Starship Enterprise

Robby Kevlishvili – Baadur Jobava
9th Hogeschool Zeeland Chess Tournament; Vlissingen, August 7, 2015
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7. The so-called Hanham Variation, favoured by Aron Nimzowitsch. 5. Bc4 Be7 6. a4 0-0 7. 0-0 a5 8. Re1 b6!? Probably it is not without reason that 8. ... c6 is much more common than the text, but Jobava is notoriously a deep thinker, so let’s take it serious. 9. h3 Bb7 10. b3 h6 11. Bb2 Re8 12. Bb5 Bf8 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Nd5 Nxe4 15. Rxe4. After 15. Nxc7 Qxc7 16. Qxd7 Qxd7 17. Bxd7 Red8 18. Nxe5 Bc5 19. Rf1 Ba6 20. c4 Nd2 Black wins back his Pawn with satisfactory play. 15. ... c6 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bf1 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 Nf3+ 19. gxf3 cxd5 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Rd1 Bc5 22. Bb5 Re6 23. Bd4 h5 24. Kg2 h4 25. Rd3 Kf8 26. Kf1 g5. Baadur continues to play with great energy. 27. Rd1. If 27. Bxc5+ bxc5 28. Rc3 then 28. ... Ke7! 29. Rxc5 Kd6 30. Rc3 Rf6 31. Rd3 Rf4 32. c3 Kc5! 33. Re3 d4! 34. Re5+ Kd6 35. cxd4 f6 followed by ... Rf4xd4, when Black’s strong position fully compensates for the minus Pawn. 27. ... Ke7 28. Kg2 f5 29. Kf1 Bxd4 30. Rxd4 Kf6 31. Rd1. Maybe it was better to play 31. f4 gxf4 (31. ... g4!? is quite an interesting Pawn sacrifice, but after 32. hxg4 fxg4 33. Bd7 Re4 34. Rxe4 dxe4 35. Bxg4 Bd5! 36. Bh3 Be6! 37. Bg2 Bf5 38. Kg1! White holds the draw) 32. Rxf4 Re4 33. Rf3 d4 34. Rd3 Ke5 when Black’s edge is perhaps not enough to win. 31. ... d4! Jobava gradually improves his own position eventually reducing his opponent to total passivity. 32. Rxd4 Bxf3 33. Bc4 Rc6 34. Kg1 Ke5 35. Rd8 Rd6 36. Re8+. The ending with King, Bishop, and Pawns would be equally hopeless for White, e.g. 36. Rxd6 Kxd6 37. c3 Bd5! and Black must win. 36. ... Kf4 37. Bd3 Rd5 38. Rf8 Re5. Threat: 39. ... Re1+ 40. Bf1 Be2. 39. Kh2? The losing move, but also 39. Kf1 Bh1! followed by ... g5-g4 would have been very unpleasant for White (if 40. Kg1 there follows 40. ... Bb7! 41. Kf1 g4! 42. hxg4 h3! winning easily for Black).

Of course Black cannot play 39. ... Re1?? on account of 40. Rxf5 mate, but... 39. ... g4! Sic et simpliciter. 40. hxg4 Re1 41. Rxf5+ Kxg4 42. Rxf3 Kxf3 43. Kh3?? This is a self-mate, but Robby would also lose after other moves, e.g. 43. Bb5 Kxf2. 43. ... Rh1 mate.