Play It to the Bone

Sipke Ernst – Jorden van Foreest
72nd Dutch Chess Championship; Amsterdam, August 26, 2016
King’s Indian Defence E97

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Nf3 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bd2 Ne8. At this point we cannot but quote the following model game: 10. ... Nd7 11. Qc1 Kh7 12. Ne1 f5 13. g3 fxe4 14. Nxe4 Nf5 15. Nc2 c6 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Bb4 Nf6 18. Bf3 a5 19. Ba3 Qc7 20. Qd2 Rd8 21. Rac1 Be6 22. Qe2 Qf7 23. b3 Nxe4 24. Bxe4 d5 25. cxd5 cxd5 26. Bg2 Rac8 27. Qa6 e4 28. Ne3 Nd4 29. Rxc8 Rxc8 30. Qxa5 Ne2+ 31. Kh1 d4 32. Nd1 Bg4 33. h3 Bf3 34. Qe1 Rc2 35. Kh2 Bxg2 36. Kxg2 Qf3+ 37. Kh2 Be5 38. Rg1 Nxg3 0 : 1 Golombek – D. I. Bronstein, England – USSR, London 1954. 11. Qc1 Kh7 12. Qc2 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. g3 c6 15. Nh4 b5 16. a3 bxc4 17. Bxc4 Bb7 18. dxc6 Bxc6 19. Be6 Bd7 20. Ba2 Rc8 21. Qd3 Bc6 22. Be6 e4 23. Qe2

23. ... d5! A bold and strategically founded Exchange sacrifice, for after White accepted it, Black’s only weakness, the light squares on the Kingside, will be suddenly nullified. 24. Bxc8 Qxc8 25. Rfc1 Qd7 26. Nd1 Bb5 27. Qe1 Rf7 28. a4 Ba6 29. Bf4 d4 30. Qa5 Bb7 31. Ng2. If 31. Qxa7 there might follow 31. ... e3! (Δ ... e3-e2) 32. fxe3 Ng6! (33. Nxg6? Qd5-+). 31. ... Qe6 32. Qb5. On 32. Qxa7 Ng6! gives Black a powerful initiative. 32. ... Nd5 33. a5 a6 34. Qe2 Nd6 35. Rc5 Nb5 36. Qc4 Bf8. This is quite natural, from a human point of view. But White’s following move shows that Black should rather have played to avoid it. 37. Rxb5! In spite of his serious time trouble, Ernst justly hastens to return the Exchange for grabbing the most important of Black’s Pawn. 37. ... axb5 38. Qxd4 Bg7 39. Qd2 e3! Starting all over again, Black sacrifices a second Pawn rightly betting on the compensating strength of his Bishop pair. 40. Ndxe3 Nxe3 41. fxe3. Both 41. Nxe3 and 41. Bxe3 might be answered by 41. ... Qe4. 41. ... Rd7 42. Qe2 b4 43. a6 Ba8 44. a7 b3 45. h3 Qe4 46. Qf2. 46. Kh2 might have been better, in order to prevent the Black Rook check on the first rank (for instance in the case of 46. ... Qc2 47. Qxc2 bxc2 48. Rc1). 46. ... Qc2! 47. e4. A desperate tale of survival. On the other hand, Stockfish’s advice 47. Ne1 does not look any better as after 47. ... Qxf2+ 48. Kxf2 Rd2+ 49. Kf1 Rxb2 50. Rd1 Ra2 White also stands very badly. 47. ... Bxb2 48. Re1? For better or for less worse, Ernst should have gone for 48. Qxc2 bxc2 49. Ra2 c1=Q+ 50. Bxc1 Bxc1 51. exf5. 48. ... Qxf2+ 49. Kxf2 Bd4+. The machine evaluates that 49. ... Rxa7 is simpler and quicker. It’s hard to disagree. 50. Be3 Bxa7 51. Rb1 Rd2+ 52. Kf1 Bxe4! 53. Bxd2 Bxb1 54. Bc3 Bc5 55. Bb2 Bf8. Even thus, however, the ending is hopeless for White. 56. Ne3 Bg7 57. Bxg7 Kxg7 58. Kf2 Kf6 59. Nc4 Be4 60. Ke3 Bg2 61. h4 Bd5 62. Nb2 Bf7 63. Nd3 Be6 64. Kd4 f4 65. gxf4 Kf5 66. Kc3 Bf7 67. Kb2 h5 68. Kc3 Bg8 69. Ne5 Kxf4 70. Ng6+ Ke4 71. Kb2 Bf7 72. Nf8 Kf4 73. Nd7 Kg3 74. Ne5 Bd5 75. Ng6 Be4 0 : 1. A hard-fought win.

Jorden van Foreest
Photo: Harry Gielen