104 Degrees Under the Sheets

Sebastian Pucher – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
French Team Championship Top 12; Port-Camargue, June 6, 2015
King’s Indian Defence E80

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. e4 e6 6. Bg5 Bg7 7. Qd2 0-0 8. Nc3 exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. Nge2 b5 11. Ng3 Nbd7 12. Be2 Qc7. For 12. ... b4 13. Nd1 a5 14. 0-0 Ba6 see Dreev – Mecking, 11th Interpolis Chess Tournament, Tlburg 1994. 13. 0-0 Bb7 14. Bh6 c4 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. b4 cxb3 17. axb3 h5 18. Nh1. Aron Nimzowitsch’s Romantische Straße. 18. ... Rac8 19. Rfc1 Qb6+ 20. Nf2 Rc7 21. Nd1 Rfc8 22. Rxc7 Qxc7 23. Nd3 Qb6+ 24. N3f2 Qc5 25. Kf1 Ne5 26. Qb2 Kg8 27. Nd3 Nxd3 28. Bxd3 Nd7 29. b4 Qb6 30. Rc1 Rxc1 31. Qxc1

31. ... a5! Striving for the initiative. 32. bxa5? Much better was 32. Qc3! a4!? with a more balanced game. 32. ... Qxa5 33. Qb2 Ba6 34. Ne3 Nc5 35. Be2 b4 36. Kf2 Bxe2 37. Qxe2 b3 38. Nc4. Or 38. Nd1 Qa7! 39. Kg3 Qa2 40. Kf2 Na4 and Black wins. 38. ... Qc3 0 : 1. For if 39. Nb2 then 39. ... Qxb2! and wins.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Le Point.fr