Next Door

Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer – Nderim Saraci
17th European Individual Chess Championship; Gjakova, May 17, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 h6 9. Bh4 Nh5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Nge2. Of course 11. Nf3? Nf4 is nonsense. For the sharp 11. 0-0-0 Nb6 12. Nf3 Bg4 13. Kb1 Nf6 14. Rc1 Nfd7 15. Ka1 0-0-0 see Aronian – Carlsen, 3rd GRENKE Chess Classic, Baden-Baden 2015. 11. ... Nb6 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rae1 Bg4? Black loses valuable time and, furthermore, induces White to make an useful move (f2-f3). The immediate 13. ... Be6 is more consistent and much more probing; for instance: 14. Nc1 Rad8 15. Nb3 Rfe8 16. Nc5 Bc8 17. b4 Nc4 18. Qe2 Qg5! 19. f4?! Qh4 20. Bxc4 dxc4 21. g3? Nxg3! 22. hxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Kh1 Qh3+ 24. Qh2 Rxe3 25. Nd1 Rxe1 26. Qxh3 Bxh3 27. Rxe1 b6 28. Ne4 Rxd4 29. Kh2 Bf5 30. Ndc3 Rd3 31. b5 cxb5 32. Nxb5 Bd7 33. a4 a6 34. Nc7 Bxa4 35. Nxa6 c3 36. Nb4 Rd4 37. Na2 Rd2+ 0 : 1 Navara – M. Adams, 48th International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2015. 14. Nc1 Rfe8 15. f3 Be6 16. Qf2 c5 17. dxc5 Qxc5 18. Nb3 Qb4 19. Nd4 Nc4?? This should be the losing move. Black had more than one better move at his command, for instance 19. ... a6(!).

20. Nxe6! Nxb2. If 20. ... Rxe6 there might follow 21. Nxd5 Qc5 22. Rc1 b5 23. Be4 gaining material, while after 20. ... fxe6 21. Bg6 White wins the Exchange. 21. Nxd5 Qa3 22. Bb1 1 : 0. Whatever Black takes the e6-Knight, it will follow Nd5-c7.

Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer
Photo: Wikipedia Commons