When the Wind Blows

Pavel Eljanov – Dronavalli Harika
23rd TePe Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament; Malmö, May 10, 2017
Réti Opening A05

“I have not been to Sweden before but I am confident of doing well here. I will just try to do routine stuff, play quality games and give tough fight to all my opponents”, Harika said on the eve of her début in the invitational élite TePe Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament. 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. b3 d6 3. d4 g6 4. Bb2 Bg7 5. g3 Bd7 6. Bg2. The (vintage) alternative was 6. Nc3 c5 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Nd5 ½ : ½ U. Andersson – Najdorf, 1st Clarín International Tournament, Buenos Aires 1978. 6. ... Qc8. 6. ... 0-0 after 7. 0-0 Qc8 8. Re1 Bh3 9. e4 Bxg2 10. Kxg2 e5 11. dxe5 Nfd7 would transpose into Reshevsky – Kagan, 7th International Tournament, Netanya 1973. 7. h4 0-0 8. c4 c5 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. d5 Ne5 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. Qd2 Rb8 13. a4 a6 14. 0-0 Ne8 15. a5. 15. h5 Nd6 (15. ... gxh5 16. Qg5) 16. h6 Bh8 17. e4 is Stockfish’s recipe to keep fighting for a (very unlikely) White’s edge. After the text Black won’t ever have any more worries. 15. ... Nd6 16. Qc2 Qc7 17. e4. Eljanov’s purpose was probably to prevent ... f7-f5, but I think he very unwilling made such a move. 17. ... b5! 18. axb6 Qxb6 19. Ra3

19. ... Nxc4! Harika will end up a Pawn ahead, but no real winning chances, due to White’s Rook on the seventh rank and the Bishops of opposite colour. 20. bxc4 Qxb2 21. Qxb2 Rxb2 22. Na4 Bxa4 23. Rxa4 Bh6! 24. Rxa6 Rb4 25. Ra7 Re8 26. Rc7 Rxc4 27. Ra1 Rc1+ 28. Rxc1 Bxc1 29. Bf1 Kf8 30. Bc4 Rd8 31. g4 Bb2 32. Kg2 h6 33. Rb7 Bc3 34. Kg3 Bd2 35. Rc7 Bc1 36. Kf3 Bd2 37. Ke2 Bc1 38. Kd3 Bb2 39. Rb7 Bd4 40. Ke2 Bc3 41. Rc7 ½ : ½.

Dronavalli Harika contemplating Malmö’s sea
Photo: Dronavalli Harika (@HarikaDronavali)