Not yet twenty-one

Grandmaster Ivan Aleksandrovich Bukavshin died unexpectedly on Tuesday, apparently of a stroke. He was not yet twenty-one. News of his sudden death was reported in the early morning of today by the Russian Chess Federation. Ivan Aleksandrovich was born on May 3, 1995, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. He lived in Tolyatti.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Bukavshin – Ernesto Kazbekovich Inarkiev
13th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, March 30, 2015
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Rc1 cxd4 10. cxd4 e6!? A very interesting novelty in a well-known tabiya. 11. Bc4 0-0 12. 0-0 Na5 13. Bd3 b6 14. h4 Bb7 15. h5 f5 16. e5 gxh5 17. Ng5 Qd5? A fatal slip. Correct was 17. ... Qe8 keeping cool.

18. Be4!! A deadly interference, which was evidently overlooked by Inarkiev. 18. ... Qd7. Not 18. ... fxe4 19. Qxh5 and wins. 19. Bxb7 Nxb7 20. Qxh5 Bh8. 20. ... h6 21. Nh3 Qf7 22. Qh4 was equally hopeless. 21. f4 Rae8 22. Rf3 Re7 23. Rg3 Rg7 24. Bf2 Qe8 25. Qh3 Nd8 26. Nxh7 Rxg3 27. Bxg3 Rf7 28. Ng5 Rd7 29. Rc8 Bg7 30. Bf2 Qg6 31. Qb3 Bf8 32. Qa4 Qg7 33. Rc3 Rc7 34. Rg3 Rc1+ 35. Kh2 Qh6+ 36. Rh3 Qg7 37. Qe8 Qe7 38. Qh5 Bg7 39. Qg6 Kf8 40. Nh7+ Kg8 41. Nf6+ Kf8 42. Rh8+ 1 : 0. It’s mate next move.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Bukavshin
Photo: ruchess.ru