Restlessness

Vladimir Vasilievich Fedoseev – David Wei Liang Howell
17th Open International; Dubai, April 14, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

DubaiChess.ae report: “In a classic final-round showdown between the top two seeds, Howell, the pre-tournament favourite and top-seed, methodically outplayed the second-seeded Fedoseev with the Black side of a Queen’s Gambit Declined. With his two Bishops influencing action on both sides of the board, Howell proceeded to win a Pawn on the 38th move and then picked up a second Pawn on the 43rd move. Desperate for counter-play, Fedoseev sacrificed two more Pawns to create back-rank mating threats with his advanced e6-Pawn and Knight on the f5-square cutting off the exit route of Howell’s King.
Howell failed to react precisely to maintain his advantage as he chose to attack White’s e6-Pawn with his Rook on the 50th move, instead of moving his King out of harm’s way via a flight square on d8 to the Queenside. Fedoseev quickly pounced on the opportunity by attacking Black’s King with his Rook from an entry point on the h-file, at which point computer analysis showed Howell’s advantage had all but dissipated, as the Russian’s counter-attack was enough to force Howell to repeat moves to avoid getting checkmated. A draw was thus agreed on the 55th move”.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 c6 7. e3 Nh5 8. Bd3. Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine recommended 8. Be5 f6 9. Bg3. 8. ... Nxf4 9. exf4 Bd6 10. g3 0-0 11. 0-0 Re8 12. Qc2 Nf8 13. Rfe1. For the ugly 13. Nd1 see Alekhine – Em. Lasker, New York 1924. 13. ... Rxe1+ 14. Rxe1 Bd7 (14. ... Bg4) 15. f5 Qf6 16. Ne5 Re8 17. f4 Qd8 18. Qb3 Qb6 19. Qxb6 axb6 20. Kf2 Ra8 21. a4 Bc8 22. Bc2 Nd7 23. Kf3 Kf8 24. g4 f6 25. Nd3 Nb8 26. b4 Na6 27. Rb1 Nc7 28. Ne2 Bd7 29. Ng3 Be7 30. h4 Ne8 31. h5 h6 32. Ne2 Nd6 33. Nb2 b5 34. a5 Ne4 35. Bxe4 dxe4+ 36. Kxe4 Bxb4 37. Nd3 Re8+ 38. Kf3 Bxa5 39. Nc5 Bc8 40. d5 Bb6 41. Ne6+ Bxe6 42. fxe6 Rd8 43. Ng3 Rxd5 44. Nf5 Bc5 45. Ra1 Rd8

46. g5 fxg5 47. fxg5 hxg5 48. h6 gxh6 49. Rh1. “Black had managed to outplay his opponent in a positional battle and seize the initiative, but in the end, the Russian GM’s creative defence bamboozled the Englishman”, the editor of Chess-News.ru said. 49. ... Rd5. “It was not easy to decide on 49. ... Ke8 50. Rxh6 Rd1! 51. Rh8+ Bf8, and Black retains good chances after 52. Ng7+ (worse is 52. e7 Rf1+ 53. Ke4 Rxf5 54. Kxf5 Kxe7) 52. ... Ke7 53. Nf5+ Kxe6 54. Rxf8 Rf1+ 55. Kg4 Rg1+ 56. Kf3 b4”, the editor of Chess-News.ru said. 50. Kg4 Re5. “Here too, it was still not too late for 50. ... Ke8! with the idea of giving up the Bishop for the Pawn and using the King to support the passed Pawns on the Queenside: 51. Rxh6 Kd8 52. Rh8+ Kc7 53. e7 (After 53. Kxg5 we sooner or later reach a similar ending with either a Knight or the Exchange for three Pawns) 53. ... Bxe7 54. Nxe7 Rd1. Only Black can win, and his chances are very real”, the editor of Chess-News.ru said. 51. Rxh6 Kg8. “If 51. ... Ke8, then 52. Rh8+ Bf8 53. Kxg5, and he cannot take on e6 because of 54. Ng7+, whilst otherwise, White plays 54. Kf6 and is already in no danger of losing”, the editor of Chess-News.ru said. 52. Rg6+ Kh7 53. Rh6+ Kg8 54. Rg6+ Kh7 55. Rh6+ Kg8 ½ : ½.