Nanavati, Sunay - Yamada, Roger

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3

[3. e4 transposes to the French Defense.]

3... c5 4. Be3? blocks the e-pawn.

[4. dxc5 Bxc5 5. e4 Nf6(a 15 year-old Entienne Bacrot played 5... Qb6 and won after 6. Qd2 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nf6 8. Nxc5 Qxc5 9. b4 Qe7 10. Bb2 O-O 11. O-O-O Nc6 12. a3 Rd8 13. Bd3 a6 14. c4 Bd7 15. Kb1 h6 16. g4 e5 17. Rdg1 Bxg4 18. Qe3 Qd7 19. Bc2 Bf5 20. Nxe5 Bxc2+ 21. Kxc2 Qf5+ 22. Kc1 Nxe5 23. Qxe5 Qxf2 24. Qxf6 Qe3+ 25. Kb1 Rd1+ 26. Rxd1 gxf6 27. Bxf6 Kh7 28. Bb2 Qe4+ 29. Ka1 Rd8 30. Rde1 Qxc4 31. h4 Qb3 32. Rhg1 Rg8 33. h5 Rxg1 34. Rxg1 f6 35. Kb1 Qd5 36. Ka1 Qxh5 37. Bxf6 Qe2 38. Bb2 h5 39. Bc3 0-1, Bacrot Etienne (FRA) 2555 - Kallai Gabor (HUN) 2505, France 1998.) 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Bg5 O-O 8. O-O +/= ]

4... c4!? (diagram) An exception to the rule. While this does not lead to an advantage, it is not a bad pawn push because white's dark-squared bishop is awkwardly placed.

5. b3 The usual counter-punch to c4, but complications bloom because of the unprotected c3-knight.

[5. Bd2!? Nc6 6. b3 cxb3 7. axb3 Nf6 8. e3 Bd7 9. Na2 Ne4 10. Bd3 Bd6 11. c4 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 O-O 13. O-O = ]

5... Bb4

[5... b5 6. Bd2 (6. Nxb5? Qa5+ –+; 6. a4 b4 7. Na2 a5 8. Bf4 Ba6 9. e3 Nc6 =/+) 6... b4 7. Na4 Ba6(7... c3 8. Bf4 +/= ) 8. Nc5 Bxc5 9. dxc5 Nc6 10. a3 =/unclear]

6. Bd2 Qa5 7. e3? loses the insufficiently protected knight.

[Immediate steps are necessary to save the c3-knight and redeploy other misplaced pieces — 7. Nb1! c3 8. Bf4 Nf6 9. a3 O-O 10. e3 Ne4 11. Bd3 f6 12. Ng1!?]

7... Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Qxc3+ 9. Nd2 Nf6 10. bxc4 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Ne4 (diagram)

12. Bb3? loses more material.

[Better is 12. Rb1 Nxd2 13. Bb5+ Bd7 14. Qxd2 –+]

12... Nxd2 13. Qxd2?

[Though harder to find, 13. Ke2! keeps the white rooks and queen on the board.]

13... Qxa1+ 14. Qd1 Qxd1+! exchanges more pieces and heads toward a superior endgame.

15. Kxd1 O-O 16. f4 Nc6 17. c4! f5!? stopping e4 but affording the white bishop some new power.

18. a3

Kudos to white for attempting one last-ditch effort to create chances by generating a pawn storm. He has gained space and improved his chances of pawn promotion with each of his last three moves.

18... Rd8! recognizes the d-pawn as white's biggest threat. (diagram)

19. d5?!

Good idea — wrong timing. Moving the king off the d-file first gives some weight to the d5 advance.

19... exd5 20. cxd5 Na5 21. Ba2 Be6 22. Ke2 Bxd5

. . . and black won. [0:1]

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