Escape from the 21st Century

Alexey Vasilievich Sarana – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
71st Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Satka, September 1, 2018
Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 c6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. Rd1 Ba6 10. b3 Nbd7 11. Bf4 Rc8 12. Nc3 Nh5 13. Bc1 f5 14. e3 Bd6 15. a4 Nhf6 16. Ne2!? 16. a5(!) is now regarded as the best continuation for White (and, indeed, a very unpleasant one for Black), Ftáčnik – E. de Groote, Dutch Team Chess Championship Meesterklasse 2012/2013, Rotterdam 2012. However, Sarana’s novelty doesn’t harm White’s strategic leitmotiv. 16. ... c5 17. Nf4 Qe7 18. cxd5? A very ugly mistake which soon puts White on fire. 18. a5(!) was still strong enough to claim an advantage. 18. ... cxd4! 19. Qb2 dxe3!? 19. ... e5 seems good enough for Black, but Jakovenko feels of having to play sharply for a tactical outcome. 20. Nxe6 exf2+ 21. Qxf2 Ne4 22. Qe3? Sarana looks disoriented and quickly loses the (feeble) thread of the game. After 22. Qb2 Black could have sacrificed the Exchange by 22. ... Ndf6! 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 with good piece play and the initiative. 22. ... Rc3. Stockfish gives 22. ... Ndf6(!) as Black’s best, but who dares say that Jakovenko is doing something wrong? 23. Qd4? The last error. Obviously after 23. Qe1 Ndc5 White has nothing to be happy with, but the game is not yet over. 23. ... Ndc5 24. Ba3. Or 24. Nxf8 Nxb3 and finis. 24. ... Nxe6 25. Bxd6 Nxd4 26. Bxe7. White somehow managed to keep material equality, but just to run into a “windmill” storm of discovered checks that very much resembles the grand finale of the Game of the (Last) Century D. Byrne – R. J. Fischer, 3rd Rosenwald Trophy, New York 1956.

26. ... Ne2+ 27. Kf1. No other choice: 27. Kh1 Nf2 mate. 27. ... Nf4+ 28. Kg1 Ne2+ 29. Kf1 N2xg3+ 30. Kg1 Ne2+ 31. Kf1 Nf4+ 32. Kg1 Ne2+ 33. Kf1 Rc2 34. Ne1 Nf4+ 35. Kg1 Rxg2+! 0 : 1. White resigned just before 36. Nxg2 Nh3+ 37. Kh1 Nef2 mate.

Alexey Vasilievich Sarana (left) vs. Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko (right). Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.