Black Flash

Yuri Rafailovich Yakovich – Vladimir Nailevich Malakhov
23rd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 10, 2016
Modern Defence B06

1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 a6 5. h4 Nf6 6. f3 b5 7. Qd2 Nbd7 8. g4 h6 9. 0-0-0 Nb6 10. Bd3 Nfd7. For 10. ... c6 11. Nh3 h5 12. Ng5 Nc4 see Soumya – Spraggett, 13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 11. Qf2 Bb7 12. Nge2 b4 13. Nb1 c5 14. c4. White has achieved less than nothing out of the opening, but the text is not probably a good idea. Sounder appears to be 14. dxc5, although after 14. ... dxc5! 15. Nd2 Qc7 Black’s position is easier to play. 14. ... Qc7 15. d5? A grave positional mistake. White should have played 15. Nd2. 15. ... Ne5. Thratening 16. ... Nxd3+ 17. Rxd3 Nxc4. 16. b3 a5 17. g5. 17. h5 g5 18. Ng3 e6 is no better. 17. ... hxg5.

18. hxg5?? Indeed, also after 18. Bxg5 a4 White seems doomed to lose, but this is a tragicomical blunder, after which Yakovich immediately resigns without waiting for Black’s coup de grâce 18. ... Nxd3+ 19. Rxd3 Rxh1+. 0 : 1.