Wanderings in Corsica

Anton Sergeyevich Korobov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
20th Corsican Circuit; quarterfinal match game 1; Bastia, October 28, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E59

Time control is 15 minutes plus 3 seconds increment per move. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. Bb2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. h3 Bf5 13. Qe2 Rad8 14. Bb5. Three years earlier, Korobov continued 14. Rad1, which yet brought him bad luck: 14. ... e4 15. Nd2 Bg6 16. Rc1 Ne7 17. f4? exf3 18. Rxf3?! (18. Qxf3 Rfe8⩱) 18. ... Nf5∓ Korobov – Topalov, 1st Sberbank Trophy, Kiev 2013 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move). 14. ... e4 15. Nd2 Bg6 16. Nb3. Another continuation is 16. Rfc1 Rd5 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. c4 Rg5 19. Kh1 Re8 20. dxc5 Bh5 21. Qf1 Nd7 22. Bd4 Nxc5 23. Bxc5 Rxc5 24. Nb3 Rg5 25. Nd4 h6 26. Rab1 c5 27. Ne2 Bxe2 28. Qxe2 Re6 29. Qb2 Rb6 30. Qc2 Rbg6 31. Qxe4 Rxg2 32. Qxg2 Rxg2 33. Kxg2 Qc6+ 34. Kg3 Qg6+ 35. Kh2 Qd6+ 36. Kg2 Qg6+ 37. Kh2 Qd6+ 38. Kg2 ½ : ½ Korobov – Sasikiran, 2nd AICF-AAI Cup, New Delhi 2012. 16. ... Bh5!?TN 17. g4. It sounds decidedly committal. 17. ... Bg6. 17. ... cxd4 18. exd4 (18. gxh5? Ne5−+) 18. ... Bg6 19. Nc5 h5 goes as in the game, but without sacrificing the c-Pawn. 18. Nxc5 h5 19. f4 exf3 20. Qxf3 hxg4 21. hxg4 Rd5 22. Qf4 Qe7 23. c4 Rdd8. Very interesting was 23. ... Nh5! 24. gxh5 Rg5+ 25. Kf2 Rf5 26. hxg4 Rxf4+ 27. exf4 Re8 playing for a dark-square initiative. 24. Rae1 Ne4 25. Nxe4 Bxe4 26. d5 a6

27. dxc6?? A blunder which cost the game. By 27. Ba4 White could still hope for an edge. 27. ... Rd2−+ 28. Bf6 Rg2+ 29. Kh1 gxf6 30. Rf3 Rf2 0 : 1.