For the belated Game of the Month for November we turn to the first decisive game of the CAPA-X Jubilee E-mail tournament: GM Roberto Alvarez’s win over GM Hans-Marcus Elwert.

Roberto Gabriel Álvarez is one of a group of active Argentinean players who has received the ICCF grandmaster title in recent years. In addition to the CAPA-X Jubilee, he is also currently playing in a three-quarter final of the world championship. Roberto is also associated with GM Juan Morgado in running one of the top Spanish-language chess websites Ajedrez de Estilo, which includes the CAPA website.

The CAPA-X Jubilee e-mail tournament matches three of the top Argentinean CC players (GMs Alvarez, Berdichesky, Morgado) against three of the World’s top CC players (GMs Hans-Marcus Elwert of Germany, Olita Rause of Latvia, and 12th World CC Champion Grigory Sanakoev of Russia). The readers can follow the progress of the tournament and read more about the competitors at the website www.Chessmail.com/CAPA-X/capa-jub.html .

This month’s game is an interesting addition to the database on the English Attack (6.Be3) in the Sicilian Najdorf. During the last few years there has been an explosion of interest in this line as many of the top OTB and CC players have embraced this variation, some enjoying both sides of this dynamic opening. The game follows a recent game Shirov-Anand from the Sydney AUS 2000 tournament. Although that game ended in a draw, postgame analysis by Shipov (see his comments after 28.e6) suggest that Shirov perhaps missed a decisive attack. Because of the impression that 28.gxh6 only leads to a draw, Roberto played another strong move, 28.e6. Three moves later the game ends abruptly after 31.g6. What happened? Why did the game end so rapidly after deviating from a well advertised game? Please read on.

I am responsible for all comments unless they are specifically marked as to their source: (Alvarez) or (Shipov).
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GM Alvarez, Roberto (Argentina) - GM Elwert, Hans-Marcus (Germany)

CAPA-X Jubilee, 2000
Sicilian Naidorf B80
[Annotated by Dr. Vytas Palciauskas]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3

The variation popularized by the English players Short, Nunn, Speelman and others.

6...e6 7.f3 b5 8.g4 h6 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Bb7 11.h4 b4 12.Na4 Qa5 13.b3 Nc5 14.a3 Nxa4 15.axb4 Qc7 16.bxa4 d5 17.e5 Nd7 18.f4 Nb6 19.f5

(Shipov) This is the Grischuk Variation. He was the first one to introduce this way of attacking with the white pieces.

19...Nxa4 20.fxe6 Nc3 21.exf7+ Kxf7 22.Bd3 Bxb4 23.Rdf1+ Kg8 24.Qf2 Ba3+ 25.Kd2 Ne4+ 26.Bxe4 dxe4 27.g5!

(Shipov) Quite an interesting novelty. In the rapid chess game of the Anand-Gelfand match in Shengyang, this move was played in the semifinal. There followed 27.Qf5 Bb4+ 28.Kd1 Qc4! 29.Ne6 (29.e6? Rf8) 29...Qd5+ 30.Ke2 (30.Bd4? Qd7! -/+ Potkin-Vorobiev/Moscow/2000/0-1(33)) 30...Qc4+ 31.Kd1 Qd5+ and White cannot avoid a perpetual check.

27...Bd5

Protects f7 and in many variations will join the attack on the White King through c4.

28.e6

(Álvarez) My novelty 27.g5 is interesting. Days ago, Shirov used it against Anand at Sydney 2000, but then he continued with 28. gxh6, which I disregarded for this game because it leads only to a draw.
(Shipov) 28.gxh6 Bb2 Black is threatening to mate the white king beginning with Qa5+.

A) The tempting 29.hxg7 does leads to a perpetual check - 29...Qa5+ 30.c3 (30.Kd1? Qa1+ and a mate in two moves.) 30...Qxc3+ 31.Kd1 Bb3+ 32.Nxb3 Qxb3+ 33.Ke1 Bc3+ 34.Bd2 Qb1+ 35.Ke2 Qb5+ 36.Ke1;

B) But, he could have played 29.Kd1! (A prophylactic measure!) Then 29...Qa5 30.Qf4! gives White's King the escape square f2 30...Rxh6 (30...Qa1+ 31.Ke2 Bc4+ 32.Kf2 Bxf1 33.hxg7 Rh7 34.Qxe4) 31.Nf5 Rh5 32.Rfg1 Kh8 33.Rg5 Rh7 34.Rxg7! and White has a crushing attack.;

C) 29.Rb1?! Shirov seems to have missed the advantage, or to be more exact, he missed the victory. The game continued 29...Bc3+ 30.Kc1! Bxd4 31.Bxd4 e3 32.Qxe3?! Bxh1 33.Rb6 Rc8? 34.Qb3+ Qc4 35.hxg7 Rxh4 36.Rb8! This miraculous nuance helps White to win back material. 36...Qxb3 (And there is no other way. After 36...Kxg7 comes an unpleasant 37.Qg3+) 37.Rxc8+ Kxg7 38.cxb3 Rxd4 39.Rc7+ ½-½ Shirov,A-Anand,V/Sydney AUS 2000/[Shipov]

28...Rf8 29.Qg2 Qc4?!

This seems to be the decisive error. Black threatens Qxd4+, but overlooks the strength of White's 31st move. Exchanging rooks immediately and looking for a possible perpetual check seems to be the best chance at this point. Because of the pawns on e6 and g5 (with g6 always a threat), the defense for Black is very difficult. This position is much more fun to play as White than Black! Several typical variations are: 29...Rxf1 30.Rxf1 Qa5+ (30...hxg5 31.Qxg5)

A) 31.Kd1 Bc5 32.Nf5 (32.Rf7 Qa1+ 33.Ke2 Bc4+ 34.Kf2 Bxd4-+; 32.g6 Qa1+ 33.Ke2 Bc4+ 34.Kf2 Qxf1+ 35.Qxf1 Bxf1-+) 32...Qa1+ (32...hxg5 33.e7 Bf7 34.Qxg5 Qa1+ 35.Bc1 Ba3) 33.Bc1 Ba3 34.Qd2 Kh7! (34...Bxe6 35.g6!+-) The King escapes! 35.Nxg7 (35.e7 Bf7) 35...Qxc1+ 36.Qxc1 Bxc1 37.Rf7 Bxg5=;

B) 31.Ke2 Bc4+ 32.Kf2 Bxf1 33.Qxe4!

B1) 33...Bc4 34.Qa8+ Kh7 35.g6+ (35.Qe4+=) 35...Kxg6 36.Qe4+ (36.Qxh8 Qe5³) 36...Kf6 37.Qf3+ Kg6=;

B2) 33...hxg5 34.Qa8+ Kh7 35.Qe4+ Kg8=;

C) 31.c3 31...Bc5 (31...Bb2 32.Rf8+ Kxf8 33.Qf2++-) 32.Qg3! hxg5 (32...Qa2+ 33.Nc2 Bxe3+ 34.Qxe3 Bxe6 35.g6+-) 33.hxg5 Qa2+ 34.Nc2 Bxe3+ 35.Kxe3 There are just too many lines that a final assessment can be made in a short time.

30.Rxf8+ Bxf8

30...Kxf8 31.Qf2+ and it's curtains for Black

31.g6! 1-0

A stake through Black's heart! The King and Rook will never get out of their tomb on g8 and h8! After some analysis, black saw that he will not be able to eliminate the "stake" on g6, so he resigned rather than frustrate himself in a hopeless position. For a very active player like GM Elwert, it is important to move on and save his energy and time for other games. Probable continuations were:

1) 31...Bb4+ This check prevents the White rook from reaching b1 32.Kd1 [32.Kc1?? Qc3-+] 32...Bxe6 [32...Qc3 33.Qf2+-; 32...Qa2 33.Qh2 Bxe6 34.Qb8+ Bf8 35.Nxe6 Qxe6 36.Rf1 Qd6+ 37.Qxd6 Bxd6 38.Rf7 h5 39.Ra7 Bf8 40.Ra8+-] 33.Qxe4 Bd7 [33...Bd5 34.Qe8+ Bf8 35.Re1 Qc3 (35...a5 36.Re2+- Threat is Rf2.) 36.Qe5+-] 34.h5 One more lock on the tomb. 34...a5 35.Qa8+ Bc8 36.Ne2+- There is the nasty threat Rh4 as well as Rf1 followed by Bd4.

2) 31...Bxe6 This pawn has to be captured otherwise it is truly hopeless 32.Rb1 Bb4+ 33.Kc1 Bd5 34.Qf2 Qc3 (34...a5 35.Nf5+-) 35.Nf5 The check on e7 limits Black from a meaningful defense. 35...Qa3+ 36.Kd1 Bc4 (36...a5 37.Qf4; 36...Be6 37.Qf4) 37.Bc5!! The mate on the back rank strikes again;

3) 31...h5 32.Rb1! Bb4+ 33.Kd1 a5 34.e7 Qc8 (34...Bxe7 35.Rb8+ Bf8 36.Nf5 and mate follows shortly) 35.Qg3 Bc4 36.Qe5 Qg4+ 37.Kc1 Ba3+ 38.Kd2 Black faces mate or the loss of his Queen.

4) 31...Qxd4+ 32.Bxd4 e3+ 33.Kxe3 Bxg2 34.Rb1! There is no defense to the threat of Rb8. 34...Bd6 35.e7 Bc6 36.Rb6

Correspondence and E-mail chess in the year 2006

With the "theory" of certain variations now approaching and even passing the 30 move mark, there seems to be a trend developing; less work during the game, but much more work done before the game in opening preparations (as in OTB chess). Are we approaching a stage in CC and e-mail chess where games will proceed as follows?

WHITE: "Dear Chessfriend! It is a pleasure meeting you through this tournament and I am sure that we will have an exciting game. My first move is 1.e4. I also propose that if you follow the game Shirov-Anand, Australia 2000, Najdorf Sicilian, English attack, E80, then on move 28 I will deviate and play 28.e6."

BLACK: "Dear Chessfriend! I also am looking forward to an exciting game. I accept your proposal and will follow the Shirov-Anand game. My reply to your 28th move is 28....Rf8. I also propose that if you now follow the recent game Smirnoff-Absolut, from the all GM Vodka International 2005, then I will deviate from that game at move 41 and play 41.....Bh7."

WHITE: "Dear Chessfriend! Although your move 41...Bh7?! is very interesting, it contains a slight flaw. Therefore, I announce mate in 24 moves. The mate has been verified by Fritz (version 21) after 124 hours of analysis. Attached to this e-mail is the 1.5 gigabyte (compressed) file with Fritz’s analysis. I’m sure you will find it correct. Thank you for an interesting game!"

Amici Sumus

CC will not be called snail mail anymore!