1.e4
c5
2.Nf3
d6
3.d4
cxd4
4.Nxd4
Nf6
5.Nc3
a6
6.g3
e5
7.Nde2
White employs quite a sensible, fairly untheoretical approach against the Najdorf. A complex positional struggle lies ahead and White might yet get to attack on the kingside after a later expansion with h3, g4 and Ng3.
7...Nbd7
[Black wants to go ...b5, but delays it for the time being as 7...b5
8.Nd5
(8.Bg5!?
is also a little challenging, although 8...Nbd7
9.Nd5
Bb7
10.Nec3
Be7
11.Bxf6
Nxf6
12.Bg2
Rc8
should be acceptable enough, since White lacks a great way to exploit his current piece hold on d5) 8...Nbd7
9.Nec3
is a little annoying, although Karjakin has been happy enough to play the black side here: 9...Bb7
10.Bg2
Nxd5!
11.Nxd5
Nb6
12.Bg5
Qxg5
13.Nxb6
Rb8
left Black no more than a touch worse in a game I annotated for my column on www.chesspublishing.com, Alekseev-Karjakin, Russian Team Championship 2008.]
8.Bg2
[White might also prevent ...b5 with 8.a4
when Black should again prioritize queenside development with 8...b6
9.Bg2
Bb7
10.h3
Rc8
. To see why we should consider how best to meet White's natural expansion, 11.g4
Nc5
12.Ng3
. This would be a bit awkward for Black if his bishop was already on e7, but it isn't and 12...g6!
13.0-0
Ne6
is fairly acceptable for the second player.]
8...b5
9.0-0
[This came as a small surprise. Most of the analysis I've previously done on this variation has concentrated on the more common 9.h3
Bb7
10.g4
Nb6
(or 10...Nc5
, freeing a retreat square on d7 for the f6-knight.) ; It's worth considering too the immediate 9.a4
and comparing it with the game. Here 9...b4
10.Nd5
Nxd5
11.exd5
(11.Qxd5
Qc7!
is a handy little resource) 11...a5
gives Black quite easy play, since a quick ...Ba6 may well cause problems, especially if we consider that White would like to open the queenside with c3.]
9...Bb7
[Black might try to circumnavigate a4-ideas with 9...Be7
, since 10 a4 makes less sense with the light-squared bishop not committed to b7, but White can instead take play back towards the main line with 10.h3!
when it's the other bishop's turn to feel slightly embarrassed.]
10.a4!?
[I was still expecting 10.h3
and the far from illogical text caught me slightly by surprise. Indeed, I must confess that this rare line isn't featured in 'Starting Out: the Najdorf'!]
10...bxa4!?
[A radical idea, played after some thought. The normal response would be 10...b4
11.Nd5
, but then the light-squared bishop may be sub-optimally placed should Black exchange knights on d5. Nevertheless, this ought to be fine: 11...Nxd5
(I'm less keen on 11...Bxd5
12.exd5
, since it will take Black time to prepare ...f5 and 12...a5
13.c3
Nc5?!
14.Be3
Nfd7
15.f4!
saw White seizing a powerful initiative in G.Livshits-Steingrimsson, Beijing (blitz) 2008) 12.exd5
Rc8
(this may be inaccurate; instead 12...a5
13.c3
Be7
14.Bd2
bxc3
15.Nxc3
0-0
looks about equal) 13.c3
(during the game I was more concerned about 13.Bd2!
a5
14.c3
and this still strikes me as a decent try: 14...bxc3
15.Nxc3
Be7
16.Nb5
and that c6-square is rather vulnerable) 13...bxc3
14.Nxc3
Be7
15.Be3
0-0
16.a5
f5
was very comfortable for Black in Hernback-Ohlzon, Gotland 1997, as quoted by Tony Kosten in his excellent 'Easy Guide to the Najdorf'.]
11.f3?!
[I'm tempted to give this slightly ugly move a question mark, but then again White isn't worse after it! With the text Beach is keeping his options open: Nxa4 and c4, erecting a Maroczy Bind, is one plan; Rxa4 without dropping the e-pawn another. However, it didn't need that much calculation to see that 11.Rxa4
Nc5
12.Ra3!
is fraught with danger for Black if he goes pawn-grabbing: 12...Ncxe4?!
13.Nxe4
Nxe4
(13...Bxe4
14.Bxe4
Nxe4
15.Qd5
Nf6
16.Qc6+
Nd7
17.Nc3
leaves Black's light squares ruined and White in control) 14.Rb3
Qc8
(14...Bc6
is well met by 15.Nc3
, continuing to exploit the loose bishop) 15.Re1
and White has very dangerous compensation with Nf4 next up.; Instead I was planning on meeting 11.Rxa4
with 11...Be7
. Black's queenside might have been 'weakened' by the trade on a4, but there are several Sveshnikov and Najdorf lines which have shown that such a queenside structure is far from a disaster for him. Not only might Black get to press forwards there himself, such as with ...Nc5 and ...a6-a5, but White's main plan remains Nd5 and after an exchange of knights, the thematic ...f5 will always begin counterplay.; Instead the limited previous praxis has focussed on 11.Nd5!?
Nxd5
12.exd5
, after which 12...Be7
13.Nc3
0-0
14.Nxa4
Rc8
(I prefer the immediate 14...f5
; the rook might well be useful on a8 should Black aim to hold White up on the queenside with a timely ...a5) 15.b3
f5
16.c4
e4
17.f4!
(a standard mechanism to disrupt Black's attacking designs) 17...exf3
18.Bxf3
Ne5
19.Be3
Bg5
20.Qd2
h6
21.Rae1
left White slightly for choice in Damljanovic-Perunovic, Sozina 2004.]
11...Be7
[There's no real point in flicking in 11...a3
; White is happy enough to respond 12.b3
.]
12.Nxa4
Qc7!?
[There was nothing much wrong with the immediate equalizer: 12...d5
13.exd5
Bxd5
. However, I didn't fear either knight coming to c3 and wanted to increase my options in the event of getting in ...d5.]
13.b3
White still hankers after obtaining a clamp with c4, but Black will more than thwart such designs with his ideal Najdorf break.
13...d5
14.exd5
Bxd5
[I must admit that when I played my 12th, I was undecided over how best to recapture; 14...Nxd5!?
being a pretty decent alternative. At first 15.f4!
appears awkward, but then one notices 15...N5f6!
16.Bxb7
Qxb7
when White's king begins to look rather airy. Initially I was quite tempted, but then I decided that 17.fxe5
Nxe5
18.Nd4
Rd8
19.c3
wasn't actually so bad for White. Indeed, his position is holding together, although I'd slightly prefer to take Black after 19...0-0
20.Bf4
Ng6
and this might well have been the better option.]
15.Be3
0-0
16.c4
[It seems natural to advance thus, but perhaps White might just have improved his pieces with 16.Nec3!?
Bc6
17.Qe2
, eyeing a6 and asking Black how he intends to redeploy his own troops.]
16...Bc6
17.Qc2?
[A slip; White underestimated or failed to consider the coming transformation. Black was fairly comfortable in any case, but after 17.Nec3
White wouldn't have been worse.]
17...Bxa4!
[Presumably White considered that the bishop went to c6 to facilitate lines like 17...Qb7
18.Nec3
Rfd8
, which it did, but there was also a positional threat attached to the specific choice of retreat square!]
18.Rxa4
[The only real choice: 18.bxa4?
Bc5
leaves Black in full control and with a promising good knight versus bad bishop grind after 19.Bxc5
Nxc5
, (although 19...Qxc5+
20.Kh1
Rac8
21.Rfc1
Rfd8
might be even stronger.) ]
18...Bc5
This follow-up is a key reason why Black exchanged on a4: not only is he playing against White's fairly bad bishop on g2, but he is able to take dangerous control of the dark squares.
19.Bxc5
[Easy to criticize, but White's cause would also have been a bad one after 19.Qc3
Rfd8
(19...Qb6
20.Bxc5
Nxc5
21.Rb4!?
worried me a little during the game, although now I'm not sure why: 21...Qa7
22.Qe3
Rad8
23.Nc1
Qc7
followed by ...Rfe8 leaves Black somewhat for choice) 20.Nc1
a5
when Black has the queenside under control and might even undermine with the ...a4-advance.]
19...Nxc5!
[When exchanging on a4, I had been tempted too by the flashy 19...Qxc5+
20.Kh1
Nd5?!
, but then spotted 21.Qd3
in time, (whereas 21.Qf5?
Ne3
22.Qxd7
Nxf1
23.Bxf1
Qf2
was the idea which had piqued my interest.) ]
20.Ra3?!
[The rook is loose here, but even the superior 20.Ra2
Rfd8
21.Kh1
Rab8
22.Rb1
Nd3
would have left Black with all the play. After the text Black would be better even if he had to play slowly with 20...Rab8, but he can do much better.]
20...Nd3
A neat touch to exploit the loose rook.
21.Rfa1?!
[The potential fork on b4 will prevent White from ever capturing on a6, so this was not best. White's position was grim, but I suspect that 21.Kh1
Qc5
22.Qa2
would have been a better try, even if Black is undoubtedly in control after 22...Nb4
(and 22...Rad8!?
23.Nc1
e4!
might be even stronger.) ]
21...Qc5+
22.Kh1
Rad8
[Naturally, 22...Nf2+
23.Kg1
Nh3+
24.Kh1
Qg1+??
25.Nxg1
would not have been the way to go. Instead I decided to include another piece in the attack, while introducing ideas of ...Qe3, ...Nf2+ and ...Rd2. Note that utilizing the queen's rook is best, just to avoid any back-rank issues should White capture on a6, which are a small issue with the king's rook on d8.]
23.h3
White desperately obtains some luft. This was best, but just look at the grim picture presented by his kingside!
23...Qe3
24.Ng1?
[Under pressure, Beach collapses. When first analysing this game I turned Rybka on at this point in the hope of finding a defence. The machine indicates 24.b4!?
Nxb4
25.Qb2
, which I did wonder about during the game, but after 25...Nd3
White has nothing better than to return with 26.Qc2
. Admittedly the pin will keep the game going for a bit, but after 26...Rfe8
(26...Rd6!?
is also strong) 27.Kh2
e4
White's prognosis is hardly great.; Another slightly superior defence is 24.Kh2
when I was intending 24...Nb4
25.Qc3
Qxe2
26.Qxb4
Rd2
27.Rg1
e4
28.fxe4
Nxe4
and the attack is surely overwhelming.]
24...Nh5
Now 25 Kh2 fails to prevent 25...Nxg3, so White is defenceless, but sportingly allowed a little tactic before throwing in the towel:
25.Ne2
Qxe2!
A piece goes west. 0-1