(3) Kumar,Aravind (1989) - Moldovan,John (1801) [E33]
Kenilworth Summer Tournament - extra Kenilworth, NJ (8.1), 28.07.2011
[Moldovan & Houdini 1.5a]

#1 of 2 simultaneous games G/55+5 (increment) E33 Nimzo-Indian Defense Milner-Barry Variation

1.d4 Aravind, the North American U10 Champion!, isn't in the tournament but he needed someone to play and everyone else was paired-off.

1...e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d6 Diagram

The three Qc2 books I have (by Lalic, I. Sokolov & Vigorito) give this under-rated continuation very little attention - a combined 2 games and 1 paragraph.

5.Bd2 [For 5.Bg5 see my 2009 STC Championship win vs. Wood.]

5...Nc6 Heading toward familiar territory. [5...0-0 , retaining options,; & 5...c5!? , hitting d4 in a diferent way, are alternatives.]

6.Nf3 0-0 [For 6...e5 see my 2009 losses to Kernighan (GSCL) & Pilosof (STC Ch.).]

7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Qe7 9.e3 Diagram

[>=9.g3 e5 10.d5 Nb8 11.Bg2+/= with better coverage of f3, f4 & h3 than in the game. Compare this position with the one after 18.g3. ]

9...a5 [>=9...e5 10.dxe5 (10.d5 Nb8 11.Bd3 Nbd7 12.Ng5 g6 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Nc5 15.0-0 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Bf5 17.Qf3 Qh4 18.Qe2= 1/2-1/2 Euwe - Alekhine : 22nd game, World Championship match 1935; 10.Be2 Bg4 11.0-0 e4 12.Ne1 Bxe2 13.Qxe2 a6 14.Nc2 d5 15.Nb4 Qe6 16.b3 Ne7 17.a4 c6 18.Na2 Ng6 19.Bd2 Rfe8 20.Nc3 h5 21.a5 Nh4 22.Rac1 Qf5 23.Kh1 Re7 24.cxd5 Nxd5 25.Nxd5 cxd5= I. Sokolov - Yermolinsky : Wijk aan Zee 1999) 10...Nxe5 11.Be2 Bg4 12.Rd1 Rad8 13.b4 Rfe8 14.h3 Bh5 15.0-0 Bg6 16.Qb2 Ned7= Capablanca vs. Milner Barry : Hastings 1934]

10.Bd3 [>=10.Be2 e5 11.dxe5 (11.d5 Nb8 12.b4 axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1+ 14.Bxa1 b5 15.0-0 Gelfand - Navara : Prague 2006 15...bxc4 16.Bxc4 Ba6= ) 11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 Ree - Ligterink : 1980 13.0-0+/= ; RR: 10.b3 e5 11.d5 Nb8 (or perhaps 11...e4!? /\12.dxc6 (12.Nd2 Nb8 13.Be2 Bf5 14.0-0 Nbd7= ; Not 12.Bxf6? as 12...Qxf6-/+ would hit the undefended Ra1.) 12...exf3 13.gxf3 bxc6 14.Qb2 Nh5 15.Rg1 g6 16.Be2 Qh4<=> but I think this line requires some homework.) 12.h3 c6 13.dxc6 Nxc6 14.Be2 Flear - Palliser : Birmingham ENG 2005 14...b6 15.0-0 Bb7= ]

10...e5 11.d5 Nb8 [11...e4?? loses to 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Bxe4 ]

12.Nd2 Diagram

[I expected 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nh7 Nxh7 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Bd3 ]

12...Nbd7N An improvement over previous play. [‹12...c6 13.dxc6 bxc6 (13...Nxc6 14.0-0 a4 Sutter - J. Riff : Switzerland 2008 15.Rae1+/= ) 14.0-0 Nbd7 15.Rfd1 Bb7 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4+/= Hauksson - Bjornsson : Reykjavik 2008] At this point I started a 2nd game, with Joe Demetrick.

13.0-0 [13.b4 preventing the following 13...axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1+ 15.Bxa1 was worth a try, as it's doubtful I would have found 15...b5!= ]

13...Nc5 [‹13...a4 14.f4!+/= ]

14.b4 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 axb4 16.axb4 Bd7 Diagram



17.e4?! This weakens the f4 square. [>=17.h3 ; or even 17.f4 , looking to free White's cleric, which, at the moment, is just a tall P.]

17...Nh5 18.g3 This keep my N out of the aforementioned but loosens the light squares around his K. [>=18.Qe3 /\Nf4 19.g3 Nh3+ 20.Kg2 /\ ...Nf3-g1]

18...Bh3 19.Rfe1 Qd7 [>=19...f5 , right away.]

20.Nf1? [>=20.Qe2= ]

20...f5 21.exf5 [>=21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.exf5 Qxf5 23.Qxf5 Bxf5 24.Ne3 Bd3 25.c5 ]

21...Bxf5 22.Qe3 [>=22.Qe2 ]

22...Rxa1 23.Rxa1 Diagram



23...h6? This makes luft, in preparation for ...Bg4 + ...Rf3... [... But >=23...b5! a theme we overlooked multiple times 24.cxb5 Nf6=/+ ]

24.f3? [>=24.b5= It is surprising that White makes no attempt to use his Q-side assets (open file, space, c5 lever, weak point at b7) or give the Bc3 a better life.]

24...Bh3? [24...b5! 25.cxb5 (25.g4?? Bxg4!! 26.fxg4 Qxg4+ 27.Kh1 Rf3-+ ) 25...Bh3=/+ ]

25.Nd2? [25.b5= ]

25...Qf7? [25...b5!=/+ ]

26.Re1? [26.b5= ]

26...Qg6 Threatening to win at once, with 27...Nxg3! 28.hxg3 Qxg3+ 29.K moves Qg2#.

27.Ne4 Diagram

He covers one sore spot but problems persist.

27...Nf4! ...Ng2, picking-up an Exchange, is the new menace.

28.Qd2?? The Q isn't safe here, either. [28.Rc1[]-/+ was a much better try. Now, I have a winning attack.]

28...Ng2 Plunging deeper into enemy territory, my steed re-deploys with the ...Nh4-xf3+ family fork in mind.

29.Rf1? [>=29.Qe2 Nxe1 30.Bxe1 yielding material but swapping a mediocre R for good N.]

29...Nh4 Diagram

White time-forfeited Time left - Kumar 0:00, Moldovan 18:38 Time used - Kumar 57:25, Moldovan 38:47 Longest think by White - 9 minutes for 28.Qd2?? Longest think by Black - 4 minutes at turns 20, 22 & 26 [29...Nh4 30.Qe2 (30.Rf2? Nxf3+ 31.Rxf3 Rxf3 32.Nf2 Rxg3+! 33.hxg3 Qxg3+ 34.Kh1 Qg2# ) 30...Bxf1 31.Kxf1 (31.Qxf1 Nxf3+ ) 31...Nxf3-+ ] 0-1