Lost in the Echo

Roberto Messa (SS Triestina 1904) – Nicolò Napoli (Augusta Perusia)
46th Italian Team Championship; Condino, May 2, 2014
Modern Defence B15

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. e5. Many years ago, in the 6th Tournament “Banco di Roma”, Roberto preferred the insipid 5. Bg5 Nf6 6. exd5 cxd5 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Re1 h6 11. Bh4 ½ : ½ Messa – Sibilio, Rome 1982. More testing is 5. h3!, e.g. 5. ... Nf6 6. Bd3 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nxe4 8. Bxe4 Nd7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Re1 c5 11. c3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Nf6 13. Bc2 Be6 (13. ... b6 14. Bf4 Bb7 is roughly even) 14. Rxe6!? fxe6 15. Ng5 Qd6 16. Qe2 and White should retain sufficient compensation for the Exchange, Mariotti – Tseshkovsky, Interzonal Tournament, Manila 1976. 5. ... Bg4. As would say Bobby Fischer, Black prepares to sac the “minor Exchange”. 6. h3. Another try is 6. Be2 h5 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 e6 9. 0-0 Nh6 10. Bxh6 (I don’t like this move!) 10. ... Bxh6 11. a4 a5 with approximate equality, Paoli – Dimitrijevic, 2th International Tournament, Kallithea 1976. 6. ... Bxf3 7. Qxf3 f6. A dubious move, leading to an enduring weakening of the e-file (and of the e7-Pawn). For 7. ... Qb6 see Buckley – Pert, Scarborough 1999, whereas for 7. ... e6 see Denishev – Svetlov, Saint Petersburg 2012. 8. exf6 Nxf6 9. Bg5 0-0 10. Qe3. Massing on the key squares of the board! 10. ... Rf7 11. 0-0-0 b5 12. Bd3 Nbd7 13. f4 b4 14. Ne2 Qa5 15. Kb1 Nb6. Desperately aiming for a bid of counterplay, but White tightens the grip. 16. Qe6 c5 17. f5. Now White has excellent possibilities for a winning attack against Black’s King. 17. ... gxf5 18. Bxf5 Qb5 19. Rd3. Not bad. But simpler (and much stronger) is 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Bxh7+ with a decisive advantage for White. 19. ... Rf8 20. dxc5 Qxc5 21. Nd4? A careless move. Correct is 21. Be3 Qc7 22. Rf1 keeping a strong bind. 21. ... Ne4 22. Be3 Nd6? Playing for the loss – as they say. 22. ... Nc4 23. Nb3 Qc7 was the best fighting chance. 23. Bg4. With the threat of Bg4-h5. 23. ... Kh8 24. Nf3 d4 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Nxd4 Ndc4 27. Re1 Na4

28. Rf3?? An unfortunate blunder – possibly in time-pressure. Simply 28. Nf5! (threatening 29. Qxf7! Rxf7 30. Rd8+ and mate next move) was the most elegant way of breaking up Black’s King’s defences; for example: 28. ... h5!? 29. Qh6+ Kg8 30. Nxe7+! Rxe7 31. Be6+! Rxe6 32. Rg3+ and mate follows speedily. 28. ... Qxd4 Oops! 0 : 1. For if 29. c3 bxc3 30. Rxf7 then 30. ... Qd3+ and mate next move. Despite the result, a very beautiful game of International Master Roberto Messa!