Fur of Flying

Jorden van Foreest – Erwin l’Ami
79th Tata Steel Challengers Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 14, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B19

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. 0-0-0 Be7 13. Kb1 Rc8 14. Ne4 c5 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6? This move is neither new nor good. Black ought to play 15. ... Nxf6, e.g. 16. Qb5+ Qd7 17. Qxd7+ Nxd7 18. Be3 Nf6 19. Ne5 Nd5 20. Bc1 Bf6 21. c4 Ne7 22. Bf4 cxd4 23. Rxd4 Nf5 24. Re4 Nd6 25. Rd4 Nf5 26. Re4 Nd6 27. Rd4 Nf5 28. Re4 Nd6 29. Rd4 Nf5 30. Re4 Nd6 31. Rd4 Nf5 32. Re4 Nd6 ½ : ½ Kokarev – Rozum, 21st Russian Team Chess Championship, Loo 2014.

16. d5! A very powerful refutation! In Baglan – Abhishek, Boriše Karadžića Memorial, Palić 2016 was seen the insignificant 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Qxd8+ Rxd8 18. Be3 Rc8 19. Nd2 Ke7 which led nowhere. 16. ... Qb6 17. c3 c4 18. Qe4 e5 19. Be3! Qd6 20. Nd4. White has already acquired an imposing preponderance. 20. ... Nc5 21. Qg4 Qd7 22. Nf5 Nd3 23. Nxg7+! Bxg7 24. Qxg7 Ke7 25. Bc5+! Rxc5. Clearly not 25. ... Nxc5?? on account of 26. Qxe5+ followed by Qe5xh8+. 26. Qxh8. White is the Exchange and a Pawn up, and there is no compensation for Black. 26. ... Qf5. The smothered mate is l’Ami’s last chimera: 27. Qxh6?? Ne1+! 28. Ka1 Nc2+ 29. Kb1 Na3++ 30. Ka1 Qb1+ 31. Rxb1 Nc2 mate. 27. Ka1! Rxd5. This is virtually useless, but also 28. ... Qxf2 29. d6+! Kd7 30. Rb1 offers Black no hope at all. 28. Qxh6. Well done! The passed h-Pawn will prove to be overwhelming. 28. ... Qxf2 29. Qg5+ f6 30. Qg7+ Ke6 31. Qxb7. Stockfish plays hard with 31. Rb1, but... don’t be deceived by the “gentle” technique of van Foreest: he’s a real board-roller! 31. ... Qb6 32. Qxb6+ axb6 33. h6 Rd8 34. h7 Rh8 35. Rh6 b5 36. Rf1 Nf4 37. g3 Nd5 38. g4 Kf7 39. g5 Kg7 40. Rhh1 1 : 0.