Baburin - Rebel 10

‘GM-Challenge’, played on ICC, 04.12.1999

1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6

I knew that Rebel played the Chigorin Defence before, but I did not make any special preparation. In fact, my preparation was very brief - I decided to play in my usual style and not to employ any special tactics.

3 cxd5 Qxd5 4 e3 e5 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Bd2 Bxc3 7 Bxc3 exd4 8 Ne2

I believe that this plan, suggested by GM Suat Atalik, promises White some edge.

8...Nf6!?

I hoped that computer would play 8...Nge7 9 Nxd4 Nxd4 10 Qxd4 Qxd4 11 Bxd4 f6, as in the game Lautier-Yermolinsky, Parnu 1998. Though Black drew that game comfortably, that would be a dream scenario against computer - White has to bishops in the endgame and no tactics! :-)

9 Nxd4 0-0 10 Nb5 Qg5 (D)

I started to get nervous around here... I did not really expect that computer would sacrifice any material that easily. Thus, I realised that it must be theory, but alas I did not know it.

11 h4 Qg6 12 h5 Qg5 13 h6 Rd8!?N

This appears to be a novelty. I expected 13...Bg4, which had been tested before (and which I did not know).

14 Qa4 Ng4 15 Be2

15 hxg7? would lose after 15...Nxe3! 16 Qe4 Bf5 17 Qxe3 Re8.

15...Nxh6 16 Nxc7 Qxg2 17 Rxh6 gxh6 18 Nxa8 Bh3 19 Qc4 Rxa8 20 0-0-0 Qxf2 21 Bg4 I also considered here 21 Qf4 Qxf4 22 exf4, but that would be too tame.

21...Qxe3+ 22 Kb1 Bxg4 23 Qxg4+ Qg5 24 Qd7 (D)

This is a very interesting position. I bet that any computer program believes that Black is just winning here. Yet, I thought that chances were about equal - White will get one pawn back and should have enough play, as Black's king is very exposed.

24...Rb8 25 a3! Rd8 26 Re1 Kf8 27 Qxb7 Qc5 28 Qc7

Around here I was getting short of time and so the clock became my main concern. Otherwise I would have found 28 Rf1! Qc4 29 Rg1!, where White is better in my opinion. In the game I allowed Black's rook onto the 6^th rank, where it is quite useful.

28...Qd6 29 Qb7 Qd7 30 Qb3 Qf5+ 31 Ka1 Rd6 32 Qc4 Re6 33 Rf1 Re4 34 Qa6 Qd7 35 Qb5 Rg4 36 Qc5+ Kg8 37 Re1 Rg6 38 Qf5 Qd8 39 Qd5 Qb8 Why not 39...Qc8?

40 Qd7 Kf8 41 b4!?

Of course, this move seriously weakens White's king, but I spent about 20 minutes on this move and I considered various pros and contras here. The idea is to kick the enemy knight and build a battery on the a1-h8 diagonal.

41...a6 42 Bb2 Qd8 43 Qf5 Qc7 44 Qc5+ Qd6 45 Qc3

Around here I began to go wrong.

45...f6 46 Rc1 Ne7 47 Qf3 Kg7 48 Rd1 Qe6 49 Qb7? Qe2 50 Qd7 Rg2 51 Qd4 Rf2 52 Rc1 (D)

52...Kf7?

A human being would have played 52...h5 here and would probably win the game. The pawn makes just one step forward, but this could be crucial later in the endgame. This is what I feared, but now I felt some relief and so after 53 a4 I boldly offered a draw!

53...Qd2?! In the endgame White should not have real problems. 54 b5 Qxd4 55 Bxd4 Rf4 56 Rc4 axb5 57 axb5 Nd5 58 Kb2 Rg4 59 Kb3 Kg6 60 b6 Nxb6 61 Bxb6 Rxc4 62 Kxc4 f5 63 Kd3 Kg5 64 Ke3 Kg4 65 Kf2 f4 draw.