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FEATURED GAME
3-29-99
Shabalov-Zamora |
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| This month's featured game is one from the National Chess Congress played in Philadelphia last November. The game is a sharp tactical battle between one of our highest rated GM's (Shabalov) and one of our promising younger masters (Zamora aka Sammour-Hasbun). This game features a complicated theoretical Queen sacrifice and some extremely sharp tactical play. Try to follow along...enjoy! |
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White: Shabalov, A.
Black: Zamora, J. (aka Sammour-Hasbun, J.)
Event: National Chess Congress (Philadelphia)
Date: Nov. 98 |
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1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6
3. Nf3 Nf6
4. Nc3 e6
5. Bg5 dxc4
6. e4 b5 Zamora is not afraid to venture into sharp tactical lines.
7. e5 h6
8. Bh4 g5 This may not look good for Black, but this is all theory.
9. Nxg5 hxg5
10. Bxg5 Nbd7 Black has traded an extra queenside pawn for an open kingside...good?
11. exf6 Bb7 |
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| 12. g3 Qb6 Here I thought c5!? was good for Black (threatening Bxh1) and could not find a good refutation for White, for example. 13. d5? b4! or 13. f3 cxd4! and White has no good way to recapture cannot the d-pawn (a. 14. Qxd4 Bxf3! 15. Rg1 Bc5! b. 14. Nxb5? Qa5+!) Relatively best appears to be the not-so-good 13. Rg1 cxd4 14. Qxd4(the knight cannot take the b-pawn because of Qa5+) Bc5 15. Qd1 Rxh2 and White appears to be in a bind. |
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13. Bg2 0-0-0
14. 0-0 Ne5 White must choose between his d-pawn or his Queen. |
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15. dxe5! Rxd1 If 15. Ne2 then Nd3! and the d-pawn dies anyway while giving Black a strong knight.
16. Raxd1 b4
17. Ne4 c5
18. Bf4 a5
19. Rd2 a4 Black races to get his pawn roller in motion while White plays for dominance on d-file.
20. Rfd1 Bd5 Black tries lock White out. |
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| 21. Rxd5!! exd5 What's this? White has sacrificed the exchange and the Queen! Brilliant move! This move turns out to be the fatal blow which is why it gets 2 asteriks. |
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22. Ng5! d4 White's text move is much stronger than 22. Rxd4.
23. Nxf7 Rg8 Rh7 might have been a little better for Black. Notice how passive Black's pieces are.
24. Bh3+ Kb7
25. e6 b3
26. axb3 cxb3 Taking the b-pawn with the Queen is bad for Black.
27. e7 Bxe7
28. fxe7 Qg6
29. Nd6+ Kc6
30. Re1 a3 Black makes a last gasp at breaking through on Queenside
31. Nc4! 1-0 and Zamora gave up in view of the threat of Ne5+ which wins the a-pawn and snuffs out any chances for Black. (Qh7 threatening the light-squared bishop obviously does not save anything.) |
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