Playing CC in Sanakoev's style.

The former ICCF World Champion Gregory Sanakoev's excellent biography revealed how he felt secure even in inferior positions as he could almost always rely on his maelstrom of tactical combinations to equalize or even win the games. I wish I could say the same but when playing the Italian Sergio Quadri in CM-096, I was virtually forced to rely on tactics to save the game as he was slowly but surely squeezing me off the board.

Quadri,S (2116) - Tay,J (2066) [A25]
CM-1999-0-00096
[Junior Tay]

This is my OTB defence against the English. In CC, I have tried the Reversed Dragon with [2...Nf6 3.g3 d5 with moderate success]

[6...h5!? 7.d4! h4 8.d5 Nce7 9.e4 Bg4 (9...f5 10.Bg5 h3 11.Bf3 Bf6 "unclear" according to De Firmian in MCO but I prefer White here.) 10.Qd3+=]

After this move, I realised that my OTB defence to the English needs a serious revamp

[A natural move like 7...Nf6?! can lead to a positionally wretched game for Black after 8.Bxc6+! bxc6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.b3± Black's Bc8 has no practical purpose and the White Ns can find good outposts easily]

I knew I was in trouble after this move. White's Queenside expansion is unstoppable and he did not have to waste time on the routine a3, Rb1, Bd2 or Qc2 ideas normally seen in the c4-e5 English Opening. Only late in the game when I managed to borrow Bagirov's "English Opening-Classical and Indian Systems" did I realise how much trouble I was getting myself into! [ The stem game for my choice of opening was 8.a3 Nf6 9.b3 0-0 10.Bb2 Ne7 11.Qc2 c6 12.0-0 g5 13.f4 exf3 14.Rxf3 d5 15.Raf1 Be6 16.c5 Qd7 17.Bc1 Rae8 18.Bd2 Ng6 19.b4 Ng4 20.Qc1 h5 21.h3 Nf6 22.Qc2 Bh6 23.R3f2 Kg7 24.Qc1 Nh7 25.g4 fxg4 26.e4 gxh3 27.Bh1 Rxf2 28.Rxf2 h4 29.Qf1 g4 30.Bxh6+ Kxh6 31.exd5 cxd5 32.Qc1+ Kg7 33.Nf4 g3 34.Rf3 h2+ 0-1 Silva Sanchez C-Sakaev K/Men, Olympiad, Elista RUS 1998]

A typical idea in the Dutch Defence, with a possible foray to h5 or f7 but I couldn't find the time to realise this motive. This move also attempts to put pressure on the e-file. [10...Ne7 11.f3 exf3 12.Bxf3 Kh8 ±. White will play an eventual Rb2-e2 in blasting open the central files with e3-e4 in good time. Bagirov claims a large advantage for White because the White King Bishop has no opponent. I definitely agree with his assessment.]

Calling my bluff. My advanced centre is now crumbling away.

This man is tough! If I do not start some tactical ploys, Quadri will ground me down in no time. So...

in the hope that he might play Qa3 to eye the a pawn, giving me time to regroup my pieces.

sigh... [16.Qa3?! Be6! 17.Qxa7 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Qe4 with counterplay; 16.b5 Bd7 17.Qa3 c6 18.bxc6 bxc6 19.Bxf7+ Rxf7 20.Bd2 c5! with good counterplay]

keeping the pressure on the Queenside

[21.bxa6 bxa6 22.Rxb8 Qxb8 23.Qxa6 Qe8 24.Bd5 Bxa4 25.Bxf7 Rxf7 26.Qxd6 Bb5 Black's double Bishops and White's weakened light squares give some compensation for the pawn]

[23.Bxb7 Bxb5 24.Rxb5 Rxa3 25.Qxa3 Qxb5 with some drawing chances due to the opposite coloured Bishops]

playing for RxBc1, Bxe3 tricks but he saw that too…

Hoping…hoping…hoping…

At last! A slight inaccuracy from White. [27.Qxe4 Qxe4 (27...fxe4 28.Nxe8 Rfxe8 29.Rxf7 Rxc1+ 30.Rxc1 Bxe3+ 31.Kf1 Bxc1 32.Rxb7±) 28.Bxe4 fxe4 29.h4± preventing Ng5 tricks. Black has no good way of warding off Rf6 or Ne6.]

Around here, I thought I was out of the woods and offered him a draw which he declined.

There is no hurry to take the b3 pawn. White correctly activates his King first.

Here, I decided to set another trap. The ideal position for my Bishop is on c7 where it will guard the b pawn ( to be nudged to b6 soon) and the e5 square ( to prevent Rb5-e5 hitting the e4 pawn). So I was hoping that he spends time on Kg3 (which exposes the K to Bc7+) and h4, which allows Bd8-c7. There is a secondary idea, which will be revealed in the game continuation. [38.Rb5±]

[once again, 39.Rb5 ±]

hoping for White's next natural move

[41.Kf4? Re7 threatening Bc7 mate!]

and Black achieves his ideal structure (given the situation) with a pin trick.

White decides to try with the Bishop+2 pawns vs the Rook

There were three drawing continuations so I decided on the most forcing (and in my opinion) and the prettiest continuation.

[49...Rc4+ 50.Bd4 Rc1= 51.Ke5 Rh1 52.Kf6 Rxh4 53.Kxg6 Rxd4 54.exd4 h4 55.Kf5 h3 56.g6 h2 57.g7 h1Q 58.g8Q=; According to Batsford Chess Endings, Averbakh proved that the position (minus the g and h pawns) starting with 49...Rd1 harrassing White from the d and e file should draw easily too. The presence of the g and h pawns does not change the assessment.]

White cannot escape perpetual check. This important draw clinched the tournament for me!