Polgar, Judit (2670) - Anand, Viswanathan (2770)
Hoogovens (Wijk aan Zee), 01/22/1998
Round 6 [Khalifman]
1.e4 Baburin 1...c5
2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3
e5 7.Nf3 Be7
8.Bc4
Be6 Baburin:
A fashionable line, where both sides fight for control over the critical d5-square.
10.Qe2
[Baburin: Often White plays
10.Bb3 here.
It ma y lead to similar positions as in the game, but White rejects the possibility of developing his
queen to d3. On the other hand, Black may try to play without ...b5. Here are some examples:
10...Nc6
(10...b5 11.Qd3
Nc6 12.Rfd1 Qc7
13.Bg5 Rfd8 14.Bxf6
Bxf6 15.Nd5 Bxd5
16.Bxd5 Rac8 17.c3 Kotronias-De
Firmian, OL Yerevan 1996)
11.Qe2
(11.Bg5 Na5 12.Bxf6
Bxf6 13.Nd5 Nxb3
14.axb3 Bg5 15.Qd3
Bh6 16.Rad1 Rc8
17.Nd2 b5 18.c3
Kh8 19.b4 Ra8
20.Nb3 f5 21.Na5
Rc8
Ivanchuk,V-Kasparov,G/New
York (rapid) 1995)
11...b5 12.Rfd1
Qc8 13.Bg5 Na5
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5
Bd8 16.c3 Nxb3
17.axb3 Qb7 18.Rd3
f5 with good play for Black, as in the
game Isupov-Dvoirys, RUS-Cup9 1997.]
10...b5 11.Bb3
Bxb3? Baburin:
This gives White more control in the centre and must therefore be considered very risky strategically.
Ein schlimmer positioneller Fehler, nachdem Schwarz ohne jedes Spiel bleibt. Auf b3 tauscht man nur,
wenn man sofort d6-d5 spielen kann.
[11...Nbd7?? 12.Bxe6
fxe6 13.Ng5]
[11...h6 12.Rfd1
(12.Ne1 Baburin 12...Nbd7
13.Nd3 Qa5 14.a3
Rfc8 15.Qf3
Qd8 16.h3
Rab8 17.Nb4
Bxb3 18.cxb3
a5 19.Nbd5
b4 20.axb4
axb4 21.Nxf6+
Nxf6 22.Nd5
Nxd5 23.exd5
Bg5 Xie
Jun-De Firmian, San Francisco 1995)
12...Nbd7 13.a3
(13.Nh4 b4
14.Na4 Nxe4
15.Bxe6 fxe6
16.Ng6 Rf6
17.Qg4 d5
18.f3 Ng5
19.Bxg5 hxg5
20.Qxg5 Bd6
21.c4 Qe8
22.Nh4 e4
23.fxe4 Bf4
24.Qg4 Ne5
25.Qe2 Qxa4 Smirin-Sadler,
Ischia 1996)
13...Qe8 14.Ne1
Rc8 15.f3
Nc5 16.Ba2
Bxa2 17.Rxa2
Ne6 18.Nd3
a5 19.Nc1
Nd4?! 20.Bxd4
exd4 21.Nxb5
d5 22.e5!
d3! 23.Qxd3
Bc5+ 24.Kh1
Qxe5 25.Nb3
Be3 26.Re1
Rfe8 27.N3d4
Bxd4?
(27...Nh5! Boensch,U)
28.Rxe5 Rxe5
29.Ra1?! 1/2-1/2 Short,N-Kasparov,G/Horgen
1995/CBM 50/[Boensch,U] (36)
(29.g3 Boensch,U 29...Re1+
30.Kg2 Bb6)
(29.Qf1 Boensch,U Vogt
29...Be3
30.c3 Bd2
31.Ra1 Rce8)]
12.axb3
Nbd7 13.Rfd1
Qc7 14.Bg5 Baburin:
Continuing the same strategy - fight over the outpost on d5. If White will manage to get rid of Black's
knight and place his knight to d5, her advantage will be great. This is what actually happened in the
game.
14...Rfc8
15.Ne1 Pressure
along the c-file against the c2-pawn is Black's common form of compensation for some strategic concessions
he has made by playing ...e5; the text denies Black that kind of counterplay.
15...Qb7
16.Bxf6 Nxf6
17.Nd5 Nxd5
18.Rxd5 Rc5
19.Rad1 Rxd5
20.Rxd5 Rc8
[Baburin: Perhaps, Black should try to fix the c2-pawn by playing
20...b4 although
this move would weaken the light squares further.]
21.c3 b4 Sieht
seltsam aus
[aber nach 21...Rc5 kommt
auch einfach
22.Rd1]
22.c4 g6
23.g3 Rc5
24.Rd1 Baburin:
On d5 White needs a piece, not a pawn! Thus, Polgar avoids ...Rxd5.
24...a5
25.Nc2 Kg7
26.Qd3 Rc6
27.Ne3 Qc8
28.Kg2 Qe6
29.Qe2 Bd8
30.Nd5 Baburin:
With precise play Judit Polgar has achieved her strategic goal - White has the 'eternal' knight on d5
vs. Black's rather poor bishop. As the knight should not just sit on d5, White needs to organise an attack,
in which the knight can take part.
30...Rc5
31.Qe3 Be7
32.Rd3 Bd8
33.Qd2 Rc6
34.Qd1 Kg8
35.h4
Kg7 Baburin: This 'sit & wait' policy
is faulty, as White will always find ways to get through.
[Baburin: Black should have stopped the further advance of White's h-pawn by playing
35...h5]
36.h5 Baburin: Now there is tension
on the kingside. Entsprechend Nimzowitsch's Regel: Die zweite Schwäche entscheidet.
36...Bg5
37.Qf3 Rc8
38.Rd1 Rc6
39.Qe2 Rc8
40.Rh1 Kg8
41.f3 Baburin: White vacates the f2-square,
from where White's queen will threaten both flanks (Qf2-a7 and Qf2-g1-h2).
41...Rb8
42.Qf2 Rb7
43.hxg6
fxg6
[Alas, recapturing with the h-pawn -
43...hxg6 Baburin
is prohibited, as after
44.Qg1 f5
(or 44...Bf6 45.Qh2
Bg7 46.Qh4)
45.Qh2 Bf6
46.Qh6 Bg7
47.Qg5 Rd7
48.Ra1 Black cannot cope with the attack
going on both flanks.]
44.c5 Baburin: Once the position of
the black king has been weakened, White does not mind opening the c-file.
44...dxc5
45.Qxc5 Bd8
46.Rc1 Kf7
47.Qe3
Kg7 48.Rc4
Rd7 49.Qc1
h5 50.Rc6
Rd6 51.Rc8
Qd7 52.Qc5
Kh6 53.Rb8
Bf6
54.Qe3+
Bg5 55.f4
exf4 56.Rh8+
[56.Rh8+ Kg7
57.Qd4+ Bf6
58.Qxf6+ Rxf6
59.Rh7+ Kxh7
60.Nxf6+ Kg7
61.Nxd7]
1-0