Sidereal Time

Szymon Gumularz – Luca Moroni
32nd World Youth Chess Championship Under-18; Porto Carras, October 28, 2018
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Bb3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. Nbd2 Be6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. h3 h6!? In absolute terms, this seems quite inconsistent with 7. ... Be6. 10. Re1 Re8 11. Bxe6 Rxe6 12. b4 Ba7 13. Qc2 Nh5 14. Nc4!? Something similar had happened already, and, regardless of the result, it should be the last thing Black should desire to experience again: 14. Nf1 Rg6 15. Kh2 Qe7 16. g3 Qd7 17. Be3 Re6 18. a4 Nf6 19. b5 Ne7 20. c4 Bxe3 21. Nxe3 c6 22. bxc6 bxc6 23. Rab1 a5 24. c5 d5 25. Rb2 Rd8 26. Rb3 Qe8 27. Rb7 Nd7 28. Kg2 Qf8 29. Ra7 f5 30. exf5 Nxf5 31. Ng4 Qe7 32. Rxe5 h5 33. Rxf5 hxg4 34. hxg4 Re2 35. Qd1 Rxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Qxc5+ 37. d4 Qxa7 38. Rh5 Nf6 39. Rh4 Ne4+ 40. Kg2 Qb8 41. Qe1 Rf8 42. Nd2 Qb2 0 : 1 Padmini – Amin, 18th Dubai Open Chess Tournament, Dubai 2016. 14. ... Rg6!? 15. a4 Qf6!? The crude threat of ... Qf6xf3 hardly justifies Black’s clumsy assembling of troops on the Kingside. 15. ... Qd7 looks more natural, in order to reply both 16. Kh2 and 16. Nh4 with 16. ... Rf6. 16. Kh1! Nd8? Very obviously intending ... Nd8-e6-f4, but, alas for Black, there’s not time to jump so far. It’s likely that Black should have gotten back to his basic strategy by 16. ... Qe6 (or also Stockfish’s 16. ... Qd8) to be soon followed by ... Rg6-f6.

17. d4! White breaks through the centre quickly gaining an overwhelming initiative. 17. ... exd4. If 17. ... Qe6 then 18. d5 with an inexorable squeeze. 18. e5! Qe6 19. cxd4 Nc6 20. exd6. The game ended up in a catastrophe for Black, but the last word has not yet been said. 20. ... Qd5 21. Ne3 Qxd6 22. Nf5 Qd7 23. b5 Nb4 24. Qb1 Nd5 25. Ne5 Qe6 26. g4 Rf6 27. Bd2 Nhf4 28. Nd3? This could be the only good thing that happened to Moroni today. Even worse, 28. Ng6? Ne2! was all bad news for White, who, on the other hand, may be forgiven for overlooking the engine-based 28. Ra3! (Δ Ra3-f3), which would have left Black helpless. 28. ... Ne2? Maybe 28. ... Nxd3(!) 29. Rxe6 Nxf2+ 30. Kg2 fxe6 wouldn’t have saved Black either (as 31. bxa6 bxa6 32. Qb7 appears to be very strong), but certainly it would have complicated White’s way to victory. Now it’s all very easy: 29. Nc1 Ndf4 30. Bxf4 Ng3+ 31. Bxg3 Qxe1+ 32. Kg2 Re8 33. Qd3 Rfe6 34. Nb3 Qb4 35. Bxc7 Rc8 36. Ba5 Qf8 37. d5 Re5 38. d6 b6 39. Bb4 Rd8 40. Nbd4 g6 41. Ne7+ Kh7 42. Ndc6 1 : 0.