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Daniele Vocaturo – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 22, 2015
Giuoco Piano C53

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Bb3 a6 7. 0-0 h6 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. Re1 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 Ba7 12. Nf1. Another try is 12. a4 Qd7 13. Nb3 Rf7 14. b5 Ne7 15. bxa6 bxa6 16. d4 Nc6 17. h3 Rb8 ½ : ½ Bok – Vishnu Prasanna, 13th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2015. 12. ... Qe8 13. a4 Ne7 14. Be3 Bxe3 15. Nxe3 Ng6 16. Ra2 Rd8 17. Rd2 Qf7 18. Kh1 b5 19. Qc2 Nf4 20. axb5 axb5 21. Ng1 d5 22. f3 Qd7 23. Nf1 d4 24. g3 Ng6 25. Rc1 Ra8 26. cxd4 Qxd4 27. Qc5 Qxc5 28. Rxc5 Rfb8 29. Rxc7 Ra4 30. Rb2 Ra3 31. Nd2 Rxd3 32. Nb3 Nf8 33. Nc5 Rd1 34. Re7 Re8? Kramnik gets into serious trouble after this. Comparatively best was 34. ... N6d7 35. Nxe6 Nxe6 36. Rxe6 Rb6 37. Re8+ Kf7 38. Ra8 Rb7 39. Ra5 Nb8! and Black should get sufficient compensation for the Pawn. 35. Rb7 Ra8 36. Kg2 g5 37. Rxb5 Rad8 38. Nb3 g4 39. Rxe5 Ng6 40. Rxe6 Kf7 41. Nc5 h5 42. e5 Nd5

White is three Pawns ahead with a totally won game, but – quite incredibly – Daniele lets the win slip away! 43. Kf2? 43. Ra2 would have left Black with no resource. 43. ... Ra8 44. Ra6. Not 44. f4? Ra1! and, although Black is three Pawns minus, he seizes the initiative! 44. ... Rxa6 45. Nxa6 Nxe5 46. Nc5 Nc4 47. Re2 Nce3 48. Re1 Rd2+ 49. Re2 Rd1 50. Re1 Rd2+ 51. Re2 ½ : ½.

Daniele Vocaturo
Photo: Katerina Savina