Author: José Antônio Fabiano Mendes
Date: 14:08:43 04/19/04
GM Kavalek = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22893-2004Apr18.html In the last round at Foxwoods, Watson played the French against the young International Master Dmitry Schneider. Faced with an improved plan after 11 moves, Watson could not find the right way and his position deteriorated. Schneider-Watson 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 (Watson's favorite move. "The knight is flexibly placed to assist in various attack on White's center," he says. But he also likes 6...f6, a popular sharp alternative.) 7.Na3 Ng6 (Watson explains that black is aiming at the head of the white pawn chain, planning to undermine it with f7-f6.) 8.h4!? (Hoping to dislodge the knight with 9.h5.) 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bb4+ 10.Kf1 (Watson gives another reason for the knight being on g6: 10.Bd2?! Qb6 11.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 12.Qd2 0-0 13.h5 Nf4 14.Bf1 g6 15.hxg6 fxg6 with equal chances.) 10...h6! (An important stopper. Letting the h-pawn run to h6 would weaken the dark squares on the kingside.) 11.h5! (White plans to lift his rook to h3 and attack the pawn g7 immediately. It is a significant improvement over 11.Nc2 that allows black a useful defensive move, 11...Be7, for example 12.h5 Nf8 13.Rh3 Nh7 14.Rg3 Ng5 with a playable game for black.) 11...Nf8 12.Rh3! (The key move.) 12...f5 (Black decides to protect the weak pawn on g7 with the king, but he will have difficulties coordinating his pieces. After 12...Nh7 13.Rg3 the blocking move 13...Ng5 is not available, and 13...Rg8 or 13...0-0? are both met by 14.Bxh6. Also 12...f6 13.Nc2 [or 13.Rg3] 13...Be7 14.Rg3 is not pleasant for black.) 13.Rg3 Kf7 14.Nb5!? (Aiming for the square d6.) 14...Be8 15.Bf4 Kg8 (Now the rook is boxed in.) 16.a3 a6? (After this positional slip, black will be left with passive pieces, weak dark squares and without a counterplay. Better was 16...Be7 17.Rh3 Nh7, hoping to crawl slowly out of trouble.) 17.axb4 axb5 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Ne1 Kh7 (After 19...Nxb4 20.Qd2 Nc6 21.Bxh6, white has the advantage.) 20.Nc2 (Protecting the queenside pawns, white can now devote his attention to the black king.) 20...Qd8 21.Rh3 Ne7 (Watson tries to do a decent defensive patchwork, but is unable to avert white's attack.) 22.g4! (The storming of black's defensive wall begins.) 22...fxg4 (Watson had to cope not only with the pressure on the pawn f5, but also with the advance 23.g5.) 23.Bd3+! (Re-shuffling his pieces.) 23...Nf5 (After 23...Kg8 24.Qxg4 white threatens to win with 25.Rg3.) 24.Qxg4 Rg8 25.Ne3 (The knight on f5 is overmatched and black loses a pawn.) 25...Bd7 26.Nxf5 exf5 27.Bxf5+ Bxf5 28.Qxf5+ Kh8 (On 28...g6 29.hxg6+ mates.) 29.e6! (The pride of the Advanced variation proudly advances, opening the scope of the bishop on f4.) 29...Qe7 (After 29...Nh7 30.Be5 Ng5 31.Qg6!, threatening 32.Qxh6+, wins.) 30.Re3 Nh7 31.Qf7 (31.Qxd5 should also win.) 31...Qf6 (31...Re8 is met by 32.Bd6!) 32.Be5 Qd8 33.e7! (After 33...Qe8 or other queen moves 34.Bxg7+ wins.) Black resigned.
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