Paths of Glory

Denis Khismatullin – Pavel Eljanov
16th European Individual Championship; Jerusalem, March 6, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Ne2 Re8 6. a3 Bf8 7. Ng3 d5 8. Be2 a6 9. 0-0 c5 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. cxd5. For 11. b4 Ba7 12. Qc2 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Qc7 14. Bd3 Nbd7 15. Bb2 Ne5 see El Debs – Henríquez Villagra, Pipa Beach 2014. 11. ... exd5 12. Bf3 Be6 13. b4 Bd6 14. Bb2 Be5 15. Na4 Bxb2 16. Nxb2 Nc6 17. Nd3 Qb6 18. Rc1 a5 19. Rb1 axb4 20. axb4 Rad8 21. b5 Na5 22. Ne2 Ne4 23. Ndf4 Nc4 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Nd4 Bc8 26. Rc1 Ne5 27. Qb3 Qh6 28. Rc5 b6 29. Rd5 Bb7 30. Rxd8 Rxd8 31. Rd1 Qg5 32. Kf1 g6 33. h3 Nd3 34. Nc6 Bxc6 35. bxc6 Qc5 36. Qa4 Kg7 37. Qa1+ Kg8 38. Qa4 Rd6 39. Qa8+ Kg7 40. Qa1+ Kh6 41. Nxd3 exd3 42. Qh8 Qc2? This is a very natural move but a grave mistake! Correct was 42. ... Rxc6 43. Rxd3 Qc1+ 44. Ke2 Qc2+ 45. Kf3 Rxf2+! 46. Kxf2 Qc2+ 47. Kf3 Qxd3 48. Qf8+ Kg5 49. Qe7+ Kh6 drawing by perpetual check. 43. Qf8+ Kg5

44. Kg1!! A most aesthetic problem-like move! White sacrifices a whole Rook (with check)! Eljanov was probably expecting 44. f4+ Kh4! 45. Qxd6 (clearly not 45. Qh6+? Kg3 46. Qg5+ Kh2 with a win for Black) 45. ... Qxd1+ 46. Kf2 Qe2+ 47. Kg1 Qxe3+ 48. Kh2 Qg3+ 49. Kg1 Qe1+ drawing by perpetual check. 44. ... Qxd1+? Black has failed – but who can blame him? – to fully appreciate the surreal idea behind White’s last move. He should have played 44. ... Rd5!, after which there would have followed as in the game 45. Kh2!! Kf6 (of course 45. ... Qxd1?? loses to 46. c7+-) 46. e4 Rc5 47. Qd6+ Kg7 48. Rxd3 Rxc6 49. Qe5+ Rf6 50. Rf3 Qc6 “and though White has a terrific bind, there is no clear win. Even so, it would be a very tough defense for Black”, Grandmaster Alejandro Tadeo Ramírez Álvarez summed up. 45. Kh2 Rxc6 46. Qe7+. White repeated just to save time on the clock. 46. ... Kh6 47. Qf8+ Kg5 48. Qxf7! The pointe. Black’s King is caught in a mating net! The threat is 49. Qf4+ Kh5 50. g4+ Kh4 51. Qh6 mate. 48. ... Rf6. Although he has an extra Rook, Black is without resource! If 48. ... Kh6 then 49. Qf8+ Kg5 (or 49. ... Kh5 50. g4+ winning) 50. Qf4+ Kh5 51. g4+ and wins. Else 48. ... Rc5 49. Qf4+! Kh5 50. g3! g5 51. Qf7+ Kh6 52. Qf6+ Kh5 53. g4+ winning. 49. f4+ Kh6 (49. ... Kf5 50. Qd5 mate) 50. Qxf6 Qe2 51. Qf8+ Kh5 52. Qg7. Threatening Qg7xh7 mate. 52. ... h6 53. Qe5+ Kh4. Or – as a “dual” – 53. ... g5 54. Qe8+ Kh4 55. Qg6 gxf4 (or 55. ... d2 56. Qxh6+ Qh5 57. g3 mate) 56. Qxh6+ Qh5 57. Qxf4+ and mate next move. 54. Qf6+ Kh5 55. f5! gxf5. If 55. ... d2 then 56. Qxg6+ Kh4 57. Qxh6+ Qh5 58. g3 mate. 56. Qxf5+ Kh4 57. Qg6 1 : 0.

Denis Khismatullin vs. Pavel Eljanov
Photo: ChessVibes (@ChessVibes)