Analysis Game Kosteniuk – Kovanova (Chess King Theater)

Today I’d like to share with you a detailed analysis of my game from the recent Russian Team Chess Championships from Loo-Sochi against Baira Kovanova. It’s a very interesting Ruy Lopez opening and shows a nice battle of a good Knight against a bad Bishop. To publish my game on my blog I entered the game into Chess King and used the easy Export-to-Blog button.













Kosteniuk, Alexandra – Kovanova, Baira

Result: 1-0

Site: Loo (Russia)

Date: 2012.04.14

[…] 1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 a6 4.¥a4 ¤f6 5.O-O ¥e7 6.¦e1 b5 7.¥b3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 ¥e6 “This variation is not played very often by strong players. According to modern chess databases, this line was played for the first time in the game Schlehter – Chigorin in 1904. Before this game we played this system more than once, and during my preparation we decided to continue the theoretical discussion a little further.”

10.d4 ¥xb3

(In our first game on that theme, Baira immediately played 10…exd4 11.cxd4 ¥xb3 12.£xb3 ¤a5 13.£c2

(In the previous game followed 13.£d3 c5 14.¤c3 ¤c6 15.¥g5 h6 16.¥h4 ¦e8 17.¦ad1 c4 18.£b1 ¤b4 19.e5 ¤fd5 20.¥xe7 £xe7 21.¤xd5 ¤xd5 22.¦e4 ¤f6 23.¦h4 dxe5 24.dxe5 ¤d7 25.¦e1 ¤c5 26.¦g4 ¤d3 27.¦e3 £c5 28.£c2 ¤xe5 29.¤xe5 ¦xe5 30.¦eg3 g5 31.h4 ¢g7 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.b4 ¦e1+ 34.¢h2 ¦h8+ 35.¦h3 ¦xh3+ 36.¢xh3 £e5 37.g3 f6 38.£d2 £e2 39.£d7+ ¢g6 0-1, Schlechter Carl 2600 – Chigorin Mikhail 2600 , 1904 Cambridge Springs)

13…c5 14.¤c3 ¦c8 15.d5 ¤d7 16.¥f4 ¤c4 17.b3 ¤ce5 18.¤xe5 dxe5 19.¥g3 c4 20.bxc4 ¦xc4 21.£d3 £b6 22.a4 ¥b4 “and, even though White’s position is not the best, I was able to win this game …1-0, Kosteniuk, Alexandra – Kovanova, Baira, Moscow 2/17/2011 Blitz:3’+2″””)

11.axb3 £c8 “In Olginka 2011 in the blitz and in the rapid, Baia chose different continuations against me”

(11…¦e8 12.d5 ¤b8 13.b4 c6 14.dxc6 ¤xc6 15.¤bd2 £b6 16.¤f1 … 1-0, Kosteniuk, Alexandra – Kovanova, Baira, Olginka 4/24/2011 Russian Blitz Championship)

(11…exd4 12.cxd4 ¤b4 13.¤c3 c5 14.d5 ¦e8 15.¥f4 h6 16.£d2 ¥f8 17.¦ad1 £b6 18.g4 c4 19.¥e3 £d8 20.bxc4 bxc4 21.¥d4 ¤d3 22.¦e2 ¤d7 23.b3 ¦b8 24.bxc4 ¤b2 25.¦a1 ¤xc4 26.£a2 ¤ce5 27.¥xe5 dxe5 28.£xa6 ¦b3 29.£c4 ¦b4 30.£d3 ¤c5 31.£d1 £f6 32.¢g2 £f4 33.£d2 £f6 34.¦b1 ¦xb1 35.¤xb1 ¦b8 36.¤c3 ¦b3 37.¦e3 ¤d7 38.£c2 ¦a3 39.¤d1 ¦a1 40.¦c3 ¥c5 41.¤e3 ¥xe3 42.¦xe3 £a6 43.¦e1 ¦xe1 44.¤xe1 ¤f6 45.¤f3 £a1 46.d6 ¢h7 47.£d3 ¤d7 48.£b5 ¤f6 49.£xe5 £d1 50.£f5+ ¢g8 51.e5 ¤d5 52.e6 fxe6 53.£xe6+ ¢h7 54.£e4+ ¢g8 55.d7 1-0, Kosteniuk, Alexandra – Kovanova, Baira, Olginka 4/26/2011 Russian Rapid Championship)

12.¥g5 ¦e8 13.d5 ¤b8 14.¥xf6 ¥xf6 15.¤a3 ¤d7 16.¤c2 a5 17.b4 a4 18.£d3 £b7 19.¤e3!? “In the Superfinal last year, I sent my knight to the other side”

(19.¤a3?! … 1/2-1/2, Kosteniuk, Alexandra – Kovanova, B, Moscow 8/25/2011 Russian Championship Superfinal)

19…g6 20.¦ec1 ¦a7 21.£d1!? ¤b6 “On my clock at that moment I had 1:31, and black had played even faster – 1:32”

22.c4 bxc4 23.¤xc4 ¤xc4 24.¦xc4 “White wanted precidely to exchange that knight, when Qd1 was played.The strength in Black’s play is dynamism, if they can push f7-f5, weakening White’s center, they will be able to get enough counterchances. White, on the other hand, wants to exchange pieces and then attack their opponent’s weak panws.”

24…£b5 25.£c2 ¥d8 26.¤d2 “Starting the transfer of the Knight to the Queen’s side.White had foreseen this position, and did not mind repeating our 2011 game.”

26…¦f8 “In this position, apart from the plan f7-f5, there is nothing else one could recommend playing”

27.¤b1 f5 28.£e2 fxe4 29.¤c3 £b6 30.¤xe4 “The Knight was able not only to go to the Queen’s side, but also to come back to the wonderful e4 square in the center of the board.”

30…¥e7 31.¦a3!? “During the game I decided to make one more waiting move, in no hurry to start attacking Black’s weaknesses.”

(On 31.¤c3 “could have followed'” 31…¥g5 “and White would have to calculate the threat Rxf2. Although in the current position after”

32.¦e4 ¦f7 33.¦a3 “White has better chances. But it is clear that the night on e4 is much better placed than the Rook.”)

31…c6 “It’s difficult to blame black for this kind of attempt to liberate themselves, but in this situation, the best would have been to sit still and play Rf7. After c6 the position opens, and White’s pieces are better prepared for the battle ahead.”

32.£d2

(White would get an advantage also with 32.¦xc6 £xb4 33.¦c4 £b7 34.¦cxa4 ¦xa4 35.¦xa4 £xd5 36.¦a7 £e6 (36…¥h4 37.£c2) 37.£a6 ¦f7 38.£c6 “And Black is bound from all sides, and the “b” pawn will soon advance with devastating effect”)

32…cxd5 33.£xd5+ ¢g7

(During the game I thought it would be more precise to play 33…¢h8 “, but even in this case White should be able to easily get a very large advantage.”

34.b5 ¦b7 35.¦axa4 ¥h4 36.¢h2 (Probably easier would be 36.¦c2) 36…£xb5 37.£xb5 ¦xb5 38.¤c3)

34.b5 ¦b7? “loses by force” 35.¦axa4 ¥h4 36.¦a6 ¥xf2+ 37.¢h2! “The final touch'” 37…¥g1+ 38.¢h1 £xb5 “And here White can win by two different ways. I chose the quietest way.”

39.£xb5 (Would also win 39.¦c7+ ¦xc7 40.£xb5 ¦c1 41.¦xd6) 39…¦xb5 40.¦c7+ ¢h6 41.¢xg1 d5 42.¤f6 e4 43.h4 “with mate to follow very soon 1-0”

Tags: commented chess game, Kosteniuk, kovanova
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