Odds and Ends

Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov – Richárd Rapport
FIDE Grand Prix 2017; 4th stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 25, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D30

Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov left the stage without so much as a restless farewell. He seemed not to have the strength to try for more. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Bxe7 Qxe7 6. Nbd2 Nf6. Rapport is not so generous to give a copyleft licence to his opponent for free: 6. ... f5 7. e3 Nd7 8. Bd3 Nh6?! (better was 8. ... Nf6 followed by ... Nf6-e4) 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Qc2 g6 11. Rab1 Nf6 12. Ne5 Nf7 13. f4 Bd7 14. Ndf3 Rfd8 15. b4 Be8 16. Rfc1 a6 17. Qf2 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Nd7 19. Nf3! Rdc8 20. c5 and Black got dramatically pythonised, Capablanca – Treybal, International Chess Masters Tournament, Karlsbad 1929. 7. g3 0-0 8. Bg2 b6 9. 0-0 Bb7 10. Ne5 Nbd7 11. Nxd7 Nxd7 12. Rc1 Rfd8 13. Qb3 Rab8 14. Rfd1 Nf6 15. Qa4 Ba8 16. b3 a5 17. c5 Nd7

18. cxb6 Qb4 19. Qxb4 axb4 20. e3 Rxb6 21. Nf3 Bb7 22. Rc2 Ra8 23. Bf1 Kf8 24. Rdc1 Ke7 25. Ne1 Ra5 26. Kg2 Kd6 27. Nd3 Ba6 28. Nc5 Bxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Kc7 30. Nd3 Ra8 31. f4 Kd6 32. g4 Rc8 33. h4 Nf6 34. Ne5 Rc7 35. Kg2 Ne4 36. Kf3 ½ : ½. “I don’t fully understand Radjabov’s decision, given that he had to play for a win to fight for the only thing worth fighting for in the Grand Prix. These things are always difficult, but in this case it was really all or nothing”, Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana tweeted. However, after 36. ... f6 37. Nd3 Rb5 eventually followed by ... c6-c5 there’s no reason for which White shouldn’t agree a draw.