中土大陸

Fabiano Caruana – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
FIDE Grand Prix; Baku, October 3, 2014
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 h5 9. Qd2 Nbd7 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. exd5 g6 12. Be2 Bg7 13. Na5. Departing from 13. 0-0 0-0 14. Rac1 (for 14. Na5 Qc7 15. c4 e4 see The Baron – HIARCS, Tilburg 2011) 14. ... b6 15. h3 Re8 16. g4 hxg4 17. hxg4 Nh7 18. g5 f5 19. gxf6 Bxf6 20. Rf2 Bg5 21. Rg2 Bxe3+ 22. Qxe3 Ndf8 23. Bd3 Ra7 24. Rf1 Rf7 25. Qh6 Kh8 26. Nd2 Rf4 27. Rg4 b5 28. Ne4 Nd7 29. Rxg6 Rg8 30. Ng5 1 : 0 Caruana – Gelfand, Wijk aan Zee 2014. 13. ... Qc7 14. c4. Less inspired is 16. 0-0-0? (Anand – Kramnik, Dortmund 2004, rapid match game 4) 14. ... Nb6! 15. Bg5 (15. Bxb6 Qxb6 slightly favours Black) 15. ... 0-0 (Anand’s analysis). For 14. 0-0 0-0 15. c4 b6 16. Nc6 Nb8 see Goloshchapov – Moradiabadi, Moscow 2005. 14. ... e4 15. 0-0 exf3 16. gxf3. 16. Bxf3 is answered by 16. ... Ng4. 16. ... 0-0 17. b4 Rfe8 18. Rac1

18. ... Rxe3!? The Israeli Grandmaster – his surname meaning “elephant” in the Yiddish language – is a very brave player. Here he sacrifices the Exchange for a lively game of pieces, especially on the dark squares. The “ordinary” alternative was 18. ... Re7 19. Rf2 Rae8 20. Bd4 Kh7 21. Qb2 Bh6 22. Rc2 Be3 23. Bxf6 Nxf6 24. Qxf6 Re5 25. c5 dxc5 26. d6 Qd7 27. Nc4 Rg5+ 28. Kh1 Re6 29. Qxg5 Bxg5 30. bxc5 Qb5 31. Nd2 Rxe2 0 : 1 Bodek – Molner, Arlington 2013. 19. Qxe3 Re8 20. Qd2 Kh7. Intending ... Bg7-h6. 21. Nb3 Bh6 22. f4 Ne4 23. Qe1 Ndf6 24. Bd3 Qd7 25. Rc2 Qh3 26. Qd1. 26. Qe2! looks much more suited to probe the soundness of the opponent’s sacrifice. 26. ... Bxf4! 27. Qf3. And not 27. Bxe4? because of 27. ... Rxe4 28. Qf3 Qh4 with a vehement attack. If, instead, 27. Rxf4 then 27. ... Qe3+ 28. Rff2 (idem to say 28. Rcf2) 28. ... Nxf2 29. Rxf2 Ng4 30. Qf3 Nxf2 31. Qxf7+ Kh8 32. Qf6+ with a draw by perpetual check. 27. ... Qxf3 28. Rxf3 Ng5 29. Rf1 Re3 30. Nc1 Ng4 31. c5 dxc5 32. bxc5 Re8? Careless. The proper play was 32. ... Be5 in order to answer 33. d6 by 33. ... Rh3 as 34. d7?? loses outright to 34. ... Bxh2+ 35. Rxh2?? (also after 35. Kg2 Ne3+ Black wins) 35. ... Rxh2 36. d8=Q?? Nh3 mate. The more likely sequel 33. c6 bxc6 34. dxc6 Bc7 is double-edged. 33. h4? An exchange of courtesy. After the strong prophylactic move 33. Kh1! Black’s initiative is into a deadlock, e.g. 33. ... Ne3 34. Re2+-. 33. ... Re3 34. hxg5 Rg3+ 35. Kh1. Clearly not 35. Rg2?? because of 35. ... Be3+ and Black wins. 35. ... Rh3+ 36. Kg2 Rg3+ 37. Kh1 Rh3+ ½ : ½.

Silvia Bertini
Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”