MLV

Baadur Jobava – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
FIDE Grand Prix; Tbilisi, February 25, 2015
Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. a4 a6 5. Be2 g6 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. d3 e6 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. Nb1 Ne7 10. Nd2 d5 11. b3 dxe4 12. Nxe4 f5 13. Nd2 Nd5 14. Nc4 0-0 15. 0-0 e5. Black’s Pawn phalanx in the centre and on the Kingside is overpowering, so Jobava has to make something up. 16. Bb2 Be6 17. Bf3 Qc7. After 17. ... b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Rxa8 Qxa8 20. Nxe5 Bxe5 21. Qe1 Qb8 22. Bxd4 it looks like White will win back the piece. 18. Re1 Bf7 19. a5 Rad8 20. Qd2 Rfe8 21. g3 h6 22. Bg2 Kh7 23. Ra4 Re7 24. Re2 g5 25. Qe1. “Une tempête se lève, reste à savoir sur qui elle va s’abattre”, the Europe Échecs staff enthusiastically tweeted. 25. ... Be8 26. Ra1 Bh5 27. Bh3. If 27. f3 then 27. ... f4! tightening the grip. 27. ... Bg6 28. Bg2 Bh5 29. Bh3 Kg6 30. Rd2 Bf3 31. Qf1 Qc6 32. Bg2 Nc7 33. Bxf3 Qxf3 34. Re1 Nb5 35. Rde2 Rde8 36. Nd2 Qc6 37. Nc4 Qf3 38. Qg2. White has objectively nothing better than a repetition of moves by 38. Nd2 Qc6, but Jobava is a notorious fighter. 38. ... g4 39. Nd2 Qxg2+ 40. Kxg2 h5 41. f3 Bf6 42. h3 gxf3+ 43. Kxf3 h4 44. g4 e4+ 45. dxe4 fxg4+ 46. Kxg4 Rf7. Suddenly White’s King is in danger, faced with the threat of ... Re8-g8.

47. Rf2 Rg8 48. Rf5 Nd6. Forcing the White Rook in a very bad position. 49. Rh5 Be5 50. Rf1 Rxf1 51. Nxf1 Nf7 52. Bc1. Obviously if 52. Kxh4 then 52. ... Bf6+ 53. Kg4 Ne5+ winning easily for Black. 52. ... Rc8 53. c4 dxc3. A powerful passer. 54. Ne3 Re8. Houdini preferred 54 ... Bf4, Ivan Sokolov 54 ... Bg3. “De gustibus non est disputandum”. 55. Ng2 Bg3 56. Nf4+ Bxf4 57. Bxf4 Rxe4 58. Rc5 Rb4 59. Kf3 Rxb3 60. Ke4 Rb4+ 61. Kf3 Rb5 62. Rxc3 Rxa5 63. Rc7 Rb5 64. Bd2 a5 65. Bc3 a4 66. Kg4 a3 67. Re7 Nh6+ 68. Kf4 a2 69. Rg7+ Kh5 70. Rg2 Rf5+ 71. Ke4 Ra5. A graceful and elegant style! 72. Rg1 Ra4+ 73. Kd5 Nf7 74. Ke6 Ng5+ 75. Kf5 Rf4+ 0 : 1.

Baadur Jobava vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova