The 5th game of the Gelfand - Leko rapid match played some days ago was a fantastic battle featuring 2 Rooks against Bishop+Knight+pawn+activity. Here is this great game, I added some comments and variations to the already good job of match commentators Berkes and Meszaros.
This made me think of another game with a double exchange sacrifice, Zhu Chen - Taimanov 1997. You can see it here too.
Let me know if other games with this pattern come in your mind.
[Event "Miskolc Rapid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.08.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D43"]
[Annotator "Berkes/Meszaros/SR"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2010.03.07"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5
9. Be2 Bb7 10. h4 g4 11. Ne5 Rg8 12. Bxg4 Nbd7 13. Nxd7 Qxd7 14. Bf3 c5 15. e5
{Novelty. In the first game 15.dxc5 happened. This move opens the way for the
c3 knight.} Nd5 16. Ne4 O-O-O 17. O-O {#} Rxg3 $1 {
very interesting exchange sacrifice!} 18. Nxg3 (18. fxg3 $2 Ne3) 18... Nf4 $1 {
It's a very deep plan! For the exchange Black has stong pressure on the d-line
and better pawn structure. For now he has a strong Nf4 and d4 won't stay here.
} 19. dxc5 (19. Qd2 Qxd4) (19. a4 b4) 19... Qc7 20. Bxb7+ Qxb7 (20... Kxb7 $2
21. Qf3+ Nd5 22. Ne4 $18) 21. Qf3 Qxf3 22. gxf3 Bxc5 23. Ne4 Bd4 24. Nd6+ Rxd6
$1 {Second beautiful exchange sacrifice !!} 25. exd6 {#} Kd7 $5 {
Leko misses his chances! He could capture the b2 pawn for example:} (25... Bxb2
26. Rab1 c3 27. Rxb2 $8 (27. Kh2 $2 Kd7 28. Kg3 Nd3 $17) 27... cxb2 28. Rb1 Nd3
29. Kf1 a5 $1 30. Ke2 (30. a3 $2 a4 $1 {is a pleasant move} 31. Ke2 b4 32. Kxd3
bxa3 33. Kc2 a2 34. d7+ Kd8 $19) 30... Nc1+ 31. Kd2 Nxa2 32. Rxb2 Nb4 $132 {
with an exciting position.}) 26. a4 $1 {Gelfand is trying to break Black
queenside pawns and open new lines for his rooks.} (26. Rab1 Kxd6 27. Rfd1 e5 {
is drawish. Black pieces are really impressive.}) 26... b4 27. Rac1 $1 (27.
Rfc1 c3 28. bxc3 Bxc3 29. Kf1 Bxa1 30. Rxa1 a5 31. Rc1 Kxd6 32. Rc8 Nd5 33. Rb8
Kc5 {and black plays for the win}) 27... c3 {#} (27... Ne2+ 28. Kg2 Nxc1 29.
Rxc1 c3 30. bxc3 Bxc3 $11) 28. Rfd1 $3 {This fantastic move uses the x-ray
power of his rook and opens the way for the king!} (28. bxc3 Bxc3 29. Rb1 a5
30. Rfd1 Nd5 {and I don't think black is in danger. Perhaps it's black who is
playing for a win!}) 28... e5 (28... Ne2+ $2 29. Kf1 Nxc1 30. bxc3 Bxc3 31.
Rxc1 Kxd6 32. Ke2 Ke5 (32... Kd5 $6 33. Kd3 h5 34. f4 $1 a5 35. f3 $16) 33. Ke3
Bd4+ 34. Kd3 Bxf2 35. h5 $13 {
with good practical winning chances for White, according to Berkes/Meszaros.})
(28... cxb2 29. Rc7+ Kxd6 30. Rc4 $1 Nd5 (30... e5 $2 31. Rxb4 Kc5 32. Rdxd4 $1
exd4 33. Rxb2 $16) 31. Rcxd4 Kc5 $1 {
#This is one of the most beatiful endgames we ever saw!} 32. R4d2 Nc3 {
N+2 pawns against 2 rooks!} 33. Rc2 Kc4 34. Rb1 b3 35. Rcxb2 (35. Rbxb2 bxc2
36. Rxc2 a5 $44) 35... Nxb1 36. Rxb1 Kc3 37. Kg2 Kc2 38. Re1 b2 39. Kg3 h5 $8 (
39... a5 40. Kg4 b1=Q 41. Rxb1 Kxb1 42. Kh5 Kb2 43. Kxh6 Kb3 44. h5 Kxa4 45.
Kg5 $18) 40. Kf4 f6 41. Ke4 b1=Q 42. Rxb1 Kxb1 43. f4 $1 a5 44. f5 exf5+ 45.
Kxf5 Ka2 46. Kxf6 Kb3 47. Kg5 Kxa4 $11) 29. bxc3 bxc3 (29... Ne2+ 30. Kf1 Nxc3
(30... Nxc1 $4 31. cxd4 $18) 31. Rd3 a5 32. f4 f6 33. fxe5 fxe5 34. f4 $18) 30.
Kf1 {#} f6 $6 (30... a5 {was better possibility to try to save the game!} 31.
Rc2 Nd5 32. Ke1 h5 $1 33. Rd3 (33. Rb1 Nb4 34. Kd1 Kxd6 $44 {
and another time B+N are at least worth 2R here}) 33... f6 34. f4 $16 Nxf4 35.
Rdxc3 Bxc3+ 36. Rxc3 Kxd6 37. Kd2 $14) 31. Rc2 Nd5 (31... Ng6 32. Rd3 Nxh4 33.
f4 Nf5 34. fxe5 fxe5 35. Rdxc3 Bxc3 36. Rxc3 Kxd6 37. Rc8 e4 38. Ra8 e3 39. f4
Ng3+ 40. Ke1 Nh5 41. f5 Ke5 42. Rxa7 Ng3 43. Rf7 h5 44. f6 h4 45. Rf8 h3 46. f7
Ke6 47. Rh8 Kxf7 48. Rxh3 Ne4 49. Rxe3 Nc5 50. a5 $18) 32. Rb1 a5 33. Ke2 Nb4 {
#} 34. Kd1 {This is also winning, but} (34. Rxb4 {
was easier, according to Berkes/Meszaros} axb4 35. Kd3 Kxd6 (35... b3 $2 36.
Rxc3 $18) (35... Bb6 $2 36. Kc4 Ba5 37. h5 Kxd6 38. Rc1 Ke6 39. Kb3 Kf5 40. Rd1
Kg5 41. Rd6 f5 42. Re6 Bc7 43. Kxb4 Kxh5 44. Kxc3 Kg5 45. Rc6 Bb8 46. Kd3 h5
47. Ke2 h4 48. Rc8 Ba7 49. a5 $18) 36. Kc4 Bc5 37. a5 Kc6 38. a6 Bd4 39. Ra2
Kb6 40. Kxb4 Ka7 41. Kc4 $18) 34... Kxd6 35. Rb3 Nxc2 36. Kxc2 h5 37. Rb5 Bxf2
38. Rxa5 Bxh4 39. Rb5 Bf2 40. Rb7 Kc6 41. Rf7 $18 {The rest is easy} Kb6 (41...
h4 42. Kxc3 Kc5 43. Rxf6 Bg3 44. Rh6 Be1+ 45. Kb3 Bf2 46. a5 Kb5 47. a6 h3 48.
Rxh3 Kxa6 49. Kc4 $18) 42. Rxf6+ Ka5 43. Rf5 Kxa4 44. Rxe5 h4 45. Kxc3 {
With this victory Gelfand again leads the match!} 1-0
[Event "Veterans-Women"]
[Site "Copenhagen"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Zhu Chen"]
[Black "Taimanov, Mark E"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "2515"]
[BlackElo "2425"]
[Annotator ",Sylvain"]
[PlyCount "117"]
[EventDate "1997.07.23"]
[EventType "schev"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "DEN"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 5. Qc2 {
a rare move, usually white play 5.g3 or 5.Nc3} O-O 6. g3 d5 7. Bg2 {
somehow we are back in a catalan line} Nc6 8. O-O Bd7 9. Rc1 {
pressure on the c-file will be a major theme of the game} Re8 10. Bf4 {
increasing pressure on c7 and making the bishop in b4 feel a little stupid} Bd6
{back to a good place!} 11. cxd5 Nb4 $1 (11... Nxd5 12. Bxd6 cxd6 13. e4 $14)
12. Qd1 Nbxd5 (12... Bxf4 13. gxf4 exd5 $11) 13. Be5 Bc6 14. Nbd2 Nb6 $11 15.
Bxf6 Qxf6 16. e4 e5 17. d5 Bb5 18. a4 Bd7 {black have a very safe position} 19.
Ne1 {aiming for c5} h5 $5 20. Nd3 (20. Qxh5 Nxa4 $11) 20... h4 {
black creates some play on the white castle, nothing really dangerous though}
21. b3 g6 $1 {with the idea to convey a rook in h8, this kind of move is
difficult to find for a computer} 22. Qe2 Kg7 23. Qe3 {
typical queen centalization} Rh8 {
have a look at how black wait with the h4 pawn} 24. Nc5 Bc8 {black want to
keep this important attacking piece, even if it means no job for the a8 rook
yet.} 25. Nd3 {white changes his mind} Bd7 26. Rc2 hxg3 27. fxg3 Rh5 28. Rac1 {
you may wonder why white is doubling here whereas c7 is defended by a bishop.
You will understand very soon!} Rah8 29. Nf1 {human typical defense. The
computer wants to play some dangerous defenses based on h2-h4. I can't recommand
this kind of move at all!} Qg5 $6 (29... Ba3 {trying to disturb white} 30. Rxc7
$1 Bxc1 31. Nxc1 Bc8 32. Qc5 {with compensations}) (29... Qd8 {
was solid, even if a5 is weak}) 30. Qxg5 Rxg5 31. Rxc7 $1 {First exchange
sacrifice. A very logical one, white get bishop and pawn for the rook, a
strong passed pawn in d5, and activity.} Bxc7 32. Rxc7 Bc8 $2 {
this loses the e-pawn} (32... Rc8 {activity against activity!} 33. Rxb7 Rc3 34.
Nxe5 Rxe5 35. Rxb6 Re8 36. Nd2 $14) 33. h4 Rgh5 34. Bf3 R5h7 35. Nxe5 {
white must be winning now} Kf6 36. Nd3 Rd8 37. e5+ {impressive central pawns}
Kg7 38. e6 Kf6 39. Nf4 (39. Nc5 Nxd5 40. Bxd5 Rxd5 41. Rxc8 fxe6 42. Ne3 {
was easier}) 39... Na8 $1 {I always like knight-corner-moves} 40. e7 $1 {
Zhu Chen measures up!} (40. Rc5 b6 41. Rc6 Bb7 42. Rc3 fxe6 43. Nxe6 $14) 40...
Re8 41. Rxc8 $1 {and here comes the second exchange sacrifice!!} Rxc8 42. d6 {
So, what do we have ? White are two exchanges down, but have 2 pawns in
compensations, and what pawns! Central, passed, connected, on the 6th and 7th
rank!} Nb6 {forced to prevent d7} 43. Bxb7 Rhh8 (43... Rb8 44. Nd2 {
and the bishop is untouchable}) 44. Ne3 (44. Bxc8 Nxc8 45. e8=Q Rxe8 46. d7 $16
) 44... Rb8 45. Bc6 Ke5 (45... Nc8 46. Nfd5+ Ke6 47. e8=Q+ Rxe8 48. Bxe8 Nxd6
49. Bb5 $1 $16) 46. d7 Nxd7 47. Bxd7 {a piece back} Kd6 48. e8=Q Rhxe8 49. Bxe8
{and an exchange back} Rxe8 {
so now white is just winning, even if she has to be careful nevertheless} 50.
Nc4+ Kc5 51. Nxa5 Kb4 52. Nb7 Kxb3 53. a5 {
without this pawn maybe it wouldn't be so winning, but it's on the board!} Re1+
54. Kg2 Ra1 {good old rule: the rook behind the passed pawn} 55. Nd6 Rxa5 56.
Nxf7 {but it's too easy for white} Rf5 57. Nh6 (57. Nh8 $4 {
it's never too late to make a mistake} g5 $11) 57... Rf6 58. Ng4 Ra6 59. Ne5 {
very nice game from Zhu Chen} 1-0
