A Seat in the Crowd

Richárd Rapport – Vincent Keymer
3rd GRENKE Chess Open; Karlsruhe, April 2, 2018
Queen’s Gambit Declined D54

After long years of waiting another Robert Hübner, Germany can finally celebrate the rise of a new star, namely Vincent Keymer, 13, a pupil of Hungarian Grandmaster Péter Lékó, who was able to win the 3rd GRENKE Chess Open ahead of 49 Grandmasters. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 0-0 7. Rc1 Nbd7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 c6 10. Bg3 Re8. A reliable reference for study is 10. ... Nb6 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Bh2 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bd6 15. g4 Bxh2 16. Rxh2 g6 17. h4 Qd6 18. Rg2 Kg7 19. Kd1 Rae8 20. Kc2 Ne4 21. h5 Qe7 22. Qf4 g5 23. Qf5 Nc8 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Qa5 f5 26. gxf5 Qd7 27. Kb1 Rxf5 28. Qa4 Qf7 29. Rg4 Nb6 30. Qxa7 Nc4 31. d5 cxd5 32. Qd4+ Kg8 33. Nxe4 dxe4 34. Qxc4 Qxc4 35. Rxc4 Rxf2 36. Rgxe4 Rxe4 37. Rxe4 Rh2 38. a4 Rxh5 39. a5 Rh4 40. Re8+ Kf7 41. Rb8 Ra4 42. Rxb7+ Kg6 43. Rb6+ Kh7 44. Rb7+ Kg6 45. Rb6+ Kh7 46. Rb7+ ½ : ½ Kortschnoi – Short, 15th Interpolis International Chess Tournament, Tilburg 1991. 11. h3 Bb4 12. Nf3 Ne4 13. Bf4 c5 14. 0-0 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Nb6 16. Ne5 f6!? 17. Ng4!? Typically, Rapport goes for sharp. 17. Ng6 might have been a sounder proceeding; for instance: 17. ... Bf5 18. dxc5 Nc4 19. Qh5 and White seems to stand better. 17. ... c4 18. Bb1 h5 19. Nh2!? Rapport probably noticed only now that 19. Nh6+!? gxh6 20. Qxh5 Re7! 21. f3 Ng5 22. Qxh6 Rg7 would lead nowhere for White. 19. ... g5! 20. Qxh5 gxf4 21. f3 Nd6 22. Qh7+. After 22. Bh7+ Kg7 23. Qg6+ Kh8 24. Qh6 Re7! Black defends successfully. 22. ... Kf8 23. Qh6+ Ke7 24. Qg7+ Ke6 25. Rfe1 Re7 26. Qg4+ f5 27. Bxf5+ Nxf5 28. Qg6+? 28. e4(!) seems a much better way to regain a piece, retaining good compensation for the other one (28. ... Kd7 29. exf5). 28. ... Kd7 29. Qxf5+ Kc6 30. Qxf4 Be6 31. e4 Qg8. White has three Pawns for the piece, but the initiative has firmly passed into Black’s hands. 32. Qh6? 32. a4! (Δ a4-a5) was probably White’s best and only chance of survival. 32. ... Kc7 33. Kh1. By now Rapport has lost the thread of the game, and his insoluble conflict between defending and attacking soon ends in catastrophe. 33. ... Rf8 34. Re2 Rh7 35. Qd2 Kb8 36. Rce1 dxe4 37. fxe4 Bd7 38. Rf2 Re8 39. Qf4+ Ka8 40. Nf3 Rf8 41. Qh2 Na4 42. Re3 a6 43. Qe5

43. ... Bxh3! The End. 44. Kg1. If 44. gxh3 then 44. ... Rxh3+ 45. Rh2 Rg3! with mating attack. 44. ... Rg7 45. Nh4 Rxf2 46. Kxf2 Rxg2+ 47. Nxg2 Qxg2+ 48. Ke1 Qf1+ 49. Kd2 Bg4 50. Qe8+ Ka7 51. Qxa4 Qf2+ 0 : 1.