Lunar Caustic

Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev – Daniele Vocaturo
16th European Individual Championship; Jerusalem, February 25, 2015
Bogo-Indian Defence E 11

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 0-0 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. Bd3 c5 9. Qc2 g6 10. cxd5. Two days later the board one game in Jerusalem run as follows: 10. h4 cxd4 11. h5 Nc5 12. Bf1 a5 13. Nxd4 dxc4 14. N2f3 g5 15. Bxc4 g4 16. Ba2 Nbd7 17. Ng5 Bxg5 18. Bb1 f5 19. exf6 Nxf6 20. Bxg5 Qxd4 21. Be3 Qe4 22. Qxc5 Qxg2 23. Rf1 Qd5 24. f3 b6 25. Qxd5 Nxd5 26. Bh6 Rf6 27. Bg5 Rxf3 28. Rxf3 gxf3 ½ : ½ Navara – Najer, 16th European Individual Championship, Jerusalem 2015. 10. ... exd5

11. e6! The grand beginning of a very powerful attack. 11. ... fxe6 12. Bxg6! hxg6 13. Qxg6+ Kh8 14. Qh6+ Kg8 15. Qg6+ Kh8 16. Ne4! Qe8. If 16. ... dxe4 then 17. Qh5+! (but not 17. Bh6?? because of 17. ... Rg8! 18. Qh5 Nf6 and Black wins!) 17. ... Kg8 18. Bh6! Rf6 (or 18. ... Bf6 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Ng5 and wins) 19. Qg4+ Kf7 20. Ng5+ Kg8 (else 20. ... Ke8 21. Qh5+ and mate in two moves) 21. Nxe6+ finis. 17. Qh6+ Kg8 18. Nfg5 Bxg5 19. Qxg5+ Kh7 20. Qh6+ Kg8 21. Qg5+ Kh7 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. a4! A “Rook lift” to g3. 23. ... Qe7 24. Ra3 Rf7 25. Nd6! A deflecting sacrifice. 25. ... Rg7. On 25. ... Qxd6 26. Rg3+ wins at once. 26. Rg3 Qf6 27. Rxg7+. Here the silent move 27. Qh5! would have been even stronger; for example: 27. ... cxd4 28. Kd1! Nc6 29. Ne8! winning easily for White. 27. ... Qxg7 28. Qxe6+ Kh7 29. Qh3+ Kg8 30. Qe6+ Kh7 31. 0-0 Nc6 32. Qh3+ Kg8 33. Qe6+ Kh7 34. Qh3+ Kg8 35. Bh6? After the straightforward 35. Re1! Black would have had no resource left (since 35. ... Nf8 is met by 36. Nxc8). 35. ... Qg6 36. Re1? Here 36. dxc5! is probably best; for example: 36. ... Nb6!? 37. Nxc8 Nxc8 38. f4 intending f4-f5 and Rf1-f3 with an easy win. Furthemore, 36. Nxc8 Rxc8 37. Qxd7 Rd8 39. Qh3 Nxd4 40. Re1 was another (simpler) way to achieve a clear advantage. 36. ... Nb6. Now matters are decidedly unclear. Slowly but surely Vocaturo will succeed in turning the tables. 37. Nxc8 Nxc8 38. Bc1 N8e7 39. dxc5 Rf8 40. b4 Nf5 41. Qb3 Qf7 42. b5 Ncd4 43. Qd3 Qc7 44. Be3 Re8 45. Rc1 Re4 46. c6 bxc6 47. bxc6 Nxe3 48. fxe3 Ne6 49. Qxd5 Rxe3 50. Rb1 Re5 51. Qc4 Qa5 52. Qg4+ Kf8 53. Rf1+ Ke7 54. Kh1 Kd6 55. h3 Qc5 56. Qf3 Qxc6 57. Rd1+ Rd5 58. Re1 Qxa4 59. Qg3+ Kd7 60. Qg8 Re5 61. Rc1 Qd4 62. Qf7+ Kd6 63. Qb7 Rd5 64. Re1 Nc7 65. Rc1 Rc5 66. Rb1 Kd7 67. Rf1 Rc6 68. Qb3 Qc4 69. Qf3 Kc8 70. Rb1 Rb6 71. Ra1 Kb8 72. Qe3 Qd5 73. Qa3 a6 74. Rc1 Kb7 75. Qe7 Rc6 76. Rb1+ Ka7 77. Qb4 Nb5 78. Re1 Kb6 79. Qf8 Kb7 80. Qe7+ Rc7 81. Qf6 Rh7 82. Re6 Rxh3+ 83. Kg1 Qc5+ 84. Kf1 Rh1+ 85. Ke2 Nd4+ 0 : 1. “At some point, I was completely lost. The opponent was more or less doing a masterpiece, but in time trouble I managed to survive. Eventually I won. I have to say I was really lucky...”, then Vocaturo said.

Daniele Vocaturo