Everything’s Eventual

Francesco Rambaldi – G. Akash
54th World Junior Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 11, 2015
Réti Opening A05
 

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 0-0 5. Bg2 d5 6. 0-0 c6 7. c4 Bg4 8. d3 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 Re8 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Nxf3 e5 12. e3. No better at all is 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Bg2 Rc8 as occurred in Jongsma – Cortlever, 31st Hoogovens-B International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1969.

12. ... e4. Even if not everyone knows him, G. Akash is a highly gifted player. Here he doesn’t hesitate to play the sharpest continuation, foreseeing all the outcomes of his next Pawn sacrifice. 13. dxe4 dxe4 14. Nd2 h5 15. Qc2 Qe7 16. Rad1 Rad8 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Rxd8 Rxd8 20. Bxe4 Qd7. The domination along the d-file and the opposite colour Bishops fully compensates Black for his Pawn deficit. 21. Kg2 Qd2 22. Qb1 Qb2. After the exchange of Queens, White’s extra Pawn is virtually nullified by the presence of Bishops of opposite colour. A long, very drawish endgame now follows: 23. Qxb2 Bxb2 24. b4 Ba3 25. b5 cxb5 26. cxb5 b6 27. Bc2 Rd5 28. Rb1 Rd2 29. Bb3 Kg7 30. Kf3 f6 31. Rg1 Kh6 32. Rf1 Kg7 33. g4 h4 34. Be6 Rd6 35. Bc4 Rd2 36. Rb1 Bb2 37. Rf1 Ba3 38. Bb3 Kh6 39. Ke4 Kg7 40. Kf3 Kh6 41. Rd1 Rxd1 42. Bxd1 Bb4 43. Ke4 Be1 44. f4 Bd2 45. Kd3 Bc1 46. Kd4 Bd2 47. a4 Bc1 48. Bc2 Bd2 49. Kd3 Bc1 50. Ke2 g5 51. Kf3 Kg7 52. fxg5 fxg5 53. Ke4 Kf6 54. Kd4 Ke6 55. Bb3+ Kd6 56. Bd1 Ke6 57. Bf3 Kd6 58. Bb7 Bd2 59. Bc8 Bc1 60. Bf5 Bd2 61. Ke4 ½ : ½.

Francesco Rambaldi (R.) vs. G. Akash (L.)
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova