Saturday, May 3, 2008

Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation 5...Qd6

International master Robert Hess likes to play 5...Qd6 in the exchange variation of the Ruy Lopez. Here are a couple of his games in this line, one against me, the other against grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky.

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Robert Hess (USCF 2349), 4th New Yorker June Open 6/18/2005

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6

6.d4

In My 60 Memorable Games, Bobby Fischer gives this as White's best because 6.d3 f6 7.Be3 c5 8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Qe2 O-O-O is equal while 6.Na3? b5! "strands the knight."

6...exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Be6 9.Be3 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 b6 11.Nc3 g6 12.Bf4 Rc8 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.Rxd5 Nf6 15.Rd2 Bg7 16.c3 O-O

White has a slight advantage here.

17.f3 Nh5 18.Be3 Bf6 19.Rad1 Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Rxd8+ Bxd8 22.Kf2 Kf8 23.Ke2 Ke7 24.Kd3 Kd6 25.a4 Kc6 26.Nd2 Ng7 27.Nc4 f6 28.f4 Ne6 29.f5 Nf8 30.Bf4 Nd7 31.g4 b5 32.axb5+ axb5 33.Nd2 c4+ 34.Kc2 gxf5 35.gxf5 Be7

The game is now equal.

36.Nf3 Nc5 37.e5 Kd5 38.exf6 Bxf6 39.Bxc7 Ke4

Instead Black could have obtained a slight edge by 39...Nb3.

40.Nd4 Bxd4 41.cxd4 Nd7 42.Kc3 Kxf5 43.Kb4 Ke4 44.Be5 Nxe5 45.dxe5 Kxe5 46.Kxb5 Kd5 47.h4, draw.




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GM Alexander Stripunsky - IM Robert Hess, Foxwoods Open 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4

The idea behind this move is to play 7.Na3 without allowing 7...b5.

6...f6 7.Na3 Bg4 8.Nc4 Qd7 9.Ne3 Be6 10.d4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Bf7 12.Nb3 O-O-O


13.Qe2 Nh6 14.Rd1 Bd6 15.Bd2 Rhe8 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.Qxc4 Qg4 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Re1 f5 20.g3 fxe4 21.Re3 h5 22.Rae1 h4 23.Rxe4 hxg3


24.hxg3

White wisely avoids 24.Rxg4?? gxh2+ 25.Kg2 Rxe1 26.Rh4 Rg1+ 27.Kf3 Rf8+ which wins for Black.

24...Rxe4 25.Qxe4 Qg7 26.Kg2 Kb8 27.Nd4 Qf6 28.Ne6 Rd7 29.b3 Re7 30.Re3 h5 31.Qc4 Rf7 32.Nf4 h4 33.Rf3 Qf5 34.Qe2 Re7 35.Qd3 Qg4 36.Nh3 hxg3 37.fxg3 Re8 38.Nf2 Qh5 39.Qf5 Qh6 40.Qf6 Qc1 41.c4 Re1 42.Kh3 Re8 43.Kg2 Bc5 44.Qc3 Qb1 45.Qd3 Qe1

Of course, Black refuses to swap queens because he has all the winning chances in the middle game, due to White's precarious king position.

46.Qf5 Re5 47.Qf7 Re2 48.Qf5 Bd4 49.g4 c5 50.Qf8+ Ka7 51.Qf4 Rb2 52.g5 Rb1 53.Kh3 Qf1+ 54.Kh4 Qg2 55.Nh3 Rh1 56.Qg4 Qe2 57.Qf4 Qe7 58.Qf5 Re1 59.Kh5 Qe2 60.Kh4 Qe7 61.Nf4 Re5 62.Qf6 Qh7+ 63.Qh6 Qe4 64.Qh5 Re8 65.Kg4 Rh8 66.Qg6 Rh4+


67.Kxh4 Qxf3 68.Nd3 Bg1 69.a5 Bh2 70.Qf6 Qxd3 71.g6 Qg3+ 72.Kh5 Qe5+ 73.Qxe5 Bxe5 74.Kh6 b6 75.g7 Bxg7+ 76.Kxg7 bxa5 77.Kf6 Kb6 78.Ke6 a4, White resigns.



It is an easy win for Black after 79.bxa4 Ka5 80.Kd5 Kxa4 81.Kxc5 a5.