The Werewolf

Jonathan Simon Speelman – Laurent Fressinet
24th Four Nations Chess League; Division 1c; Birmingham, May 1, 2016
Neo-King’s Indian A48

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bf4 d6 4. e3 Bg7 5. Be2 0-0 6. h3 b6 7. 0-0 Bb7 8. Bh2 Nbd7 9. a4 a6 10. c4 Ne4 11. a5 c5 12. axb6. 12. Nbd2 bxa5 13. Nb3 Rb8 appears less convincing, Zatokovenko – Kalegin, City Championship, Ufa 2012. 12. ... Qxb6 13. Ra2 cxd4 14. exd4 e5 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Bf4 Qc6 17. Nd4 Qc7 18. b3 Qe7 19. Rc2 Qh4 20. Be3 f5 21. Nf3 Qf6 22. Bc1 g5 23. Bb2 Rad8 24. Nc3 Nxc3 25. Bxc3 g4 26. hxg4 fxg4 27. Nxe5 dxe5 28. Rd2 Bh6 29. Rxd8 Rxd8 30. Bd3. 30. Bxe5 Qe7 is very unclear, but probably not worse than the text. 30. ... Bg7 31. Qc2? A slip by Jon. Correct was 31. Bxe5 Qxe5 32. Bxh7+ Kxh7 33. Qxd8 Qe4 34. Qh4+ Kg6!? 35. f3 Qd4+ 36. Rf2 Bc8∞ with a very unbalanced balance. 31. ... Qc6 32. f3 Qb6+? Fressinet misses 33. ... Qc5+ 34. Kh2 e4! bringing all his troops against the enemy King. 33. c5! Of course a paradoxical tactician such was (and yet is!) Speelman doesn’t miss this subtle resource! 33. ... Qxc5+ 34. Kh2 gxf3 35. Bxh7+ Kh8 36. Be4 fxg2 37. Kxg2 Bc6 38. Rf3 Rc8 39. Qe2 Kg8? Fressinet’s (last) blind spot, after a very uncertain struggle. After 39. ... Bxe4 40. Qxe4 Qc6 Black – who is a Pawn up – certainly does not risk losing.

40. b4! “This strong move must have escaped Black’s notice. The threat is a decisive check along the a2-g8 diagonal”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett wrote. 40. ... Bb5!? “As good as any, but not good enough to solve the problems”, Spraggett said. 41. Qd2! 1 : 0. “There is a nasty check on d5 coming”, Spraggett said.

John Saunders (@johnchess)