White: Peter Bereolos

Black: GM Gregory Kaidanov

Land Of The Sky, 1998

Round 3, Board 1

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Qa4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nd5

After the game, Kaidanov asked me where my knowledge of theory ended. I had to somewhat embarrassingly admit that this was a new move to me. I was only familiar with the move 7...Bd6, which had occurred in a game between Karpov and Kramnik played shortly before this one.

8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.a3 b5 10.Qxb5 Nc2+ 11.Kd2 Nxa1 12.Qxc6+ Bd7 13.Qxc4 c5 14.Nc3?!

The first new move, but not a very good one. The normal move is 14.Qa2 with a very double-edged game. White will obtain two pieces for his rook but his development will be a bit backward and his King will be somewhat exposed in the center. Interestingly, a few months later, Kaidanov chose to play the White side of this line in a must win situation versus Goldin in the final round of the World Open. However, things did not turn out well for him there. [14.Qa2 Qa5+ 15.b4 cxb4 16.Qxa1 Rc8 17.Ne5 Bb5 18.a4 0-0 19.Be4 f6 20.Nd3 f5 21.Bf3 b3+ 22.Nc3 Bxd3 23.exd3 f4 24.g4 Qb4 25.Qb2 Rc7 26.d5 Rfc8 27.Rc1 Qd4 28.d6 Qxf2+ 29.Be2 Qe3+ 30.Ke1 Rd7 31.Qd2 Rxd6 32.Rb1 Qg1+ 33.Bf1 Qxg4 34.Rxb3 Rdc6 35.h3 Qg3+ 36.Kd1 Qg1 37.Qxf4 Rxc3 38.Rxc3 Rxc3 39.Qb8+ Kf7 40.Qb7+ Kf6 41.Qf3+ Ke7 42.Qb7+ Kd6 43.Qb8+ Kd7 44.Qb5+ Rc6 0-1 Kaidanov-Goldin 1998 World Open]

14...Qb6

Black hits at the weaknesses at b2, b3 and d4.

15.b4 cxd4 16.Nd5

Desperation, but there was not much else to do. 16.Nxd4 is met by 16...Rc8 and 17...Qxd4. 16.Ne4 Rc8 17.Nc5 (else ...Nc2) Rxc5 18.bxc5 Qb2+ 19.Kd1 Bb5 also looks grim for White. My best hope now is somehow pick up the d4 pawn and the Na1 which would give me two pawns for the exchange and good chances to hold if I can get my King to safety. It looks like White may have a chance to pull this off because of his multiple threats, but Kaidanov shows that the White pieces are not on good squares.

16...exd5 17.Qxd5 Qh6+

A good move covering g7 in case of Qe5+ and highlighting the uncomfortable position of the White King.

18.Ng5 Nb3+ 19.Kc2 0-0 20.Kxb3 Rad8 21.Qc5 Rc8 22.Qxd4

Achieving parts one and two of my goal, but my King is not safe.

22...Qxg5 23.Qxd7 Rfd8 24.Qxa7 Qd2 25.Ka4 Rc3 26.Qb6 Qc2+ 27.Kb5 Qxe2+ 28.Ka4 Qc2+ 29.Kb5 Qd3+ 0:1