Rombaldoni Loses the Lead

Rombaldoni dropped out of the lead today at the 50th World Junior Championship. GM Hovhannisyan defeated Rombaldoni and shares that spot today with the Indian FM Girish. It was a short, sharp contest where Hovhannisyan played a fairly new move that may have been outside of Rombaldoni’s experience. It was either that, or the Italian IM just disagreed with the evaluation that master practice indicates about the position. The game, both play and result, supports the evaluation; White is better. Here is the game. What do you think?

Hovhannisyan, Robert (2556) - Rombaldoni, Axel (2459) [B66]

50th World Junior Ch Chennai, India, 10.08.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Be7 10.h4!,..

This is the improvement. It first surfaced in master play 2000, and since has led to excellent results for White. Previously White has tried 10 f4, 10 f3, 10 Kb1, and a few other moves here with varying degrees of success but nothing out of the ordinary. The text moves shows up in sixteen games in my databases. White won 12, drew 2 and lost two! That is a significant edge for White. It is more impressive considering all of these games were among titled players 2350 and above. Here is an example from the early days of the line:

Luther, Thomas (2544) - Aleksieva, Silvia (2364) [B66]

Cappelle op 17th Cappelle la Grande (2), 25.02.2001

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Be7 10.h4 b5 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 Bd7 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Bxg5+ 15.hxg5 Rc8 16.Qd4 Qc7 17.Bd3 Kf8 18.Rxh7 Rxh7 19.Bxh7 g6 20.c3 Bc6 21.Qh8+ Ke7 22.Qf6+ Ke8 23.Bxg6 fxg6 24.Rh1 Qe7 25.Rh8+ 1–0

10..., b5 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 Qb6 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Bxe7,..

This may be the only way for White to maintain the edge, but it is sufficient. If 14.Qxe4 Bb7 15 Qe5 f6 16 Be3 fxe5 17 Bxb6 Bd5; looks good for Black.

14...Bb7

The obvious 14..., Nxf2?; is answered by 15 Bc5.

15.Bb4 f6

Rombaldoni may have thought earlier that 15..., Nxf2; might be possible here, but if 15..., Nxf2 16 Qxg7 Nxd1 17 Bxb5+! Qxb5 18 Qxh8+ Kd7 19 Rxd1+ Bd5; and White is winning.

16.Qh5+ g6 17.Qh6 Bd5

Once more capturing on f2 with the Knight can’t be done; 17..., Nxf2 18 Qg7, making a powerful mate threat on e7, then 18... Nd3+ 19 Rxd3, wins.

18.Bd3 0–0–0

And again capturing on f2 with the Knight meets problems; 18..., Nxf2 19 Bxg6+, winning. I have the feeling Hovhannisyan may have had this whole line worked out at home.

19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.f3 Bd5 21.Be7 Rd7 22.Bxf6 Rg8 23.Rd3 Kb7 24.Qe3 Qa5

After all the fireworks, White has a sound pawn in the bag, and the Black King is still not entirely safe. Black avoids the Queen exchange understandably, but it might have best to go into the ending.

25.a3 Rc8 26.Be5 b4?

Struggling to create counter-play losses a pawn. Playing 26..., Qd8; right away may be better. Also 26..., Rc6; or even 26..., Qb6; could be played.

27.Qd2 Qd8 28.Qxb4+ Ka8 29.Qa4 a5 30.Bf6,..

A little tactical finesse that illustrates the unfortunate state of the Black forces.

30..., Qc7 31.Bc3 Bc6 32.Rxd7,..

A final finesse leading to a simply won ending.

32..., Bxa4 33.Rxc7 Rxc7 34.Re1 1–0

An impressive win by the Armenian GM and an entertaining game.

My prediction re: today’s Deepak game was wrong. He lost the fight with his youthful opponent.

Aaron, Deepak (2288) - Akash, Pc Iyer (2069) [C77]

50th Junior World Ch Chennai, India, 10.08.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.d3 Bd6

The Deferred Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez is often dismissed as a way for White to get a draw if he does not feel like playing on the day. It can lead to an early peace treaty, but it also can be the venue for serious fighting. Here is an example:

Markovic, Miroslav (2504) - Ivanisevic, Ivan (2569) [C77]

Serbia/Montenegro-chT Budva (5), 22.05.2003

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.d3 Bd6 7.Nbd2 Qe7 8.0–0 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Re1 Nd7 11.Nf1 0–0–0 12.Ng3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 g6 14.c3 c5 15.Nf1 Nb8 16.Ne3 Nc6 17.Nd5 Qe6 18.Bg5 Rd7 19.Bf6 Rg8 20.a3 Bf8 21.Bg5 h6 22.Be3 f5 23.b4 Rf7 24.Rab1 cxb4 25.axb4 f4 26.Bd2 Na7 27.c4 c6 28.d4 exd4 [28...cxd5 29.exd5 Qf5 30.dxe5] 29.b5 axb5 30.cxb5 g5 31.Qb3 Rg6 32.Qa4 cxd5 33.Qxa7 dxe4 34.Qa8+ Kc7 35.Rbc1+ Kd6 36.Bb4+ Ke5 37.Bxf8 Rd7 38.Rxe4+ Kxe4 39.Re1+ Kf5 40.Rxe6 Rxe6 41.Qc8 Rf7 42.Bb4 b6 43.Qd8 Ke4 44.Qg8 Rff6 45.Qa8+ Kd3 46.Qa4 Ke4 47.Qc2+ Kd5 48.Kh2 h5 49.Qa2+ Ke5 50.Qe2+ Kd5 51.Qxh5 Kc4 52.Bd2 Rf5 53.Qd1 Rxb5 54.h4 Rh6 55.h5 Rb2 56.Kh3 Rxh5+ 57.Qxh5 Rxd2 58.Qf7+ Kc3 59.f3 b5 60.Qd5 b4 61.Qc5+ Kb3 62.Qxg5 d3 63.Qxf4 Rc2 64.g4 Kc3 65.Qe5+ Kc4 66.g5 d2 67.Qd6 Kc3 68.g6 Rc1 69.g7 d1Q 70.Qxd1 Rxd1 71.g8Q b3 72.Qc8+ Kd2 73.Qd7+ Kc2 74.Qc6+ Kb2 75.f4 Rc1 76.Qa4 Rc3+ 77.Kg4 Kc1 78.Qd4 Kc2 79.Qf2+ Kc1 80.Qe1+ Kc2 81.Qf2+ Kc1 82.Qe1+ Kc2 83.Qe4+ Kc1 84.Qd4 Kc2 85.f5 b2 86.f6 b1Q 87.f7 Rg3+ ½–½

7.Nbd2 Qe7 8.b3,..

Maybe this approach is equally valid as Markovic’s in the game above but more common is 8 0-0.

8..., Bg4 9.Bb2 Nd7 10.h3 Bh5 11.Nc4 f6 12.Ne3 Bf7 13.Qe2 g6 14.c3 a5!

A nice creative move from Akash. The notion behind it seems to be to make something out of the Bishop on b2. It is an awkward posting because there is no way to crack the solid e5 rock that Black has established.

15.0–0 a4 16.b4 0–0 17.a3 c5 18.Nd2 b5

Also possible is 18..., cxb4 19 cxb4 c5; and open d-file foreshadows pressure on the backward pawn on d3.

19.Ng4 Be6 20.bxc5?!,..

Safer is 20 Ne3, recognizing Black has the advantage and White has to wait some longer for a chance to open the game.

20..., Nxc5 21.f4?,..

Deepak is forcing the issue, but Black is better developed, and it leads to disaster.

21..., exf4 22.d4 Nb3 23.Nxb3?,..

An oversight in a bad position. Better 23 Rae1, however the position still is lost after 23..., Bxa3 24 Bxa3 Qxa3 25 Rxf4 Bxg4 26 hxg4 27 Nxb3 Qxb3.

23..., Bc4 24.Qf2 axb3 25.Rfe1 h5 26.Nxf6+,..

There is not much else to do. If 26 Nh2 Bxa3; wins.

26..., Qxf6 27.e5 Qg5 28.exd6 cxd6 29.Bc1 Qf5 30.d5,..

Despair I guess. More stubborn is 30 h4, but equally hopeless after 30.., Rae8 31 Bb2 Re3 32 Rxe3 fxe3 33 Qxe3 Qc2.

30..., Rae8 31.Re6 Rxe6 32.dxe6 Qxe6 33.Bxf4 b2 34.Re1,..

The piece is also lost after 34 Rb1 Qe4, because the attempt at counter-play, 35 Qxb2 Rxf4 36 a4, is met with 36..., Qe3+ 37 Kh2 Rf2 38 Qc1 Qe5+ 39 Kh1 Qg3 40 Qg1 Bd5.

34..., Rxf4 35.Qd2 Qxe1+ 0–1

Youth was served again.

GM Roy Robson drew his game today with IM Vidit of India. He plays another Indian IM, Sundar Shyam tomorrow.

Also on tomorrow is a game between the Indian surprise of the tournament, FM Koushik Girish and GM Hovhannisyan. Girish has the White pieces.

Deepak plays Santos Hugo Lima of Portugal with Black tomorrow. Santos had a big jump in rating in 2008, from under 1700 to just over 2000. Since then he seems to have hit a plateau. I hesitate to make a prediction, everyone in this event is quite capable of winning on a given day. I do hope for the best from Deepak tomorrow.