Fight for Santa Clara

Baadur Jobava – Leinier Domínguez Pérez
FIDE Grand Prix; Khanty-Mansiysk, May 26, 2015
Italian Game C53

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. h3 0-0 10. 0-0 f6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 fxe5 13. Nxe5 Bb7. Departing from 13. ... Ba6 14. Re1 Ba5!? 15. Nxc6 Qh4 16. Nxa5 Rxf2! 17. Nc3! Rxg2+! 18. Kxg2 Qg3+ 19. Kh1 Qxh3+ 20. Kg1 Qg3+ 21. Kh1 Qh3+ 22. Kg1 Qg3+ 23. Kh1 Qh3+ ½ : ½ Jobava – Grischuk, FIDE Grand Prix, Khanty-Mansiysk, May 17, 2015. 14. Nd2 c5 15. Nxe4 cxd4 16. Bxd4 dxe4 17. Qb3+ Bd5 18. Qc3 Qg5 19. Be3 Qh5. According to Jobava, here the Queen is out of play. 20. Rad1 Be6 21. Rde1 Bd5 22. a4

22. ... Ba5? A bad speculation. 23. Qxa5 Qxe5 24. Rc1! A very strong move, by which Baadur establishes a deadly tightening grip on Black’s position 24. ... Rac8. Obviously, 24. ... c6? is refuted by 25. Rxc6! and Black’s position falls apart. Equally after 24. ... Rfc8 25. Rc6! Black must lose material. 25. Rfd1! Jobava is in no hurry to capture the Pawn (25. Qxa7 Qxb2 26. Rxc7) and prefers to strengthen the position still further. 25. ... c6 26. b4 Qe6 27. b5 Bb3 28. Rd2 cxb5 29. Rxc8 Qxc8 30. axb5. After all, the a7-Pawn is doomed anyway. 30. ... Bc4 31. Rc2 Qe6 32. Qxa7 Qd5. Black cannot regain his Pawn with 32. ... Bxb5? because of 33. Rc7! with an irresistible attack. 33. Bd4 Rf7 34. Qb8+ Rf8 35. Qc7! Jobava elegantly liquidates into a winning endgame. The rest is a masterly display of technique. 35. ... Qxd4 36. Qxc4+ Qxc4 37. Rxc4 Rb8 38. Rb4 Kf7 39. Kf1 Ke6 40. Rxe4+ Kd6 41. Rd4+ Ke6 42. Rb4 Kd5 43. Rh4 h6 44. Rg4 g5 45. Rb4 Kc5 46. Rb1 Kb6 47. Re1 Kc5 48. Re6 Kd5 1 : 0.

Baadur Jobava vs. Leinier Domínguez Pérez
Photo: Kirill Merkurev

Olimpiu G. Urcan (@OlimpiuUrcan)