Round 6

After the sixth round the leading group became larger. Judith Polgar joined Karpov and Bologan. In a keen and interesting struggle she defeated the youngest player at the tournament, Diego Flores, whereas Bologan and Karpov had to be content with draws. The former failed to break defensive redoubts which were built by Nigel Short in the French Defence, and the latter had real winning chances in the game against Vadim Milov, but lost them on the twenty eighth move, having played 28.Bb5? instead of 28.Nc1!. The game Ricardi - Leitao was drawn after Black equalised the chances in a variation of the Catalan Opening, and the duel Milos-Pierrot was put off till the only rest-day of the tournament.

Flores - Polgar [B50]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3

Diego Flores refused 2. c3 which brought him nothing but disappointment in the first and fifth rounds.

2... d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bd3 g6 5. Bc2 Bg7 6. d4 Qc7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. a4

10. Na3 Rd8 11. Qe2 h6 12. Be3 b6 13. Rfd1 Nc6 occurred previously with an approximately equal play in the game Nicevski - W. Schmidt (Polanica Zdroj, 1982).

10... b6 11. Na3 Ba6 12. Nb5 Qe7 13. Qe2 h6 14. Nd2 Nc6 15. Nc4 Rad8 16. Be3 Bc8 17. Rfd1 Be6 18. Nba3

White wants to exchange both pairs of the rooks. He could not have done this immediately as the squares c4 and e4 were underdefended.

18... Rb8 19. Kh2

If 19. Rd6, then Black continues 19... Rfc8 20. Rad1 Ne8 with a position, similar to the one in the game.

19... Ne8 20. Rd2 a6 21. Rad1 Qc7 22. Nd6

White strives for simplifications, hoping to get squares for an intrusion via the d-file.

22... Nd4!?

From a quiet stage the game proceeds to tactical complications.

23. cxd4?

White makes a mistake as soon as tactical play begins. After 23. Nxe8 Rfxe8 24. Qxa6 Ra8 25. Qd3! (in case of 25. Qf1 Nxc2 26. Nxc2 Rxa4 White had to reckon with the pair of black bishops, though the position was still equal) 25... c4 (if 25... Nb3, then after 26. Qd6 Qb7 27. Rd5! White was compensated for the missing exchange more than sufficiently) 26. Qf1 Nxc2 27. Nxc2 Rxa4 28. Nb4 Black’s bishops were absolutely harmless, and the weakness of the square d5 was rather considerable.

23... exd4 24. Bf4 Nxd6 25. Qxa6 Qe7 26. Qe2?!

Another poor decision. Stronger was 26. Nb5 Bc4 27. Kh1 (simplifications like 27. Bxd6 Qxd6+ 28. Nxd6 Bxa6 are not very attractive for White) 27... Rfd8 28. Bxd6 (no time to linger, as after 28. b3 Bxb5 29. axb5 Be5 30. Bxh6 Qh4 not only White’s queen, but also his dark-squared bishop would be isolated) 28... Rxd6 29. b3 Bxb5 30. Qxb5, and White had real chances to defend this position with bishops of different colours.

26... Rbd8 27. Rc1

27... c4!

Another circuit of confrontation begins in the centre.

28. e5 d3

It’s evident that the black knight had no retreat because the pawn c4 stayed underdefended in this case.

29. exd6 Qf6 30. Qe4

In case of 30. Qf3 there was 30... Qxb2 31. Nxc4 Qxc1 32. Bxd3 Bxc4 33. Rc2 Bd5 34. Rxc1 Bxf3 35. gxf3, and Black coped with White’s strong passed pawn d6 with 35... g5! 36. Bg3 f5.

30... Bd5!

Judith Polgar found the strongest of many alluring continuations. In case of 30... Qxb2 31. Nxc4 Qxc1 32. Bxd3 the passed pawn d6 somehow compensated Black’s material loss.

31. Qe3

Really, the sacrifice of the piece cuold not have been taken: after 31. Qxd5 Qxf4+ 32. Kg1 Qxd2 White lost in a single moment.

31... Rfe8 32. Qg3 g5!

Black’s blows follow without rest.

33. Be3

White had already no satisfactory defence. If 33. Bb1, then the quick solution was 33... gxf4 34. Qg4 f3, and in case of 33. Bxg5 there was 33... Qxg5! (if 33... hxg5 34. Bb1, then White had some chances to organise an opposition owing to the weakness of the pawn c4) 34. Qxg5 hxg5 35. Bd1 Be5+ 36. g3 Bxd6, and White was absolutely hopeless because of the threat of 37... Re1.

33... Qxb2!

After this move almost all White’s pieces are hanging.

34. Nb5

There was nothing good for White also in case of 34. Rcd1 Qxa3 35. Bxd3 Be5 36. f4 Bxd6.

34... Qxc1 35. Rxd3 Qxc2 36. Rxd5 Qe4 37. Nc7 Re5 38. Rd4 Qc6 39. Nb5 c3 40. Bc1 Re1 41. Bxg5 hxg5 42. Qxg5 Qe8 0-1 White resigned.