Good thoughts in bad times

Jorden van Foreest – Ivan Sokolov
Match game 2; Hoogeveen, October 17, 2016
Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Nb6 7. Bf4!? More natural is 7. Bb3 which after 7. ... Be7 8. h3 0-0 9. Be3 may eventually transpose into Showalter – Blackburne, Vienna 1898. 7. ... Be7 8. 0-0-0 Nxc4 9. Qxc4 0-0 10. Rhe1 Be6 11. Qf1 Qc8 12. Nd4 Bd7 13. f3 Rb8 14. g4 b5 15. Nf5 Bd8 16. Qh3 b4 17. Ne2 Qa6 18. Kb1 Be6 19. b3 Rb5. After 19. ... Bxf5 20. gxf5 White has very dangerous attacking chances due to the open g-file. 20. Be3 d5?? Ivan committs a terrible blunder which is indeed not easy to understand. Black should have consistently played 20. ... Ra5 21. Nc1 (not 21. Nxg7?? Rxa2! turning the tables) 21. ... Ne8 keeping hold on his own fate.

21. Nxg7! Sic et simpliciter. Black is busted. 21. ... Kxg7 22. Bh6+ Kg8 23. Bxf8 Kxf8 24. Qh6+ Ke8. No better is 24. ... Kg8 25. g5 eventually followed by e4xd5. 25. Nd4 Ra5 26. Nxe6 fxe6. Harmlessly falling down the abyss, for if 26. ... Rxa2 then 27. Qf8+ Kd7 28. Qxd8+ Kc6 (28. ... Kxe6 29. exd5 mate) 29. Qxc7+ Kb5 30. Nd4 mate. 27. exd5. Of course, without the Black Pawn on d5, nothing might have been happened. 27. ... e5 28. Rxe5+ Kd7 29. Re6 1 : 0.

Jorden van Foreest
Photo: Lennart Ootes