One Last Thing Before I Go

Yaroslav Volodymyrovych Zherebukh – Fabiano Caruana
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 28, 2018
Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. g3 b5 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. d3 Nc6 7. 0-0 d6 8. Ng5!? h6 9. Nh3 Nf6 10. f4 Be7 11. f5 b4! After 11. ... e5 12. Nf2 Nd4 13. Nb1! Nd7 14. c3 Nc6 15. a4 Bg5 16. Bxg5 Qxg5 17. axb5 axb5 18. Rxa8+ Bxa8 19. Na3 Na7 20. d4! White would have all reasons to be satisfied at his opening choice, Simagin – L. Portisch, Moscow 1959. 12. Ne2!? It seems an improvement over 12. Nb1 exf5 13. Rxf5 0-0 14. c4 Nd7 where Black stands better already, Tripoteau – Bricard, 3rd Open, Plancoet 2003. 12. ... exf5 13. Rxf5 0-0 14. c4 bxc3 15. bxc3 Ne5 16. c4 Bc8 17. Rf1 Rb8. Black’s game appears easier than White’s one, but probably not much more. White’s next mistake – both strategic and tactical – almost immediately precipitates him into a serious misadventure. 18. Nhf4? Probably best was 18. Qc2 with a holdable game. 18. ... g5 19. Nd5. The getting back was not so easy either, for if 19. Nh3 then 19. ... Nfg4! 20. Qc2 f5! with powerful advantage to Black. 19. ... Nxd5 20. cxd5 Bf6. Black wins the Exchange. 21. d4 cxd4 22. Nxd4 Bg4. “It’s strategic mastery for Black”, Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan commented. 23. Qa4

23. ... Nd3! With the threat of ... Rb8-b4. 24. Qc4 Rb4 25. Qxd3 Bxd4+ 26. Be3 Bxa1 27. Rxa1 Qf6 28. Re1 Rc8 29. h3 Bd7 30. Qxa6 Rc2 31. Rf1 0 : 1. And White resigned, without waiting for his opponent’s reply since 31. ... Qb2 32. Rf2 Qb1+ 33. Kh2 (33. Rf1 Rxg2+! 34. Kxg2 Qxe4+−+) 33. ... Rbb2 is a catastrophe.