Nicholas Wins 3rd Game Decisively in Semi-Finals Of Malaysian Masters

On the 28th November 2009, the third game of the Semi-Finals of the Malaysian Masters 2009 between IM Lim Yee Weng and FM Nicholas Chan took place at the Dato’ Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Wilayah Complex, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur at 09.30 am.

In this game, part of the first game was repeated with IM Lim Yee Weng choosing the Sicilian Maroczy Bind, 5. c4 was played by white. Black replied with 5…Bg7 instead of 5… Nf6 as in the first game. FM Nicholas Chan played the defending black pieces.

[Event "Malaysian Masters Semi-Finals 2009")"]
[Site "DATCC, Kuala Lumpur"]
[Date "2009.11.28"]
[Round "3"]
[White "IM Lim Yee Weng"]
[Black "FM Nicholas Chan"]
[Result "0-1"]
{B37: Sicilian: Maroczy Bind with 5...Bg7, sidelines} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7

Picture 1. Black plays 5. …Bg7, Sicilian Maroczy Bind with 5… Bg7 sidelines transpired.
6. Nc2 Nf6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Nd7 10. Bd2 a5 11. Na3 Nc5 12. Nab5 Nd4 13. Nxd4 Bxd4 14. Bh6 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Re8 16. Qd4 e5 17.Qe3 Qh4 N {Black threatens to win material: Qh4xe4} (17... Bd7 18. Rad1 Bc6 19. Bd3 Qe7 20. Bc2 Rad8 21. Rd2 Rd7 22. Rfd1 f6 23. h4 Kh8 24. Re2 Qe6 25. Qf3 Rg8 26. Be3 Rgd8 27. h5 g5 28. Bxc5 dxc5 29. Rd5 Bxd5 30. exd5 Qd6 31. Bf5 Re7 32. Qe4 {Eckersley Waites,T (2222)-Birtwistle,N (2106)/Hinckley Island 2008/Mega2009 Update 04/0-1 (49)}) (17... Qe7 18. f4 f6 19. f5 Bd7 20. fxg6 hxg6 21.
Qg3 Qf7 22. Rad1 Nxe4 23. Qh4 f5 24. Bf3 Bc6 25. Bxe4 Bxe4 26. Rxd6 Re6 27.Rfd1 Rae8 28. c5 Bc6 29. Bg5 Kg7 30. Qf2 f4 31. R1d3 f3 32. gxf3 {Rasmussen,K (2486)-Koepke,C (2296)/Plovdiv 2008/CBM 124/1-0 (38)})
18. Bf3 f6 {Consolidates g5} 19. g3 {White threatens to win material: g3xh4} Qh3 {White king safety dropped} 20. Qd2 {White threatens to win material: Qd2xd6}

Picture 2. White played 20.Qd2, threatening to take d6 pawn.
20…. Qe6 {Black threatens to win material: Qe6xc4} (20... Be6 21. Qxd6 Bxc4 =) 21. Be3 (21. Rfd1 Ra6 =) 21... Ra6 (21... Qxc4 !? {is an interesting alternative} 22.Bxc5 Qxc5 -+) 22. Rfd1 Rc6 23. Bxc5 Rxc5 24. Qxd6 (24. Be2 Rd8 $11) 24... Qxc4

Picture 3. White played 24.Qxd6, challenging black to exchange queens. Black has other ideas and takes undefended c4 pawn, 24…Qxc4.

25. Qxf6 Qxc3 {Black king safety dropped.} 26. Bg2 (26. Be2 Rc6 27. Qg5 Qb2 =+) 26... Bg4 =+ 27. Rf1 (27. Rdb1 Rf8 28. Qg5 Bd7 =+) 27... Rf8 28. Qg5 Be2 29. Rfc1 Qd4 30. Qe3 Qxe3 (30... Rfc8 31. Qb3+ Kh8 32. Qa3 $17)

Picture 4. White plays 30. Qe3 inviting black to another standoff between the queens. This time black takes the white queen at the expense of white having doubled pawns along the e-file. This proved decisive during the endgame. A fatal mistake for white!
31. fxe3 Rfc8 32. Rxc5 Rxc5 33. Rb1 b5 34. Bf1 Bxf1 35. Kxf1 b4 {Black wins space} 36. Rb2 Rc3 {Black can be proud of that piece} 37. Ke2 Kf7

Picture 5. Black king begins its long march from g8 to a4. Black plays 37. …Kf7.
38. Kd2 Ke6 39. h4 Kd6 40.g4 Kc5 41. h5 Kb5 42. Rb1 Ka4 43. Rf1 ? (43. hxg6 ?!{is a viable option}

Picture 6. Black King has reached a4. White played 43.Rf1 ? Fritz thinks that 43. hxg6 is a viable option for white to attack.

43.… hxg6 44. Rf1 =+) 43... gxh5 $19 44. gxh5 Ra3 {Black threatens to win material:Ra3xa2} 45. Rf7 (45. Ra1 =+{had to be tried to avoid defeat}) 45...Rxa2+ –+ 46. Kd3 Rh2 (46... h6 -+{nails it down}) 47. Rxh7 =+ Ka3 48.Ra7 (48. h6 a4 49. Re7 Rxh6 50. Rxe5 Kb3 –+)
48... a4 49. Kc4 b3 {Black advances the passed pawn} 50. Kb5 b2 51. Rxa4+ Kb3 52. Rb4+ Kc2 53. Rc4+ Kd1 54. Rb4 Kc1 55. Kc5 b1=Q 56. Rxb1+ Kxb1 57. Kd6 (57. Kc4 {does not win a prize}Rxh5 58. Kd3 Kb2 -+) 57... Rxh5 0-1

Picture 7. Black plays 57. … Rxh5. Protecting blacks e5 pawn that blockades the two white doubled pawns e3, e4 with a decisive black advantage.

Nicholas played a sterling middle and endgame to make critically important moves, just enough to make the difference between winning and losing a game.

With this win, Nicholas won 2.5:0.5 points over Yee Weng, making the fourth game superflous. This pushes Nicholas into the Malaysian Masters Final meeting the waiting IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, the other finalist, in 18-20th December 2009.

(posted by firey_rook; http://fireyrook.blogspot.com)