The Luck You Got

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky – Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov
16th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, September 29, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. h3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f4 Nbd7 9. f5 Bxb3 10. axb3 d5 11. exd5 Bb4 12. Bd2 0-0 13. Qe2 Bxc3. Aiming to improve on 13. ... Rc8 14. 0-0-0 Qa5 15. Kb1 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Qxd5 17. c4 Qc6 18. Qf3 Ne4 19. Bb4 Ndc5 20. Bd3 Qb6 21. Bxe4 Qxb4 22. f6 Nxe4 23. Qxe4 gxf6 24. Rd7 b5 25. Qg4+ Kh8 26. Qf3 Rxc4 27. Qxf6+ Kg8 28. Qg5+ Kh8 29. Qxe5+ Kg8 30. Qg5+ Kh8 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Rd5 Rfc8 33. Rhd1 1 : 0 Sutovsky – Das, 13rd Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 14. bxc3 e4 15. 0-0-0 a5 16. Be3 a4 17. b4 Nb6 18. Qb5. This seems rather committal, even if it turns out to be a... real stroke of luck! Objectively speaking, 18. Qf2 looks much stronger, e.g. 18. ... Nfxd5!? 19. c4 a3! 20. cxd5 a2 21. Kb2 Qxd5! 22. Bd4 a1=Q+ 23. Rxa1 Na4+ 24. Kc1! Rfd8 25. Be2! Qxd4 26. Qxd4 Rxd4 27. c4 and White stands better. 18. ... Nbxd5 19. Bc4. Now 19. c4?? is refuted by 19. ... a3! 20. cxd5 a2 21. Kb2 Nxd5! and wins. 19. ... Nxe3. Shirov sacrifices his Queen for White’s Rook and Bishop – nothing but a forced brilliancy. 20. Rxd8 Rfxd8 21. Ba2 a3 22. g4

22. ... Ned5? “In Sutovsky – Shirov, the line 22. ... Nfd5 23. Qxb7 Rdb8 24. Bxd5 Rxb7 25. Bxb7 Rd8! 26. Bxe4 Nd1!! is fantastic”, Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer said. 23. g5 Nxc3 24. Bxf7+. White turned the tables. It was a lucky day for the ACP President! 24. ... Kxf7 25. Qxb7+ Nd7 26. Qc6 a2 27. Kb2 Na4+ 28. Ka1 Kg8 29. f6 Ne5 30. Qxe4 Re8 31. Re1 Nc3 32. Qd4 Rac8 33. h4 g6 34. b5 1 : 0.

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
Photo: ruchess.ru