Not as easy as it looks

Zahar Efimenko – Alexander Zubarev
84th Ukrainian Chess Championship; Lviv, December 5, 2015
Pirc Defence B09

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. e5 Nfd7 7. Bc4 c5 8. e6 Nb6 9. exf7+ Kh8 10. Bd3 c4 11. Be2 Rxf7 12. 0-0. For 12. Ne4 Rf8 13. 0-0 Nc6 14. c3 Bf5 15. Ng3 Bd7 16. Qc2 e6 17. Bd2 Ne7 18. Ne4 Qc7 19. Rae1 Nbd5 20. Nh4 Nf5 see 楊晉瑋 (Yáng Jìn Wěi) – Perera, 40th Chess Olympiad, Istanbul 2012. 12. ... Rf8 13. a4 a5 14. d5 N8d7 15. Be3 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Nf6 17. Bd4 Qc7 18. Qe1. White sacrifices a Pawn hoping to mount a Kingside attack. 18. ... Nbxd5 19. Qh4 Kg8. 19. ... Bf5! seems to be sounder. 20. Nd2 b6. This does constitute an error of judgment, as it prepares for weakening Black’s f5-square. If, however, 20. ... Nb6 then 21. g4 soon followed by f4-f5. 21. Rae1! White ignores the Pawn and powerfully centralizes his Rook. 21. ... Ba6 22. Bf3 Rae8

23. f5! The decisive break-through. The rest is easy. 23. ... Bc8 24. Qh6 Bb7 25. Re6 gxf5 26. Bxd5 Bxd5 27. Rxf5 1 : 0.

Zahar Efimenko vs. Alexander Zubarev
Photo: 2015.ukrchess.com