09-20-2009 PDF Print E-mail

Chess match 20 – 26 September 2009 - Game 1
Mukachevo (Ukraine)
Nigel Short vs. Zahar Efimenko

Zahar Efimenko won the first game against Nigel Short and took the lead in their six-games match encounter. Enjoy the report from grandmaster Klaus Bischoff, who will analyse every game of the match.

Short,Nigel (2706) - Efimenko,Zahar (2654) [B88]
Match Mukachevo (1), 20.09.2009

Before I start annotating the first game of the match Short-Efimenko, I will give you a little information about UEP. Universal Event Promotion is organizing high class chess events. The best known event so far has of course been the Worldchampionship in Bonn last year.

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Nge2 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 All these transpositions have now led to a Sozin Sicilian. This was Fischers favorite line against the Sicilian and Nigel has even used it to try to make life difficult for black against Kasparov. 7...Be7 8. a3



With this innocent looking little move, Nigel tries to avoid a theoretical battle. The move in itself is not stupid at all, he wants to keep his Sozin Bishop. But of course Black is given extra time to finish his development. 8...0-0 9.Ba2 Bd7 10.Re1 a6 11.Be3 Rc8 Zahar is now ready for Ne5-c4. If he could then protect this wonderful knight with b5, Black would be fine. 12.f4!? The exclamation mark is for the courage. But Nigel is weakening his king. For me it looks a bit strange to combine Rfe1 and f4. 12...Nxd4 13.Bxd4 e5!

14.fxe5 dxe5 15.Bxe5 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Unfortunately 16.Ld4 does not work. Black has 16...Lg4 with a double attack. 16...Ng4



Black is now winning the exchange. 17.Bg3 Bf2 18.Qf3 Bxe1! Brave! If Zahar had less selfconfidence, he could have gone for 18...Bxg3 which leads to a draw. After 19.Qxg3 black has 19...Qb6 20.Nd5 Nf2+ 21.Kg1 Nh3+ 22.Kh1 Nf2+ with a perpetual. 19.Rxe1 Qg5 20.Bf4 Qg6 21.Bd5 It was safer to try 21.h3 Nf6 22.Be5. After 22...Rfe8 23.Bxf6 Qxf6 24.Qxf6 gxf6 25.Bd5 Rc7 26.Rf1 White has chances to get away with a draw. But he would have to suffer. 21...Bc6 22.e5?! My engines do not like this move at all. But Nigel wanted to prevent Nf6. 22...Rfe8 23.Bxc6 bxc6!? It was also possible to play 23...Rxc6 Zahar probably did not like 24.h3 Nf6?!  25.Rd1 and the knight suddenly has no good squares, but 24...Nh6! is playable with a solid advantage. 24.h3 Nf6 25.Rd1 Nd5 26.Nxd5 cxd5 27.c3 Qe4!


The rest is easy for Black. White needs Ld4 for more resistance, but he will of course never get this. 28.Qf2 Rc4 29.Bg3 d4 30.Rxd4 Rxd4! This is a well known method. After winning the exchange, you should always try to exchange your opponents last rook. 31.cxd4 31.Qxd4 was also hopeless. After 31...Qb1+ 32.Kh2 Qxb2 White has no compensation at all. 31...Rd8 32.Qf1 Rxd4 33.Qxa6 h5 34.e6 fxe6 35.Qb5 Rd5 36.Qe8+ Kh7 37.Kh2 h4 38.Bc7 Rg5





This brutal move is winning the house. A perfect start for Zahar, who played very well today. 0-1

Klaus Bischoff

 
 
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