Lucky Patcher

Sipke Ernst – Anish Giri
71th Dutch Chess Championship; Amsterdam, July 5, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 0-0 8. Be2 b6 9. 0-0 Bb7 10. Bb2 Qe7 11. Rad1 Rad8 12. Rfe1 Rfe8 13. Bd3 e5 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nd4 Nxd3 17. Qxd3 Bb8. The alternative was 17. ... Ne4 18. Nf5 Qg5 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Qb5 Ba6 21. Qxa6 ½ : ½ Gelfand – Anand, Dortmund 2007. 18. Nce2 Ne4 19. Ng3. 19. Nf5 Qg5 does not offer White any significant advantage. 19. ... f6 20. Rc1 Qf7 21. Qe2 Qg6 22. Red1 Rc8 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. Qb5 Nc5 25. Qe2 Re8 26. Ba3 Be5 27. Qc2 Ne4 28. Nxe4 dxe4

29. Nc6! “Position after White’s 29th move (29. Nc6!?). Black needs to win this game to keep his chances alive for winning his 4th Dutch title, but Ernst’s last move effectively kills any serious winning chances. White simply threatens to take the Bishop off (giving him the better game!)”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett said. 29. ... Bxh2+! Also 29. ... Bxc6 30. Qxc6 Bxh2+ 31. Kxh2 Qh5+ 32. Kg3 Qe5+ would lead to perpetual check. 30. Kxh2 Qh5+. 30. ... Bxc6 31. Qxc6 Qh5+ 32. Kg3 Qe5+ transposes to the aforementioned variation. “Now Ernst should play 31. Kg1 when the draw is virtually unavoidable after 31. ... Bxc6 32. Qc4+ (amongst others) 32. ... Kh8 33. Rc1 Bd5 34. Qc7 Ra8 35. Qd7 h6 36. Rc7”, Spraggett said. Instead: 31. Kg3?? A suicidal move! 31. ... g5! 0 : 1. Suddenly His Majesty is caught in a mating net! “A good player is always lucky”, José Raúl Capablanca used to say.

Anish Giri (@anishgiri)