Persuasion

Tiger Hillarp Persson – Markus Ragger
38th Politiken Cup; Helsingør, July 28, 2015
Grünfeld Defence D70

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. 0-0-0 Qd6 10. Nb5 Qd7 11. Kb1 Rd8 12. d5 a6 13. Nc3 Qe8 14. Qc1 Na5 15. h4 e6 16. Bf4 Qe7 17. h5 exd5 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Bg5 f6 20. Bh6 Be6 21. Nge2 dxe4 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Bxg7 Qxg7 24. Nf4 Bf7 25. Nxe4 Nac4 26. Bxc4 Nxc4 27. Rd1 Rxd1 28. Qxd1 Nd6 29. Nxd6 cxd6 30. Qxd6 g5 31. Qd8+ Qf8 32. Qxf8+ Kxf8 33. Ne2 Ke7 34. Kc2 Kd6 35. a3 Bc4 36. Nc3 Ke5 37. Kd2 Kf4 38. Ne2+ Bxe2 39. Kxe2 Kg3 40. Kf1 b5 41. b4 f5 42. Kg1 g4 43. fxg4 Kxg4 44. Kf2 f4 0 : 1 (??).

Hillarp Persson resigned in a drawn position because he saw nothing else than 45. Kg1 Kg3 46. Kf1 f3 when Black apparently wins, but, as Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard immediately showed, after 47. gxf3 Kxf3 48. Ke1 Ke3 49. Kd1 Kd3 50. Kc1 Kc3 51. a4!! (the move possibly overlooked by Swedish Grandmaster) 51. ... Kxb4 (or 51. ... bxa4 52. Kb1 again drawing) 52. axb5 axb5 53. Kb2 White’s King takes up the opposition and draws the game.