Hurry Up and Slow Down

Mr. Mauro Berni (Genoa, Italy) sent me a game from the 25th Italian Chess Championship (Naples, 20-30 August 1964), which was originally published in Fiorentino Palmiotto’s book “Alberto Giustolisi”, Bologna, 1995, p. 53.

Alberto Mario Giustolisi – Fiorentino Palmiotto
25th Italian Chess Championship; Naples, 1964
Queen’s Gambit Declined D46

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 f5? It’s not a happy choice. Best was 10. ... h6 11. Bc2 e5. 11. Bc2 e5. 11. ... h6 transposes into a classic of chess history: 12. Re1 Nf6 13. Bd2 Bd7 14. Bc3 Qc7 15. Ne5 Be8 16. Qd3 g5 17. Qh3 Qg7 18. Rad1 g4 19. Qe3 Bh5 20. Nxc6 Bxh2+ 21. Kxh2 g3+ 22. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 23. fxg3 Bxd1 24. Bxd1 bxc6 25. Rxe6 Ne4 26. Rxc6 Nxc3 27. bxc3 Kg7 28. Ra6 Rf7 29. c5 Rd8 30. Kg1 Re7 31. Kf2 Rb8 32. Bb3 Rbe8 33. Bc4 Rb8 34. Bd3 h5 35. Kf3 Rb2 36. Bxf5 Rf7 37. Ke4 Re2+ 38. Kd3 Rxg2 39. Rg6+ Kf8 40. Be4 Rg1 41. d5 Rg7 42. Rxg7 Kxg7 43. c6 Kf6 44. c7 Rxg3+ 45. Kd4 Rg8 46. d6 1 : 0 Steinitz – Em. Lasker, Montreal 1894, World Chess Championship match game 14. 12. Bg5! Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov’s move. Colourless is 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bg5 Rf8= Kostić – Fox, New York 1916. 12. ... Be7. If 12. ... Qe8 then 13. dxe5 Bc7 14. Re1± Kotov – Tsvetkov, Moscow 1947. 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxe5! Nxe5 15. Re1 Rd8. If 15. ... Qb4 16. Rxe5 Qxb2 then 17. c5! Kh8 18. Re3 Qb4 19. Qd3 b6 20. a3! Qa5 21. Re7 bxc5 22. Qg3+− Kortschnoi – 诸宸 (Zhū Chén), Bad Homburg 1998. 16. Rxe5 Qh4. From bad to worse, but after 16. ... Qxe5 17. dxe5 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Be6 19. b3 White’s extra Pawn and the open file will soon become decisive. 17. g3 Qf6 (17. ... Qxd4?? 18. Re8+!+−) 18. Qe2 Rxd4 19. Re8+ Kf7 20. Re1 Kg6. The only way not to resign right now. 21. Rh8 b6

22. Bd1. Threatening Qe2-h5#. 22. ... Rg4 23. Qe8+ Kh6 24. Bxg4 fxg4 25. Rf8 Qxb2 26. Qxc6+ 1 : 0.