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Ilya Yulievich Smirin – Nikhilesh Kumar Kunche
43rd World Open; Arlington, July 1, 2015
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. c3 Bg7 5. d4 Qb6 6. a4 cxd4 7. 0-0 a6 8. Bxc6 dxc3? A bad move. Black ought to have retaken on c6, e.g. 8. ... dxc6 9. a5 Qc7 10. cxd4 Bg4 as in the game Smirin – Agasiyev, Baku 2010. Of course, both 8. ... bxc6 and 8. ... Qxc6 are perfectly playable. 9. Bxd7+ Bxd7 10. Nxc3 Bc6 11. a5 Qb4 12. Bd2 Rd8 13. Qc2 Qc4. A wandering Queen... 14. Rfe1 e6? This move is too slow. Mr. Kunche might perhaps have considered 14. ... Nh6 in order to answer 15. h3 by 15. ... f6. 15. Bg5 Ne7 16. Rad1 Rxd1 17. Rxd1 Qc5?? Black clearly stands badly, but the text allows White a very pretty refutation.

18. Nd5!! 1 : 0. For if 18. ... Qxc2 there follows 19. Nc7+ Kf8 20. Rd8+ and mate next move, whilst after 18. ... Qxa5 19. Qc5!! Black must give up his Queen to avoid mate.