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Yusupov - Lobron
Germany Ch (Nussloch) 1996









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1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 0-0 5 Bd3 c5 6 Nf3 d5 7 0-0 cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9 Bxc4 b6 10 Re1 Bb7 11.Bd3! White aims the bishop at the kingside, as he believes there is no future for the bishop in looking at the e6-pawn, while a d4-d5 break isn't possible yet. The question of the best placement of this bishop is an evergreen problem in such formations, which White successfully solves in this game. [11.a3; 11.Ne5 Nc6; 11.Bg5] 11...Nc6 11...Nbd7 is a good alternative. 12.a3! Now this move is very logical, as after 11...Bxc3 12 bxc3 and the eventual Bg5 the pin will be quite unpleasant for Black, who has committed his knight to c6. 12...Be7 13.Bc2 Re8 14.Qd3 White has got a standard battery, which will force Black to weaken his kingside in some way. 14...g6 15.h4!? The march of the h-pawn is a typical weapon from White's arsenal in this pawn formation, as we have seen in the game Kamsky-Short as well. While White wants to challenge the g6-pawn, he also establishes additional control over the g5-square. 15...Qd6? Black is trying to find a safe place for the queen and also bring some pressure on the d4-pawn after Rad8 and Qb8, however it does not really solve the problem. 15...Rc8 might be a better choice, meeting 16 Bg5 with the standard move 16...Nd5. 16.Bg5 Rad8 17.Rad1 Qb8 18 Bb3! Excellent judgement - the bishop has no longer anything to do on the b1-h7 diagonal, so White re-deploys it to a better location. The bishop has gone via a long route: f1-d3-c4-d3-c2-b3 and found itself on the same diagonal as before.  18...a6? Black obviously misjudged the forthcoming play, otherwise he would have tried 18...Kg7. The analysis shows that after another possible defence - 18...Na5, which looks okay at the first glance, White also gets an irresistible attack after 19 Ba2! Nd5 20 b4!. Now both 20...Bxg5 21 Nxg5 Nxc3 22 Qxc3 Nc6 23 Nxe6! fxe6 24 Rxe6 Rxe6 25 Bxe6+ Kg7 26 d5+ Qe5 27 Rd3!+- and 20...Nxc3 21 Qxc3 Nc6 22 d5 exd5 23 Bxd5 Bxg5 24 Bxf7+! Kxf7 25 Nxg5+ Kg8 26 Qc4+ Kh8 27 Rxd8 Rxd8 28 Qf7+- are bad for Black. 19 d5! White capitalises on his advantage by a well-timed break in the centre. Now 19...exd?? loses at once to 20 Rxe7 and Bxf6. After 19...Nxd5 the best move is 20 Bxd5!, as here it is more beneficial for White to have a knight on d5 rather than a bishop, in a view of the weakness of the f6-square (and the b6-pawn). After 20...Bxg5 (20...exd5 21 Nxd5 Bxg5 22 Rxe8+ Rxe8 23 Nxg5 transposes to the same position) 21 Nxg5 (not 21 hxg5? because of 21…Ne7!) 21...exd5 22 Rxe8+! Rxe8 23 Nxd5 Black can't survive, for example: 23…Qe5 24 Qf3! f5 25 Qb3+-. 19...Na5 Once again we see how White capitalises on his advantage after the well prepared and well-timed d4-d5 breakthrough. 20 dxe6! This tactical blow highlights the fact that most of the black pieces are passive and that his king is vulnerable. 20...Nxb3. After 20...Rxd3 21 exf7+ Kg7 22 fxe8N+ Qxe8 23 Rxd3 Nxb3 24 Rde3 White gets the piece back and wins. 21 exf7+ Kxf7 22 Qc4+ Kg7 23 Ne5! Ng8?! More stubborn would be 23...Nd5!?, although after the further 24 Bh6+! Kxh6 25 Nf7+ Kg7 26 Nxd8 Na5 27 Qd4+ Nf6 28 Qxb6 Bxd8 29 Rxe8 Bxb6 30 Rxb8 Bc7 31 Rxb7 Nxb7 32 Nd5 Nxd5 33 Rxd5 the endgame is winning for White, who can create passed pawns on both flanks. 24 Qf7+ Kh8 25 Rxd8 Qxd8 26 Qxb3 Qd4 27 Re3 Rf8 28 Bxe7

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