Review
A real draw rain was pouring on the participants of the fifth round of the Men’s Cup of Russian tournament – only two effective games on the first ten boards. A game between Mikhail Mozharov and Nikolai Shukh is an obvious reflection of peaceful tendencies of the fifth game day.
«Phantom of a Draw Death»
Sometimes it happens. The opponents were struggling. They were improvising at the board (in other words didn’t play memorized computer variants), the time keeping records confirm it. They were playing almost without any mistakes that in our days means following the first computer line. And still this interesting game seems to be cold….
I can’t do anything else but remember Savely Tartakover again. He marked that “existence of chess can be justified only by existence of mistakes!”
Mozharov, Mikhail (Russia) – Shukh Nikolai (Russia)
Russia Cup Stage 2018
Ruy Lopez
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 Be7 11.Bc2 Bg4 12.h3
Immediate 12.Re1 is more often met nowadays.
12...Bh5 13.Re1 0–0
One of the main tabia of Ruy Lopez Open where White usually plays 14.Nb3 or 14.Nf1.
14.b4 Ne6 15.a4
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0
9+-zp-vlpzpp0
9p+n+n+-+0
9+p+pzP-+l0
9PzP-+-+-+0
9+-zP-+N+P0
9-+LsN-zPP+0
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
We find only one example of this position in Chessbase: A.Lutikov– G.Kaidanov(Bryansk 1984). White attacks immediately the main Black weakness in Ruy Lopez – pawn b5.
15...Qd7
«Novelty». In the original game was: 15...d4 16.Be4 dxc3 17.Bxc6 Nd4 18.Be4 cxd2 19.Bxd2 Nxf3+ 20.gxf3! Rb8?! 21.axb5 axb5 22.Qc2 Kh8 23.Ra7, and White seized the initiative.
16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Rxa8 18.Bd3 d4
The counterblow d5-d4 – typical idea for Black in Ruy Lopez Open.
19.Nb3
«Hanging» of queen d7 (19…dxc3?? 20.Bxh7) gives a posibility to White of increasing pressure on pawn d4, but opponent has enough resources to maintain balance.
19…Rb8 20.Be4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-+-+k+0
9+-zpqvlpzpp0
9-+n+n+-+0
9+p+-zP-+l0
9-zP-zpL+-+0
9+NzP-+N+P0
9-+-+-zPP+0
9+-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
20...Bg6!
Neutralizing dangerous white bishop on e4.
21.Bxg6 hxg6 22.Nfxd4 Ncxd4 23.Nxd4 Nxd4 24.Be3 Rd8 25.Bxd4 Bxb4
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-+k+0
9+-zpq+pzp-0
9-+-+-+p+0
9+p+-zP-+-0
9-vl-vL-+-+0
9+-zP-+-+P0
9-+-+-zPP+0
9+-+QtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
26.e6!
Continuing the struggle for the initiative.
26…fxe6 27.Qb1 Bf8 28.Qxg6
The Black pawn structure is exterminated but he manages to consolidate the position by the precise maneuver of queen.
28…c5 29.Be5 Qf7 30.Qe4 Qf5 31.Qc6 Rd2 32.Bg3
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-vlk+0
9+-+-+-zp-0
9-+Q+p+-+0
9+pzp-+q+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zP-+-vLP0
9-+-tr-zPP+0
9+-+-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
32...Bd6!
This move courses a new part of moves leading to the sympathetic draw.
33.Bxd6! Qxf2+ 34.Kh2 Qxe1 35.Qe8+ Kh7 36.Qh5+ Kg8 37.Qe8+ Kh7 38.Qh5+ Kg8 39.Qe8+ Kh7 40.Qh5+ Kg8 1/2