Monday, September 25, 2017

The Queen of the Isle

Nino Batsiashvili – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament; Douglas, September 25, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E43

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. e3 Ne4 6. Qc2 Bb7 7. Bd3 f5 8. 0-0 Bxc3 9. bxc3 0-0 10. c5 bxc5 11. Rb1 Qc8 12. Ba3 d6 13. Rfc1 Nd7 14. Nd2!?TN (14. Qb3)
15. ... Nxd2 15. Qxd2 Be4 (15. ... Bc6!?)
16. dxc5 Ne5 (16. ... Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Ne5! 18. Qd4 Qa6 19. cxd6 Nc4 20. dxc7! Nxa3 21. Rb4 Rac8 22. Qc5∞)
17. Bxe4 fxe4 18. cxd6 Qa6 (18. ... c5!? 19. c4 Nd3∞)
19. Rb3 c5? 19. ... Nc4 20. Qe2 cxd6 21. Bxd6 Qxd6 22. Qxc4 Rxf2! 23. Qxe4 Raf8 24. Rbb1 Qd5 25. Qxd5 exd5=;
19. ... Nd3 20. dxc7 Nxc1 21. Bxf8 Nxb3 22. Qd8 Nd2 23. Bd6+ Kf7 24. h4!? Qf1+! (24. ... Qc8 25. Qe7+ Kg8 26. Be5 Qf8 27. Qxe6+ Kh8 28. h5+−) 25. Kh2 Qxf2 26. Qe7+ Kg6 27. Qxe6+ Qf6 28. h5+ Kxh5 29. Qd5+ g5 30. Qxd2⯹.
20. c4! Rab8


21. Bxc5! Offering a very interesting Exchange sacrifice for two Pawns and positional compensation. 21. ... Rxb3 22. axb3 Nd3 23. b4! Nxc1 24. Qxc1 Qa2 25. Qf1 Rd8. 25. ... a5! 26. b5 (26. h3 axb4 27. Bxb4 Rb8 28. d7 Rd8 29. Qd1 Qa7 30. Bd6 Rxd7 31. Qh⯹) 26. ... a4 27. h3 Qc2 28. b6 (28. Ba3 Qa2=) 28. ... h6 29. Bd4 a3 30. c5 e5 (30. ... a2 31. d7 e5 32. Bxe5 Qxc5 33. Qa1 Kh7! 34. Qb2 Rd8 35. b7 Qa7 36. Bxg7 Rxd7 37. b8=Q a1=Q+ 38. Qxa1 Qxb8=) 31. Bxe5 Qxc5 32. Qa1 Qxb6 33. Qxa3 Qb1+ 34. Kh2 Qb7=.
26. h3 Rd7? 26. ... a6! 27. Kh2 (27. Qc1 Qb3 28. Kh2 Kf7⯹) 27. ... h6 [27. ... Qc2 28. Bd4 Qd3! (28. ... Rxd6? 29. c5 Rc6 30. b5+−) 29. Qa1 Qxc4 (29... Rxd6? 30. c5+−) 30. Bxg7 Qxb4 31. Be5 Rxd6 32. Bxd6 Qxd6+ 33. Kg1⩲] 28. Kg3 Qc2=.
27. b5 Qa4 28. Qc1 Qb3 29. Ba3 Rf7 30. c5 Qa2 31. Qb2 Qd5 32. c6 Rf8 33. d7 Qd1+ 34. Kh2 1 : 0.

In the end, even a Queen had to surrender to an avalanche of Pawns. Photo: John Saunders.

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