[Event "It (cat.19)"] [Site "masterchessopen.com Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands)"] [Round "3"] [White "Svidler Peter (RUS)"] [Black "Bareev Evgeny (RUS)"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2735"] [BlackElo "2715"] [ECO "C10"] [Opening "French: Rubinstein, 4...Nd7"] 1.e4 { 1 } 1...e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 { Evgeny is a top expert in the French defense. Many times he tested the main continuations 3...?b4 and 3...?f6. } ( 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Nbd7 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.Nf3 h6 ( 7...c5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.Qe2 Be7 11.dxc5 O-O 12.Ne5 Qd5 13.O-O Bxc5 14.Rfe1 Nd7 15.Nf3 Qc6 16.Rad1 Rac8 17.Qd3 Qb6 18.Nd2 Nf6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.c3 { 1/2-1/2, Svidler Peter 2686 - Bareev Evgeny 2719 , Tomsk 2001 Ch Russia (club) } ) 8.Be3 Bd6 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.O-O-O Bc6 11.c4 Bxf3 12.gxf3 c6 13.Kb1 Qe7 14.Rg1 Rg8 15.Bh3 Bxh2 16.Rge1 Bd6 17.Qc2 Qc7 18.Qa4 Kf8 19.Rc1 Qb8 20.Qc2 g5 21.d5 cxd5 22.Bd4 e5 23.Qf5 { ...1-0, Almasi Zoltan 2676 - Bareev Evgeny 2729 , Monaco 2002 It "Melody Amber" (blindfold) } ) 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 ( 5.g3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.Nf3 b6 8.Bg2 Bb7 9.O-O Be7 10.Qe2 O-O 11.Rd1 Qc8 12.c4 Re8 13.b3 c5 14.Bb2 cxd4 15.Rxd4 Qc7 16.Qe5 Rac8 17.Rad1 Bc6 18.Qxc7 Rxc7 19.Ne5 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Rec8 { 1/2-1/2, Svidler Peter 2686 - Gelfand Boris 2701 , Moscow 2001 Ch World FIDE (KO-system) } ) 5...Ngf6 6.Bd3 c5 7.O-O Nxe4 8.Bxe4 { ? } 8...Nf6 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 ( 10.Qe2 Qb6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Rfd1 Bg7 13.Nxd4 O-O 14.c3 Bd7 15.a4 a6 16.a5 Qc7 17.Qh5 h6 18.Rd3 f5 19.Bf3 Rad8 20.Rad1 Ba4 21.b3 Bc6 22.b4 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Rd5 24.Ne2 Rxd3 25.Rxd3 Rd8 26.g3 Rxd3 27.Qxd3 Qc6 28.f3 Bf6 29.Kf2 Kg7 { ...1-0, Shirov Alexei 2723 - Gelfand Boris 2700 , Monaco 2002 It "Melody Amber" (blindfold) } ) 10...h6 { (?!) This is a dubious continuation since White obtains an obvious development lead. } ( { Stronger is } 10...Be7 11.Bf3 O-O 12.Re1 Qc7 ( 12...Qb6 13.Nb3 Rd8 14.Qe2 Bd7 15.Bd2 Bb4 16.c3 Bd6 17.c4 a5 { , with mutual chances, Polgar Judith - Van Wely Loek, Hoogeven 2001 } ) 13.c3 a6 14.Bh4 Bd6 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.g3 Rd8 17.Bg2 Bf8 18.Qh5 Bg7 19.Rad1 Qb6 20.Nb3 Re8 21.c4 Qc7 22.Qa5 Qxa5 23.Nxa5 Bf8 24.Re3 Rb8 25.Rb3 b6 26.Nc6 Rb7 27.Na5 Rb8 28.Bc6 Re7 29.c5 b5 30.Rbd3 { ...1/2-1/2, Shirov Alexei 2706 - Anand Viswanathan 2770 , Wijk aan Zee 2001 It (cat.19) } ) ( { or } 10...Bc5 11.c3 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Qa4+ Bd7 14.Qc4 Bxd4 15.cxd4 Rc8 16.Qb4 Bc6 17.Bxc6+ bxc6 18.Qb7 O-O 19.Qxa7 Rfd8 20.Rfd1 c5 21.dxc5 Qxb2 22.h3 { 1/2-1/2, Svidler Peter 2693 - Izoria Zviad 2565 , Bled 2002 Olympiad } ) 11.Bxf6 { DB } 11...Qxf6 12.Qd3 { +0.78 CAP The queen's check from b5 is very unpleasant for Black. } 12...a6 { } ( 12...Bd6 { !? } 13.Nb5 Be5 14.Nd6+ Bxd6 { } ) 13.Rad1 Be7 ( { Bad is } 13...Bc5 14.Nb3 Be7 { due to } 15.Bxb7 { ! } ) 14.Nc6 { ! It is clear now that White has obtained a huge advantage. DB } 14...e5 { N } ( { The lesser evil for Black would have been } 14...O-O 15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.Qd6 Qxd6 17.Rxd6 { , with a big advantage for White in an endgame. } 17...Re8 18.f4 Kf8 19.Rfd1 Ke7 20.Bxb7 Rb8 21.Bc6 Rf8 22.b3 Rb6 23.c4 Kf6 24.R1d4 Ke7 25.c5 Rb8 26.b4 g5 27.fxg5 hxg5 28.Bd7 a5 29.b5 Rd8 30.Bc6 Rxd6 31.Rxd6 e5 32.b6 Be6 33.Bd5 Bxd5 34.Rxd5 { ...1-0, Ciganikova Andrea 2140 - Rakay Kvetoslav 2147 , Slovakia 1999 Extra League 1998/99 } ) 15.Nxe7 ( 15.Qc3 { is also very strong, when White wins a pawn at least. However, the Russian champion chooses more energetic way. } ) 15...Qxe7 16.f4 { L +1.00 A logical continuation - Svidler tries to crush Black's position before the latter consolidates it. } ( 16.Rfe1 { !? } 16...O-O 17.Qd5 Re8 18.c3 { } ) 16...exf4 { ] ? +4.00 This loses immediately. However, Black's position is already very unpleasant. } ( { ?Better was } 16...O-O { , though it is not clear how Black will develop his kingside after } 17.f5 { } ( 17.fxe5 Qxe5 18.Bd5 Be6 { } ) 17...f6 { For example, } 18.Qd6 { , and White obtains better endgame } ) ( 16...Bg4 17.Rde1 O-O 18.fxe5 { , winning a pawn } ) 17.Bxb7 { DB } {#r} 1-0