Sergei Rublevsky vs Vugar Gashimov (2008)

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Sergei Rublevsky vs Vugar Gashimov
Karpov Poikovsky (2008), Poikovsky RUS, rd 1, Jul-08
Sicilian Defense: Dragon. Classical Variation General (B72) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jul-09-08		beenthere240: What's they say about the sicilian -- if black can play d5 without adverse consequences he has equalized. In this game 26...d5 was bad --- he loses the pawn, the center, and eventually the game.

Jul-09-08		LivBlockade: I don't understand the idea behind 23...Ra8 followed by 24...Bxb5.

Jul-12-08		Dr. Funkenstein: Beenthere240: But didn't Rublevsky force him to play that advance by creating pressure on the weak d6 pawn? I think it was superb positional play by Rublevsky to constrict his opponent, create a weakness, then exploit it by combining threats on the d5 pawn and the kingside (by striking at the g5 pawn weaking h6 and f7). These threats led to a win of a pawn on the queenside and white's queenside advances much earlier give him the tempo to win the endgame which still had to be skillfully converted. I think this is a fine win for Rublevsky

Jul-14-08		euripides: <Liv> Not sure but perhaps if 23...Bxb5 24.axb5 Ra8 25.Nb4 stops a5. By playing Ra8 first Black deters axb5. Unfortunately, cxb5 turns out also to be very effective. White could meet the game's 23...Ra8 with 24.Nb4 but after 24...Bb7 the possibility of d5 makes the b4 knight look misplaced.

Jul-14-08		Ulhumbrus: The pair of moves 8 Re1 and 10 Bg5 introduces a very interesting idea, namely, that of playing the Karpov attack Bg5 with the move Re1 instead of f4. Are we going to see a revival of the Karpov attack? The pair of moves 10...h6 and 11...g5 disturb the King side pawns and expose Black's King side to attack, even if only later. The move 17...e6 prevents Nd5 and c3, but at a price : it allows White to play Nb5 with tempo, and so to free his c pawn to advance to c4 with tempo. It allows White in fact to attain the Maroczy bind after 18 Nb5 Ba6 19 c4. 24...Bxb4 relinquishes the bishop pair. 25...Ng6 seems inconsistent. Having freed the Ra8 from having to defend the a pawn at the price of the bishop pair, he now omits to play 25...Rac8 26....d5 opens lines in a position where it is White who enjoys a lead in development. An alternative is 26...Be5. 29...Bxd4 prevents Nc6 but it also lets go Black's KB. 31 h4 makes at last a pawn attack against Black's disturbed King side pawn formation. 31...gxh4 shatters Black's King side, but on 31...f5 White does not have to give Black time for ...f4. On 32 hxg5 hxg5 33 Qh5+ forks the Black King and g pawn 34 Rdd4 brings the last piece into the attack. 45 Rxa7 wins a pawn and eventually the ending.

Jul-14-08		euripides: After <26...Be5> one option is 27.Nb4 e.g. Bxg3 (or Rdc8 27.Nc6 and White can gain control of the d file by exchanging twice on e5) 28.Nc6 Qc7 29.Nxd8 Bf4 29.Nc6 Bxd2 30.Qxd2 and d6 is in trouble.

Jul-14-08		Ulhumbrus: In 1977 Karpov introduced the Karpov attack Bg5 against the Dragon variation of the Sicilian defence, and won several games, namely, the games Karpov vs M Gonzalez Angel, 1977 Karpov vs Sosonko, 1977 Karpov vs R Hernandez, 1977 Karpov vs Miles, 1977 Karpov vs R Webb, 1977 The pair of moves 8 Re1 and 10 Bg5 introduces a very interesting idea, namely, that of playing the Karpov attack Bg5 with the move Re1 instead of f4. Are we going to see a revival of the Karpov attack? The pair of moves 10...h6 and 11...g5 disturb the King side pawns and expose Black's King side to attack, even if only later. The move 17...e6 keeps the White Knights out of the squares d5 and f5, and so prevents Nd5 with c3, as well as the move Nf5 following the move Nd4. The move 17...e6 does all this however at a price: it allows White to play Nb5 with tempo, and so to free his c pawn to advance to c4 with tempo. It allows White in fact to attain the Maroczy bind after 18 Nb5 Ba6 19 c4. 24...Bxb4 relinquishes the bishop pair. 25...Ng6 seems inconsistent. Having freed the Ra8 from having to defend the a pawn at the price of the bishop pair, he now omits to play 25...Rac8 26....d5 opens lines in a position where it is White who enjoys a lead in development. An alternative is 26...Be5. 29...Bxd4 prevents Nc6 but it also lets go Black's KB. 31 h4 makes at last a pawn attack against Black's disturbed King side pawn formation. 31...gxh4 shatters Black's King side, but on 31...f5 White does not have to give Black time for ...f4. On 32 hxg5 hxg5 33 Qh5+ forks the Black King and g pawn 34 Rdd4 brings the last piece into the attack. 45 Rxa7 wins a pawn and eventually the ending. <euripides: After <26...Be5> one option is 27.Nb4 e.g. Bxg3 (or Rdc8 27.Nc6 and White can gain control of the d file by exchanging twice on e5) 28.Nc6 Qc7 29.Nxd8 Bf4 29.Nc6 Bxd2 30.Qxd2 and d6 is in trouble.> Taking the variation above, one way for White to go wrong is 30...a6 31 Qxd6? Qxd6 32 Rxd6 axb5 33 axb5?? Ra1+ and White gets mated. On 30...a6 31 h3 is better. Then on 31...axb5 32 axb5 Kg7 33 Qxd6 Qxd6 34 Rxd6 Ra1+ 35 Kh2 Rb1 36 Rd3 Re1 White's extra pawn is doubled and Black has some play of his own.

Jul-14-08		euripides: <Ul> <Taking the variation above, one way for White to go wrong is 30...a6 31 Qxd6? Qxd6 32 Rxd6 axb5 33 axb5?? Ra1+ and White gets mated. On 30...a6 31 h3 is better. Then on 31...axb5 32 axb5 Kg7 33 Qxd6 Qxd6 34 Rxd6 Ra1+ 35 Kh2 Rb1 36 Rd3 Re1 White's extra pawn is doubled and Black has some play of his own.> Nice idea; black has more fight than I thought though White looks better. I seee I wrote move 29 twice in my variation, so the line is <26...Be5 27.Nb4 Bxg3 28.Nc6 Qc7 29.Nxd8 Bf4 30.Nc6 Bxd2 31.Qxd2 a6>. 31.Qb4 or 31.Bd4 are worth considering here. After your <32.h3 axb5 33 axb5 Kg7 34 Qxd6 Qxd6 35 Rxd6 Ra1+ 36 Kh2 Rb1> 37.Nd4 looks promising. But I agree I don't see a conclusive win for White. Maybe in this line White should simply play <26...Be5 27.Nb4 Bxg3> 28.hxg3 when 28...Ne5 (to cover c6) can be met by 29.f4. and 28...Rd7 looks difficult for Black. <24...Bxb4 relinquishes the bishop pair. 25...Ng6 seems inconsistent. Having freed the Ra8 from having to defend the a pawn at the price of the bishop pair, he now omits to play 25...Rac8> I don't think the point of 24...Bxb5 is to free the rook from defending a7 but to alleviate the pressure on d6.After 25.cxb5 Black has to worry about ideas with Bxe5 and Nc6; I think Ng6 and Be5 are intended to counter that.

Jul-14-08		Ulhumbrus: <euripides> < so the line is <26...Be5 27.Nb4 Bxg3 28.Nc6 Qc7 29.Nxd8 Bf4 30.Nc6 Bxd2 31.Qxd2 a6>. 31.Qb4 or 31.Bd4 are worth considering here.> On 31 Qb4 axb5 32 axb5 Ne5 attacks the N on c6 and at the same time sets the same trap as before : 33 Qxd6?? Qxd6 34 Rxd6 Ra1+ and mates. 31 Qd4 could be more troublesome because the Q may go to f6 as well as attacking b6 and on 31...axb5 32 axb5 Ra3 33 b4 Black's R doesn't do much yet, although it may go to b3 following Qxd6. <32.h3 axb5 33 axb5 Kg7 34 Qxd6 Qxd6 35 Rxd6 Ra1+ 36 Kh2 Rb1> 37.Nd4 looks promising. But I agree I don't see a conclusive win for White. > One variation is 37...Ne7 38 Rxb6 e5 39 Nf5+ Nxf5 40 exf5 Rxb3 <Maybe in this line White should simply play <26...Be5 27.Nb4 Bxg3> 28.hxg3 when 28...Ne5 (to cover c6) can be met by 29.f4. and 28...Rd7 looks difficult for Black. > On 28...Ne5 29 f4 gxf4 30 gxf4 White's N on b4 gives Black the opportunity to play 30...d5. One variation is 31 exd5 Qxb4 31 Qxe5 exd5 32 Rxd5 Rxd5 33 Qxd5 Rf8 and White may win although his extra pawn is doubled. <I don't think the point of 24...Bxb5 is to free the rook from defending a7 but to alleviate the pressure on d6.After 25.cxb5 Black has to worry about ideas with Bxe5 and Nc6; I think Ng6 and Be5 are intended to counter that.> After 25...Rac8 26 Nb4 d5 27 Bxe5 Qxb4 28 Bxg7 Kxg7 29 exd5 exd5 30 Rd3 White has the advantage and some attack. Black has disturbed his King side pawns earlier and may pay the price.

Jul-14-08		euripides: <ul> after 32.Qb4 axb5 I had in mind 33.Qxb5 e.g. 33...Rc8 34.Nd4. < On 28...Ne5 29 f4 gxf4 30 gxf4 White's N on b4 gives Black the opportunity to play 30...d5.> I had missed this idea. But 31.Rd4 seems to keep the threats active and win material.

Jul-14-08		Ulhumbrus: <euripides> <after 32.Qb4 axb5 I had in mind 33.Qxb5 e.g. 33...Rc8 34.Nd4.> In this position Black has avoided losing a pawn on d6 and can consider 34...Qc5. < On 28...Ne5 29 f4 gxf4 30 gxf4 White's N on b4 gives Black the opportunity to play 30...d5.> <I had missed this idea. But 31.Rd4 seems to keep the threats active and win material.> It does seem to do so. Black may have to try 28...Rd7 29 Nc6 Qf8

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