The Cask of Amontillado

韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Anish Giri
9th Bilbao Masters Final; Bilbao, July 19, 2016
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 h5 10. Nc3 Be7 11. Bf4. Else 11. Rd1+ Ke8 12. Ne2 Nh4 13. Nxh4 Bxh4 14. f3 Bf5 15. Nd4 Bg6 16. Bf4 Be7 17. g4 Rd8 18. Kg2 hxg4 19. hxg4 Bc5 20. c3 Bxd4 21. Rxd4 Rxd4 22. cxd4 Ke7 23. Rc1 Ke6 24. Be3 f6 25. exf6 gxf6 26. Bd2 Rd8 27. Bc3 Kf7 28. Kg3 Re8 29. Rh1 Bd3 30. Re1 Rxe1 31. Bxe1 Bc4 32. a3 b6 33. Kf4 a5 34. Ke3 a4 35. Bg3 b5 36. Bxc7 ½ : ½ Anand – Carlsen, 3rd Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis 2015. 11. ... Be6 12. Rad1+ Kc8 13. Ng5 Bxg5 14. Bxg5 b6 15. g4 hxg4 16. hxg4 Nh4 17. Bxh4 Rxh4 18. f3 Kb7 19. Kg2 Rah8 20. Rh1 Rxh1 21. Rxh1 Rxh1 22. Kxh1 c5 23. Kg2 Kc6 24. a4 a6 25. Kg3 b5 26. axb5+ axb5 27. f4 b4 28. Ne4 Ba2 29. Nd2 Kd5 30. c3 bxc3 31. bxc3 g5 32. Kf3. So far nothing special happened, but you never know what to expect from superheroes who have always been full of superpowers.

32. ... Ke6?? “Clearly Giri has forgotten something, or perhaps he simply reversed the move order. He ought to play 32. ... c4! 33. Ke3 Bb3 34. Nf3 gxf4+ 35. Kxf4 Bc2 and the Bishop keeps living”, says Grandmaster Bachar Kouatly in his commentary for Europe Échecs. 33. c4! Sic at simpliciter. Now the Bishop is buried alive and, as a matter of fact, White’s gonna play as though he was a piece ahead. 33. ... gxf4 34. Kxf4 f6 35. exf6 Kxf6 36. g5+ Kg6 37. Kg4 Kh7 38. Kh5 c6 39. g6+ Kg7 40. Kg5 Kg8 41. Kh6 1 : 0. Zugzwang. If 41. ... Kh8 then 42. g7+ Kg8 43. Ne4 Bxc4 44. Nf6+ Kf7 45. g8=Q+ Kxf6 46. Qxc4 finis.

Anish Giri’s Paradise Lost
Photo: Yerazik Khachatourian (‏@YerazikSK)