Caro Kann Gurgenidze Win

Both players began the event with provisional 1800 ICCF ratings. Sanchez Carmona is rated 1921 and Owens is rated 1988 as of January 2009.

Sánchez Carmona, Gerardo - Owens, Steve
ICCF Web Server Open Series WS/O/120
2007.4.21 - 2008.11.20
Caro Kann - Gurgenidze System [B15]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 d5

3...Bg7 can lead to Robatsch positions. I'm headed for a Caro Kann Gurgenidze. The CK Gurgenidze is part of the "Zoom" opening repertoire which aims to present the player with the same typical positions as Black or White. The other base openings recommended are the Gruenfeld against Queen Pawn openings and the Catalan as White.

4. f3

Nf3, e5, and h3 are all more popular alternatives to 4.f3. The text move has seen success, but recently it has fallen out of favor. Here it inhibits, at least for a time, development of the King Knight and King Bishop. In this game White's King Bishop will play almost no role. I will look to restrict the Bishop by use of b4 at the right moment.

4... Bg7 5. Be3 dxe4 6. fxe4

White has the typical strong pawn center. As a "recent" devotee of the Hypermodern approach, I'll seek to attack the center with pieces and attack White on the Queenside flank. There was a time when I was loathe to move any of the three pawns in front of my King or to concede the center at any point. Now, I find many of those games quite boring even when I am successful, at least in correspondence play. I find that I think nothing of letting an opponent push a center pawn down the board witrh little restraint in many cases, as long as I have chances of a strong wing attack and my King is safe!

6... Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Qd2 Ng4

8...Qa5 was also playable to avoid a cramped game and attack on the Queenside where White will castle.

Kalinitschew - Cicak Deizisau 2007 1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Be3 d5 5. f3 dxe4 6. fxe4 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Qd2 Qa5 9. Bh6 Rd8 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. O-O-O Bg4 12. Qf2 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 e5 14. Bb5 Qc7 15. Rdf1 Nbd7 16. dxe5 Qxe5 17. Bd3 Nc5 18. g4 Rd7 19. h4 h5 20. gxh5 Nxh5 21. Rhg1 Ne6 22. Ne2 b5 23. Qh3 Rh8 24. Rf5 Qb8 25. e5 Rh6 26. Qf3 Qb6 27. Rxh5 Rxh5 28. Rxg6+ fxg6 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Qxe6+ 0-1

9. Bg5 Qc7 10. O-O-O

White has a prototype center and centralized pieces. White should be +=, right? Time to challenge the center.

10... e5 11. d5 Nd7 12. h3 Ngf6 13. d6 Qd8

Black is retreating in the center and Kingside. White is expanding and has a central passed pawn! Whatever will Black do? I refer the reader to Nimzovitch who stated that a passed pawn must be blockaded and eventually executed as a criminal.

For all practical purposes, White's central pawns are isolated and the d pawn is over extended. White will be required to marshal all of his forces to hang on to it while all I must do is blockade it until the time is ripe for decapitation. Of course, that is a big all and White can ruin Black's world on the slightest misstep by the second player.

White's best moves here are limited to Kb1, Qe3, a3, and Bc4.

14. Kb1 b5

Since he didn't develop the King Bishop I'll go ahead and make life difficult for it while expanding toward his King.

15. Qe3 Qb6

In a cramped position one exchanges off forces to free the position. White will either acquiesce to the exchange or retreat his Queen. Either is a plus for Black.

16. a3

16. Qe1 might have been preferable when the Queen could re-emerge on the Kingside at g3 or h4.

16... Qxe3 17. Bxe3 a5 18. b4

18. Bd3 was another option.

18... axb4 19. axb4

All of a sudden White's King seems vulnerable.

19... Rd8 20. Be2 Ne8

The start of reorganizing my Knights and Queen Bishop to let the Bishop take over blockade duty. The Knights are destined for invasion duty in the center from e6 and f6. The King Knight was also in the way of the f pawn who is headed for f5.

Here I intended an eventual doubling of the rooks on the a file, knights at e6 and f6, light Bishop blockading the d pawn, and the dark Bishop attacking from f8.

21. Rd2 f5 22. Rhd1 Nef6 23. Ng5

23. exf4 seemed better to me.

23... Nf8 24. h4 h6 25. Nh3 Bd7

I thought about 25...Ra6 but stuck to the plan. The Bishop is right at home at d7.

26. Kb2

The alternative 26. Bb6 had no teeth.

26... Ra6 27. Nf2 Ne6 28. Rb1 Rda8

Reorganization complete with malicious intent on the a file which has White's Queen Knight frozen to c3. The d pawn is isolated and demands protection even though no Black piece is attacking it. White's King Knight is out of the game and he has no time to bring it back. White's King is exposed and none of his pieces have scope beyond the third rank despite his former strong center.

29. Rdd1

White has nothing better.

29... Nd4!!

Advantage Black! From here it is a matter of simplifying and getting the point.

Analysis by Fritz 11 gives these variations:
1. -/+ (-1.01): 30.Rxd4 exd4 31.Bxd4 fxe4 32.Nfxe4 Nxe4 33.Bxg7 Nxc3 34.Bxc3 Ra2+ 35.Kc1 Re8 36.Bf3 Re6 37.Rb3 Rxd6 38.Be5 Re6 39.Re3 Re8 40.Kd2
2. -+ (-1.95): 30.Bd3 f4 31.Bd2 Ne8 32.Ne2 Ra2+ 33.Kc1 Ne6 34.Bc3 Nxd6 35.Ng4 Nd4 36.Nxe5 Rxc2+ 37.Bxc2 Nxe2+ 38.Kd2 Nxc3 39.Nxd7 Nxb1+ 40.Rxb1 Ra2
3. -+ (-2.02): 30.g3 Ne8 31.Bd3 Nxd6 32.Ra1 Rxa1 33.Rxa1 Rxa1 34.Kxa1 Ne6 35.exf5 gxf5 36.Kb2 e4 37.Bf1 Be5 38.Nh1 f4 39.gxf4

30. Rxd4

White decides to go ahead and concede the exchange.

30... exd4 31. Bxd4 fxe4 32. Nfxe4 Nxe4 33. Bxg7 Nxc3 34. Bxc3 Ra2+ 35. Kc1 Re8 36. Bf3
Re6 37. Rb3 Rxd6

Executing the criminal per Nimzovitch.

38. Be5 Re6 39. Bd4 Kf7 40. g4 g5 41. hxg5 hxg5 42. Bc5 Ra1+ 43. Kd2 Ra8 44. Kc1 Rh8 45. Rd3 Be8 46. Kb2 Kg6 47. Rd4 Kf6 48. Rd3 Rh2 49. Bd4+ Kg6 50. Bg1 Rh7 51. Bd4 Bd7 52. Bc5 Rf7 53. Bg2 Be8 54. Bf3 Rf4 55. c3 Bf7 56. Bd1 Re1 57. Bc2 Kf6 58. Bd4+ Ke7 59. Bc5+ Ke8 60. Rd2 Rff1 61. Bf5 Bd5 62. Bd3 Rh1 63. Bc2 Kf7 64. Rf2+ Kg7 65. Rd2 Ra1 66. c4 bxc4 67. Bd4+ Kg8 68. Bf6 Ra7 69. Re2 Rg1 70. Bxg5 Rxg4 71. Bf6 Rg2 72. Rxg2+ Bxg2 73. Bd4 Rf7 74. Kc3 Bd5 75. Be3 Rf3 76. Kd4 Kf7 77. Bd2 Rf2 78. Ke3 Rg2 79. Bh7 Ke6 80. Bc3 Rg4 81. Bc2 Bh1 82. Ba4 Kd5 83. Kd2 Rg2+ 84. Kc1 Rh2 85. Bd1 Be4 86. Bg7 Ra2 87. Bc3 c5 88. b5 Kd6
White Resigned 0-1