Attack on Avengers

Evgeni Andreyevich Vasiukov – Nico Schouten
15th European Senior Chess Championship; Eretria, May 3, 2015
Spanish Game C80

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4. Siegbert Tarrasch’s dogma. 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. Nxe5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 c6 10. a4!? Probably Vasiukov is improvising. The “book” line is 10. Be3 Be7 11. Nd2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 O-O 13. Qc3 Bb7 14. f4 a5 15. a3 b4 16. Qd2 a4 17. Ba2 bxa3 18. bxa3 Bxa3 19. Rfb1 Bc8 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. Rxa3 Qxd2 22. Bxd2 Bf5 23. Rb2 Rfd8 24. Be3 h5 25. h3 Rdb8 26. Rxb8+ Rxb8 27. Rxa4 Bxc2 28. Rc4 Rb1+ 29. Kf2 Rb2 30. Kg3 Bf5 31. Rxc6 Rxg2+ ½ : ½ R. J. Fischer – Addison, 18th U.S. Chess Championship, New York, December 11, 1966. 10. ... Rb8. Not bad, but I’d very much like 10. ... b4! 11. Be3 Nc5 with equality. 11. axb5 axb5 12. Be3 Be7 13. c3 0-0 14. Nd2 Nxd2 15. Qxd2 f6 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Bc2 Qd6 18. b4 Qd7 19. f4 Qg4 20. h3 Qh5 21. Rf3 Qf7. Black has lost too much time moving his Queen (five moves in a row!). No wonder White easily obtains a winning attack. 22. g4 Bd7 23. Raf1 Bd8. More involution. 24. f5 Bb6 25. Bxb6 Rxb6

26. f6! Rbb8. On 26. ... g6 27. Qh6 followed by h3-h4-h5 is crushing. 27. Qg5 Rfe8. An error, but an excusable one, for even after 27. ... g6 28. h4! Kh8 29. Qh6 Bxg4 30. Re3 White’s attack is overwhelming. 28. fxg7! 1 : 0. For if 28. ... Qe7 then 29. Rf8+! and mate next move, whilst after 28. ... Qxg7 29. Bxh7+! Kh8 (29. ... Kxh7 30. Rf7 and mate in two moves) 30. Bg6! Black is busted.