Reply #9: Papadapooulos - Aroshidze, Acropolis Open, Athens [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Levan Aroshidze
Photo: website of the 2004 Kavala Open

Ioannis Papadopoulos vs. Levan Aroshidze
Acropolis Open, Round 6
Athens, Augsut 2006

Open Sicilian Game: Najdorf Defense

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6

An alternative is 6. -- e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Nbd7 9. g5 b5. This is akin to the Boleslavsky Defense of the Open Sicilian (5. -- Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nf3 h6 8. 0-0 Be7).

The pawn a e6 keeps White's Knight out of d5, thus the text move is justified in its own right.

7. f3 b5 8. g4 b4 9. Nce2 h6

Black wants to keep White's pieces and the g-pawn away from g5.

If 9. -- e5 10. Nb3 then:

• 10. -- h6 11. Qd2 d5
• 12. 0-0-0 d4 13. Bf2 a5 14. Ng3 a4 15. Bb5+ and Black has more space in the center and queenside, while White's advatages are on the King's wing.
• 12. exd5?! Qxd5 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 14. Bf2 e4 15. Bg2 and an equal game.
• 12. Rd1 d4 13. Bf2 Nc6 14. Bg3 Bd6 15. Bg2 and the position is even.
• 10. -- d5 11. g5 d4 12. Bxd4 exd4 13. gxf6 Qxf6 14. Nbxd4 Qh4+ 15. Ng3 and White is a pawn up, but with an inferior pawn structure and less piece activity.

10. Qd2 e5 11. Nf5 d5 12. g5

The position on the board is level.

12. Bg2 dxe4 13. Qxd8+ Kxd8 14. Rd1+ Kc7 15. fxe4 Nxg4 yields an unclear position; Black's King is exposed, but in a place where he is in no immediate danger and Black's Bishops, although unmoved, have more mobility than White's kingside pieces.

12. -- hxg5 13. Bxg5 Be6

If 13. -- Bxf5 14. exf5 then:

• 14. -- Be7 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. 0-0-0
• 16. -- Nc6 17. f4
• 17. -- Ne7 18. Qxb4 Rb8 19. Qa4+ gives White the advantage owing to his attack on Black's pawn center.
• 17. -- Qc7 18. Qxd5 Rc8 19. Qe4 and White's pieces control the open lines in the center.
• A2 16. -- Bg5 17. f4 exf4 18. Re1 f3 19. Nf4+ and White has the advantage with his control of open lines.
• 14. -- Nbd7 15. f4 e4 16. 0-0-0 Rc8 17. Kb1 with a small advatage fopr White based on his attack on the d-pawn.

14. Neg3 Nc6 15. Ne3

15. exd5 Qxd5 16. Qxd5 Nxd5 17. Bc4 f6 18. Bd2 Nf4 yields a balanced position.

15. -- d4 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. f4 Nd7 18. fxe5

18. Nxe5 Ndxe5 19. fxe5 Qxe5 is level.

18. -- Ncxe5 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Be2

If 20. Qg2?! Rc8 21. Bf4 d3 22. cxd3 b3 then:

• 23. a3 23. -- Qa5+ 24. Bd2 Qd8 25. Nf5 Rc2 26. Qg3 Nc4 would give Black a clear advantage with the Rook hard to dislodge from c2 and the Knight at c4 cannot be taken.
• 23. axb3? Bb4+! 24. Bd2 Qc2
• 25. Bxb4 Nxd3+ and Black wins the Queen.
• 25. Rd1 Bg4 26. Be2 Nxd3+ 27. Kf1 Bh3 winning the Queen.

The position on the board is slightly in Black's favor owing to the pressure his Queen exerts on the c-file and the cramping effect of the b- and d-pawns; White has some compesation in the mobility of his Bishop at g5 and the possibility (not guaranteed) that the Knight will find an outpost on the fifth rank.

20. -- Rc8 21. Nf5?!

If 21. Bf4 then:

• 22. Bxc7 Nxd2 23. Kxd2 Rxc7 24. Bxa6 Bd6 25. Bb5+ is level.
• 21. -- Nc4
• 22. Bxc4? Qxc4
• 23. Rc1 Qxa2 24. Qxd4 Rd8 and White's Queen has few good places to move.
• 23. Ne2 Qxc2 24. Qxc2 Rxc2 25. Nxd4 Rxb2 26. Nxe6 fxe6 and Black is a pawn to the good with superior piece activity.
• 21. -- f6? 22. Bxe5 fxe5 23. Bxa6 Ra8 24. Qd3 and White has an extra pawn, but both sides have chances.

21. -- Bxf5 22. exf5 f6 23. Bf4 Qxc2 24. Qxc2

With a Rook about to plant itself on c2, Black has a strong position

Had White played 24. Qxd4 then 24. -- Rc4 25. Qd2 Qe4 26. Rf1 b3 27. a3 Bxa3 28. bxa3 Rd4 then:

• 29. Qxd4 29. -- Qxd4 30. Rd1 Qe4 and White cannot prevent the Rook coming to h3, threatening to win a piece by placing the stalemated King in check with the Knight.
• 29. Qa5 Nd3+ 30. Kd2 Nxf4+ 31. Kc3 Rh3+ 32. Bf3 Qe3+ 33. Kb2 Rxh2+ 34. Kb1 Qd3+ 35. Kc1 b2#

24. -- Rxc2 25. Bxa6

25. Kd1 Rxb2 26. Bc1 Rxe2 27. Kxe2 d3+ 28. Kd1 Rh5 assure Black a strong position with three pawns and a Knight against a White Rook.

25. -- Rxb2 26. Rf1 Bd6 27. Bb5+

If 27. Kd1 Ke7 28. Re1 then:

• 28. -- Rf2 29. Bg3 Rxf5
• 30. Bb7 Rfh5 31. Rb1 Kd7 -+
• 30. Be2 Ra8 31. Bg4 Rg5 32. h3 b3 and Black's material plus assures him of victory.
• 28. -- Ra8 29. Bc4 Kd8 30. Be6 b3
• 31. Bxe5 Bxe5 32. a4 Bxh2 33. Re2 Rxe2 34. Kxe2 b2 35. Rb1 Be5 and Black's two extra pawns give him all the winning chances.
• 31. a4 Nf3 32. Re2 Rxe2 33. Kxe2 b2 34. Rb1 Bxf4 35. Kxf3 Bc1 imprisoning the Rook.

27. -- Ke7 28. 0-0-0 Rxa2 29. Rxd4 Rb8 30. Kb1 Ra5

If 30. -- b3 31. Rfd1

• 31. -- Ba3! (remember this move!) 32. Ba4 Rb2+ 33. Ka1 Re2 34. Kb1 Rc8
• 35. R4d2 Rxd2 36. Bxd2 Rc2 37. Bf4 Rf2 and Black's two extra pawns loom large.
• 35. Bxb3? Rb8 -+
• 31. -- Rd8 32. Ba4 Rb8 33. Rxd6 Rxa4 -/+

31. Rfd1 Rb6 32. Be2 b3 33. Bc1?

If 33. Rd5 then:

• 33. -- Ra2 34. R1d2 Rxd2 35. Bxd2
• 35. -- g6 36. fxg6 Nxg6 37. Rb5 Rxb5 38. Bxb5 and Black has only a small plus; the game is a likely draw.
• 35. -- Rb7 36. Bc3 Nd7 37. h4 Bb4 38. Bd4 Ba3 and Black's extra pawn may not be enough to convert to a win.
• 33. -- Rxd5?! 34. Rxd5 Rb4 35. Bg3 Kd7
• 36. Kb2 Kc6 37. Bf3 Kd7 38. Bg2 is level and a prbable draw.
• 36. Bxe5?! fxe5 37. Kb2 Rh4 38. Kxb3 Rxh2 and Black has winning chances.

Black: Levan Aroshidze
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White: Iannis Papadapoulos
Position after White's 33rd move

33. -- Ba3!

This move hampers White's ability to defend against the forward march of the b-pawn.

If White now plays 34. Bxa3+ then 34. -- Rxa3 35. R4d2 Rb8 36. h4 Ra4 37. h5 Rf4 nets Black another pawn.

No better is 34. R4d2 Bxc1 35. Rxc1 Rd6 36. Rxd6 Kxd6 37. Rc3 Nc6 38. Rxb3 Rxf5 and Balck will transfer his King to the kingside to assist in the capture of White last pawn the the advance of his own.

Black's centralized King is a huge advantage in the analysis positions, as it is in the text. The game is now won.

34. Bd2 Ra8 35. Rg1

If 35. Bc3 b2

• 36. R4d2 36. Rc8 37. Rc2 Rbc6
• 38. Bxb2 Rxc2 39. Bxa3+ Kf7 and White's material plus gicves him a winning advantage.
• 38. Rxb2 Rxc3 39. Rb7+ R8c7 40. Rxc7+ Rxc7 and Black has won a piece.
• 36. Re4 Bd6 37. Bxb2 Ba3 38. Rd2 Rab8 winning the Bishop.

35. -- Kf7 36. Rd5

36. Bf4 Bc5 37. Bxe5 b2 38. Rd7+ Kf8 39. Bxb2 Bxg1 and Black is up by an exchange and a pawn.

36. -- Bb4 37. Bxb4 Rxb4 38. Rc5

If 38. Kb2 Ra2+ 39. Kc3 Nc6 40. Rd2 b2 then:

• 41. Rb1 Ra3+ 42. Kc2 Nd4+ 43. Rxd4 Rxd4 and if 44. Rxb2 then 44. -- Rh3 threatens pins and kewers after winning another pawn.
• 41. Bh5+ Kf8 42. Rb1 Ra3+ 43. Kc2 Rh3 and 44. -- Nd4+ would be deadly.

38. -- b2 39. Rc7+ Kf8 40. Kc2

40. Rcxg7 Ra1+ 41. Kc2 b1Q+ 42. Rxb1 Raxb1 and Black has won a Rook.

40. -- b1Q+ 41. 0-1

If 41. Rxb1 then 41. -- Ra2+ wins a piece. Papadopoulos resigns.

Levan Aroshidze is a 21-year-old international master who works as the publicity manager for Chess Ambassadors for Peace, a group that organizes charity chess events in his native Georgia. The organization has raised money for flood relief and to fight drug abuse.

Mr. Aroshidze tied for first placed in the Acropolis Open by winning 7 games, more than any other player in the event. No doubt his score entitled to a grandmaster norm.

We hope to hear more of this fine player and fine man in the future.