have better winning chances had he played 28…Rxe5! earlier in the game but at last the St Louis GM escapes the possible loss and gets a draw for St. Louis Arch Bishops in the 4th round of the US Chess League 2010 shown live on the Internet Chess Club (ICC) this morning. To see more games of the US Chess League, please visit www.uschessleague.com or click here.