[Event "Open 50+"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2025.02.25"] [Round "08"] [White "Hebden, Mark L"] [Black "Novikov, Igor"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2363"] [BlackElo "2490"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D02"] [Opening "London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation"] [StudyName "2025 FIDE World Senior Team Championships"] [ChapterName "Hebden, Mark L - Novikov, Igor"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/lbyDv1vS/tOP9grgB"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] { With the other three games being drawn, Novikov's victory over Hebden was the decider in the penultimate round's match-up against England 1. } 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:43] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:43] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:14] } 3. Bf4 { [%clk 1:30:45] } 3... c5 { [%clk 1:31:02] } 4. e3 { [%clk 1:29:47] } 4... Qb6 { [%clk 1:30:45] } (4... Nc6 { is the main move. }) 5. Nc3 { With the d-pawn weaker, White transposes into a Jobava London. } { [%clk 1:27:21] } (5. c4 { is the other way to play the position, as tried by Carlsen in 2020 and Abasov more recently. } 5... cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nbd7 7. Nc3 Qxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nb6 10. Bb3 e6 11. O-O Bb4 12. a3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Nbd5 14. Bd2 Ne4 15. c4 Nxd2 16. Nxd2 Nf6 17. a4 Bd7 18. Nf3 O-O 19. Ne5 { and White went on to win in Abasov – Petrov, European Teams, 2023. }) 5... a6 { [%clk 1:29:49] } 6. dxc5 { [%clk 1:24:49] } 6... Qxc5 { The point of White's move order was to use the pressure on the d5-pawn to provoke the queen to this slightly exposed location. } { [%clk 1:29:58] } 7. Bd3 { Until here, Hebden had been following a game played against Novikov in the U.S. Senior Championship four years ago! In that game, Christiansen played: } { [%clk 1:21:10] } (7. Ne5 e6 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 e5 12. Bg3 $10 { when Black was fine. White wants e3-e4 and Black wants to prevent it. The players eventually drew in Christiansen – Novikov, St. Louis, 2021. }) 7... Nbd7 $146 { [%clk 1:22:18] } (7... Bg4 { is more direct, fighting for the e5-square with all the pieces. But Black's choice avoided the only few games in the database! } 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nbd7 10. e4 e5 11. Bg3?! (11. Bd2! d4 12. Ne2 $14 { was an improvement }) 11... d4 12. Ne2 Qa5+! { White has no good response. } 13. c3 dxc3 14. bxc3 Ba3 { A bit ambitious. } (14... Be7 15. O-O O-O $15) 15. Rb1 b5 16. O-O Rc8 { The game got sharp from here: } 17. Bc2 O-O 18. Rfd1 Be7 19. Bb3 Qc7 20. a4 bxa4 21. Bxa4 Nc5 22. Bc2 Rfd8 23. Nd4 g6 24. Bh2 Nh5 25. Nf5 { With a still-level position before Black erred with } 25... gxf5?! $16 { giving White ea nice edge, which he converted in 27 more moves in Georgiev – Lantzsch, Bundesliga, 2022. }) 8. O-O { [%clk 1:17:23] } 8... g6 { [%clk 1:21:17] } 9. a4 { [%clk 1:03:43] } (9. Re1 Bg7 10. e4 dxe4 { Note that } (10... d4?! { is well-met by } 11. Na4 Qa5 12. c4 $16 { showing why keeping the a4-square clear could be advantageous for White in these lines. }) 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 O-O 13. c3 Nf6 14. Bc2 $14 { would be a straightforward way for the game to continue. White's lingering pressure on the e7-pawn gives them the slightest edge. }) 9... Bg7 { [%clk 1:02:29] } 10. h3 { [%clk 0:55:24] } 10... b6 { [%clk 0:59:22] } 11. Bh2 { [%clk 0:53:21] } (11. e4 { would be logical, before Black finishes development. The threat of e4-e5 should be addressed, but } 11... d4 12. Ne2 e5 { is tough to evaluate for White. Had White had 12. Na4 available, the position would have been more clearly favorable. } 13. Bh2 Bb7 14. c3 $13 { White might be better as long as Black's center can be undermined like this. }) 11... Bb7 { [%clk 0:56:57] } 12. Ne5 { [%clk 0:50:25] } 12... O-O { [%clk 0:55:13] } 13. Be2 { [%clk 0:44:10] } 13... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:52:37] } 14. Qd4 { [%clk 0:37:02] } 14... Rac8 { [%clk 0:48:54] } 15. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:35:16] } 15... e6 $15 { The opening has been a smashing success for Black. Both of Black's bishops enjoy diagonals with potential targets on them, and Black's c-rook enjoys the half-open file. White is struggling to coordinate. } { [%clk 0:44:01] } 16. Ra3 { [%clk 0:27:24] } 16... Qxd4!? { [%clk 0:31:37] } (16... Bf8 { would be a way to keep the tension. }) (16... Ne8!? { is also a curious move, but of course wholly impractical. The idea is } 17. Nxd7 Qxa3 18. Qxb6 Qe7! 19. Qxb7 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Qxd7 $15 { where the bishops will struggle against Black's mighty center. Perhaps Black would play like this in a win-at-all-costs game, but not here. }) 17. exd4 { With the e-file half-open and the e5-knight better-covered, White's life has gotten easier. Plus, the a3-rook has more of a future now, too. } { [%clk 0:27:27] } 17... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:30:54] } 18. Bxe5 { [%clk 0:26:56] } (18. dxe5?! { is the recapture White usually wants to make, but here the e-pawn comes under fire: } 18... Nd7 19. Rb3 { There is no time for } (19. f4? { because } 19... Bf8! 20. Raa1 d4! { forces the knight to concede the c2-pawn. } { [%csl Rc2][%cal Rd1d4,Gc8c2,Gc5g1] }) 19... g5! $17 { [%cal Rf2f4] }) 18... Nd7 { [%clk 0:30:39] } 19. Bxg7 { [%clk 0:24:59] } 19... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:31:06] } 20. f4 { [%clk 0:25:10] } 20... h5 $10 { Black is no worse, as the b6-pawn is not much of a target. But the light-squared bishop is passive on b7. Still, an instructive, maneuvering game is ahead. } { [%clk 0:28:23] } 21. Rd2 { [%clk 0:24:08] } 21... Nf6 { [%clk 0:27:08] } 22. h4 { [%clk 0:20:37] } 22... Ne8 { [%clk 0:27:00] } 23. Rb3 { [%clk 0:19:32] } 23... Rc6 { [%clk 0:27:13] } 24. Bd3 { [%clk 0:18:33] } (24. a5 b5 25. Bd3 $10 { prepares Nc3-a2-b4, but Black's ... Ne8-d6 is a nice counter. } { [%cal Gc3a2,Ga2b4,Ge8d6] }) 24... Nd6 { [%clk 0:26:30] } 25. Kf2 { [%clk 0:18:19] } 25... Nc4 { Logical play from Novikov: ... d5xc4 greatly improves the d-rook and the bishop, while leaving the knight on c4 gives him the undisputed best minor piece on the board. } { [%clk 0:20:25] } 26. Rd1 { [%clk 0:16:16] } 26... Bc8 { Plus, the a6-pawn is no longer attacked, allowing Black to reposition his worst piece. It's worth noting that, when we are taught to improve our pieces, that often means putting them in conversation with each other. Part of what made Black's knight so good on the c4-square was that it allowed the bishop to stop having to guard the a6-pawn (without Black having to push ... a6-a5 and leaving the c6-rook guarding a backwards b-pawn). } { [%clk 0:14:46] } 27. Ne2 { [%clk 0:15:06] } 27... Bd7 { Black can now think about ... b6-b5 ideas to improve the bishop. } { [%clk 0:14:47] } 28. Ra1 { [%clk 0:14:41] } 28... Rb8 { [%clk 0:13:12] } 29. Ra2 { [%clk 0:14:03] } 29... Rcc8 { [%clk 0:12:05] } (29... Nd2 30. Rc3 Rxc3 31. Nxc3 $14) 30. Ng1?! { White misevaluates a concrete idea. } { [%clk 0:09:25] } 30... Nd2! { [%clk 0:08:39] } 31. Rc3 { Without the knight on e2, this is a less savory trade. } { [%clk 0:08:18] } (31. Rba3 b5 { improves Black's bishop! }) 31... Rxc3 { [%clk 0:06:38] } 32. bxc3 { [%clk 0:08:42] } 32... b5 { Black continues on his plan over the past dozen moves, while White's c-pawns make new targets for Black's rook and knight. } { [%clk 0:06:27] } 33. axb5 { [%clk 0:08:18] } 33... Bxb5 { [%clk 0:06:50] } 34. Ne2 { [%clk 0:07:55] } 34... Nc4 { [%clk 0:06:38] } 35. Nc1 { [%clk 0:07:47] } 35... Nd6 { The knight is again sitting pretty on the d6-square. } { [%clk 0:05:47] } 36. g3 { [%clk 0:06:12] } (36. Bxb5 axb5 37. Ra7 Rc8 { is winning, as } 38. Ne2 Ne4+ $19 { still drops at least one c-pawn. }) 36... Rc8 { [%clk 0:04:09] } 37. Ne2 { [%clk 0:05:28] } 37... Rc6 { [%clk 0:04:10] } 38. Ke3 { [%clk 0:05:35] } 38... Kf6 { [%clk 0:04:31] } 39. Ra5?! { Black's squeeze has been ramping up, but this inaccuracy right before the time control gives Black a chance to clarify the position. } { [%clk 0:03:18] } 39... Nc4+! { [%clk 0:03:08] } 40. Bxc4 { [%clk 0:03:41] } 40... Rxc4 { Black's bishop ties the pawns together, while White's knight is both ineffective and tied down to the c3-pawn. These imbalanced trades are hard to evaluate under time pressure, which is why inviting 39. ... Nc4+ was a bold choice from White, even if Hebden believed the trade favored him. } { [%clk 0:03:25] } 41. Ra1 { [%clk 0:02:11] } 41... Kf5 $19 { Now it should be clear: it wasn't about the pieces that stayed on the board but rather the ones that came off. Without a light-squared bishop, White's kingside is full of holes. From here, Black wins material. } { [%clk 0:29:06] } 42. Rg1 { [%clk 0:31:28] } 42... Kg4 { [%clk 0:27:44] } 43. Kd2 { [%clk 0:31:52] } 43... Rc7 { [%clk 0:25:33] } 44. Nc1 { [%clk 0:32:01] } 44... Kh3 { [%clk 0:23:36] } 45. Nd3 { [%clk 0:31:25] } 45... Kh2 { [%clk 0:23:42] } 46. Re1 { [%clk 0:31:24] } 46... Bxd3 { [%clk 0:22:12] } 47. cxd3 { [%clk 0:31:21] } 47... Kxg3 { With phase one complete, Novikov converts the won rook endgame with good technique: } { [%clk 0:22:36] } 48. Rc1 { [%clk 0:31:40] } 48... Kxh4 { [%clk 0:17:29] } 49. c4 { [%clk 0:30:55] } 49... Kg4 { [%clk 0:17:16] } 50. Ke3 { [%clk 0:31:04] } 50... a5 { [%clk 0:15:39] } 51. Rg1+ { [%clk 0:31:05] } 51... Kf5 { [%clk 0:16:02] } 52. Rg5+ { [%clk 0:30:42] } 52... Kf6 { [%clk 0:16:28] } 53. cxd5 { [%clk 0:31:07] } 53... exd5 { [%clk 0:16:41] } 54. Rxd5 { [%clk 0:31:30] } 54... Ra7 { [%clk 0:17:00] } 55. Kd2 { [%clk 0:31:51] } 55... a4 { [%clk 0:17:15] } 56. Kc2 { [%clk 0:32:15] } 56... a3 { [%clk 0:17:35] } 57. Kb1 { [%clk 0:32:40] } 57... a2+ { [%clk 0:17:51] } 58. Ka1 { [%clk 0:33:09] } 58... Ra3 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:18:12] } 0-1