Chess: The mating game (2)
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Your support makes all the difference.THE MOST efficient demolition of the year so far has been Gata Kamsky's win against Joel Lautier in Dortmund. Abandoning the routine 4. Nxd4 against the Sicilian, Kamsky recaptured with his queen. The usual continuation then is 4 . . . Nc6 5. Bb5 Bd7 6. Bxc6 when, at the cost of the bishop pair, White's queen maintains her active position in the centre.
Lautier played 4 . . . a6 to avoid the bishop pin, giving White time to prepare a retreat for the queen on d2. Black made his big mistake with h6 and d5, the first move creating a potential weakness and the second opening the game to provide the conditions for White to exploit it.
After that, everything flowed for Kamsky. White's pressure on the central files forced Black to castle, when queen and bishop were perfectly lined up for 17. Qxh6. The rest was murder, with the defenders of Black's king hopelessly outnumbered. At the end, there is no good defence. 26 . . . Be6 (to stop Bc4+) allows Bh7+ followed by Bg6+, while 26 . . . Qe7 invites Nd5 and Nf6+. At the very least White regains the exchange, remaining three pawns ahead.
White: Kamsky
Black: Lautier
1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 cxd4
4 Qxd4 a6
5 Bg5 Nc6
6 Qd2 Nf6
7 Bd3 e6
8 c4 h6
9 Bf4 d5
10 exd5 exd5
11 0-0 Be7
12 Nc3 Bg4
13 cxd5 Bxf3
14 dxc6 Bxc6
15 Rad1 0-0
16 Bxh6 gxh6
17 Qxh6 Re8
18 Bc4 Bd7
19 Rd4 Bf8
20 Qg6+ Bg7
21 Qxf7+ Kh8
22 Rh4+ Nh7
23 Rxh7+ Kxh7
24 Qh5+ Bh6
25 Bd3+ Kg8
26 Qxh6 1-0
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