Castle Crashers

Daniele Vocaturo – Yair Parkhov
16th European Individual Championship; Jerusalem, February 24, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E37

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 c5 8. dxc5 Nc6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. e3 Bf5 11. Bd3 Qa5+. It’s probably less committal 11. ... 0-0 12. Nf3 Qa5+ 13. Nd2 Nxd2 14. Bxd2 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Qxc5 with roughly even chances, Morozevich – Carlsen, 71st Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2009. 12. b4 Nxb4 13. axb4 Qxa1 14. Ne2 Bg6 15. 0-0 Nf6 16. Bb5+ Ke7? A very unfortunate novelty! The correct move was 16. ... Kf8, e.g. 17. Qb3 Qe5 18. Bb2 Qe7 19. Nd4 a6 20. Ra1 Kg8 21. c6 Rb8 22. Be2 h6 23. Bc3 Kh7 24. cxb7 Qxb7 25. Bxa6 Qc7 26. Nf3 Ra8 27. b5 Rhc8 28. Bxf6 gxf6 29. Rf1 Qc2 30. Qxc2 Rxc2 31. Nd4 Rc5 32. Rd1 Rb8 33. Kf1 Kg7 34. Ke2 Kf8 35. Rd2 Rb6 36. Ra2 Ke7 37. Kd2 Kd6 38. Nb3 Rc4 39. Na5 Rc7 40. Nb3 Bf5 41. Nd4 Ke5 ½ : ½ Kasimdzhanov – Durarbayli, Konya 2012. 17. Qb3 Qe5. Also after 17. ... Qb1 18. Bb2 Qe4 (18. ... Qf5 transposes to the game) 19. Nf4 White’s position is imposing. 18. Bb2 Qf5 19. c6! The demolition begins. 19. ... a6. Both 19. ... Qc2 20. Qa3! and 19. ... bxc6 20. Nd4 would be absolutely hopeless. 20. Nd4 Qc8 21. cxb7 Qxb7 22. Bc6 Qb6

23. b5! The coup de grâce. 23. ... Ne4. If, instead, 23. ... Ra7 then 24. Qa3+ Kd8 25. Qd6+ Nd7 (25. ... Rd7 is met by 26. Ne6+!) 26. Bc3! winning easily, due to the deadly threat of Bc3-a5. 24. Qxd5 Rhd8 25. Qe5+ Kf8 26. Ne6+! 1 : 0. A beautiful attacking game.