Going in Style

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)
10th Russia – China Friendship Match; Moscow, June 13, 2016
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 Nfd7 8. Be3 b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. g5 Nc6 11. h4 Be7 12. Qd2 0-0 13. 0-0-0 Rc8 14. Nxc6. For 14. Kb1 Nde5 15. Nxc6 Nxc6 16. h5 see 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Esen, 2nd Qatar Masters Open, Doha 2015. 14. ... Rxc6 15. Kb1. For 15. h5 Qa5 16. Kb1 Rxc3 17. Qxc3 Qxc3 18. bxc3 Bxe4 see Bromberger – Cheparinov, 31st International Chess Open, Reykjavík 2016. 15. ... Ne5 16. Rh3 Nc4 17. Qe1 Qa5. 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)’s novelty. For 17. ... Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Qc8 19. f4 Bd8 20. f5 Ba5 21. b4 Bb6 22. Red3 exf5 23. exf5 Re8 24. Qd2 Rc4 25. g6! see Nepomniachtchi – Grischuk, 23rd Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2016. 18. Bxc4 Rxc4

19. Nd5! “19. Nd5! spoils Black’s game. If Black is going to look for an improvement before this point, one way is to try to avoid this move”, Ulhumbrus wisely said. 19. ... Qd8 20. Bb6! Qd7 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Re3± Qd7 23. Ba5 Qc6 24. f3 Rc8. If 24. ... Rxc2 then 25. Bb4 Rd8 26. Bxd6± (Leitão’s analysis) 25. Bc3 Qc5 26. Rdd3. Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão rightly prefers 26. Bb4! Rxb4 27. axb4 Qxc2+ 28. Ka1+-. 26. ... d5 27. exd5 Bxd5 28. h5 a5 29. b3 Rf4 30. Qd2. Leitão recommends 30. Be5! Qxc2+ 31. Ka1 Rxf3 32. Rxf3 Bxf3 33. Rxf3 Rd8 34. Rf1 Qxb3 35. Bb2 with advantage to White. 30. ... Rh4. If, instead, 30. ... Qxa3 (Leitão) there might follow 31. Qh2 Rf5 32. Re5 still retaining the upper hand. 31. h6 b4 32. Bb2 Rh1+ 33. Bc1 bxa3? No doubt the losing move! 33. ... Qd6 (to be followed by ... a5-a4 as soon as possible) was clearly called for. 34. Rc3! Qf8 35. Rxc8 Qxc8 36. Rc3 Qf8 37. Rc7! The End. 37. ... a4 38. Qc3 axb3 39. cxb3 Bb7 40. Rxb7 a2+ 41. Ka1! But not 41. Kb2? a1=Q+! 42. Kxa1 Rxc1+ 43. Qxc1 Qa8+ and the saga continues. 1 : 0.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi vs. 卢尚磊 (Lú Shànglěi)
Photo: ruchess.ru