Democratic Underground - Ni Hua - S. Grover, Round 2

Indian IMs continue to impress. In this game, Sahaj Grover takes down world class GM Ni Hua.

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Ni Hua - Sahaj Grover
9th Parsvnath International Open, Round 2
New Delhi, 8 January 2011

Closed French Game: Tarrasch Opening

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.Nf4

If 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nf3 then:

If 11...Qc7 12.Bg5 0-0 then:

If 13.Rc1 Ng4 14.Ng3 g6 15.Nh4 then:

If 15...e5 16.Be2 Nf6 17.dxe5 Bxe5 18.b4 Bf4 19.Bxf4 Qxf4 20.b5 Nb4 21.Nxg6 hxg6 22.a3 Be6 23.axb4 Qxb4 then:

24.Qd3 Kg7 25.Qe3 Qd6 26.Bd3 gives White stronger pawns and the advantage in space (Geller-Dolatov, Moscow, 1985).
24.Rc7 Rf7 25.Qc2 Kg7 26.Rxf7+ Bxf7 27.Qc7 White's active Queen tilts the game heavily in his favor (Garbett-Wallace, TT, Aukland, 1992).

15...Nf6 16.Qd2 Rf7 17.h3 Bd7 18.Nf3 Qb6 19.Be3 gives White a small advantage in space (Geller-Vaisser, IT, New Delhi, 1987).

If 13.Bh4 Nh5 14.Qc2 h6 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Bg6 then:

16...Rxf3 17.Bxh5 Rf8 18.Bg3 Bd7 19.Rac1 Rf6 20.Qd2 Raf8 21.Rc3 Be8 22.Bxe8 Rxe8 23.b4 Qb8 24.a3 Ref8 25.Qe3 is equal (Vachier Lagrave-Ganguly, Masters', Gibraltar, 2009).
16...Nf4 17.Nxf4 Bxf4 18.Bg3 Bd7 19.Rad1 Qb6 20.Rfe1 Rac8 21.Qb1 Bxg3 22.hxg3 Rf6 23.Bh5 Be8 24.Bxe8 Rxe8 is equal (Pogonina-Rakhmanov Op, Moscow, 2006).

If 11...Qb6 12.Nc3 0-0 13.Be3 Bd7 then:

14.a3 Be8 15.Ng5 Ne7 16.h3 Bc7 17.Qc2 Bg6 18.Bxg6 Nxg6 19.Rac1 Rac8 is equal (Mogranzini-De Val, Italian ChT, Arvier, 2010).
14.Re1 Kh8 15.a3 Be8 16.Ng5 Bh5 17.Qb1 Nxd4 18.h3 e5 19.Bxh7 e4 20.Qa2 Nxh7 21.Nxh7 Rf5 leaves the Kniht at h7 no quarter (van der Wiel-Ree, Dutch Ch, Hilversum, 1985).

9...Nxd4 10.Qh5+ Ke7 11.exf6+ Nxf6 12.Ng6+ hxg6 13.Qxh8 Kf7 14.0-0

If 14.Qh4 e5 15.Nf3 then:

If 15...Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Bf5 17.Bxf5 gxf5 18.Bg5 then:

If 18...Qa5+ 19.Kf1 g6 20.Bxf6 Qa6+ 21.Kg2 Qxf6 22.Qa4 then:

If 22...Qc6 23.Qb3 then:

23...Bh6 24.Rad1 (24.Rhd1 Rd8 25.Rd3 Kf6 26.Rc3 Qd7 27.Rc5 b6 28.Rb5 d4 is equal (Belov-Kosyrev, Chigoin Mem, St. Petersburg, 2001).

(Ni Hua-Wang Hao, IT, Singapore, 2006).

23...Bc5 24.Rac1 b6 25.Rhe1 Kf6 26.Qe3 Qd6 27.Qh6 a5 28.Rg1 Qf8 is equal (Kurnosov-Iljushin, Russia Cup, Samara, 2002).

22...Qe6 23.Rad1 b6 24.Rhe1 Be7 25.Rc1 Bd6 26.Rc6 e4 27.Kf1 f4 28.fxe4 Re8 29.Qb3 Kf8 30.e5 Black resigns in the face of losing at least a Bishop (Miroshnichenko-Nosenko, Ukrainian Ch, Ordzhonikidze, 2002).

18...Rc8 19.0-0 Rc4 20.Qh3 Qd7 21.Rad1 Qe6 22.Rfe1 Nd7 23.Re2 a5 24.f4 a4 gives White more material and Black more space (Timman-Morzevich, IT A, Wijk aan Zee, 2000).

15...e4? 16.Nxd4 Bb4+ 17.Bd2 Bxd2+ 18.Kxd2 Qa5+ 19.Kd1 exd3 20.Nb3 Qc7 21.Rc1 Qe5 22.Re1 Bg4+ gives Black the better game (Furguson-Mossison, 4NCL, Birmingham, 2001).

14...e5 15.Nb3 Nxb3 16.axb3 Bf5

16...e4 17.Bb1 Nh5 18.Be3 Bf5 19.b4 Qc7 renders Wite's Queen useless while Black enjoys the advantage in space (Heredia-Xhang Xiaowen, World Jr ChW, Puerto Madryn, 2009).

17.Bxf5 gxf5 18.Bg5 Bc5

18...Be7 19.Qh3 Qd7 20.b4 Bxb4 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Rfd1 gives White a small advantage in space (Sorass-Simonson, Op, Tromsø, 2006).

19.Qh3 Qd7 20.Bxf6 Kxf6 21.Rac1 Bb6

21...Bd4 22.Rc2 Rc8 23.Rfc1 Rxc2 24.Rxc2 leaves White with a slight advantage in space.

22.Rc3 g6 23.Qh4+ Ke6 24.g4?!

If 24.Re1 e4 then:

If 25.g4?! 25...Rf8! 26.Rec1 Qe7 then:

27.Qh6 fxg4 28.Qxg6+ Ke5 gives Black more space and a menacing threat to f2 (T. Horvath-Barsov, Op, Val Thorens, 1996).
27.g5 d4 28.Rc4 Qg7 29.Qg3 Qe5 gives Black the advantage in space and an advanced passer.

25.Rec1 d4 26.Rc4 Rd8 27.Qh6 Kf6 is equal.

24...f4!

Black has only one pawn for the exchange, but he has connected passers in the center as compensation.

BLACK: Sahaj Grover

WHITE: Ni Hua
Position after 24.g2g4

25.Rfc1 Rg8!?

Black should cover the pawn with the Queen and reserve the Rook to occupy an open file or get behind a passed pawn.
25...Qf7! 26.R3c2 e4 27.Rd1 Rd8 28.Qh3 f3 gives Black a clear advantage in space.

26.Qh3!?

White misses the opporunity to level the game.
If 26.g5 Qf7 27.R3c2 e4 then:

28.Qh3+ Qf5 29.Qh7 Rd8 30.Qxb7 Qxg5+ is equal
28.Kh1 Rd8 29.Rc8 Rxc8 30.Rxc8 e3 gives Black the advantage as the e-pawn inches closer to its promotion point.

26...e4!?

It's not the best move and is really unncessarily risky.
Better is 26...Qf7! 27.b4 e4! 38.R3c2 Rd8 29.b3 f3 gives Black the advantage as mthe center pawn mass is mobile.

27.Rc8?!

This move is about as bad as one can make without lowering it to the level of a blunder.
27.R3c2 does little better as 27...Re8 28.Kf1 Kd6 29.Qh4 Qe6 30.Qg5 f3 contiues to give Black a comfortable advantage.
White's best retort is 27.g5+! Kd6 28.Qh4 Qf5 29.Rf1 e3 with equality.

27...Rxc8 28.Rxc8 Kd6!?

When in doubt, play aggressively.
After 28...e3 29.fxe3 Kd6 30.Rc2 Bxe3 Black continues to enjoy a comfortable advantage with more pawns, stronger pawns and a pssed pawn.

29.Rf8 f3!?

29...Qe6 30.Kf1 e3 31.fxe3 fxe3 32.Qf3 d4 demonstrates the potential strength of Black's center pawn duo.

30.Rf6+ Kc5 31.Rxg6 Qb5 32.Qg3?

This is a horrible waste of time. White will have make amends immediately since Black, as a result of this move, threatens mate in two.
If 32.Qf1 Qe2 33.Qa1 Kd4 34.Qc1 Ba5 35.Rd6 Bd2 is equal.

BLACK: Sahaj Grover

WHITE: Ni Hua
Position after 32.Qh3g3

32...Qa5!

This is the strongest move. It wins quickly and threatens 33...Qe1#.
IAlso good is 32...Qxb3 (threatening 33...Qd1#) 33.Qh3 Qxb2 34.Qf1 Qe2 35.h4 Qd2, but the test is stronger.

33.h4

White is lost.
If 33.Qh3 Qd2 34.Qf1 Kb4 35.h4 Kxb3 then:

If 36.Rf6 Kxb2 then:

If 37.g5 then Black wins after 37...Ka2 38.g6 Bc7 39.g7 e3 40.Rxf3 e2.
No better is 37.Qb5+ Kc1 38.Qf1+ Kc2 39.Rf8 Bc5 40.Rf7 e3 when Black wins easily.

36.Rd6 loses quickly to 36...Kc2 37.Re6 Qf4.

33...Bc7! 0-1

If 34.b4+ then 34...Kxb4 35.Qh3 Qa1+ 36.Qf1 Bh2+ wins.
Grandmaster Ni resigns.

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