SO 4.7 (C45)
Peter Acs
Gabriel Sargissian
Paks 2008 (7)
Notes by Jeroen Bosch

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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