L’homme qui plantait des arbres

Baadur Jobava – Ivan Šarić
20th European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 16, 2015
Ponziani Opening C44

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Ne7 6. Nxe5 Ng6 7. Qe2 Qe7 8. Qxe4 Qxe5 9. Qxe5+ Nxe5 10. Bf4 Bd6 11. Bg3 f5 12. Nd2 0-0

13. f4! Baadur’s inimitable style is under the lights: who would ever have played such a move? For 13. f3 f4 14. Bf2 Be7 see Velimirović – P. E. Littlewood, Borovo 1980. 13. ... Ng6 14. 0-0-0 Bxf4 15. d6! cxd6 16. Bxf4 Nxf4 17. g3 Nh5 18. Nc4 d5 19. Nd6. Although Jobava is momentarily two Pawns down, he has the better prospects, for now the c8-Bishop is buried alive. 19. ... Nf6 20. Bg2 Ne4 21. Rxd5 Nxd6 22. Rxd6 Re8 23. Rf1 g6 24. Bd5+ Kh8 25. Kd2 a5 26. Rf4 Re5 27. Rc4 Rb8 28. Rc7 b6 29. c4 Kg7 30. a4 Kf8 31. Rf6+ Ke8 32. Ra7 Re7 33. h4 Rg7 34. Ke3 Ke7 35. Re6+ Kd8 36. Re5 h6. Šarić is not able to put up serious resistance, but also 36. ... Bb7 37. Kf4! looks quite hopeless. 37. Kd4 Rh7 38. h5 Rg7 39. hxg6 Rxg6 40. Re3 Rg7 41. Rf3 Rg6 42. Rxf5 Rxg3 43. Rf8+ Ke7 44. Rf7+ Kd6 45. Rf6+ Ke7 46. Rxh6 Rg4+ 47. Ke5 Rg5+ 48. Kf4 Rg1 49. Be4 Re1 50. b3 Re2 51. Ke5 Kf7 52. Kd6 Rxe4 53. Kc7 Rb7+ 54. Rxb7 Bxb7. The very short life of a Bishop: “My first breath is my last breath”. 55. Kxb7 Re6 56. Rxe6 dxe6 57. Kxb6 e5 58. Kxa5 1 : 0.

Baadur Jobava at the 11th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament in 2010
Photo: Evgeny Surov