GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista - IM-elect Alice Lee 

Canadian Transnational Classic, (1)


D10: QGD Slav Defence, Exchange variation

1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 The Slav Defence is an easy-to-play system for players of all levels looking for a reliable Black defence to the Queen's Pawn opening. The problem for higher-rated players is that, with the Exchange variation, the symmetrical set-ups on both wings make it difficult to avoid a lot of draws - but being a seasoned GM with a hefty 250+ rating advantage, Bruzon hopes to grind his younger opponent down, but to her credit, Lee holds her nerve and the draw. 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.e3 a6 7.Bd3 Bg4 8.Nge2 e6 9.O-O Bd6 10.f3 Bh5 11.Na4 O-O 12.Nc5 The ideal square for the knight, as it can't be kicked with ...b6 due to Nxa6! This is a position though that has become a focus for attention, as we reach a crossroads of plans. 12...Bxf4N The current debate in this line is the move 12...Rb8!? championed by a young JK Duda in 2014 that worked well for the Pole in the stem game against Bruzon himself! That game continued 13.Rc1 Nb4 (Also, a further twist has seen 13...e5!? scoring some upset victories, but mainly in online blitz events) 14.Bb1 a5 15.a3 Na6 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.Qd2 Nxc5 18.Rxc5 b6 that soon ended in a draw (32) in Bruzon-Duda, Tromso 2014. Rather than playing into a well-analysed line that Bruzon would be familiar with, Lee rightly decides to "mix it up" with the GM. 13.Nxf4 Qe7 14.Rc1 Bg6 15.Nxg6 Both automatic moves from either side. 15...hxg6 16.f4 Putting the "Big Clamp" on Black playing the freeing ...e5. 16...Rfc8 There's not much in this position - it just takes the teen to hold her nerve against the GM by finding the correct way to rejig her knights, after which, Bruzon doesn't have much to play with to force a win. 17.a3 Rc7 18.Rf2 Rac8 19.Rfc2 Nb8 The knight has to retreat to directly contest the c-file, and perhaps slightly better was 19...Na7 20.b4 Ne8 21.a4 Nd6 with equality and both sides having their pieces on their most optimum squares. 20.h3 Ne8!? As noted above, a more than useful manoeuvre as Lee's knight has more scope operating from the d6-square. 21.g3 Nd6 22.h4 Nd7 23.b4 It is indeed a fascinating tussle of experience vs youth - many teens would crumble under the extreme pressures, but Lee shows her mettle by not giving anything away to the GM. 23...Nf5 The engine prefers instead 23...Nf6 - but Lee rightly spots that White has weak points on g3 and e3 and something for Bruzon to worry about. 24.Nxd7 Bruzon was probably trying to make 24.Nxb7 work in his favour - but Lee was ahead of the game with her previous move, as White has nothing after 24...Nxe3 25.Rxc7 Rxc7 26.Qe1 Rxb7 27.Qxe3 a5! 28.b5 Qxa3 29.Rc8+ Nf8 and the engine says White now has to take the tactical bail-out with 30.Qd2 Qa1+ 31.Kg2 Qxd4 32.Qxa5 Qxd3 33.Rxf8+ Kh7 34.Qa8 Qe2+ and a perpetual check. 24...Qxd7 25.Kf2 Rxc2+ 26.Rxc2 Nd6! With the knight again controlling e4 and c4, and pieces being traded freely, Black has no problems as she achieves complete equality and a draw on the cards. 27.Qc1 Rxc2+ The more pieces that get exchanged, the easier the draw. 28.Qxc2 Qc8 29.Qc5 The only try left for Bruzon is to try and "boss the position" with a very actively-placed queen - it does look strong, but it is not enough on its own as Lee finds all the right moves to stay competitive. 29...Qd7 30.a4 (see diagram) Left to his own devices, Bruzon would like to tighten the squeeze with b5 - but Lee cunningly avoids this from happening. 30...Ne4+! Freeing up the d5 square for Black's queen to take up a similar dominating post, and with it Bruzon by now had to realise this game was petering out to a draw. 31.Bxe4 dxe4 32.b5 axb5 33.axb5 No better was 33.Qxb5 as 33...Qxb5 34.axb5 f5! leads to a similar impasse as in the game, though with a little twist, as 35.Ke2 Kh7! 36.b6 Kh6 and White's king has to stay within the f2/g2 zip code otherwise the Black king marches in via g4 to f3 (or even h3, if White doesn't get his king to g2 in time) and xe3 to queen the e-pawn first. 33...Qd5 Kudos to Lee, who has finely calculated that the K+P ending is just a draw due to a blockade. 34.Qxd5 exd5 35.g4 f6 36.f5 g5! 37.hxg5 fxg5 38.Ke2 White would like to play 38.b6, but can't, as his king is one square too far away, where now 38...Kf7 39.Ke2 Ke7 40.Kd2 Kd6 41.Kc3 Kc6 42.Kb3 Kxb6 43.Kb4 Kc6 44.Ka4 and he's on the worse end of a drawing K+P ending where, despite being sans a pawn, the White king saves the day by (just) holding the opposition. 38…b6 ½-½ The perfect blockade with no pawn breaks and neither king able to cross their own fourth rank. A well-played game from 13-year-old Alice Lee against a very experienced GM.