Russian Championships 2009 (5)
Svidler humbled by Sjurigov
IM Malcolm Pein - Tuesday 29th December 2009
One of the games of the year was played in the fifth round of the Russian championship as defending champion Peter Svidler was humbled in just 23 moves by a 16 year old making his debut in the competition being held in Moscow.
16 year old Sanan Sjurigov | http://tal.russiachess.org
One of the games of the year was played in the fifth round of the Russian championship as defending champion Peter Svidler was humbled in just 23 moves by a 16 year old making his debut in the competition being held in Moscow. Sanan Sjurigov had demolished Svidler's position when the world number 8 resigned as threats appeared all over the board. Svidler looked to be improvising a little with black in the Caro Kann and an injudicious attempt to generate counterplay from a passive position led to disaster.
S Sjugirov (2612) - P Svidler (2754)
62nd Russian Ch Moscow (5)
Caro Kann
Short Variation
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nd7 6.0-0 Bg6 7.Nbd2 Nh6 8.Nb3 Nf5 9.Bd2 h5
(9...Be7 10.g4 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.f4 Be4 and if 13.g5?! h6)
10.g3
(A new move designed to meet h4 with g4)
10...a6
(10...c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Bb5+)
11.Rc1 b5 12.a4!
(Now c6-c5 will always leave the b5 pawn weak)
12...Be7 13.Ra1! f6
(Without a queenside break the whole Black setup looks passive to me. This is a bid for counterplay but exposes e6)
14.Bf4 0-0 15.Bd3 Re8 16.h3 Bh7 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.Re1
(There is a weak backward pawn on e6 and as for h5, well, if only pawns could move backwards)
18...g5?! 19.Be5 Rf8?! 20.Qd2
(White had a pleasant choice 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rxa8 Qxa8 22.Bxf6 and 20.axb5 cxb5 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Qd2 g4 23.Ng5 Rfe8 24.hxg4 hxg4 25.Nxh7 Kxh7 26.Qf4 were also good)
20...Nxe5 21.Nxe5 Qd6 22.Nc5 Kh8
(One of the many threats is Nc5-d7 followed by Nxf6+ and Qxg5+. If 22...Nxd4 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Qxd4)
23.c3 1-0
Execution comes in the form of a defensive move which only serves to show how hopeless Black's game is, see below.
Peter Svidler
 |  | | | | | |  |
| | | | | | |  |
 | | |  | | | | |
| |  | | |  | | |
 | | | | | | | |
| | |  | | | | |
| | |  | | | | |
 | | | | | |  | |
Sanan Sjurigov
Final position after 23.c3
Threats include Nxe6 Qxe6 Ng6+ and Ncd7, Black is lost in all lines: 23...Bxe5 24.Rxe5 Rf6 25.Qxg5; 23...Be7 24.Ned7 Rf7 25.Rxe6; 23...Ng7 24.Ned7 Rf7 25.Nxf6 Rxf6 26.Qxg5; 23...g4 24.axb5 axb5 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Nf7+
P Svidler - A Grischuk
62nd Russian Ch Moscow (4)
Ruy Lopez Marshall Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Qe2 Bd7 16.Qf1 Qf5 17.Nd2 Rae8 18.f3 Nf6 19.a4 c5 20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.Ne4 Rxe4
(21...Nxe4 22.fxe4 Qxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Rxe4 24.Bd5 Re8 25.axb5 axb5 26.Ra7 Be6 27.Bxe6 fxe6 28.Rd7 with some advantage)
22.Bc2 cxd4
(22...Re1 23.Bxf5 Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 Bxf5 25.axb5 also with an edge)
23.fxe4 Qc5 24.Qf2 Ng4 25.cxd4 Qc7! 26.Qe2
(26.Qg2 Qb6)
26...Bxg3! 27.hxg3 Qxg3+ 28.Qg2 Qe1+ 29.Qf1 Qg3+ 30.Qg2 draw
Alexander Grischuk
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Peter Svidler
Final position after 30.Qg2
