45th Chess Olympiad; round 1 review
1st day of Chess Olympiad has been completed without surprises, all the favourites won their matches. Following are selection from most exciting positions today.
Game of the day:
Christiansen, Johan-Sebastian (2661) - Lee, Junhyeok (2364), (B94)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 e6 8. Qe2
b5 9. Bb3 Qc7 10. O-O-O b4
11. Nd5 exd5
Best continuation. Perhaps 11...Nxd5 followed by e6-e5 could work too but black position seems to be already troubled.
12. exd5+ Be7
(12... Kd8 ?? 13. Nc6+)
13. Rde1 O-O?!
Black position became very doubtful after this move. Nd7-e5 would be better getting some extra time to complete development while white would have to spend some time to get the piece back. Perhaps black was counting on taking the white queen with Re8, but white excelled in the rest of the game.
14. Qxe7 Re8 15. Qxe8+ Nxe8 16. Rxe8+ Nf8 17. Rhe1 Bb7
Faced with several threats (Be7, R1e7, Ne6) black response was insufficient. Much better was to place queen on d7 taking e8 under control and providing some counter action with possible Qg4.
18. Rxa8 Bxa8 19. Re8
Now there was double threat; Rxa8 and Be7.
19...h6
20. Ne6! Qb7
(20... fxe6 21. dxe6 Black would not have proper defence from e6-e7; we should not forget on hanging Ba8 too in some lines. 21...Kh7 22. e7 Ng6 23. Bg8+ Kh8 24. Bf7+ Kh7 25. Bxg6+ Kxg6 26. Rxa8)
21. Rxf8+ Kh7 22. Bc4!
Very fine move providing bishop transfer to the d3, acting against black king.
22...Kg6
(22...hxg5 would lead to Rxf7!?})
23. Bd3+ Kh5 24. Be2+ Kg6 25. Bd3+ Kh5 26. h3 fxe6
(26... hxg5 27. Rh8#)
27. f4
There was no defence from g2-g4 with checkmate.
1-0
Abdusattorov, Nodirbek (2766) - Johnson, Joshua (2267), (C54)
Position after 37. Nd8
Faced with deadly threats on e6, black decided to go for attack on white king side.
37...Ng4+
Although it looked too optimistic on first sight, white had to find correct moves. (37... Qe7 38. Nxe6 Qf7 39. Rd4 Simplest, now when white queen is defended, black is loosing exchange.)
38. hxg4 Qf4+
(38... Qxf2 39. Rf1)
39. Kh1
Of course not Kg1. After Qxf2+ it's a draw.
39...Rg6
(39... Qxf2 40. Rf1)
40. f3!
Best move. White was faced with serious threats combining weakness on both h2 and f2, one of which (h2) couldn't be defended. The only alternative was Qd4. Defending f2 by setting any of pieces on e2 or f1 would close escape route for white king.
40... Rh6+ 41. Kg1 Rh3
With threat of Qh2+ followed by Rxf3 etc.
42. Rd3! Qh2+ 43. Kf1 Qg3
It looks like there was no escape for white after Rg3, but variation shows that white would go for a checkmate.
(43... Rg3 44. Qxe6+ Kh8 45. Qe5+ Kg8 46. Qxg5+ Kh8 47. Nf7+ !! Rxf7 48. Rd8+
Rf8 49. Rxf8#)
44. gxh3 Rxf3+ 45. Ke2
White king had found way out, black resigned.
1-0
Cheparinov, Ivan (2628) - Mafaaz KhalidWhiteElo (2069), (C65)
30... Rb3
This strong looking move was actually decisive mistake in position which was about equal after Nc6-b4.
31. exd5!
Giving up both knights for strong initiative against sole black king.
31...Rxd3 32. Qxe6+ Kh8
(32... Kf8 33. Qe8#)
33. dxc6 Nf8
After taking another knight on f3, white pawn on d7 would be unstoppable. (33... Rxf3 34. cxd7 Qf8 (34... Rf8 35. Qd5 c6 36. Qc5 Qf3+ 37. Kh3 Kh7 38. Re8) 35. Re2)
34. Qf7
There was no defence against multiple threats; Re8, Re7.
1-0
Robson, Ray (2700) - Baules Rodriguez, Jorge Luis (2271), (B78)
26. Bg4
26... Rcd8
There was amazing move Rc8-c4! threatening in some way against f4 and defending from checks on a1-h8. Rook on c4 is untouchable due to Rh8-b8 with checkmate.
27. Qd4+ Kg8 28. f5 Qc5 29. Qb2!
White queen is much more valuable at this position.
29...Rh7 30. fxg6 fxg6 31. Be6+ Kf8 32. Rdf1+
Black resigned.
A) 32... Nf6 33. Rxh7 (or Rxf6+)
B) 32... Ke8 33. Rxh5! Rxh5 (33...gxh5 34. g6) 34. Qg7}
1-0
Yu, Yangyi (2703) - Araujo Sanchez, Josue (2296), (B12)
22. Rxd5!
Black resigned.
A) 22...exd5 23. Bg4+ Rd7 24. Re8+
B) 22...Rxd5 23. Bxd5 exd5 ( 23...Qxd5 24. Qc7#) 24. Re8+ Kd7 25. Rxa8 +-
1-0
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