Bibingka

Wesley So vs. Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
4th Gashimov Memorial; Şəmkir, April 25, 2017
Catalan Opening E05

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bf4 a5 11. Nc3 Nbd7 12. Qd3 Bb4 13. Rfe1 Re8 14. Qc2 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 c6 16. Red1! It seems more to the point than 16. Rad1 Qe7 17. Bg2 Rad8 18. h3 h6 19. Bc1 e5 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. e4 Rxd1 22. Rxd1 Rd8 23. Kh2 Rxd1 24. Qxd1 Qd7 ½ : ½ King – Ryan, 25th Telecom Eireann Irish Open, Easter 1992. 16. ... Qe7 17. Na2 Bd6 18. Bxd6 Qxd6 19. Nc1 Nd5 20. e4 Nb4 21. Qc3 e5 22. Nb3 Qe7 23. Bg2 exd4 24. Rxd4 Nf8 25. Rad1 Red8 26. R1d2 Ne6 27. Rxd8+ Rxd8 28. Nxa5 Ra8 29. Nc4 Rxa4 30. Nd6 Ra1+. After the game, Kramnik said he had played quite well before the Rook check on a1, which only helps White to better deploy his pieces – particularly the light-squared Bishop – and mount an overwhelming initiative. It was therefore worth considering 30. ... c5 (Stockfish) 31. Bf1 Na6 32. Kg2 Nac7 33. Nf5 Qe8 34. Bc4 Ra8 35. Rd6 Qf8 36. Rd7 Re8 37. Qe5 b5 38. Ba2 g6

39. Ne3. So contents himself with a prosaic if elegant endgame win instead of the flashy Romantische Straße: 39. Rxf7! Kxf7 (39. ... Qxf7?? 40. Nh6++−) 40. Qxc7+ Kf6 41. Qxc6 gxf5 42. exf5 b4 (42. ... Kxf5? 43. Bxe6+ Rxe6 44. Qf3++−) 43. fxe6+− (Europe Échecs’s analysis). 39. ... Re7 40. Rxe7 Qxe7 41. Ng4 Qg5 42. Nf6+ Kh8 43. Nd7+ Qxe5 44. Nxe5 Nd4 45. Bxf7. And this will prove to be decisive. 45. ... c5 46. f4 c4 47. Kf2 Kg7 48. Ke3 Nb3 49. g4 Nc5 50. h4 Na4 51. b3 cxb3 52. Bxb3 Nc5 53. Bd1 h6 54. Nc6 N7a6 55. Kd4 Ne6+ 56. Ke5 Nec5 57. Bc2 b4 58. Nd4 g5 59. hxg5 hxg5 60. f5 Nd7+ 61. Kd6 Nf6 62. e5 Nxg4 63. Ne6+ Kh6 64. f6 Nb8 65. Ba4! Kramnik was hoping for 65. f7 Nd7!, even though after 66. Kxd7 Nxe5+ 67. Ke8 Nxf7 68. Kxf7 Black is doomed anyway; for instance: 68. ... g4? 69. Bg6! g3 70. Kf6 g2 71. Nd4 g1=Q 72. Nf5 mate. 65. ... Kg6 1 : 0. For after 66. Be8+ the f-Pawn promotes.

Wesley So (R.) vs. Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/shamkirchess.az