One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)

7th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament “人民网 (People’s Daily Online) Cup”; 儋州 (Dānzhōu), July 16, 2016

Spanish Game C84

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Be7 8. Nc3 d6 9. a3 0-0 10. Re1 h6 11. Ne2 Re8 12. Ng3 Bf8 13. c3 Qd7. For 13. ... d5 14. exd5 Na5 15. c4 c6 see 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī) – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 6th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2015. 14. d4 Na5. For 14. ... Rad8 15. Ba2 exd4 16. cxd4 d5 17. e5 Ne4 see Svidler – Mikhalchishin, 18th Gawlikowski Memorial, Warsaw 1999. 15. Bc2 Nc4 16. a4 Rad8 17. b3 Nb6 18. a5 Nc8 19. d5 c5 20. h3 g6 21. c4 b4 22. Ra2 Bg7 23. Bb1 Ne7 24. Nh2 g5?! This – rather than preventing f2-f4 – will turn out to give White a breaking point for it. 25. Nh5 Bc8 26. Nxf6+ Bxf6 27. Qh5 Kg7 28. Ng4 Rh8

“Everything seems in order for Black: the standard 29. Re3 (with the idea of Re3-f3 or Re3-g3) can be answered by 29. ... Ng6 intending to capture the Queen by ... Ng6-f4. Now Ian Nepomniachtchi’s gonna play what it seemed impossible”, says Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly in his commentary for Europe Échecs. 29. f4!! A fantastic breakthrough that literally disintegrates Black’s position. 29. ... gxf4. The tactical justification lies in 29. ... exf4? 30. Nxf6 Kxf6?? 31. Bb2 mate. 30. g3! Ng6 31. gxf4 Qe7. Or 31. ... Nxf4 32. Bxf4 exf4 33. Nxf6 Kxf6 34. e5+! winning immediately. 32. Nxf6 Qxf6 33. fxe5 dxe5 34. Rg2 Qd6 35. Rf1 Rde8 36. Kh1 Re7 37. Be3 Rc7 38. Rgf2 Rh7 39. Rf6 Qxf6. Desperation. 40. Rxf6 Kxf6 41. Bxh6 Rxh6 42. Qxh6 Re7 43. h4 Re8 44. Qg5+ Kg7 45. h5 Rh8 46. Bc2 Rh6 47. Bd1 f6 48. Qg1 1 : 0.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi vs. 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì)
Photo: cmsa.cn