Imarti

Pentala Harikrishna – 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 15, 2016

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2 h5 8. g3 Nbd7 9. a4 b6 10. Nd5 Nxd5 11. Qxd5 Rb8 12. Nc3 Bb7 13. Qd2. Thus departing from a pleasant memory: 13. Qa2 Be7 14. Be3 Nf6 15. Bg2 0-0 16. 0-0 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qa5 b4 19. Bb6 Qd7 20. Qxb4 Bc6 21. Qa5 Ra8 22. Qb4 Rab8 23. Qa5 Ra8 24. Qb4 d5 25. Qb3 d4 26. Nd5 Rab8 27. Ra7 Qxa7 28. Bxa7 Rxb3 29. Nxe7+ Kh7 30. cxb3 Bxe4 31. Bxe4+ Nxe4 32. Re1 Nd2 33. Re2 Nxb3 34. Rxe5 Ra8 35. Rxh5 mate, Harikrishna – Domínguez Pérez, 1st IMSA Élite Mind Games, Blitz Event, 淮安 (Huái’ān) 2016. 13... Nf6 14. Bg2 Be7 15. 0-0 0-0 16. Qe2 h4. An expectable Pawn sacrifice. 17. gxh4 b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. h5 b4 20. Nd1 Ra8 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Re1 Re8. Why not play 22. ... Rc8 immediately? 23. c4 Bf8 24. Bd2 Rc8 25. Bg5. Not 25. Bxb4? because of 25. ... Qa4 winning back the c-Pawn. 25. ... Nh7 26. h4 Qa2 27. Bf1 Rc7 28. Qd3 Ba6?! This only helps White to consolidate. 28. ... Qa8 appears to be much better. 29. b3 Bc8 30. Ne3 Be6 31. Nd5 Rb7 32. Bh3! Qa8

33. Bf5! Not only Black has no compensation for the Pawn, but is now not able anymore to bear the unbearable squeeze; so, he decides to give up another couple of Pawns in a last, desperate, vain gamble. 33. ... Ra7 34. Nxb4 Ra1 35. Rxa1 Qxa1+ 36. Kg2 Bxf5 37. exf5 e4 38. Qxe4 Qc3 39. Nd5 Qxb3 40. h6. Harikrishna concludes energetically. 40. ... gxh6 41. Bf6 Nxf6 42. Nxf6+ Kg7 43. Nd7 1 : 0.

Pentala Harikrishna vs. Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Photo: cca.cmsa.cn