Match between Nigel D Short and Jeroen Piket
Event: Zuerich Kortschnoj-A
Variation: Evans gambit
Eco code: C52
Pgn File:
[Event “Zuerich Kortschnoj-A”]
[Site “Zuerich”]
[Date “2001.04.28”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Short, Nigel D”]
[Black “Piket, Jeroen”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “2676”]
[BlackElo “2628”]
[ECO “C52”]
[Annotator “Lukacs,P”]
[EventDate “2001.04.28”]
[PlyCount “62”]
[EventType “tourn”]
[EventRounds “5”]
[EventCountry “SUI”]
[Source “ChessBase”]
[SourceDate “2001.07.05”]
[EventCategory “14”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. Qb3 Qf6
$5 { This reply was already heavily used in the XIX-th century! } (7… Qe7
$142) 8. O-O Bb6 (8… Nh6 $6 { The N is usually misplaced here. } 9. cxd4
Bb6 10. e5 Qg6 11. Bd3 $44) (8… Nge7 9. cxd4 $1 O-O (9… d6 $2 { is a
typical error now. } 10. Bg5 { All coming blows are forced. } 10… Qg6 11.
d5 Ne5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. Bxe7 Kxe7 14. Qa3+ Kd8 15. d6 $1 ( { better than }
15. Qxa5 Bh3) 15… Bb6 16. dxc7+ Kxc7 17. Nc3 $16 { Harding-Day, corr
England 1974 }) (9… Bb6 $2 { allows White the advance of his central
pawns. } 10. e5 Qg6 11. Bd3 $1 Qh5 12. d5 Nd8 13. Ba3 $16) (9… Nxd4 $2
10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 (11… Kd8 12. Bb2 $16) 12. Bh5 $1 d5 13. exd5
$1 Qxd5 14. Rd1 $1 $18) 10. Bb2 (10. e5 $5 { deserved serious attention. })
10… d6 11. d5 $5 (11. Nc3 Nxd4 12. Nd5 (12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Rad1 $1 Qb6)
12… Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 Qxb2 14. Nxe7+ Kh8 15. Rab1 Qd4 $17) (11. Rd1 {
keeping the mighty P [+] intact. } 11… Bg4 12. Rd3 Bb6 13. Nbd2 Na5 14.
Qc2 $44) 11… Ne5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. f4 Bb6+ (13… Qb6+) 14. Kh1 Qg6 $13 {
Anderssen-Kolisch, Paris 1886 }) (8… b5 $142 $5 { Black gives back a P,
but gets some tempi for it. } 9. Bd5 (9. Bxb5 Rb8 10. Qa4 Nge7 11. e5 Nxe5
$1 { This is the beginning of Black’s counterattack, for example: } (11…
Qg6 12. Ba3 $1 (12. cxd4 Bb7) 12… Bb7 (12… Bxc3 $5 13. Nxc3 dxc3 $13)
13. Bxe7 a6 (13… Nxe5 $5 14. Nh4 $1 Nf3+ 15. Nxf3 Bxf3 {
(Steel-Blackburne, London 1881) } 16. g3 $1 Kxe7 17. Qxa5 $16) 14. Bxc6
Bxc6 15. Qxa5 Bxf3 16. g3 Kxe7 17. cxd4 $13) 12. Qxa5 (12. Nxd4 Bb6 $19)
12… Nxf3+ 13. gxf3 Qg6+ 14. Kh1 Qf5 $19) 9… h6 $1 { 10…Nge7 will come
with a tempo. } 10. cxd4 (10. e5 Qg6 11. Nxd4 Nge7) 10… Nge7 11. e5 (11.
Qxb5 Rb8 12. Qd3 Nxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 $17) 11… Qf5 12. Nbd2 Nxd5 13. Qxd5
O-O 14. Ba3 b4 $1 15. Bb2 Bb6 16. Qb3 (16. Nc4 Bb7 $17) (16. Qe4 Qxe4 17.
Nxe4 Bb7 $17) 16… a5 $17 { Breyer-Schlechter, Baden-Baden 1914 }) 9. e5
Qg6 10. cxd4 (10. Ba3 $5 { is also met by Black’s main threat } 10… Na5
$1 11. Qb4 $1 { /\ Qf8# } (11. Qa4 Nxc4 12. Qxc4 d3 $1 (12… Qe6 13. Qd3
Ne7 14. cxd4 Nd5 $13) (12… Ne7 13. Bxe7 Kxe7 14. cxd4 $44)) 11… c5 (
11… d6 12. exd6 Nxc4 13. d7+ Kxd7 14. Qxc4 Qe6 15. Qb4 $44 { and the
black K is exposed in the [+]. }) 12. Qa4 Nxc4 13. Qxc4 Qe6 14. Nbd2 $5 (
14. Qxe6+ dxe6 15. cxd4 Bd7 (15… cxd4 16. Nbd2 Ne7 17. Nc4) 16. Bxc5 Bxc5
17. dxc5 Bc6 $11) 14… Ne7 (14… Qxc4 15. Nxc4 dxc3 16. Nd6+ Ke7 17. Rac1
{ Black is doomed to ethernal passivity because of the mighty N on d6. }
17… Nh6 18. Rxc3 $44 { Boor-Rajlich, Oberlin op 1999 }) (14… dxc3 15.
Qxc3 Ne7 16. Ne4 O-O) 15. cxd4 cxd4 16. Ng5 Qxc4 17. Nxc4 Bc7 18. Rfe1 $44)
10… Na5 (10… Bxd4 $6 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Qd1 Nc6 13. Nc3 { White’s lead
of development is annoying. } 13… Nge7 14. Nb5 O-O 15. Nxc7 Nxe5 16. Ba3
d6 17. Qxd6 Nxc4 18. Qxg6 Nxg6 19. Bxf8 $16 { Mnatsakanian-Vaisman,
Moscow-ch Trades Union 1964 }) (10… Nxd4 $6 11. Nxd4 Bxd4 12. Nc3 Nh6 (
12… Ne7 13. Ba3 $40) 13. Ba3 $1 $44 { and Black cannot castle >>. } ( {
but not } 13. Be3 $2 Bxe5 14. Bxh6 Qxh6 15. g3 O-O $19 { Bird-Chigorin,
Hastings 1895 })) 11. Qa4 Nxc4 12. Qxc4 Ne7 13. Ba3 $6 (13. a4 $142 d5 (
13… c6 14. Ba3 $44 { H. Pedersen-B.Georgiev, Copenhagen Obro op 1989 })
14. exd6 cxd6 15. a5 $44) 13… Qe6 { [#] } 14. d5 $1 { White is fishing in
troubled waters. } (14. Rc1 d5 $1 (14… Nd5 15. Ng5 Qc6 16. Qb3 Qg6 17.
Qxd5 Qxg5 18. Nc3 $44) (14… Qxc4 15. Rxc4 d5 16. exd6 Be6 17. Rc1 cxd6
18. Bxd6 Rd8 $15 { with a ^^, weak d P, and << P majority. }) 15. exd6 cxd6
$15) 14... Qxd5 (14... Nxd5 { allows White to win more tempi and open up
the position against the K in the middle. } 15. Ng5 $1 (15. Nbd2 $143 Ne7
16. Qh4 Ng6 $17) (15. Nd4 $143 Qg4 16. Qxd5 Qxd4 17. Qb3 d6 18. exd6 (18.
Bb2 Qg4 19. exd6 O-O) 18... O-O 19. d7 Bxd7 20. Bxf8 Be6 $17) 15... Qxe5 $5
(15... Qc6 16. Qe4 Qg6 (16... h6 17. Rc1) 17. Qxd5 $44 { - 15... Qg6 }) (
15... Qg6 16. Qxd5 Qxg5 17. Nc3 $44 { and White has an enormous lead of
development. }) 16. Nf3 (16. Nc3 Qxg5 $1) 16... Qxa1 17. Re1+ Kd8 18. Ne5
Qxe5 { This is the only defence. } 19. Rxe5 c6 20. Qg4 $44) 15. Qe2 Ng6 (
15... Qe6 16. Nc3 $44) 16. Nc3 Nf4 $5 (16... Qe6 17. Qe4 $44) 17. Qb2 (17.
Nxd5 $5 Nxe2+ 18. Kh1 c6 (18... Ba5 19. Rae1 $1 c6 { - 18...c6 }) 19. Rae1
(19. Rfe1 cxd5 20. Rxe2 Ba5 21. Nd4 b6 22. Nf5 $44) 19... cxd5 20. Rxe2 Bd8
(20... Ba5 21. Nd4 (21. Rd1 b6 22. Nd4 Ba6 23. Rc2) 21... b6 22. Rc2 (22.
Nf5 $2 Ba6 $1) 22... Ba6 23. Rfc1 $44 (23. Rd1 { - 21.Rd1 })) 21. Nd4 (21.
Rc1 b6 $1) 21... Be7 22. Bxe7 Kxe7 23. Nf5+ Kf8 24. Rd2 b6 (24... d6 25.
Nxd6 Be6 26. f4 $14) 25. Rxd5 Ba6 26. Rc1 Rc8 27. Rxc8+ Bxc8 28. Rd3 g6 29.
Nd6 Ke7 30. Rc3 Ba6 31. Ra3 Be2 32. Rxa7 f6 $11 { blowing up White's [+]
just in time. }) 17... Qd3 18. Rae1 (18. Qb4 $1 { was the correct
continuation of the -> provoking weakening moves. } 18… Nh3+ $1 (18…
Ng6 19. Rad1 $44) (18… c5 19. Qxf4 Qxc3 20. Qa4 $44) 19. gxh3 (19. Kh1 c5
20. Qb2 Nf4 21. Nb5 O-O) 19… c5 $1 20. Qb3 Qxf3 21. Nb5 $1 { White’s |^
remains dangerous even without queens. } (21. Nd5 $143 { allows Black to
come out of passivity. } 21… Qxb3 22. axb3 d6 23. Bb2 Bd8 24. exd6 Be6 $1
$17) 21… Qxb3 22. Nd6+ $1 { This is the point! } (22. axb3 d5 $1) 22…
Ke7 23. axb3 f6 24. Rad1 fxe5 25. Rfe1 $44 { and the B on c8 remains
pathetic. }) 18… Qg6 19. Nh4 $1 (19. g3 Nd3 20. Qb3 Nxe1 21. Rxe1 Kd8 22.
Nd5 Re8 $19) 19… Qg4 20. g3 Nd3 21. Qc2 Nxe1 22. Rxe1 Kd8 23. Nd5 { White
has still a phantastic compensation for the sacrificed material. } 23…
Re8 24. Re4 $2 { This is the decisive error. } (24. Bc5 $1 { gave White
good chances to continue the ->, for example: } 24… Re6 (24… Ba5 25.
Bb4 $1 Bb6 26. Bc5 Re6 { – 24…Re6 }) (24… Bxc5 $2 25. Qxc5 c6 26. Qa5+
b6 27. Nxb6 axb6 28. Qxb6+ Ke7 29. Qc5+ $11) (24… c6 $2 25. Nxb6 $18) 25.
Bxb6 cxb6 (25… axb6 26. Qxc7+ Ke8 27. Qc2 Kf8 28. Nf5 $44 (28. Qxh7 Rh6))
26. Nf5 Rc6 27. Qd3 $44) 24… Qe6 $19 { Now Black will play d6 and the
white P will shelter the black K. } 25. Nf4 Qc6 26. Rc4 (26. Qd3 g5) 26…
Qb5 27. Nf3 d5 $1 { The B finally comes out of passivity. } 28. exd6 Bf5
29. dxc7+ Kc8 { The K is safe here! } 30. Qc1 Qb1 $1 31. Ng5 $2 { This
loses outright, but other tries were no better: } (31. Bc5 Ba5 $19) (31.
Nd5 Qxc1+ 32. Rxc1 Be4 $19) 31… Re1+ 0-1
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