Caribou

Vladimir Pechenkin – Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk
10th Edmonton International Chess Festival; Edmonton, June 21, 2015
English Opening A11

1. c4 c6 2. g3 d5 3. Nf3 dxc4 4. Bg2 Nd7 5. Na3 Nb6 6. Ne5. From a theoretical point of view, it is hardly a good move. For 6. Qc2 Qd5 7. e4 (but 7. b3 seems better) 7. ... Qd3 see Züger – Smeets, 8th European Individual Championships, Dresden 2007. 6. ... Qd4 7. f4 f6 8. e3 Qc5 9. d4 cxd3 10. Nxd3 Qd6 11. 0-0 Bf5 12. e4 Qd4+ 13. Nf2 Qxd1 14. Rxd1 Bg6 15. Nd3 Bh5 16. Re1 e5 17. Be3 0-0-0 18. Bh3+? It’s too hard to explain such a useless check – I’m sorry. After 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. Bxc5 Nh6 Black stands only slightly better. 18. ... Kb8. His Majesty consolidates while protecting the a7-Pawn. 19. Bf1 exf4 20. gxf4. On 20. Bxf4+ Bd6 21. Bxd6+ Rxd6 the balance of the position is still not satisfactory for White, but it would have been a lesser evil. 20. ... Nh6 21. h3 Bd6 22. b4 Nf7 23. Nc5

23. ... g5! Chucky hits hard! 24. Bd4. Bad, but 24. f5 Ne5 is equally hopeless. 24. ... Bxc5 25. Bxc5 gxf4. The rest is a massacre. 26. Nc4 Rhg8+ 27. Kf2 Nxc4 28. Bxc4 b6 29. Bxf7 Rd2+ 30. Re2 Rxe2+ 31. Kf1 bxc5 32. Bxg8 cxb4 33. Bxh7 Rh2 0 : 1.

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk (2009)
Photo © Fred Lucas