那不勒斯 (Naples)

Mr. Mauro Berni very kindly sent us – taken from La Gazette de Lousanne of September 3, 1960 – the first board game of the team match Naples – Budapest (Naples, May 19, 1960) – for the record, the Hungarians won 9½–1½.

Levente Lengyel – Francesco Scafarelli
Team match Naples – Budapest; Naples, May 19, 1960
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 c6 5. e3 a6 6. Qc2 Nbd7 7. b3 b5!? 8. Bd3. The alternative is 8. Be2 Bb7 9. 0-0 Rc8 10. c5 g6 11. b4 with a slight edge for White. 8. ... bxc4? A committal reply. For 8. ... Bb7 9. c5 g6 10. e4 see Kluger – Szily, 7th Hungarian Chess Championship, Budapest 1951. 9. bxc4 dxc4 10. Bxc4 c5 11. d5! exd5. No better is 11. ... e5 12. 0-0 Bd6 13. Be2 0-0 14. Nd2 Nb6 15. e4 Bg4 16. Bxg4 Nxg4 17. a4 c4 18. a5 Nd7 19. h3 Ngf6 20. Nxc4 Bc5 21. Na4 Bd4 22. Bb2 Bxb2 23. Naxb2 Qc7 24. Rac1 Rab8 25. Qe2 Qa7 26. Rfd1 Rb4 27. Nd3 Ra4 28. Qc2 1 : 0 Muse – Rukavina, Sibenik 2005. If, instead, 11. ... Nb6 then 12. dxe6! fxe6 (12. ... Nxc4 13. Qa4+±) 13. Be2 and White stands a little better. 12. Nxd5 Bd6 13. Bb2 h6. Clearly not 13. ... 0-0?? because of 14. Ng5 g6 15. Nxf6+ Nxf6 16. Qc3 Be7 17. Ne4+-. 14. Rc1 0-0 15. 0-0 Rb8 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Be5 Rb6 18. e4 Ng4!? After 18. ... Ne8 (Paoli) 19. Ba1 White retains a very powerful initiative. It was, however, worth considering 18. ... Bxe5 19. Nxe5 Be6 with prospects of long-term survival. 19. Ba1 Qc7 20. h3 Nh2 21. Qc3 Nxf3+ 22. gxf3 Bh2+ 23. Kh1 Rg6 24. Rg1! Bxg1? Too greedy! Best was 24. ... Kh8! in order to answer 25. Qxg7+ Rxg7 26. Bxg7+ (26. Rxg7?? Be5-+) by 26. ... Kh7 27. Bxf8 Bxg1 28. Rxg1 Qf4 29. Rg7+ Kh8 30. Bxf7 Qxf3+ 31. Kg1 Bxh3 32. Rg8+ Kh7 with a perpetual check. 25. Rxg1 Kh8. A malincuore, but if 25. ... Rxg1+ then 26. Kxg1 and mate in two moves!

26. Qxg7+!! The most elegant solution! 27. ... Rxg7 27. Rxg7 Qa5. Or 27. ... Be6 28. Bxe6 Qd6 (Paoli) whereupon there follows 29. Rxf7+ Kg8 30. Rg7+ Kh8 31. Rd7+. 28. Rxf7+ Kg8 29. Rg7+ Kh8 30. Rd7+ 1 : 0. There follows mate in two moves.