The Incredible Haq (Hulk)

Abdul Haq (Hulk)  Muhammad who is playing for UKM team produced an incredible play in the second round of the 3rd DATCC Team Event held last Wednesday. He beat  - Ian Udani who play  board 1 for  Team AU.

Ian Udani (left) lost to Abdul Haq 

Ian Udani   vs Abdul Haq Muhammad
3rd DATCC Team Event, Round 2, 31.3.2010

Analysed by Hairulov and Fritz

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 Ian choose the Exchange variation. A rather solid variation of the Queen Gambit Declined. In the past, he always choose to fianchetto his kingside bishop and play a Catalan setup.


4...exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Qc2 O-O 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. e3 h6 9. Bh4 c5 

10. Be2 10. dxc5  White can choose to play against black isolated d-pawn with 10... Nxc5 11. Be2 Be6
12. O-O Rc8 13. Qb1 Nfe4 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Nb5 Bg4 16. Qd1 a6 17. Nbd4


10... b6 Now the game transpose into the Tartakower variation. 


11. O-O Bb7 12. Rfd1 Ne4 13. Bxe7 13. Nxe4?! dxe4 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 


13... Qxe7 14. dxc5 Nxc3 15. Qxc3 bxc5  Black has new hanging pawns: c5+d5  


16. Bb5 16. Qa3 a6 17. Rac1 


16... Nf6 17. Rac1 Rfc8 After the game i suggest  17... Rac8 18. Qa3 Ba8?!  Better according to Fritz is 18... Rc7 19. Qxa7 Ra8 20. Qb6 Rxa2  


18. Qe5  Ian is in a mood to play a simple game by exchanging queen and pieces. Probably his idea is to target black`s hanging pawn (c and d pawn) 


18...Kf8! Haq wisely choose a better way to exchange the queen. It`s like his saying to his opponent ` you are the want who ask for queen exchange not me`  


19. Qxe7+ Kxe7 Black improve his king position 


20. Nd2 a5 21. Nb1 Ba6 22. Bxa6 Rxa6 23. Nc3 Ke6 24. Na4 White pressure on c5 was easily parried by black 


24...Rac6 25. f3  White also think it`s a good time to improve his king position. 


25...Nd7 26. Kf2 f5 27. Rc2 Nf6 28. Rdc1 Nd7 29. Ke2 g5 30. Rc3 f4 Black gets more space 30...
c4!? With the idea of Ne5-Nd3 seems a good choice


31. Kd2 Kd6 32. Re1 32. b3 Re8


32... Ne5 33. b3 Controls c4


33...d4 33... c4 !?


34. exd4  cxd4 35. Rxc6+ Rxc6 Black has a new passed pawn: d4 


36. Nb2 Kd5 37. Rc1?  37. Nd3! blockading the black passed pawn should be considered Nxd3 38. Kxd3 Rc3+ 39. Kd2  Black has slight advantage due to his space advatage but he will find its hard to make progress. 


37... Rxc1  38. Kxc1 g4! 39. fxg4 Nxg4 

40. Kd2 Probably Ian missed that after 40. h3? Ne3   the g pawn will fall 40... Nxh2 40... Ne3! also strong for e.g 41. Ke2 Ke4 42. Nd3 $17 Nxg2 43. Nc5+ Kf5 44. Nb7 Ne3 45. Nxa5 Ke4


41. Ke2 Ke4 42. Nd3 Ng4 43. Nc5+ Kd5? 43... Kf5! 44. a3 Ne3 45. b4 axb4 46. axb4  Nd5 47. Kd3 Nxb4+ 48. Kxd4 Nc2+ 49. Kd3 Ne1+ 50. Ke2 Nxg2 


44. Nd3  Ne3?!  44... Ne5 45. Nxf4+ Ke4 


45. Kf3 Nxg2!? According to Abdul Haq, white have about 2 minutes left after his 45th move so he choose to make a practical sacrifice to confuse Ian. 


46. Kxg2 White wins a piece but black has three passed pawn.  46...Ke4 

47. Nc5+??  0-1 White lost on time. White should have played 47.Nf2 Ke3 48.a3 d3 49.b4 axb4 50.axb4 and white have to abandon his isolated passed pawn and stop white passed pawn on the queen side which would  end the game in a draw for e.g 50...Kd4 51.b5 Kc5 52.Nxd3 Kxb5 = . The final move 47.Nc5?  is a blunder because after 47...Ke3  Black will win the pawn race for e.g  48. a3 h5 49. b4 axb4 50. axb4 h4 51. b5 f3+ 52. Kg1 h3 53. Nd3 Kxd3 54. b6 Ke3 55. b7 f2+ 56. Kh2 f1=Q win