Dame blanche

Anish Giri – Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov
80th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 21, 2018
English Opening A35

Today was rest day on the Tata Steel Chess Tournament schedule, so let’s come back to yesterday. 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 Nf6 5. d4 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 e6 9. Bb5 Bg7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Bxc6!? bxc6 12. Re1 Qd6? Most of Black’s trouble starts here. Better was 12. ... Qb6 13. Qc2 ½ : ½ Tomashevsky – Alekseev, Russian Rapid Chess Championship, Sochi 2017. 13. Ne4 Qb4 14. Qc2! a5 15. a3 Qb6 16. Nc5 Re8 17. Ne5. White’s Knights took up an imposing position, while Black has big difficulties in developing his light-squared Bishop. 17. ... f6 18. Nc4 Qc7 19. Bd2 e5 20. dxe5 fxe5 21. Qa4 Nb6 22. Nxb6 Qxb6 23. Qc4+ Kh8 24. Bc3 Bf5. Finally the Bishop comes out, but just to be kicked back home at once.

25. g4! Bc8 26. Re4! “In Giri – Mamedyarov I was impressed by 25. g4! [and] 26. Re4! keeping complete control despite the superficial weakening. Good to see such resolute technique”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson said. 26. ... Qb5 27. Rae1 Qxc4 28. Rxc4 Rb8 29. h3 h5 30. gxh5 gxh5 31. Rh4 Kh7 32. Ne4 1 : 0. If 32. ... Kh6 then 33. Kh2(!) Rf8 34. Rg1 with deadly effect. An apparently effortless win.

Artwork © Willum Morsch