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FEATURED GAME
3-29-99
Shabalov-Zamora |
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| ��� This month's featured game is one from the National Chess Congress played in Philadelphia last November. The game is a sharp tactical battle between one of our highest rated GM's (Shabalov) and one of our promising younger masters (Zamora aka Sammour-Hasbun). This game features a complicated theoretical Queen sacrifice and some extremely sharp tactical play. Try to follow along...enjoy! |
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White: Shabalov, A.
Black: Zamora, J. (aka Sammour-Hasbun, J.)
Event: National Chess Congress (Philadelphia)
Date: Nov. 98 |
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1. d4� d5
2. c4� c6
3. Nf3� Nf6
4. Nc3� e6
5. Bg5� dxc4
6. e4� b5� Zamora is not afraid to venture into sharp tactical lines.
7. e5� h6
8. Bh4� g5� This may not look good for Black, but this is all theory.
9. Nxg5� hxg5
10. Bxg5� Nbd7� Black has traded an extra queenside pawn for an open kingside...good?
11. exf6� Bb7 |
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| 12. g3� Qb6� Here I thought c5!? was good for Black (threatening Bxh1) and could not find a good refutation for White, for�� example. 13. d5?� b4! or 13. f3� cxd4! and White has no good way to recapture cannot the d-pawn (a. 14. Qxd4� Bxf3!� 15. Rg1� Bc5!� b. 14. Nxb5?� Qa5+!) Relatively best appears to be the not-so-good 13. Rg1� cxd4� 14. Qxd4(the knight cannot take the b-pawn because of Qa5+) Bc5� 15. Qd1� Rxh2 and White appears to be in a bind. |
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13. Bg2� 0-0-0
14. 0-0� Ne5� White must choose between his d-pawn or his Queen. |
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15. dxe5!� Rxd1� If 15. Ne2 then Nd3! and the d-pawn dies anyway while giving Black a strong knight.
16. Raxd1� b4
17. Ne4� c5
18. Bf4� a5
19. Rd2� a4� Black races to get his pawn roller in motion while White plays for dominance on d-file.
20. Rfd1� Bd5� Black tries lock White out. |
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| 21. Rxd5!!� exd5� What's this? White has sacrificed the exchange and the Queen! Brilliant move! This move turns out to be the fatal blow which is why it gets 2 asteriks. |
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22. Ng5!� d4� White's text move is much stronger than 22. Rxd4.
23. Nxf7� Rg8 Rh7 might have been a little better for Black. Notice how passive Black's pieces are.
24. Bh3+� Kb7
25. e6� b3
26. axb3� cxb3� Taking the b-pawn with the Queen is bad for Black.
27. e7� Bxe7
28. fxe7� Qg6
29. Nd6+� Kc6
30. Re1� a3� Black makes a last gasp at breaking through on Queenside
31. Nc4! 1-0 and Zamora gave up in view of the threat of Ne5+ which wins the a-pawn and snuffs out any chances for Black. (Qh7 threatening the light-squared bishop obviously does not save anything.) |
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