Playing It By Ear

Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin – Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 30, 2016
French Defence C09

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Nb3 Bb6 9. Bg5. Formally a novelty. The reference book contemplated 9. 0-0 Nge7 10. Re1 0-0 11. Be3 Bf5 12. Bd3 d4 13. Bg5 ½ : ½ Adorjan – Hübner, Bad Lauterberg 1980 match game 4. 9. ... Nge7 10. Qe2 Qd6 11. Be3 0-0 12. 0-0 Bg4 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. h3 Bh5 15. Rfe1. Indeed Andreikin appears to be scientifically adopting a kind of Karpovian strategy – directly from the 1970s. 15. ... Qf6 16. g4 Bg6 17. c3 Be4 18. Nbd2 Bg6 19. Qe3

19. ... Nc8. This Knight manoeuvre will prove insufficient to provide enough counterplay to compensate for the structural weakness of the d5-Pawn. Black should probably have preferred 19. ... h5(!) keeping White busy on the Kingside. 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. Qxe5 Qh4 22. Bf1 Na7 23. Nf3 Qd8 24. Rad1. The d5-Pawn is finally doomed. 24. ... Nc6 25. Qxd5 Qf6 26. Bg2 Ra5 27. Qd7 h5 28. Re8 Rxe8 29. Qxe8+ Kh7 30. Qe3 hxg4 31. hxg4 Bc2 32. Rd2 Bb1 33. a3 Ne5 34. Ng5+ Kg6. After 34. ... Qxg5 35. Qxg5 Nf3+ 36. Bxf3 Rxg5 37. Kg2 White has a Pawn more and a far superior (almost winning) ending. 35. Ne4 Nxg4 36. Nxf6. Even stronger might be 36. Qg3 Qf5 37. Rd4 (with the threat of Ne4-d6), but also the “simplifying” leads to a technically won ending. 36. ... Nxe3 37. fxe3 Kxf6 38. Rd6+ Ke5 39. Rxb6 Be4 40. b4 Rd5 41. Bxe4 Kxe4 42. Rxb7 f5 43. Kf2 Rd2+ 44. Kg3 Ra2 45. Re7+ Kd3 46. Kf4 Kxc3 47. Kxf5 Rxa3 48. Rxg7 Kxb4 49. e4 Kc5 50. Rd7. Cutting off His Majesty. 50. ... Kc6 51. Rd1 Rh3 52. e5 Rh5+ 53. Kf6 Rh6+ 54. Kf7 Rh7+ 55. Kg6 Rh2 56. e6 Kc7 57. e7 Rg2+ 58. Kf7 Rf2+ 59. Ke8 Re2 60. Rc1+ Kb7 61. Rf1 1 : 0.

Dmitry Vladimirovich Andreikin
Photo: papinchess.ru