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Vitaly Leonidovich Kunin – Francesco Rambaldi
35th Chess Mitropa Cup (Open Section); Prague, June 23, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. h3 0-0 9. Be2 Nc6 10. Be3 cxd4 11. cxd4 f5 12. Bc4+ Kh8 13. 0-0 fxe4 14. Ng5 e5. The alternative is 14. ... Nxd4 15. Nf7+ Rxf7 16. Bxf7 Qd6 17. Qd2 Bd7 18. Rab1 Bc6 19. Bc4 Rd8 20. Rfc1 Qc7 21. Qe1 Qe5 22. Rd1 Qc5 23. Bf1 Bf6 24. Kh1 Rd7 25. Rbc1 Qa3 26. Bh6 e5 27. Be3 Kg7 28. Bc4 h5 29. Bb3 Qe7 30. Qc3 Qd8 31. Qc5 a5 32. Bc4 g5 33. Bf1 g4 34. h4 Rd5 35. Qa7 Rd7 36. Qc5 Rd5 37. Qa7 Rd7 ½ : ½ Svidler – Vachier-Lagrave, FIDE Grand Prix, 3rd stage, Tbilisi 2015. 15. d5. If, instead, 15. dxe5 there might follow 15. ... Nxe5 16. Bd5 h6 17. Nxe4 Bxh3 18. gxh3 Nf3+ 19. Kg2 Nh4+ 20. Kg1 Nf3+ 21. Kg2 Nh4+ 22. Kg1 Nf3+ ½ : ½ Svidler – Grischuk, FIDE Grand Prix, 3rd stage, Tbilisi 2015. 15. ... Nd4 16. a4! For 16. Nxe4 b5 17. Bxd4 exd4 18. Bxb5 Qxd5 19. Bd3 Bb7 see Schachinger – Papp, 34th International Open, Zalakaros 2015. 16. ... Bf5? Maybe it’s not a mistake, but it seems to me that Black loses time and ground. Deserving consideration was 16. ... Qe7 17. Nxe4 Bf5 and if 18. f3 then 18. ... Rac8 with a reasonable position for Black. 17. Ne6 Bxe6 18. dxe6 Qe7 19. Qg4 Rf5 20. Qxe4 Nxe6 21. Bxe6 Qxe6 22. Qxb7. It’s quite obvious that Francesco has lost the opening battle. Black is in serious trouble. 22. ... Qe8 23. Rfc1! Rf7 24. Rc7 Rxc7 25. Qxc7 h5 26. a5. Not yet 26. Bxa7 because of 26. ... e4 followed by ... Qe8xa4. 26. ... a6 27. Rb1! Qa4

28. Bh6! Kunin delivers Italian boy a terrific blow. 28. ... Rg8. If 28. ... Bxh6 then 29. Rb7 finis. 29. Bxg7+ Rxg7 30. Rb8+ Kh7. On 30. ... Rg8 31. Rb7 White forces mate in three moves. 31. Qd8 Qa1+ 32. Kh2 Kh6 33. Qh8+ Rh7 34. Qf8+ Rg7. Or 34. ... Kg5 35. h4+! Kxh4 (35. ... Kg4 36. Qf3+ Kxh4 37. Qg3 mate) 36. Qf6+ g5 37. g3+ Kg4 38. f3 mate. 35. Rb7 e4 36. Qh8+ 1 : 0.

Francesco Rambaldi
Photo: Šachový svaz České republiky (Facebook)