Game from KLK Seniors

This will be the 10th edition of the Malaysian Chess Festival which comprises the Open, Seniors , Amateur, Svensen's  Age Group as well as the Astro Team event.

I came second again in the Seniors tournament. GM Dmitry Kaiumov won the event as usual despite a loss to me in the third round. After that he won every game except the last round while I had a couple of draws and a shock defeat in the fifth round.

Below is the critical stage of the game against the grandmaster

After 22. Bxh4

 

Black started his attack with

22...  Rd5




If allowed to, he intends ...Rb5 and ...Nc4 with a strong attack


23. c4! 

I could tell this pawn sacrifice was a complete surprise to my opponent.


Rxd4 24. c5 Rxd1+ ?

This must be a mistake.  24... Nd5 25. Rxd4 Bxd4 26. Qd3 Bf6 27. Bxf6 Nxf6 and the worst is over for black.


25. Rxd1 Nd5 26. g4

After 26. g4

The queen is driven away from the strategic f5 square.

26...Qg6

26... Qe5 27. Bg3 Nf4 (Only move. Now black has no more defenders for his king) 28. c6 bxc6 (28... b6 29. Bxf4 Qxf4 30. Qa4 wins) 29. Bxf4 Qxf4 30. Nc5 wins)

27. c6 Nb6 


27... bxc6 28. Qa4 h5 29. Qxc6 hxg4 30. Ka1 Be5 (30... Rxh4 31. Nd6+ Kd8 32.Qe8#) 31. Bg3!

The immediate 31. Nc5 is answered by Bxb2+ 32. Kxb2 Qc2+ 33. Kxc2 Nb4+ 34. Kc3 Nxc6 35.
Bf6 Rh3 36. Rf1 Rxf3+ 37. Rxf3 gxf3 38. Kd2 Nb8 39. Bc3 (Not 39. Ke3 Nd7 forcing the knights off and reaching a drawn B+RP where the bishop is the wrong color) 39...Nd7 and it is not clear how white can win against the black pawns ; for example 40. Nxa6 c5 traps the knight

After 31. Bg3! if black captures the bishop he is mated immediately by 31...Bxg3 32. Nc5.

31...Bd4 32. a3 Avoids any back rank tactics from black. White is now free to concentrate all his pieces on the black king. 32... gxf3 33. Nc5 Bxc5 34. Rxd5 Black has no defence to the combined threats of Qxc7 mate or Qa8 mate.

 28. Qd3 Kb8

(28... f6 29. cxb7+ Kb8 30. Qxa6 f5 31. Bf2 fxe4 32. Bxb6 exf3+ 33. Ka1 cxb6 34. Rd7 wins

 29. cxb7?!

The simplest continuation is to remove the king's only defender with 29. Bf2 . For example 29...Rc8 30. Bxb6 cxb6 31. Qd6+ Ka7 32. Qe7 Rxc6 33. Rd7 wins

29... e5

29... Kxb7 30. Ka1 Bf8 31. Bf6 Rg8 32. Rc1 Nd5 33. Be5 f5 34. Nf6! Rg7 35. Nxd5 exd5 36. Qxd5+

30. Rc1 

The point of black's last move was to bring the queen to the defence with ....Qc6. With 30. Rc1 black no longer has any defence. Instead 30. Qxa6 Qc6! 31. Bf2 Qxb7 32. Qb5 and white has to work harder for the win.

30... h5 31. gxh5 Qf5 32. Bd8 1-0