The Thinker

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk – Zoltán Almási
51th Capablanca Memorial; Varadero, June 10, 2016
Torre Attack A46

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. c3 d5 6. e3 Nc6 7. Nbd2 cxd4 8. exd4 Be7 9. Bd3 0-0 10. Qe2. For 10. 0-0 Nh5 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Re1 Nf4 13. Bc2 b6 14. Nf1 Ba6 15. Ne3 Qd6 see Sorokin – Lisitsin, 7th USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1931. 10. ... Nh5 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Qe3 Rb8 13. 0-0 Qf6 14. g3 Bd7 15. Ne5 Qe7 16. f4 Nf6 17. Rae1 Rfc8? The wrong Rook on the wrong file – almost a record. 18. g4! Ivanchuk exploits the special features of this kind of “Pillsbury Formation” through a quite thematic Pawn sacrifice. 18. ... Nxe5 19. fxe5 Nxg4 20. Qg3 h5 21. Re2 f5? Black was probably helpless anyway, but after the text matters worsened dramatically. 22. exf6 Nxf6 23. Ref2 Ng4. 23. ... Rf8? 24. Rxf6! doesn’t work at all, while if 23. ... Kh8 there might follow 24. Nf3! with devastating threats. 24. Rf7 Qg5 25. Rxd7 Rf8. Also after the immediate 25. ... Qxd2 26. Rff7 White must win.

26. h4! The very pretty start of the mating attack. 26. ... Qxd2 27. Rxg7+! The pointe. 27. ... Kh8. If 27. ... Kxg7 then 28. Qc7+ and mate in two moves. 28. Rxg4 hxg4 29. Qe5+ Kg8 30. Qxe6+ Kh8 31. Qe5+ Kg8 32. Qxd5+ 1 : 0.

Vassily Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk