Hyperbolic trajectory

Péter Lékó – Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi

7th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament “人民网 (People’s Daily Online) Cup”; 儋州 (Dānzhōu), July 11, 2016

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Qd2 h5 10. Be2 Nbd7 11. Nd5 Bxd5 12. exd5 0-0 13. 0-0 Qb8 14. Kh1 Bd8 15. f4. Deviating from the reference book: 15. c4 Bb6 16. Bxb6 Nxb6 17. f4 e4 18. Nd4 Qc8 19. Rac1 Re8 20. b4 Qd7 21. Nc2 Nc8 22. Ne3 Ne7 23. f5 Rec8 24. Rf4 b5 25. g4 bxc4 26. g5 c3 27. Qd4 Nh7 28. Bxh5 Nxg5 29. h4 Nh7 30. Rg1 f6 31. Qxe4 Kh8 32. Bf7 Qa7 33. Be6 Rc7 34. Nc4 Rd8 35. Rc1 Qb7 36. Rxc3 Qxb4 37. Rb3 Qc5 38. Rg3 Ng8 39. Qd4 Qb4 40. a3 Qb1+ 41. Kh2 Nh6 42. Qb6 Qxb6 43. Nxb6 Rb8 44. Rc4 Rcb7 45. Nc8 Rb2+ 46. Rg2 R2b3 47. Nxd6 Rxa3 48. Rc7 Ra4 49. Nc4 Nf8 50. d6 Rd8 51. Rgxg7 Ra2+ 52. Kh3 Re2 53. Rge7 Rb8 54. Rb7 Rxb7 55. Rxb7 Nxe6 56. fxe6 Rxe6 57. Re7 1 : 0 Šarić – Nepomniachtchi, 15th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament, Poikovsky 2014. “Amazingly poor play level from both sides, but the biggest idiot prize has (expectedly) gone to me...”, then Nepomniachtchi tweeted. 15. ... Re8 16. c4 b5 17. fxe5 Nxe5 18. cxb5 axb5 19. Nd4 Nc4 20. Bxc4 bxc4 21. Bg1 Qb7 22. Qc2. 22. Nc6 is also answered by 22. ... Ne4 with better prospects for Black. On the other hand, the text – that implies the sacrifice of a Pawn – is far from satisfactory. 22. ... Ne4 23. Rae1 Qxd5 24. Rf5 Qb7 25. Rb5 Qe7. With the threat of ... Ne4-f2+. 26. Rf1 g6 27. Nf3 Qe6 28. a4 h4 29. Nd4 Qd7 30. Qxc4. White finally won back the Pawn, at the cost, however, of giving his opponent a clear initiative. 30. ... h3 31. Rf4 Nc5 32. b3? Maybe it is not so serious, but after this move Black’s attack will mount inexorably. 32. ... hxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Rc8 34. Qf1 Bg5 35. Rf3 Ne4 36. Rd3. 36. Kh1 Rc1 37. Qg2 Bf6 is somewhat better, but not enough to survive. 36. ... Qg4+ 37. Kh1 Rc1 38. Qg2 Qh4 39. Rf3. Unluckily for Lékó, 39. Rh3? is met by 39. ... Nf2+! winning on the spot. 39. ... Be3 40. Ne2 Nf2+ 41. Rxf2 Bxf2 42. Nxc1 Bxg1 43. Qg3

43. ... Qd4! 44. Qxg1 Qd2! 45. Nd3 Qxd3 46. Rg5 Re2! 0 : 1. A pretty game.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Photo: 李昕 (Lǐ Xīn)/sports.sina.com.cn