Through the Storm

Luca Moroni – Milton Pantzar
32nd World Youth Chess Championship Under-18; Porto Carras, October 29, 2018
Queen’s Pawn Game D02

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. Nbd2 Nc6 6. c3 cxd4 7. exd4 Nh5 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Ne5 g6 10. g4. Moroni is quite familiar with the so-called London System, which is much in vogue among young people. One Christmas ago the Italian Chess Champion preferred instead 10. Nd3 f6 11. Be2 Ng7 12. f4 Qc7 13. g3 Bd7 14. a4 0-0 15. 0-0 Na5 16. Nc5 Be8 17. Bg4 Bf7 18. Qe2 b6 19. Na6 Qb7 20. b4 Nc6 21. a5 e5 22. fxe5 fxe5 23. axb6 axb6 24. b5 Na5 25. Rf6 Qe7 26. Raf1 h5 27. Rxd6 Qxd6 28. dxe5 Qxe5 29. Bxb6 Qxc3 30. Bd7 Nc4 31. Nxc4 Qxc4 32. Qe7 Qe4 33. Bc5 Qxe7 34. Bxe7 Rfe8 35. Bxe8 Rxe8 36. Bf6 d4 37. Bxd4 Bc4 38. Rc1 Bd3 39. Nc7 Rb8 40. Rc3 Be4 41. Re3 Bc2 42. Ba7 Rb7 43. b6 Nf5 44. Rc3 Be4 45. Ne6 Bd5 46. Rc8+ Kh7 47. Nc5 Re7 48. Rd8 Bc6 49. Bb8 Re2 50. Bf4 Rc2 51. b7 Rg2+ 52. Kf1 Bxb7 53. Nxb7 Rxh2 54. g4 Rh3 55. Be5 Ng7 56. Rd7 Rf3+ 57. Kg2 hxg4 58. Nd8 Kh6 59. Bxg7+ Kh5 60. Ne6 Kh4 61. Bf6+ 1 : 0 Moroni – Curien, 41st Zürich Christmas Open, Zürich 2017. 10. g4 Ng7 11. h4 f6. From a theoretical standpoint, the most influential line is 11. ... Nxe5 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. Nf3 Bf6 14. h5 0-0 15. Qd2 d4! 16. cxd4 b6 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Ne5 Bb7 19. Rh3 Rc8= Kamsky – Nakamura, 61st U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2017. 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. h5 gxh5 14. Bd3!? White seeks something new, as 14. gxh5 Nf5 doesn’t seem to offer much of an advantage, Gaede – Buhmann, 89th Deutsche Meisterschaft, Dresden 2018. 14. ... Qe7 15. gxh5 e5 16. Qa4 Bd7 17. 0-0-0. The interpolation of 17. dxe5(!) fxe5 18. 0-0-0 is nevertheless interesting, for now 18. ... e4? would be met by 19. Bxe4! with a decisive breakthrough for White. 17. ... e4 18. Be2 Ne6 19. Bg4 Nf4 20. Bxf4 Bxf4 21. Bxd7+ Qxd7 22. Kb1 Bxd2 23. Rxd2 Kf7 24. Rc2 Rab8 25. c4 Rb7 26. Rhc1! Rhb8 27. cxd5! cxd5? However ugly it might appear, 27. ... Qxd5 was probably Black’s best chance.

28. Qa5? 28. Qa6! was much more accurate here, as well as much stronger, for in that case Black couldn’t play 28. ... Qb5?? because of 29. Rc7+! winning decisive material. 28. ... Qb5! 29. Qd2 Qd3! Most of White’s advantage has vanished by now. 30. Qxd3 exd3 31. Rc7+ Ke6 32. Rxb7 Rxb7 33. Rd1 Kf5. The better King obviously gives Black enough compensation for the Pawn. 34. Rxd3 Ke4 35. Rg3 Kxd4. Nothing’s wrong, of course, but there was not too much hurry, and also 35. ... f5 should likewise lead to a draw (for if 36. h6 then 36. ... Rb6). 36. h6! f5. 36. ... Re7(!) 37. Rg7 Re1+ 38. Kc2 Re2+ 39. Kb3 Rxf2 40. Rxa7 f5 41. Rxh7 f4 was probably a simpler draw for Black. 37. Rg7 Rb6 38. Rxh7 Kd3 39. a4 a6 40. a5 Rd6 41. Rh8 d4 42. h7 Rd7 43. Ra8 Rxh7 44. Rxa6 Kc4? This seems to be Pantzar’s losing move. After 44. ... Kd2! followed by ... d4-d3 it’s hard to imagine that White will make any progress. 45. Rc6+! Kb5 46. Rd6! Kxa5. 46. ... Kc4 47. a6 may well lead to the same ending. 47. Rxd4 Kb6 48. Rd5 f4 49. Rd4 Rf7 50. Kc2 Kc5 51. Kd3 f3 52. b4+ 1 : 0.