ODT130514

=**Zhao wins Bangkok open**=




 * Problem:** White to play and win.

Australia's number one player, GM Zong-Yuan Zhao won the strong Bangkok Chess Club Open in the Pattaya resort in Thailand last month. The top seed was former world championship challenger, English GM Nigel Short. Zhao was among the leaders throughout, but the key moment came in the penultimate round, when he had to play Short with the black pieces. His dramatic victory over Short in today's game put Zhao into the clear lead, which he kept with a quick draw in the final round to finish first on 7½/9. media type="custom" key="25093978" Nigel Short has adapted his style towards competing in large opens since his world championship match 20 years ago. His use of offbeat systems, such as the Reti here, is designed to avoid well-studied opening theory and rely on his experience to outplay his opponents. Not fearing White's provocative pawn advances and relying on his lead in development. This double-pawn sacrifice wins the key dark squares f4 and e5 for the black knights and combined with the half-open e- and f-files places White under severe pressure. Throwing a third pawn jab to open lines to the White king. Instead 19... Nfd3 20 f3 Ng4 21 Nb3 Ngf2+ 22 Kc2 b5 23 cxb5 c4 24 Nd4 allows the white knight to centralise. Threatening 23...c3 opening the c-file, whereas giving up his superb knight on f4 for the bishop would be a mistake. White defends the main threat. Deciding to give up the queen to stem the attack, since neither the exchange nor the f-pawn can be saved. E.g. 26 f4 Nxc1! 27 Kxc1 Nd3+ 28 Kd1 (or 28 Rxd3 cxd3 29 Kd1 Be3! 30 Nc3 Qb4 31 Qxd3 Qxb2 breaking through) 28... Rxf4 29 Rf3 Rxe4 and White's position is falling apart. The start of a precise sequence forcing open the c-file for the black rook. Black's giant haymaker knockout only just misses. Here and on the next move ...Rf3! wins immediately because of the difficult to see, but unstoppable threat of ...Qe3! e.g. 36... Rf3! 37 Ne2 Qe3 38 Rg3 Qxe4+ 39 Kh3 Qxe2. However, Black retains a lead on points. Right on the time control, both sides miss a drawing chance for White, exploiting the weakness of Black's back rank: 40 b6! axb6 41 Ra3! h5+! 42 Kg3! Kh7 43 Bf7 Qc8 44 Bxg6+ Kg8 45 Bxh5 Qf8 46 Rf3 although Black still has the upper hand. Forcing the exchange of rooks, after which the queen soon overpowers the two minor pieces with the aid of a passed pawn.
 * 1.Nf3 d5**
 * 2.g3 Nf6**
 * 3.Bg2 c6**
 * 4.d3 Bg4**
 * 5.Nbd2 Nbd7**
 * 6.h3 Bh5**
 * 7.g4!? ---**
 * 7.--- Bg6**
 * 8.Nh4 e5**
 * 9.e3 Bd6**
 * 10.Qe2 0-0!**
 * 11.Nxg6 fxg6**
 * 12.h4 Qe7**
 * 13.g5 Nh5**
 * 14.c4 e4!**
 * 15.dxe4 d4!**
 * 16.exd4 Nf4**
 * 17.Qf1 c5**
 * 18.d5 Ne5**
 * 19.Kd1 b5!**
 * 20.cxb5 c4**
 * 21.f3 Rac8**
 * 22.Bh3 Rc7!**
 * 23.Nb1! Nfd3**
 * 24.Be6+ Kh8**
 * 25.Rh3 Bc5**
 * 26.Nc3!? ---**
 * 26.--- Nf2+**
 * 27.Ke2 Nxh3**
 * 28.Qxh3 Rxf3**
 * 29.Qxf3 Nxf3**
 * 30.Kxf3 Qf8+!**
 * 31.Bf4 Bd6**
 * 32.Ne2 c3**
 * 33.bxc3 Bxf4**
 * 34.Nxf4 Rxc3+**
 * 35.Kg4 Qa3!**
 * 36.Rg1 Re3?!**
 * 37.e5 Rxe5?!**
 * 38.Rg3 Qb4**
 * 39.Rb3 Qc4?!**
 * 40.Kg3?! ---**
 * 40.--- Qc5**
 * 41.Rf3 Re1**
 * 42.Kh3 Re3!**
 * 43.Rxe3 Qxe3+**
 * 44.Kg4 h5+!**
 * 45.gxh6 gxh6**
 * 46.Nxg6+ Kg7**
 * 47.Ne7 h5+**
 * 48.Kf5 Qf3+**
 * 49.Ke5 Qg3+**
 * 50.Kf5 Qxh4**
 * 51.Nc6 Qc4**
 * 52.Ke5 Qxb5**
 * 53.Kd6 h4**
 * 54.Kc7 Qb6+**
 * 55.Kc8 Kf6**
 * 56.a4 a5**
 * 57.Kd7 Qe3**
 * 58.Kc7 Qg3+**
 * 59.Kb6 h3**
 * 60.Bxh3 Qxh3**
 * 61.Kxa5 Qb3**
 * 62.d6 Qc3+**
 * 63.Kb6 Ke6**
 * 64.Nd8+ Kd7**
 * 65.Nb7 and White resigns**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 Bh6! Qc8 (else 2 Qf8+! mates, 1... Qf5+ 2 Kg1 Resigns – Short-Czebe, Bangkok 2013) 2 Rxe4! Rd8 3 Qf8+! Rxf8 4 gxf8=Q+ Qxf8 5 Rg4+! etc.