Countering The Catalan: Part 1



(17) Sasikiran,K (2653) – Kotronias,V (2599) [D34]

7th World Team Championship Bursa TUR (1), 05.01.2010

[fm charles galofre]

1.d4 d5 a different move order. 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5!? The Tarrasch [3...Nf6 4.g3 c5!? Tarrasch from a Catalan.] 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Bg5 Mainline.  [9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Na4 Avrukh in his latest book 1.d4 for quality chess.] 9…c4!? most recent development for black. [9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Rc1²] 10.b3 [10.Ne5 Be6 11.b3 Qa5 (11...h6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.bxc4 dxc4 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.e3 c5 16.Bxa8 Qxa8 17.d5 Bxc3 18.dxe6 Bxa1 19.exf7+ Rxf7 20.Qxa1 Qe4 21.Qb1 1–0 Graf,A (2637)-Fish,G (2523)/Altenkirchen 2005) 12.Qd2 Rad8 13.bxc4 Bb4 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Rfc1 dxc4 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.e3 c5 18.d5 Bxc3 19.Rxc3 Bxd5 20.Bxd5 Rxd5 21.Qc2 1–0 Gelfand,B (2714)-Grischuk,A (2719)/Sochi 2004] 10…cxb3 [10...Qa5] 11.axb3 This is a very curious recapture. I am surprised the game did not continue [11.Qxb3 Pressuring the queenside and d5.] 11…Bf5 12.Bxf6?! After this exchange it seems pretty evident that white is trying to avoid complications or home preparation at all costs.Natural seems to be Ne5 pressuring the center. [12.Ne5] 12…Bxf6 13.e3 Nb4 14.Qd2 a5 15.Rfc1 Rc8 16.Ne1 Be7 17.Na4 Qd6 18.h4 b6 19.Nc3 Qd7 20.Bf1 Bd6 21.Na4 Rb8 22.Rc3 g6 23.Rac1 Rfe8 24.Ng2 Be4 25.Nf4 Qf5 26.Bh3 Qf6 27.Bg2 Bxf4 28.exf4 Bxg2 29.Kxg2 Kg7 30.Re3 Re4 31.Nc3 Rxe3 32.Qxe3 Rc8 33.h5 ½–½