Italy in a day

Sopiko Guramishvili – Francesco Rambaldi
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 20, 2015
English Opening A36

Notes by Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett, Spraggett on Chess, December 23, 2015

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. e3 Bxc3 6. dxc3 d6 7. Ne2 f5 8. e4 fxe4 9. Bxe4 Nf6 10. Bg2 Be6 11. b3 h6 12. Nf4 Bf5 13. h3 Qd7 14. Nd5 g5 15. a4 0-0-0 16. a5 Nxd5 17. Qxd5 e6 18. Qd1 e5 19. a6 b6 20. Bd5 Be6 21. Be3 Bxd5 22. Qxd5 Kc7 23. Rd1 Qc8 24. Ra1 Ne7 25. Qf7 Rd7 26. 0-0 Rf8 27. Qe6 Nc6 28. Rfd1 Rdd8 29. Qxh6 Rh8 30. Qg7+ Rd7 31. Qxg5 Rxh3 32. Kg2 Qh8 33. Rh1 Rdh7 34. Qf5! A curious position! While White is up a good Pawn, this position’s theme is not about material, but rather attacking the Kings. Clearly Black has an attack against the White King, while White has chances against the Black King: if she could get in a check on the 7th rank then there will follow a check on b7 and another check on g5 with the Bishop. At first sight it appears that Black’s attack is stronger, having already tripled on the open h-file. But this is not the case! White’s last move (34. Qf5) sets several traps for Black... If now 34. ... Rxh1? 35. Rxh1 Rxh1 White should win after 36. Qf7+ Kc8 37. Qb7+ Kd8 38. Bg5+ Ke8 39. Qxc6+ Kf7 40. Qd7+ Kg6 41. Bh4!. Also insufficient is 34. ... Ne7?! 35. Qxh3! Rxh3 36. Rxh3 Qa8+ 37. f3 when White’s two Rooks are clearly more formidable than Black’s Queen. And there is another bit of poison hidden after 34. ... R3h5? 35. Rxh5 Rxh5 36. Qf7 Kd8 [...]. Now 37. Rh1!! wins on the spot (37. ... Rxh1 38. Bg5+!). Getting back to the game... Black played the correctly: 34. ... Rh2+! Black has wisely avoided White’s little traps! Now White should continue 35. Rxh2 Rxh2+ 36. Kf3 with the better chances [36. Kf1 is also possible: 36. ... Ne7 (36. ... Rh1+ 37. Ke2 Qh7 38. Qxh7+ Rxh7 and White still has his g-Pawn) 37. Qf7 with pressure]. If then Black wants to trade Queens then his ending is simply worse, while 36. ... Rh1 37. Ke2! maintains all of the advantages of the position. (Note that 37. Rh1 would be a mistake, as the reader can easily verify for himself). Instead, so much wanting to catch her Grandmaster opponent in a trap, Guramishvili momentarily lost her objectivity, pressing her luck: 35. Kf3(?). White is hoping that Black will take the bait: 35. ... Rxh1 36. Rxh1 Rxh1 when 37. Qf7+! will transpose into one of the traps previously described above. Unfortunately for her, Rambaldi is not a Grandmaster by chance!.

35. ... Ne7! At move 34 this move did not work (35. Qxh3!), and it is entirely possible that White just assumed it was still impossible... If now 36. Qg5 then simply 36. ... Qf8+ (simultaneously defending the Knight) followed by capturing the Rook would leave Black up a Rook for nothing. 36. Qe4!? (What else?) 36. ... d5! Black could also take the Rook on h1 immediately, when 37. Qb7+ would not work, but why give White the pleasure of giving some checks? White can now resign, but played on a few more moves. 37. cxd5 Rxh1 38. Rxh1 Rxh1 39. Bf4 Kd6 0 : 1. Moral of the story: if your opponent does not fall for your trap the first time, he will certainly not fall for the same trap the next time!

Sopiko Guramishvili
Photo: David Llada