Vassily Ivanchuk vs Alexei Dmitriyevich Fedorov - Rubinstein Memorial 2000.08.18

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Vassily Ivanchuk vs Alexei Dmitriyevich Fedorov
Rubinstein Memorial Polanica-Zdroj POL round 2 2000.08.18
Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack 1-0

[Event "Rubinstein Memorial"]
[Site "Polanica-Zdroj POL"]
[Date "2000.08.18"]
[EventDate "2000.08.17"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vassily Ivanchuk"]
[Black "Alexei Dmitriyevich Fedorov"]
[ECO "B76"]
[WhiteElo "2719"]
[BlackElo "2646"]
[PlyCount "79"]

1. e4 {Rogozenko} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3
g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 {This pawn
sacrifice throughout the century had been considered safe for
black. Perhaps, this game will force theoreticians to reassess
this continuation, as not quite sound.} 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6
bxc6 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Qxd5 {Rogozenko: 'Ivanchuk played this
line before only once (although 9.O-O-O is his favourite
line). Although it was never considered very dangerous for
Black by the theory, the present game may change the
evaluation, or at least Black will have to look for better
ways to prove compensation for the pawn.'} Qc7 14. Qc5 Qb7 {
The main line. In the game Ivanchuk-Hodgson, 1996 14...Qb8 had
been played...} (14... Qb8 {Rogozenko:} 15. b3 (15. Qa3)
15... Bf5 16. Bd3 Rc8 17. Qa5 Rc3 18. Bxf5 Rxe3 19. Be4 Qf4
20. Bxa8 (20. g3 Qf6 21. Rd8+ Rxd8 22. Qxd8+ Bf8 23. Kb1 Qc3
24. g4 e6 (24... Re2 $44) 25. h4 h6 26. h5 gxh5 27. gxh5 f5
28. Bd3 Re1+ 29. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 30. Kb2 Qe5+ 31. Kb1 Qe1+ 32. Kb2
Qe5+ 33. Kb1 { 1/2-1/2 Rios,M-Cabrera,A/Medellin 2000})
20... Rxb3+ $2 (20... Rd3+ $1 21. Kb1 Qd4) 21. Rd2 Rb8 22. Bd5
Bh6 23. Rhd1 Qd4 24. c3 Qd3 25. Bb3 Rd8 26. c4 e5 27. c5 e4
28. fxe4 {1-0 Ivanchuk,V-Hodgson,J/Amsterdam 1996}) 15. Qa3 $1
{ Rogozenko: 'Also 15.b3 is not bad, but in that case Black is
not forced to put the Rook on b8. After 15.Qa3 he has to play
Rb8, otherwise White will not weaken the position with b3.'}
Bf5 16. Bd3 {More exact than} (16. Ba6 Qc7 17. Qc5 Qb6 $1
{what leads to an about equal endgame.}) 16... Rab8
(16... Rfb8 { Rogozenko} 17. b3 a5 18. Bxf5 gxf5 19. Qc5
(19. Qa4 $5) 19... a4 20. b4 (20. Qxf5 $2 axb3) 20... a3
(20... Qxb4 $2 21. Rd8+ $18) 21. Rd3 e6 {and Black has some
compensation for the pawn, but not clear if enough. 1/2-1/2
Mellado Trivino,J-Martin Gonzalez,A/Barcelona 2000/ (33)})
17. b3 Rbc8 {Two rounds r, against Movsesian, Fedorov has
choosen 17...Rfc8, what looks more active. Rogozenko: 'Taking
on d3 would help White to double his Rooks quicker. But I
would think twice before allowing White to take on f5, which
seriously breaks black pawn structure.'} (17... Rfc8
{Rogozenko} 18. Bxf5 gxf5 19. Rd3 Qc7 20. c4 a5 21. Rhd1 Ra8
22. Rd7 Qe5 23. Bd4 Qf4+ 24. Kb1 Bf8 25. Qc1 Qxc1+ 26. Kxc1
$18 {1-0 Movsesian,S-Fedorov,A/Polanica Zdroj 2000/ (56)})
(17... Bxd3 { Rogozenko} 18. Rxd3 Rfc8 {with some
compensation.}) (17... Qc6 {Rogozenko} 18. Bxf5 gxf5 19. Bd4
Rfc8 20. c4 Qh6+ 21. Kb1 Bxd4 22. Rxd4 e5 23. Rd6 $16 { 1-0
Dubiel,J-Zaskalski,A/chT-Pol 2000/ (43)}) 18. Bxf5 gxf5
19. Rd3 {Rogozenko: 'White's strategy becomes clear: he will
take control over d-file and protect the King by playing
c4. The Queen on a3 plays an important role in protecting the
King along the diagonal a1-h8. In fact White has a solid
position and at the same time obvious possibilities for active
play.'} Qc6 20. c4 Qf6 21. Rhd1 $3 {This is the main point of
the Ivanchuk's discovery: black threats along the black
diagonal are not too dangerous.} Rc6 {Too optimistic. Black
threatens to win the game by Ra6 - this threat is easy to
repel. Instead I would suggest 21...Rcd8 - just to change a
pair of rooks...} (21... Qa1+ 22. Kc2) 22. Bd4 e5 23. Bc3 Ra6
24. Qb2 Qh6+ 25. Kb1 Qxh2 26. Rd8 {'!' Rogozenko.} Bf6
27. R8d7 $1 {Rogozenko: 'Everything is equal now, but White
has a huge advantage. He has a better pawn structure and his
pieces are much more active. On top on this black King is not
safer than his white colleague.'} Bg7 28. Qc2 Rg6 29. R1d2
Qg1+ 30. Kb2 f4 31. Re2 {'!' Rogozenko.} Rg5 32. b4
{Rogozenko: lack is totally helpless with no active play at
all, so White just starts pushing his pawns. At one point he
will just exchange Queens (by activating white Queen) and the
game will be over.'} a5 $6 {Black play could certainly be
improved. In order to render longer resistance - 32...Rc8 or
Qb6 was stronger.} 33. b5 h5 34. Qd1 Qc5 {The endgame does not
suit black: after} (34... Rxg2 35. Qxg1 Rxg1 36. b6 {black has
a difficult task - to stop white pawns. Still, it was the best
what black could do...}) 35. Qd5 Qg1 { Rogozenko: 'Black
overlooked the next move, but the position is lost anyway.'}
36. Rxf7 $1 Rxf7 37. Qd8+ Rf8 38. Qxg5 Qf1 39. Rc2 Qxc4
40. Qxg7+ 1-0

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Updated: 7 February, 2022
Created: 7 February, 2022