The Last Tycoon

Pavel Eljanov – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
6th Chess World Cup; match game 1; Baku, September 27, 2015
Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Bg2 c6 8. Bc3 d5 9. Ne5 Nfd7 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. Nd2 0-0 12. 0-0 Rc8 13. Re1 c5 14. cxd5 exd5 15. Rc1 cxd4 16. Bxd4 Nc5 17. Bb2 d4? This is a surprising slip by Karjakin. 18. Nf3! d3!? Mater artium necessitas. 19. exd3 Nxd3 20. Rxc8 Qxc8 21. Rxe7. “I have fond memories of 13. Re1, beat GM Sax for my 1st GM norm with it in 1989. Eljanov on course to win with it too”, Grandmaster Lars Bo Hansen tweeted. 21. ... Nxb2

22. Qd7? Pavel is possibly relying too much on his virtuoso technique. After 22. Qd2! Nd3 23. h4! White’s position looks already imposing. 22. ... Qc1+! Of course Karjakin seizes his best practical chance! 23. Re1 Qc8 24. Qxc8. Again 24. Qd2 Nd3 25. Re7 is still comparatively best, giving White the somewhat better position. 24. ... Rxc8 25. Bh3 Rd8 26. Ne5 g6 27. Bf1 Bxf1 28. Kxf1 a5 29. Re3 f6 30. Ng4 Kf7 31. Rc3 h5 32. Ne3 Nd3. The Knight finally comes back into play. 33. Rc7+ Ke6 34. Rb7 Nc1 35. Rxb6+. Pavel has finally won a Pawn, though whether it is enough to win is not clear. 35. ... Kf7 36. Rb7+ Ke6 37. Rb6+ Kf7 38. a4 Rd3 39. b4 axb4 40. Rxb4 Ra3 41. Nc4 Ra1 42. Kg2 Nd3 43. Rb7+ Ke6 44. Rb6+ Ke7 45. a5 Ra4 46. Rc6 Ne1+ 47. Kf1 Nf3. The game is most likely a draw. 48. Rc7+ Ke6 49. Ke2!? Pavel does not surrender to the inevitable and makes one last-ditch attempt to win. 49. ... Nxh2 50. Kd3. “Eljanov’s outside passed Pawn doesn’t look to be going anywhere fast”, says the editor-in-chief of chess24.com. 50. ... Nf3 51. Rc6+ Kf5 52. Kc3 g5! 53. Rc5+. If, instead, 53. Kb3 then 53. ... Rxa5 54. Nxa5 Nd4+ 55. Kc3 Nxc6 56. Nxc6 h4 57. Nd4+ Kg4 58. gxh4 gxh4 59. Kd2 h3 60. Ne2 h2 61. Ng3 Kf3 62. Nh1 Kg2 63. Ke1 Kxh1 64. Kf1 f5 65. f4 stalemate – a pretty variation! 53. ... Ke6 54. Kb3 Ra1 55. Kb2 Ra4 56. Kb3 Ra1 57. Kb2 Ra4 58. Nb6! Rb4+! 59. Ka3 Rb1 60. Ka2 Rb4 61. Rc6+ Kf5! 62. a6 Ne5 63. Rxf6+ Kxf6 64. Nd5+. After 64. a7 Rxb6 65. a8=Q White promotes his Pawn to a Queen, but it’s not enough because Black is able to build up an unassailable fortress. 64. ... Ke6 65. Nxb4 Nd7 66. Nd3 Kd6 67. a7 Nb6 68. Kb3 Kc7 69. Kc3 Kb7 70. Kd4 Kxa7 71. Ke4 Nc4 72. Ne5 Nb2 73. Nf7 h4. Black’s defensive task is now very easy: sacrifice his Knight for the last enemy Pawn! 74. Nxg5 hxg3 75. fxg3 Kb7 76. g4 Kc8 77. Kf5 Nd1! ½ : ½.

Pavel Eljanov (R.) vs. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin (L.)
Photo Eteri Kublashvili