Sunday, September 20, 2015

Mary Poppins Opens the Door

Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
6th Chess World Cup; tie-break game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, September 16, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E54

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. 0-0 dxc4 8. Bxc4 cxd4 9. exd4 b6. This system of development used to be Karpov’s favourite. 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Qe2 h6


12. d5! A powerful Pawn sacrifice which apparently caught Mamedyarov’s opponent by surprise. 12. ... Bxc3. Another try is 12... hxg5, but after 13. dxe6 Nc6 14. exf7+ Kh8 15. Nxg5 White keeps the initiative, Z. Szczepański – Malyshev, WS/MN/4, by e-mail, 2005. 13. dxe6! fxe6. Not 13. ... Bb4 14. Rad1! Qe7 15. Ne5! with a crushing initiative. 14. bxc3 Bd5 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Nd4 Rc8 17. Bxd5 exd5 18. Qb5. White has obtained a significant lead in development and a distinct edge. 18. ... Qf7 19. Rfe1 Nd7 20. Nc6 a6. Also 20. ... Re8 21. Re7! would cost Black a Pawn. 21. Qxd5! White equally wins a Pawn by means of a petite combinaison. 21. ... Qxd5 22. Ne7+ Kf8 23. Nxd5. And Mamedyarov laboriously converted his advantage into a win: 23. ... Rc5 24. Rad1 Re8 25. Kf1 Rxe1+ 26. Kxe1 Kf7 27. Ke2 g5 28. Ne3 Ke6 29. c4 Ne5 30. Rb1 b5 31. cxb5 axb5 32. g3 h5 33. h3 Nf7 34. Rb4 Nd6 35. h4 g4 36. Kd2 Rc7 37. Nd1 Nc4+ 38. Ke2 Nd6 39. Kd3 Rf7 40. Kd4 Rf3 41. Rb3 Rf5 42. Re3+ Kf6 43. Ra3 Ke6 44. Re3+ Kf6 45. Re2 Rf3 46. Kc5 Nf5 47. Rd2 Nxg3 48. fxg3 Rxg3 49. Rd6+ Kg7 50. Rd7+ Kg6 51. Rd6+ Kg7 52. Rd5 Kg6 53. Rg5+ Kh6 54. Re5 Rg2 55. a3 Ra2 56. Kb4 Rh2 57. Ne3 Rb2+ 58. Kc3 Rf2 59. Rg5 Rf3 60. Kd4 Rh3 61. Nf5+ Kh7 62. Ke5 Rxa3 63. Rxh5+ Kg6 64. Rg5+ Kh7 65. Rg7+ Kh8 66. Rxg4 Ra5 67. Kf6 Ra6+ 68. Kg5 Ra4 69. Rg1 Rb4 70. Rd1 Rb2 71. Rd8+ Kh7 72. Rd7+ Kg8 73. Nh6+ Kh8 74. h5 Rg2+ 75. Ng4 1 : 0.

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