Puzzle Contest Standings

1. Robin Grochowski 100 points

Robins annotations:

This is a Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen (Fianchetto Variation B80):

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 (allows 6.g4, the Keres Attack)

[The Keres Attack is considered very dangerous. It was named after notable GM Paul Keres. The move takes advantage of the fact that 5...e6 cuts off the black queenside bishop’s control of g4. White plans to force the knight on f6 (black’s only developed piece) to retreat and force black into a more passive position. This move also launches white into a king-side attack.]

6.g3 a6 7.Bg2 Qc7 8.O-O Nc6 9. Re1 Bd7 10. a4?! (probably a stronger line would have been 10.Nxc6 Bxc6 11.a4 Be7 12.a5…)

10…Nxd4 (This appears to be a novelty as 10…Be7 seems to have been the only moved played at this point in previous games)

[More to come later when I get more time.]

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Annotations by NM Ashish Vaja:


Wan Yunguo (2434) - Sandipan,C (2558) [B80]
8th Asian Continental Open Subic Bay PHI (2), 14.05.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 The Scheveningen Sicilian. 6.g3 White chooses a quite line, which contains a lot of poisen if black is unfamiliar with the set up. If you want to employ this line as white look at the games of GM Malhakov. [6.g4 Robin you are correct that 5...e6 does allow white to play the once feared Keres attack with 6.g4, but nowadays it is not considered as dangerous. I know that recently Magnus Carlsen employed a line in the Keres with h3 and Bg2, it looks like the best way for white to fight for an edge. ] 6...a6 A standard move in the Sicilian, with ideas like b5 and keeping the white knight out of b5. 7.Bg2 Qc7 Any Sicilian player knows the best square for the queen. On this square the queen has many task's 1) if the bishop is developed to b7 the queen is defending it, the queen over protects e5(white may later try f4, e5), the queen protects the Nc6, and connects the black rooks. 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Re1 Bd7 10.a4?! Robin you are correct 10.a4 was not the most precise, but black would certainly capture on c6 with the pawn. [10.Nxc6 bxc6 Brining a pawn closer to the center. ] 10...Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Be7 12.Be3 0-0 13.h3 e5! A standard idea for black in the Sicilian, shutting out the bishop on g2. The backward pawn is no big deal as the inactive bishop on g2 make up for this weakness. Black has obtained good central control and later will play d5 getting rid of his only weakness. Anyone who plays Sicilian should know this thematic idea! 14.Qb6? This was a poor choise as the endgame is quite deceptive. In most cases when black has a pawn structure problem like a backward pawn on the open d-file, GENERALLY endgames favor white. In this case it is not true as black has too much activity. I am not sure white is much worse after this move, but I would take blacks position as it is easier to play. [14.Qd3=] 14...Qxb6 15.Bxb6 Rac8 16.Red1 It can already be seen, white will not get to place a piece on d5 and black is already applying pressure to whites positon. 16...Rc4 17.a5 Rfc8 18.Rd2 Be6 Of course black follows up the the natural break ...d5. 19.f3 h6 20.Bf1 Rb4 21.Nd1 Whites piece lack coordination and must leave their central positions to not lose material. 21...d5 22.exd5 Bxd5 23.c3 Rxb6! A great sac! Black understands that the knight on d1 will be dominated and the activity of the black pieces more than make up for the exchange. 24.axb6 Bxf3 25.Bg2 Bc5+ 26.Kh2 e4 27.Bxf3 exf3 28.Rd3 Re8 29.Rxf3 Re2+ Notice how the white knight cannot move? 30.Kh1 Ne4 This is all black needed to calculate, three pieces vs. one. What are the most important things in chess? 1) King 2) Activity 3)Material 31.c4 Re1+ 32.Kh2 Bxb6 [32...Nd2 33.Rf5 Bd4 34.h4 Nf1+ 35.Kg2 Ne3+ 36.Nxe3 Rxa1] 33.h4 h5 34.Rb3 Re2+ 35.Kh1 Nd2! 36.Nc3 [36.Rxb6?? Nf3 37.Nf2 Rxf2 38.b4 Rh2#] 36...Nxb3 37.Ra3 Rxb2 0-1