Beauty and a Beat

Lela Javakhishvili – Romain Édouard
Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 5, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 a6 7. Nxb5 axb5 8. Rxa8 Bb7 9. Ra1 e6 10. f3. No better is 10. Ne2 Bxe4 11. b3 Nc6 12. Nc3 Bb4 13. Bd2 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 b4 15. d5 bxc3 16. dxc6 Qxd1+ 17. Kxd1 cxb3 18. c7 Kd7 19. Ra3 b2 20. c8=Q+ Kxc8 21. Rxc3+ Kd7 22. Bd3 b1=Q+ 23. Bxb1 Bxb1 24. Rb3 Be4 25. Rb8 g5 26. Ke2 Ke7 27. h4 gxh4 28. Rxh4 Bc6 29. Rc4 Be8 30. Rc7+ Kd6 31. Ra7 Ne7 32. Rd8+ Ke5 33. Rb7 Kf6 34. Rdb8 Ng6 35. Rb6 h5 36. f3 Ba4 37. Rxh8 Nxh8 38. Ke3 Ng6 39. Ra6 Bb3 40. Ra5 Bd5 41. Ra7 e5 42. Ra5 Be6 43. Rb5 h4 44. Rb1 Kg5 45. Rb5 f6 46. Rb7 Nf4 47. Kf2 Nh5 48. Rb6 Bf5 49. Rb8 Bg6 50. Rb4 Nf4 51. Ra4 Bf7 52. Ra7 Kg6 53. Ra1 Bd5 54. Rd1 Kg5 55. Rd2 f5 0 : 1 Adhiban – Nakamura, Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 27, 2015. 10. ... Nc6 11. Ne2 Bb4+. A novelty. For 11. ... Na5 12. Nc3 Qb6 see Goganov – Tabatabaei, Moscow 2015. 12. Bd2 Nge7 13. b3 0-0 14. bxc4 bxc4 15. Kf2 f5 16. Nf4? The crisis. Correct was 16. Bxb4 Nxb4 17. Nf4 Qb6 18. Bxc4 fxe4, provided Black has some compensation for the Exchange. 16. ... Qxd4+ 17. Be3 Qb2+ 18. Be2. And not 18. Kg1? because of 18. ... Qe5 19. Bxc4 Bc5 and Black wins 18. ... fxe4 19. Nxe6 exf3 20. gxf3. Allowing Black to unleash a deadly attack. The lesser evil was 20. Nxf8, although after 20. ... fxg2 21. Re1 Bxe1+ 22. Qxe1 Nd4 23. Rd1 g1=Q+! 24. Kxg1 Nxe2+ 25. Kf1 Bf3 Black ought to have a win.

20. ... Rxf3+! The spectacular beginning of a wild King-hunt! 21. Kxf3 Ne5+ 22. Kg3. Both 22. Kf4 Nd3+ 23. Bxd3 cxd3 24. Qxd3 Ng6+ and 22. Kf2 Nd3+ 23. Kg1 Qe5! are hopeless. 22. ... Nf5+ 23. Kf2. Not surprisingly this game won the first Beauty Prize. Other piquant variations are 23. Kh3 Bg2+! and 23. Kf4 Ng6+ 24. Kxf5 Qf6+ 25. Kg4 Qh4+ 26. Kf5 Be4 mate. 23. ... Nd3+ 24. Kg1 Nxe3 25. Qa4 Bf8 26. Rf1. White has no time for 26. Qe8 on account of 26. ... Qxa1+ and mate next move. 26. ... Nxf1 27. Qxc4 Nd2 28. Qxd3 Qb6+ 29. Nd4 Bc5 30. Qxd2 Bxd4+ 31. Kf1 Qf6+ 32. Ke1 Bc3 0 : 1.