The Spectacular Now

Anton Sergeyevich Korobov – Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 29, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D74

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 c5 8. e4 Nf6 9. e5 Nd5 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Qa4. Let’s take a look at one of Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik’s training games before playing David Ionovich Bronstein in the 1951 World Chess Championship match: 11. Qe2 Qa5 12. Nbd2 Qxc5 13. Nb3 Qb6 14. Rd1 e6 15. h4 Qc7 16. Re1 b6 17. Bd2 a5 18. Rac1 Qd7 19. a3 Ba6 20. Qe4 Rac8 21. h5 Rfe8 22. hxg6 hxg6 23. Bg5 Nce7 24. Nbd4 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. Qh4 Nc6 28. Nxc6 Qxc6 29. Bh6 Bf8 30. Bxf8 Kxf8 31. Ng5 Qc1+ 32. Kh2 Ke8 33. Bxd5 exd5 34. Qh8+ Kd7 35. Nxf7 Qd1 36. Qd8+ Kc6 37. Qa8+ Kb5 38. Nd6+ 1 : 0 Botvinnik – Ragozin, Nikolina Gora 1951. 11. ... Qc7 12. Rd1 Be6 13. Nc3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Rfd8. After 14. ... Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. Rb1 White keeps an edge, but it was probably the best Black could have obtained. 15. Bf4 Na5. If 15. ... Qa5 then 16. Qxa5 Nxa5 17. Nd4 with advantage to White. The text doesn’t look any better. 16. Ng5 Qxc5 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Rd7! Korobov very elegantly takes possession of the d-file. 18. ... Rxd7. Both 18. ... Qxc3?? 19. Rc1 and 18. ... Bxe5?? 19. Be3 would now lose heavy material, while 18. ... Kf7 19. Rad1 could well transpose into the game. 19. Qxd7 Kf7 20. Rd1 Bxe5? Too late – this should be the losing move. After 20. ... Re8 the flashy 21. Rd6 would be answered by 21. ... Qc8, but 21. h4! maintains White’s powerful grip on Black’s position.

21. Rd5! A very spectacular Exchange sacrifice! 21. ... exd5 22. Bxd5+ Kf8. Not 22. ... Kf6 23. Qe6+ Kg7 24. Qxe5+ Kf8 25. Qh8 mate. If, instead, 22. ... Kg7 then 23. Bxe5+ Kf8 24. Qe6 Ke8 25. Bf4 with an irresistible attack. 23. Qe6. Black is absolutely helpless in the face of the coming cyclone. The rest does not require comments. 23. ... Ke8 24. Bxe5 Kd8 25. c4 Qb4 26. Qg8+ Kd7 27. Qxa8 e6 28. Bf6 exd5 29. Qd8+ Ke6 30. cxd5+ Kf7 31. h4 Nc4 32. Bd4 Qd6 33. Qh8 h5 34. Qg7+ Ke8 35. Qxb7 Qd7 36. Qa8+ Ke7 37. Bc5+ Kf6 38. Qf8+ 1 : 0.

Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
Photo: papinchess.ru

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
Photo: papinchess.ru