Just two lines by King Lear
Samuel Sevian – Benjamin Finegold
CCSCSL Invitational – GM & IM Norm Event; Saint Louis, November 23, 2014
Sicilian Defence B89
CCSCSL Invitational – GM & IM Norm Event; Saint Louis, November 23, 2014
Sicilian Defence B89
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2. The celebrated Velimirović Attack, named after its early proponent, the late Serbian Grandmaster Dragoljub Velimirović. 8. ... a6 9. Bb3 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Qe8 11. Rhg1 Nd7 12. g4 Nc5. Up to this point the players have been following the main “book”. 13. Nf5!? A controversial sacrifice – Velimirović-style – leading to very sharp play. An “old” entry is 13. g5 b5 14. Qh5 with prospects of an initiative, Espig – Beliavsky, Suhumi 1972. 13. ... exf5 14. gxf5 Nxb3+ 15. axb3 f6 16. Nd5 Bd8 17. Rg3! Rf7. The over-eager 17 ... Qxe4?? loses to 18. Rxg7+ Kxg7 19 Bh6+. 18. Qg4. Apparently, after 18. Rdg1 Qxe4 19. Rxg7+ Rxg7 20. Rxg7+ Kxg7 21. Bh6+ Kxh6 22. Qxe4 Bd7 White has no more than a draw. 18. ... g5? Black loses patience and sensibly weakens his castled King’s position. Sounder was 18. ... Kh8 19. Bh6 g6, defending in order to survive. 19. h4 Rg7 20. hxg5 fxg5 21. Rh1. “Stronger was 21. Rdg1!, threatening – inter alia – Be3xg5!”, Leontxo García writes. However, after 21. Rdg1 h5 22. Qd1 g4 23. Bh6 Qxe4! 24. Bxg7 Bg5+ 25. f4 Bxf5 26. fxg5 Kxg7 the position is far from clear. 21. ... Ne5 22. Qe2 Nf7? A very bad move, which means the surrender of the h5-square to the enemy Queen. I’d have preferred 22. ... Qf7, trying to hold the position.
23. Bb6! A move to be noted. The exchange of dark-squared Bishops enhances White’s attack on the Kingside. 23. ... Bd7 24. Bxd8 Qxd8 25. f6 Rg6 26. Qh5 Kf8. Regretfully but inevitably, since 26. ... Rh6? is refuted by 27. Rxg5+!
23. Bb6! A move to be noted. The exchange of dark-squared Bishops enhances White’s attack on the Kingside. 23. ... Bd7 24. Bxd8 Qxd8 25. f6 Rg6 26. Qh5 Kf8. Regretfully but inevitably, since 26. ... Rh6? is refuted by 27. Rxg5+!
+-. 27. Qxh7 Rxf6. Black, naturally, had no choice, for if 27. ... Rg8 then 28. Ne7 wins. 28. f4! A magnificent coup, breaking down the King’s defences. 28. ... Rc8. If 28. ... g4 then 29. Kb1! Be6 30. Nxf6 Qxf6 31. f5 followed by Rg3xg4 easily winning (Leontxo García’s analysis). 29. Rxg5! Nxg5 30. fxg5 Rf2 31. Qh8+ Kf7 32. Rh7+ Ke6 33. Rh6+ Kf7 34. Qh7+. Missing a quicker win: 34. g6+ Ke6 35. g7+ Kf7 36 g8=Q+ Qxg8 37 Rf6+ and mate in two moves, as originally pointed out by Leonard Barden. 34. ... Kf8 35. Qh8+ Kf7 36. g6+ Ke6 37. g7+ Kf7 38. g8=Q+ 1 : 0. For after 38. ... Qxg8 39. Rf6+ Rxf6 40. Qxf6+ White mates next move.
Samuel Sevian (Maribor, 2012)
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