The Fortune Cafe

Gunnar Hedin – Sergio Mariotti
16th European Senior Team Chess Championship; Novi Sad, July 3, 2017
Bird Opening A03

1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nc6. Mariotti apparently forgot the “commandments” of his ancient Russian mentor Nikolai Obolensky: 2. ... h5!? 3. e3 Nh6 4. b3 Bg4 5. Bb2 Nf5 6. Be2 e6 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. c4 d4 9. e4 d3! 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. Ne1 dxe2 12. Qxe2 Bc5+ 13. Kh1 Bd4 14. Nc3 Qd7 15. d3 0-0-0 16. Rd1 Bf6 17. b4 Kb8 18. b5 Bg4 19. Qf2 Bxc3 20. bxc6 Qxc6 21. Rb1 Bxe1 22. Rfxe1 Rxd3 23. Re3 Rhd8 24. Rxd3 Rxd3 25. Bxg7 Qxc4 26. Bh6 b6 27. Bg7 Qd5 28. Be5 Kb7 29. Qc2 c5 30. Qa4 Rd2 (31. Rg1 Bh3) 0 : 1 Durão – Mariotti, Zonal Tournament, Caorle 1975, playoff game 1. 3. g3 Bg4 4. Bg2 Bxf3 5. Bxf3 e5 6. fxe5 Nxe5 7. Bg2 f5!? A novelty vaguely inspired by a kind of Netherland-style – don’t forget Mariotti is a specialist of the Dutch Defence! For 7. ... Nf6 8. 0-0 c6 9. d4 Nc4 10. Qd3 Nd6 11. Nc3 Be7 12. Bf4 0-0 13. Rae1 Qd7 see M. Gurevich – Kuijf, 52nd Hoogovens Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1990 8. 0-0 Qd7 9. d4 Nc6 10. Nc3 Nf6 11. Bg5 Be7. Maybe he considered also 11. ... Ne4 12. Nxe4 dxe4, but then 13. g4! might be annoying. 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Bxd4+ 14. e3 Be5 15. Qd3 g6 16. e4 fxe4 17. Qxe4 0-0-0 18. c3 Rhe8 19. Qa4 Kb8 20. Rad1

20. ... Ne7? So far, the game was quite balanced, but the careless move in the text could well have caused serious consequences for Black’s health. After 20. ... Qe6 there was nothing special to happen, I guess. 21. Qb3. Also very appealing was 21. Qxd7 Rxd7 22. Rde1! completely paralysing Black and soon putting him in Zugzwang. The text, however, is also very strong. 21. ... Nxd5 22. Rxd5? Very strangely White doesn’t play the obvious 22. Bxd5 which threatens both Qb3xb7 mate and Bd5-f7 (winning the Exchange). Now it is true that Mariotti, in his prime, continually said that one (or even two) Exchange(s) down meant nothing to him (and often he was right!), but here – I think – he would not have had any reason to be content with it. 22. ... Qc8. Now it’s everything alright! 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Bd5 Rh8 ½ : ½.

Pictured seated at the right forefront are: Michele Godena, Carlos García Palermo, Sergio Mariotti, and Fabio Bruno. Photo: novisad2017.org.