Many congratulations to Georgian Grandmaster, Baadur Jobava, who has won the 2017 Xtracon Chess tournament. The event was held in Helsingor, Denmark between July 22nd and 30th. Along with Jobava himself, Nikita Vitiugov, Krishnan Sasikiran, Nigel Short, Alexander Motylev, Jon Ludvig Hammer, Ivan Sokolov, Simen Agdestein and Alexander Shabalov, were also among the competitors.
Jobava, 33, took sole victory with a score of 8.5/10.
As would be expected, though, with such a strong field, it went down to the wire, with four players within a half point of Jobava’s lead of 8.0/9 going into the final round. A further sixteen were just a point behind, so there was certainly no breathing space.
A draw with Ivan Saric in the final round was enough for Baadur to secure first place, however, with his nearest competitors also drawing their games — with the exception of Simen Agdestein, who lost to Britain’s Nigel Short.
Top Standings:
- Jobava — 8.5
- Sasikiran, Bosiocic, Vitiugov, Narayanan, Short, Saric, Kvon, Andersen — 8.0
- Urkedal, Hammer, Vocaturo, Delorme, Shabalov, Agdestein, Motylev, Sonis, Hector, Das, Holm, Olsen, Schroeder, Dishman — 7.5
On his way to his score of 8.5/10, Baadur did not drop a point, and took seven. He opened the tournament positively, winning his first two rounds, but it was his string of decisive games in rounds four to eight, which gave him command of the standings. Among these saw victories against Bosiocic, Shabalov, Vitiugov, and the one given, below, against Nigel Short.
My congratulations to Baadur on his well deserved victory.
[pgn height=auto layout=vertical showmoves=figurine initialgame=first initialHalfmove=]
[Event “Xtracon Chess Open 2017”]
[Site “Helsingor DEN”]
[Date “2017.07.28”]
[Round “8.1”]
[White “Jobava, Baadur”]
[Black “Short, Nigel D”]
[Result “1-0”]
[BlackElo “2688”]
[BlackFideId “400025”]
[BlackTitle “GM”]
[ECO “A14”]
[EventDate “2017.07.22”]
[Opening “English”]
[Variation “Neo-Catalan declined”]
[WhiteElo “2714”]
[WhiteFideId “13601520”]
[WhiteTitle “GM”]
{ Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Qc2 b6 7.cxd5 Nxd5 { Taking with the pawn is slightly more common. Leko and Karpov are among those who have also opted for this alternative. } 8.Nc3 c6 { This seems to be new, here. In earlier games …Bb7 had been played. } 9.Rd1 Bb7 10.d4 { Transposing to Meyer-Thormann (½-½), from the Bundesliga 1991. } 10…Nd7 11.e4 Nxc3 { This seems to be where we get out of the annals. Meyer-Thormann had continued with …Nc7. And if we go back a little further, there is Chemes-Garcia Vera, from 1948, which saw …Nb4 and a win for Black. } 12.bxc3 Qc7 ( 12…c5 13.d5 exd5 14.exd5 Bf6 15.Nd2 Ba6 16.Ne4 { (or d5-d6) with an edge. } ) 13.Bf4 Bd6 { Coaxing White to advance the e-pawn a little bit. } 14.e5 Be7 { We see now that Black has provoked some resolution in the centre and White must consider such things as c6-c5 and b6-b5 now, his pawn chain being an obvious target. } 15.h4 Rfe8 16.h5 b5 17.h6 g6 { This is really the only respectable way for Black to respond, here. Anything else would be good for White. } 18.Nh2 Nb6 { Here we see the other target for Black, the d5 and c4 squares. } 19.Ng4 c5 { ! A good move for so many reasons. Not only is it textbook stuff, (countering flank action with tension in the centre), but Short’s Bb7 has come alive. } 20.Nf6+ { Much more positive than exchanges, which should not give Black many problems. } ( 20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.dxc5 Nd5 22.Qe4 { would see White with the tiniest of edges, but Black by no means unhappy. } ) 20…Bxf6 { Obviously, this capture was absolutely obligatory. } 21.exf6 { Very importantly, Black’s Queen is a little vulnerable and this allows White to sort a couple of issues with gains of time. This is really the crucial position when it comes to the players decisions up to this point. } 21…Qc8 22.Bxb7 { Black’s bishop was slightly more handy than White’s so it makes sense to exchange them. It also removes any …Bxg2 followed by …Qc6+ options for Black. This could be quite potent, especially if followed by …Rac8, for example. } 22…Qxb7 23.dxc5 { Taking the pawn is not the point, here, everything else that the move does is more important. White opens the d-file and we see straight away that the d6-square is looking very attractive for a White piece. In addition, White has very nicely dealt with the considerations that Black gave him. Furthermore, there is yet another tempo, this time on the Black knight. For these reasons, White must be seen to have an initiative, here. } 23…Nc4 { ? A little inaccurate. D7 or d5 were better squares for the knight. However, it was probably more advisable for White to continue the counter attack approach with …e5. } ( 23…e5 { Tit-for-tat and taking the d6-square out of play. In light of what happens, this could have been a game changer. } 24.Bg5 { Black would have no worries after Be3 Nc4. Certainly not cxb6 …exf4 when Black is equal at the very worst. } 24…Nd7 25.c4 b4 ( { or } 25…Nxc5 26.Be3 Rac8 { (…Ne4 and …Ne6 are also interesting) } 27.cxb5 Ne4 28.Qb3 Nc3 { …Nxf6 is also playable. } 29.Rd3 Ne2+ 30.Kh2 Qf3 { and it is very easy for White to mess things up here. } 31.Rd7 ( 31.Rd6 { ?? would be very silly … } 31…Nxg3 { ! } 32.fxg3 Qe2+ 33.Kg1 Rc2 34.Rd2 Rxd2 35.Bxd2 Qxd2 { and things have gone all kinds of wrong for White. } ) 31…Qxf6 { The only respectable move, not only to get rid of the pawn, but more importantly to stop White’s mating threats towards f7. White can choose between Rad1, a4, and even Re1 and Bxa7 to maintain his edge, here. } ) 26.Rd5 { Upon Rab1 Black can just take on c5 and is perfectly fine. } 26…Qc6 27.Re1 { Maintaining the edge, but Black is holding. } ) 24.Bd6 Qf3 25.a4 bxa4 { There is not a lot of alternative to this move. Obviously, …Qxf6 axb5 would be seriously good for White. Trying to back the pawn up, with …a6 for instance, is not in Black’s interests. } ( 25…a6 26.axb5 axb5 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 28.Be7 { is very strong for White. } ) 26.Rd4 Na5 { Obviously, Black does not want to hand White a strong passed pawn, potentially two, by exchanging on d6. } 27.Rf4 { Taking on a4 was also very good, but White doesn’t really want to have to consider the Queen being on f3 constantly. Also, it doesn’t hurt where the time control is concerned to gain a move or two in chasing her around. } 27…Qb7 28.Rb4 Qd7 29.Qxa4 { Very nice play by White, who is now very much in command of this game and strategically won. Now it is a case of converting his advantage. } 29…Nc6 30.Rab1 { With the knight being pinned to Black’s Queen, White can quickly back up the Rb4 and target b7. } 30…Rec8 31.Rb7 Qe8 { Necessary, or …Rxf7 comes next and Black is getting mated. Though Black is clearly up against it, the question now is how White forces through. } 32.f4 { This is an important move that would be overlooked by many lesser players. Jobava does not try to do anything too dramatic, but instead continues to give Black problems, this time with regards to playing the freeing move e6-e5, which would just lose a pawn, here, due to White’s command of the b-file. } 32…Kh8 { A shuffle to see what White comes up with, but in reality, Black has few options. This is down to the sheer contrast in piece quality, all of White’s being absolute gems, whereas Black’s are mere spectators at this time. } 33.Qe4 Kg8 34.Qa4 e5 { Black has to try something and this is the most favourable chance he will get to play e6-e5. To continue to shuffle the King is not an option, White is certainly not considering repetition and instead likely planned Bc7 followed by Rd1. } 35.fxe5 Qe6 36.Qb3 { Much more resolute than the Qe4 option given by engines. } 36…Qxb3 { There was not much alternative to this, really. } 37.R1xb3 { This looks like an error, putting the rooks on squares that can be forked via …Na5. However, Jobava is setting up a little trap. One would have to assume this was missed by Short due to his next. } 37…Na5 38.e6 { !! To the point! With the Black King hemmed in and the threatening nature of White’s pawns, the rooks are inconsequential. Black is now actually on his way to being mated whatever. } 38…Nxb3 { …fxe6?? would have left mate via f6-f7+ and Be5#. This way changes nothing, however. With correct play by Jobava, Short’s game is over. } 39.exf7+ Kh8 40.Re7 { Taking on b3 was also completely winning, but the King is the ultimate prize in chess and that is what White is going for. } 40…Nd2 41.Re8+ Rxe8 42.fxe8=Q+ Rxe8 43.f7 Re1+ 44.Kg2 Re2+ 45.Kh3 { With the White King safe and no more resources, Black must accept the inevitable. However, all credit to Nigel Short for playing to mate rather than merely resigning. In my opinion this was the correct thing to do, allowing Jobava the ending he deserves for a very well played attack. } 45…Rf2 46.Be5+ Rf6 47.Bxf6# 1-0
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