Games from Round 3 of the Markowski

Here are two interesting games from the third round of the Markowski Open which is turning out to be a historic event in terms of upsets.  My thanks to Perry Sagart who is one of the three leaders at 3-0 and Mariano Lozano and Bassam Shammas for sharing their hard-fought draw with us.

Sagart,Pejman - Herrera,Manuel [E12]
Markowski (3), 21.01.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 Queen Indian Defence 5.a3 Be7 6.Qc2 d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bf4 a6 9.e3 0-0 10.Bd3 Re8 11.0-0 Bf8 12.Rac1 c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Be2 Nbd7 15.Rfd1 Qb6 16.Na4 Qa5? 17.b4! Diagram

winning 17...Qd8 [17...cxb4 18.Bc7] 18.bxc5 Bc6 19.Nb6 Ra7 20.Nd4 Ba8 21.Nxa8 Qxa8 22.c6 Nc5 23.h3 Rc8 24.Rb1 Ne6 25.Nxe6 Rxc6 26.Qd3 Diagram

26...fxe6? [26...Rxe6] 27.Rb8 Qxb8 28.Bxb8 Rb7 29.Be5 Ne4 30.Rb1 Rxb1+ 31.Qxb1 Bxa3 32.Qb7 Rc1+ 33.Kh2 Bf8 34.Bg4 1-0

(2006) Lozano,Mariano - Shammas,Bassam [B03]
Markowski (3), 21.01.2009

1.e4 Nf6 Alekhine Defence 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 Four Pawns Variation 5...dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 g6 A rare line [Most commonly played is 7...Bf5 ] 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be2 Bg7 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Nxf3 f6 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.0-0 Qd7 15.d5 Ne5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bg4 Qa4 18.b3 Qa3 19.Be6+ Kg7 Diagram

20.c5?! [20.Qd2!] 20...Nxd5 21.Bxd5 Rxf1+ 22.Qxf1 Rf8 23.Bh6+? [23.Qc1+-; 23.Qe1+-] 23...Kxh6 24.Qxf8+ Bg7 25.Qf4+ g5 Diagram

26.Qxc7? [26.Qc1! Qb4 (26...Bb2? 27.Qc2 Bxa1 28.Bg8+-) 27.Kh1+/-] 26...Bxa1 27.Qxe7 Qc1+ 28.Kh2 Qf4+ 29.Kh1 Be5 30.Qe6+ Kg7 31.Qg8+ Kh6 32.Qe6+ Kg7 33.Qg8+ Kh6 34.Qe6+ All-in-all an entertaining tactical battle! 1/2-1/2