An Autumn Afternoon

Daniele Vocaturo – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 28, 2017
Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 Be6 8. Nc4 b5 9. Ne3 Nf6 10. g3 g6 11. Bg2 Bh6!? A novelty hard to follow. For 11. ... Bg7 12. 0-0 0-0 (else 12. ... Rc8 13. Ncd5 Bxd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 as in Medarde Santiago – Édouard, 5th Open Internacional, Llucmajor 2016) 13. Ncd5 Rb8 14. c3 Na5 15. Qd3 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Nc4 17. Rd1 Qd7 18. a4 Nb6 take a look at Pijpers – Ikonnikov, 11th Open (Group A), Leiden 2017. 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Bd2 Rc8 14. Ncd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. a4! Qb6 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qe2 Ra8 19. b4! Qb7 20. Ra5 Bxe3? A panic move that makes things very bad for Black. After 20. ... Rab8 21. Rfa1 White stands better, but with respect to the actual game, it would have been a bed of roses. 21. fxe3 Rxa5 22. bxa5. The passed a-Pawn gives White a clear superiority and very good winning chances as well. Somehow, however, Radjabov will succeed in saving the ending, even though, after all, with no convenience for the Azerbaijani team, which, due to the stubborn victories of Sabino Brunello (against Arkadij Naiditsch) and Luca Moroni (against Gadir Guseinov), was defeated by Italy’s team 2½ – 1½.

22. ... Kg7 23. Rb1 Qc7 24. Rxb5 Qxc2 25. e4 Qa4 26. Rb7 Neg8 27. a6 Rc8 28. Rb4 Qa3 29. Rb1 Qa4 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Bf3 Rb3 32. Rc6 Qd4+ 33. Qf2 Qa4 34. a7 Ra3 35. Be3. Even after 35. Rc7 Ra2 seems very hard to prove a win for White. 35. ... Nxe4 36. a8=Q Nxf2 37. Qxa4 Nh3+ 38. Kg2 Rxa4 39. Bc1 Ne7 40. Rc2 Nf5 41. Kxh3 Nd4 42. Rf2 f5 43. Kg2 Ra5 44. Rb2 Kf6 45. Bd2 Ra3 46. Bd1 g5 47. Bb4 Ra1 48. Be2 Nxe2 49. Rxe2 Ra6 50. Rc2 Rb6 51. Ba5 Rb5 52. Bd8+ Kg6 53. Rd2 Rb7 54. Rc2 Rb5 55. Rd2 Rb7 56. Rc2 Rb5 57. Rd2 ½ : ½.