Knock on Wood

Hikaru Nakamaura – Anish Giri
3rd Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 27, 2015
Sicilian Defence B48

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. 0-0-0 Be7 9. f4 b5 10. e5 b4 11. Ncb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Qb8. The alternative was 12. ... Qa5 13. exf6 gxf6 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15. Qxd6 Qxa2 16. Rd3 Qa1+ 17. Kd2 Ra2 18. Rb3 Rxb2 19. Bb5 Qa2 20. Rxb2 Qxb2 21. Bc5 Qc3+ 22. Kd1 Ba6 23. Bxa6 Qa1+ 24. Kd2 Qxa6 25. Bd4 Rg8 26. g3 Qb7 27. Bc5 Qb8 28. Qxb8+ Nxb8 29. Ra1 Nc6 30. Ra8+ Nd8 31. f5 exf5 32. Bxb4 f4 33. gxf4 ½ : ½ 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Stukopin, 52nd World Junior Chess Championship, Kocaeli 2013. 13. exf6 gxf6 14. Kb1 d5 15. Qf2. Strangely enough, this natural move could be a theoretical novelty. The old try was 15. c4 bxc3 16. Qxc3 Bd7 17. Bc5 0-0 18. Qg3+ Kh8 19. Qh4 Bxc5 20. Qxf6+ Kg8 21. Qg5+ Kh8 22. Qf6+ Kg8 23. Qg5+ Kh8 24. Qf6+ Kg8 25. Qg5+ Kh8 ½ : ½ 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – Cori, 52nd World Junior Chess Championship, Kocaeli 2013. 15. ... Ba6 16. Bb6 Bxb5 17. Bxb5 Qb7 18. Rhe1 Rb8 19. Bxc6+ Qxc6 20. Bd4 Ra8 21. b3 Kd7. Without fear of keeping His Majesty in the centre! 22. a4. A committal, over-sophisticated move. 22. ... bxa3 23. Rd3. “I’m confused. Why did Nakamura enter this position at blitz speed?”, Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson wondered. “I very conveniently forgot what I prepared before the game”, then Nakamura answered. 23. ... Rhc8 24. Re2

24. ... Qb5. The threat is 25. ... a2+ 26. Ka1 Qxd3! 27. cxd3 Rc1+ 28. Kb2 a1=Q mate. 25. Qf3 Ra6 26. f5. White’s only chance. 26. ... Rac6 27. fxe6+ fxe6 28. Rdd2 a2+ 29. Ka1 f5 30. Qe3 Rg8 31. c4. 31. Qh6 Qxb3 leads to a pretty draw: 32. cxb3 Rc1+ 33. Kxa2 Ra8+ 34. Kb2 Ba3+ 35. Ka2 Bf8+ 36. Kb2 Ba3+ with perpetual check. 31. ... dxc4 32. Bc5+ Ke8 33. Bxe7 Kxe7 34. Qh6 Qb6. “I thought I was completely winning and then Anish found the very nice 34. ... Qb6 – that was the move I missed”, then Nakamura said. 35. Qxh7+ Kf8 36. Qh4. Threat: Rd2-d8+. 36. ... Ke8. The only move, since 36. ... Rc8?? loses to 37. Qf6+ Ke8 38. Rxe6+. 37. Qh5+ Kf8 38. Qh4 Ke8 39. Qh5+ ½ : ½.

Anish Giri
Photo: Lennart Ootes (‏@LennartOotes)