Коробушка (Korobeiniki)

Evgeny Yurievich Tomashevsky – Fabiano Caruana
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 31, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E44

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Ne2 c5 6. a3 Ba5 7. Rb1 Na6 8. Ng3 Bb7 9. f3 0-0 10. Bd3 d5 11. 0-0 cxd4? Careless. The right way is 11. ... dxc4! 12. Bxc4 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Rc8 14. Qe2 Nb8 15. Bb2 Nd5 16. Rfc1 Qg5 17. f4 Qe7 18. f5 Qg5 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Rf1 Kh8 21. Rxf8+ Rxf8 22. Rf1 Nd7 23. Rxf8+ Nxf8 24. e4 Nf6 25. Qe1 cxd4 26. cxd4 h5 ½ : ½ Hawkins – M. Adams, 20th Four Nations Chess League, Hinckley 2014. 12. Nb5! Much stronger than 12. exd4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Rc8 14. Qd3 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Nc7 as occurred in the game S. S. Popov – Jeremić, 1st Serbian Team Chess Championship, Zlatibor 2006. 12. ... dxc4 13. Bxc4 Rc8 14. Qe2 Bd5 15. Bxd5 Qxd5

16. e4!? That’s shocking! Of course White still cannot play 16. b4?? (on account of 16. ... d3), but the smooth 16. exd4(!) would have left Black without perspectives. 16. ... Qa2? Caruana plays very nervously. Comparatively better is 16. ... d3! which simplifies the game very much. 17. Bg5 Rc4. A bad-looking move in a very bad position. 18. Rbd1. Tomashevsky is a little excited, because yet he has not won a single game out of the 12 played. All chess engines list on top 13. Bxf6! gxf6 14. Qf2 launching a direct assault. 18. ... d3 19. Qxd3 Rc5 20. Be3. And here 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Nd4 looks much stronger. 20. ... Qxb2 21. Bxc5 Nxc5 22. Qe2. After all, White is up the Exchange, and Tomashevsky laboriously gets ready to convert his advantages into a win. 22. ... Qxe2 23. Nxe2 a6 24. Nd6 b5 25. Nd4 Bb6 26. Kh1 g5 27. Nc6 Kg7 28. g3 h5 29. Rfe1 Na4 30. Rd3 Nc5 31. Rd2 Nb3 32. Rc2 Nc5 33. Kg2 Na4 34. Rd1 g4 35. Rd3 Nc5 36. Rd1 Na4 37. h3 gxf3+ 38. Kxf3 Nh7 39. e5 Bc5 40. Rd3 f6 41. Kg2 Bb6 42. exf6+ Nxf6 43. Nd4 Bxd4 44. Rxd4 Nd5 45. Re4 Rd8 46. Nb7 Rd7 47. Na5 Rd6 48. Rc6 Rxc6 49. Nxc6 Nc5 50. Re5! Nd3 51. Rg5+ Kh6 52. Rg8 Ne3+ 53. Kf3 Nc4 54. Nb4 Nde5+ 55. Ke2 a5 56. Nc2 Nd7 57. Rc8 Kg6 58. Rc7 Nf6 59. Rc6 Kf7. 59. ... a4 60. Rxe6 Kf7 61. Rc6 is equally hopeless. 60. a4! Nd5 61. axb5 Ne5 62. Ra6 Nc3+ 63. Kf1 1 : 0. Bravo!

Evgeny Yurievich Tomashevsky. Photo: Alina l’Ami.