5.Bg5 is underrated
Matthias Bluebaum comments on his game with Matej Sebenik
Matthias Bluebaum – Matej Sebenik (EU-ch 22nd Terme Catez (3), 29.03.2022)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0–0 5.Bg5
This is certainly not the most critical variation against the King’s Indian, but White usually plays for a small positional advantage here without Black getting the typical King’s Indian attack.
5…c5 5…d6 is the main continuation, e.g. 6.e3 c5 7.d5 and here there are many moves for Black, but here Qb6 would certainly be better than in the game.
6.d5 h6 7.Bh4 d6 8.Nd2 Qb6?!
Here I think Qb6 doesn’t make so much sense, since the white queen is quite well placed on c2 anyway.
9.Qc2 g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 11.e4 f5 12.Be2 Nxg3 13.hxg3
In the last moves, Black has only performed the typical manoeuvre of winning the dark-squared bishop and gaining space with f5, but is objectively already close to losing due to the insertion of Qb6 and Qc2, because the black king becomes very weak.
13…e6 14.Bd3 Qd8!? It’s never easy in a practical game to admit a mistake by playing a piece back, but my opponent correctly sees that he needs the queen on the kingside to hold the position together.
15.dxe6 f4 15…fxe4? does not work at all. 16.Bxe4 Nc6 17.Bd5+–
16.gxf4 gxf4 17.e5!
The thematic breakthrough to open the diagonal and get the square e4 for your own pieces.
17…dxe5 With this move order, my opponent allowed me the option of bringing my bishop to d5, which would have won immediately. 17…Nc6 18.Nf3 dxe5 would transpose to the game.
18.Nf3 18.Be4! Nc6 19.Bd5 Qe7 20.Qg6 Rf6 21.Qh5+–
18…Nc6 19.Nh4 Threatens Bh7+ followed by Ng6.
19…Rf6 20.Qe2 20.e7! I had seen, but underestimated: 20…Nxe7 21.0–0–0 Qc7 22.Ng6+–
20…e4!?
Prevents the plan with Qe4, since the e-file is now open.
21.Nxe4? This actually blunders a large part of the advantage.
21.Bxe4 Bxe6 22.Kf1!+–
21…Rxe6 22.0–0–0 Qf8 22…Nd4 23.Qh5 Re5? (23…Bd7!) 24.Qg6 Re6 and here I saw the nice mate motif 25.Qh7+! Kxh7 26.Nf6+ Kh8 27.Ng6#
23.Qh5 23.Bb1!? Nd4 24.Qd3 would be objectively better, but the position remains sharp.
23…Ne5? After 23…Re5 I actually should have gone back to e2.
24.Nf5! Nxd3+ 25.Rxd3 Bxb2+ 25…Rxe4 26.Nxh6+ Bxh6 27.Qg6+ Bg7 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.Qxe4+–
26.Kc2 Bg7 27.f3 Ra6 28.Nxg7 Kxg7 29.Qe5+ Kg8 30.Rh4!
All white pieces are attacking and the black king does not have enough defenders.
30…Be6 31.Nf6+ For myself, this was an important win, which should actually be the second in a longer winning streak in this tournament …
1–0
The complete analysis by Matthias Bluebaum as well as 24 more commented games from the European Championship 2022 can be found in the new ChessBase Magazine #208!
ChessBase Magazine #208
Order now in the ChessBase Shop !
Subscribe to ChessBase Magazin and win twice over
Single issue: 19,95€ or annual subscription (6 issues) 99,70€. You can find the ChessBase Magazine subscription (incl. ChessBase USB stick for new subscribers) on the CBM homepage! Or subscribe to ChessBase Magazine in the ChessBase Shop right away!
ChessBase Magazine #208
Highlights of this issue
On the first page of ChessBase Magazine #208 you have direct access to the editors’ recommendations: the highlights of the issue!
Top games and master analyses
European Championship 2022: Matthias Blübaum celebrated the greatest success of his career so far by winning the European Championship. The new champion comments on two of his games as well as the winners of the silver and bronze medals, Gabriel Sargissian and Ivan Saric. Plus analyses of many other players, including Ruslan Ponomariov, Aryan Tari, Ivan Cheparinov, Rasmus Svane, Yuriy Kuzubov, Maxime Lagarde and others.
Superbet Bucharest 2022: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Levon Aronian and Wesley So in the tiebreak. Anish Giri comments on three highlights from Bucharest, Dorian Rogozenco presents two games of the winner in the video.
New video series: “Practical tips for the tournament player”
Our new author, Jan Markos, is a Slovakian chess book author, trainer and grandmaster. His first contribution is about time management. First, Markos elaborates on three general and easy-to-implement recommendations in the more than 20-minute video. At the beginning there is a fundamental question: in which types of positions should we invest time at all – and in which not?
Special: FIDE World Championship 1997
CBM authors analyse their favourite games from the first knockout world championship 25 years ago. An exclusive collection of 22 annotated games awaits you!
All in one
Following his examination of the London System against the King’s Indian in CBM 207, Tanmay Srinath defends his favourite opening with White in this issue against an exceedingly combative approach by Black: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5, which immediately leads to sharp and double-edged play. After 3.d5 b5!? the Indian recommends the enterprising pawn sacrifice 4.e4!
Opening videos
Dorian Rogozenco presents a pawn sacrifice against the Gruenfeld Defence, which the new European Champion also used successfully. Ivan Sokolov came across the innovation 8…h5 in the Ragozin Variation, which he examines in detail in this and the upcoming CBM. And Mihail Marin explains why in the Slav Defence after 5…Bf5 he no longer fears the move 6.Ne5.
Dorian Rogozenco: Gruenfeld Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Bb5+
Ivan Sokolov: DG Ragozin Variation (Part I)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 h5
Mihail Marin: Slav Defence
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5
New ideas for your repertoire
CBM #208 covers a broad spectrum with 10 opening articles:
Grigoriants: English 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 3.e4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5
Papp: Trompovsky 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 c5 Part I
Ris: Sicilian Sveshnikov 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c4 Nd4
Moskalenko: French Advance 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7
Vogel: Italian 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Re1 d6 7.a4 Be6
Kapnisis: Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c4
Kuzmin: Queen’s Gambit Accepted 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 c5 7.Re1
Miron: Schara-Hennig Gambit 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4
Braun: Catalan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Na3
Szabo: Nimzoindian 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 c5
Topical opening traps
“The second look”, “Unspoken invitations” and much more. – Rainer Knaak examines eight traps from current tournament practice, three of which he also presents in video format.
Move by Move
Test your chess move by move with Robert Ris! Radoslaw Wojraszek’s brilliant game against Kacper Piorun is made for the interactive training format: from seizing the initiative to preventing counterplay to a successful attack on your opponent’s king!
“Knockout Strategies at the 1997 World Championship”
Mihail Marin discusses five strategic topics on the basis of the game material –incl. video introduction (playing time: 22 minutes)
The Classic
Alexander Alekhine himself described his game against Richard Réti in Baden-Baden in 1925 as one of his most brilliant games ever. Enjoy the video presentation by Dorian Rogozenco!
Tactics: “Use your back rank!”
Oliver Reeh’s tactics contribution consists of 34 games with many training questions. Solve his favourite combinations together with the International Master in the interactive video format!
“Endgame highlights from the FIDE World Championship 1997” and much more
Karsten Mueller provides comprehensive training material for the highest demands. Not only on the World Championship tournament 25 years ago, but also on the Oslo Esports Cup 2022, the Hamburg endgame expert provides plenty of illustrative material and analyses (incl. video)..
ChessBase Magazine #208
Order now in the ChessBase Shop !
Subscribe to ChessBase Magazin and win twice over
Single issue: 19,95€ or annual subscription (6 issues) 99,70€. You can find the ChessBase Magazine subscription (incl. ChessBase USB stick for new subscribers) on the CBM homepage! Or subscribe to ChessBase Magazine in the ChessBase Shop right away!
