Noli me tangere

Wesley So – Francisco Vallejo Pons
49th Capablanca Memorial; Havana, May 9, 2014
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. b3 Kc8 11. Bb2 b6 12. Rad1 h6 13. h3 a5. Neither 13. ... c5?! 14. Nd5 nor 13. ... Be6?! 14. g4 Ne7 15. Nd4 are too satisfactory for Black (Kramnik’s analysis). The alternative, if anything, is 13. ... Ne7!? 14. Ne2 Ng6 15. Ne1!? h5! 16. Nd3 c5 17. c4 a5 18. a4 h4 19. Nc3 Be6! 20. Nd5 Kb7 21. Ne3 Rh5!= Kasparov – Kramnik, London 2000, match game 1. 14. Rd3. Another try is 14. a4 Ne7 15. Ne2 Ng6 16. Ng3 Nf4 17. Rfe1 c5 18. Re4 Ne6 19. c4 Bc6 20. Re3 Kb7 21. Rd2 Be7 22. Nf5 Bg5 23. Nxg5 Bxg5 24. f3 Rad8 25. Red3 Rde8 ½ : ½ Vallejo Pons – I. Sokolov, Mondariz Balneario 2001, match game 3. 14. ... Ne7. Less convincing looks 14. ... Bb4 15. Ne4 Be6 16. g4 Bd5 17. Nfd2 Bxd2 18. Nxd2 Nh4 19. f4 Kb7 20. e6 with advantage to White, Nijboer – Jonkman, Wijk aan Zee 2002. 15. Rfd1 Bf5 16. R3d2. White refuses to be content with the simple and dry continuation 16. Rd8+ Kb7 17. Rxa8 Kxa8 18. Nd4 Bc8 19. e6 f6 (19. ... fxe6 20. Re1) 20. Re1 Kb7 21. g4 h5 22. Nf5 hxg4 23. hxg4 Ka6 as in the game Hybl – Nejtek, by correspondence, 2010. 16. ... c5 17. Nb5 Nc6 18. Nh4 Be6 19. f4 g6 20. g4 Be7 21. Ng2 Kb7

22. Nd6+! By this propitiating pseudo-sacrifice White tries to change the aspect of the fight. 22. ... cxd6 23. exd6 Rhd8 24. dxe7 Rxd2 25. Rxd2 Nxe7 26. a4 Nc6 27. Ne3 Re8 28. Kf2 f5 29. Bg7 h5 30. gxh5 gxh5 31. c4 Rg8 32. Bc3 Kc7 33. Be5+ Nxe5 34. fxe5 h4? A serious mistake, leading to a débâcle. Correct was 34. ... f4! 35. Ng2 Rg5= or, for the better, 35. Nd5+ Bxd5 36. cxd5 Rg3 with excellent drawing chances. 35. Rd6 Re8. There’s no turning back. If 35. ... f4 then 36. Ng2 Bxh3 37. Nxf4 and wins. 36. Kf3 f4 37. Nd5+ Bxd5+ 38. Rxd5 Rf8 39. Rd2 Rf7 40. Rd1 Rf8 41. Rd2. White has been gaining time on the clock. 41. ... Rf7 42. e6! Masterly liquidation! 1 : 0. For after 40. ... Re7 41. Rd7+! is an easily won ending.

Silvia Bertini
Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”