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

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1997 Interplay Women's Chess Championship

Round Five
Gurevich-Seirawan
Result 0-1
Annotations by Jeremy Silman

Smoke and Mirrors?

IM Jeremy Silman

International Master Jeremy Silman has won the US Open, the American Open, the National Open and the California Championship. He now spends the majority of his time coaching and writing chess books and main-stream fiction. Among the more than 30 books that he has authored or co-authored is the bestselling REASSESS YOUR CHESS, one of the most popular books for intermediate players. A frequent contributor to international chess magazines, he also writes a regular column for CHESS LIFE, "Understanding Chess."

The following game carries many interesting psychological points. First up is the simple fact that Yasser had just blundered away an exhausting and critical game against Schwartzman. This made the present contest a must win for him.

Gurevich, on the other hand, was having one of those tournaments where everything you do turns out to be wrong-you play a certain opening and your opponent has just studied it; you try a new idea and your opponent refutes it. This happens to everyone at times, and Mednis put it well by saying, "The only cure for this common and inevitable catastrophe is the next tournament!"


Gurevich-Seirawan



1. Nf3    Nf6

2. d4     e6

3. c4     d5

4. e3     c5

So we get a rather boring line of the Tarrasch. Why would Black choose this if he had to win? Perhaps he felt that a quiet game would not be to Gurevich's liking (Yasser has a wonderful technical style while Gurevich plays in a much sharper vein). Perhaps he noticed a Gurevich opening glitch in his pre-game preparations. Only the Yaz-man can give us the answer.


5. Nc3    a6

6. cxd5

White plays the sharpest line. I'm sure Yasser's heart would have fallen through the floor if White had chosen 6.a3 (or perhaps Yasser intended to bore him to death in another 116 move marathon), but such moves aren't in Dima's style.


6...      exd5

7. Be2    c4

So we have entered a very sharp line that is well-known to Gurevich. In fact, he has had great results...as Black! Gurevich usually reaches this position via the following move order: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 a6 (shades of round four!) 4.Nc3 c5 5.e3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Be2 c4.


8.Ne5

A natural move. Also critical is 8.b3, but Dmitry has a very special idea in mind.


8...      b5

9. O-O    Bb7

Avoiding 9...Be7 10.a4 b4 11.Nxd5! Nxd5 12.Bxc4 0-0 13.Qb3 Be6? (Black has to try 13...Bb7 but 14.e4 still gives White excellent compensation for the sacrificed material) 14.e4 Nc7 15.d5 when White rolled Black off the board in L.Portisch-Sosonko, Reggio Emilia 1985/86.


10. e4!?

As far as I can tell, this was first played by Jeremy Silman against D. Gurevich (!) in 1991 (does this place the blame for Gurevich's loss on my head?). The idea is to make use of White's lead in development (and Black's central King) by ripping things open before Black can get more of his men out. After the (1991) game Gurevich told me that he had always felt this was White's most dangerous approach, and now he was getting a chance to "stun" Seirawan with a sharp move that the Seattlite may not have been familiar with.

A more sedate continuation is 10.Bf3 but Sagalchik-D.Gurevich, NY Open 1997 showed that Gurevich likes Black's chances in this line: 10...Bd6 11.Qc2 Nc6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxh2+! 15.Kxh2 Nxe4 16.d5 (seeing that 16.Bxe4 Qh4+ 17.Kg1 Bxe4 18.Re1 f5 is good for Black since 19.f3 is impossible because of 19...Qxe1+) 16...Bxd5 17.Rd1 f5 18.Bh5+ g6 19.f3 gxh5 20.fxe4 Qh4+ 21.Kg1 Qxe4 22.Qf2 Rg8 23.Rxd5 Qxd5 24.Qe2+ Kf7 25.Qxh5+ Rg6 26.Bg5 Qd4+ 0-1. This rout shows how well acquainted Gurevich is with this variation.


10...     Nxe4

Yasser is an enormously strong positional/technical player so the idea of winning material is a temptation that he can't resist. This highlights his strengths and weaknesses beautifully: on one hand he is fearless and full of confidence, on the other hand this confidence sometimes clouds his judgement and leads to his King getting drowned in a sea of enemy pieces. Of course, if you're Black and you have to win, what could be better than chopping off some of your opponent's wood?

I suspect that both players were quite pleased with their positions at this stage, though Gurevich's mood surely went through an unpleasant change in a few more moves.

Oh yes...before I forget, way back in 1991 Gurevich (as Black) played the more careful 10...Be7 and after 11.exd5 0-0 12.a4 a draw was prematurely agreed, Silman-D.Gurevich, New York Open 1991.


11. Nxe4  dxe4

12. a4

Trying to open new lines and loosen up Black's pawn formation. An alternative that lacks any subtlety is 12.f3? when 12...exf3?? 13.Bxf3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qxd4+ 15.Be3 shows that Black has a suicidal streak in him. Unfortunately, 12...Bd6 13.fxe4 Bxe5 is a good answer.


12...     Nd7

This prepares to swap off White's strong Knight and lets the Black Queen defend a8. By eyeing a8, Black's 12th move avoids 12...Be7? 13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8 Rxa8 15.Bxc4! bxc4 16.Qa4+ Nd7 17.Nxd7.


13. axb5  axb5

14. Rxa8  Bxa8

15. b3

White has to get something going before Black develops his f8- Bishop and castles.


15...Nxe5

16. dxe5  Qxd1

17. Rxd1  Bc5

Returning the pawn for a firm position, a superior passer, and more active minor pieces. The horrible 17...cxb3?? 18.Bxb5+ is something that an experienced player would never consider.


18. bxc4  b4

19. Bg5

Also in Black's favor is 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.fxe3 Ke7!.


19...O-O

20. Bd8   b3

21.Bc7    b2

22. Bg4

After going to such lengths to place his Bishop on d6, White seems to have lost faith in 22.Bd6. Why? Lines like 22.Bd6 Bxd6? 23.exd6 Rb8 24.d7 b1=Q 25.d8=Q+ Rxd8 26.Rxb1 are drawn, but 22...Bd4! with the idea of ...Bc6, ...Rf8-a8-a1 looks grim for the first player.


22...     Bc6

White is lost. Black's b-pawn is just too strong.


23. e6    f5

24. Be2   Bd4

25. h4    Ba4

26. Rxd4  b1=Q+

27. Kh2,  0-1.

What did White do wrong? Is 10.e4 simply a bad move? I don't want to believe it, but Yasser's smoke and mirrors leave a powerful impression. Perhaps I should thank my stars that I wasn't playing Seirawan back in 91!