Blow by Blow

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Brief notes by Gladstone Gander

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Rafael Duailibe Leitão – Fabiano Caruana
39th Chess Olympiad; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 30, 2010
Grünfeld Defence D76

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. e3 0-0 9. 0-0 Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. Qe2 Be6. For the crucial alternative 11. ... e5 see Sargissian – Vachier-Lagrave, Leon 2012. 12. Rd1 Bc4 13. Qc2 Nb4 14. Qb1 e5! The most straightforward rejoinder. 15. a3!? Clearly not 15. dxe5?? on account of 15. ... Qxd1+! 16. Nxd1 Bd3 and as Black recovers immediately the Queen, he remains the Exchange ahead. If, instead, 15. b3 may follow 15. ... exd4 16. Nxd4 Bd3 17. Qb2 Ba6 18. Ne4 Rxe4 19. Bxe4 c5 20. Qa3 cxd4 21. Bb2 Qe7 22. Qxa5 Qxe4 23. Qxb4 Nd5 24. Qa4 b5 25. Rxd4 bxa4 26. Rxe4 Bxb2 0 : 1 Stockmann – Erdogdu, 12th European Individual Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 15. ... exd4! 16. axb4

16. ... dxc3! A brilliant conception. Black gets a satisfying compensation for the Queen. 17. Rxd8 Raxd8. With the deadly threat of ... Rd8-d1+. 18. Qc2? As then suggested by Caruana, the proper play was 18. bxc3 Rd1+ 19. Bf1 Bxf1 20. Qc2 Be2+ 21. Kg2 Bf1+ with a draw by perpetual check. 18. ... axb4 19. Nd2! Blow for blow! Of course, both 19. bxc3? b3! and 19. Nd4? Rxd4! would lose outright. 19. ... cxd2 20. Bxd2 Ra8! Black is aiming to conquer the first rank. 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. Bxb7? White has no time for such amusements. Mandatory was 22. h4 Ra1+ 23. Kh2 b3 24. Qe4 Bxb2 25. Qe7 Rd1 with only a slight edge for Black (Arsovic’s analysis). 22. ... Ra1+ 23. Bc1. Reluctantly, but also after 23. Kg2 Bf1+ 24. Kf3 Nc4! Black’s attack is overwhelming, e.g. 25. Bxb4 Ne5+ 26. Kf4 Nd3+ 27. Kf3 Rc1 28. Qa4 Ne5+ 29. Kf4 Rc4+ 30. e4 Nd3+ with an easy win. 23. ... b3 24. Qd1? A final error. However, even after 24. Qd2 Be6 White is doomed. 24. ... Bxb2 0 : 1.