Reply #3: Areshchenko - Vinoth, Round 5

[Jack Rabbit]

Alexander Areshchenko
Photo by karpidis modified from flickr in Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Alexander Areshchenko - Kumar Vinoth
9th Parsvnath International Open, Round 5
New Delhi, 10 January 2011

Closed French Game: Nimzo-Winawer Defense

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 b6

• The Main Line is 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7. See Pähtz-Cioara, Bundesliga 0910, Eppigen, 2009.

5.a3 Bf8 6.Bb5+

• 6.Nf3 Qd7 7.Bb5 c6 8.Ba4 Ba6 9.Ne2 Bb5 10.Bb3 a5 11.c3 Ne7 12.0-0 gives White a slight advantage in space (Zawadzka-López-Martínez, Euro Ch, WaRSAW, 2005).

6...c6 7.Ba4 Ne7

• If 7...Ba6 8.Nce2 Bb5 then:
• If 9.Bb3 c5 10.c3 Nc6 11.Nf3 Nge7 12.0-0 then:
• If 12...Nf5 13.Re1 Be7 14.Bc2 g6 15.Nf4 then:
• 15...Nh4 16.Nxh4 Bxh4 17.g3 Be7 18.h4 Rc8 is equal (Domínguez-Armas, Cuban Ch, Matanzas, 1998).
• 15...cxd4 16.cxd4 Rc8 17.Bxf5 exf5 18.h4 0-0 is equal (Cabrilo-Arencibia, ITZ, Manila, 1990).
• 12...a5 13.Re1 a4 14.Bc2 Qd7 15.Nf4 Ng6 16.Nh5 gives White a small advantage in space (Cabrilo-Bronstein, Pancevo, 1987).
• 9.Bxb5 cxb5 10.Qd3 Qd7 11.f4 Ne7 12.Nf3 h5 13.Be3 Nf5 14.Bf2 Nc6 15.g3 Na5 16.b3 Be7 17.h3 0-0-0 18.Kd2 Kb8 is equal (Loskutov-Kurdakov, Op, Moscow, 2007).

8.Nf3

• 8.Nce2 b5 9.Bb3 Nd7 10.Nf3 c5 11.c3 Nc6 12.0-0 Be7 gives White a slight advantage in space.

8...Nf5

• 8...a5 9.Ne2 b5 10.Bb3 Nd7 11.c3 c5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Bg5 Be7 14.Qd2 h6 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Rfe1 gives White a small advantaage in space(Korneev-Karlsson, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).

9.Ne2 (N)

• 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Re1 0-0 is equal (Seminara-Grynszpan, COOP, Buenos Aires, 1997).

9...b5 10.Bb3

• White has a slight advantage in space and development.

10...c5

• 10...Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.c3 a5 13.Bc2 a4 14.g4 gives White a stronger advantage in space.

11.c3!?

• White gives Black an opportunity to equalize.
• 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.c3 h6 14.Bc1 continues to give White a slight advantage in space.

11...Nc6!?

• Black should grab more space while he can.
• 11...c4! 12.Bc2 Be7 13.Ng3 Nc6 14.Nxf5 exf5 15.Qe2 is equal.

12.h4

• As is often the case in the Closed French Game, or any other opening that features a locked center, each side staskes out territory on opposite wings. Black has aloready advanced on the queenside, so White will seek riches on the kingside.

12...h5!?

• Black does not want White's pawn advancing any further, but this will not keep White's mior pieces away from the kingside.
• 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Be7 14.Bg5 Qa5+ 15.Nc3 f6 16.g4 gives White a small advantage in space.

13.Bc2!

• White threatens to trade his Bishop for Black's most effective piece.

13...g6?!

• This creates a backward pawn at f7 and a gaping hole at f6.
• 13...c4 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Nf4 then:
• 15...a5 16.Qe2 Rb8 17.Bxf5 exf5 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Ng5 wins a pawn.
• 15...g6 16.Bxf5 exf5 17.0-0 0-0 18.a4 leaves Black weak on the dark squares.

BLACK: Kumar Vinoth



WHITE: Alexander Areshchenko
Position after 13...g7g6

14.Bg5!

• White immediately atacks the hole and gains a significant advantage.
• 14.Bxf5 gxf5 15.Bg5 Qc7 16.0-0 a5 17.Nf4 gives White the advantage in space.

14...Qb6 15.0-0

• Even stronger is 15.Bf6! Rg8 16.0-0 when:
• 16...a5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Bxf5 gxf5 19.Nf4 Ba6 20.b4 gives White excellent winning chances.
• 16...c4 17.Nf4 Bh6 18.Bxf5 gxf5 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.Bxg5 wins a pawn.

15...cxd4 16.cxd4 b4 17.Bf6 Rg8 18.Ba4

• White has several good options here.
• 18.axb4 Bxb4 19.Qd3 a5 20.Ba4 Ba6 21.Qc2 gives White a considerable advantage in space.
• If 18.Bd3 Bd7 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.Nf4 Rg4 21.Bg5 also gives White the advantage in space.

18...Bd7 19.axb4 Bxb4 20.Qc2 Rc8?!

• The question now is who will command the queenside. Black needs the queenside to hold on to the game. For White, the queenside give him the fexibility to attack there or to shift to the kingsdie and attack Black's backward f-pawn.
• 20...a5 21.Rac1 Na7 22.Nc3 Bxc3 23.bxc3 Bxa4 24.Qxa4+ leaves Black with some fight in his game.

21.Rfc1 Be7

• 21...Rc7 22.Qd1 Be7 23.Rc3 Bxf6 24.exf6 Nd6 25.Rac1 leaves Whites pieces better protected, his King safer and more good moves available.

22.Qd2 Rc7

• If 22...Bxf6 23.exf6 Qb7 then:
• 24.Bxc6 Bxc6 25.Qa5 a6 26.Qxa6 Qxa6 27.Rxa6 leaves White a pawn up and winning.
• 24.Qc3 Nce7 25.Qa5 Nc6 26.Bxc6 Bxc6 27.Ne5 also wins.

23.Rc2 Kd8

• Black's position is deterriorating quickly.
• If 23...Bxf6 24.exf6 then:
• 24...Nd6 25.Qf4 Na5 26.Rxc7 Qxc7 27.Bxd7+ Kxd7 28.Ne5+ continues to give White a huge advantage.
• If 24...Nb8? 25.Rxc7 Qxc7 26.Qb4 then:
• 26...Qb6 27.Qxb6 axb6 28.Ne5 Bxa4 29.Rxa4 is an easy win for White.
• If 26...Bxa4 then White wins after 27.Qxa4+ Kd8 28.Qxa7.

24.Rac1 Kc8?

• Black should capture on f6. That he allows White to take on e7, thus creating a backward pawn at f7, weighs significantly in White's favor.
• If 24...Bxf6 25.exf6 Nd6 26.Qf4 then:
• 26...Nc4 27.Bxc6 Rxc6 28.Ne5 Nxe5 29.dxe5 Rxc2 30.Rxc2 gives White a strong advantage in space
• If 26...Nf5? then after 27.Ne5! Nxe5 28.Rxc7! Bxa4 29.dxe5 Bd7 30.R7c5 Black is toast.

BLACK: Kumar Vinoth



WHITE: Alexander Areshchenko
Position after 24...Kd8c8

25.Bxe7!

• See previous note.

25...Nfxe7 26.b4 a6 27.Rc5

• If 27.Nf4 Kd8 then:
• 28.Nd3! Ra7 29.Nc5 Be8 30.Ng5 Nb8 31.b5
• 28.Ng5!? Rg7! 29.Rc5 Rb7 30.b5 Nb8 31.bxa6 Nxa6 opens the door for Black to get back in the game.

27...Rb7

• Black would present White with more difficulty winning after 27...Kd8 (moving thye King toward the defense of the keyston f-pawn) 28.b5 axb5 29.Bxb5 Ke8 30.Qf4.

28.b5 axb5 29.Bxb5 Kb8

• Once again, better for Black is 29...Kd8 30.Ng5 Rf8 31.Bxc6 Bxc6 32.Qf4 Ke8, but after 33.Nh7! the end is near.

30.Qf4!

• Also good is 30.Nc3 Nxd4 31.Qxd4! Rc8 32.Rxc8+ Nxc8 33.Bxd7 leaves White a piece to the good.

30...Nb4 31.Rb1 Na6

• If 31...Bxb5 32.Rxb4 Qa5 then:
• 33.Qd2 Qxb4 34.Qxb4 Bxe2 35.Qa3 Bxf3 36.Ra5 is crushing.
• 33.Rb1 Rc8 34.Rxc8+ Kxc8 35.Qxf7 Bxe2 36.Qf8+ leads to further material gains for White.

BLACK: Kumar Vinoth



WHITE: Alexander Areshchenko
Position after 31...Nb4a6

32.Bxa6!!

• White sacrifices the exchange with check.

32...Qxb1+ 33.Rc1 Qf5

• 33...Qb2 34.Bxb7 Qxe2 35.Qxf7 Qb2 36.Rc5 Re8 37.Ba6 leaves White a pawn to the good with Black's remaining pawn seriously weakened.

34.Qd2 Rb3

• If 34...Nc6 35.Bxb7 Kxb7 36.Ng3! wins the Queen.

35.Ng3!

• Please click here.

35...Qb1

• Black loses the Queen no matter what he plays.

36.Rxb1 Rxb1+

• White is essentially up a piece.

37.Kh2 Rd8

• If 37...Rb6 38.Qa5 Kc7 then:
• 39.Qc5+ Nc6 40.Bd3 Rgb8 41.Ng5 Black's pawns begin to fall.
• White wins after 39.Qa3 Nc6 40.Bd3 Rb4 41.Qc1 Rgb8 42.Qc5!.

BLACK: Kumar Vinoth



WHITE: Alexander Areshchenko
Position after 37...Rg8d8

38.Ne2

• White has an easy win from here.

38...Nc6 39.Nc3 Rb6

• If 39...Rb4 40.Be2 Kb7 41.Nb5 Ra8 42.Nd6+ Kc7 43.Nxf7 White wins.

40.Bb5 Na5 41.Bxd7

• 41.Bf1 Nc4 42.Qg5 Rc8 43.Qe7 Be8 44.Bxc4 dxc4 also wins for White.

41...Nc4

• If 41...Nb3 then 42.Qd3 Rxd7 43.Na4 Rb4 44.Nd2 Nxd4 45.Nc5 wins.

42.Qh6 Rxd7 43.Qf8+ Ka7

• If 43...Kc7 then White wins after 44.Ng5 Rb8 45.Qc5+.

44.Na4 Rb8 45.Qc5+ Kb7 46.Qb4+ Ka7 47.Qc3 Rdb7

• If 47...Rb5 48.Ng5 Rc7 49.Nc5 Kb6 50.Qg3 White will dismantle Black's pawns.

48.Nd2 Rb4 49.Nxc4 1-0

• If 49...Rxc4 50.Qa5+ Kb7 51.Qb6+ Kc8 52.Qa6+ leaves Black in a mating net.
• Vinoth resigns.