World Chess Chumpionship
White
Black
Kevin
Haigh v Peake GM
Grunfield
Defence
Game
25
ICC 2 18
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
The Grunfield is an aggressive, sound
defence, more open than the King's Indian and Modern Benoni. All three defences
have the fianchettoed King Bishop - Geoff's favourite.
4. h4 !? Kev's latest line from "New in
Chess". However, it is unlikely to be positionally sound. The point is
that the centre is very fluid and could potentially be blown wide open. A wing
attack like this makes sense in a normal King's Indian where the centre is
under White's control, and he can easily close it with d5. Here this is not the
case. As stated in Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov's book THE ART OF THE
MIDDLEGAME P. 127 " a counter-attack in the centre is the most effective
answer to all the blows of a flank attack." 4. h4's weakness is that it
DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH THE CENTRE . It also leaves White wide open to a
central counter-attack. It cannot, therefore, be regarded as positionally
sound.
....c5 !? The most aggressive reply.
5. dc This is the move recommended by New in
Chess. 5....d4 !
I believe that this is a strong move.
6. Nb5 Obviously forced. To go back to b1
would be garbage. 6....e5
All Black's moves are directed towards the
centre. This moves defends d4 and attacks the c5 pawn. Now White's Knight is
looking misplaced.
7. Nf3 Analysis has shown that this is
probably best. 7....Bxc5
This
prevents Nd6 lines solving White's Knight problem and removing Black's valuable
King Bishop. Now White must beware nasty checks on b4 in the future. Also Black
now has a6 up his sleeve. However he has sacrificied the e5 pawn ... But as
Capablanca remarked "Position
before material" . A concept that
patzers have always found difficult to follow.
Also 7...
Ng4 may well be playable 8. Qa4 Nc6 9. Qa3 Be6 10. e3 b6 11. Nd6 Bxd6 12. cd
O-O -0.44|d16 Tiger 15.0;
8. Nxe5
What else ? White has to worry about e4 otherwise. 8....a6
9. Qa4 Avoiding an ignominious retreat , and
threatening discovered double checks. This position was well known to Kev.
Indeed he had given me analysis with this very position as the main line -
advantage White. That is possibly what Fritz thought as computers are very
materialistic which is a major weakness
- as shown by games they have lost to GM'ss. However my evaluation of the
position was that after Black's next move White is in difficulties.
9... O-O ! Simple is genius.
10.
Nd3 Probably best. Other moves are...
10. Bg5 Bf5 11. Nf3 Nc6
12. Na3 Qd6 13. Qb3 d3 14. ed Rfe8 15. Kd1 Ne4 16. Be3 Nxf2 -0.62|d14 Tiger 15.0;
10. Bh6 Re8 11. Nd3 Bb6 12. Na3 Bd7
13. Qd1 Ne4 14. Nc2 Nc6 15. b3 Qe7 16. a3 Nc3 17. Qd2 -0.48|d14 Tiger 15.0;
10. Bf4 Bf5 11. O-O-O Nc6 12. Nxc6
ab 13. Qxb5 bc 14. Qxc5 Rxa2 15. f3
-0.68|d13 Tiger 15.0;
10. b4 ab! 11. Qxa8 Bxb4 12. Kd1
Na6 13. Bh6 Ne4 14. Nd3 bc 15. Nxb4 Nxf2 16. Ke1 Nxh1 17. Bxf8 Kxf8
-2.38|d15 Tiger 15.0;
These
lines look dubious for White. The h4 pawn is irrelevant . Black’s counter in the centre makes it look a
wasted tempo. White seems to finish with his Q on a4 and N on b5, few other
pieces developed. These pieces are not well placed and there is no clear
positional theme, though White is a
pawn up in some lines.
10 ...Bb6
Now White has to worry about Ba5 check.
11. c5?!
11.
Bg5 Bf5 12. Na3 Nbd7 13. Nc2 Rc8 14. b3 Nc5 15. Nxc5 Bxc5 16. Nb4 Qd6 17. a3
Rfe8 -0.22|d15 Tiger 15.0;
or 11. b4 Bf5 12.
Na3 Nc6 -0.92 d14
or 11.
Qa3 Ne4 12. c5 Ba5 13. b4 ab 14. ba Rxa5 15. Qb2 Nc3 16. Bd2 Be6
-0.14|d16 Tiger 15.0)
Now White's
position deteriorates rapidly.
11... Ba5 Of course.
12. b4 Forced as Bd2 axb5 wins. 12.....ab
13. Qxb5 ?
[13. Qa3 was
the only move but.. Bf5 14. ba Rxa5 15. Qb3 Na6 µ
You only have to glance at the position to see that this is a big
advantage to Black.]
13... Bc7 White is a piece down in a lost position.
14. Bb2 Qd5 Black keeps the pressure on. The point is White's Queen is
in danger of being encircled as the c4 square is now out of use.
15. Nc1 Presumably to give White Qd3 15 .... Nc6 The Knight is coming to e5 preventing Qd3. Almost
all Black's pieces spell danger for White.
16. a3 White fiddles while Rome burns.
16 ....Ne5 The Queen trap is on again.
17. e3 To give the Queen a luft.
17... de This move opens up the White King.
18. fe Nc4 ! Ouch. The Knight leaps in with the deadly threats of Qd2
mate and of Bg3 check, and of Nxb2. How could a position that is supposed to be
advantage White go so wrong ?
19. Bc3
[19. Qxc4 Bg3 20. Ke2 Qxc4;
19. Bxc4 Bg3 20. Ke2 (20.
Kf1 Qd1#) 20... Bg4 21. Kf1 Qd1#]
19... Bg3
White resigns
It's mate next move [20. Ke2 Bg4#]. A cautionary
tale about opening
innovations that break the rules of positional chess.
[...]
[0:1]
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