Positional Game!

3rd Kolkata Grandmaster Open Ches tournament W:Koneru Humpy GM 2612 B:Barua Dibyendu GM 2491 Round:7 Date:30/3/2008 Result-1-0 Annotated by Navalgund Niranjan Hello Everybody! I present one of the best positional game from the 3rd Kolkata Grandmaster Chess tournament played by Koneru Humpy and Dibyendu Barua.. I hope you will learn many things from this beautiful game! Back to the game! 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 This is the Meran system. Very popular Nowadays. Its employed by the chess masters of all times! Akiba Rubinstein used this and promoted this System! There are many more ideas hidden in this historical opening. Its up to us to look out and employ then in our games and eventually hoping to succeed When you observe this with colours reversed then you will notice the Colle structure i.e.d4,Nf3,e3Bd3 c3,Nbd2 etc…. 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4

This is the basic tabia of the opening! 9…e5!? The same idea is also used in the Colle system to open the c1 bishop. Here with colours reversed the B on c8!. Black can even try b5,a6,Bb7 followed by c5 with a balanced position. Back to the game: 10.h3 exd4 11.Nxd4 White can even capture it with the pawn but White will have to play the IQP position (Isolated Queen pawn) which at this point White really is not up to!..... 11…Nb6 Even Ne5 is equally playable idea b5 and Bb7 12.Be2 to avoid further complications! 12…Nbd5 (=) 13.Bd2 Clever decision! White thought of connecting rooks which is suitable to the position. White needs heavy pieces to cramp Black’s camp 13…Nb4 Attacks the Queen 14.Qb3 There is absolutely no problem 14… c5 15.Ncb5! Its like the surprise! But after calculation everything is clear. White intends to capture the d6 pawn and then the Knight on b4. For Eg:[15.Ncb5 cd5? 16.Nd6 Qd6 17.Bb4 wins the exchange and the game]15…a5 Black supports the Knight on b4 16.Nf3 Be6 17.Qa4 Be7 18.a3 Nc6 19.Rfd1 h6?! Better is Qb6 connecting the rooks. 20.e4 White uses the indirect formulae! 20…Qb6 21.e5 Nd7 Here White is better 22.Qf4 White is trying to capitalize the weak spots on the Kingside. 22…Rfd8 23.Bc3 White is also trying to post all his pieces at their best positions Nf8 24.Bc4 Bxc4 25.Qxc4 Ne6 26.a4 Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Rd8 28.Rd5! Rxd5 29.Qxd5 Nb4 30.Qd7 Bf8 31.Nd2! White is clearly better due to superior mobility and co-ordination and mobility! 31…Nf4 32.Nd6 Bxd6 33.exd6 Now White gets the passed pawn which is ready for action. 32…Qc6 Here Exchanging Queen is not preferable for White.34.Qg4 Double threats coming on the way! You can observe the threats by White. This clearly shows that Black is going to collapse slowly as its Endgame where you get to see the middle game 34…Ne6 35.Ne4 Idea Nf6 and many more! 35…Nd5 36.Be5 supporting the d6 pawn which is the trump card for White! Kf8 Black is tightly holding the position. But….:) 37.Ng3

Here is a beauty of positional chess. No pieces can defend the weakened Black King! The White Knight and the d6 pawn display their superiority. 37…Nb6 38.Nf5 f6?! But any how Black has no good moves and Now its time to deliver blows! 39.Bxf6!! gxf6 40.Qg6! Demolition of Black’s Kingside 40…Nd5 41.Qxh6+ Ke8 [40… Kg8 is met by 41.Qg6+followed by Nh6+] 42.Qh8+ Nf8 43.Qh5+ Kd8 44.Qf7 The Queen wraps! And is ready to destruct black! Qe8 Only move 45.Qxd5 Qe1+ 46.Kh2 Qxf2 47.Qe4 Ng6 48.Ng3 And Black resigned 1-0

In this game you can learn many useful things! Specially the grip which White maintained from the beginning till the end! White kept on building position and won by displaying the preparations of his pieces! This game strongly explains the importance of Strengths and Weaknesses of Chess pieces! It’s the best fight between 2 GM’s… Thank you everybody! Keep Blogging on to www.chessindia.blogspot.com Bye!