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 O-O 9.O-O

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 Schwдche 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]

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Created with PGNtoJS

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 O-O 9.O-O 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 Schwдche 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]
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