Pheidippides

Daniel Naroditsky – Ray Robson
59th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis, April 8, 2015
Grünfeld Defence D85

“Ray Robson [...] defeated Daniel Naroditsky with Black in an 85-move marathon to reclaim a share of first. Naroditsky had been losing for a long time, but well into the second time control managed to get back into the game – only to be outplayed a game and finally lose. It has been a very hard event for Naroditsky, who is in last place with just 1½ points, but he’s young and strong and will return with a vengeance”, Dennis Monokroussos writes.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bb5+ c6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bb3 a5 10. Ne2 Nd7. For 10. ... 0-0 11. Be3 Nd7 12. 0-0 a4 13. Bc2 Nb6 see Eljanov – Salgado López, FIDE World Blitz Championship, Dubai 2014. 11. 0-0 a4 12. Bc2 Nb6 13. Ba3 0-0 14. Nf4 Re8 15. e5 Nd5 16. Qf3 Nxf4 17. Qxf4 Be6 18. h4 f5 19. Rfe1 Bd5 20. Re3 e6 21. Rg3 Kf7 22. h5 Rg8 23. Bc5 Bf8 24. hxg6+ hxg6 25. Bxf8 Qxf8 26. Bd1 Qg7 27. Bh5 Qh7 28. Be2 Rh8 29. Rh3 Qg7 30. c4. “Naroditsky’s 30. c4 proved to be an ill-conceived Pawn sacrifice, giving Robson a strong passed Pawn and dangerous Queenside counter-play. Robson then gradually outplayed Naroditsky to reach a winning Queen-and-Bishop endgame, where he only had two worries: Perpetual check, and his dwindling time”, FIDE Master Kosta Kavutskiy writes. 30. ... bxc4 31. Rb1 Rab8 32. Rxb8 Rxb8 33. Qc1 g5 34. Rh5 g4 35. Rh6 Rb1 36. Qxb1 Qxh6 37. Qb7+ Kg6 38. Qb8 Qc1+ 39. Bf1 Kg7 40. Qd8? This is an error, but Daniel is in time trouble. 40. Qb4! gives White excellent prospects of a perpetual check. 40. ... Qa3! Not anymore. 41. Qd7+ Kf8 42. Qd8+ Kf7 43. Qc7+ Qe7 44. Qa5 Qb7 45. Qc5 f4 46. Qa3 Qb6 47. Qc3 Qb1 48. Qa5 g3 49. Qc7+ Kg6 50. Qd8 gxf2+ 51. Kh2 Qf5 52. Qg8+ Kh6 53. Be2 f3? A fata morgana. 53. ... Qg6 54. Qh8+ Kg5 is an easy win.

54. g4! A fantastic and most unexpected resource! 54. ... Qf4+ 55. Kh3 f1=Q+ 56. Bxf1 Qe4 57. Qh8+? A careless move. After 57. Qf8+ Kg8 58. Qg8+ Kh6 White gives perpetual check as Black’s Queen cannot interpose. 57. ... Qh7 58. Qf6+ Qg6 59. Qh8+ Kg5 60. Kg3 Qf7 61. Qh4+ Kg6 62. Qh5+ Kg7 63. Qg5+ Kh7 64. Qh4+ Kg8 65. Qg5+. Both players are in time trouble and so “Always give check – it might be mate”. Better was 65. a3! Qg7 with unclear consequences. 65. ... Qg7 66. Qd8+? 66. Qh5 would possibly have allowed a more stubborn resistance. 66. ... Qf8 67. Qg5+ Kf7. Now there is no perpetual check and Black is winning again! 68. Qd2 Qh8 69. Bh3 Qh7 70. Qb2 Qd3 71. Kh4 Qh7+ 72. Kg3 Qd3 73. Kh4 c5 74. Qb8. On 74. dxc5 c3 wins. 74. ... Qh7+ 75. Kg3 f2 76. Bf1 Qh1 77. Qd8 Qf3+ 78. Kh4 cxd4 79. Kh5 Qf4 80. Qd7+ Kg8 81. Qe8+ Kg7 82. Qg6+ Kf8 83. Qb1 Qxe5+ 84. Kh4 Kg7 85. g5 0 : 1. White resigned, without waiting for 85. ... Qf4+ 86. Kh3 Bf3.

Lennart Ootes (@LennartOotes)