Last Tango in Haarlem

Pavel Eljanov – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Haarlem, January 25, 2017
English Opening A13

Just a premise. On his way to Harleem before the game started, Grandmaster Eljanov sought inspiration (and good luck) listening to “Tango in Harlem” by the Touch and Go. 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. b3 c5 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 Bd6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. d4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bc7!? Not the most common, but surely not unexpected to Eljanov. 11. Nd2 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Qd6 13. g3 Bh3 14. Re1 Rac8 15. Bf1!? Finally, departing from the nonclassical matrix: 15. Bd3 Ba5 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Qh5 Qh6 18. Qxh6 gxh6 19. Red1 Bg4 20. f3 Bh5 21. g4 Bg6 22. Nf1 Bb6 23. Kg2 Rc3 24. Bxg6 hxg6 25. Rxd5 Rfc8 26. Rad1 Bxe3 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. Rxd8+ Kg7 29. Nxe3 Rxe3 30. Rd7 Re2+ 31. Kg3 Re3 32. Kg2 Re2+ 33. Kg3 ½ : ½ Malakhov – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), Chinese Team Chess Championship, 绍兴 (Shàoxīng) 2016. 15. ... Bg4 16. Be2 Bf5 17. Bb2 Qe7. Black stands well. 18. a3 Bb6 19. Ra2 Ne4 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Qa1 Rc2 22. Bc3 Rxa2 23. Qxa2 Rd8 24. Qb2 Qg5 25. h4 Qg6 26. Be5 Bg4 27. Qc2 Bxe2 28. Rxe2 Qf5 29. Bf4 h6 30. Rd2 Rd3 31. Rd1 g5 32. hxg5 hxg5 33. Bb8 Kh7 34. Qe2 Kg6 35. b4 Qd7 36. Rc1 Rd2 37. Qe1

37. ... Qd3? 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) was dominating the board and probably he could have tightened the noose around Pavel’s neck by 37. ... f5! (Δ ... f5-f4); for instance: 38. Be5 f4! 39. Bd4 (39. gxf4? Qg4+ 40. Kh2 Rd7! melodramatically runs into checkmate) 39. ... Qh3! 40. Qf1 Qxf1+ 41. Kxf1 Bxd4 42. exd4 f3! with winning endgame. 38. a4 Re2 39. Qc3 Rxe3!? Still playing for the maximum unbalance! 40. fxe3 Bxe3+ 41. Kh1 Bxc1! Black disdains the draw by 41. ... Qe2 42. Qe1 Qh5+ 43. Kg2 Qf3+ with perpetual check. 42. Qxc1 e3 43. Bxa7 e2. Here is the fantastic position 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) was aiming for at move 39. Black has only one Pawn for the Bishop, but the e2-Pawn is a Damocles sword hanging over the opulent White House! 44. Qe1 Kh5 45. b5. 45. Kh2 Kg4 46. b5 transposes into the game. 45. ... Kg4 46. Kh2 Qh7+ 47. Kg1 Qd3 48. Bb6 f5 49. Ba5 b6 50. Bxb6 f4 51. gxf4 gxf4 52. Bc5 Qc4 53. Bb6 Qd3 54. Bc5 Qc4 55. Bb6 Qd3 ½ : ½. Perhaps 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) could have gotten something more, but honour to him (and Eljanov as well) for resisting the prosaic, workaday routine and showing that the tango is a dance of passion, excitement, and seduction.

Pavel Eljanov (@Eljanov)