Feldgrösse (Pixel): 42 52 64 74 84

Loukas is a difficult opponent for me. This year he's in a good form, already won 5 tournaments (3 in "Chess Square", the 173rd, Summer & September Opens, one in "Kotinos" and one in OPA Holargos) and had good performances in the World 50+ Championship, held in Rhodes and in the N. Iraklion Open, in June. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 e6 4.c4 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bf4 I have a bad score with this variation: Bg7 [ 7...a6 8.a4 Bg7 9.e3 O-O 10.h3 Re8 ( 10...Nh5 11.Bh2 f5 12.Be2 f4 13.O-O Nd7 14.Nd2 fxe3 15.fxe3 Qg5 16.Nc4+/- ...1 - 0 (54), Savoglou (2039) - Ilandzis (2105), 1st Shahtahtinksy Memorial, PGS Athens 2011 ) 11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.Be2 Ne5 13.O-O Nfd7 14.Re1 f5 15.Bh2 b6 16.Qc2 Bb7 17.f4 Nf7 18.Bc4 Nf6 19.Qd3 Bc8 20.Rab1 Ne4 21.Ndxe4 fxe4 22.Qe2 Qh4 23.Nd1 Bd7 24.Nf2 Bxa4 25.Bxa6 Bb3 26.Bb7 Ra5 27.Bc6 Re7 28.Ra1 ...1 - 0 (52), GM Simantsev (2452) - Ilandzis (2148), 6th Pilzen Open, 2014 ]
8.h3 [ 8.e3 Nh5 9.Bg5 Qa5 10.Qd2 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Bg3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Bf5 14.Bd3 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Qb4 16.Rb1 Nd7 17.Qe4+ Qxe4 18.Nxe4 Ke7 19.g4+= ... 1/2 - 1/2 (77), Papacharitonos (1884) - Ilandzis (2042), Autumn Open Chess Square 2018, Athens 2018 ; 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qb3 was played in a classical game (and many others!): Qc7 10.e4 ( 10.Nd2 Nh5 ) 10...O-O 11.Be2 a6 12.e5 dxe5 13.Bxe5 Qc8 14.O-O Bg4 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nbd7 ... 1/2 - 1/2 (29), Portisch L. - Fischer R., Palma de Mallorca Interzonal, 1970 ]]
8...O-O 9.e3 Na6!? A relativaly new idea, aiming at puting pressure on the d5 pawn. 10.Be2 Nc7 11.O-O a6 12.a4 Rb8 13.a5 b5 14.axb6 Rxb6 15.Ra2 [ 15.Qd2 Nfxd5 16.Bg5 ( 16.Nxd5 Rxb2 17.Qd3 Nxd5 18.Qxd5 Rxe2=+ 16...Nf6 17.Rfd1 Ne6 18.Bh4 Bb7 19.Bc4 Qa8=+ ...0 - 1 (74), Rychagov An. (2558) - Halkias St. (2543), Paleochora 2016 ]]
15...Re8 [ 15...Ncxd5 16.Bg5 ( 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5? Be6 and white loses material 16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 h6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6-/+ ...0 - 1 (42), Melkumyan (2600) - Jobava (2713), Lake Sevan, Martuni ARM 2011 ]]
16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Bb7 18.Bc4 [ 18.Nd2 Rb4 19.e4 Nb5 20.Bxb5 axb5 21.f3 g5 22.Bf2 Nh5 23.Nb3 Be5 24.Nc1 Qf6 25.Nd3 Rd4 26.Ne2+/- ...1/2 - 1/2 (40), Schaefer M. (2198) - Cebalo (2330), 33rd Bad Woerishofen Open, 2017 ]
18...Qa8 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Qd3 [The comp suggests 20.e4 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Rxe4 22.Bd3 Re7 23.c4 ,as the battery Qa8-Bb7 would now be neutralised and white has no defensive pieces around his King ]
20...Bxc3 21.bxc3 [ 21.Qxc3 Nxd5 22.Qd3 setting the trap Nb4?? ( 22...Kg7-/+ 23.Qxg6+ Kh8 24.Qxh6+ and black gets mated! ]
21...Bxd5 22.Rd1 Be4-/+ [likewise, not 22...Bxf3?? 23.Qxg6+ and white wins ]
23.Qe2 Bxf3 24.gxf3? [White should exchange Qs, as after 24.Qxf3 Qxf3 25.gxf3 Kg7 26.f4 he'd keep decent chances to hold ]
24...d5 25.Bd3 c4 26.Bc2 Nb5 27.Qd2 Re5! Black has won a pawn and also has strong attack against the defenceless white King. 28.Ba4 Rg5+ 29.Kf1 Qc8 30.Bxb5 Rxb5 31.Ke2 Qxh3 32.Rxa6 Rf5-+ 33.Ra8+ Kh7 34.f4 Qg4+ 35.f3 Qg2+ 36.Ke1 Qxf3 37.Qd4 White threatens mate in one, on h8, yet black comes first: Qh1+ [Better than 37...Qg3+ 38.Kf1 Qh3+ 39.Kg1 when, in order to avoid the draw I'd have to find ( 39.Ke1 Qh4+ 40.Kf1 Rf6 ) 39...Rf6! , with the idea 40.Qxf6 Qg4+ and white gets mated ]]
38.Kd2 Qh2+ 39.Ke1 [The white King cannot hide: 39.Kc1 Qb2# ]
39...Qh4+ 40.Ke2 Rb2+ 41.Rd2 Qg4+ 42.Kf2 Rxd2+ 43.Qxd2 Rh5 44.Qd4 Rh2+ Thus, I won this important game and reached 5 / 7 in the tournament.

0-1

The chess pieces created by Colin M.L. Burnett. are distributed under the terms of GFDL & BSD & GPL.