Right of Asylum

Tiger Christopher Robin Hillarp-Persson – Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich
60th European Go Congress; match game 4; Saint Petersburg, July 27, 2016
Réti Opening A09

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 g5!? Great praise to Morozevich’s red violin caprice! He has had a fantastic idea by asking political asylum to both the European Go Federation and the Russian Go Federation, and maybe he’s found out the only way to save chess and keep it alive with all the other noble mind games! 4. e3!? After 4. Nxg5 e5 5. d3 Bxb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxg5 7. Bxb4 Nc6 8. Ba3 h5 Black has more than equalised, Bocharov – Morozevich, 37th Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov Rapid Cup, Kazan 2015. The text, however, won’t bring Hillarp-Persson better luck. 4. ... e5! 5. exd4. 5. Nxe5 Bg7 only helps Black’s development – it looks like L. Paulsen – P. C. Morphy, New York, November 3, 1857. 5. ... exd4. 5. ... g4 6. Nxe5 Qxd4 7. Nd3 Qxa1 8. Bb2 would be easier to play as White. 6. Qe2+ Ne7 7. Nxg5 Bg7 8. Qh5 Ng6 9. d3 Qe7+ 10. Be2 Nd7 11. 0-0 Nf6 12. Qf3 h6. Black has very good compensation for the Pawn, but there is no certainty of winning yet. 13. Nh3 Bxh3 14. gxh3 Nh4 15. Qxb7!? Probably White’s best defence, or maybe not.

15. ... Qxe2!! Why not? Stockfish’s first line 15. ... 0-0 16. Bd1 Rab8 is not bad, but neither is it great. 16. Qxa8+ Kd7 17. Qh1. Notwithstanding any appearances to the contrary, White is dead and buried. If 17. Qxa7 then 17. ... Nf3+ 18. Kg2 Rg8! with a mating attack, while 17. Qb7 is met by the astonishing 17. ... Rb8!! 18. Qxa7 (or 18. Qxb8 Qf3 19. Qb5+ Kc8 20. Qa6+ Kb8 21. Qb5+ Ka8 and White can resign) 18. ... Nf3+ 19. Kg2 Rg8! idem like before. 17. ... Nf3+ 18. Kg2 Rg8 19. Bf4 Nh5 0 : 1. For after 20. Bg3 Be5 mate is unstoppable.

Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich (left) vs. Tiger Christopher Robin Hillarp-Persson (right). Photo: egc2016.ru.