Chaos and Fractals

Hikaru Nakamura – Richárd Rapport
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 20, 2017
Chigorin Defence D07

1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. cxd5 Bxf3 5. gxf3 Qxd5 6. e3 e5 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qd7 10. Rb1 0-0-0!? Rapport comes up with a new crazy idea which prepares for a controversial Pawn sacrifice. For 10. ... b6 11. Bg2 Nge7 12. f4 exf4 13. e4 0-0 14. Qf3 Rae8 15. Bxf4 Ng6 see Volodin – Sklyarov, Finnish Team Chess Championship 2010-2011, Tampere 2010. 11. Bg2 Nge7 12. Qb3 b6 13. Qxf7! Why not? 13. ... Rhf8 14. Qc4 Kb8 15. 0-0 g5!? As usual on the razor’s edge. However, it was worth considering 15. ... Ng6!∞ (Leitão) 16. f4 Na5 with quite an unclear game. 16. Rb5 Rf6 17. e4 h6? Rapport cannot be stopped. Quite wisely, Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão suggests 17. ... exd4 18. Rxg5 h6. 18. dxe5 Na5 19. Qe2! “After 19. Rxa5! Rc6 20. Qd4 bxa5 21. Be3! Nc8 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. h4! Rg7 24. Rc1 Nb6 25. hxg5 hxg5 26. Bh3 Na4 27. Kg2 the g5-Pawn is actually very weak and, besides the Bishop pair, the Pawn mass in the centre would give White a significant advantage”, writes Leontxo García on his El País column. Just a bit too much computer chess. 19. ... Rc6 20. Be3 Ng6 21. Rd5 Qe7 22. Rfd1 Rf8 23. Qb5 Qe6 24. Rd8+ Rxd8 25. Rxd8+ Kb7

26. Qd5. 26. Bf1! Nc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4 28. Re8 appears to be winning (Leitão’s analysis). 26. ... Nc4 27. Qxe6. “Decisive seems to be 27. Rg8! (threatening Qd5xe6 followed by Bg2-h3-d7) 27. ... Ngxe5 28. f4! gxf4 29. Bxf4 b5 30. Bg3! followed by f2-f4”, García said 27. ... Rxe6 28. Bh3 Rxe5 29. Bc8+ Kc6 30. Bd7+ Kb7 31. Bc8+ Kc6 32. Bd7+ Kb7 33. Bd4 Ra5 34. Bc8+ Kc6 35. Bd7+ Kb7 36. Bc8+ Kc6 37. Be6 Kb5? “Correct was 37. ... Nce5!”, rightly notes García. 38. Bd7+? “38. a4+!! Rxa4 39. Rd5+ c5 40. Bd7+ Ka5 41. Bxa4 Kxa4 42. Bg7 was very strong”, writes García. 38. ... c6 39. Be8 Nf4 40. h4 Nd2 41. Kh2 gxh4 42. Be3 Nxf3+. If 42. ... Nf1+ 43. Kh1 Nxe3 44. fxe3 Ne2 (Leitão) there might follow 45. Rd5+! Kc4 46. Rxa5 bxa5 47. Bxc6 Nxc3 48. Kh2 and one feels that Nakamura should win this. 43. Kh1 Nh3 44. Bh5 Nxf2+? Maybe it is not Rapport’s first real mistake, but it is surely his last one. After 44. ... Nhg5 is not clear at all how and if White may be able to play for a win. 45. Bxf2 Rxa2 46. Bxf3 Rxf2 47. Rd3 Kc4 48. Re3 Rd2 49. e5. Game over. 49. ... Rd7 50. e6 Re7 51. Bxc6 a5 52. Re4+ Kxc3 53. Bb5 a4 54. Bxa4 Kd3 55. Re1 1 : 0.

Hikaru Nakamura vs. Richárd Rapport
Photo © Maria Yassakova/Agon Limited