(4) Sarkar,J (2382) - Rao,V (2435) [B66]
1st New York Masters New York (3), 19.03.2002
[Rao, V]



1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6
[7...h6?! 8.Bxf6 gxf6+/= (8...Qxf6? 9.Ndb5+/- ) ]

8.0-0-0 h6
[8...Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6+/= (10...Qxf6? 11.e5! dxe5 12.Ndxb5+/- ) ]

9.Bf4
[9.Be3 is most common, with a possible continuation 9...Bd7 10.f4 b5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.Kb1 0-0 13.h3 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Bc6 15.Qe3 Qc7~~ ; 9.Nxc6!? bxc6 10.Bf4 d5 11.Qe3 has scored well recently. White has pressure along the central files, and if Black castles king side, the Bxh6 sac is often strong. Ponomariov - Bu Xiangzhi, Lausanne 2001 continued 11...Qa5 12.Be2 Bb4 13.Be5 dxe4 14.Qg3 Bxc3 15.Bc7! Bxb2+ 16.Kxb2 Qb4+ 17.Ka1 Nd5 18.Qxg7+/- ]

9...Bd7
[9...Nxd4? 10.Qxd4 e5 11.Bxe5+- ]

10.Nxc6 Bxc6 11.f3
[11.Bxd6 Bxd6 12.Qxd6 Qxd6 13.Rxd6 Bxe4!= ]

11...d5 12.Qe1 Bb4 13.a3 Ba5 14.b4
[14.Bd2 Rc8= is more common; 14.exd5!? Nxd5 15.b4 Nxf4 16.Rxd8+ Bxd8© is a Queen sacrifice considered equal by theory]

14...Bb6 15.exd5 Bxd5
[15...Nxd5? 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.c4 Qf6 18.Be5 Qg6 19.Bd3+- ]

16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Qg3
[here 17.c4 is only equal because of 17...Qf6 18.Be5 Be3+! ]

17...0-0 18.c4
[18.Be5~~ Salov 18...f6 19.Bd6 (19.Bf4 Qc8 intending ...Be3+ 20.Bxh6 Be3+ 21.Bxe3 Nxe3-/+ 22.Rd2? Qc3-+ ) 19...Bf2! 20.Qxf2 Qxd6 21.c4 Rac8-/+ ]

18...Qc8
[18...Nxf4!? a queen sac recommended by Shirov 19.Rxd8 Bxd8!© Shirov; the opposite color bishops and the loose pawn position in front of White's king give Black some attacking chances (19...Be3+ 20.Rd2 Rfd8 21.Qe1 Bxd2+ 22.Qxd2+/= ) ; 18...Bc7 19.Bxc7 Qxc7 20.Qxc7 Nxc7 21.Rd7+/- ; 18...Rc8 19.Kb2 Bc7 20.Be5 Bxe5+ 21.Qxe5 Qf6 22.Qxf6+/= White has a bishop vs. a knight in an open position, and can more easily create a passed pawn.]

19.Be5
[19.Bxh6 Be3+ 20.Kb2 Bxh6 21.cxd5 a5!-/+ Anand; after ...g6 and ...Bg7+ Black will have a winning attack; 19.Bd6 Rd8 20.Bd3 a5 21.Be5 f6-+ 22.Ba1 (22.Qg6 fxe5 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Bg6 Qxc4+-+ ) 22...axb4 23.Qg6 Nf4 24.Qh7+ Kf7 25.Bc2 Qxc4 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 0-1 A. Martin - Ser, Hastings Challengers 1990]

19...f6 20.Bd6
[20.Bd4 a5-/+ 21.Kb1 (21.b5 Bxd4 22.Rxd4 Qc5-+ ) 21...Bxd4 22.Rxd4 axb4 23.cxd5 Rxa3 24.Bc4 (24.Rc4 Qa8-+ ) 24...b5 with a winning attack]

20...Rd8 21.Rxd5
[21.Bf4 Ne3-+ ; 21.c5 Ne3 (21...a5 22.Rxd5 transposes to the game) 22.Bd3 Nxd1 23.Rxd1 a5 24.Qg6 Rxd6 25.Qh7+ Kf8-+ sacrificing the Bd6 does not work if the Qc8 is protected by the Ra8]

21...exd5
[21...Be3+ 22.Rd2 e5 23.Qe1!+/- ]

22.c5 a5
[22...Qf5!? recommended by Asa Hoffman 23.cxb6 Rxd6! (23...Rac8+ 24.Bc7+/- ) 24.Qxd6 Rc8+ 25.Kd2 Qc2+ 26.Ke3 Qc1+ 27.Kf2 Rc2+ 28.Kg3 Qg5+= with perpetual check; simply 22...Ba7 23.Bd3 (23.Be7 Rd7 24.Bxf6 Bxc5 (24...b6 25.Bd3 Qc6 26.Be5 bxc5-+ ) ) 23...Bb8-/+ seems better for Black, eliminating one of the bishops. 24.Qg6 Bxd6 25.Qh7+ Kf8 26.Bg6 Bf4+ 27.Kd1 Qe6-+ ]

23.Bd3 axb4 24.axb4 Ra1+ 25.Kb2
[25.Bb1 Qa8 26.Qg6 Rxd6 27.cxd6 Qa3+ 28.Kd1 Qb3+ 29.Ke2 Qb2+ 30.Bc2 Qe5+-+ ; 25.Kd2? Ra2+ wins. It is more important to neutralize the Bd3 than gobble a rook.]

25...Rxh1 26.Qg6 Rxd6
[26...f5 27.Be5! (after 27.Bxf5 Qa8 28.Qh7+ Kf7 29.Bg6+ Ke6 White must give perpetual check.) 27...Qd7 28.Bxf5 The Q + 2B have frightening power here. 28...Qe7 29.Qh7+ Kf8 (29...Kf7 30.Qxg7+ Ke8 31.Qg8+ transposes to 29...Kf8) 30.Qh8+ Kf7 31.Qxg7+ Ke8 32.Qg8+ Qf8 33.Bg6+ Kd7 (33...Ke7 34.Bd6++- ) 34.Qxd5+ Kc8 35.Qe6+ Rd7 36.Qxb6 (36.Be8 Qe7 (36...Rhd1 37.Bxd7+ Rxd7 38.Qxb6+/= ) 37.Qxd7+ Qxd7 38.Bxd7+ Kxd7 39.cxb6 Re1 40.Bf4= ) 36...Qe7 37.f4 Qd8 (37...Qh4 38.c6!+- ; 37...Rd2+ 38.Kc3 Qd7 39.Bf5!+- ) 38.Qe6 (38.Qa7 Rd2+ 39.Ka3 Rd3+ 40.Bxd3 Qxd3+ 41.Ka4 Qc2+ 42.Ka5 Ra1+ 43.Bxa1 Qa2+ 44.Kb6 Qe6+ 45.Ka5 (45.c6?? Qe3+-+ ) 45...Qa2+= pepetual check) 38...Qe7 (38...Rxh2 39.Be4+- intending 40.c6) 39.Qh3+- intending 40.Qa3 or 40.Bf5]

27.Qh7+ Kf7 28.Bg6+ Ke7
[28...Kf8 29.Qh8++- ]

29.Qxg7+ Kd8
[29...Ke6 30.Bf5+! (30.Bf7+? Ke5 31.Qg3+ Kd4 32.Qf4+ Kd3-+ and the King escapes!) 30...Kxf5 31.Qg4+ Ke5 32.Qxc8 Rd8 (32...Bxc5 33.bxc5 Ra6 34.Qxb7+/- ) 33.Qxb7+/= Rxh2 (33...Bxc5? 34.Qc7++- ) 34.Qg7! Bxc5 35.Qg3+ Ke6 36.Qxh2 Bxb4 37.Qxh6+/= is better for White, but I am not sure if he is winning.]

30.Qf8+ Kd7 31.Qxd6# 1-0