Friday, November 27, 2009

薯條 (French Fries)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Wesley So
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 22, 2009
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Qd2 b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. Bd3 Qb6 11. Qf2 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Bc5 13. Nce2 b4 14. axb4 Nxb4 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Nc1. 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Qh4+ Kg8 (17. ... Kg6?? 18. f5+! exf5 19. Nf4 mate) 18. Rf3 f6! 19. Rh3 Kf7 is rather unclear. 16. ... f6 17. exf6 Rxf6 (17. ... Nxf6 18. Nf5!) 18. c3 Nxd3 19. Nxd3 e5 20. Nxc5 Qxc5 21. Nf3 Qc7 22. fxe5 Nxe5 23. Bd4 Nxf3+ 24. gxf3 Re6 25. Kh1 Rae8 26. Rg1 g6 27. Raf1 Bc8 28. Qh4 Qe7 29. Qh6 Qf8 30. Qg5 Re2 31. Qxd5+ Be6 32. Qg5. If 32. Qc6 then 32. ... Rxh2+! 33. Kxh2 Qh6+ drawing by perpetual check. 32. Qh5 Bf5 32. ... Bh3


33. Qh4 Bf5. Not 33. ... Bxf1?? on account of 34. Rxg6+! hxg6 35. Qh8+ Kf7 36. Qf6+ Kg8 37. Qxg6+ and mate next move. 34. Rf2 Re1 35. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 36. Kg2 h5 37. Rd2 Qe7 38. Bf6 Qe6 39. Bd4 Re2+ 40. Rxe2 Qxe2+ 41. Qf2 Qxf2+ 42. Kxf2 Kf7 43. Ke3 Ke6 44. c4 Kd6 45. b4 Kc6 46. Bc3 Be6 47. Kd4 Bf7 48. Bb2 Be6 49. Bc3 Bf7 50. Bb2 Be6 ½ : ½.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

要塞 (Stronghold)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 15, 2009
Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. 0-0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 a6 10. f4 b5 11. Be2 Bb7 12. Bf3 0-0 13. h4!?TN Qc7 14. Bxf6 gxf6. 14. ... Bxf6 15. Qxd6 Qa5 is the thematic alternative, as after 16. e5 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rad8 18. Qc5 Rc8 Black seems to have sufficient compensation for the Pawn. 15. f5 e5. This concedes White a clear edge. 15. ... Rac8 16. Kb1 Qc5 was probably better. 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Rfc8 18. Rd2 Qc4 19. Be2 Qxd5 20. Rxd5 Rc7 21. a3 Rac8 22. c3 Rc5 23. Rhd1 Kf8 24. Kc2 R8c7 25. R1d3 Rc4 26. Bf3 Ke8 27. b3 R4c6 28. Be2 Rc8 29. Rg3 Kf8 30. Rgd3 Ke8 31. b4 Kd7 32. Rg3 Bf8. If 32. ... Bd8 then likewise 33. a4! bxa4 34. b5 with unpleasant consequences for Black, but the text is even worse.


33. a4! bxa4 34. Ra5 Kc7 35. Rxa6 Rxa6 36. Bxa6 Ra8 37. Bc4 Kb6 38. Rg8 a3 39. Kb1 Rc8 40. Bxf7 Kb5 41. Ka2 Rxc3 42. Rxf8 1 : 0.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Didactics of Chess

L’immaginazione al potere

Gli scacchi Fischerandom (960) sono sicuramente più economici degli scacchi classici. Lo studioso non ha bisogno, infatti, di abbonarsi a tutti i gazzettini teorici del globo, né di accedendere il computer e rincoglionirsi allo schermo come uno zombie tutti i pomeriggi. Le risposte, la vita, come sempre, sono altrove. Nella Storia e nei libri, per esempio. A proposito di scacchi960, vale forse la pena di cominciare (ricominciare) da “I Fondamenti degli Scacchi” di Josè Raul Capablanca (Milano, Aldo Martello Editore, 1971, p. 1): “La prima cosa che lo studioso deve fare è quella di famigliarizzarsi con la potenza dei pezzi”. Informarsi, insomma, e non informatizzarsi. Ché quando l’immaginazione è (sarà) al potere, una grassa risata non ci seppellisca tutti come zavorre ormai sgonfie... Ecco come, per esempio, nei preliminari on line alla kermesse estiva di Magonza, il Grandmaster in fieri Artur Gabrielian – il cui nickname era già tutto un programma: “Dinamite”! – ha irriso il quotatissimo Grande Maestro americano – non ancora Campione del Mondo di specialità – Hikaru Nakamura:

A. Gabrielian (Dinamit) – H. Nakamura (Smallville)
Internet Chess Club (ICC), 28 giugno 2009
nnrqkrbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NNRQKRBB
Posizione 63

[ A. Gabrielian - H. Nakamura, 28.06.2009 :: nnrqkrbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NNRQKRBB ]“Quando i pezzi sono messi sulla scacchiera i giuocatori hanno la stessa posizione e lo stesso materiale. Il Bianco ha, tuttavia, il tratto ed il tratto significa, in tal caso, ‘l’iniziativa’ e questa costituisce un vantaggio. Ora questo vantaggio dev’essere mantenuto il più a lungo possibile e si dovrebbe rinunciare ad esso soltanto se si tratta di ottenere qualche altro vantaggio sia materiale che di posizione”, commenta Josè Raul Capablanca, op. cit., p. 69. Nei Fischerandom l’iniziativa è semmai ancor più decisiva, dacché in più posizioni di partenza non tutti i Pedoni sono difesi – come lo sono invece negli scacchi classici. 1. g3 Cc6 2. Cb3 f5 3. Cc3 Cb6 4. f4 g6 5. Cc5 All’attacco dell’indifeso Pb7. 5. ... Tb8 È interessante 5. ... d6!? onde rispondere a 6. Cxb7 con 6. ... Dd7. 6. d4 Cc4 Era ancora all’ordine del giorno 6. ... d6 ove se 7. Cxb7 allora (ancora) 7. ... Dd7. 7. b3 Ca3 8. Dd2 b6 Dopodiché il Bianco si avvantaggia con intuitiva naturalezza. Se però 8. ... d6 allora 9. Ca6! Tc8 10. Axc6+ bxc6 11. Ca4! con potente iniziativa. 9. Ca6 Tc8 10. d5 Cb8 11. Cxb8 Txb8 12. Ad4 ± Af6 Oppure 12. ... Axd4 13. Dxd4 e6 14. 0-0-0 con manifesto vantaggio del Bianco. 13. e4! “Le quattro case e4, d4, e5, d5, costituiscono le case centrali ed il controllo delle stesse è chiamato ‘controllo del centro’. Il controllo del centro è di grande importanza. Nessun attacco violento può riuscire senza che si abbia almeno il controllo di due di tali case e, possibilmente, di tre”. (Josè Raul Capablanca, op. cit., p. 26). 13. ... fxe4 Risposta obbligata. 14. Cxe4 Axd4 15. Dxd4 Cb5 16. Dg7 “Dinamite” domina la posizione! 16. ... Cd6 Dopo 16. ... Axd5? 17. 0-0-0!! il Nero è in una valle di lacrime. 17. Cxd6+ Anche dopo 17. 0-0-0 (ovvero 17. 0-0) 17. ... Cf5 18. Cf6+! exf6 19. Tfe1+ il Nero è condannato, ma Gabrielan preferisce un’inesorabile “pitonizzazione”. 17. ... cxd6 L’alternativa era 17. ... exd6 18. Rd2 Df6, ma dopo 19. Tfe1+ Rd8 20. Dxf6+ Txf6 21. Te2 l’assoluto dominio della colonna aperta sarà presto decisivo. 18. Rf2 Dc7? La resa. Comunque dopo 18. ... Tc8 19. Af3 la paralisi del Nero sottende un’imminente capitolazione. 19. Tfe1 Af7 Con tutta l’innocenza dell’incoscienza, ma la situazione era ormai disperata. 20. Txe7+! 1 : 0. Motivazione dell’abbandono: 20. ... Rxe7 21. Te1+ e matto in due.

The Woman in the Wood

倪华 (Ní Huá) – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
40th Chinese Chess Championship; 兴化 (Xīnghuà), June 5, 2009
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nc3 Nxe4 6. cxd6 Nxc3 7. bxc3 exd6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. 0-0 Nc6. After 9. ... 0-0 10. Rb1 Nd7 (or 10. ... Qxa2 11. Bg5 Nc6 12. Re1↑ Yandemirov – Dubinsky, Smolensk 1997) 11. Re1 Bf6 12. Rb5 Qxa2 13. Ng5↑ White’s initiative more than compensate for the Pawn, Benjamin – Kudrin, 4th Toronto International Open, Toronto 1998. 10. Re1 0-0 11. Rb1 Qc7TN 12. Be4 Bg4 13. Qd3


13. ... Kh8? (⌓ 13. ... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Rab8⩲) 14. Nd4 Nxd4. Now after both 14. ... Rab8 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rxb8 Rxb8 17. Qe4 and 14. ... Ne5 15. Rxb7! White would win at least a Pawn. 15. cxd4 f5


16. Rxb7 Qa5 (16. ... fxe4 17. Qxe4+−) 17. Qd2 Qxd2 18. Bxd2 Bf6 19. Bd5 h6 (19. ... Bxd4 20. h3 Bh5 21. Rb4 Bc5 22. Rh4 Bf7 23. Bxa8+−) 20. c3+− Rae8 21. f3 Bh5 22. Rxa7 Rxe1+ 23. Bxe1 Re8 24. Ra8 Bd8 25. Kf1 Kh7 26. Bc6 Rf8 27. a4 Bf7 28. d5 f4 29. a5 Bg6 30. Ke2 1-0

The Time Came

Youngest 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) wins national chess title

CCTV, June 19, 2007


The 2007 National Chess Championship wound up in 重慶 (Chóngqìng) city with 13 year old 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) setting an unbeaten record to win her first title. 侯 (Hóu) becomes the youngest player to win the championship, breaking the record set by 上海 (Shànghǎi)’s 秦侃滢 (Qín Kǎnyìng) who won her first title at the age of 14 in 1988.
Monday was the final day of matches at the 2007 National Chess Championship. Her victory on the last day made the 13-year-old 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the youngest chess national champion.


侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) didn’t let her fans down. She also broke the record set by 秦侃滢 (Qín Kǎnyìng) from 上海 (Shànghǎi) who was crowned at 14 in 1988.
侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said, “I am very happy to be the champion, but it’s just the beginning of my chess career. I will play chess for a long time and I’m starting to think about the next competition as soon as I finished this one. I won’t be over excited about it”.
Second and third place went to 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) and 沈阳 (Shěn Yáng) respectively. While in the men’s group, reigning champion 倪华 (Ní Huá) won his second straight title.

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Prince Behind the Queen

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí)
2nd “茅台王子杯” (“Máotái Prince Cup”) Queens Tournament; 锦州 (Jǐnzhōu), September 20, 2009
Pirc Defence B07

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 c6 5. Qd2 b5 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. h3 Bg7 10. Ne2 0-0 11. a4 Bb7 12. Ng3 a6 13. 0-0 Qe7 14. c4 b4 15. c5! a5. The Pawn is taboo as 15. .. Nxc5?? 16. Qxb4 Nfd7 17. Rfc1 costs the Knight. 16. Qc2


16. ... Ne8?! Heading to e6 via c7, but it is better to play first 16. ... Rfd8 17. Rfd1 Ne8 18. Bc4 h6 19. Rd2⩲ Palac – Ftáčnik, 9th International Open, Ljubljana 1998. 17. Rfd1 Nc7 18. Bc4 Kh8 19. Bb3 f5? This is a novelty, and even a worse one than the known theory: 19. ... Ne6 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Rd6 Qe8 22. Qd2 Nf6 23. Bh6 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Ng8 25. Qd2 Bc8 26. Rd1 Be6 27. Nxe5 Bb3 28. Nd7 Bxd1 29. Qxd1 Rc8 30. Qd4+ f6 31. Nxf8 Qxf8 32. Ne2 Qe7 33. Nf4 Re8 34. f3 1 : 0 Marciano – Leski, 72nd French Chess Championship, Narbonne 1997. 20. exf5 Nd5 21. fxg6 Nxe3 22. fxe3 Nxc5 23. Nf5 Rxf5 24. Qxf5 Nxb3


25. Ng5! This must have shocked 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí). 25. ... h6. Black cannot take the Rook: 25. ... Nxa1 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. gxh7+ Kf8 28. Nxe5+ Qf6 (or 28. ... Ke8 29. Qh5+ Kf8 30. h8=Q+ followed by mate) 29. Ng6+ Kf7 30. Rd7+ Ke8 31. Rxg7 Qxg7 32. h8=Q+ Qxh8 33. Qe6+ Kd8 34. Qd6+ Kc8 35. Ne7#. On the other hand after 25. ... Rf8 26. Nf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7 Qxf7 28. gxf7 Nxa1 (28. ... Bf8 29. Rd8 Kg7 30. Rf1+−) 29. Rd8+ Bf8 30. Rxf8+ Kg7 31. Rh8! Kxf7 32. Rxh7++− White remains with a completely won ending. 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Rd7 Bc8 28. Rd8+! Qxd8 29. Nxh6+! Kh8 30. Nf7+ Kg8 31. Nh6+ Kh8 32. Qh5 Ra7 33. Ng4+ Bh6 34. Nxh6 Kg7 35. Nf7 Qd5 36. Qh6+ Kf6 37. g7+ Kxf7 38. Rf1+ Ke7 39. Qg5+ 1 : 0.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A Jubilee Year

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Roi Reinaldo Castiñeira
Jubiläums-Open “200 Jahre Schachgesellschaft Zürich” Alois Nagler Memorial; Zürich, August 15, 2009
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d3 Nf6 5. 0-0 0-0 6. c3 c6 7. Bb3 Nbd7 8. Re1 Re8 9. Nbd2 Bf8 10. d4 Qc7 11. h3 h6 12. Bc2 g6 13. Nf1 Bg7 14. Ng3 Nf8 15. Be3 Be6 16. Qd2 Kh7 17. Rad1!?TN (17. Nh2 d5 18. dxe5 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 dxe4 20. Nxe4 Red8 21. Qc1 Bxe5 22. Nf3 Bg7 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. Nxd4 Kg7 25. Qe3 Bd5 26. Ng3 Be6 27. c4 c5 28. Nb5 Qe7 29. Ne4 a6 30. Nbc3 Bxc4 31. Na4 Be6 32. Qc3+ f6 33. Nb6 Rab8 34. Nxc5 Qf7 35. Ne4 Bd5 36. Nxd5 Rxd5 37. Nxf6 1 : 0 Ghindă – Mascariñas, Lvov 1981) 17. ... Rad8 18. Qc1 Bc8 19. Nd2 Ne6 20. Nf3 b6 21. b4 Nf8 22. a4 N8d7


23. h4 Nf8 (23. ... Ng4!?) 23. ... Nf8 24. h5 Bg4 25. hxg6+ fxg6 26. dxe5 dxe5 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Nh2 Bc8 29. f4 exf4? (29. ... c5! 30. b5 c4 31. f5⩲) 30. Bxf4 Qe7 31. e5 Nd5 32. Bd2 Qh4 33. Ne4 Ne6 34. Nf3 Qe7


35. Nd6! Threat: 36. Bxg6+ Kxg6 37. Qb1+ Kh5 38. Qf5+ Ng5 39. g4 mate. 35. ... Rxd6 36. exd6 Qxd6 37. Nh4 Ndf4. 37. ... Nf8 38. Re8 is also hopeless. 38. Bxf4 Nxf4 39. Re8 Be6


40. Qxf4! 1 : 0. The Queen is taboo due to 41. Bxg6 mate.

From August 9–15, 2009 at the Jubiläums-Open “200 Jahre Schachgesellschaft Zürich” Alois Nagler Memorial in Zürich, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) won the “best female player” prize. Photo: Schachgesellschaft Zürich SZ.

Monday, November 9, 2009

A Precarious Balance

Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th NH Chess Tournament; Rising Stars vs. Experience; Amsterdam, August 30, 2009
Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. 0-0 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Bd5 11. Qd3 Be4 12. Qe3 Bc6 13. a5TN Nbd7 14. Nc3 h6 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Qd3 Bb4 17. Qc4 Qe7 18. Ne5 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 c5 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 Rfd8 23. Rfd1 Rab8 24. Rd3 Bd6 25. Nf3 Bc7 26. Ne1 g6 27. b4 h5 28. Rad1 Rxd3 29. Nxd3 Bd6 30. Rc1 Rd8 31. Rc4 Qd7 32. Rd4 Qe7 33. h4 Qc7 34. Rc4 Qd7 35. Qf3 Rc8 36. Rxc8+ Qxc8 37. Qe4 Qc7 38. Kf3 Kf8 39. Qd4 Ke7 40. e4 Qc6 41. Ke3 f6 42. f4 Kf7 43. e5. Beliavsky fights to the last ditch to avoid a draw, which, indeed, should be an “objectively” fair result. 43. ... Be7 44. Qe4. White offers the exchange of Queens, speculating on 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)’s inexperience in defending a drawish — but not drawn — endgame.


44. ... Qc7? Too much anxiety of avoiding the exchange, and Black moves her Queen to the worst square! 45. exf6 Bxf6? Yet this may be the losing move! There was nothing better for Black than going into a bad ending a Pawn down with 45. ... Kxf6! 46. Ne5 Qc3+ 47. Kf2 Qd2+ 48. Kg1 Bxb4 49. Qxg6+ Ke7 50. Qg5+ Kf8 51. Qf6+ Ke8 52. Qxe6+ Kd8 53. Nf7+ Kc8 54. Qe5+ Kc8 55. Qh8+! Kc7 56. Qxh5 Bxa5 57. Qc5+ Kb8 58. Ne5 and hope not to get worse. 46. Nc5! Now the b7-Pawn falls and with it the game. 46. ... Qc8 47. Qxb7+ Qxb7 48. Nxb7 Bc3 49. b5 e5 50. bxa6 Bd4+ 51. Ke4 Ke6 52. fxe5 Bf2 53. Nd6 1 : 0.

The old fox got the best of her prey. Photo courtesy of Zsuzsa Polgár/Chess Daily News.

Half of One Thing

J. Deepan Chakkravarthy – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
7th Asian Continental Chess Championship; Olongapo City, May 16, 2009
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. e3 c5 8. Qc2 0-0 9. Bd3 Qa5 10. 0-0 c4 11. Bf5 Re8 12. Nd2 g6 13. Bh3 Kg7 14. Bh4 Nb6 15. Bxc8 (15. Nb3 cxb3 16. axb3 Bxc3 17. Rxa5 Bxa5 18. Bxf6+ Kxf6 19. Qc5 Bxh3 20. gxh3 Bd2 21. Rd1 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Rxe3 23. Qc7 Kg7 24. Rf1 Rf8 25. Qxb7 Rxb3 26. Qxa7 Rxb2 27. Rf2 Rb1+ 28. Kg2 Nc4 29. Qe7 Rb3 30. Rf3 Rb2+ 31. Rf2 Rb6 32. Re2 Rf6 33. Rf2 Rd6 34. Kg3 Kg8 35. Rf6 Rxf6 36. Qxf6 Ne3 37. Qe5 Nf5+ 38. Kf2 Rd8 39. Kg1 h5 40. Kf2 Ng7 41. Qc7 Ne6 42. Qa5 Rc8 43. Qxd5 Rd8 0 : 1 Alekseev – Morozevich, 14th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2007) 15. ... Raxc8 16. Bxf6+ Kxf6 17. a3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Na4 19. Rac1 Kg7. Black stands better already, intending ... Rc8-c6-b6-b2.


20. Rfe1!?TN (20. e4 dxe4 21. Nxe4 Rc6 22. f3 Nb6 23. Qb2 Re7 24. Nc5 Nd5 25. Nxb7 Qb6 0 : 1 Onischuk – Morozevich, 15th Russian Team Chess Championship, Dagomys 2008) 20. ... Rc6 21. e4 dxe4 22. Rxe4 (22. Nxe4 Rce6−+) 22. ... Rxe4 23. Nxe4 Re6 24. h4. 24. f3 Nb6 is quite similar to the game. 24. ... Re7 25. Ng3 Nb6 26. Qd2 h6! 26. ... Qxa3? 27. Qg5 would make White happy. 27. Qa2? After this Black has no difficulty in consolidating her advantage. Instead 27. Re1! Qxa3 28. h5 was not yet clear at all. 27. ... h5 28. Qd2 Qxa3 29. Qg5 Kh7 30. Rd1? (30. Rb1 Qd6∓) 30. ... Qd6 31. d5? Re5−+ 0 : 1.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte † (1918–2009)

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte (Vildoga, October 7, 1918 – Riga, October 19, 2009), was a Latvian chess master who shared third place with Sonja Graf, behind Vera Menchik and Clarice Benini at Stockholm 1937.

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte – Clarice Benini
6th Women’s World Chess Championship; Stockholm, 1937
Slav Defence D18

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Be7. Theoretically speaking, the Canal Variation (7. ... Bb4) is more scientific. 8. 0–0 Nbd7 9. Re1. Another continuation is 9. Qe2 0-0 10. e4 Bg4 as in Harum – Benini, 6th Women’s World Chess Championship, Stockholm 1937. 9. ... Ne4 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Bd3 Nf6 12. Bxe4 Nxe4 13. Qc2 Qd5 14. Nd2 Nf6 15. Nf3 Qe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe4 17. Nd2 Bb4 18. Rd1 Nxd2 19. Bxd2 a5? After 19. ... Bxd2 20. Rxd2 Ke7(!) the ending is more balanced. 20. Bxb4 axb4 21. Rdc1± Kd7 22. Rc4 Ra5 23. Rxb4 b5 24. Kf1 Rha8 25. b3 Kd6 26. Ke2 f6 27. Kd3 R8a7 28. f3 g6 29. g3 e5 30. dxe5+ fxe5 31. Re4 c5 32. h4 Rf7 33. f4 Re7 34. g4 c4+ 35. bxc4 bxa4 36. c5+ Rxc5 37. Raxa4 Rd7 38. Ra6+ Kc7+ 39. Ke2 Rc2+ 40. Kf3 Kb7 41. Re6 exf4 42. Kxf4 Rh2 43. Kg5 Rd5+ 44. R4e5 Rd7 45. Re7 Kc7 46. h5 gxh5 47. gxh5 Kd8 48. Rxd7+ Kxd7 49. Kh6 Kd6 50. Rg5 Re2 51. Rg3? (51. Kxh7 Rxe3 52. h6+−) 51. ... Rh2 52. Tg7? (52. Rg5! Δ 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6+−) 52. ... Re2 53. Kxh7 Rxe3 54. h6

[ Lauberte - Benini (Stoccolma, 1937) :: Posizione dopo 54. h6 ]
54. ... Te8? (54. ... Ke6! 55. Kg8 Kf6 56. Rf7+ Kg6=) 55. Rf7 Re1 56. Kg8 1 : 0.