The Shimmer

Francesco Rambaldi – Dmitry Gordievsky
54th World Junior Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 8, 2015
Réti Opening A07

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. 0-0 Bg4 5. d3 Nbd7 6. Qe1 e5 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 Be7 9. Nbd2 0-0 10. h3 Bh5 11. Nh4 Re8 12. Nf5 Bf8 13. Nc4 Qc7 14. Bd2 b5. For 17. ... Nc5 15. f3 Nfd7 see Vaganian – van den Doel, Belgian Team Chess Championship 2003/2004, December 8, 2003. 15. Na5 Nb6 16. c4 Nxc4 17. Nxc4 bxc4 18. Ne3 Bc5 19. Nxc4 Bd4 20. Rc1 c5 21. b3 Qc6 22. Bc3 Bg6 23. Bxd4 exd4 24. f3. 24. e5 Be4 25. f3 Bd5 is nothing special for White. 25. ... Rad8 25. Qf2 Nd7 26. Rfd1 f6 27. b4 Bf7 28. Bf1

28. ... Ne5 29. Nxe5 Rxe5? Probably the decisive mistake. A little better was 29. ... fxe5 30. bxc5 Re6 and if 31. Bc4 then 31. ... Rf6 32. Qe2 Qc7 followed by ... Rf6-c6 retaining some drawing chances. 30. Rxd4! Just a petite combinaison, as José Raúl Capablanca would put it. 30. ... Rxd4 31. Qxd4 cxd4 32. Rxc6 Bxa2 33. Ra6. Now White wins the a-Pawn under the most favourable circumstances for a win. 33. ... Bb1 34. Bc4+ Kf8 35. Rxa7 f5 36. b5 d3 37. b6 d2 38. Rd7 fxe4 39. Rxd2. Of course 39. b7 wins on the spot, but Rambaldi was apprehensive about the impending time control. 39. ... Re8 40. Rb2 Bd3 41. Bxd3 exd3 42. b7 Rb8 43. Kf2 Ke7 44. Ke3 Kd6 45. Kxd3 Kc7 46. Kc4 Kc6 47. f4 Kd6 48. Rb6+ Kc7 49. Kc5 Kd7 50. Kb5 Kc7 51. Ka6 Rd8 52. Ka7 1 : 0.

Francesco Rambaldi vs. Dmitry Gordievsky
Photo: Vladimir Barsky