[Event "Parsvnath Open, New Delhi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.01.15"]
[Round "9.1"]
[White "Popov, Ivan"]
[Black "Mozharov, Mikhail"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A45"]
[WhiteElo "2622"]
[BlackElo "2557"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2015.01.09"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

{COPYRIGHT WARNING: This game has been prepared by Chess Publishing Ltd for the exclusive private use of guest users, and may not be redistributed in any way without the prior written consent of Chess Publishing Ltd.}

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. h4 $5 {Even long after the Trompowsky reign of Julian
Hodgson, this continues to carry some shock value.} c5 4. d5 ({The natural
advance, although} 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nd2 Nxg5 6. hxg5 g6 {is a pretty important
alternative, as we considered last year with the game Rapport-Damljanovic, 
Paracin Open 2014.}) 4... Qb6 {Mozharov continues to respond in the most
principled manner.} 5. Nd2 Nxg5 6. hxg5 Qxb2 7. g6 $5 ({A popular and tempting
choice, although as I've remarked before, I quite like} 7. e4 {, and if} g6 8.
Rb1 Qe5 9. Ngf3 Qc7 10. e5 $1 {, fighting hard to put White's early initiative
to good use.}) 7... fxg6 8. e3 Na6 ({A new move for us, if a better choice than
} 8... d6 9. Rb1 $1 Qc3 $6 10. Ne2 Qe5 $2 11. Nf4 {, which already leaves
Black in huge trouble.}) ({The text isn't completely ideal either though, so
perhaps Black should look deeper into} 8... Qe5 $5 {.}) 9. Rb1 Qxa2 $2 ({New
and overly greedy if you ask me. Previously, } 9... Qf6 {had been tried and by
one Ivan Popov no less:} 10. Ne4 ({simple development with} 10. Ngf3 $1 {
should be preferred, and after} Nb4 $5 ({Black can easily get into serious
difficulties here, as shown by} 10... d6 $2 11. Ne4 Qf5 12. Bd3 $1 {, which is
pretty much already decisive}) 11. Ne4 Qf5 12. a3 Qxe4 13. axb4 e6 14. Bd3 $1
Qxd5 15. c4 Qd6 16. Bxg6+ Kd8 17. Qe2 {White enjoys some initiative for his
pawns}) 10... Qf5 11. Bd3 $5 {(now this is pretty ambitious)} Qxd5 12. c4 Qc6
13. Nf3 $6 (13. a3 $1 {looks slow, but then again White does lead somewhat in
development, so why not?}) 13... d6 $2 (13... Nb4 $1 {would have been strong, 
and if} 14. Neg5 Nxd3+ 15. Qxd3 e5 $1 {, indirectly defending h7}) 14. Bc2 $1
Bd7 {and now in Lokander-Popov, European Club Cup, Bilbao 2014, the obvious}
15. Neg5 {would have left the Russian Grandmaster in huge trouble.}) 10. Bc4
Qa4 11. Bb5 $1 ({This feels strange, but driving the queen back to a5 does
seem to be the best way to obtain an early initiative. One point is to avoid} 
11. Bd3 Nb4 $1 {, and if} 12. Bxg6+ Kd8 13. Be4 g6 {when Black may not be
worse in the resulting extreme mess.}) 11... Qa5 12. Bd3 {As so often in this
variation, White finds a good way to exploit the half-open h-file.} d6 ({There
was little to be done about the threat. Black simply must accept that his king
will have to reside in the centre and trust in his extra pawns. Now} 12... Nb4
13. Bxg6+ Kd8 14. Qf3 {would just cover everything as c2 isn't attacked.}) 13.
Kf1 $5 ({Very creative, not to mention dangerous Popov's idea is Nc4 followed
by e4-e5. However, the text may not be best and we should certainly explore too
} 13. Bxg6+ Kd8 (13... hxg6 $2 14. Rxh8 Bf5 15. Kf1 {isn't a convincing
exchange sacrifice}) 14. Ne2 {, which looks like rather good compensation for
White. Indeed, after} Nc7 15. Nf4 {there is a simple threat of Bxh7 followed
by Ng6 and even the engines seem to quite like White.}) 13... Bf5 {Mozharov
seizes the chance to keep his third extra pawn. The text seems greedy and
obviously allows White to advance with tempo, but finding something better
isn't so easy.} 14. e4 Bd7 15. e5 $1 O-O-O ({This allows White a monster
central wedge, but} 15... dxe5 $2 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. Bxg6+ Kd8 18. Qf3 {would
have left Black in dire straights with such appalling coordination, }) ({and} 
15... Bf5 $5 16. Nc4 Bxd3+ 17. cxd3 Qc7 18. Nf3 {also looks like pretty
dangerous compensation with Ng5-e6 such a threat.}) 16. e6 $1 {One wonders
what the tall pawn on f8 made of this move.} Ba4 17. Ra1 $2 ({Very natural, 
but now Black is able to cement his bishop on a4, which helps him to keep
lines closed.} 17. Nc4 $1 Qc7 18. Nb2 $1 {is a hard move for a human to spot, 
but after} Be8 19. Bxa6 bxa6 20. Nf3 h6 21. Ng5 {White would have retained a
strong grip on the position. Indeed, when did you last see such a back rank?
Definite shades of Karpov-Kasparov, Linares 1993, indeed.}) 17... b5 18. Ngf3 {
Even here it's hard to believe that White isn't doing well. After all, all his
minor pieces can move and he has the c2-c4 break, but Mozharov now begins to
fight back.} g5 $1 {This is surprisingly awkward for White, if not a hard move
to grasp - Black must try to free his dark-squared bishop.} 19. Bg6 ({Popov
tries to keep the black kingside incarcerated. Instead, } 19. Nxg5 g6 20. Nf7
Bg7 {is hard to assess, but I'm no longer convinced that White has to be
better.}) 19... g4 20. Ng5 g3 $2 ({Black's last two moves were excellent, but
this is one too many with the eager pawn. Instead, } 20... Qc3 $1 {would have
blocked the c-pawn, tied the white queen down and generally been annoying.
After, say, } 21. Nf7 Nb4 22. Ne4 Qb2 {the silicon monster may not be wrong to
suggest that White should force a repetition with his queen's rook. Certainly}
23. Nxd8 Kxd8 24. Ng5 Qf6 25. Nf7+ Kc8 26. Nxh8 $2 g3 $1 27. f3 $2 Nxc2 {is
not what White wants to be doing.}) 21. Ra3 $1 {Not so much attacking g3, as
swinging the rook over to maintain the kingside bind.} gxf2 22. Nf7 Qb4 23. Rf3
Re8 $1 ({An only move, if not one which should have saved Black. Mozharov's
problem was} 23... Qd4 $2 24. Nxd8 Kxd8 25. Rxh7 Rxh7 26. Bxh7 Ke8 27. Bg6+ {
when the problem child on f8 must fall.}) 24. g3 $2 ({Far too sophisticated.} 
24. Be4 $1 {would have maintained control and finally threatened to snare the
rook in the corner. After} Rg8 25. Bxh7 Qb2 $1 26. Nb3 Nb4 {Black has some
counterplay, but does find himself a rook in arrears following} 27. Bxg8 Nxc2
28. Qc1 {. Yes, he has four pawns for it, but that bishop is still to defrost
on f8.}) 24... Qd4 25. Rf4 ({Now this hugely enjoyable scrap between two
Russian Grandmasters ends in a repetition.} 25. Be4 $5 {was a way to play on, 
but after} g5 26. Nxh8 Qxh8 27. Rxh7 Qe5 28. Rxf2 Bg7 {Black would surely have
been at least OK having finally solved his main problem.}) 25... Qe3 26. Rf3 (
26. Nxh8 hxg6 27. Rf3 Qd4 28. Rh4 $5 {was another try to keep going, but after}
Qb2 29. Rxa4 bxa4 30. Nxg6 Nb4 {the advanced a-pawn seems to save Black.})
26... Qd4 27. Rf4 Qe3 28. Rf3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Copa Latinoamericana, Duran"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.12.27"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Bruzon Bautista, Lazaro"]
[Black "Hernandez, Jairo Andres"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A45"]
[WhiteElo "2668"]
[BlackElo "2306"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2014.12.26"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d6 3. Bxf6 exf6 4. e3 ({It's also very possible to begin with
} 4. c4 {: for instance, } f5 5. g3 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. e3 Nd7 9. Nge2
c6 10. b4 $5 {was covered by Eric in the game Lputian-Iuldachev, Abu Dhabi
2003.}) 4... Nc6 $6 ({This surely just misplaces the knight. Usually Black goes
} 4... g6 {when} 5. c4 f5 6. Ne2 Nd7 7. Nbc3 {is a position which can, of
course, also arise from a 2...g6 move order. In Novik-Heinola, Finnish League
2014, Black attempted to stir up some early counterplay with} Nf6 8. g3 c6 9.
Bg2 Bd7 10. O-O h5 $5 {, but White refused to panic and} 11. b4 $5 h4 12. b5
hxg3 13. hxg3 Bh6 14. Qd3 {(shoring up e3 and increasing White's hold over the
e4-square)} Kf8 15. a4 Kg7 16. a5 {left Novik's queenside play the dominant
feature of the position.}) 5. g3 {I'm informed that this was a novelty, but
the idea of fianchettoing on the kingside is, of course, extremely common in
such lines.} h5 6. h4 ({The obvious block and how White tends to respond to an
early ...h5 in practice. I do wonder, though, if Novik would have preferred} 6.
Nf3 $5 Bg4 7. Be2 {.}) 6... d5 {Losing a tempo with the d-pawn, but at least
obtaining some central control. Still, we might have to conclude that openings
aren't Senor Hernandez's forte.} 7. Nd2 ({Supporting c2-c4. Another
possibility was} 7. Bg2 Bg4 8. Ne2 Qd7 {and now} 9. a3 {might be a good choice, 
hinting at b2-b4 if Black goes long and also allowing White to break with Qd3
and c2-c4.}) 7... Bg4 {Hernandez continues to do his best to stir up some
trouble, but White doesn't mind an exchange of bishops.} 8. Be2 Qd7 9. c3 $1 ({
Solid and sensible. Instead, } 9. Bxg4 $2 hxg4 10. Ne2 Bd6 {would have given
Black the ...g7-g5 break, }) ({and} 9. c4 $2 dxc4 10. Nxc4 Qd5 {also creates
far more problems than Black should be able to.}) 9... Bd6 10. Qb3 Ne7 $5 ({
Black won't obtain quite enough for the pawn, but this was still a decent
practical try. Indeed, he would have continued to suffer from his inferior
structure in the event of something more solid like} 10... Be6 11. Bf3 Na5 12.
Qc2 g6 13. Ne2 {.}) 11. Qxb7 O-O 12. Qa6 $5 {I'm not entirely sure this was
better than retreating to b3, but it's nice to stay in touch with both the
bishop on e2 and the black a-pawn.} Rab8 13. b3 Bf5 ({Trying to trap the white
queen.} 13... Rb6 14. Bxg4 hxg4 15. Qd3 {surely doesn't give Black very much
for his pawn, }) ({but perhaps he might have striven to open lines with} 13...
c5 $5 {.}) 14. Bxh5 $1 {Greedy, but then again why not remove a second pawn?
Amazingly certain engines suggest Black isn't doing too badly, but I'm at a
loss to see how he isn't at least clearly worse.} c5 {Hard to criticise as
Black really had to open lines, but this does give White a fine square on d4.}
15. dxc5 $1 Bxc5 16. Ne2 Nc6 ({With} 16... Rb6 17. Qa4 Qxa4 18. bxa4 Rb2 19.
Nd4 {we do find the white queenside broken up, but the queens are off and he
remains both two pawns to the good and in control.}) 17. O-O Rb6 18. Qa4 Bd3 $1
{Hernandez is not bad at activating his pieces, but even this pin and the idea
of ...Qf5 will prove insufficient.} 19. b4 $1 {Beginning to drive Black back
while creating a way for the white queen to regroup.} Bd6 20. Qd1 ({If White
wanted to hang on to all his extra material, he might have gone} 20. Rfe1 $5 {
, and if} Qf5 21. Bf3 Ne5 22. Bg2 {when Black seems to come up short.}) 20...
Ne5 21. Nf4 $1 ({Fine judgement. Bruzon gives up the exchange, but will retain
a clear advantage by doing so. The text was far from forced, but White
certainly had to avoid} 21. Nb3 Rc8 22. Re1 $2 Be4 {when suddenly his kingside
would have looked rather vulnerable indeed.}) 21... Bxf1 22. Nxf1 Bb8 $1 {
Another good practical choice, clearing the d6-square for the rook should
White snaffle d5.} 23. Be2 ({Bruzon presumably disliked} 23. Nxd5 $5 Rd6 24. e4
f5 {, but after} 25. Nfe3 fxe4 26. Be2 {the knight is secure on d5 and c4-c5
is coming.}) 23... Rc8 $6 24. Rc1 $6 ({Hardly terrible, but I didn't like
Black's last on account of} 24. Nxd5 $1 Rd6 25. c4 $1 {when} Nxc4 $2 26. Bg4 {
is the key point, and if} f5 27. Bxf5 $1 {, although this sort of play is, of
course, much easier for a machine to spot.}) 24... Rd6 25. h5 $1 {Grabbing
some space. Bruzon is still doing pretty well, since he has two good pawns for
the exchange, a target on d5, control over the position and much the better
bishop.} g5 {As good a try as anything, but White doesn't even have to
exchange on g6.} 26. Nd3 $5 Qe7 27. Nc5 $6 ({A fine outpost, but White should
have been thinking about improved his worst-placed pieces. The knight on f1
does cover g3 and e3, but neither is really a target and} 27. Nd2 $1 f5 28. Nb3
{would have left White much better placed than in the game to hold off any
desperate attack.}) 27... f5 $1 {Black absolutely must hurl everything into
this attack.} 28. Qc2 Qf6 29. Rd1 $6 (29. f4 $5 {would have been radical and
weakened e3, but perhaps was required.}) 29... a5 $6 ({Missing a chance as now
White has the time to target d5. I've not been too impressed by White's play
over the past few moves and here} 29... g4 $1 {would have surrounded the pawn
he opted to leave on h5. After} 30. Nd2 Qg5 31. Bf1 Qxh5 32. Bg2 Rh6 33. Kf1 {
White isn't getting mated, but neither can he claim to better after} Bd6 {.})
30. Qb3 Ba7 31. Rxd5 {Bruzon might as well grab the pawn for his trouble.} Rxd5
32. Qxd5 Rd8 ({Natural, but one might also make a decent case for} 32... Bxc5
$5 33. bxc5 g4 $1 {and ...Qe7} (33... Qe7 34. f4 $1 {is awkward.})) 33. Qb7
Bxc5 34. bxc5 f4 $2 ({As we have seen Hernandez likes to attack, but this was
too impetuous. Instead, the calm} 34... Kg7 $1 {would have asked White exactly
how he intended to make progress: for example, } 35. f4 gxf4 36. exf4 Ng4 37.
Bc4 Rf8 {leaves the white king looking pretty open.}) 35. exf4 gxf4 36. Qe4 $1
{The queen returns to join in the defence. Not only can White beat off the
threats, but now he will also be able to begin making active use of his own
pieces.} f3 (36... Qg5 $5 37. Qxf4 Qxf4 38. gxf4 Nd3 {looks a bit strange, but
perhaps this was the best try, and if} 39. c6 Nxf4 40. Bg4 Ne6 {.}) 37. Bb5 Rc8
38. c6 $1 Qg5 ({Black suddenly finds himself badly short of a move, as if} 
38... Nxc6 $2 39. Qg4+ {.}) 39. Ne3 Kg7 $2 ({A time-trouble blunder, but even} 
39... Qxh5 40. Nd5 Kf8 41. c7 {surely wouldn't have seen Black survive.}) 40.
Nf5+ Kf6 41. Nd6 Qc1+ 42. Bf1 1-0

[Event "European Rapid Championship, Wroclaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.12.21"]
[Round "8.9"]
[White "Aleksandrov, Aleksej"]
[Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D01"]
[WhiteElo "2593"]
[BlackElo "2680"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2014.12.20"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. e3 c5 4. Bxf6 gxf6 5. Nc3 ({White rejects the
relatively trendy} 5. dxc5 {and prefers to take play into the realm of the
Veresov.}) 5... Nc6 6. Nge2 ({A new move for us, but not one which is hugely
promising from what I can see. Recently we considered} 6. dxc5 e6 7. Qh5 b6 $5
{in Gonda-Filippov, Croatian Team Championship 2014, }) ({while another recent
game saw} 6. a3 {. This prepares dxc5 and prevents any notion of ...Bb4, but
also feels rather slow and, indeed, } e6 7. Nf3 a6 8. Be2 cxd4 9. exd4 Bg7 (9...
Bh6 $5 10. Qd3 f5 {would be another set-up}) 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 Qd6 {was
unbalanced and about equal in Raetsky-Kassis, Beirut 2014.}) 6... Bg4 7. h3 ({
Natural, if new. Unsurprisingly the Belorussian Grandmaster does much better
than} 7. dxc5 e6 8. f3 Bh5 9. Ng3 $2 Bg6 10. Bd3 Bxc5 11. Qd2 Qb6 {, which was
already something of a disaster for White in Barabas-Kele, Hungarian League
2000.}) 7... Bh5 8. Qd2 ({Naturally White should unpin. Aleksandrov does so
classically, but} 8. g4 $5 Bg6 9. f4 f5 10. Qd2 {might appeal to a more
creative type.}) 8... e6 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Nf4 Bg6 {White can deny Black the
bishop-pair whenever he needs to, but he has absolutely no advantage here.
Quite simply, Black's development has been too easy and it's tricky for White
to effect a powerful e3-e4 break.} 11. a3 Qe7 12. Be2 O-O-O ({Simple and
fairly sensible.} 12... d4 $5 13. exd4 Bxd4 14. O-O-O Rd8 {would have been a
more dynamic approach.}) 13. Nxg6 ({White's main problem is his lack of good
pawn breaks, something which quickly becomes obvious after} 13. b4 Bd6 14. O-O
Kb8 {when} 15. Nb5 $6 {is the move he wants to play, but} Bxf4 $1 16. exf4 e5 {
leaves Black doing well.}) 13... hxg6 14. O-O-O ({This runs into a central
rejoinder, so perhaps White had to take his chances in something more messy
like} 14. b4 $5 Bd6 15. Bb5 {. I suspect his best approach, though, would be
to go back to move 8, if not move 6, and deviate there.}) 14... d4 $1 {Highly
logical, opening lines for the dark-squared bishop and creating trouble down
the d-file.} 15. exd4 Nxd4 16. Kb1 {Now Black lacks a good discovery, but with
such a powerful knight he retains a definite edge.} f5 17. Bd3 ({Instead, } 17.
Na4 Nc6 $1 {hits f2 and after} 18. Qe1 Rxd1+ 19. Bxd1 Bd4 {it remains
difficult for White to fully shake off the nagging pressure.}) 17... a6 $1 {
Prudently preparing a retreat for the bishop. The next mini-plan will be to
improve the king and then activate the rooks.} 18. f4 {At least this prevents .
..e6-e5, but it does also create a potential dark-square weakness. In any case
White was struggling for counterplay.} Kb8 19. Rhe1 Rd6 {Here come the black
rooks and now Aleksandrov decided he couldn't put off moving his knight any
longer.} 20. Na4 ({Maybe this wasn't best, but the position must have been
pure hell for Aleksandrov. It's just not at all easy to see how White can
break out: for example, } 20. Ne2 Nxe2 21. Qxe2 Qc7 $1 22. c3 Rb6 {and a pawn
will fall on a3 or f4.}) 20... Ba7 21. c4 $6 {Desperate, and weakening.} Rhd8
22. c5 Rd5 {Not only is Inarkiev now hitting c5, but he threatens a nasty leap
with his knight.} 23. Bc4 Nf3 $1 24. Qe2 Nd2+ 25. Ka2 Rd4 {White has been
totally outplayed and won't be able to hold things together for much longer.}
26. Bb3 Qd7 27. Bc2 Qd5+ 28. Ka1 Bxc5 {There goes a pawn and without any of
the extreme pressure being relinquished.} 29. Nxc5 Qxc5 30. Rc1 Rc4 $1 {
Winning further material.} 31. Qd1 Nb3+ 32. Bxb3 Rxd1 33. Rcxd1 Rxf4 34. Rd7
Qb5 35. Rd8+ Kc7 0-1

[Event "Chennai Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.01.02"]
[Round "5.5"]
[White "Dzhumaev, Marat"]
[Black "Ramnath Bhuvanesh, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D01"]
[WhiteElo "2532"]
[BlackElo "2405"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2014.12.30"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 Nbd7 4. Qd3 ({The modern choice. An older line was
seen in the Open at the London Chess Classic:} 4. Nf3 h6 5. Bh4 e6 6. e4 $6 g5
7. Bg3 Nxe4 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9. Nd2 f5 {, which is a line I've never really cared
for. Indeed, I can't see a reason to change the view of old theory: bad for
White. Quite simply, } 10. h4 (10. Bc4 {has also been explored - see the Archive
}) 10... f4 11. Bh2 Nf6 {just looks horrible for White, although to be fair to
our former columnist, } 12. c3 c5 (12... Qd5 $1 13. Rg1 Bd7 {was the old
approach and just seems very strong - see Savosto-Sukhareva, Voronezh 2007, 
and Eric's damning notes}) 13. Qc2 Qd5 (13... cxd4 $5 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4
dxc3 {gives White some checks, but not definitely enough compensation for two
pawns}) 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. f3 $5 Be3 $6 16. Nc4 {did see him fighting his way
back into the game in Gormally-Fier, London 2014.}) 4... c5 $1 ({A critical
challenge. Instead, we haven't seen} 4... g6 {before, but it's not without
logic and after} 5. Nf3 ({White should revert back to} 5. f3 $1) 5... Bg7 6.
O-O-O O-O 7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Nf6 10. Qh4 Qd5 $1 11. Kb1 b5 12. Bd3
Be6 13. b3 a5 {White's king proved much the weaker in Mammadov-Galojan, Al-Ain
2014.}) 5. O-O-O e6 (5... c4 $5 {was preferred in a high-level encounter last
year and after} 6. Qg3 Qa5 7. e4 b5 8. Kb1 dxe4 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nxe4 Bb7 {
Black enjoyed decent counterplay in Nakamura-Karjakin, Baku 2014.}) 6. e4 {
White must open the centre, lest he come under strong pressure on the
queenside, but the queen will be targeted with tempo.} cxd4 7. Qxd4 Bc5 8. Qd3
d4 9. Nce2 ({A new move and one which isn't definitely best. Eric considered} 
9. Na4 b6 {in Andrzejewska-Koziak, Koszalin 2005, and now suggested} 10. Nf3 $5
{when his line} e5 11. c3 Qc7 12. Qc2 Bb7 13. cxd4 exd4 {feels very critical.
Here, though, } 14. b4 $6 {is not best, as} Bxe4 $1 15. Re1 ({or} 15. Bd3 Bxf3
16. gxf3 Bd6 17. Rhe1+ Kf8) 15... O-O 16. Rxe4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Be7+ 18. Kb1 Bxg5
19. Nxg5 Nf6 {leaves Black with somewhat the safer king.}) 9... e5 10. c3 ({
The other way to undermine Black's powerful central pawn chain was} 10. f4 O-O
11. Nf3 {, but after} Qa5 12. Kb1 Ng4 {Black must be slightly for choice.
However, it's hard to believe that pushing a pawn in front of the white king
is entirely correct either.}) 10... O-O 11. Nf3 Qa5 (11... Qb6 $5 {was also a
tempting square, since} 12. cxd4 exd4 13. Nexd4 Re8 {will regain the pawn and
leave White far from comfortable as the position rapidly opens up.}) 12. Kb1
Ng4 {Winning a pawn, but Black is ignoring development and is about to help
White untangle his own forces.} 13. Bh4 dxc3 14. Nxc3 Nxf2 ({The pawn didn't
have to be snaffled and, indeed, } 14... Nb6 $5 {was possible, and if} 15. Qe2
Be6 16. Ng5 Bc8 17. Nf3 ({if} 17. h3 Nf6) 17... Be6 {with an unusual
repetition.}) ({Note too that} 14... Bxf2 15. Be7 ({or} 15. h3 $5 Bxh4 16. hxg4
) 15... Re8 16. Nd5 {would have offered White reasonable play for his pawn.})
15. Bxf2 Bxf2 16. Qc2 Bc5 17. Bc4 {Dzhumaev must have been delighted to have
managed to develop all his pieces, although we shouldn't forget that he is
still a pawn in arrears.} Nb6 $1 18. Bxf7+ $5 ({A stunning, completely
unexpected blow. It isn't 100% sound, but certainly changes the game. Instead, 
after} 18. Nxe5 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 Qa6 20. Ne5 Be6 21. Nd7 Rfc8 $1 22. Nxc5 Rxc5 {
Black would have been slightly for choice on account of his superior minor
piece.}) 18... Rxf7 $2 ({The bluff pays off. Presumably Ramnath wasn't sure
about} 18... Kxf7 19. Nxe5+ ({or} 19. Qb3+ Ke8 20. Nb5 {when} Ke7 $1 {is
pretty effective, and if} 21. Nc7 Bd6 $1 22. Nxa8 $2 Be6) 19... Ke8 20. Qe2 g6
21. Nb5 {. White is certainly very active, but Black is a piece up and his
king should be able to survive, as shown by} Be6 22. Nc7+ Ke7 23. Nxe6 Kxe6 24.
Nf3 Kf7 {when White is coming up short.}) 19. Rd8+ Rf8 $2 ({Now Black is in
serious trouble, whereas with the unmaterialistic} 19... Bf8 20. Ng5 Be6 $1 21.
Rxa8 Nxa8 22. Nxe6 h6 {he would have restricted White to only a pleasant edge.}
) 20. Qb3+ Kh8 21. Nxe5 {Suddenly mate is threatened on g8.} g6 22. Rf1 $2 ({
Losing his way.} 22. Rhd1 $1 {would have retained full control: for example, }
Bg4 ({or} 22... Be7 23. Qf7 $1) 23. Qf7 $1 Raxd8 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Qf6+ Kg8 26.
Qxd8+ Bf8 27. Qf6 Qb4 28. Nxg4 {with an extra pawn in the ending.}) 22... Rxd8
$2 ({White will invade on f7 after this. Black really had to find} 22... Nd7 $1
{when} 23. Rdxf8+ (23. Rfxf8+ Nxf8 24. Qd5 Be6 {defends, and if} 25. Nxg6+ hxg6
26. Qe5+ Kh7 27. Rxa8 Qb6) 23... Bxf8 24. Qe6 $1 Qa6 $1 25. Qf7 Qd6 26. Qxd7 $5
Bxd7 27. Nf7+ Kg7 28. Nxd6 Bxd6 29. Rd1 Rf8 {would have offered excellent
drawing chances in the resulting endgame.}) 23. Nf7+ Kg7 24. Nxd8 Bd7 25. Qf7+
Kh8 ({The game is up, as if} 25... Kh6 26. Qf4+ Kg7 27. Qf6+ {when it's going
to be mate, just like in the game.}) 26. Qf6+ Kg8 27. Nf7 Bf8 28. Qh8# 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.01.16"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D03"]
[WhiteElo "2667"]
[BlackElo "2797"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2015.01.10"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 ({Another recent Torre game which caught my eye saw} 2. Nf3 e6
3. Bg5 h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. e3 b6 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. Nbd2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. c3 d6 {(all
pretty standard, although do note how Black has refused so far to release the
central tension)} 10. a4 cxd4 11. exd4 a6 12. Bxf6 $5 {(new here, if far from
unknown in such structures White unbalances the position and hopes that Black
will struggle to find a good role for his dark-squared bishop)} Bxf6 13. Ne4
Bxe4 (13... Be7 $1 14. Bc2 {might have been White's idea, but after} Nd7 15.
Qd3 g6 {Black can defend ...Re8 and ...Bf8 will follow}) 14. Bxe4 d5 15. Bc2
Nc6 16. Re1 g6 17. Qd3 Re8 18. g3 Qc7 19. h4 h5 20. Kg2 {left White with an
ongoing nibble in Ki.Georgiev-Y.Vovk, Padova 2014.}) 2... d5 ({Van Wely also
employed the Trompowsky in the Super Rapidplay at the London Classic, being
met with the extremely rare} 2... Ne4 3. Bf4 Nc6 $6 {in van Wely-Naroditsky, 
London (rapid) 2014. In the game} 4. Nf3 (4. f3 $1 e5 $5 {is Black's idea, but
I just can't really buy} 5. dxe5 g5 6. Be3 Nc5) 4... d5 5. e3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7.
gxf3 Nf6 8. c4 e6 9. Qb3 Bb4+ 10. Nc3 O-O {didn't seem like too bad a version
of a Chigorin for Black.}) 3. Nd2 Nbd7 {A very solid set-up and play now
transposes into the Torre.} 4. Ngf3 e6 5. e3 c5 6. c3 Qb6 7. Rb1 g6 $5 {A
novelty, if far from an illogical choice. White wants to go Bd3, Ne5, f2-f4
and attack on the kingside, so why not place a barrier in his way?} 8. Ne5 ({
Opting for a Stonewall approach in any case. Somewhat quieter would have been} 
8. Bd3 Bg7 9. O-O O-O {when the position is a strange type of Torre King's
Indian and here maybe White could try} 10. b4 $5 {.}) 8... Bg7 9. f4 {White
has a firm grip on the centre, but Aronian now unfurls a fine retreat.} Ng8 $1
10. Nb3 ({Attacking c5. Instead, } 10. Bh4 {tries to leap clear of the ...f7-f6
push, but after} Nh6 11. Bd3 f6 12. Nxd7 Bxd7 {Black can't have any problems.})
10... cxd4 11. exd4 Nh6 (11... f6 12. Nxd7 Bxd7 13. Bh4 Nh6 14. Nc5 Qd6 {
should be fine for Black, but Aronian sees no need to force the pace when his
knight has a fine square available on f5.}) 12. Bxh6 $5 ({A radical attempt to
cross Black's plans. Van Wely no doubt considered} 12. Bd3 Nf5 {to be very
solid, as well as easy for Black and, indeed, } 13. g4 $6 Nd6 14. Qe2 Ne4 $1 {
would surely not be the way for White to go, and if} 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Qxe4 f6
17. Nxd7 Bxd7 18. Bh4 Qd6 {followed by ...Bc6 or just ...0-0 and ...e5.}) 12...
Bxh6 13. Qf3 a5 14. h4 $5 {One has to like the way White responds to an
initiative-seeking rook's pawn advance with one of his own. Developing either
light-squared bishop can wait with the centre effectively closed.} a4 15. Nd2 (
{Maybe} 15. Nxd7 $5 Bxd7 16. Nc5 {was another try, and if} Bb5 17. Bxb5+ Qxb5
18. h5 {when Black isn't in time to go} Bf8 $2 {.}) 15... a3 $1 ({Breaking up
the white queenside before exchanging knights. Glancing at the engine, I see
it recommending} 15... Nxe5 16. fxe5 O-O {, but few humans would feel entirely
sure about this after} 17. g4 $1 {.}) 16. b4 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Bd7 18. g4 $1 {
Black's light-squared bishop is about to take up a decent role, but White too
is allowed to gain space.} Ba4 19. g5 Bf8 20. Bd3 {Preventing ...Bc2 and
preparing to target f7. Aronian once again responds in creative fashion.} Rc8
21. Rf1 Be7 $1 ({Offering the pawn and hoping to profit from the resulting
open f-file. Instead, } 21... Rc7 22. Nb3 {followed by Nc5 and h4-h5 would have
seen White pressing.}) 22. Qxf7+ Kd7 {Now Black threatens both c3 and ...Rcf8, 
but White is able to comfortably maintain the balance.} 23. Nb3 Bxb3 ({And not
} 23... Rxc3 $2 24. Nc5+ {.}) 24. Rxb3 Rhf8 (24... Rcf8 {was a safer move
order, since then} 25. Qg7 Rfg8 26. Qh6 $2 {can be met by} Bf8 ({or even} 26...
Kc8 $5 27. Rxa3 Kb8 {.})) 25. Qxh7 ({Van Wely settles for the draw.} 25. Qg7 $5
Rg8 26. Qh6 {looks ridiculous, but White is a pawn ahead, threatens Rf7 and ...
Bf8 isn't a threat. Black must go} Rxc3 $1 (26... Bf8 $2 27. Rf7+ {wins}) 27.
Rxc3 Qxb4 28. Ke2 Qxc3 29. Qxh7 Re8 $3 30. Qxg6 {when his kingside has gone, 
but after} (30. Bb5+ Kd8 31. Bxe8 Qc4+ {is a perpetual}) 30... Rh8 {(Bb5+ was
now threatened), his active queen should enable him to hold.}) 25... Rh8 26.
Qxg6 {Bagging a second pawn, but the queen won't be able to escape the
repetition.} Rcg8 27. Qf7 Rf8 28. Qg7 Rfg8 29. Qf7 Rf8 30. Qg7 1/2-1/2

[Event "German Championship, Verden an der Alle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.11.23"]
[Round "3.9"]
[White "Bischoff, Klaus"]
[Black "Skibbe, Willi"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2502"]
[BlackElo "2274"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2014.11.21"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. e3 {As long-time subscribers might just about remember, 
Bischoff had played this before. I quite like this simple Colle approach, 
although it's far from the only non-Chigorin option:} ({a) Eric rather liked
the closely related} 3. Nbd2 $5 {.}) ({b)} 3. Bf4 {might be the choice of a
London player, but after} Bg4 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2 Bd6 {Black isn't doing so badly.
Indeed, in one recent game} 6. c3 (6. Bxd6 cxd6 $1 {is the way to recapture, })
({but perhaps White's best try is} 6. Bg3 $5 Nge7 7. c4) 6... Nge7 7. Be2 Ng6
8. Bxd6 cxd6 9. O-O Nge7 10. e4 O-O 11. Re1 h6 12. h3 Bh5 13. Nh4 $6 Bxe2 14.
Qxe2 b5 $1 {already saw Black seizing the initiative in A.
Mastrovasilis-Kotronias, Greek Championship, Vrachati 2014.}) ({c)} 3. g3 {has
a number of GM adherents, one of whom recently changed sides here:} Bf5 (3...
Bg4 4. Nbd2 Qd7 5. h3 Bf5 6. c3 e5 $5 7. dxe5 O-O-O {was a very interesting
gambit in Kramnik-Fressinet, Paris/St Petersburg 2013, a game which sent shock
waves around the world and which was annotated for us by Danny Gormally}) 4.
Bg2 Nb4 5. Na3 e6 6. O-O Nf6 7. Bf4 c6 8. c3 Na6 9. Nc2 Be7 10. Ne5 h6 11. Ne1
O-O 12. N1d3 Rc8 {and Black was very solid, eventually going on to win in
Caruana-Kramnik, London (blitz) 2014.}) 3... Bg4 ({The standard Chigorin move.
Instead, } 3... Nf6 4. Bb5 $5 (4. c4 $1 {is good, as after} Bg4 5. cxd5 Bxf3 6.
gxf3 Qxd5 7. Nc3 {Black can't pin with his bishop}) 4... Bd7 5. O-O e6 6. b3
Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Nbd2 Ne4 {(with his c-pawn impeded, in comparison to a
standard Colle-Zukertort, Black must look to a different approach to try and
obtain some play)} 9. Nxe4 $1 dxe4 10. Nd2 f5 11. Nc4 {gave White a small edge
in Rapport-Bhend, Basle 2015.}) 4. Be2 ({Here I quite like} 4. Bb5 $5 {, as I
showed in my notes to Kurajica-Fercec, Croatian Team Championship 2012, but
the text is sensible and may also suffice for a small pull.}) 4... Nf6 5. Nbd2
e6 6. a3 $5 ({Bischoff takes control of the b4-square. Thirteen years earlier
he had preferred} 6. h3 Bf5 {and only then} 7. a3 {, after which} a6 8. b3 h6
9. Bb2 b5 10. c4 $1 {opened the position to White's advantage in
Bischoff-Schlindwein, Altenkirchen 2001 - see Aaron's notes in the Archive.})
6... Be7 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 {Hardly the most dynamic or exciting approach from
the experienced German GM, but while White has the c2-c4 break, Black's
counterplay isn't so obvious as his own c-pawn is impeded.} Ne4 ({A popular
leap in such positions, as indeed we've already seen, but it can easily play
into White's hands. Indeed, I suspect a better plan was seen with the
regrouping} 8... Re8 $5 9. O-O Bf8 10. c4 Ne7 {in Vukovic-Kalajzic, Zagreb
2012.}) 9. Nxe4 $1 dxe4 10. Nd2 Bf5 $6 ({Retaining his bad bishop.} 10... Bxe2
11. Qxe2 f5 {must be a better try, although after} 12. O-O Bd6 13. f4 {I would
still slightly prefer to take White.}) 11. c4 {Suddenly we find White's pawns
mobile, which is not a term one would apply to the dead point on e4.} Bg6 12.
Qc2 f5 13. d5 $1 {Opening the position to the delight of the bishop on b2 and
the queen on c2.} exd5 14. cxd5 Nb8 15. O-O Nd7 16. Rac1 Rc8 ({This feels a
little passive, but} 16... Bf7 {was no better:} 17. Qxc7 Bxd5 18. Rfd1 {with
an ongoing pull for White.}) 17. Nc4 Nb6 {Another solid move, but an exchange
of knights is just going to play into White's hands.} 18. Rfd1 Nxc4 $6 19. bxc4
b6 20. Bd4 $1 {Bischoff is determined to force through c4-c5 and has
appreciated that an exchange of a-pawns is not something he minds.} Bxa3 21.
Ra1 Bd6 (21... Qe7 $2 {would have run into} 22. Bxg7 $1 Kxg7 23. Qc3+ {, 
regaining the piece with interest.}) 22. Rxa7 {The c4-c5 break is still on the
agenda, but to Skibbe's credit he recognises the danger and tries to drum up
some counterplay.} Bh5 $5 ({Everything is defended after} 22... Qh4 23. g3) ({
and} 22... f4 $6 23. Bg4 $1 fxe3 ({or} 23... Rb8 24. exf4 Rxf4 25. Be6+ Kh8 26.
Qc3) 24. Bxe3 Qh4 25. Be6+ Kh8 26. g3 {would have turned out somewhat in
White's favour.}) 23. Bxh5 Qh4 24. g3 ({The weakened light squares will come
back to haunt White, so perhaps he should have preferred} 24. f4 $5 Qxh5 (24...
exf3 $2 25. Bxf3 Qxh2+ 26. Kf1 {escapes}) 25. Rda1 {.}) 24... Qxh5 25. Rda1 Qg6
26. c5 {Here comes the breakthrough. Despite the various exchanges which have
taken place, Black remains under pressure.} bxc5 27. Bxc5 Rfd8 28. R1a6 Qe8 29.
Rc6 ({It may be that} 29. Bxd6 $5 Rxd6 30. Qc4 {was a better way to press and
only then Rc6.}) 29... Bxc5 $2 ({Skibbe cracks and just when} 29... Ra8 $1 {
would have helped to ease his worries.}) 30. Qxc5 Qe5 31. Re6 ({I suspect that
this was either based on a miscalculation or that White failed to appreciate
the strength of} 31. Ra5 $1 {threatening d5-d6.}) 31... Qb2 32. Rxc7 $2 ({And
here Bischoff must have missed something. With} 32. Kg2 $1 Qd2 ({or} 32... Qe2
33. Ra1) 33. Re5 {White would have continued to press.}) 32... Qb1+ 33. Kg2 Qd1
$1 {Oh dear. Suddenly it becomes clear that Black did not need to worry about
his rook.} 34. h4 Qf3+ 35. Kg1 Qd1+ 36. Kh2 Qe2 37. Rxg7+ {A last try, but
it's still just going to be a perpetual.} Kxg7 38. Qe7+ Kh8 39. Qf6+ Kg8 40.
Qg5+ Kh8 1/2-1/2

[Event "Baltic Zonal, Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.01.13"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Kveinys, Aloyzas"]
[Black "Sulskis, Sarunas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "2522"]
[BlackElo "2557"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2015.01.12"]
[Source "ChessPublishing.com"]
[SourceDate "2015.02.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Qb6 5. Nc3 $5 {The critical test of
Black's ambitious last.} cxd4 $6 ({I'm not a huge fan of Black's fourth and
this is definitely an error. For once, Sulskis wasn't well prepared.} 5... Nc6
$1 {is a better try and continues to be upheld by Jiri Stocek:} 6. Nb5 Nd5 7.
dxc5 (7. Nd6+ $2 Bxd6 8. Bxd6 Nxd4 {was rather embarrassing for White in
Kogan-Stocek, Lazne Bohdanec 1996, }) ({while Eric considered} 7. Bd6 $5 Nxd4 8.
Bxf8 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 Kxf8 $1 {to be the critical line}) 7... Bxc5 8. Bd6 a6 9. c4
$6 (9. Bxc5 Qxc5 10. c4 axb5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Bd3 Qb4+ 13. Qd2 {would have
been about equal}) 9... axb5 10. Bxc5 Qxc5 (10... Qa5+ $1 {shouldn't give
White enough for his pawn, such as after} 11. Nd2 bxc4 12. Bd6 b5) 11. cxd5 Nb4
(11... exd5 $5 12. Qd2 O-O 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. Bxb5 Rxa2 15. O-O Qb4 {was Eric's
analysis, ending with an edge for Black of course, the second player cannot
be worse here, but perhaps} 16. Qxb4 Nxb4 17. b3 Ra5 18. Be2 d6 19. Nd4 Rc5 20.
Nb5 {enables White to claim equality}) 12. Rc1 Qxd5 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 14. Bxb5 Ke7
15. a3 {and the position was about equal in Teglas-Stocek, European Rapid
Championship, Wroclaw 2014.}) ({Before we move on with our main game, don't
forget that} 5... d5 $6 6. Nb5 Na6 7. a4 $1 {is also quite pleasant for White, 
as we saw in Kosic-Rindlisbacher, Gabicce Mare 2014.}) 6. exd4 ({Dangling the
b-pawn, although we might just condemn Black's move order on account of} 6. Nb5
$5 Na6 7. exd4 Be7 8. c3 d6 9. a4 $1 {, with a definite edge for White.}) 6...
Qxb2 $2 ({Oh dear. Sulskis is a wonderfully creative player and must have been
on his own by this point. In another recent game Black preferred the prudent} 
6... a6 {and after} 7. Rb1 $6 (7. a3 d5 8. Bd3 {would effectively gain a tempo
and with it a plus}) 7... d5 8. a3 Nc6 9. Bd3 Bd7 10. Ne2 Nh5 $5 11. Be3 Qc7 {
wasn't doing too badly in San Diego-Habla, Quezon City 2014.}) 7. Nb5 Nd5 8.
Rb1 Qxa2 9. Bd2 {A powerful retreat. Black might be two pawns up, but how is
he ever going to rescue his queen without dropping the rook on a8?} a6 ({As
Eric has shown, } 9... Na6 $6 10. Ra1 Qb2 11. Bc4 Nab4 12. O-O $1 {was already
pretty much winning for White in Kosic-Berczes, Budapest 2007.}) 10. Ra1 Qb2
11. Bd3 ({Simple development and a clear improvement over the previously played
} 11. Bc4 $2 axb5 12. Rxa8 bxc4 13. Rxb8 Nb6 {, }) ({but the text isn't the
only good move. Indeed, } 11. c4 $5 Nb4 12. Bc3 Qc2 ({the only real try, as} 
12... Nc2+ 13. Kd2 Bb4 14. Rb1 {leaves Black devoid of a good discovered check}
) 13. Qxc2 Nxc2+ 14. Kd1 Nxa1 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Nxa8 b5 17. Ne5 {also seems to
work out rather well for the first player from what I can see.}) 11... Nc6 ({
Another attempt to develop is} 11... Bb4 $5 {. White has a few options in
response, including} 12. Rb1 (12. O-O Bxd2 13. Qxd2 {is possible, but} O-O 14.
Nc7 Nxc7 15. Rfb1 Qxb1+ 16. Rxb1 {does give Black a fair amount for the queen})
12... Qa2 13. Rxb4 axb5 14. Rxb5 Nc6 15. O-O O-O 16. Qe2 {with the initiative
and promising attacking chances in return for the pawn.}) 12. O-O Rb8 $2 {This
pretty much loses by force, but neither would I be at all happy as Black after
the alternatives:} ({a)} 12... Ncb4 13. Be4 f5 14. Bxd5 Nxd5 15. c4 {will win
the queen unless Black tries the desperate exchange sacrifice.}) ({b)} 12...
Bb4 13. c4 axb5 14. Rxa8 Nb6 15. Bc1 $1 Qc3 16. Ra2 {continues to hound the
black queen.}) ({c)} 12... Be7 13. Qe2 O-O 14. c3 axb5 {(once again, pretty
much the only try)} 15. Rxa8 Nxc3 16. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7 17. Qd3+ f5 18. Bxc3 Qb3
19. Rb1 Qc4 20. Ne1 {and White will have good chances to convert his extra
exchange.}) 13. c4 axb5 14. cxd5 Nb4 ({Desperation, in view of} 14... exd5 15.
Re1+ ({or just} 15. Qe2+ Be7 16. Rfb1) 15... Be7 16. Re2 {.}) 15. Bf4 Nxd5 (
15... d6 {saves the rook, but after} 16. Bxb5+ Ke7 17. Qa4 {Black won't be
long for this world.}) 16. Bxb8 b4 17. Qc1 Qc3 18. Qb1 Qc6 19. Be4 {Not only
is Black a rook down, but he continues to trail somewhat in the development
stakes, and already Sulskis might well have resigned.} Nc3 20. Bxc6 Nxb1 21.
Rfxb1 dxc6 22. Ra8 f6 23. Ba7 Kd7 24. Nd2 1-0

