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Laila Husna vs Hoh Tjin Li (Penang)

MSSM GAME ANALYSIS: LAILA HUSNA vs HOH TJIN LI


White: Laila Husna (Kelantan)
Black: Hoh Tjin Li (Penang)
Event: MSSM 2010 at Kangar, Perlis
Date: 7 June 2010

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e3

A wise move to sidestep the main line.

4... d6 5. Bd3 O-O 6. h3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 b6

The Bishop is seeking a greener pasture after the blockade at h3.

8. O-O Nh5 9. Be4!

Taking advantage of the absence of Bishop from the diagonal.

9... Rb8 10. b3?

Not quite in line with the previous move. A Queen move to a4 to insert pressure on a7 is the better option.

Analysis diagram after 10.Qa4

10... Bb7 11. Bxb7 Rxb7 12. Bb2 e6 13. Rb1 f5 14. Qd2 g5 15. e4

Attacking g5. White is not afraid of the push g4 when she can reply with Ng5 aiming for the weakness at e6.

15... h6 16. d5

A slight mistake. This move enables Black to recover from the weakness at e6. Better is 16.exf5 followed by 17.Nh2 to guard against the g4 push. Black must also consider two of her hanging pieces at h5 and b7.

16... e5 17. Qd3 g4 18. Nh2 Nf4 19. Qd1 gxh3 20. g3 Qg5 21. Bc1 Qg6 22. Kh1 fxe4 23. Qg4

A good move which forced the Queen exchanges, thus leaving the pawns at e4 and h3 susceptible to attacks.

23... Qxg4 24. Nxg4 Nh5 25. Nxe4 Nc5 26. Re1

26.Nxc5 loses immediately to 26... Nxh3+

26... Rbb8 27. Nxc5 bxc5 28. Re2 Kh7 29. Kh2 Nf6 30. Kxh3 Nxg4 31. Kxg4 Kg6 32. Be3 Rf5 33. Rh1 h5+ 34. Kh3 Rh8 35. Kg2 Bh6 36. Bxh6 Rxh6 37. Re4 Kg5 38. Reh4 Rf8 39. g4 Rfh8 40. gxh5 Rxh5 1/2-1/2

Final position

The final position is playable for white. After exchanging all the major pieces, white's King should be the more active. But with correct defense, black can hold its water. The game might continues

41.Rxh5+ Rxh5, 42.Rxh5+ Kxh5, 43.Kf3 Kg5, 44.Ke4 Kf6, 45.f4 exf4, 46.Kxf4 Kg6, 47.Kg4 Kf6, 48.Kh5 Kf5


which should be a draw. However, if black wants to be adventerous with 48...Ke5, 49.Kg5 will spell trouble because black needs at least 10 moves to white's 9 to promote the pawn. A sample line might run

49... Kd4, 50.Kf5 Kc3, 51.Ke6 Kb2, 52.Kd7 Kxa2, 53.Kxc7 Kxb3, 54.Kxd6

a) Now if black continues with the pawn advance, he will get the Queen. But after white gets the chance to exchange it, the extra pawn will become another Queen and checkmates black.

54... a5, 55.Kxc5 a4, 56.d6 a3, 57.d7 a2, 58.d8=Q a1=Q


b) If black chooses to take the c-pawn first, he will not get a chance to promote the pawn

54... Kxc4, 55.Kc6 a5, 56.d6 a4, 57.d7 a3, 58.d8=Q a2, 59. Qg8+