ChessBase 14 Printout, Woolacott Sam, 11/09/2021
B01 13...Nd7 14.c5
Kovalev,Vladislav 2531
Laznicka,Viktor 2670
EU-ch 16th Jerusalem (6) 02.03.2015
[Laznicka,V]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8
My idea was to play a rare opening.
Guess, who was my inspiration. 4.d4
Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6
8.Be3
[ 8.Ne2 was played by Caruana
against Carlsen. ]
[ 8.Qd3 was played by Carlsen
transposing to a Caro-Kann. ]
8...e6 9.Bd3 Be7 10.0-0 0-0
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Every move was quite logical from
both sides so far. Now White has to
come up with some sort of plan.
11.Ne4 White wants to play c4 and
break through in the centre. 11...Nd5
[ 11...Nbd7 12.c4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4
Bg5 14.d5 cxd5 15.cxd5 Bxe3
16.Qxe3 exd5 17.Bxd5
would be ideal for White. ]
12.c4
[ 12.Bd2 Nb4 13.Rad1 Nxd3
14.Qxd3 Nd7= does not make much
sense for White. ]
12...Nxe3 13.fxe3
[ 13.Qxe3 Nd7= ]
1
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Nf6?!
[ 14...f5 had to be played, since the
pawn on c5 is sometimes hanging
15.Nf2 Kh8 16.Bc2 e5 17.g4 e4
18.Qg2 g6 might be suddenly more
pleasant for Black. ]
15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.b4 Now Black
comes under pressure. It is not easy to
break through in the centre, but what
else? 16...Bg5
[ 16...e5 17.Qf5+- ]
[ 16...Qe7 17.b5 ]
[ 16...Re8 17.b5 ]
17.Bc4 Qe7
[ 17...Qf6 18.Qg3 Qh6 19.Rf3 b5
20.Bb3 a5 21.bxa5 Rxa5 22.Raf1
Ra7 23.Kh1 the queen would be
misplaced on h6. ]
18.Rab1 White prepares an attack
against the c6- or b7-pawn. 18...Rad8
19.Kh1
(Diagram)
g6?!
[ 19...a6 could be less nasty: 20.a4
e5 21.d5 e4 22.Qf5 cxd5 23.Bxd5
Rd7 24.b5 ]
20.b5 Qc7 21.Rb3
[ 21.a4 was the correct move order
ChessBase 14 Printout, Woolacott Sam, 11/09/2021
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
to stop Black's counterplay. ]
21...Be7?
[ 21...cxb5 was the right moment to
change the plot 22.Rxb5 b6 23.c6
Be7 24.Rbb1 Kg7 25.Rbc1 Rd6
26.Be2 Rd5 27.Qf2 f5 28.Bf3
Ra5= ]
22.a4?!
[ 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.Ba6 was quite
easy, since Rb8 24.Rxb8
loses the important pawn. ]
22...Rc8? Again a blunder. 23.a5?
[ 23.bxc6 bxc6 24.Ba6 ]
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
23...Qxa5 24.bxc6 bxc6 25.Rfb1
Rc7? White still has very good
compensation for the pawn.
2
[ 25...Qd8! 26.Kg1 Bg5= ]
26.Qf1
[ 26.Rf1 Kg7 27.Qf4 Rd7 28.Qe4 ]
26...Rd7 27.Ra1?!
[ 27.Qf3 Qc7= ]
27...Qc7
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Now Black is getting his chances. The
position is still equal, but White has to
be accurate. And it is not
psychologically easy after you lose
such a big edge. 28.Ba6?!
[ 28.Rba3= ]
28...Rb8?!
[ 28...e5 29.Rab1 exd4 30.Rb7
Qd8 31.Rxd7 Qxd7 32.Rb7 Qd8
33.exd4 Bf6 would cause White
serious troubles. ]
29.Rxb8+ Qxb8 30.Rb1?!
[ 30.Qf3 Qc7 31.Rb1 Bg5 ]
(Diagram)
30...Qg3 31.Qf3 Qxf3 32.gxf3 e5
33.dxe5 After 33.Rb7 a very interesting
ending could emerge, probably a
winning one for Black.
[ 33.Rb7 Rxb7 34.Bxb7 exd4
35.exd4 Bf6 ]
33...Bxc5 34.e4
[ 34.Rb3 would be better, with good
ChessBase 14 Printout, Woolacott Sam, 11/09/2021 3

a b c d e f g h
A) 38...Be3 39.Kf3 Re6
( 39...Re5 40.h4 c5 ) 40.h4 Kg7
8 8
41.Re1;
7 7 B) 38...Re6 39.h4 Bd4 ]
6 6
38...Rh4 Now it is too late; the pawns
are too weak. 39.Rb3 Rh5 40.Rg3
5 5 [ 40.Rf3 Rxg5 41.Be8 Rg7 ]
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3
8 8
2 2
7 7
1 1

a b c d e f g h 6 6

drawing chances. For example: 5 5

Rd1+ 35.Kg2 Rc1 36.Rd3 Bb6 4 4

37.Bb7 Rc2+ 38.Kg3 a5 39.f4 a4
3 3
40.Ra3 Rc4 41.Ba6 Re4 42.Kf3
Rb4 43.Bc8 ] 2 2

1 1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
8 8
40...Be7
7 7 [ 40...Bd6 41.Rd3= ]
6 6
41.Re3 Kf8 The a-pawn is too
important. It is worth losing the h7-
5 5 pawn in order to keep the a-pawn.
4 4 [ 41...Bxg5 42.Ra3 Bf6 43.Rxa7
Rxh3+ 44.Kg2 Re3 45.Bd5 Be7
3 3
I would bet on a draw. ]
2 2 42.Be4 a5 43.Rf3
1 1 a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h 8 8

34...Re7 35.f4 7 7
[ After 35.Bb7 it would be still very 6 6
difficult to convert an edge. Rc7
( 35...Rxe5 36.Bxc6 Rh5 )] 5 5

35...g5 36.fxg5 Rxe5 37.Bb7 4 4

[ 37.Rb7 Rxe4 ]
3 3
[ 37.Rc1! Rxg5 38.Bb7 with still
good chances to hold. ] 2 2
37...Rxe4 38.Bxc6
1 1
[ 38.Rc1 Re5 39.h4 Bf2 ]
a b c d e f g h
[ 38.Kg2
ChessBase 14 Printout, Woolacott Sam, 11/09/2021 4

Rxg5
[ 43...Bxg5 44.Rf5 Rxh3+ 45.Kg2
Re3 46.Rxg5 Rxe4 47.Rxa5= ]
44.Bxh7 a4 Due the king being cut off
on the h-file and the passed a-pawn
the game should be over. 45.Bc2 a3
46.Bb3 f6 47.Rc3 Bd6 48.Rc6 Ke7
49.Ra6 f5 50.Bc2 f4 51.Ra7+
a b c d e f g h

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

a b c d e f g h

Kd8 52.Be4 Rg3 53.Bf5 Bc5 54.Ra5

f3 55.Rxc5 f2 56.Bd3 Rxd3 57.Kg2
Rd1
0-1