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Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Samuel L. Shankland
11th World Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansyisk, June 25, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4!? Be4 5. f3 Bg6 6. e6!? fxe6 7. h4 Nd7 8. h5 Bf7 9. f4 e5 10. fxe5 e6 11. Nf3 c5 12. c3 Ne7 13. Bd3 Nc6 14. 0-0 Qb6 15. Kg2 Rc8 16. a3 cxd4! Shankland adds fuel to an already wild game with a pseudo-Bishop sacrifice. 17. cxd4 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Qxd4 19. Bg6! Not 19. Rxf7? Rxc1! (Leitão’s analysis). 19. ... Qxd1 20. Bxf7+ Kd8 21. Rxd1 Ke7 22. Rf1 Rc2+ 23. Kh1 Nxe5 24. Bg5+ Kd7 25. Nc3 Nxg4. Black’s position looks very threatening, but Nepomniachtchi is keeping everything under strict control. 26. Bxe6+! Kxe6 27. Rae1+ Kd6

28. Rxf8! Nf2+. Maybe it’s not so wrong as it looks, but simpler seems 28. ... Rxf8 29. Be7+ Kd7 30. Bxf8 Nf2+ 31. Kh2 d4 32. Re2 d3 33. Rxc2 dxc2 34. Ne2 Nd3 25. Bxg7 c1=Q 36. Nxc1 Nxc1 with a probably drawish ending. 29. Rxf2 Rxf2 30. Nb5+ Kc6 31. Nxa7+ Kc7 32. Nb5+ Kb8 33. b4 Rf5 34. Be7 Rxh5+ 35. Kg2 d4 36. Nxd4 Rd5 37. Bc5 Rhd8 38. Re4 h5 39. a4 g5 40. a5 g4 41. a6 bxa6 42. Nc6+ Kc7 43. Nxd8 Kxd8 44. Kg3 Rf5 45. Kh4 Rd5 46. Re3 Kc7 47. Re7+ Kb8 48. Bb6 Rb5 49. Bc7+ Ka8 50. Ba5 Rf5 51. Re6 Kb7 52. Rg6 Ka7 53. Rb6 Rd5 54. Rf6 Kb7 55. Rf4 Ka7 56. Kg3 Rd3+ 57. Kf2 Rd5 58. Ke3 Re5+ 59. Kf2 Kb7 60. Rf7+ Ka8? After strenuously fighting for survival in such an unbalanced ending, Shankland finally puts his foot (King) in the wrong spot. Apparently after 60. ... Kc6 Black would have retained excellent drawing chances; for instance: 61. Rf6+ Kb5 62. Rb6+ Kc4 63. Rxa6 h4 64. Rh6 g3+ 65. Kf1 Rf5+ 66. Kg1 Rf4 and White doesn’t seem to have any way to make progress. 61. Rg7 Re4 62. Kg3 Re5 63. Kf4 Rd5 64. Ke4 Rb5 65. Kd4 Rf5 66. Bb6 Rb5 67. Rg8+ Kb7 68. Bc5 Kc7 69. Ke4 1 : 0.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy

Samuel L. Shankland
Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy