Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Malaysian Chess Championship - Round 2 :Looi, Xin Hao vs Mohd Hafizul Ishak

Looi, Xin Hao  vs Mohd Hafizul Ishak
Malaysian Chess Championship
Round 2, 2019.05.29, Kuantan, Pahang

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3  The Veresov Opening. A favorite of IM Jimmy Liew in the past. He wrote a nice book on this opening
Image result for the veresov jimmy liew

2...e6 3. Bg5 the game tranpose into French Defense after 3. e4 d5

3... Be7 3... d5 again , the game can still transpose into French Defense


4. e4 d6 5. f4 b6 6. Nf3 Bb7 7. Bd3 Nfd7 8. O-O white can choose an aggressive continuation with 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O-O


8... h6 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Nb5 ?!  this look premature. Black can easily protect the c7 pawn and after that kick the knight

11...a6  setting a nice trap for e.g. 12. Nxc7 Ra7 {and the knight is trap after Qd8 or Bc8


12. Na3 c5 13. c3 Nc6 14. Rad1 b5 15. Bb1 Rfd8 16. Nc2 relocate the knight into the center


16...Nf8 ?! black should play  on the queenside with  16... cxd4 17. cxd4 Rac8 follow by
Na5-Nc4 later

17. Qf2 Nb8

it seems that black want to relocated the knight into d7. Interestingly both players have play a fun knight tour  white : Nc3-Nb5-Na3-Nc2 while black Nf6-Nd7-Nf8 and Nc6-Nb8


18.Ne3 Nbd7 19.e5  a double edge move...white open the diagonal for his b1 bishop but at the same
time, black's bishop on b7 also get an open diagonal. 19. d5! seems stronger. Closing the diagonal for black bishop on b7.

19... f5? black is playing with fire.


20. exf6? white should punish black last move with 20. d5 dxe5 21. dxe6 ! e4 (21... exf4 22. Nxf5 Qxe6 23. Rfe1) 22. exd7 exf3 23. Nxf5 Qf7 24. Qg3 with strong attack!

20... Nxf6 21. Rfe1 Ne4 22. Bxe4 Bxe4 23. Qg3 Kh7



This is quite unusual . Understandably black does not want his king on the same file with white's queen but i think it is better to move his queen first from the dangerous  e-file for e.g. white can play 24. d5 !

24.f5 white choose other way to break

24... cxd4 ? black just improve  white knight after  25. Nxd4 with a strong attack

25...e5 26. Ne6 ? tempting but incorrect.


26...Nxe6 27. Qg6+ Kh8 28. Qxe6 Qg5? 28... Qxe6!  29. fxe6 the e-pawn is not dangerous and probably will fall

29. Rxd6 now white is on the driver seat 29... Rxd6 ? 30. Qxd6 Qf4 31. Qd2 



31..Qg5?  31...Rf7 offer better resistence  

32. Nf1 Qxd2 33. Nxd2 Bxf5 34. Rxe5 g6 35. Nf3 Rf8 36. Re7 a5 37. Kf2 a4 38. Ke3 Bb1 39. a3 g5 40. Nd4 Rf1 41. Kd2 Ba2 42. Re1 Rf2+ 43. Re2 Rf1 44. Nxb5 Bc4 45. Re8+ Kg7 46. Nd6 Bb3 47. Re1 Rf2+ 48. Re2 Rf1 49. Ke3 Rd1 50. Rd2 Re1+ 51. Kd4 Kf6 52. Ne4+ Ke7 53. c4 Bxc4 54. Nxg5 Bb3 55. Ne4 Rc1 56. Nc3 Kd6 57. g3 Rf1 58. Rf2 Rg1 59. Rf6+ Ke7 60. Rxh6 Rg2 61. Rh4 Rxb2 62. Re4+ Kf6 63. Re2 Rxe2 64. Nxe2 Kg5 65. Nf4 Kg4 66. Ke3 Bc2 67. Kf2 Kf5 68. Kf3 Be4+ 69. Ke3 Bc2 70. h3 Ke5  71. g4 Kf6 72. h4 Bd1 73. Ne2 Ke5 74. g5 Kf5 75. Nd4+ Kg6 76. Kf4 Bb3 77. Ne2 Kh5 78. Kg3 Kg6 79. Kg4 Be6+ 80. Kf3 Bd5+ 81. Kf4 Kh5 82. Kg3 1-0

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