March | 2015 | CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

In last months Elite Hotels Open, in Växjö, I played a decent tournament and in the last round I found myself facing the sympathetic Yuri Solodovnichenko, on board 2, with the Black colours. I have lately been working extensively on my repertoire with Black, but with only half an hour to prepare I did, for a moment, lose my confidence and decided to play something that “I know well”, ergo the Modern. I knew that Yuri has a favourite line that I wasn’t afraid of, so it seemed like a good idea. Instead of repeating the this line, my opponent played something that I had previously not even considered as critical. I followed my own recommendation, but after just a few moves my position started to deteriorate, fast, and it became a horrible game for me. It was a hard way to discover a flaw in my views on the Modern, but now I feel obliged to share it with other Modern afficionados:
   [Event "Elite Hotels Open"]  [Site "Vaxjo"]  [Date "2015.02.15"]  [Round "8"]  [White "Solodovnichenko, Yuri"]  [Black "Hillarp Persson, Tiger"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "B06"]  [WhiteElo "2577"]  [BlackElo "2552"]  [Annotator "Tiger"]  [PlyCount "75"]  [EventType "normal"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 a6 5. Be2 b5 6. O-O Bb7 {In "the Modern  Tiger" I wrote that this is the correct move order, but after this game I have  started to doubt myself.} ({I used to think that} 6... Nd7 {was inexact here  due to} 7. d5 {, intending Nf3-d4(-c6), but now I have found that it is not  that dangerous anyway:} Bb7 8. Nd4 Ngf6 {and Black will continue with 0-0 and  then either Ne5, or Qc8, followed by c5. It seems good enough for equality.})  7. e5 {This natural move is quite dangerous for Black and although I believe I  have found something playable for Black here, it still seems to be better to  just play 6...Nbd7.} b4 $6 (7... Nh6 $1 {is the only move here that can hold  the balance. I recommend you to have a serious look at this if you want to  play this line.}) ({I believe I have written - in at least two separate places  in "the Modern Tiger" - that Black should always try to b5-b4 early in the  game and still I broke my own recommendation. Here I just reasoned that it was  impossible for me to play} 7... e6 {due to} 8. d5 exd5 9. e6 $1 fxe6 10. Ng5 {  when White gets a very strong attack with Bg4. Still, I only spent a few  minutes on it and I should have spent a bit more, in which case I believe I  would have found 7...Nh6.}) 8. Na4 e6 9. a3 $1 {White plays very instructively.  Now I'm not able to keep my pawn structure intact which is indeed bad news. (I  believe that the real strength of the Modern is in the structure. As long as  it is intact you can often get away with sacrificing the exchange, or a pawn,  but when the structure is bad, then you cannot get away with anything...)} bxa3  (9... a5 $5 10. axb4 axb4 11. Qe1 Nc6 12. exd6 Qxd6 (12... cxd6 13. d5 $1 {  looks bad for me.}) 13. Be3 Nge7 14. Nc5 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 Bc8 16. c3 O-O {is  worse for Black, but possibly better than what happened in the game.}) 10. Rxa3  {Have a look at this position and promise yourself that you will never have  such a lousy position. ;)} Ne7 11. Bf4 O-O 12. Qc1 {The engine is, for once, a  bit more optimistic about Black's position than it really should be. Normally  in the Modern, the engines favour White heavily, even in positions that are  absolutely fine for Black. (A similar pattern can be seen in the King's Indian)  . However, here the meagre +0,55, that the engine gives, should be at least  half a point higher, if not more.} Nf5 {This is not a move that Black would  like to do (because White can kick it back at any moment with g4), but there  were no good alternatives. I thought that it would at least be nice to have  White weaken (with g4) his kingside a bit. Not that it is much of a weakening  when my pieces are as they are.} ({To illustrate what I mean with "no good  alternatives":} 12... Nbc6 13. Rd1 {and I ask you. What is my next move? Ehhh?}  ) 13. Rd1 h5 $6 ({It was much better to go for} 13... Nd7 $1 {immediately. Then  } 14. g4 (14. c4 Qe7 15. g4 Nxd4 $1 16. Rxd4 Nxe5 {is another bad, but not  completely miserable position for me.}) 14... Ne7 15. exd6 cxd6 16. Bxd6 Nf6  17. Bxe7 (17. Bf4 {is better, although} Nxg4 18. Nc5 {is super messy. From  such a lousy opening, this is the best Black can expect.}) 17... Qxe7 18. Ne5  Rad8 $44 {is actually almost OK for me. I'm a pawn down, but White's pawn  structure is a mess and I have the bishop pair.}) 14. h3 $1 Nd7 15. g4 hxg4 16.  hxg4 Ne7 17. c4 $1 {Very strong move. There is not much I can do to improve my  position.} ({I only expected} 17. exd6 cxd6 18. Bxd6 Nf6 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Ne5  (20. Nc5 $1 Nxg4 21. Qg5 Nf6 22. Ne5 {is better and leaves me struggling.})  20... Ne4 {when I thought White would keep some advantage.}) 17... dxe5 18.  dxe5 Qe8 19. Qe3 Bxf3 {Not a move that I really liked to do, but allowing Ng5  and Qh3, would be suicidal.} 20. Bxf3 Rb8 21. b3 $2 {This slight mistake gives  me a chance to survive a bit longer.} ({Instead} 21. Nc5 Nxc5 22. Qxc5 {,  would have left me defenceless against the threat Bg5, trapping my knight (or  forcing me to further weaken my pawn structure with f7-f6).}) 21... Qc8 ({I  had my eyes on the break} 21... g5 $1 {, but I was slightly short of time and  decided to avoid the c6-e8-pin after} 22. Bg3 Ng6 23. Bc6 $2 {, but I forgot  to calculate one more move:} (23. Qxg5 $1 Ndxe5 24. Be4 f5 25. gxf5 Rxf5 26.  Qe3 Qe7 $5 27. Bxf5 exf5 28. b4 $1 {and White keeps a significant advantage.  Still, this line would force White to come up with a few exact moves.}) 23...  Qe7 $1 {and since the rook on a3 is hanging Black comes out on top. Still,  considering White's alternative on move 23 I would end up in a worse position  anyway.}) 22. Ra2 g5 23. Bxg5 Ng6 24. Be4 ({I was preparing to resign after}  24. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 25. Nc5 Qc8 26. Bf6 {, since there is no defence against Be4  and Qg5.}) 24... Ndxe5 25. Qh3 c6 ({Preparing to play} 25... f5 {, which fails  at the moment due to} 26. gxf5 exf5 27. Bd5+) 26. f4 f5 27. fxe5 fxe4 28. Rh2  $1 Nxe5 29. Qh7+ Kf7 30. Qh5+ Kg8 31. Qh7+ Kf7 32. Qxe4 $6 (32. Bh6 $1 {was  winning more or less immediately. I intended to continue with} Nf3+ 33. Kh1 Rg8  {, but here} 34. Nc5 {is a killer.}) 32... Rxb3 33. Rf1+ $4 {This gives away  all of White's advantage.} ({Still winning was} 33. Rf2+ Kg8 34. Rxf8+ Qxf8 35.  Rd8 Nf3+ 36. Kg2 Nxg5 37. Rxf8+ Kxf8 38. Qxc6 {although this is one more of  those losing variations where Black is not completely without counterchances...  yet.}) 33... Ke8 34. Bf4 (34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. Nc5 Rg3+ 36. Rg2 Rxg2+ 37. Kxg2  Kg8 {is about equal.}) 34... Qd7 $1 35. Rd2 Rxf4 (35... Rg3+ 36. Bxg3 Rxf1+ 37.  Kxf1 Qxd2 38. Bxe5 Bxe5 39. Qxe5 Qd1+ 40. Kf2 Qxa4 41. Qxe6+ Kf8 $11) (35...  Qf7 36. Rdd1 Qg6 37. Qxg6+ Nxg6 38. Nc5 Rb2 39. Bg5 Rxf1+ 40. Kxf1 Rb4 $11) 36.  Qxf4 Rg3+ $2 (36... Nd3 37. Qe4 Qd4+ 38. Qxd4 Bxd4+ 39. Kh1 c5 40. g5 Ne5 41.  Re2 Rh3+ 42. Kg2 Rh5 43. g6 Rg5+ 44. Kh3 Rxg6 $11) 37. Kh1 Rxg4 $4 38. Qxg4 1-0   [Event "Elite Hotels Open"]  [Site "Vaxjo"]  [Date "2015.02.15"]  [Round "8"]  [White "Solodovnichenko, Yuri"]  [Black "Hillarp Persson, Tiger"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "B06"]  [WhiteElo "2577"]  [BlackElo "2552"]  [Annotator "Tiger"]  [PlyCount "75"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 a6 5. Be2 b5 6. O-O Bb7 {In "the Modern  Tiger" I wrote that this is the correct move order, but after this game I have  started to doubt myself.} ({I used to think that} 6... Nd7 {was inexact here  due to} 7. d5 {, intending Nf3-d4(-c6), but now I have found that it is not  that dangerous anyway:} Bb7 8. Nd4 Ngf6 {and Black will continue with 0-0 and  then either Ne5, or Qc8, followed by c5. It seems good enough for equality.})  7. e5 {This natural move is quite dangerous for Black and although I believe I  have found something playable for Black here, it still seems to be better to  just play 6...Nbd7.} b4 $6 (7... Nh6 $1 {is the only move here that can hold  the balance. I recommend you to have a serious look at this if you want to  play this line.}) ({I believe I have written - in at least two separate places  in "the Modern Tiger" - that Black should always try to b5-b4 early in the  game and still I broke my own recommendation. Here I just reasoned that it was  impossible for me to play} 7... e6 {due to} 8. d5 exd5 9. e6 $1 fxe6 10. Ng5 {  when White gets a very strong attack with Bg4. Still, I only spent a few  minutes on it and I should have spent a bit more, in which case I believe I  would have found 7...Nh6.}) 8. Na4 e6 9. a3 $1 {White plays very instructively.  Now I'm not able to keep my pawn structure intact which is indeed bad news. (I  believe that the real strength of the Modern is in the structure. As long as  it is intact you can often get away with sacrificing the exchange, or a pawn,  but when the structure is bad, then you cannot get away with anything...)} bxa3  (9... a5 $5 10. axb4 axb4 11. Qe1 Nc6 12. exd6 Qxd6 (12... cxd6 13. d5 $1 {  looks bad for me.}) 13. Be3 Nge7 14. Nc5 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 Bc8 16. c3 O-O {is  worse for Black, but possibly better than what happened in the game.}) 10. Rxa3  {Have a look at this position and promise yourself that you will never have  such a lousy position. ;)} Ne7 11. Bf4 O-O 12. Qc1 {The engine is, for once, a  bit more optimistic about Black's position than it really should be. Normally  in the Modern, the engines favour White heavily, even in positions that are  absolutely fine for Black. (A similar pattern can be seen in the King's Indian)  . However, here the meagre +0,55, that the engine gives, should be at least  half a point higher, if not more.} Nf5 {This is not a move that Black would  like to do (because White can kick it back at any moment with g4), but there  were no good alternatives. I thought that it would at least be nice to have  White weaken (with g4) his kingside a bit. Not that it is much of a weakening  when my pieces are as they are.} ({To illustrate what I mean with "no good  alternatives":} 12... Nbc6 13. Rd1 {and I ask you. What is my next move? Ehhh?}  ) 13. Rd1 h5 $6 ({It was much better to go for} 13... Nd7 $1 {immediately. Then  } 14. g4 (14. c4 Qe7 15. g4 Nxd4 $1 16. Rxd4 Nxe5 {is another bad, but not  completely miserable position for me.}) 14... Ne7 15. exd6 cxd6 16. Bxd6 Nf6  17. Bxe7 (17. Bf4 {is better, although} Nxg4 18. Nc5 {is super messy. From  such a lousy opening, this is the best Black can expect.}) 17... Qxe7 18. Ne5  Rad8 $44 {is actually almost OK for me. I'm a pawn down, but White's pawn  structure is a mess and I have the bishop pair.}) 14. h3 $1 Nd7 15. g4 hxg4 16.  hxg4 Ne7 17. c4 $1 {Very strong move. There is not much I can do to improve my  position.} ({I only expected} 17. exd6 cxd6 18. Bxd6 Nf6 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Ne5  (20. Nc5 $1 Nxg4 21. Qg5 Nf6 22. Ne5 {is better and leaves me struggling.})  20... Ne4 {when I thought White would keep some advantage.}) 17... dxe5 18.  dxe5 Qe8 19. Qe3 Bxf3 {Not a move that I really liked to do, but allowing Ng5  and Qh3, would be suicidal.} 20. Bxf3 Rb8 21. b3 $2 {This slight mistake gives  me a chance to survive a bit longer.} ({Instead} 21. Nc5 Nxc5 22. Qxc5 {,  would have left me defenceless against the threat Bg5, trapping my knight (or  forcing me to further weaken my pawn structure with f7-f6).}) 21... Qc8 ({I  had my eyes on the break} 21... g5 $1 {, but I was slightly short of time and  decided to avoid the c6-e8-pin after} 22. Bg3 Ng6 23. Bc6 $2 {, but I forgot  to calculate one more move:} (23. Qxg5 $1 Ndxe5 24. Be4 f5 25. gxf5 Rxf5 26.  Qe3 Qe7 $5 27. Bxf5 exf5 28. b4 $1 {and White keeps a significant advantage.  Still, this line would force White to come up with a few exact moves.}) 23...  Qe7 $1 {and since the rook on a3 is hanging Black comes out on top. Still,  considering White's alternative on move 23 I would end up in a worse position  anyway.}) 22. Ra2 g5 23. Bxg5 Ng6 24. Be4 ({I was preparing to resign after}  24. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 25. Nc5 Qc8 26. Bf6 {, since there is no defence against Be4  and Qg5.}) 24... Ndxe5 25. Qh3 c6 ({Preparing to play} 25... f5 {, which fails  at the moment due to} 26. gxf5 exf5 27. Bd5+) 26. f4 f5 27. fxe5 fxe4 28. Rh2  $1 Nxe5 29. Qh7+ Kf7 30. Qh5+ Kg8 31. Qh7+ Kf7 32. Qxe4 $6 (32. Bh6 $1 {was  winning more or less immediately. I intended to continue with} Nf3+ 33. Kh1 Rg8  {, but here} 34. Nc5 {is a killer.}) 32... Rxb3 33. Rf1+ $4 {This gives away  all of White's advantage.} ({Still winning was} 33. Rf2+ Kg8 34. Rxf8+ Qxf8 35.  Rd8 Nf3+ 36. Kg2 Nxg5 37. Rxf8+ Kxf8 38. Qxc6 {although this is one more of  those losing variations where Black is not completely without counterchances...  yet.}) 33... Ke8 34. Bf4 (34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. Nc5 Rg3+ 36. Rg2 Rxg2+ 37. Kxg2  Kg8 {is about equal.}) 34... Qd7 $1 {With very litte time on the clock I  managed to find the best move.} 35. Rd2 $1 {And this is also the best move.  Now I wished I had had more than fourtyfive seconds...} Rxf4 {This is actually  all right, but the follow up is not...} (35... Rg3+ 36. Bxg3 Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1  Qxd2 38. Bxe5 Bxe5 39. Qxe5 Qd1+ 40. Kf2 Qxa4 41. Qxe6+ Kf8 $11) (35... Qf7 36.  Rdd1 Qg6 37. Qxg6+ Nxg6 38. Nc5 Rb2 39. Bg5 Rxf1+ 40. Kxf1 Rb4 $11) 36. Qxf4  Rg3+ $2 (36... Nd3 37. Qe4 Qd4+ 38. Qxd4 Bxd4+ 39. Kh1 c5 40. g5 Ne5 41. Re2  Rh3+ 42. Kg2 Rh5 43. g6 Rg5+ 44. Kh3 Rxg6 $11) 37. Kh1 Rxg4 $4 38. Qxg4 {and I  had to resign.} 1-0
CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

Tiger Hillarp on Chess

Monthly Archives: March 2015

Virtual ascent to 1 dan

A hole in my preparation
