Solving in Style

John Denis Martin Nunn – Sergey Smolin
15th European Senior Chess Championship; Eretria, April 30, 2015
Modern Defence B06

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 a6 4. Be3 d6 5. h4 h5 6. Qd2 b5 7. 0-0-0 Bb7 8. Nh3 Nd7 9. Ng5 e6 10. Kb1 Ngf6. If 10. ... Ne7 might follow 11. f3 Nb6 12. b3 Qd7 13. g3 b4 14. Ne2 a5 15. Bh3 as in the game Domínguez Pérez – Kamsky, 1st SportAccord World Mind Games; Blindfold’s Event; 北京 (Beijīng) 2011. 11. f3 0-0 12. g4 b4? A bad move, as the White’s Knight is very happy to move to the Kingside for assisting in the attack. A possibly better idea was 12. ... hxg4 13. h5 gxh5 14. Ne2! gxf3 15. Ng3 c5, where Black can still hope to get some counter-play. 13. Ne2 hxg4. Black has no time for 13. ... a5 on account of 14. Ng3! hxg4 15. h5! with consequences very similar to the game. 14. Ng3! gxf3? This only helps White’s attack, but even after 14. ... c5 15. h5 gxh5 16. Nxh5 (16. Rxh5? is met by 16. ... cxd4) 16. ... Nxh5 17. Rxh5 Nf6 18. Rh4 White retains a powerful initiative. 15. h5! Nxh5. A lesser evil would have been 15. ... gxh5 16. Rxh5 c5 (16. ... Nxh5 transposes to the game) 17. Rh4 with the same point as mentioned above.

16. Rxh5! White sacrifices the Exchange to shatter Black’s defence. 16. ... gxh5 17. Nxh5 Nf6 18. Qh2 Re8 19. Bd3 e5 20. Nxg7 Kxg7 21. Nh7! A pretty coup. 21. ... Ng4. On 21. ... Nxh7 22. Qh6+ leads to mate. 22. Rg1 Bc8. Else 22. ... f5 23. Qh6+ Kf7 24. Ng5+ and wins. 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Nf6+ Qxf6 25. Qxf6 1 : 0.

John Denis Martin Nunn in 1982
Photo: Wikipedia