A. Baburin (2593) - S. Kudrin (2525)

Monarch Assurance Open, Port Erin (8), 13.11.1999

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4 g3 d5 5 Bg2 dxc4 6 Na3

I never played this line prior to this game. Before the game I looked at this variation and decided that it might give White more than 5 cxd5.

6...c3 7 bxc3 0-0 8 0-0 c5 9 e3 Nc6 10 Qe2 Bf5 11 Rd1 Be4 12 Bb2 (D)

12...Qa5

Also possible here is 12...Qb6. After 13 Nc4 Qa6 14 Bf1 Rfd8 15 a4 Bd5 16 Nfd2 Ne4 17 Nxe4 Bxe4 18 Ba3 cxd4 19 exd4 Bd5 20 Ne3 Qa5 21 Nxd5 Rxd5 22 Bg2 Rd7 23 d5 White seized the initiative in Huebner-Ye Jiangchuan, Elista 1998.

13 Nd2

In the game Manninen-Yrjola, Tampere 1991 White chose here 13 Bf1 Rfd8 14 Nd2 cxd4 15 exd4 Bf5 16 Nb3 Qc7 17 c4, which also looks promising. White can try 13 Nc4 Qa6 14 Bf1, transposing into the game Huebner-Ye Jiangchuan.

13...Bxg2 14 Nb3 Qd8N

This is novelty, though it may not be a good one. After 14...Qb6 15 Kxg2 cxd4 16 cxd4 Na5 17 Nc5 Qc6+ 18 Qf3 b6 19 Qxc6 Nxc6 20 Na6 Nd5 21 Nb5 Rfc8 22 Ba3 White eventually won in K.Georgiev-Svidler, Las Vegas 1999.

15 Kxg2 cxd4 16 cxd4 Na5 17 e4 Rc8 18 d5 a6 19 Rac1 (D)

White's knights are not well placed, but he has more control in the centre and has developed both his rooks. I think that White stands better here: his central pawns are quite mobile, while Black cannot advance his pawns on the queenside without creating weaknesses.

19...Qb6 20 Bd4 Qb4 21 Qb2! Rxc1 22 Rxc1 Bh6

This is the point of Black's previous play - the e4-pawn may be in danger now. However, White can beat off this attack.

23 Nxa5 Qxb2

This is practically forced, as in the line 23...Qxa5 24 Rc5 Qe1 25 Bxf6 exf6 26 Qd4 Black's pieces are not well co-ordinated and he has great difficulties dealing with the passed d-pawn.

24 Bxb2 Bxc1 25 Bxc1 Nxe4 (D)

We reached a pretty unbalanced position, where White still has better chances. Here I realised that my main task was to activate the a3-knight and to keep the d5-pawn on the board for as long as possible.

26 N3c4!? Rc8 27 Ba3 Rc7

Maybe better was 27...Kf8 28 d6 Nxd6 29 Nxd6 exd6 30 Bxd6+ Ke8 31 Nxb7±.

28 Bb4 Nf6 29 Nb6!

White should not exchange the d-pawn (29 d6?), as then he may as well be worse.

29...Kg7 30 Kf3 g5 31 h3 h5 32 Ke3 Nd7 33 Nac4 Nxb6 34 Nxb6 f5 35 h4 gxh4 36 gxh4 (D)

36...Kf6?

A blunder, but Black's position was already lost: his pieces are tied down to the e7-pawn, which he cannot afford to lose. In the meantime White is ready to activate his king.

37 d6! Rc6 38 d7 1-0