Snow in the Desert

Grigoriy Alekseyevich Oparin – Aryan Tari
56th World Junior Chess Championship; Tarvisio, November 21, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4 Bg6 5. e6!? It’s not a novelty, but certainly a rebrand of a minor line. 5. ... Qd6. The alternative was 5. ... fxe6 6. Nf3 Qd6 7. Ne5 Nd7 8. f4 Be4 9. Rg1 g5 10. Nc3 Bg7 with quite an unclear game (but certainly not unfavourable to Black), 丁亦昕 (Dīng Yìxīn) – 宁春红 (Níng Chūnhóng), 7th “天津弈诚杯” (“Tiānjīn Yìchéng Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 成都 (Chéngdū) 2011. It’s likely, however, that Oparin were ready to try something different. 6. exf7+ Bxf7 7. f4!? Here is Oparin’s new move, aimed to improve on 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. Bd3 0-0-0 9. Qe2 Bg6 with approximate equality, Ryzhov – Solovjova, 17th Czech Open, Pardubice 2006. 7. ... Nf6 8. Nc3 Nbd7 9. Bh3 g5!? A very interesting positional Pawn sacrifice which, in fact, seems to dismantle White’s opening preparation. 10. fxg5 Ne4 11. Nge2 Bg7 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Be3. After the immediate 13. Bf4 there may follow both 13. ... e5!? and 13. ... Nxc3 14. bxc3 e5 with satisfactory play for Black in any event. 13. ... Nb6 14. Bf4? After this Black will get the upper hand immediately: 14. ... Nxc3 15. bxc3 e5! 16. Bg3 Nc4∓ 17. Rf5!? By now, White barely cares of what he might lose. 17. ... Bg6. Not 17. ... Ne3? 18. dxe5 Qe7 19. Qd3 Nxf5? 20. gxf5 which was probably what White was hoping for. 18. Qd3?! White insists in sacrificing the Exchange. Nothing good can come from that, but it’s hard to blame him as he stands badly anyway. 18. ... Qe7! 19. dxe5 Nxe5 20. Qe3 Bxf5 21. gxf5

21. ... Qxg5! Elegant and easy. The end is crude: 22. Nf4 Rae8 23. Qe2 Ng6 24. Ne6 Nf4 25. Qg4 Nxh3+ 26. Qxh3 Qxf5 0 : 1.