Three Days of the Condor

Francesco Rambaldi – Noël Studer
54th World Junior Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, September 4, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 c5 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Ne4 7. Bd2 Nxc3 8. Bxc3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 a6 10. Bg2 0-0 11. 0-0 d6 12. Qa4 Nd7 13. Qa3. Another try is 13. Rfd1 Rb8 14. Nb3 Qc7 15. Qa3 Ne5 16. Qxd6 Qxd6 17. Rxd6 Nxc4 18. Rdd1 b6 19. Rab1 Na3 20. Rb2 Nc4 21. Rbb1 Na3 22. Rb2 Nc4 ½ : ½ Molner – Lê Quang Liêm, SPICE Cup Open, Saint Louis 2013. 13. ... Qc7. Here 13. ... Ne5 is perhaps sounder, e.g. 14. c5 d5 15. e4 Nc4 16. Qb4 a5= (if 17. Qb5 then 17. ... Bd7 18. Qxb7 Rb8 19. Qa7 Ra8 with a draw by repetition).

14. Nb5 Qxc4 15. Nxd6 Qc5. Black is rightly afraid of going Pawn-hunting, exposing himself to danger, e.g. 15. ... Qxe2 16. Rfd1 Ne5 17. c4! Nxc4 18. Nxc4 Qxc4 19. Qe7! g6 20. Rac1 Qxa2 21. Rd4! and White’s imposing position more than compensates him for the three Pawns minus. 16. Qb4 Rb8 17. Rfd1 b6 18. Rab1 Qxb4 19. cxb4 Nf6 20. Rbc1 Bd7 21. Rd3 a5 22. b5 e5 23. f4 exf4 24. gxf4 Bg4 25. Kf2 g6 26. Bc6 Nh5 27. e3 Rbd8 28. Bf3 Bf5 29. Rd4 Ng7 30. Rc6 Be6 31. Rxb6 Bxa2 32. Ra4 Be6 33. Rxa5 Nf5 34. Nxf5 gxf5 35. Rba6 Bc4? Far better drawing chances were offered by 35. ... Rd2+ followed by ... Rd2-b2. Now White picks up a second Pawn and concludes the game confidently. 36. Rc6 Bd5 37. Rc5 Bxf3 38. Kxf3 Rd3 39. Rxf5 Re8 40. Re5 Rxe5 41. fxe5 Rb3 42. Ke4 Rb2 43. h3 1 : 0.

Francesco Rambaldi
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova