Li Tian's win analysed

[Event "Campomanes Memorial "]
[Site "Brunei"]
[Date "2012.04.11"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Oliver Barbosa"]
[Black "Yeoh Li Tian"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D12"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.e3 ¥f5 5.¤c3 e6 6.¤h4 ¥e4  



The bishop forces white's next weakening move.  

7.f3 ¥g6 8.£b3 £b6 9.¤xg6 hxg6 10.¥d2 ¤bd7 11.0–0–0 ¥e7  

Li Tian theory is not the most up to date. This is an older move. whereas ...£xb3 is played nowadays 

12.g4  

The good thing about not being up on the latest theory. Your opponent is also out of his preparations. This aggresive looking move is not the best. It is not easy to start an attack on the king-side. White should aim to play in the centre with a e4 or d5 push at some stage. 

12...£c7  

[The correct move is  12...£xb3 13.axb3 g5 14.¥e2 ¦h3 15.e4 dxe4 16.fxe4 e5 17.dxe5 ¤xe5 18.¥xg5 ¤fxg4 and black already better 19.¥f4 ¥c5 20.¦hg1 ¥xg1 21.¦xg1 ¦h4 22.h3 ¦xh3 23.¥xg4 ¦xc3+ 24.¢b1 ¤g6 25.bxc3 ¤xf4 26.¢c2 ¢e7 27.c5 b6 28.¦d1 ¦d8 29.¦a1 bxc5 30.¦xa7+ ¢f6 31.¥d7 ¦h8 32.¥xc6 ¦h2+ 33.¢b1 ¤e2 34.¢c2 ¤d4+ 35.¢d3 ¦h3+ 36.¢c4 ¤e2 37.e5+ ¢xe5 38.¦e7+ ¢d6 39.¦xe2 ¢xc6 40.¦e7 ¦f3 41.¦e8 g5 42.¦c8+ ¢b6 43.¦b8+ ¢c7 44.¦g8 f6 45.b4 cxb4 46.cxb4 ¢d6 47.¦d8+ ¢e7 48.¦d4 ¦h3 49.¦d1 f5 50.b5 ¦h8 51.b6 ¦c8+ 52.¢b5 f4 53.b7 ¦b8 54.¢c6 ¢e6 55.¦b1 f3 56.¢c5 ¢e5 57.¢c4 f2 58.¦f1 ¦xb7 59.¦xf2 ¢e4 60.¦g2 ¦c7+ 0–1 (60) Cmilyte,V (2452)-Hector,J (2570)/Wijk aan Zee 2003/CBM 093]  

13.h3 

 [13.cxd5 ¤xd5 14.¢b1 a5 15.e4 ¤xc3+ 16.¥xc3 0–0]  


13...a6 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.¢b1 ¤b6 

 [I would have preferred 15...b5 in order to open the b-file with a b-pawn capture on c4. Li Tian probably did not like the reply 15. Rc1 catching the black queen in a bad position but 15...Qg3 should be fine for black. Knowing Li Tian, he probably did not want the possiblity of a piece sac on b5. 16.¦c1 £g3]  

16.g5 ¤h5 17.¦g1 ¤c4!?  


After this it takes some tempo to get the king to safety. [17...0–0 is safe. It is not easy to break throught the g6, h5 blockade]  

18.¥xc4 dxc4 19.£a4+ ¢f8  

Li Tian is counting on the fact that without the white square bishop, White has little chances of launching a king-side attack. Her prepares to put his king on h7 where it is quite safe. However white has two moves to prove otherwise.  

20.f4?  

White has forgotten the principle is not to put your pawns on the same color as your bishop! White wants to play d5 and not allow black to play ...e5 in return. But this waste of temp allows black to get in his queen-side attack [There is a dangerous tactical line with 20.d5 ¤g3 attacking the white h-pawn forces the following. 21.dxe6 fxe6 22.¤b5 £c6 23.¦xg3 £xb5 24.£c2 ¦d8 Black is fine and only needs one move (...Kf7) to secure his king. Qxg6 is answered by c3 winning a piece]  

20...¢g8?  

Seems the most obvious but black has a better move. 
[20...£c8? The point is that the black rook on a8 is now defended and black can play ..b5 without Nxb5 21.£c2 b5 22.d5 b4 23.d6 ¥xd6 24.¤e4 ¥e7 25.¦c1 c3 26.bxc3 bxc3 27.¥xc3 is good for white. The white king is in an open position but black king has not found safety yet. Meanwhile white can take advantage of the open files with his two rooks.; 

20...¦a7! 21.£c2 b5 22.d5 b4 23.d6 £xd6 24.¤e4 £b6 The difference with the previous variation. The black queen is off the back rank (does not obstruct the king rook later on) and in a better square suited for attack 25.£xc4 ¢g8 26.¦c1 ¢h7 black is ready to transfer his king rook to the queen-side to attack. I would say chances are equal but over the board I would prefer to be handling black as his plan is clearer.]  

21.d5 e5 22.£c2

 I do not understand why White did not capture on e5 and c4. Possibly already in time trouble? Which may explains why he sacrificed several pawns for an attack. [22.fxe5 £xe5 23.£xc4 ¤g3 24.£g4±]  

22...exf4 23.exf4 ¤xf4 24.d6 ¥xd6 25.¥xf4 ¥xf4 26.¤d5 £e5 27.¦ge1 £xg5 28.¤e7+ ¢h7 29.h4 £h5 30.¦d5 £xh4 31.£e4  

So far all black moves are forced. Possibly white saw this position at the beginning of the sacrifices and thought he should be winning with Rh1  

31...£g3!!  

The only winning move and quite difficult to see if you are in time trouble. 

32.¦h1+  

[The point is that  32.¤f5 gxf5 33.¦xf5 £d3+ exchanges queens into a won position. 34. Qxd3 cxd3 35. Rxf4 and white is three pawns down]  

32...¥h6 33.£xc4 ¦he8 34.¦d7 £e5 

35.¦xh6+  

The position is lost so white tries a last gamble.  

35...¢xh6 

 [35...gxh6 36.£xf7+ £g7 37.¤f5 ¦e1+ 38.¢c2 £xf7 39.¦xf7+ ¢h8 is also won for black.]  

36.£h4+ £h5 37.£f4+ ¢h7 38.a4 ¦ad8 39.¦xb7  

This allows a nice combination by Li Tian. [39.£d6 £h1+ 40.¢a2 ¦xd7 41.£xd7 ¦a8 black still has some work to do.]  

39...¦d1+ 40.¢a2 ¦xe7 41.¦xe7 £d5+ 42.b3 ¦d2+  


White will be mated after 43. Ka3 Qc5+ 44. Qb4 Qc1 mate. Despite the flaws on both sides, quite an impressive game by Li Tian against the Philippines latest grandmaster.