Ronnie - Schebler, Analysis

[Event "7th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open "]
[White "Lim, Chuin Hoong Ronnie"]
[Black "Schebler, Gerhard"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "2302"]
[BlackElo "2474"]
[Annotator "Jimmy Liew, Ronnie Lim, Mok Tze Meng"]


1. d4 e6 2. c4

{A very unusual 2nd move !}

Bb4+ 3. Bd2 Bxd2+ 4. Qxd2 Nf6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 d5

Game transposes into a Catalan, an opening which seems to be in vogue following Anand's use of this opening in his World title match with Topalov

 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. O-O dxc4 9. a4

Ronnie did his homework before the game. Schebler-Timman,Antwerp InventiChess 2008 went 9. Na3 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Qxd8 Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 Rxd8 13. Nxc4 and Black has an easy game

9... Rb8

A strange looking move, the main idea is to fianchetto the queen bishop to neutralise the white bishop on g2

10. Qc2 b6 11. Rd1 Bb7 12. Qxc4 Bxf3

Although Ronnie saw this, he did not expect his opponent to give up his bishop.

13. exf3

13..Bxf3 Ne5 regains back the bishop

c5 14. Nc3 cxd4 15. Qxd4 Nc5 16. Qe3 Qe7
 
Black appears to have established some equality. His only problem is the c6 square and Ronnie heads straight for it with his knight.
 
17. Nb5 Rfd8

Knowing that the white knight is coming to c6 , yet puts another piece on one of the forking square. Got to admire the guy. However hard to find another move for black

 18. Nd4 Qe8 19. b4

Black probably overlooked or underestimated this move { Nd5 (19... Nxa4 20. b5 Nd5 21. Qa3 Ndc3 22. Rdc1 Rbc8 {and white does not have time for Nc6 due to Ne2+ forking the rook}) 20. Qa3 Nb7 ({Black thought for a long time whether to take the a-pawn}

20... Nxa4 21. Rdc1 ({Ronnie intended} 21. b5 {but
now} Nac3 {as suggested by Mok Tze Meng and black is probably winning}) 21...Nac3 22. Rxc3 Nxc3 23. Qxc3 Rbc8 24. Qb2 Qd7 25. Ne2 Qd2 26. Qxd2 Rxd2 27. Nf4 Rcc2 {given by my Stockfish engine. Black has at least equality here due to the strong rooks})

20. Qa3 Nb7 21. Rac1 Rbc8 22. f4 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Rc8 24. b5 Na5??

 {This is surprisingly a blunder and Ronnie pockets the point with perfect play} (
24... Rxc1+ 25. Qxc1 Nc5 26. a5 Qd7 27. axb6 axb6 28. Qa1 h6  was alright for black)

25. Rxc8 Qxc8 26. Bxd5 exd5 27. Qd6

Black loses the d-pawn due to his back rank weakness

27...h6 28. Qxd5 Qc4

Loses another pawn but alternatives are not appealing 28... Qc7 29. Nc6 Nxc6 30. bxc6 leaves white in complete control

29. Qxc4 Nxc4 30. Nc6 Nb2 31. a5 bxa5 32. Nxa5

More accurate than Nxa7 when black blocks the pawn with Na4

Kf8 33. Nc6 Ke8 34. Nxa7 Na4 35. Nc6 Kd7 36. Ne5+ Ke6 37. Kg2 f6 38. Nc6 Kd5 39. Kf3 Nc5

39... Kc5 40. Ne7 h5 41. Nf5 g6 42. Ne7 Black loses all his king-side pawns

 40. g4 Nd7 41. Ne7+ 1-0