Ice Lolly

Benjamin Arvola – Luca Moroni
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. 0-0 Bb6 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4. If 10. cxd4 then 10. ... d5! 11. exd5 (Black stands better both after 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Re8! and after 11. e5 Qg6) 11. ... Nf5 12. Bf2 Nd6! and Black wins the f4-Pawn. That is vintage analysis by 11th World Chess Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (Chess Life, No. 12, December 1964, pp. 294-295). 10. ... d5! 11. exd5. 11. e5 Qg6 also gives Black a more comfortable game, Tkachuk – Coenen, 28th Post Open, Düsseldorf 2012. So maybe White should have been content with 11. Bxd5 Rd8 12. Kh1 Bxd4 13. cxd4 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nc3 Rd8= (15. ... Rxd4? 16. Nd5) – Bobby Fischer’s analysis (ibidem). 11. ... Nf5! 12. Bf2 Bxf2+ 13. Rxf2 Ne3 14. Qb3 Ng4 15. Rf3 Qh4 16. h3 Qe1+ 17. Bf1 Nf6 18. c4 Re8 19. Qc2 Ne4 20. f5? This is Arvola’s crucial mistake, after which suddenly Black’s initiative turns into a storm. White had to play 20. b3 at once. 20. ... Re5 21. b3 Bxf5 22. Qb2 Ng5 23. Rf2

23. ... Bxh3! The storm begins. 24. Nc3 Qe3 25. gxh3. 25. Qd2 Qg3 26. Qf4 Qxc3 (Stockfish) is anything but tempting, but what should we say about the text? 25. ... Rf5? More accurate seems 25. ... Qg3+ 26. Kh1 Rae8 leaving White no resource. 26. Nd1? After 26. Bg2 Rxf2 27. Qxf2 Qxc3 Black is a Pawn up and stands clearly better, but it would not have been so easy for him to demonstrate a win. 26. ... Qg3+. Or 26. ... Nf3+ 27. Kh1 Rg5 28. Bg2 (else 28. Rg2 Qg1+ and mate next move) 28. ... Qe1+ 29. Rf1 Qxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Rg1 mate. 27. Kh1 Nxh3 28. Bxh3 Qxh3+ 29. Kg1 Qg3+ 30. Kf1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kf1 Re8 33. Qd2 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Re1+! 0 : 1. Mate in two follows.