Minesweeper

Francesco Rambaldi – Miloje Ratković
54th World Junior Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 2, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B18

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3 Nf6 7. Bc4 Nbd7 8. 0-0 e6 9. f4 Nb6 10. Bb3 Qd7 11. a4. Another try is 11. c3 Bd6 12. Qf3 Qc7 13. Kh1 0-0 14. f5 as occurred in the game Efimenko – Motylev, 28th European Club Cup, Eilat 2012. 11. ... 0-0-0 12. a5 Nbd5 13. a6 b6 14. Qf3 Ne7 15. c3 h5 16. Ng5 h4 17. N3e4 Ned5 18. Qe2 Bf5 19. Nf2 Nh5 20. Qf3 Bd6 21. Ngh3 g5 22. Nxg5 Ndxf4 23. Nfe4 Bc7 24. Nf6 Qd6?? An awful blunder – due to a grave miscalculation – which loses at once. Correct was 24. ... Nxf6 25. Bxf4 Rdg8 with roughly equal chances. 25. Nxf7 Ne2+ 26. Kf2 Qxh2.

27. Nxh5? I guess Italian Superstar Francesco Rambaldi got into time trouble. As pointed out by International Master Vladimir Barsky, here 27. Qxc6! Nxf6 (or 27. ... Qg3+ 28. Kxe2 Nxf6 29. Rxf5 exf5 30. Be6+ Rd7 31. Qb7 mate) 28. Qb7+ Kd7 29. Ne5+ Ke8 30. Ba4+ Kf8 31. Qxc7 would have lead to a win for White. 27. ... Rdg8 28. Qxc6? But now it’s too late! After 28. Nxh8 h3 29. Qxc6 Rxg2+ 30. Ke3! White King crosses his way through the minefield comfortably. 28. ... Rxg2+! 29. Ke1. Not 29. Qxg2?? on account of 29. ... Bg3+ 30. Kf3 Be4+ 31. Kxe4 Qxg2+ and Black wins the Queen. 29. ... Nxc1 30. Qb7+ Kd7 31. Ne5+ Qxe5+. Also 31. ... Kd8 32. Nc6+ leads to perpetual check. 32. dxe5 Nd3+ 33. Kd1 Nxb2+ 34. Ke1 Nd3+ 35. Kd1 Nb2+ 36. Ke1. White cannot avoid perpetual check: 36. Kc1 Nd3+ 37. Kb1?? Rb2 mate. 36. ... Nd3+ 37. Kd1 Nb2+ ½ : ½. Much Ado About Nothing.

Francesco Rambaldi
Photo: Vladimir Barsky