Something for the Weekend

Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Hamburger SK) – Radosław Wojtaszek (OSG Baden-Baden)
43rd Schachbundesliga; Hamburg, March 19, 2017
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5 b4 13. Ne2 Ne8 14. f4 a5 15. f5 a4 16. fxe6 axb3 17. exf7+ Rxf7 18. Kb1 bxc2+ 19. Qxc2. The alternative – which might be regarded as a kind of theoretical tabiya – is 19. Kxc2 Nb6 20. Nc1 d5 21. exd5 Nd6 22. Kb1 Rf3 23. h4 Na4 24. Qe2 Rg3? 25. Bf2 Rc3 26. Qxe5 Nxb2 27. Bd4 Bf8 28. Kxb2 Rf3 29. Bd3 Kh8 30. Qe2 Rf4 31. Qh5 Nf5 32. g6 1 : 0 Topalov – Vallejo Pons, 22nd Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Linares, Linares 2005. 19. ... Bxg5 20. Bxg5 Qxg5 21. Ng3 Kh8 22. Bc4 Rf8 23. Nf5 Ndf6. In his commentary to the game, Brazilian Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão recommends 23. ... Rc8! which indeed seems to guarantee a more dynamic balance. 24. h4 Qh5 25. Be6 Ra7 26. Qf2 Rc7 27. Ng3 Qh6 28. Rdf1 g6?! Punctuation by Leitão. What does he not like about this? It is probably the fact that Black invites White to do what he wants. 29. h5 Ng7 30. hxg6 Qxg6 31. Bb3 Rcc8 32. Ka1 Qg5 33. Qe1 Ng4 34. Nf5 Nxf5 35. exf5 Rc5? The decisive mistake in time trouble. Correct was 35. ... Ne3! 36. Rfg1 (after 36. Rhg1 Qh6 White probably has nothing better than repeating moves) 36. ... Qf4 with a very unclear (but probably dynamically balanced) game. 36. Qxb4 Rfc8 37. a3 Ne3 38. Rfg1 Qxf5 39. Qb7 Ng4

40. Be6! 1 : 0.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Photo: Georgios Souleidis