Reply #8: Krush-Noritsyn, Category 9 Tournament, Montreal [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Irina Krush
Photo: website of the Women's World Chess Championship, 2006

Irina Krush vs. Nikolay Noritsyn
International Cat 9 Tournament, Round 2
Montreal, August 2006

West India Game: King's Indian Defense

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 g6 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 Bg7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. Bd3 e5 8. 0-0 Nh5

An equalibrium can also be established with 8. -- b6 9. b3 a6 10. Bb2 Nbd7 11. a3 Nh5.

9. Re1

9. Bg5

• 9. -- Bf6 10. Bh6 Bg7 11. Be3 Nd7 12. Ne1 Ndf6 with equality (Hausrath-Oliwa, Posnan, 1995)
• 9. -- f6 10. Be3 a6 11. Ne1 Qe8 12. Be2 with an even game (Verat-Bellas, Paris Op, May 1991)

9. -- Nf4 10. Bxf4

10. Bf1 Nd7 11. a3 a6 12. Rb1 Nf6 13. b4 and a level position (Edzgveradze-Shulman, EUch, Holon, Nov 1995).

10. -- exf4 11. e5 dxe5 12. Nxe5 Nd7

If 12. -- Re8 then 13. Nf3 Bg4 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. Be2 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Qe4 and White has held against Black's encroachment.

13. Nf3 g5 14. Bf5

14. Qc2 h6 15. Rad1 g4 16. Nd2 Ne5 17. b3 f3 18. gxf3 gxf3 19. Nce4 is level.

14. -- Bxc3 15. bxc3 Qf6 16. Qd3 h6 17. h4

17. Rad1 Rd8 18. d6 Kg7 19. Bg4 Rb8 20. a3 Nf8 21. Bxc8 Rbxc8 leaves White with a small advantage owing to the passed d-pawn.

17. -- Rd8 18. Re2 b5

White's centralized pieces give her a better game after 18. -- gxh4 19. Rae1 Nf8 20. Re5 Ng6 21. Bxg6 fxg6 22. Nxh4 g5 23. Nf5.

19. cxb5 c4 20. Qc2 Nb6 21. Bxc8

21. Bh7+ Kg7 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Be4 g4 24. Nd4 Qh4 25. Ree1 is even.

21. -- Raxc8 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Re5

If 23. Rae1 Rxd5 24. a4 Kg7 25. a5 g4 then:

• 26. Nd4 Rh5 gives Black an initiative.
• 26. axb6 Qh6 27. Ng5 Rh8 (threatening mate on h1) 28. Nh3 gxh3 gives Black serious winning chances.

23. -- Rxd5 24. Rae1 Rcc5 25. Re8+ Kg7 26. Nd4 Nc8?

Black passively protects a pawn that is not under direct attack and loses.

Correct is the more active 26. -- Re5, which cuts off the communcation between the Rook at e8 and the rest of White's forces: 27. a4 Rxe8 28. Rxe8 Re5 29. Rxe5 Qxe5 30. a5 Nd5. With the exchanges, Black's defesive burden is much relieved and the game is level.

27. Qe2 f3

If the last move wasn't a blunder, this would have been. Black gets nothing in return for the pawn sacrifice. Although White still has a strong game, better is 27. -- Nd6 28. Re7 Kh6 29. a4 Nc8 30. Rb7 Re5.

28. Qxf3 Qxf3 29. gxf3 Kf6

If 29. -- Rc7 30. a4 then:

• 30. -- Kf6
• 31. Rh8 Ne7 32. Kg2 Nf5 33. Nxf5 Kxf5 34. Rhe8 and White's queenside pawn majority gives her a strong Rook-and-pawn ending.
• 31. Kg2 Re7 32. R8xe7 Nxe7 33. Re4 and Black's Rooks are tied to his weak pawns while White attacks.


• 30. -- Nb6 31. Ra1
• 31. -- Rdd7 32. Nf5+ Kf6 33. Ne3 +/-
• 31. -- Rcd7 32. a5! Rxd4 33. cxd4 Nd5 34. Rc8 +-

White also wins after 29. -- Nd6 30. R8e7 Nc8 31. Rb7 and her queenside majority and piece activity give White a winning game.

30. a4 Nb6 31. Ra1 Rd7 32. Nc6 Rf5 33. a5 Nd5

Black: Nikolay Noritsyn
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White: Irina Krush
Position after Black's 33rd move

34. b6!!

The victory is now secure. Either the pawn queens or Black will lose naterial stopping it.

If Black plays 34. -- a6, then 35. Nb8 Rb7 36. Nxa6 Nxc3 37. Rc8 and now:

• 37. -- Nd5 38. Rxc4 Kg7 39. Rc5 Kg6 40. Rd1 Nf4 41. Rd6+ f6 42. Rc7 +-
• 37. -- g4 38. Nc5 gxf3 39. Nxb7 +-; 37. -- Nb5 38. Nc5 Na7 39. Ne4+ Kg6 40. bxa7 Rxa7 41. a6 +-
• 37. -- Ne2+ 38. Kf1 Nd4 39. Nc5 Rxc5 40. Rxc5 Nxf3 41. Rd1 +-

34. -- axb6 35. a6 Nc7

Also futile is 35. -- Nxc3 36. a7 Rxa7 37. Nxa7 Rxf3 38. Rb8 Ne4 39. Rxb6+.

36. a7 Rc5 37. Rc8!

Even with the ensuing exchanges, in which White sacrifices a Rook, she emerges with a Queen to a Rook.

37. -- Rxc6 38. Rxc7 Rcxc7 39. a8Q Rd3 40. Ra6 Rd6

40. -- Rd1+ 41. Kg2 Kg7 42. Rxb6 Rc5 43. Qe8 Rcd5 44. Rb8 is no better.

41. Rxb6 Rxb6 42. Qd8+

White wins a Rook. The rest of the game requires no comment.

42. -- Re7 43. Qxb6+ Re6 44. Qd4+ Ke7 45. Qxc4 Re5 46. Qc6 Re6 47. Qd5 f6 48. c4 Rd6 49. Qb5 Rd1+ 50. Kg2 Rc1 51. c5 Ke6 52. Qc6+ Ke7 53. Qd6+ 1-0