White: GM Alexander Ivanov (2618)
Black: FM Andrew Karklins (2241)
[C40] Latvian Gambit
Kings Island Open,
Mason OH 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5?! "The Latvian Gambit is an aggessive but dubious chess opening which often leads to wild and tricky positions." (Wikipedia) Since my opponent in the present game comes from Latvia, the choice is understandable. 3.Nxe5 [3.Bc4] 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.Bf4?! Perhaps White's best option here is to open up the position with [7.f3 , for exaple, 7...exf3 (7...Be7 8.Nxe4+/-) 8.Qxf3 Nc6 9.Bd3 Qg4 10.Qe3++/-] 7...Nf6 8.Ne3 Be7 9.Bc4 Instead of trying to keep the Black King in the center White could prevent Nh5 with [9.Be2!? 0-0 10.h4 Qf7+/=] 9...c6 10.d5 Nh5 [10...b5 11.Bb3 b4 12.Ne2 c5 13.Ba4++/=] 11.Bg3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Nd7 13.Qd4 There were other moves, but I wanted the Black Knight on f6 to be in the way of Be7. 13...Nf6 [13...Nc5!? 14.0-0-0 (14.Qd2 a5!?) 14...Bd7 15.Be2 0-0 unclear] 14.Ne2 c5 15.Bb5+ Kf7 [15...Kd8+/=] 16.Qd2 a6 17.Nf4 Qg5 18.Be2 Rb8 [18...Re8!? unclear] 19.a4 b6?! [19...Rf8 unclear] 20.c3 [20.0-0 h5 21.Ne6!?] 20...h5 You don't want to castle short after this, so I decided to get a "wild and tricky position" with the following exchange: 21.Ne6 Bxe6 [21...Qe5 22.Nc4 Qf5+/= (22...Qxd5 23.Ng5+ Kf8 24.Qxd5 Nxd5 25.Nxe4+/-) ] 22.dxe6+ Kxe6 23.Bxa6 d5 24.0-0-0 Rhd8 25.Kb1 (D)
25...d4? This was what I was hoping for. Probably Black missed White's 27th move. According to Rybka the position remained about equal after the quiet [25...Kf7=] 26.Bc4+ Ke5 [26...Kd7 27.cxd4+/-] 27.f4+! exf3 28.gxf3 Qxg3? [On 28...Kd6 I was planning 29.f4!? (29.cxd4 Kc7+/-) 29...Qg6+ 30.Bd3 Qf7 (30...dxe3 31.Qxe3+-) 31.cxd4 Kc7+/- Still this was not losing right away. Of course, if; 28...dxe3 then 29.f4+! Kf5 30.Qc2++-] 29.Rhe1+- Now it's over 29...Ne4 [29...Kd6 30.Nf5+ Kc7 31.Nxg3+-] 30.Nd5 [30.fxe4? dxe3] 30...Qxf3 31.Qh2+ [31.Qh2+ Ke6 (31...Kf5 32.Rf1+-) 32.Nxb6+ Kf6 33.Rf1+-] 1-0
White: GM Alexander Ivanov (2618)
Black: GM Mark Paragua (2643)
[B12] Caro-Kann Defense
Kings Island Open Mason OH
14.11.2010
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h5 5.Bg5?! Usually I play a wellstudied 5.c4 here, but in this last round game decided to try an obscure gambit variation mainly because the prize money difference between a winner and a runner-up was too big as in most Continental Chess tournaments (5 prizes altogether not counting class prizes for about 60 participants in the Open Section). 5...Qb6 6.Bd3 This move which offers Black a choice between captures on either b2 or d4 has been tried in several games. The quiet [6.b3 looks like an admission that 5.Bg5 was premature.] 6...Qxd4 Probably the best. I knew the idea [6...Qxb2 7.Bxf5 Qxa1 8.e6 with compensation for the sacrificed material, which occured in a couple of games. To a human eye White's attack looks scary, but, perhaps, a computer will find a win for Black.] 7.Nf3 [7.Bxf5? Qxe5+-+] 7...Qg4 [7...Qxb2 8.Bxf5 (8.Nbd2!? with compensation) 8...Qxa1 9.e6 Nh6 unclear, Kislinsky-Krutul Warsaw 2006] 8.0-0 Bxd3N Only this turns out to be a novelty. [8...e6 9.Be2 Qb4 10.c4?! Robson - Rowley USAch qualifier 2008 (10.Qc1!?) 10...Qxb2! 11.Nbd2 Bc2! 12.Qe1 Bb4-/+] 9.Qxd3 e6 10.Nbd2 Nd7 11.c4 Ne7 12.Rfe1 f6?! Up to this moment both sides made logical developing moves. Now Black decides, perhaps, a bit prematurely, to open up the position to connect his wayward Queen with other pieces. There were more cautious alternatives, here are some computer generated lines: [12...Ng6 Paragua 13.cxd5 Nc5 14.Qc2 (14.Qc3!?) 14...exd5 (14...cxd5 15.Rac1!? Qa4 16.Qc3 unclear) 15.e6 Bd6 (the only move) 16.Rad1 Nxe6 (16...0-0 17.exf7+ Kxf7 18.Nc4!) 17.Rxe6+ Qxe6 18.Re1 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Nf3 f6 21.Qg6+ Kf8 22.Nxe5 Re8 23.Bxf6!? gxf6 24.Nd7+ Qxd7 25.Qxf6+ Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kf8=; 12...Nc5 13.Qc3 Ng6 14.b4 Na4 15.Qb3 Nb6 16.Rac1 Be7 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.cxd5 exd5 19.b5 0-0 20.bxc6 Nxc6 21.Qd3 with compensation for the pawn] 13.exf6 gxf6 (D)
14.cxd5 You don't go back in gambits: [14.Be3 Rg8 15.g3 Nf5-+] 14...cxd5? Black made this move quickly, I realised that my opponent doesn't see the dangers of the position. There were two better moves: [14...fxg5!? 15.dxe6!? (15.Rxe6? 0-0-0!-+) 15...Nc5 (forced) 16.Qd6 Nf5 17.Qe5 Rg8 (17...Rh7) 18.Ne4! 0-0-0 (18...Be7 19.hxg5 with compensation) 19.Nf6 Nd3! 20.Nxg4 Nxe5 21.Ngxe5+/= Rybka; 14...Nc5!? 15.Qc2 fxg5 16.Qxc5 Nxd5 17.Qd4 0-0-0!? unclear] 15.Bxf6!+/- Now White is winning 15...Nxf6 [15...Rg8 16.Bg5+/-] 16.Qb5+ Kd8 The only move [16...Kf7? 17.Ne5++-; 16...Nc6? 17.Qxb7+-] 17.Ne5 Qf4 [17...Qg7 18.Qxb7 Rc8 19.Rac1+-] 18.Ndf3 The safest way to win. It was easier to go wrong in sharper lines: [18.Rac1 Nc6 19.Nxc6+ a)19.Rxc6 bxc6 20.Qxc6+- Bc5 21.Qxa8+ Kc7 22.Qc6+!+-; b)19.Nf7+ Kc7 20.Nxh8? (b)20.Rxe6!+-) 20...Qxd2- +; 19...bxc6 20.Qxc6 Rb8 21.Rxe6+- ] 18...Rc8 [18...Bh6 19.Qxb7 Rc8 20.Nf7+ Ke8 21.Nxh8+-] 19.Ng5 Qf5 [19...Rc6 20.Qxb7 Rb6 21.Ngf7+ Ke8 22.Qa8++-] 20.Ngf7+ Kc7 21.Rac1+ Black resigned because of 21...Kb8 22.Nd6+- 1-0
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