Counterphobic attitude

Sergio Mariotti – Nevzat Süer
FIDE Zonal Tournament; Caorle, 1975
King’s Indian Defence E77

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Be2 exd5 9. e5!? Spécialité de la Maison. 9. ... Ne4 10. Nxd5. If 10. cxd5 might follow 10. ... Nxc3 11. bxc3 Nd7 12. e6 fxe6 13.dxe6 Nb6 with advantage to Black (Vaisser’s analysis). 10. ... Qa5+. 10. ... Nc6!. 11. Nd2 Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Qd8 13. b4 Nc6 14. bxc5 dxe5 15. 0-0 e4 16. Be3 h5. After 16. ... Bxa1 17. Qxa1 f6 18. Rd1 White has excellent compensation for the sacrificed Exchange. 17. Rb1 f5 18. Rb5 Rf7 19. Qd2 Kh7 20. Rfb1 Qh8 21. Bf1 Rb8 22. Kh1 Be6 23. Qc1 Rd7 24. Nb4 Nxb4. The alternative 24. ... Nd4 is also interesting, but hardly better: 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Nc6 Rc8 27. Nxd4 Qxd4 28. Rxb7 Rcc7 with roughly even chances. 25. R5xb4. Threatening c5-c6. 25. ... Qc8 26. Qa3 Ra8 27. Qb3 Rb8

28. c6!? Bold play, typical of Mariotti. Black was probably expecting 28. Qa3 Ra8 repeating the position. 28. ... Qxc6 29. Bxa7 Rbd8? Correct was 29. ... Ra8 which allows Black to met 30. Rb6 by 30. ... Rxa7 leading to very favourable variatons for Black. 30. Rb6 Qc5 31. Rxb7? Sergio has let him slip away! After 31. Rxe6 Qxa7 32. Qg3 Black is busted. 31. ... Qc8 32. Rb8 Qa6 33. Rxd8 Rxd8 34. Bb8 Rd2 35. a3 Rf2 36. Qb4 e3 37. Be5?? A terrible miscalculation! White ought to have played first 37. Kg1 as after 37. ... Rd2 38. Be5 Qa7! Black would stand only slightly better. 37. ... e2. Black’s advantage is now decisive. 38. Bxe2 Rxe2 39. Qe7 Rxe5. Of course! 40. fxe5 Qxc4 41. Qb4 Qd3 42. Re1 Bd5 43. Qf4 Qxa3 44. Qe3 Be4??? Süer comically blunders his Queen! I guess Black’s awful mistake was due to time trouble. 45. Qxa3 1 : 0.

FIDE Zonal Tournament; Caorle, 25 June – 13 July 1975. From left to right: Joaquim Manuel Durão, an organizer, Sergio Mariotti and Fernando Ribeiro da Silva. Foto: Spraggett on Chess