Capelle La Grande

The Capelle La Grande tournament had the next NZ GM Puchen Wang (goto http://www.newzealandchess.co.nz/ for info on how to help with this process) participating,

the final standings can be found here

http://www.cappelle-chess.com/IMG/html/GAMFINAL.html

Perhaps not an outstanding result for Puchen but he is showing that a GM title is not so far out of his grasp. Below is one of his games that I have decided to annotate.

Wang,P (2383) - Hebden,M (2530) [A48]24e Open de Cappelle la Grande Cappelle la Grande, France (2), 17.02.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.e3? A passive move which is popular at club level, you would be lucky to find a GM playing this and with good reason. Black has now equalised on move 3 with Wang's talent he should be scoulded for playing such an opening.

3...Bg7 4.Bd3 0-0 5.0-0 d6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.e4 There goes the wasted tempo

7...e5 8.c3 b6 [8...Re8 A more classical approach by black 9.Re1 Nf8 10.Nf1 c6 11.Ng3 Qc7 12.h3 Bd7 13.Be3 Rad8 14.Qc2 c5 15.d5 Rc8 16.Nd2 h5 17.c4 N8h7 18.Be2 Rf8 19.Rab1 Ne8 20.b4 h4 21.Ngf1 f5 22.f3 cxb4 23.Rxb4 b6 24.Rbb1 Qd8 25.a4 Nef6 26.Bd3 Nh5 27.Qa2 Ng5 28.Qa3 Nf7 29.Rec1 Nf4 30.Bxf4 exf4 31.Re1 Re8 32.Rbc1 Bd4+ 33.Kh2 Qf6 34.Rc2 Bc5 35.Qa1 Ne5 36.Nb3 Qg5 37.Nxc5 Rxc5 38.Rd1 Nxd3 39.Rxd3 fxe4 40.fxe4 Rxe4 41.Nd2 Re3 42.Rxe3 fxe3 43.Nf3 Qf4+ 44.Kg1 Bxh3 45.gxh3 Qxf3 46.Rg2 Kh7 47.Qd4 Qxh3 48.Qf6 Qf5 49.Qxh4+ Kg7 50.Qe7+ Qf7 51.Qxd6 Rxc4 52.Qe5+ Qf6 53.Qxe3 Qd4 54.Re2 Rxa4 0-1 Bohanan,E-Lombardy,W/Ventura 1971/EXT 98 (54)]

9.Re1 a5!? An interesting idea, black starts a possible flank attack and also if white ever pushes his pawn to d5 then c5 will be a nice square for the knight because a b4 is not a threat. 10.Nf1 Bb7 11.Ng3 Re8

12.d5?! Inconsistant and really just giving black something to attack. [12.Qc2 h6 13.Be3 Perhaps this is more in keeping with white's strategy started on move 3]
12...c6 13.c4 Nc5 14.dxc6 Bxc6 15.Bc2 With such heavy pressure on white's e-pawn he is limited in what he can do the d5 square cannot be held because white is lagging in development. 15...Qc7 16.Nd2 h5 A dummee move with no real substance trying to induce a kingside weakness but Puchen is not so obliging. [16...a4 17.f3 b5 18.cxb5 Bxb5 Black is clearly better. 17.f3 b5 Black is trying to take over the whole board with pawn moves but this is just a little too optimistic. A concentratoin of force in one area of the board is very effective in destroying your opponent. Black's space advantage should be used by his pieces [17...h4 18.Ne2 h3] 18.Ne2 bxc4 19.Nxc4 d5 20.exd5 Nxd5 [20...Bxd5 21.Nd2 Rad8 22.Nc3 Bc4 White is nearly falling off the board I challenge you to find a move that doesn't lose.]
21.Bg5 e4?! Black has a better combination by taking advantage of white's awkward pieces placed on the c-file. [21...Nb4 22.Ng3 Ne6 23.Be3 Rad8 24.Qc1 Bd5 25.b3 Bxc4 26.bxc4 e4 27.Bxe4 f5 28.Bd5 Bxa1 29.Qxa1 Nxd5 30.cxd5 Rxd5]
22.Nd4 Bxd4+ 23.Qxd4 Ne6 24.Qd2 Nxg5 25.Qxg5 Nb4 26.Rac1



Nxc2? [26...Nxa2 Black wins a pawn and keeps his positional edge.]
27.Rxc2 exf3 28.Ne5 Qa7+ 29.Rf2 fxg2 30.Rc1 Rxe5?! White was threatening a perpetual by Nxg6 but this is not the way to avoid the draw. [30...Be4!]
31.Qxe5 The rest of the game shows Puchen's defensive skills. Infact white has better winning chances if black overpresses in his desperate attack.
31...Re8 32.Qf4 Bd5 33.Qd2 Ba8 34.Re1 Rxe1+ 35.Qxe1 Bd5 36.Qe5 Qc5 37.Qc3 Qe7 38.Qd2 Qe5 39.Re2 Qf5 40.Re1 Bxa2 41.Qxg2 Bd5 42.Qg3 Bc6 43.h4 a4 44.Re2 Qd5 45.Qf4 Qd1+ 46.Kf2 Qh1 47.Rd2 Qg2+ 48.Ke3 Qg1+ 49.Qf2 Qc1 50.Qf6 Bb5 51.Qg5 Bc4 52.Kd4 Be6 53.Qf4 Kg7 54.Ke3 Qg1+ 55.Qf2 Qh1 56.Qg3 Bg4 57.Kd4 Qc1 58.Qc3 Qe1 59.Kc5+ Kh7 60.Qf6 Qxd2
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