Zvjaginsev an American 'killer'

By Kristianus Liem

This is the fourth in a series of six articles on the World Chess Championships held in Groningen, the Netherlands, in December last year.

JAKARTA (JP): In the third round, the last standing American GM, Yasser Seirawan, was no match for young Russian Grand Master Vadim Zvjaginsev, already conqueror of two U.S. players.

Seven leading Americans competed in this first KO championship, and six of them were seeded: 1997 U.S. champion GM Joel Benjamin, GM Boris Gulko, GM Larry Christiansen, Seirawan, 1997 FIDE World Junior Champion Tal Shaked, and 1996 U.S. champion Alex Yermolinsky.

But after spirited tussles, only Seirawan and Shaked were able to advance to round two, joining unseeded compatriot, GM Gregory Kaidanov.

Zvjaginsev, 21, had earned his reputation for putting paid to American chances. He picked off Benjamin in the first round, Kaidanov in the second and then took care of Seirawan in the next.

Seirawan had reason to rue missed chances. He agreed to a draw when short of time but in a better position against Zvjaginsev in game one.

In the second game, he built up a winning position but, in order to build up more time on the clock, decided to repeat the position. He carelessly repeated once too often, allowing his relieved opponent to claim a draw by three-fold repetition.

This kind of miss can be disturbing. It's not clear that happened here, but Seirawan was held comfortably in the first game of the playoffs, and then demolished by Zvjaginsev in a beautifully constructed game.

Seirawan still had a chance if he could win the second rapid play-off, but he never really got close. He lost 1,5-2,5, and with him ended his country's chances.

White: GM Vadim Zvjaginsev Black: GM Yasser Seirawan Queen's Gambit Declined

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 0-0 8.Rc1 a6!?

An old trick. If he gets the chance Black may nullify any significant advantage for White with the sequence: 9...dxc4 10.Bxc4 b5 11.Bd3 c5 and 12...Bb7.

9.b3 b6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Bf5 g6 13.Bh3

Improvement from their first game (normal time-rate) 13.Bxd7 which followed by 13...Nxd7 14.Bg3 Rc8 15.0-0 Nf6 16.Qe2 Nh5 17.Be5 f6 18.Bg3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Kg7 20.Qd3 Qe8 21.Nh4 f5 22.Ne2 Bd6 23.Nf4 g5 24.Nxf5+ and here the game was agreed drawn, Zvjaginsev-Seirawan, Groningen 1997.

13...Re8 14.0-0 Nf8 15.Ne5 N6h7 16.Bxe7 Rxe7 17.g3 Qd6 18.Bg2 Rd8

19.Qc2 Ne6 20.Rfd1 Kg7 21.Qb2 f6 22.Nd3 Nhf8 23.b4 g5?!

See diagram.

24.Nc5!

This deep combination literally earns Zvjaginsev the victory in the match.

24...bxc5 25.bxc5 Qc6

Force.

26.e4!

This is the point. If now 26...dxe4 27.d5 Qe8 28.Nxe4! (not 28.Qxb7 Nxc5 29.Qa7 Nd3 30.Rb1 f5 31.Qxa6 Nd7 32.a4 N7e5 or 28.dxe6 Rb8 29.Qe2 Rxe6 30.Nd5 Bxd5 31.Rxd5 e3! and Black's position slightly better) 28...Bxd5 29.Nxf6 Qb5 30.Qxb5 axb5 31.Nxd5, White took back his piece, winning a pawn with a better position.

26...Red7 27.exd5 Rxd5 28.Nxd5 Rxd5 29.Rb1 Nd8

It doesn't take much computing to figure out that 29...Ba8 was Yasser's last chance. But after 30.Qb8 Black is so tied up, that he'll probably lose anyway.

30.Qe2 Qd7

For 30...Ng6 31.Re1 Re5 32.Bxc6 Rxe2 33.Rxe2 Bxc6 White wins the Exchange.

31.Rxb7!

Another fine combination.

31...Nxb7 32.c6! Qxc6 33.Qe7+ Kg8 34.Qe4 1-0

Black resigned here, because after 34...Rd6 35.Qxc6 Rxc6 36.Bxc6 Nd8 37.Bd5+ again Black lost the Exchange.