No Man’s Land

Dirk van Dooren – Baadur Jobava
19th Hogeschool Zeeland Chess Tournament; Vlissingen, August 2, 2015
Bird’s Opening A02

1. f4. “1. f4 against Jobava – what could go possibly go wrong? :)”, the editor-in-chief of chess24.com joked. 1. ... b6 2. d3 Bb7 3. e4 e6 4. Nf3 Ne7 5. c3 d5 6. e5 c5 7. Na3 Nbc6 8. Be2 Nf5 9. 0-0 h5 10. Nc2 d4 11. Ng5 h4 12. Bf3 Be7 13. Ne4 Qd7 14. c4 0-0-0 15. a3

15. ... h3 16. g3 f6 17. exf6 gxf6 18. b4 Ne3 19. Nxe3 dxe3 20. Bxe3 Qxd3 21. Kf2 cxb4 22. Qxd3 Rxd3 23. axb4 Rhd8 24. c5 f5 25. b5? Less committal is 25. Ng5 Nxb4! 26. cxb6 Bxf3 27. Nxf3 (not 27. Rxa7? Bg2 28. Rc1+ Kb8 when 29. Rxe7 is met by 29. ... Rxe3 30. Kxe3 Nd5+) 27. ... a6! with mutual chances in a very complex-looking position. 25. ... Rxe3 26. Kxe3 fxe4 27. bxc6? Here is Dirk’s real mistake. After 27. Rfc1! Bxc5+ 28. Rxc5 bxc5 29. bxc6 exf3 30. cxb7+ Kxb7 31. Kxf3 Kc6!? – Black’s extra Pawn would in any case be difficult to exploit – 32. Rxa7 Rd2 White, despite Black’s initiative, should hold the endgame. 27. ... Bxc5+ 28. Kxe4 Bxc6+ 29. Ke5 Bxf3 30. Rxa7. If 30. Rxf3 then 30. ... Bd4+ and wins. 30. ... Bd5 31. Rd1 b5 32. Rh7 Ba3 33. Rb1 b4 34. Ra7 Rd7 35. Ra5 Kd8 36. f5 Ke7 37. g4 Bc4 38. fxe6 Bxe6 39. g5 Rd2 40. Ra7+ Bd7 41. g6 Bb2+ 42. Kf4 Bc3 43. Re1+ Kd6 44. Re3 Rf2+ 45. Kg3 Rg2+ 46. Kh4 Bf5 47. Ra6+ Kd7 48. Ra5 Bf6+ 49. Kh5 Bxg6+ 50. Kh6 Bc3 51. Ra7+ Kd6 52. Ree7 Bd2+ 53. Kg7 Be4+ 54. Kf8 Bh6+ 55. Ke8 Rg8+ 56. Kf7 Rf8 mate.

Dirk van Dooren vs. Baadur Jobava
Photo: Ad Bruijns and Frans Peeters