Intermezzo

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
Agon Grand Prix; fourth stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 16, 2017
Sicilian Defence B35

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 0-0 8. Bb3 d5 9. exd5 Na5 10. 0-0. 10. Qd2 Nxb3 11. Nxb3 b5 12. Nxb5 Qxd5 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 14. Bd4 Rb8 resulted eventually in a laborious draw, Vachier-Lagrave – Gelfand, Grand Prix 2017, second stage, Moscow 2017. 10. ... Nxb3 11. Nxb3 b6 12. d6. 12. Qd2 Bb7 13. Rad1 Qc7 14. Bf4 Qc4 15. Rfe1 Rfd8 did not give Black any problems, Negi – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Showdown Blitz, Saint Louis 2015, match game 1. 12. ... e6. Gelfand has recently favoured this line. The alternative is 12. ... Qxd6 13. Qxd6 exd6 14. Rfe1 Bf5 15. Nd4 Bd7 16. h3 a6 17. Rad1 Rfe8 18. Nb3 b5 19. Rxd6 b4 20. Ne2 Bb5 21. Ned4 Rac8 22. Rd1 Ne4 23. Rb6 Rcd8 24. Rb1 Rd5 25. Nxb5 axb5 26. Na5 Nd2 27. Re1 Bd4 28. Rb7 Bxe3 29. Rxe3 Rxe3 30. fxe3 Rc5 31. Nb3 Rxc2 32. Rxb5 Rxb2 33. Nxd2 Rxd2 34. Rxb4 Rxa2 35. Kh2 Ra3 36. Re4 h5 37. Kg3 Kg7 38. Kf3 Ra1 39. h4 Rf1+ 40. Kg3 Ra1 ½ : ½ Oparin – Gelfand, Nutcracker Generations Tournament (Kings vs. Princes), Moscow 2016. 13. Qf3 Rb8 14. Rfd1. Just a little departure from 14. Rad1 Bb7 15. Qh3 Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Bd4 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 Rc8 19. Qh6 Qf6 20. Rc1 b5 21. Rh4 Qg7 22. Qxg7+ Kxg7 23. Rb4 a6 24. a4 bxa4 25. Na5 a3 26. bxa3 Rc5 27. Nb7 Rb5 28. Rxb5 axb5 29. Nc5 Rd8 30. d7 Kf6 31. Rb1 Bc6 32. Rb4 Bxd7 33. Nxd7+ Rxd7 ½ : ½ Adhiban – Gelfand, 4th Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, Douglas 2017. 14. ... Bb7 15. Qh3 Rc8 16. Bd4 Nd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Rac1 b5? This seems untimely under contingent position. 19. ... Rc6 20. Qg3 Qf6 (Stockfish) seems harder to break up. 20. Qg3 Qf6. Now 20. ... Rc6 is no longer any good, as after 21. Nd4 Rxd6 22. Nxb5 Rd7 23. c4 Black stands badly. 21. Nd4 b4

22. c4! bxc3. If 22. ... Rxc4 then 23. Rxc4 Bxc4 24. Nc6± and White stands much better. The text, however, carries far worse consequences. 23. Rxc3 Rxc3 24. bxc3. White’s united passers win by themselves. 24. ... Rd8 25. h4! Monsieur Vachier-Lagrave doubles his bet. 25. ... e5. Black had any good move here, but this one loses by force. 26. Nf5+ Qxf5 27. Rxd5 Qe4 28. c4! f6 29. Qc3 Qb1+ 30. Kh2 Qxa2 31. Rd2 Qa4 32. g3 Qc6 33. c5 Rd7 34. Qc4 1 : 0.