A Cat’s Nine Lives

Sabino Brunello – Nigel David Short
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
Accelerated Queen’s Indian Defence A50

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. f3 Nc6 4. Nc3 e5 5. d5 Ne7 6. e4 Ng6 7. Be3 Bc5 8. Bxc5. For 8. Qd2 d6 9. 0-0-0 h6 10. h4 a6 see Levin – I. Sokolov, 12th European Individual Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 8. ... bxc5 9. Qd2 d6 10. Bd3 0-0 11. 0-0-0 Bd7 12. Nge2 c6 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. h4 Rb8 15. h5 Ne7 16. g4 Qb6 17. Ng3 h6 18. Rh2 Nh7 19. f4 Bd7 20. Nf5. Brunello has developed a powerful initiative, but in the case of Short the old saying of the cat’s nine lives should be seriously taken into account. 20. ... Bxf5 21. exf5 f6 22. Be4 Rfd8 23. Rg1 Kh8 24. g5 Qb4? It looks like a gamble, which, however, will end up having a speculative effect on Brunello’s judgement – Sabino was already very much short of time. Of course 24. ... hxg5? was out of question due to 25. h6, but 24. ... fxg5 25. fxg5 d5! (Stockfish) gave Black good counterchances. 25. gxh6 gxh6 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Qxh6. Black is on the verge of abyss, but Brunello has only 2 minutes and 42 seconds left on the merciless clock. 27. ... Rg8 28. Rhg2? As in a grand-style drama, White first throws away a great advantage and a likely win (28. Rxg8+ Rxg8 29. Rd2). 28. ... Rg5 29. Rxg5 Qxb2+ 30. Kd1 fxg5

31. f6? And then also a draw: 31. Rxg5 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qb2+ 33. Bc2 Rd8+ 34. Nd5 e4 35. f6 e3+! 36. Kd1 (or 36. Kxe3 Nxd5+ 37. cxd5 Qc1+ with a draw by perpetual check) 36. ... Qd4+ 37. Kc1 Qd2+ 38. Kb1 Rb8+ 39. Bb3 Qd1+ 40. Kb2 Rxb3+! 41. axb3 Qd2+ with perpetual check. 31. ... Rd8+ 0 : 1. The tables are by now turned. If 32. Nd5 then 32. ... Qd4+, and if 32. Bd5 then 32. ... Nf5.