Anticonformity

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
77th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 13, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bc1 Nf6 8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 Bg7 12. h3 Ne5 13. Be2. The alternative is 13. f3, e.g. 13. ... Nbc6 14. Bf2 Be6 15. h4 Rc8 16. hxg5 hxg5 17. Rxh8+ Bxh8 18. Qd2 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Qa5 20. a3 Nc4 21. Bxc4 Bxd4 22. Qxd4 Rxc4 23. Qd2 Qc5 24. 0-0-0 b5 25. Ne2 Qf2 26. b3 Rc5 27. Nd4 Qxd2+ 28. Kxd2 g4 29. Rh1 gxf3 30. gxf3 Kd7 31. Rh8 Rc8 32. Rxc8 Kxc8 33. Nxe6 fxe6 34. f4 Kd7 35. Kc3 Kc6 36. Kd4 a5 37. c3 Kc7 38. c4 Kc6 39. cxb5+ Kxb5 40. f5 exf5 41. exf5 1 : 0 Ivanchuk – Gelfand, 北京市 (Běijīng) 2014. 13. ... Nbc6 14. Nb3. No better looks 14. Nf5 Bxf5 15. exf5 0-0 16. Nd5 e6 17. Ne3 d5 18. fxe6 fxe6 19. 0-0 Ng6 20. Bg4 Qf6 21. c3 Nf4 22. Re1 Rad8 23. Qb3 Rf7 24. Rad1 ½ : ½ G. Szabo – Safarli, 10th European Individual Championship, Budva 2009. 14. ... b5 15. a4!? A novelty. The previous was 15. Nd5 Nc4 16. Bxc4 bxc4 17. Nd2 Bxb2 18. Rb1 Be5 19. Nxc4 Bxg3 20. fxg3 Be6 21. 0-0 Rb8 22. Rb3 Rb5 23. Kh2 0-0 24. Nce3 Ne5 25. c4 Rc5 26. Qh5 Kh7 27. Rb7 Re8 28. Nf5 Bxf5 29. exf5 Rf8 30. Nxe7 Qa8 31. Rfb1 Rb5 32. cxb5 Qxb7 33. f6 Qe4 34. Rf1 Rh8 35. Nf5 Kg8 36. bxa6 1 : 0 M. Adams – Vallejo Pons, xxii Torneo Ciudad de Linares, Linares 2005. 15. ... b4 16. Nd5 e6 17. Ne3 Bb7. “17. ... Ra7 followed by ... Ra7-d7 is interesting. It’s a manever I’ve seen in a few Sicilians, and it serves to shore up the somewhat weak Black d-pawn”, Dennis Monokroussos writes. 18. Qd2 Qc7 19. 0-0-0 0-0-0 20. Kb1 Kb8 21. f3. The simple means by which White obtained a clear positional advantage are noteworthy.

21. ... a5 22. h4! Chuky increases the pressure inexorably on both wings. 22. ... Na7 23. Nd4! Ng6 24. hxg5 hxg5 25. Rxh8 Bxh8 26. Bc4 Nf4 27. Bb3 Qc5. After the game Ivanchuk confessed to be suddenly fallen into a panic. He had completely overlooked 27. ... Bxd4 28. Qxd4 Ne2? with a double attack on Queen and Bishop, but luckily for him he realized that 29. Qxd6! would have won. 28. Nc4! Ba6? The fatal blunder. There was some hope in 28. ... Qxd4 29. Qxd4 Bxd4 30. Rxd4 Nc6, although after 31. Rxd6 White retains a huge advantage. 29. Bf2! Bxc4 30. Nb5! 1 : 0. For after 30. ... Qc6 31. Bxa7+ Ka8 (or 31. ... Kb7 32. Bxc4 Qxc4 33. Qxd6! winning) 32. Bxc4 Qxc4 33. Bb6 White wins. An impressive performance by Ivanchuk – just like a killing machine.

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Photo: Alina l’Ami.