The Last Minute

Felipe de Cresce El Debs – Rafael Figueiredo De Paula
83rd Brazilian Chess Championship; Rio de Janeiro, February 14, 2017
English Opening A30

“Grandmaster Everaldo Matsuura was the deserved winner of the 83rd Brazilian Chess Championship. The best game in the final round was Felipe de Cresce El Debs’s victory. How shall White play from the position of the diagram?”, Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão says and asks. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. 0-0 Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Bg5 a6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Qf4 0-0 12. Rfd1 Be7 13. Ne4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Ra7 15. Nd4 Rc7 16. b3 Qc8 17. Rd2 Rd8 18. Qe3 Bf8. A not-too-edifying game went 18. ... Rc5 19. Rad1 Nd7 20. b4 Rc7? (it was better to take the Pawn) 21. Nxe6! fxe6 22. Qxe6+ Kh8 23. Qxe7 Ne5? 24. Qxe5! 1 : 0 Alonso Rosell – Díaz Camallonga, 7th International Open, Sabadell 2014. 19. Rad1 Re8 20. Qe4 Nd7 21. e3. Finally, the novelty. For 21. Qf3 d5 22. cxd5 Nxd5 23. Ne2 Bb4 24. Rd4 Rc2 25. e4 Nc3 26. Nxc3 Rxc3 27. Qg4 a5 28. e5 g6 29. Bf1 Rc2 30. Bb5 Rf8 31. Rc4 Rxc4 32. Qxc4 Qb8 33. Qe4 Bc3 34. f4 Bb4 35. Rd7 Qc8 see Iturrizaga Bonelli – 章钟 (Zhāng Zhōng), World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015. 21. ... Nf6 22. Qb1 Rc5 23. Rc2 Rd8 24. b4 Rc7 25. Rdc1 Qd7 26. a4 Rdc8 27. b5 a5 28. Nc6 Qe8 29. Rd2 Nd7 30. h4 Nc5 31. Qc2 f5 32. Kh2 Rf7 33. f4 Rf6 34. e4 fxe4 35. Bxe4 Qh5 36. Re1 h6 37. Kg2 Rc7 38. Bf3 Qf7 39. Qd1 g6 40. Rde2± g5?

41. Nd8! Qg6 42. hxg5 hxg5 43. fxg5 Qxg5. If 43. ... Rg7 then 44. Nxe6 Nxe6 45. Bd5 winning without difficulty. 44. Nxe6 Nxe6 45. Rxe6+- Rg7 46. g4 Rxe6 47. Rxe6 Re7 48. Qxd6 Rxe6 49. Qxe6+ Kg7 50. Qxb6 Bc5 51. Qc7+ Kf8 52. Qc8+ Ke7 53. Qb7+ Kf8 54. Qa8+ Kg7 55. Qe4 Qd2+ 56. Be2 Qb2 57. Qb7+ Kg6 58. Qc6+ Kg7 59. Qxc5 Qxe2+ 60. Kg3 Qe1+ 61. Kf4 Qc1+ 62. Kf5 Qf1+ 63. Ke4 Qg2+ 64. Ke5 Qg3+ 65. Kd5 Qf3+ 66. Kd6 1 : 0.