Tilting at Windmills

Daniil Dimitriyevich Dubov – Ante Brkić
17th European Individual Chess Championship; Gjakova, May 20, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Ne4 8. Qc2 h5 9. h3 Bxc3+. For 9. ... Nxg3 10. fxg3 Bd6 11. 0-0-0 Bxg3 12. e4 see Hole – Forsaa, 83rd Norwegian Chess Championship, Hamar 2007. 10. bxc3 Nxg3 11. fxg3 Nc6 12. e4! dxe4 13. Qxe4 Qd6 14. Kf2 Bd7 15. c5 Qe7 16. Rb1 0-0-0 17. Ne5. Most likely Black was expecting for 17. Rxb7!? Kxb7 18. Bb5 a6! coming out of the storm, but Dubov has in mind something more sublime. 17. ... f5 18. Qf3 g4? Had Black foreseen what he was doomed for, should have probably played 18. ... Qe8, although after 19. Ba6! bxa6 20. a4! White keeps good attacking chances.

19. Ba6!! A disruptive “windmill” combination which must have been overlooked by Brkić. 19. ... gxf3. If 19. ... bxa6 then 20. Qe2! Nb4 21. Rxb4 Bb5 22. Rxb5! axb5 23. Qxb5 c6 24. Qxc6+ Qc7 25. Qxe6+ and White gets an overwhelming advantage. 20. Bxb7+ Kb8 21. Bxc6+ Kc8 22. Bb7+ Kb8 23. Bxf3+ Kc8 24. Bb7+ Kb8 25. Bc6+ Kc8 26. Rb2! The pointe. 1 : 0. For if 26. ... Bxc6 then 27. Rhb1! with unavoidable mate.

Daniil Dimitriyevich Dubov
Photo: Chess-News.ru