Tip-Toes

卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi) – Daniil Dimitriyevich Dubov
China – Russia Match; 宁波市 (Níngbō), July 17, 2015
Spanish C85

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Qe1 Nd7 8. d4 Bf6 9. Be3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Bxd4 11. Nxd4 Nb6. For 11. ... Nc5 12. Qe3 Qe7 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Rad1 a5 15. Rfe1 Re8 16. Qg3 Be6 see Ermenkov – Pesantes, 12th Capablanca Memorial, Cienfuegos 1975. 12. Qc3 0-0 13. a4 a5 14. Nd2 Qe7 15. Rfe1 Be6 16. N2b3 Bxb3. Cutting the Gordian Knot. 17. Nxb3 Qb4 18. Qxb4 axb4 19. Nc5 Nc4 20. b3 Na3 21. Rec1 b6 22. Nd3 c5 23. c3 Rfd8 24. Nf4 b5 25. cxb4 cxb4

26. a5! The most practical try, whereas 26. axb5 Nxb5 would lead nowhere. 26. ... Rd2! After 26. ... Rxa5? 27. Nd5! Black falls into very serious trouble. 27. Nd5. Possibly better is the immediate 27. Rxc7 h6 28. g3 Rxa5 29. e5 with a very strong position for White. 27. ... Rb2. Black could also play 27. ... Rxa5 28. Rxc7 h6 with a tenable position (it should be noted that 29. Nxb4?? loses to 29. ... Nc2!). 28. Rxc7 Rxb3? A fatal oversight. Black ought to play 28. ... h6 as after 29. Nxb4 (but here White might possibly have something better) 29. ... Rxa5 30. Nc6 Nc2 31. Rf1 Ra1 32. Rxa1 Nxa1 33. f4 Nxb3 34. e5 White’s initiative is most likely not exploitable. 29. a6! h6. Black’s back rank weakness is fatal. If 29. ... Rd3 there follows 30. a7 b3 31. Rb7 and White wins. 30. a7 Kh7 31. Nb6 Rxa7 32. Rxa7. A Rook down, Black could well resign here. 32. ... Nc2 33. Rc1 Nd4 34. Kf1 Ra3 35. Rxa3 bxa3 36. Nd5 Nb3 37. Rc2 1 : 0.

卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)
Photo: qipai.org.cn