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E60
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei
4th webchess open tournament semifinal 01
?
1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 g7 4.g3 O-O
5.g2 d6 6.O-O c6 7.c3 b6
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 7. ... b6
{The move 6...c6 is a flexible move and
7...Qb6 has become more popular recently,
perhaps because Carlsen has used it. In
many ways the position resembles a Dutch
Leningrad}
8.b3 e5 9.dxe5
[ {Avrukh, in his 1.d4 Volume Two,
recommends} 9.d5 {as the best way to
expose the black queen. I am also not
fond of early exchanges in the center.
My experience says that it favors Black
because he gets more room to
maneuver.}]
9...dxe5 10.c2 a6 11.e4 c5 12.h3 e6
13.d1 c7 14.a3 d8 15.xd8+ xd8
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 15. ... xd8
{Black has been able to regroup a bit too
easily and the game is already about even.}
16.d1 e8 17.a4 b6 18.c1 f6 19.c5 b5
20.b2 f7
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 20. ... f7
{Both sides continue to try to get more space
and induce weaknesses. Actually, this is the
first critical position for White. How should he
proceed? Black normally wants to play f5 and
attack on the kingside. White normally
counterattacks on the queenside, but here
Black has blocked the position. Perhaps
White should regroup and go for f4 instead,
and not let Black increase the pressure
there.}
21.a4 a6 22.d2 e6 23.a1 c8 24.axb5
axb5 25.a5 d7
{White decided to open the a-file, but it will
soon be apparent that it is Black who has
more to gain.}
26.d1 a7 27.b4 f5 28.exf5 xf5 29.b3
b7 30.h2 h8
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Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 30. ... h8
{White has blocked his own dark-squared
bishop with b4. He should have played
27.Ra1 instead. Why else open the a-file?
White has been too passive and it is Black
who has all chances now. Deep Hiarcs says it
is advantage to Black.}
31.e1?? e4 32.d1 d7 33.g1 f6
34.e3 e5 35.d1 e7
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 35. ... e7
{White is pushed back further. He plays with
one piece less for the moment.}
36.e2 d3 37.c1 e6 38.c2 b2
39.e1
[39.xb2?? g4+ 40.hxg4 xb2]
39...f8 40.xe4 xe4 41.xe4 d7
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 41. ... d7
{Black has all the advantages: the
bishop-pair, an active Nb2, a white bishop out
of play, and now regains his pawn.}
42.e2 xh3 43.c7 e8 44.f4 h5
45.d6 h7 46.xd7 xd7 47.f4 f6
48.c2 g5 49.xe8 xe8 50.e3 d1
Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 50. ... d1
{Black has eliminated his weak pawn and
increased his advantage. It is interesting to
see how he also restricted the activity of
White's dark-squared bishop and now finds a
way to exchange it while weakening White's
structure. This is good endgame play.}
51.d4 g6 52.ce2 d7 53.g2 xe3+
54.fxe3 h4 55.c3? h3+ 56.g1 g4 57.e4
g7 58.e2 f8 59.h2 f5 60.f2 g7
61.g1 a1 62.f4 c3 63.4d3 e6
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Laube, Bernd - Ulasevich, Sergei










Position after 63. ... e6
64.e4+ f6 65.h1 d4 66.d1 c4
67.1f2 xf2 68.xf2 e2 69.g1
{Black breaks through in the center}
69...e5
{and White's queenside pawns fall. White lost
because he played too passively all the way
from 9.dxe5 onward. He let a piece go astray
on a5 for a long time. And lastly, Black was a
better endgame player.}
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