White: GM Gregory Kaidanov

Black: Peter Bereolos

2000 US Open

Round 4 Board 1

1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d6 5.Be2 Nd7 6.0-0 Nh6!?

This off-beat move is a specialty of the Canadian GM Duncan Suttles. It leads to original positions, but objectively grabbing a slice of the center with 6...e5 is better.

7.h3 0-0 8.Be3 f6

Suttles also played the immediate 8...f5 here, but I was a bit uncomfortable with 9.Ng5, so I played to cover g5 first.

9.Qd2 Nf7 10.d5

The only way to take advantage of Black's unusual play. If White had allowed 10...e5 Black would have been comfortable. With the text, White targets the e6 square.

10...c5?!

A new move but probably not best. I wanted to prevent the knight move Nd4, but this move takes off alot of pressure on White's center. More consistent is 10...f5 although Black has to be willing to give up his precious dark-squared Bishop after 11.exf5 gxf5 12.Nd4 Bxd4 as in the game Benko-Suttles New York 1964. After the text, Black has little compensation for the weaknesses at e6 and e7.

11.Rab1 f5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.b4 b6 14.Rfe1 Nde5 15.Ng5 Nxg5?!

Bringing the White bishop to g5 with tempo. Better is the immediate 15...Ng6 when after 16.Nxf7 Rxf7 17.Bg5 f4 18.Bh5 Be5 19.Ne2 Qf8 Black is holding things together.

16.Bxg5 Ng6 17.Bh5 Be5 18.bxc5 bxc5 19.Ne2 Kh8?

A rather pointless move with Black's position already just hanging on. Better is 19...Bf6 although White is still much better.

20.Bxg6 hxg6 21.Nf4 Kh7

on 21...Bxf4 22.Qxf4, the opposite colored bishops bring no relief as White can simply pile up on the e7 pawn.

22.Qe3 Rf7 23.Qg3 Kg8 24.Bh6 Rf6 25.Qh4 Qa5 26.Bg5 Rf7 27.Nxg6 Rh7 28.Nxe7+!

Kaidanov finishes with a nice combination not even allowing Black to sniff counterplay after 28.Qc4 Ba6 28...Kg7 29.Bh6+ Rxh6

If the king moves 30.Nc6 is brutal

30.Qg5+ Kf7

[30... Kh7 31.Qg8#]

31.Qxh6 Kxe7 32.f4

The final, decisive point, Black's bishop is pinned.

32...Rb8 33.fxe5

Avoiding the transparent trap 33.Rxb8?? Qxe1+ 34.Kh2 Bd4 -+

1:0