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Following Kasparov's lead
By
Junior TayWhen a pawn sacrifice is endorsed by Kasparov and Anand, I didn't hesitate to play it despite not being able to calculate complete compensation. My opponent trusted me and did not take the pawn but nevertheless, the initiative raged on…
1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4
The Panov-Botvinnik Attack, which I have stopped playing OTB since I failed to beat an ELO 2100+ player in 1991 (although I managed to beat an ELO 2300 via a QGA transposition the year before). I vaguely remember grovelling to a draw in an ending where I had an isolated Queen pawn with doubled f pawns. Suprisingly, I have a much better record playing it one move down with Black in the QGD Tarrasch. However in CC, it is much harder to contain White's agression in my opinion.
4...Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Be7
[6...Bb4 transposing to the Nimzo Indian Defence, is the choice of most top GMs such as Karpov, Adams and Dolmatov. ]
7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bc4 0-0 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Re1 a6
[10...Bf6!? is a more solid option, in my opinion. 11.Ne4 b6 12.h4!? (GM Serper) was what I had planned for my opponent if we were to enter this variation. (12.a3 Bb7 13.Qd3 Nce7 14.Bd2 Ng6 15.Neg5 Nde7= NCO; 12.Nxf6+ Nxf6 13.Bg5² was a suggestion of the late GM Lembit Oll.) ]
11.Bb3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 b5 13.Bc2 Bb7 14.h4!
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Substitute a6, b5 for b6, Bb7 for Black and put the White Bishop on d3 - we have Kasparov-Gonda, Cannes simul 1988 and Anand-Morrison, Blackpool 1988 where Black got overwhelmed by the enduring Kingside pressure after 13...Bxh4 14.Nxh4 Qxh4 15.Re3 (to g3 (Anand) or h3 (Kasparov)). In the current position, I think Black has better chances digesting the King rook pawn as White is unable to mobilise his centre pawns if his Kingside attack comes to a standstill. This motif (c4, d5 break) was used by both Kasparov and Anand (Adapted from IM Aagaard's excellent "Easy Guide to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack)
14...Qd5?!
The Queen is a target here! Black's idea is to swing the Queen to h5 and White's potential attack is snuffed. [14...Bxh4! A) White can try to exploit the unfortunate position of the Bh4, for example 15.Qd3!? g6 16.Bh6 Re8 17.a4 b4 (17...Na7!?) 18.d5! Qxd5 19.Qxd5 exd5 20.Nxh4 bxc3±; B) 15.Nxh4 15...Qxh4 16.Re3 g6 17.Rh3 Qf6 18.Qg4 with great compensation; 14...Bf6?! 15.Ng5 g6 16.Qg4 Rc8 17.h5 Nxd4 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Nxh7!+- A Sokolov- Kharitonov, Moscow ECC 1990, 1-0 (26 moves)]
15.Bg5 Bxg5?!
[15...Qc4? 16.d5! Rad8 (16...Rfd8 17.Bb3 Qg4 18.dxc6! Rxd1 19.cxb7 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Rb8 21.Ne5+-) 17.Bxh7+ Kxh7 18.Qc2+ Kg8 19.dxc6+-; 15...Rfe8 is a better option 16.Qd3 g6 17.a4+=]
16.Nxg5 g6 17.Ne4 Qd8 18.Nc5 Rb8
A clever plan by Black planning to defend e6 via Rb6 and Bc8.
19.Qg4 Bc8 20.Qg3 Rb6 21.h5 Ne7 22.hxg6 hxg6
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23.a4!
Opening another front as well as helping the White centre pawns to get marching. The a1 Rook can be activated via a3-h3 in the future.
23...Qd6!
[23...b4 24.a5 Rb5 (24...Rc6 25.Ba4 Rd6 26.Ne4+-) 25.Ba4+-]
24.Qg5
[Hoping for 24.Qxd6? Rxd6 25.axb5 axb5 26.Reb1 Nd5 27.Ra3± The b pawn will drop eventually but Black may have slight drawing chances owing to the reduced material situation.]
24...Kg7 25.axb5 Rxb5
[25...axb5 26.Ra7 and all sorts of mating sacrifices appear on e6, f7 and g6.]
26.Bd3 Rb6 27.Ne4 Qc7
[27...Qd8 28.Qf6+ Kg8 29.Qe5+- Nc6 30.Nf6+ Kh8 31.Qg5 Kg7 32.Nh5+ Kh7 33.Qg3+-]
28.Qf6+ Kg8 29.c4!
Now Ra3-h3 is becoming a real threat.
29...Rd8??
[29...Qd8 30.c5+- Rc6 31.Qe5 Nd5 32.Nd6+-]
30.Ng5 Nf5
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[30...Rf8 31.d5+-; 30...Nc6 31.d5! (31.Bxg6 fxg6 32.Nxe6 Qf7 33.Qxf7+ Kxf7 34.Nxd8+ Nxd8±) 31...exd5 32.c5 Rb4 33.Bxg6 fxg6 34.Qxg6+ Qg7 35.Re8+ Rxe8 36.Qxe8+ Qf8 37.Qxc6+-]
31.Nxf7!
Black will have to suffer tremendous material losses. 1-0
