Bivirga

Anton Demchenko – David Wei Liang Howell
17th European Individual Chess Championship; Gjakova, May 23, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. 0-0 Ba7 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 d6 9. Nbd2 g5 10. Bg3 0-0. Vainly trying to improve on 10. ... Na5 11. Bd5 0-0 12. b4 c6 13. Bxf7+ Rxf7 14. bxa5 Qxa5 15. d4 Qxc3 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Re1 Qb4 18. Nxe5 Rf8 19. a3 Qd4 20. Qb3+ Kh7 21. Rad1 Qb6 22. Qc2 Qc5 23. Nec4 Ne8 24. Nb3 Qe7 25. Nd6 Bg4 26. Rd2 Ng7 27. Nc5 Ne6 28. Ncxb7 Nd4 29. Rxd4 Bxd4 30. e5+ Kh8 31. Qc4 Bc8 32. Nxc8 Qxb7 33. Nd6 Qa7 34. e6 Bf6 35. Nf7+ Rxf7 36. exf7 Qxf7 37. Qxc6 Qf8 38. a4 a5 39. h3 Bg7 40. Rc1 Rd8 41. Qb6 Rd5 42. Qb7 Qf5 43. Rc8+ Kh7 44. Rc7 Rd1+ 45. Kh2 Qf6 46. Re7 1 : 0 Demchenko – Venkatesh, 8th International Chess Open, Chennai 2016. 11. a4 g4 12. Bh4! A tremendous surprise – in both practical and psychological ways. 12. ... Kg7. If 12. ... gxf3 then 13. Qxf3 Kg7 14. Rfd1 with the threat of Nd2-f1-g3-h5+.

13. Kh1! Intending – if Black doesn’t take the Knight – Nf3-g1 followed by f2-f4. 13. ... gxf3 14. Qxf3 Nb8 15. g4! White has only a Pawn for the Knight, but his initiative looks really dangerous. 15. ... Nbd7 16. Rg1 Rh8 17. Nf1 Qe8? The decisive mistake in a difficult position. Best was 17. ... Kf8 18. Ng3 Rg8 in order to answer 19. Nh5 by 19. ... Rg5! with the aim of reducing as most as possible the strenght of White’s attack. 18. g5! Big Bang disruption. 18. ... Ng8 19. gxh6+ Kf8. Or 19. ... Kxh6 20. Bg5+ Kh7 21. Be7+ Kh7 22. Qf5+ Kh6 23. Qh3 mate. 20. Qg3 Ngf6 21. Qg7+ Ke7 22. Rg6! Rg8 23. Bxf6+ Nxf6 24. Qxf6+ Kd7 25. Bxf7 1 : 0.

Anton Demchenko
Photo: Delhi Chess Association