Round 3 Board 2
1. d4 g6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nge2 O-O 6. f3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Ng3 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Nbd7 11. Be2 h5!?
A double edged move trying to take advantage of the position of Ng3. I've played this idea before, but only through the normal Saemisch move order where White has played Be3. A more solid continuation is 11...Re8.
12. Bg5
taking advantage of the move order
12... Qe8?!
The start of a bad plan. The queen should go to a5 or c7. Showing that even the very best players aren't superhuman opening machines, this move was also played by none other than Vladimir Kramnik in a loss to Vassily Ivanchuk at the Las Palmas supertournament in 1996. I remembered this idea, but thought that Kramnik had played it in a draw with Kasparov, not a loss to Ivanchuk.
13. Qd2 Nh7
13... Rb8 14. Bh6 also gives a small advantage to White according to Ivanchuk.
14. Bh6 Bxh6?!
continuing down the wrong track. Better is 14...h4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 as in the game Renet-Sorin Buenos Airies 1991 although after 16.Nf1 White has avoided the dislocation of his knight to h1 and has a slight advantage. Kramnik tried 14...Qe5, but Ivanchuk considered that move dubious.
15. Qxh6
Here, Ivanchuk suggests 15...Ndf6 followed by either Bd7 or Rb8 trying to generate some queenside play.
15... Qe5 16. Nf1
White's edge is considerably larger here with the queen deep in the heart of Black's position. Queen exchanges via ...Qg7 lead to unpleasant endings for Black since the White knight will easily establish itself on c4
16... Rb8 17. Nd2 Qf6 18. O-O Ne5 19. Rf2 Bd7 20. Re1 b5
The queenside play Black strives for in the Benoni, but White is completely prepared for the central break.
21. f4 Ng4 22. Bxg4 hxg4
22... Bxg4 is probably a little bit better, although White still has a big plus after 23. e5. Also, 23. f5!? with the possibility of trapping the bishop is very dangerous for Black.
23. e5 Qg7 24. Qxg7+ Kxg7 25. axb5 Bxb5
The kind of mistake that just flows from a bad position. There is no chance for the bishop to become active from this spot, and the Black pawn structure becomes even further wrecked as the two queenside pawns become isolated.
26. Nde4 dxe5 27. fxe5 c4 28. Nd6 Ng5 29. Rf4 Bd7 30. Re2 Rb4 31. Ref2 f5 32. exf6+ Kg8 33. Rxc4 Rxc4 34. Nxc4 Bf5 35. Ne3 g3 36. hxg3 Kf7 37. Nxf5 gxf5 38. Rxf5 Kg6 39. g4 Nh7 40. Ne4 Rb8 41. f7
Time pressure is over, so it is time to resign. [1:0]