When analyzing this game one has to bear in mind the match situation-Khalifman was
leading and a draw gives him the overall victory in Las Vegas. So he will try to avoid any unnecessary
risk, while Akopiam has to strive for complications at any cost.
1.d4
Nf6 2.Nf3 e6
3.c4 c5 4.d5 This
is objectively better than e.g.
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[4.g3 White doesn't want to make concessions
from the very beginning.] |
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4...exd5 5.cxd5
d6 6.Nc3 a6
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[6...g6 7.e4 Bg7
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(but more accurate was
7...a6!? /\ 8.a4
Bg4 ) |
|
8.h3 O-O 9.Bd3 leads
to a line in which Black's chances to create confusion are very slight.] |
7.a4 g6 8.Nd2! The
insertion of a4-a6 in the classical line is known to favour White.
8...Nbd7
9.e4 Bg7 10.Be2
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[10.Nc4!? Nb6 11.Ne3
O-O 12.Bd3
Re8 13.O-O Rb8
14.Bd2 Nbd7 15.a5
Ne5 16.Be2 g5
17.f3 h6 18.Na4
Ng6 19.Nb6 Nd7
20.Nxc8 Rxc8 21.Nf5 Ehlvest,J-Barlov,D/Zagreb
izt/1987/] |
|
10...O-O 11.O-O Re8
12.Qc2
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[12.f4! is
the most ambitious move.] |
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12...Rb8 13.Ra3
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[13.a5 Qe7 14.Ra3
Ne5 15.Re1 Nfg4
16.Nf1 g5
|
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( 16...f5!? /\ 17.f4
Nc6! 18.Bxg4 Nd4) |
|
17.h3 Nh6
18.Ng3 Ng6 19.Na4
Bd7 20.Nb6 Bb5
21.Bd2 Nf4
22.Bc4 Be5
23.Rf3 Rbd8
24.Be3 Qf8
25.h4 gxh4
26.Bxf4 Bxf4
27.Rxf4 hxg3
28.Re3! Miles,A-Koenig,W/Bad
Woerishofen/1990/] |
|
13...Qe7
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[13...b6 14.Kh1
|
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(14.b3 Ne5
15.h3 g5 16.Nc4
g4 17.Nxe5
Rxe5 18.Bf4
Re8 19.hxg4
Nxg4 20.Bxg4
Bxg4 21.Nd1
Qf6 22.Bh2
Qg6 23.f3
Bd4+ 24.Kh1
Bc8 25.Nc3
f5 Ivanov,I-Garcia
Gonzales,G/Cienfuegos/1980/) |
|
14...Ne5 15.b3
Rf8 16.Bb2
Nh5?! 17.Bxh5
gxh5 18.Nd1
f5 19.f4 Ng4
20.Bxg7 Kxg7
21.Qc3+ Kg8
22.Ra1 Rb7
23.Ne3 Nxe3
24.Qxe3 Rg7
25.Rae1 Timman,J-Garcia
Gonzales,G/Rio de Janeiro izt/1979/] |
|
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[13...Qc7 14.a5
h6
|
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(14...b5 15.axb6
Rxb6 16.f4
Nb8 17.Nc4
Rb4 18.e5
Bf5 19.Qd1
dxe5 20.fxe5
Rxc4 21.d6
Qb7 22.Bxc4
Rxe5 23.Qb3
Qa7 24.Bf4
Re8 25.Nb5
Qd7 26.Nc7 Guliev,S-Pueschel,W/Berlin/1998/) |
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15.b3
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(15.Nc4!?) |
|
15...g5 16.Bb2
Ne5 17.Nd1
Ng6 18.Bc4
Qe7 19.Nc3
Ng4 20.Raa1
Bd7 21.Ne2
N4e5 22.Ng3
Nf4 23.Rfe1
h5 24.Ngf1
Qf6 25.Rab1 Bischoff,K-Luther,T/Altensteig/1995/
25...Qg6!? >>] |
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[13...Ne5!?] |
14.h3
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[14.a5 --> Miles-Konig] |
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14...h6 15.a5
g5 16.Nc4?!
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[16.Re1!?
Ne5 17.Nd1] |
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16...Ne5?!
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[This was a welcome chance for Black:
16...Nxe4!
17.Nxe4 Qxe4
18.Qxe4 Rxe4
19.Bd3 Rd4
20.Be3
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(20.Nxd6 Rxd5
21.Nxc8 Rxc8
22.Be4 Rd6
23.Rb3 (23.Bxb7?!
Rb8 24.Rb3
c4 25.Rb4
Nc5 26.Be3
Nxb7 27.Ba7
Rbd8 28.Rxb7
R6d7 ) 23...c4 (23...b5!?
24.axb6 Rxb6
25.Rxb6 Nxb6 ) 24.Rxb7
Nc5) |
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20...Rxd5 21.Be4
Re5 22.Nxe5
Nxe5 /\Nc4 23.Bd5
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(23.b3 Be6
24.Rd1 d5!) |
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23...Be6] |
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17.Nxe5
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[17.Nb6!] |
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17...Qxe5 18.f4
Qd4+ 19.Kh2
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[19.Kh1? Nxe4 ] |
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19...b5
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[19...Nxe4? 20.Ra4] |
20.axb6 Rxb6
21.e5! This
typical Benoni break is the best move.
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[21.fxg5 hxg5
22.Bxg5 Nxe4] |
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[21.Bf3 gxf4
22.Ne2 Qb4
23.Nxf4 Nd7 ><e5] |
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21...dxe5 22.fxg5
hxg5 23.Bxg5
e4 24.Na4
Rd6 25.Rg3
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[25.Qxc5 Nxd5!
26.Qxd4
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(26.Qxd6? Be5+) |
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26...Bxd4 27.Nc3 ] |
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25...Nxd5 26.Bh5
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[26.Rd1 Qe5
27.Qxc5 Rg6] |
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26...Rf8
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[26...Nf6 27.Be2!
|
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(27.Be3 Nxh5! (27...Qe5?
28.Bf4) (27...Qd3
28.Qf2) 28.Bxd4
Nxg3 29.Kxg3 (29.Bxg7
Nxf1+ 30.Kg1
e3) 29...cxd4) |
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27...Nd5 Black
has hardly anything better than repetition.] |
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27.Nc3 Kh8
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[27...f5? 28.Rd1
Qe5 29.Nxd5
Rxd5 30.Bh6] |
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|
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[27...Be5 28.Bf4+
Kh8 29.Nxd5
Rxd5 30.Bxf7!
Be6 31.Bxe5+
Qxe5 32.Qc1!] |
28.Rxf7! Although this leads to a very
drawish endgame, objectively it promises somewhat more than the unclear
|
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[28.Nxe4 Be5
29.Nxd6 Bxd6
30.Rxf7
|
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(30.Rff3 Be6
31.Rd3 (31.Kh1?
Bxg3 32.Rxg3
Qe5 33.Qf2
Rg8 34.h4
f6) 31...Qe5
32.Qd2) |
|
30...Rxf7 31.Bxf7
Ne3!
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(31...Bxg3+ 32.Kxg3
Qe5+ 33.Kh4) |
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32.Qe2
|
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(32.Bxe3? Bxg3+
33.Kxg3 Qxe3+
34.Kh2 Qf4+) |
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32...Bxg3+ 33.Kxg3
Qe5+ 34.Kf2
|
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(34.Bf4? Nf5+) |
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34...Qxg5 35.Qxe3
Qf6+ 36.Qf3
Qxb2+ 37.Kg1
Qd4+] |
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28...Rxf7 29.Bxf7
Be5
|
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[29...Nb4? 30.Qe2
Be5 31.Qh5+
Kg7 32.Bf4+] |
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[29...Nxc3 30.bxc3
Qe5 31.Qe2
Bf5 32.Bc4] |
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30.Nxd5 Rxd5
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[30...Bxg3+ 31.Kxg3
Rxd5 32.Bxd5
Qxd5 33.Qc3+
Kh7 34.Be3 ><Kh7,o^g,h.] |
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31.Bxd5 Qxd5
32.Qd2!
|
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[32.Be3 Qd6 and
the unpinning will take longer.] |
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32...Qxd2
|
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[32...Qd6 33.Qxd6
Bxd6 34.Bh4
e3 35.Kg1] |
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33.Bxd2 Kh7
34.Bc3
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[34.Be1 /\Kg1=] |
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34...Bf4 35.Be1
e3 36.Kg1
Bxg3 37.Bxg3
a5
|
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[37...Bb7 38.Kf1] |
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38.Bf4 e2
39.Kf2 Bb7
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[39...Ba6 40.Bd6] |
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40.Kxe2
|
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[40.g3 Bg2
41.h4 Bf3] |
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[40.g4 Bg2
41.h4 Bh3
42.g5 Bg4] |
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[White isn't interested in torturing Black anymore with
40.Bd2!?
a4 41.g4 Ba6
42.h4] |
40...Bxg2
1/2-1/2 |
