Radio Days

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
11th World Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansyisk, June 23, 2017
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. 0-0 g6 9. Kh1 Bg7 10. f4 0-0 11. f5. This is a move played first by Hungarian International Master János Rigó, incidentally known for being Bobby Fischer’s Sancho Panza in Budapest in the early ’90s. 11. ... Bb7. For 11. ... Nd7 12. Qe1 Ne5 13. Qh4 Rb8 14. Nd1 d5 see Rigó – Schütz, 18th Sparkassen Chess Meeting (Group C), Dortmund 1990. 12. Qe1 Nd7 13. Bg5 Ne5 14. Rd1 a5 15. Be2 a4 16. Qh4 Re8 17. h3 Qc7 18. Qg3 Ba6 19. Bxa6 Rxa6 20. f6! Nepomniachtchi temporarily gives up a Pawn in order to break up Black’s castled rock. 20. ... h6 21. Bh4 Bh8 22. Qf2 g5 23. Bg3 Bxf6 24. Bxe5 dxe5 25. Qe2 Raa8 26. Qh5 Red8. The wisest decision. If 26. ... Kg7 there would have followed Nc3-e2-g3. 27. Qxh6 Qb6. Duda is in serious time pressure with about eight minutes to make the next thirteen moves. 28. Rf3 Rxd1+ 29. Nxd1 Rd8 30. Ne3 Qxb2. After all, Black still has an extra Pawn, but only one minute left for his remaining ten moves! 31. Rf1. 31. Kh2 is more “economical”, but Nepomniachtchi’s move comes more unexpected to Duda. 31. ... Qxa2?? And the blunder inexorably comes. Black should have maintained the possibility of giving check with the Queen on c1. 31. ... Rd6 (Stockfish) was actually called for, but it was very complicated and probably not manageable with no time left; a possible line (absolutely not forced!) is 32. Nf5 Rd2 33. Ng3 Rxc2 34. Rxf6! exf6 35. Nh5 Qa1+ 36. Kh2 Rxg2+! 37. Kxg2 Qxa2+ 38. Kg3 Qb3+ with a likely perpetual check.

32. Rxf6! Rd1+. 32. ... exf6 33. Nf5 immediately leads to mate – and the text, too. It only tooks a bit longer. 33. Kh2 Qa1 34. Qxg5+ Kf8 35. Rh6 Rh1+ 36. Kg3 Qe1+ 37. Kf3 Ke8 38. Rh8+ Kd7 39. Qf5+ Kd6 40. Rd8+ Kc7 41. Qd7+ Kb6 42. Rb8+ 1 : 0. For there would follow 42. ... Kc5 43. Qxe7+ Kd4 44. Rd8+ Kc3 45. Qa3 mate.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi vs. Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy