Sumant Subramaniam - Jonathan Koh

Below is one of the interesting game from the recently concluded Malaysia- Singapore Annual Match. The game was won by Singaporean  - Jonathan Koh (photo below)  against Malaysian - Sumant Subramaniam. Both are 17 years old.

Sumant Subramaniam (2058) - Jonathan Koh (2189) 
2010 Malaysia-Singapore, Game 1 (Classical) 16.2.2010


Analysed by Hairulov and Fritz


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Bg5 e6 9. O-O-O Be7 10. Rhe1 O-O 11. Qd2 Qc7 12. Nd4 Rfd8 13. f3 a6 14. g4 Be8 15. h4 b5 

 16. Be3?! Look like a waste of tempo. White want to push g5 but black can reply with Nh5 blockading and slowing white`s king side pawn break.  Theory recommend 16. Kb1 b4 17. Nce2 a5 18. Ng3 Rdb8 19. Nh5 Nxh5 20. gxh5 Bf8 21. Rg1 Qc8 22. Bf6 g6 23. f4 16... b4 17. Nce2 d5 18. e5 Nd7! 18... Qxe5?? 19. Bf4 and black`s queen is trap


19. f4 Nb6 Black threatening 20...Nc4 next 


20. b3 a5 21. f5 a4

Who`s faster? white`s kingside attack or black`s queensiede attack?

 22. Kb1 axb3 23. cxb3 Of course taking with the a-pawn 23. axb3 ?? would commit sucide after 27...Qa7

23... Qxe5! Black`s take the bull by it horn! 


24. Bf4 Qe4+ 25. Nc2 ? 25. Ka1 is the correct move however black still have the advantage if he can find- 25...Nc4!! 26. bxc4 dxc4 


25... e5 25... d4! is stronger. The idea is to (i) create room for black`s queen to retreat and attack via the a-file (ii) use the d5 square as a strong outpost for black`s knight 26. Nexd4 Qb7 27. Nxb4 Qa7 


26. Ned4

Black stll have the upperhand after 26. Nc1 exf4!


26... exd4 ?? with this move Black loses his initiative 26... exf4 !! 27.Rxe4 dxe4 and black have many deadly threat for e.g (i) Nd5-Nc3+ (ii) e3 etc... 

27.Rxe4?? Unfortunately, white return the favour. White win after 27. Bc7!  for e.g 27...Qxg4 28. Bxd8 Rxd8 29. Rxe7 clearly winning for white 


27... dxe4  Black is quenless but as Izz Saifuddin told me, it`s not about how many  piece do you have but how many square do you control . In this case black`s control over  the d5 and c3 square gave him winning advantage. 


28. Bc7 Nd5! Black doesn`t mind giving his rook. 


29. Bxd8 Rxd8 30. Re1 e3 White`s can`t do anything to safe the position . 


31. Qh2 Bc5 32. Rd1 A mistake but white`s is lost anyway.  


32... Nc3+ 33. Kc1 d3 0-1  White`s resign . 

Possible continuation is 34. Nxe3 Bxe3+ 35. Rd2 Ra8 36. Qe5 Nxa2+ 37. Kd1 Nc3+ 38. Kc1 Ra1+ 39. Kb2 Rb1# checkmate