Rapid Proto-Chess

Sandro Mareco (Buenos Aires Krakens) – Hikaru Nakamura (Miami Champions)
1st Professional Rapid Online (PRO) Chess League; Chess.com, March 8, 2017
Réti Opening A09

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 c5 4. e3 dxe3 5. fxe3 cxb4 6. d4 Nf6 7. Bd3 g6 8. a3 bxa3 9. 0-0 Bg7 10. Bxa3. Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão thinks White has now sufficient compensation for the Pawn. 10. ... 0-0 11. Nc3 Nc6 12. h3 b6 13. Qe2!? 12. Qe1 Bg4 13. Qh4 Bxf3 14. Rxf3 Ne5 15. Rh3 h6 16. dxe5 Qxd3 17. exf6 Qxc3 18. Rf1 exf6 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 seems to offer Black more than enough for the sacrificed Exchange, Heinig – Karpatchev, Lichtenrader Herbst 2016, Berlin 2016. 12. ... Bb7 14. Rac1 Rc8 15. Rfd1 Na5 16. Bb4 Nc6 17. Ba3 Bh6 18. Rc2 Re8 19. c5? e5! The punctuation is by Brazilian Grandmaster. 20. d5 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Qxd5 22. Bxg6 Qb3? Leitão rightly recommends 22. ... Nd4!∓, and we’d also consider 22. ... Bxe3+! 23. Kh1 Nd4! with similar advantageous consequences. Now White turns the tables: 23. Rd3 Qa4 24. Bxf7+! Kxf7 25. Ng5+?! White misses the most effective way to put his opponent out of board: 25. Rc4! Nd4!? (25. ... Qxc4?? is annihilated by 26. Rd7++−, while if 25. ... Qa5 then 26. Qf2!+−) 26. Ng5+!+− (Leitão’s analysis). 25. ... Kg8. On 25. ... Bxg5?? 26. Qh5+ wins on the spot. 26. Qh5 Re7! Again, 26. ... Bxg5? 27. Qxg5+ Kh8 28. Rd7 leads to a mating attack. 27. Rf2 Bxg5 28. Qxg5+ Rg7 29. Qf5 Ne7?? Overlooking a trivial mate! After 29. ... Kh8 30. cxb6∞ the game would have remained very unclear Leitão’s analysis); for instance: 30. ... Nb4 31. Rc3 Rcg8 (31. ... Rxc3? 32. Qf8+ Rg8 33. Qf6+ Rg7 34. Qd8+ Rg8 35. Rf8!+−) 32. Qxe5 Bxg2∞ (Stockfish’s analysis).

30. Qxc8+! 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.