NH Chess Tournament 2010 (9)
Brilliant win for Howell
IM Malcolm Pein - Tuesday 24th August 2010
Malcolm Pein looks at a fine win from David Howell at the recent NH Chess Tournament in Amsterdam.
David Howell played a most aesthetically pleasing games at the NH Hotels tournament in Amsterdam and defeated a 2700 player in the process. Howell outplayed Peter-Heine Nielsen, who is on Vishy Anand's analytical team, in a graphic illustration of how to take control of the centre. We are always taught to fight for the centre squares but I cannot recall seeing a game end with a player occupying it totally with pawns.
D Howell (2616) - PH Nielsen (2700)
Ruy Lopez Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Ne7 6.Nxe5 Qd4 7.Qh5 g6 8.Qg5 Bg7 9.Nd3 f5 10.e5 c5 11.b3 b6
(11...h6 12.Qg3 f4 13.Qf3 Bf5 14.Qxb7 Be4 15.Qxc7 Bxd3 16.cxd3 Bxe5 17.Qb7 Rb8 18.Qxa6 f3 led to a crucial win for Nigel Short over Jan Timman in their Candidates Final in 1993 but 12.Qe3 f4 13.Qf3 and 13.Qxd4 cxd4 14.Nxf4 Bxe5 15.d3 are better for White)
12.Bb2 Qg4 13.Qe3 Nd5 14.Qe1 f4
(14...Bb7 15.f3 Qg5 16.c4 Ne7 is a better try)
15.f3 Qg5 16.c4 Bf5
Peter Heine Nielsen
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David Howell
Position after 16...Bf5
17.Nxc5! bxc5 18.cxd5 Bd3 19.Nc3! 0-0
(19...Bxf1 20.Kxf1 0-0 21.Ne4 Qe7 22.d6)
20.Ne4 Qf5 21.Nxc5 Bxf1 22.Kxf1
Howell has amassed three pawns but it is the domination of the centre that counts
22...Rad8 23.Qe4! Rfe8 24.d4 Qxe4 25.fxe4 1-0
Peter Heine Nielsen
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David Howell
Final position. White can win a variety of ways but playing his rook to c1 and knight to e6 is good enough for example 25...a5 26.Rc1 Bf8 27.Ne6 Rb8 28.Nxc7 Rec8 29.d6
A textbook demolition of the Benoni structure. White prepares e4-e5, e5-e6 and then attacks the kingside with all his forces.
L Aronian (2783) - V Zvjaginsev (2656)
GRENKE Rapid World Ch Mainz
1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 g6 5.f4 Bg7 6.Bb5+ Nfd7 7.a4 Na6 8.Nf3 Nc7 9.Bc4 Rb8 10.0-0 b6 11.e5 0-0 12.Ne4 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.e6 fxe6 15.Neg5 Nc7 16.dxe6 Nf6 17.f5 Ng4 18.Nf7 Qe8 19.N3g5 Ne5 20.Bf4 Nxf7 21.exf7+ Rxf7 22.Nxf7 Qxf7 23.fxg6 Qxg6 24.Ra3 Kh8 25.Rg3 Qe4 26.Qh5 Bd4+ 27.Kh1 Qd5 28.Qh4 Qc4 29.Rgf3 Bf6 30.Qh3 Nd5 31.Qe6 Rg8 32.Bg3 Rg4 33.Rf4 Rxf4 34.Rxf4 Qxc2 35.Qc8+ Kg7 36.Rg4+ Kh6 37.h3 1-0
