The 1997 Interplay U.S. Chess Championships:
Annotated Games

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1997 Interplay Women's Chess Championship

Round Two Larry Christiansen - Alex Yermolinsky
Annotations by Jack Peters

IM Jack Peters

International Master Jack Peters, 46, has been the Los Angeles Times chess columnist since 1982 and has authored several books, including Bobby Fischer Vs. Boris Spassky - the 1992 Rematch.

An active tournament player as well as a chess journalist, he has won the American Open four times, the Southern California Championship 12 times, and participated in 5 US Championships.


1. e4             c5

2. Nf3            d6

3. d4             cxd4

4. Nxd4           Nf6

5. Nc3            Nc6

Yermolinsky's favorite variation of the Sicilian Defense. Christiansen occasionally plays the Black side, too.


6. Bc4            Qb6

This is Pal Benko's idea to avoid the dangerous Velimirovich Attack, 6. . e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2 a6 9. 0-0-0.


7. Ndb5

White has also tried 7. Nb3, 7. Nxc6, and 7. Nde2.


7.                ...a6 

8. Be3 		Qa5

If Black retreats with 8. . Qd8, then 9. Nd4 e6 10. Qe2 gives White his desired Velimirovich Attack.




9. Nd4		Ne5

Too risky is 9. . Nxe4?! 10. Qf3 f5. White gets a strong attack against Black's uncastled King by 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. 0-0-0.


10. Nb3		Qc7

11. Be2		e6

Another idea is 11. . b5, meeting 12. f4 by 12. . Nc4 13. Bxc4 bxc4.


12. f4		Nc6

After the more natural 12. . Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4, White can take the initiative with either 14. Qd3 Qc7 15. 0-0-0 or 14. Qf3 Be7 15. g4.


13. g4!?

Christiansen keeps picking the most aggressive moves. Black would reach a stable Scheveningen formation after 13. Bf3 b5 or 13. a4 b6.


13                ... b5

Black avoids a skirmish on the Kingside, which could arise from 13. . h6 14. h4. Instead, he proceeds with his Queenside plans. The maxim "Flank attacks should be met by counterplay in the center" suggests 13. . d5, but Black does not get enough compensation for the pawn from 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Qxd5 Nb4 17. Qe4+ Be7 18. c3 Bd7 19. Nd4.


14. g5		Nd7

15. Bf3		Bb7

Better is 15. . Nb6, which eyes the attractive post at c4 and strengthens the threat to push the b-pawn.


16. Qe2		b4?!

Black must have underestimated White's reply. Either 16. . Be7 or 16. . Nb6 is satisfactory.


17. Na4!

The Knight performs a useful function from a4, even though it does not threaten to move off the edge of the board. Black's Queenside attack will stall because he cannot move his Knight from d7 to b6 or c5.


17.               ... a5

18. c4!	      Be7

Black accepts a cramped position with little counterplay. Probably he feared giving White the c-file. For example, 18. . bxc3 19. Nxc3 Ba6 20. Nb5! Qb7 21. a4 Rb8 22. Rc1 looks very uncomfortable for Black. Or, if he tries 18. . bxc3 19. Nxc3 Nb4, hoping for 20. a3? Ba6, White blocks the Bishop's diagonal by 20. Nd4 Ba6 21. Ndb5.


19. 0-0		0-0

20. Rac1 		Rfd8

What can Black do? Pushing the d-pawn is impossible, and White meets . e6-e5 by f4-f5. Neither 20. . f6 21. h4 nor 20. . f5 21 exf5 helps, as e6 becomes a target. Maybe he can maneuver 20. . Ncb8!? (threatening to embarrass the Knight with 21. . Bc6) 21. Nd4 Na6 22. Nb5 Qb8, but White still has a substantial edge in space.


21. Qf2

With thoughts of 22. Nb6 Rab8 23. Nd5! exd5 24. cxd5.


21.           ... Nc5!?

The U.S. champion grabs an opportunity to fight back. This does not save Black, but it is almost certainly the best practical chance.


22. Naxc5         dxc5	

23. Nxc5          Bxc5

Faulty is 23. . Nd4?? 24. Bxd4 Rxd4 because White holds onto a piece with 25. Nxb7 Rd7 26. e5.


24. Bxc5          Qxf4

25. Be3           Qe5

Maybe Black should settle for 25. . Qb8, when 26. Bh5?! Ne5 27. Bxf7+ Kh8 looks too greedy.


26. Bg2           Rd7

27. Rcd1!

This modest move conceals the neat trap 27. . Rad8 28. Bf4. Black could not escape by sacrificing his Queen, as 28. . Rxd1 29. Bxe5 Rxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Nxe5 31. Qb6 Rb8 32. Qc7 Nc6 33. c5! Ba8 34. Bb5! and 31. . Rd7 32. c5! g6 33. Bb5 Rd1+ 34. Kf2 Bxe4 35. Qb8+ cost him another piece.


27. . Qc7

28. Bb6           Qc8

29. Qf4           e5

Passive play seems no better. An example is 29. . Nd8 30. h4 Rxd1 31. Rxd1 Nc6 32. h5 Qe8 33. h6, when White controls the d-file and probes the dark squares near Black's King.


30. Qf5           Nd4

Again, Black offers a pawn for a bit of freedom. Giving up the d-file (by 30. . Rxd1? 31. Qxf7+ or by 30. . Re7 31. Qxc8+ Rxc8 32. Rd6) makes life easier for White.


31. Qxe5          Ne6

32. b3            a4

33. Be3           axb3

34. axb3          Qd8

35. Rd5!

White would rather part with the exchange than the d-file! After 35. . Bxd5 36. exd5, his connected passers seem unstoppable. Yermolinsky declines the sacrifice and fares no better.


35.           ... Qe7

36. c5            Nc7           

37. Qxe7          Rxe7

38. Rd4

Now the extra pawn should win.


              ... Rae8

White could answer 38. . Na6 by 39. Ra1.


39. Bf4!          Ne6

40. Rxb4

Relying on the double attack 40. . Nxc5 41. Bd6.


40.           ... Nxf4

41. Rxf4          Rc8

42. Rb5           Bc6

43. Rb6           Re5

44. Rf5           Ree8

45. Rf2

Inviting exchanges by 45. . Bxe4 46. Re2 Bxg2 47. Rxe8+ Rxe8 48. Kxg2, which helps White advance his passers.


45.           ... Re5

Now White exploits Black's vulnerable back rank. However, other moves lose routinely to b3-b4-b5.


46. Bh3!          Rc7

47. Rb8+          Be8

48. c6!           Black Resigns.

An efficient conclusion! White intends 49. Bd7, and 48. . Rxg5+ 49. Kf1 delays it only a moment.

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