Best game from Xinghua Jiangsu? possibly!

[Javier]

I've been watching some more games from the Championship of China, and there's one in particular which I found most entertaining. There are a couple of moments in the game when I go: "hang on, what's going on??".

Here it is, with my annotations:

 

 

[Event "ch-CHN 2011"]

[site "Xinghua Jiangsu CHN"]

[Date "2011.04.08"]

[Round "9"]

[White "Zhao Jun"]

[black "Xiu Deshun"]

[Result "1-0"]

[ECO "E26"]

[WhiteElo "2580"]

[blackElo "2508"]

[Annotator "Microsoft"]

[PlyCount "61"]

[EventDate "2011.03.30"]

 

[pgn]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 {A line which most GMs have given up,

most of them preferring 4.Qc2.} Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 c5 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. Ne2 Ba6

{Black will try to attack c4 as soon as possible. ...Na5 is on the list.} 9. e4

O-O (9... Na5 {But here this would be premature.} 10. e5 Ng8 11. Ng3 Bxc4 (

11... Nxc4 12. Qa4) 12. Bxc4 Nxc4 13. Qa4 Na5 14. Ne4 {With good compensation

for the pawn, as the knight is heading for d6.}) 10. Bg5 {Threat is now e5.} h6

11. Bh4 g5 {A very risky move, weakening his Kingside. A better alternative

was 11...d6.} (11... d6 12. f4 e5 13. d5 (13. O-O {Maybe this...} exd4 14. cxd4

cxd4 15. Ng3 {With excellent compensation for the pawn.}) 13... Nb8 14. fxe5

dxe5 15. O-O Nbd7 16. Qc1 g5 17. Be1 Ne8 18. Ng3 Nd6 19. Qd1 f6 20. Qe2 Qe7 21.

Bd2 Rae8 22. Rae1 Bc8 23. Rf2 Ba6 24. Rff1 Bc8 25. Rf2 Ba6 26. Rff1 {1/2-1/2

Koblencs,A-Kan,I/Riga 1952/EXT 2003}) 12. Bg3 d6 (12... Na5 13. h4 Bxc4 (13...

g4 14. Nf4 Bxc4 15. e5) 14. hxg5 hxg5 15. e5 {White has a winning attack here.}

) 13. f4 {Very strong.} (13. h4 {This would not be so good here.} g4 14. Qd2

Kg7 15. Bf4 Rh8) 13... Na5 14. fxg5 hxg5 15. O-O Nh5 (15... Bxc4 16. Bxd6 Qxd6

17. e5) 16. Bxd6 {Im not entirely sure if this is sound, but in the game

black was unable to find a defence...} Qxd6 17. e5 Qe7 18. Ng3 Nxg3 19. Rf6 {

Wow!!} Kg7 (19... Rfd8 {This, providing the black King with the f8 scape

square, seems more reasonable.} 20. Qg4 cxd4 (20... Bxc4 21. Qxg5+ Kf8 22. Bxc4

Nxc4 23. hxg3 cxd4 24. Raf1) (20... Nf5 21. Bxf5 exf5 22. Qxg5+ Kf8 23. e6 {

seems to favour white}) 21. Qxg5+ Kf8 22. hxg3 dxc3 23. Bg6 {With a very

complicated position, but white does seem to have a powerful attack...}) 20.

Qg4 Rg8 21. hxg3 Nb7 22. Raf1 Nd8 (22... Kf8 23. Rxf7+ Qxf7 24. Rxf7+ Kxf7 25.

Qh5+ Ke7 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qh6+ {And white is winning. He will take the pawn on

e6 with check...}) 23. Qe4 Qb7 24. d5 Rh8 {This mistakes allows for a

beautiful checkmate combination, but blacks position was already very

difficult...} 25. Qg6+ {The game is over.} fxg6 26. Rxg6+ Kh7 27. Rxg5+ Kh6 28.

Rg6+ Kh7 29. Rg4+ Kh6 30. Rf6+ Kh5 31. Rh4+ {And black did not wait for 35...

Kg5, 32.Rg6 mate.} 1-0[/pgn]