Game of the Month August: [SOS-4, Chapter 13, p.101] All over Europe there is a lot of chess to enjoy this summer. In
Paks (Hungary) a strong round robin is held. From that tournament comes the next game in which Sargissian comfortably
upholds Miles' former pet line against the Scotch. SOS-4 featured an article by Glenn Flear on 4...
b4+
called 'Patzer Sees a Check'.
1.e4
e5
2. f3
c6
3.d4
exd4
4. xd4
b4+
This check aims to disturb White's development. After 5.c3 the natural square of the queen's knight is occupied by a
pawn. A downside of this 'patzer check' could be that c3 strengthens the central d4-square.
5.c3
c5
6. e3
Most popular in practice, but Kasparov's
6. xc6
bxc6
7. d3
is still played as well. Morozevich-I.Sokolov, Sarajevo 2008, now went:
7... e7
(7... h4?!
Kasparov-Leko, Tilburg 1997)
8.0-0
0-0
9. g5!?
f6
10. h4
d6
11. d2
g6
12. g3
f5!
13.exf5
xf5
14. xf5
xf5
15.a4
and now rather than
15...a6
16. b3+
h8
17. b7
Black could have simply played 15...a5 with approximate equality.
6... b6
7. xc6
There is a host of alternatives here for which I refer you to Flear's article in SOS-4.
7...bxc6
8. d4
After the exchange on c6 this is best, when in practice Black plays both the healthy but mundane 8...
f6
(as Sargissian does in the present game) and the creative 8...
g5!?.
8... f6
Let's take a brief look at 8...
g5 too:
8... g5
9. d2
(interesting is
9.h4
g6
10. d2
and now Flear's recommendation of
10... xd4!
(10... f6
11. f3
0-0
12. d3
g4
13. xf6
xf3
14. xf3
gxf6
15. d4
favoured White in Baklan-Vouldis, Ano Liosia 2000)
11.cxd4
b8
12.h5
d6
13. b3
h6
with dynamic counterplay for Black)
9... xd4!
10.cxd4
b8!
Typically original play. Stefanova was twice successful from this position:
11. c2
(11.b3
f6
12.e5
d5
13.g3?!
0-0
14. g2
a6!
favoured Black in T.Kosintseva-Stefanova, Varna 2002)
11... f6
12.e5
d5
13. f3
b4!?
14. b1
h6
15. c4
d5
16.exd6ep
cxd6
17.0-0
0-0
18.a3
a6
19. e1
c7
20.b4
a5
21. b3
g4
Play is equal but Black won after a long game. Aleksieva-Stefanova, Cutro 2003.
9. d3
White continues with his development.
A) The aggressive
9.e5
is probably more dangerous for the first player. In 2008 Sargissian had to face this move as well:
9... d5
10. c4
0-0
11. xd5?!
(11.0-0
was Sutovsky-Onischuk, Polanica Zdroj 1999. Flear now gives
11... b8!
as best)
11...cxd5
12. xb6
axb6
13.0-0
(not
13. xd5?
when
13... a5!
14. d4
a6!?
is one of the many good moves that Black has at his disposal. Others include
14... xe5+;
14...f6;
14... g5)
13... e8
14. e1
g5
15. d4
d6!?
enticing White to take on d5.
16. xd5
b8
17. d2!
xe5
18. xe5
xe5
19. e3
(19. a3
e6)
19... e6
20. xe5
dxe5
21. f1
a8
and the ending clearly favoured Sargissian - bishop and rook is a strong combination. Zhang Pengxiang-Sargissian,
Merida 2008.
B) 9. d2
0-0
10. d3
c5!?
(10... b8;
10...d5;
10...d6)
11. xf6
xf6
12.0-0
d6
13. c4
c6?
(13... e8)
14.e5
dxe5
15. h5
g6
16. xe5
xe5
17. xe5
gave White a pleasant edge in G.Szabo-Gustafsson, Plovdiv 2008.
9...d6
A set-up with ...d5 is also possible.
9...0-0
10.0-0
d5
11.exd5
cxd5
12. d2
g4!?
13.h3
c5!
14. xc5
(14. xg7
xg7
15.hxg4
g5
retrieves the pawn)
14... xc5
15.hxg4
f5?!
(15... g5)
16.gxf5
xf5
17. xf5
xf5
18. g4
f6
19. f3
f8
gave Black some play for the pawn. Dochev-Vouldis, Kavala 2001.
10.0-0
0-0
Black can be pleased with the result of the opening. The chances are objectively about equal, but there is enough play
in the position.
11. d2
11.a4
b8
again this rook move!
12. xb6
axb6
(all captures come into consideration here. The disadvantage of taking on b6 with the a-pawn is that White can make an
outside passed pawn.
12... xb6
preserves play along the b-file, while
12...cxb6
gives Black a normal pawn structure again)
13. c2
c5
(13... g4!?;
13... a8;
13... e8)
14. d2
b7
15.b4!
cxb4
16.cxb4
e8
17. fe1
c5?!
18.a5
bxa5
19.bxa5
S.Novikov-Zilberman, Moscow 2006.
11... e8
12. f3
White intends to take on f6. Black is also OK after
12. c2
c5!?
13. e3
(13. xf6
xf6)
13... g4!?
12... g4!
13.a4
If
13. c4
then
13... d7!?
(13... e7
14.h3
e5
15. xe5!
dxe5
favours White.
13...a5
14. c4
Forcing Black to take on d4.
14... xd4
15.cxd4
d5!
Without this move White would have a slight edge.
16.exd5
16. d2
d6!
17.e5
h6!
is better for Black.
16...cxd5
17.h3!?
17. e3
f6
18. ac1
b8
and Black has plenty of counterplay. There are weak pawns on a4, b2 and d4 to attack!
17... f6
This keeps more play in the position.
17...dxc4
18. xc4
e6!
(18... f6
19. xa8
xd4
20. b5+-)
19. xe6
f6
20. c4
xd4
21. b5
ed8
is marginally better for White.
18. e5
c5!
This keeps the balance.
19. fe1
cxd4
20. c6
or
20. b5
e6
21. c6.
20... xe1+
21. xe1
d6
22. xd4
Now Black gains the upper hand. Correct was
22. b5
d7
23. xd4.
22... b4!
Black wins a pawn.
23. d1
xa4
24. f5!?
xf5
25. xf5
e4!
25... e8
26. e3 .
26. xe4
dxe4
Black is a sound pawn up, but to convert this is difficult because of the reduced material.
27. d4
g6
28. e3
b8
29. d5!
Transposing into a rook ending is the best way to obtain a draw.
29... g7
30. xf6
xf6
31. d5!
This is much better than
31. xe4
xb2
32. a4
b5.
With the text Acs goes for the theoretically drawn rook ending of 4 pawns against 3 on the same wing.
31... xb2
32. xa5
d2
33.h4!
e6
34.g3
This is the ideal pawn formation for the defender. The game was drawn after
34...h5
35. f1
f6
36. a4
f5
37.f3
37. a5+
g4
38. a6.
37...exf3
38. f4+
e5
39. xf3
d4
40. e2
f5
41. a3
g4
42. a5+
f6
43. a6+
g7
44. a7+
h6
45. f3
f4
46.gxf4
xh4
47. a6
h1
48. g2
h4
49.f5
g4+
½-½