Biding Time

Alexander Anatolyevich Shabalov – Abhijeet Gupta
31st International Chess Open; Reykjavík, March 13, 2016
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. 0-0 Re8 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Be7 9. Nbd2 d6 10. Re1 Bd7. For the immediate 10. ... g5 11. Bg3 g4 12. Nh4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxh4 14. Bxh4 Qxh4 15. d4 f5 see Inarkiev – Aronian, Petrossiàn Memorial, Moscow 2014. 11. a4 g5. Gupta, too, decides to win the Pawn. 12. Bg3 g4 13. Nh4 Nxe4 14. dxe4 Bxh4 15. Bxh4 Qxh4 16. a5 a6. “The amicable Indian Grandmaster came in to the commentary room to show his game and explain his train of thought and he thought if Black managed to consolidate his position and then play a later ... f7-f5 he should be better with a clear extra Pawn while the American GM felt that that White should have plenty of compensation for the Pawn in the form of the numerous weaknesses around the Black King”, writes Manuel Weeks. 17. Bc4 Kg7 18. Nf1 Ne7 19. Ne3 Rf8 20. Bf1 Be6 21. c4. “Shabalov has just played 21. c4 with aggresive intentions of a Rook lift via a3 and swing the Rook to the Kingside along the third rank but it leaves the d4 square weak and Gupta immediately played 21. ... Nc6 and headed for the valuable central outpost”, Weeks said 21. ... Nc6 22. Nf5+. Surely this doesn’t solve anything, but on the contrary worsens matters. 22. ... Bxf5 23. exf5 Qg5 24. Ra3 h5 25. h3 Kf6 26. Rg3 Rg8 27. Bd3 Nd4 28. Be4 Qf4 29. Ree3 c6 30. Bb1 d5. White is dramatically helpless. 31. cxd5 cxd5 32. Re1 Rac8. Or immediately 32. ... Nf3+! winning easily. 33. Rge3

33. ... Nf3+! 0 : 1. For if 34. gxf3 there follows 34. ... gxf3+ 35. Kf1 (or Kh1 Rg2 and mate next move) 35. ... Rg1+! 36. Kxg1 Qg5+ and mate next move.