The Years Before

Vugar Gashimov – Lev Pinkhusovich Gutman

6th FiNet Rapid Open; time control: 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Mainz, August 2007

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Position #902

1. e4 e5 2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Ng6 4. Bc4 Be6 5. Bxe6 fxe6 6. dxe5 dxe5 7. Qxd8+ Rxd8 8. Ng5 Re8? 8. ... Rd6! Δ 9. Nxh7 0-0-0! gave Black excellent compensation for the Pawn. 9. Nxh7. Now White will keep his extra Pawn till the end. Maybe Gutman had overestimated his temporary “lead in development” after Black’s castling on the a-side, but Gashimov will excellently consolidate (at least for a long while), giving his opponent no hope for camouflage. 9. ... 0-0-0 10. Nxf8 Rxf8 11. f3 Nh4 12. Rg1 Nf6 13. Nf2 Rh8 14. h3 Ng6 15. Bg5 Rd7 16. Nd3 Nh5 17. 0-0-0 Nhf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. Nc5 Re7 20. Kd2 Rh5 21. Nd3 c5 22. c4 Rd7 23. Ke2 b6 24. b3 Rh8 25. Rd2 e5 26. Ne1 Rxd2+ 27. Kxd2 Kd7 28. Nd3 Ke6 29. Ke2 Kf6 30. Rd1 Rd8

31. Nxe5!? A pretty-looking liquidation that, however, allows Black to close all entries (in spite of his Pawn minus). Best seems 31. Nf2 which should still give White the certainty of a technical win. 31. ... Rxd1 32. Ng4+ Ke6 33. Kxd1 Nh4 34. Ke2 Nxg2 35. Nf2 g5 36. Nd3 Nh4 37. Nb2 Ke5 38. Nd3+ Ke6 39. Ne1 Ke5 40. Kd3 Ke6 41. Kc3 a5 42. Kc2 Ke5 43. Kd3 Kd6 44. Ke2 Ke5 45. Nd3+ Kd4 46. Nb2 Ng6 47. Na4 Ne5 48. Nxb6 Nd3? And Gutman misses his big chance for a draw with 48. ... Kc3! (49. Na4+ Kd4). 49. Nd5 a4 50. Nc7 Kc3 51. Nb5+ Kc2 52. bxa4 Ne5 53. a5 Nxc4 54. a6 1 : 0.