Partida Imortal de Durão

Francisco José Pérez Pérez – Joaquim Manuel Durão
24th Hoogovens Tournament (B-group); Beverwijk, 1961
King’s Indian Defence E70

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5 c5 6. d5 h6 7. Bh4 Qa5 8. Qd2 g5 9. Bg3 Nh5 10. Bd3 Nd7 11. Nge2 Ne5. The alternative was 11. ... a6 12. 0-0 Ne5 13. a3 Bd7 14. f4 gxf4 15. Bxf4 Nxf4 16. Nxf4 h5 17. Be2 Bh6 18. Qc2 h4 19. Nd1 0-0-0 20. Nd3 Nxd3 21. Qxd3 f6 22. Ne3 Bxe3+ 23. Qxe3 Rdg8 ½ : ½ Nagy – Adamski, Budapest 1962. 12. 0-0 Ng6 13. f4 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Bg4 15. e5 0-0-0 16. a3 h5 17. Rfb1 e6 18. b4 Qb6 19. Na4 Qa6 20. Nec3 dxe5 21. bxc5 exf4 22. c6 bxc6 23. c5 Qa5 24. Qb2 Bd4+ 25. Kf1 Kd7 26. Qb7+ Ke8 27. Qxc6+ Kf8 28. Rb5 Ne5 29. Qb7. “An extraordinarily chaotic position! Both sides have been playing very sharply up to this point and after White’s last move it seems that Durão is finished: his Queen has just been trapped! Will Durão resign?”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett wrote.

29. ... h4!! A fantastic Queen sacrifice! 30. Rxa5. “Had White tried 30. gxh4?? then 30. ... Rxh4 brings the Rook immediately into play with decisive effect; and if White tries to play for a perpetual with 30. d6 (threatening Qb7-e7+) then simply 30. ... Rd7 keeps Black’s advantage: 31. Qxd7 Nxd7 32. Rxa5 hxg3 33. Ke1 Rh1+ 34. Bf1 f3, with an attack similar to the game”, Spraggett pointed out. 30. ... hxg3. Threat: ... Rh8-h1 mate. 31. Ke1. His Majesty runs away. 31. ... Be3! Such a wonderful attacking position! 32. Bf1 Rh1! Threat: ... Ne5-d3 mate. 33. Qb5 f3! 34. gxf3 g2! “This is the key move that Durão had envisioned much earlier when he sacrificed his Queen. Black has succeeded in turning the tables completely...”, Spraggett said. 35. fxg4 g1=Q 36. Ra2 Qg3+. “Probably running short of time, Durão misses 36. ... Nf3+! 37. Kd1 Nd4 and mate in 6. Fortunately, the text move is good enough to win and brings Durão a well deserved victory”, Spraggett wrote. 37. Kd1 Qf3+ 38. Kc2 Rxf1 39. d6 Nc6! 40. Kb2 Rf2+ 41. Ka1 Qh1+ 42. Nb1 Bd4+ 43. Nb2 Rf1 0 : 1. Such an amazing game!