Chek Kin Keuw vs Muhammad Khairul Hafiz Bin Hassan : 2011 MASUM chess team event

I received an email from Chek Kin Keuw who want to share a game he played in the recently conclude 2011 MASUM team chess event held from 18th -30th June 2011 in Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang Selangor.  


Below is the game annotated by Kin Keuw and yours truly. 

Chek Kin Keuw (NR1618) vs Muhammad Khairul Hafiz Bin Hassan(NR1763)

MASUM chess team event

Date: 27/6/2011

Time control : 1 hour 30 min

Analysed by Chek Kin Keuw and Hairulov+Houdini in italic

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 Hairulov: Black can return back the pawn for development with 3...Nf6 and play might continue with 4.e5 Nd5 5.cxd4 d6! to undermine white's center pawns 

4. Nxc3 The start of morra gambit (Sicilian Smith Morra Gambit ) 

4...Nc6 5. Nf3 g6 6. Bc4 Bg7  It is my 1st time to play in this position

7. Bf4 I consider 7.Qe2 here but 7.Bf4 give black more hard time as if he plays 7....d6 then 8.e5!

Hairulov: I don't think 7.Qe2 is nessasary . 7.Bf4 is a fine move but theory give 7.e5! as the main line. Black will have a hard time if he took the e5 pawn for e.g. 7...Nxe5? (7... Bxe5? also lost after  

8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Qd5+ e6 10. Nxe5+ Ke8 11. Nxc6 exd5 12. Nxd8 Kxd8 )   8.Nxe5 Bxe5 9. Bxf7+! Kxf7 10.Qd5+ e6 11.Qxe5 with clear advantage

7...Qa5 I expecting this move when play Bf4.  

Hairulov: Actually there is nothing wrong with 7...d6 for e.g. after 8.e5 black can simply took the pawn with 8...dxe5 without worrying losing the right to castle after 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. 0-0-0+ Ke8 and black two pawn advantage is good enough to win . Black doesn't need to castle in this queenless position. 

8. 0-0 Bxc3?! Give up his dark square bishop to weaken my pawn structure. Black should play 8...Nf6 here and i would continue with 9.e5

9. bxc3 Nf6 10. e5!

10...Nh5 No castle for him. White must play very accurately from now on. If he moves Ne4, I plan 11.Re1 Nxc3 12. Qb3 and Bd2 next or 11...Nc5 simply 12. Bh6 probably. If 10...Ng4, i plan 11.Qe2 and may be h3 later on.

Hairulov: black can set a nice trap with 10...Ne4! and after 11.Re1 Nxf2!? and white can't take the knight for e.g. 11.Kxf2? Qc5+ 12.Be3 Qxc4 and it's black who have the last laugh

11. Bh6 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Re1 Qf6? A mistake. 13...Qc5 is a better move according to Fritz 11. After 13...Qc5, i plan 14. Qb3 to keep building up the pressure. He not dare to take the third free pawn with 13...Qxc3 because i will play 14. Rc1 next and White initiative is simply too strong.

14. Qd2

A good move. Threatening Bg5 and connecting the rooks. I feel i have a clear advantage at this point.

14...e6 15. g4! 

Taking advantage of the black knight position. May be he misses this move. 

Hairulov: I think 15.g4?! unnecessarily   exposed white's defense. Black can play 15...g5! and after 16.Bg5 Qg7 black have some counter play although i agree with Kin Keuw that white still hold the upperhand. However the question is why give your opponent a counter play?

15...Ng7? The decisive mistake. Here Fritz suggests 15...g5 16.Bxg5 Qg7 though white still has clear advantage.

16. g5 Qf5 He hope i will take his knight on g7 but of course i won't. 

17. Qd4! 17. Bxg7?? and black escaped with a perpetual with 17... Qg4+! 18. Kh1 Qf3+ 19. Kg1

Qg4+ 20. Kh1 (20. Kf1? Qxc4+ and black has the advantage ) 20... Qf3+

No escape for him! The only winning move. Controlling g4 and threatening Bxg7 next.

17...Rg8 18. Bd3! An effective intermediate move. I don't like 18. Bxg7 Rxg7 19. Qxg7 Qxg4+ etc.    Hairulov: 19.Qxg7?? is a blunder because black will escape with a perpectual after 19...Qxg4+ 20.Kh1 Qf3+ etc....

18...Qf3?! Black is busted anyway but this move worsen his position. I expecting 18...Qa5 19.Bxg7 Qxg5 Kh1 etc. I happy to see his Qf3 move.

19. Bxg7 Rxg7 20. Re3! Another intermediate move. Of course not 20. Qxg7? which allow him to play 20...Qxd3

20...Qh5 21.Qxg7?! Here i miss the cruel computer move 21. h4! follow by Be2 trapping the queen. But white is winning anyway.

21...Qxg5+ 22. Rg3 Qh4 Protecting his pawn on h7.

23. Qe5 Queen centralization!

23...h5 A pointless move.

24. Bxg6! Last ingenious move to end the game.

24...fxg6 25. Rxg6 Kd8 26. Qd6 I think Black should resign here. The rest of the game is a matter of technique.

Hairulov: white is totally winning. White have a stronger move 26.Rg8+ Ke7 27.Rd1! Threatening 28.Qxg7++ mate. 

26...Qe7 27. Rg8+ Qe8 28. Rxe8+  Kxe8 29. Rd1 b6 30. Rd4 Kf7 31. Rf4+ Kg6 32. Qf8 Bb7 33. Qf7+ Hairulov: Quicker is 33.Rf6+ Kg5 34.Qg7+ Kh4 35.Qg3++ checkmate  


33....Kh6 34. Rf6+  1-0 Hairulov: Black resign because he will be mate after 34...Kg5 35.Qg6+ Kh4 36.Qg3++ mate. Nice game Kien Keuw!