Rodshtein, Maxim vs Zhou, Jianchao
Aeroflot Open A · Round 8 · 2011.02.15 · 1-0 · D74 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation
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PGN
[Event "Aeroflot Open A"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2011.02.15"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Rodshtein, Maxim"]
[Black "Zhou, Jianchao"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[WhiteElo "2625"]
[WhiteFideId "2806851"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[BlackFideId "8603537"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[ECO "D74"]
[Source "Codekiddy"]
[SourceQuality "3"]
[ImportDate "2026-01-06"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Nc3 Bf5 { Vachier-Lagrave started playing this in 2010. } 9. Nd2 $1
{ A new move. The threat of e2-e4 winning a piece ensures White controls the centre. }
9... Nb6 10. e4 Bd7 11. Nb3 Qc8 12. Bg5 h6 13. Be3 Bh3 ( 13... Nc4
{ is a natural-looking alternative. } ) 14. Qe2 Bxg2 15. Kxg2
{ [diagram] [Source "Terabase"] White has secured an edge out of the opening. The black knights have little scope. }
15... Rd8 16. Rad1 a5 17. d5 Ne5 18. f4 Nec4 19. Bd4 e6 ( 19... a4 20. Bxg7
Kxg7 21. Nd4 c5 22. Ndb5 { also looks like a secure edge for White. } ) 20.
Bxg7 Kxg7 21. dxe6 Qxe6 22. Nd4 Qe7 23. b3 Qb4 24. Rd3 Na3 ( 24... Rxd4 25.
Rxd4 Qxc3 26. Rd3 { loses the exchange for a pawn. } ) 25. Qd2 Rf8 26. f5
{ White already has too much artillery pointed at the barely defended kingside for Black to have a realistic chance of survival. }
26... c5 { [diagram] } 27. Ne6+ $5 ( 27. e5 $5
{ Spectacular but in fact only one of several winning moves here. One is }
27... cxd4 28. Rxd4 Qc5 29. f6+ Kh7 30. Qxh6+ $1 { and mate next move. } ) (
27. f6+ { Another is } 27... Kh7 28. Ne6 $1
{ when the capture on e6 allows a rook check on d7 followed by mate, and }
28... Rg8 { loses to } 29. g4 $1 fxe6 30. Rh3 g5 31. Qd3 { , etc. } ) 27...
fxe6 28. f6+ Rxf6 ( 28... Kh7 29. Rd7+ Kg8 30. Rg7+ Kh8 31. Qxh6# ) 29. Rxf6 (
29. Rd7+ Nxd7 30. Qxd7+ Kh8 31. Rxf6 { also wins. } ) 29... Kxf6 30. Qxh6 Nc2
31. e5+ Kf5 32. Qg7 $1
{ [diagram] White is a piece down and allowing a king and rook fork but the tactics still work in his favour. }
32... Ne1+ 33. Kf1 Nxd3 ( 33... Nd5 $5 { The computer finds } 34. Nxd5 Nxd3 35.
g4+ Kg5 36. Qf6+ Kh6 37. Nxb4 Nxb4 { but } 38. Qxe6
{ still leads to a comfortable win. } ) 34. Qf6+ Kg4 35. Qxg6+ Kf3 36. Qxd3+
Kg4 37. Kg2 $1 Kg5 { [diagram] Only one move now wins. } ( 37... Rg8 38. h4
Qxc3
{ and White could simply take the queen, though curiously he wins even more material if he postpones it, thus }
39. Qe4+ $1 Kh5 40. Qh7+ Kg4 41. Qxg8+ Kf5 42. Qh7+ $1 Kxe5 43. Qh8+
{ and wins the queen anyway. } ) 38. Qh7 $1
{ The threat of h4+ followed by Qg6 mate can only be stopped at the cost of both rook and queen. }
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