[Event "Hoogovens"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "1999.01.26"] [Round "9"] [White "Sokolov, Ivan"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Tsesarsky,Ilya"] [ECO "E59"] [WhiteElo "2610"] [BlackElo "2812"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [BlackFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "55"] [Beauty "8251726894153"] [GameId "2235863567486128"] [EventDate "1999.01.16"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "13"] [EventCountry "NED"] [EventCategory "17"] [SourceTitle "CBM 069"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.04.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.04.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%mdl 10380][%evp 0,53,12,16,32767,32767,24,9,17,32767,10,10,10,32767,3,2,20,32767,5,5,23,32767,-8,10,32767,32767,0,22,57,32767,86,61,59,32767,16,19,32767,32767,1,32767,32767,32767,48,45,32767,32767,67,-3,32767,32767,5,14,47,32767,53,151]} 1. d4 {Wells. Ftacnik. McShane} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 {Wells: 'Ivan has written both a book and a monograph on 4 Qc2, but is also increasingly branching out in this direction. '} O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 {'!?' Wells.} (9... dxc4 {Wells} 10. Bxc4 Qc7 11. Bd3 e5 12. Qc2 {is a more common route to the position we encounter at move 12. The move order in the game reflects a prevailing belief that 10 cxd5 does not offer white any clear route to a plus.}) 10. Qc2 (10. cxd5 {Wells} exd5 11. a4 Re8 12. Ba3 c4 13. Bc2 Ne4 14. Bxe4 Rxe4 15. Nd2 Re8 $1 {is looking pretty resilient at the moment. Black has good chances of maintaining his light-square blockade.}) 10... dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. Bd3 Re8 (12... Bg4 {McShane: is also possible, and after} 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Qxe5 15. f3 {with the two bishops White is a little better.}) 13. e4 {'!?' Wells. Wells: 'Ivan Sokolov has been very productive of interesting ideas for white in the Nimzo-Indian with both 4.Qc2 and latterly 4.e3. Here however his talent has been for some admirable archaelogical digging. The text move was popular in the 1950s and to some extent the 60s too, before dying out, as is often the case for no particularly convincing reason. The main line '} (13. dxe5 {Wells} Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. f3 {leads to heavily analysed structures.}) 13... exd4 (13... c4 14. Bxc4 exd4 15. cxd4 Na5 (15... Rxe4 $5 16. Bd3 (16. Ng5 $2 Nxd4 17. Qa2 Qxc4 18. Qxc4 Ne2+ $17) 16... Re7 17. Bg5 (17. d5 Nxd5 (17... Ne5 18. Nxe5 Qxc2 19. Bxc2 Rxe5 20. d6) 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 19. Bg5) 17... Bg4 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Bxh7+ Kg7 20. Be4 Rh8 (20... Rae8 $1) 21. g3 f5 22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Ne5 Bh3 24. Rfe1 $16 {1-0 Nor,I-Seidl,J/Graz 1998/EXT 99/[Wells] (35)}) 16. Bd3 Qxc2 17. Bxc2 Nxe4 {should be about equal, but isn't really Kaparov's style. He heads straight for the tactics. Wells: 'is given as '?' by Ivan Sokolov. '} (17... Nxe4 {Wells: is given as '?' by Ivan Sokolov.} 18. Re1 Nd6 19. Bf4 Nac4 20. Bb3 Bf5 21. Ne5 Be6 22. Nd3 Rad8 23. Nc5 Bc8 (23... Bd5 $4 24. Bxd6 $18) 24. Bxc4 Nxc4 25. Bc7 Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Rf8 27. d5 Nxa3 (27... b6 $5) 28. d6 Nb5 29. Re7 a5 (29... b6 $5) 30. Bb8 a4 31. Nxa4 Be6 32. Rxb7 Bd5 33. Rb6 Nd4 34. h3 h5 35. Nc5 Ne6 36. Na6 Rc8 37. Bc7 Kf8 38. d7 Ra8 39. Rxe6 fxe6 40. d8=Q+ Rxd8 41. Bxd8 {1-0 Rogers,I-Solomon,S/Sydney 1999 (41)})) 14. cxd4 Bg4 15. e5 (15. Qxc5 Nxe4 (15... Bxf3 16. gxf3 Qd7 17. Be3 (17. d5 Ne5 18. Be2 Qh3 19. Qe3 Nxd5 20. exd5 Ng6 21. Qg5 Rxe2) 17... Nxe4 (17... Nxe4 {Wells} 18. Bxe4 Rxe4 19. fxe4 Qg4+ $11 {is one route to early peace. The text leads to a rather forcing sequence resulting in a very sharp position due to the vulnerability of both sides' kings.})) 16. Bxe4 Rxe4 17. Ng5 (17. Ne5 Be6 18. Be3 $11) 17... Rxd4 (17... Re7 18. Qc2 g6 19. Ne4 Bf5 20. Nf6+ Kg7 21. Qd2 Kxf6 22. d5 Rd8 23. Bb2+ Ne5 24. f4 Qc5+ $15) 18. Bb2 Rd3 $17) (15. dxc5 {McShane} Bxf3 16. gxf3 Nd4 {is not good news for White}) 15... Bxf3 16. exf6 Nxd4 17. Bxh7+ Kh8 18. fxg7+ Kxg7 19. Bb2 Rad8 {'?' McShane. McShane: 'With the c-pawn pinned, White was threatening Bxd4+'} (19... Qe5 20. Bxd4 cxd4 21. gxf3 Rh8 22. Qe4 Qg5+ 23. Kh1 Rxh7 24. Qxd4+ f6 25. Qd6 $16) 20. gxf3 (20. Rfc1 Rh8 (20... Re2 21. Bxd4+ Rxd4 22. Qc3 (22. Qxc5 Rd1+ 23. Rxd1 Qxc5 $19) 22... Qf4 23. Qxf3 Qxf3 24. gxf3 Kxh7 25. Rxc5 Rdd2 $15) 21. Qxc5 Qxc5 22. Rxc5 Kxh7 23. Bxd4 Rhg8 24. Be5 Rxg2+ 25. Kf1 Rg6 26. Rc3 Bg2+ 27. Ke2 Re8 28. Re3 {½-½ Langeweg,K-Kuijpers,F/Leeuwarden NK 1980 (28)} Rc6 $15) (20. Bf5 $5 {Wells might be a safe option for a minimal edge} Re2 (20... Rh8 21. h3) 21. Bxd4+ Rxd4 22. Qc3 Bd5 23. Rfe1 {and white's king is somewhat the safer, although black's pieces are well centralised and it may not amount to too much.}) 20... Rh8 21. Kh1 Rxh7 {Ftacnik: 'Only Kasparov could answer the question, why he refrained from the more promising idea 21...Kf8!?' Wells: 'The problem with this is that by his next couple of moves white is able to gain time to both cover h2 and to mount a dangerous counter-attack on the g-file. If we can detect a reason why white once gave up this interesting line, it might be due to the alternative '} (21... Kf8 22. Qe4 (22. Bxd4 Rxd4 23. f4 Rxf4 $17) 22... f5 $1 (22... f6 23. Bxd4 (23. Qh4 Rxh7 (23... Qg7 24. Bxd4 Rxd4 25. Qh3 Rd7 26. Qf5 Rxh7 27. Qxc5+ Qe7 $132) 24. Qxf6+ Ke8 25. Rfe1+ Kd7 26. h4 Rf8 27. Re7+ (27. Qg5 Qf4 $19) 27... Rxe7 28. Qxf8 $132 {0-1 Endzelins-Bouwmeester/Eu-Echecs Jub T /FS 1984 (44)}) 23... Rxd4 24. Qg6 Rxh7 25. Qxf6+ Qf7 26. Qxf7+ Rxf7 27. Rac1 c4 $17 {0-1 Vladimirov-Lisitsin/Moscow semi-finals 1955 (33)}) 23. Qh4 Rxh7 24. Qf6+ Ke8 25. Rfe1+ (25. Qg6+ Qf7 26. Rfe1+ Kf8 $17) 25... Kd7 26. Re5 Kc8 (26... Rdh8 27. Bxd4 Rxh2+ 28. Kg1 Rh1+ 29. Kg2 R8h2+ 30. Kg3 Rh3+ 31. Kf4 Rh4+ 32. Kxf5 Rh5+ 33. Ke4 R1h4+ 34. f4 $18) 27. Bxd4 cxd4 28. Qxf5+ Kb8 $17 {0-1 Marks,I-Tenev Teno,P/cr EU/M/GT 1988 (39)}) 22. Rg1+ Kh8 23. Rg3 (23. Bxd4+ Rxd4 24. Rg3 b6 25. Rag1 Qc8 26. Qe2 f6 27. Qf1 Rdh4 28. R1g2 Rd4 29. Qg1 Rd8 30. Rg6 $132) 23... Qe5 24. Rag1 {McShane: 'Here White threatens Qxh7+ and Rh3 mate. '} Rh4 $2 $16 {'?' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'The first independent move is very unfortunate, it seems that black's position instantly becomes hopeless.'} (24... Qh5 25. R1g2 f6 (25... b6 26. Rg4 $16) 26. Qg6 (26. Qc4 Qf7 27. Qxf7 {'!' Wells. Wells: 'I.Sokolov'} (27. Qxc5 $1 {Wells I.Sokolov} Ne2 28. Qg5 Rd1+ (28... Nxg3+ 29. fxg3 Rd6 30. Rc2) 29. Rg1 Nxg3+ 30. fxg3 Rd6 31. Rc1 Rh5 32. Qf4 $16) 27... Rxf7 28. f4 b5 $15 (28... Rd6 $6 $11 29. Rh3+ Rh7 30. Rhg3 Re7 31. Rh3+ Rh7 32. Rhg3 {½-½ Porath,Y-Stahlberg,G/Amsterdam 1954 (32)})) (26. Qd1 Re7 27. Qg1 b5 28. Rg8+ Rxg8 29. Rxg8+ Kh7 30. Qg4 Qxg4 31. Rxg4 Rd7 $17 (31... Nxf3 32. Bxf6 Rd7 $15)) 26... Qxg6 27. Rxg6 f5 28. R2g5 Rf8 29. Rd6 Rg7 30. Rxd4 cxd4 31. Bxd4 Rff7 32. h4 Kh7 33. Bxg7 Rxg7 34. Rxf5 Kh6 $11) 25. Qc1 $2 $11 {'!' McShane. McShane: 'The position appears to be in the balance: Black has a healthier queenside in return for his weaker king position. But it is the weaker king that counts when Sokolov powers through on the g-file. Kasparov can't do a thing to challenge the white rooks, as his own rooks aren't working together.'} (25. f4 $1 $16 Qh5 (25... Qd6 26. Qf5 Qc6+ 27. f3 Qh6 28. R3g2 b6 (28... Qxf4 29. Qxc5 $18) 29. Qxf7 $18) 26. R1g2 (26. Bxd4+ cxd4 27. R3g2 Qf3 $15) (26. f3 $1 Qh6 (26... Rh3 27. Rxh3 Qxh3 28. Qe4 f6 (28... Qe6 29. Qxb7 $16) 29. Qxb7 Qd7 30. Qe4 $16) 27. Qg2 Qf8 28. Rg7 Rh6 29. Qg5 Rg6 (29... Rh3 30. Qf6 $18) 30. Rxg6 fxg6 31. Qxg6 $18) 26... Re8 27. Qd2 Qd5 28. Rg5 Qe4 (28... f5 $1 29. Rxf5 Qxf5 30. Bxd4+ Kh7 (30... cxd4 31. Qxd4+ $18) 31. Be5 Rg4 32. Rg3 Rxg3 33. hxg3 $132) 29. Rxc5 Qe1+ 30. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 31. Rg1 $18) 25... Kh7 $4 $18 (25... Qh5 $1 26. R3g2 (26. R1g2 Re8 27. Qg1 Qe5 28. Rg8+ Rxg8 29. Rxg8+ Kh7 30. Ra8 $1 (30. Rf8 {Ftacnik} Qg7 31. Qb1+ $1 Kh6 32. Bc1+ Kh5 33. Be3 $18) 30... Qf4 31. Qg8+ Kh6 32. Qh8+ Kg6 33. Qg8+ Kh6 $11) 26... f6 (26... b6 27. Qe3 {[%CAl Ge3e7]} Qd5 28. Qe7 Rh6 29. Rg3 {[%csl Rh8][%CAl Ge7f6]} Kh7 30. Rg7+ Kh8 31. Rxf7 Rxh2+ 32. Kxh2 Qh5+ 33. Kg3 Rg8+ 34. Kf4 Qxf3+ 35. Ke5 $1 $18) 27. Qe3 Re8 28. Bxd4 cxd4 29. Qb3 Qh7 30. Qa4 Ra8 31. Re1 Qf7 32. Qb4 (32. Re4 Rxe4 33. fxe4 Rd8 34. Qa5 $1 b6 35. Qf5 Rg8 36. Qh3+ Qh7 37. Rxg8+ Kxg8 38. Qc8+ (38. Qxh7+ Kxh7 39. Kg2 b5 40. Kf3 a5 41. Ke2 b4 42. a4 $11 (42. axb4 axb4 43. Kd3 b3 44. f4 Kg6 45. Kd2 Kh5 46. h3 $11)) 38... Kg7 39. Qd7+ Kg6 40. Qxd4 Qh3 $44) 32... Rd8 33. Re7 Qd5 34. Qxb7 Qxb7 35. Rxb7 d3 36. Rg1 d2 37. Rd1 Rc4 38. Rbb1 $11) 26. Qb1+ {'!' McShane.} Kh8 (26... f5 27. Bxd4 cxd4 (27... Rdxd4 28. Qxb7+ $18) (27... Qxd4 28. Qxf5+ Kh8 29. Rh3 $18 {[%CAl Gf5h5]}) 28. Qxb7+ Kh8 29. Qf7 $1 $18) 27. Qf1 Qe6 28. Qg2 {McShane: ' White has the unmeetable threat of Rg8+ followed by mate.' Ftacnik: 'The pressure along the g-file is simply too strong.'} 1-0