Isn’t it strange the way things can change?

Baadur Jobava – Mircea-Emilian Pârligras
17th European Individual Chess Championship; Gjakova, May 15, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E48

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Ne2 Re8 8. Bd2 Bd6 9. Rc1 a6 10. 0-0 Nc6. For the more usual 10. ... Nbd7 11. Ng3 b6 12. Nce2 c5 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. Bc3 Ne5 15. Bb1 Bb7 16. Nf4 d4 17. Bd2 Qb6 see Shimanov – So, 2nd Millionaire Chess Open, Las Vegas 2015. 11. f3 Nb4 12. Bb1 c5 13. Kh1 Nc6 14. Be1 cxd4 15. exd4 Nh5 16. Qd2. 16. Nxd5 Bxh2 17. Kxh2 Qxd5 18. Rc5 Qd6+ 19. Kg1 g6 doesn’t seem to offer enough for White. 16. ... Be6 17. g4 Nf6 18. Bh4 Be7 19. Nf4 Nd7 20. Bxe7 Nxe7 21. Rce1 Nf8 22. Nh5. Since Black’s position is a bit cramped but quite solid, Jobava feels he must provoke weaknesses in Black’s Kingside. 22. ... Nc6 23. Ne2 f6 24. Neg3 Rc8 25. h4 Rc7 26. Nf4 Rce7 27. h5 Bf7 28. Rd1 Qa5 29. Nf5 Rd7 30. Qf2 Qc7 31. Nd3 Be6 32. Rfe1 Rdd8 33. Rg1 Kh8 34. Qh4 Qf7 35. Nf4 Bxf5. White has undoubtedly made some progress as Black can’t avoid the opening of the g-file anyway (if 35. ... Bc8 then 36. g5!). 36. gxf5 h6 37. Rg2 Rd7 38. Rdg1

38. ... Nxd4?? And all ends with a trivial blunder by Pârligras. The most resilient 38. ... Nh7 39. Rxg7 Qxg7 40. Rxg7 Rxg7 (or 40. ... Kxg7 41. Ne6+ Kh8 42. a3) 41. Ng6+ Kg8 42. a3! followed by Bb1-a2 leaves White with a clear advantage, but no absolute certainty. 39. Ng6+ Nxg6 40. hxg6 1 : 0. In fact, both the Queen and the Knight are en prise.

Baadur Jobava
Photo: Stefan Printz