Sunday, October 8, 2017

Rituals and Ceremonies

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Davíð Kjartansson
33rd European Chess Club Cup; Göynük, October 8, 2017
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. d4 Qd8. This is a very rare line that seems far less convincing than the critical 7. ... e5(!) – probably Black’s best. 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Bd3 Nd7 10. 0-0 Nf6. The potentiality of White’s initiative is well illustrated by the following (old) game: 10. ... 0-0 11. Qe2 c6 12. Bf4 Qa5 13. Rab1 Qh5 14. h3 b6 15. Rfe1 Bb7 16. c5 Nf6 17. c4 Rfe8 18. Qf1! (Δ g2-g4) 18. ... h6 19. Be5 Kh8 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. g4! Rg8 22. Qg2 Bxc5 23. gxh5 Rxg2+ 24. Kxg2 Rg8+ 25. Kf1 1 : 0 Jussupow – Barbero, 17th World Junior Chess Championship, Graz 1978. 11. Ne5 0-0 12. Qf3 c5 13. Rd1 Nd7 14. Qh3 g6. Clearly not 14. ... h6? because of 15. Bxh6! with a devastating attack. 14. ... f5 might be another reasonable choice, even though it looks hardly better than the text. 15. Nf3 e5


16. Qh6 Re8? Thus Black drives the e5-Pawn to his doom. Best was 16. ... exd4! 17. cxd4 Re8 with a still tenable game. 17. Ng5 Nf6. If 17. ... Bxg5 18. Bxg5 f6 then 19. Bxg6! Re7 20. Bf5! fxg5 21. Qxg5+ Kh8 22. Bxh7! with three Pawns for the Knight and a formidable attack. 18. dxe5 Bf8 19. Qh4 h6? This is harakiri, but after 19. ... Rxe5 20. Bf4 Black, who is virtually forced to give up the Exchange, could not last long anyway. 20. Nxf7! 1 : 0.

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