Blitzkrieg

Pavel Eljanov – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
6th Chess World Cup; tie-break game 1; Baku, September 29, 2015
Réti Opening A05

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. 0-0 e5 5. e4 Be7 6. Nc3 d6 7. d3 0-0 8. a4 Nb4 9. Nd2 h6 10. Nc4 Bg4 11. Qd2 Bd7 12. Nd1 Re8 13. Nde3 Bf8 14. c3 Nc6 15. f4 exf4 16. gxf4 Be6 17. Qf2 Bxc4 18. Nxc4 d5 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Bd2 Nf6 21. Qf3 Na5 22. Ne5 Qb6 23. Rab1 Rad8 24. Kh1 Qb3 25. Be1! Eljanov offers a Pawn sacrifice for mounting a sudden Kingside attack. 25. ... Qxa4. It seems unwise to accept the gift. 26. Bh4! Rd6. Also after 26. ... Be7 27. Ra1 Qb5 28. Qg3 White’s attack appears to be overwhelming. 27. Ra1 Qb5 28. c4! Qa6

29. d4! A very pretty pointe. 29. ... Rxd4. Naturally, after 29. ... cxd4 White wins trivially with 30. b4. 30. Qc3! The Black Knight is doomed anyway. 30. ... Ne4. Black cannot save the Knight: if 31. ... b6 there follows 32. Bxf6 gxf6 33. Qg3+ Bg7 (on 33. ... Kh7 34. Rg1 forces mate) 34. Rg1! fxe5 35. Bd5 and mate in a few moves. 31. Qxa5 Qxa5 32. Rxa5 Nd2 33. Rd1 Bd6 34. Bf2 Bxe5 35. fxe5 Nxc4 36. Bxd4 Nxa5 37. Bc3 Nc4 38. e6 Rxe6 39. Rd8+ Kh7 40. Bd5! 1 : 0.

Pavel Eljanov vs. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili