Raymond Keene

Witschcraft | 7 March 2013

• From magazine issue: 09 March 2013

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  Raymond Keene

  Witschcraft | 7 March 2013

  

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Nimzowitsch-Asztalos: Bled 1931; English Opening

1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 c5 3 g3 Nc6 4 Bg2 e6 5 Nh3 Nimzowitsch tries something unusual instead of the normal 5 Nf3. 5 … Be7 6 d3 d6 7 0-0 0-0 8 Nf4 a6 9 b3 Qc7 10 e3 Rb8 11 a4 b6 12 d4 White has expanded in the centre whilst preventing the black freeing moves … b5 and … d5. 12 … Nb4 13 Ba3 Bb7 14 d5 e5 15 Nd3 Nxd3 16 Qxd3 Rbe8 17 Rae1 Nd7 18 e4 White obviously wants to prevent … f5. Black’s next is directed at inhibiting White from the advance f2-f4. 18 … Bf6 19 Bc1 Re7 20 Bd2 Rfe8 21 Ra1 Nimzowitsch ‘threatens’ the advance a4-a5 and panics Black into his response. 21 … a5 This is a blunder by which Black robs himself of any potential counterplay on the queenside. Now White has a free hand to build up his kingside initiative. 22 Rae1 Qd8 23 h4 Nf8 24 Qf3 Ba6 25 Bh3 White is manoeuvring to prevent Black from being able to play … g6, …Bg7, … Bc8 and … f5. 25 … Ra7 26 Kg2 Be7 27 Rh1 Ra8 28 Nd1 Ra7 29 Ne3 Ra8 30 Reg1 Ra7 (see diagram 1) 31 Kf1 White has completed his kingside manoeuvres successfully and now relocates his king prior to further advances. 31 … Qb8 32 Ke1 Bd8 33 Kd1 Be7 34 Kc2 Qc7 35 Bc3 Rea8 36 Qe2 Black was toying with the idea of … b5, meeting cxb5 with … Bxb5 and after axb5 then … a4 with counterplay. The queen move shuts down this plan. 36 … Qd8 37 f4 All the preparations have been made and now White advances. 37 … f6 38 Be6+ Nxe6 39 dxe6 Bb7 40 Qd3 Qe8 41 f5 Bc6 42 g4 Kh8 43 Rg3 Rb8 44 Rhg1 Rab7 45 Bd2 Rd8 46 Nd1 White relocates the knight to completely kill any … b5 ideas. 46 … Rbb8 47 Nc3 Rdc8 48 Qe2 Rb7 49 g5 Rd8 (see diagram 2) 50 g6 If now 50 … h6 White continues 51 Bxh6 gxh6 52 g7+ Kg8 53 Rg6 planning Qh5. 50 … Bf8 51 gxh7 Kxh7 52 Rg6 Black resigns White will win easily with h4-h5.

This coming week, the Candidates tournament starts in London to decide the challenger to Anand’s throne. The full list of participants in rating order is as follows, with Carlsen being the hot favourite: Magnus Carlsen (2,872), Vladimir Kramnik (2,810), Lev Aronian (2,809), Teimour Radjabov (2,793), Alexander Grischuk (2,764), Vasyl Ivanchuk (2,758), Peter Svidler (2,747) and Boris Gelfand (2,740).