Silver plating

Haik M. Martirosyan – Luca Moroni
35th World Youth Chess Championship Under-16; Porto Carras, November 5, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 0-0 8. Nf3 Nbd7 9. Qc2 Re8 10. 0-0 h6 11. Bf4 Bf8 12. h3 Nb6 13. Ne5. For 13. Bh2 Bd7 14. Kh1 Nc8 15. Ne5 Nd6 16. Rae1 Qc8 17. f3 see C. Cruz – Gardela Batlle, 17th International Open, Montcada i Reixac 2009. 13. ... Be6 14. Bh2 Nc8 15. Na4 Nd6 16. Nc5 Nfe4 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Nxe6 Rxe6 19. f3 Qe8 20. Qb3 Kh7 21. fxe4 f6 22. Rae1 Qe7 23. Nd3 Nxe4 24. Qc2 Qe8 25. Ne5 fxe5 26. Qxe4+ Kg8 27. dxe5 Bd6. Now Black’s position is not a bed of roses, and if White plays the best moves Luca can only expect suffering. 27. ... Rd8 seems a little better. 28. Rf5 Qg6 29. Qf3 Bc7 30. Rf1 Rd8 31. h4 a5 32. h5 Qe8 33. Bg3? Much stronger looks 33. Qg4 (with the threat of Rf5-f8+) 33. ... Qd7 34. Bg3 Rde8 35. Rf6 with a powerful bind. 33. ... Bxe5 34. Qg4 Bd6 35. Bh4? Martirosyan falls into trouble. Correct was 35. Rf7 Qxf7 36. Rxf7 Kxf7 tending towards a draw. 35. ... Re4 36. Qh3 Rxe3 37. Qg4 Re4 38. Qh3 Rd7 39. Rxa5

39. ... Re2? Being in serious time trouble, Moroni misses his golden opportunity: 39. ... b5! (cutting off the White Rook) with apparently irresistible threats such as, for instance, 40. ... Bc5+ 41. Kh1 Rd3!!-+. 40. Ra8! A pretty resource that turns out to be a saving clause for White. 40. ... Bc5+ 41. Kh1 Qxa8 42. Qxd7 Re4 43. Qf7+ Kh8 44. Bf6 Qf8 45. Qxf8+ Bxf8 46. Bd8 Kg8 47. Rf3 Re1+ 48. Kh2 Re5 49. Rh3 Bc5 50. Bc7 Rd5 51. Bf4 Bd4 52. b3 Be5 53. Bxe5 Rxe5 54. Rh4 Kf7 55. Kg3 Rc5 56. Rf4+ Ke6 57. Rg4 Kf6 58. Rf4+ Ke6 59. Rg4 Kf6 ½ : ½. Congratulations anyway to Luca Moroni for taking second place in such a contest!

Luca Moroni. Photo: Luca Moroni (Facebook).