Maure

Hipolito Asis Gargatagli – Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich
Torneig Magistral Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona; Barcelona, November 4, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. h3 Be6 9. f4 exf4 10. Bxf4 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. 0-0-0 Nde5 13. Kb1 0-0 14. Nd5 Re8 15. g4 Bf8 16. Qf2. For 16. Qg2 Rc8 17. g5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Na5 19. h4 see Mastrovasilis – Hunt, 3rd Artemis Cup, Leros 2011. 16. ... a5 17. a4 Nb4. Morozevich decides to embark on a high-risk, very dubious “counterattack”. 18. Nxb4 axb4 19. Bxe5 Rxa4 20. Bb5 Ra5 21. Nxa5 Ba2+ 22. Kxa2 Qxa5+ 23. Kb3. 23. Kb1 is even simpler, e.g. 23. ... Ra8 24. Kc1 Qxb5 25. Rhf1 and Black has no resource. 23. ... Qxb5 24. Bxd6 Rxe4 25. Rd4? When both players are already in time trouble, Asis Gargatagli misses the opportunity to finish off his opponent by 25. Qc5! Qxc5 26. Bxc5 Bxc5 27. Rd8+ Bf8 28. Ra1 winning easily.

25. ... Bxd6! 26. Rf1. Asis Gargatagli suddenly realizes that 26. Rxd6?? would fail to 26. ... Qc4+ 27. Ka4 b3+ 28. Ka5 Qb4 mate. On the other hand, if 26. Rxe4 then 26. ... Qd5+. 26. ... Qxf1 27. Qxf1 Rxd4. Now the position is dynamically balanced, but Hipolito will end up losing the game. 28. Qb5 Re4 29. Qb6 Bf8 30. Ka2 Re2 31. Kb3 Re6 32. Qxb7 Re3+ 33. c3 bxc3 34. bxc3 Rxh3 35. Qd5 g6 36. Qg2 Re3 37. Qf2 Re5 38. Qf4 Rc5 39. Qe3 h5 40. g5? A terrible mistake! White should have played 40. gxh5 Rxh5 41. c4 with pretty good drawing chances. 40. ... Rf5 41. c4 Bc5 42. Qd2 Be7 43. Qd7 Bxg5 44. Qe8+ Kg7 45. Qe4 Bf6 46. Kb4 Re5 0 : 1.

Hipolito Asis Gargatagli vs. Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich
Photo: Federació Catalana d’Escacs