Just One Time

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – Alessio Valsecchi
20th European Individual Chess Championship; Skopje, March 19, 2019
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. d4 c5 8. Nf3 h6 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4+ 11. Kf1!? Nd7!? Vintage theory reads thus: 11. ... Nc6 12. Bb2 Bc5 13. Bc2 0-0 14. Qd3 Rd8 15. Rd1 with the initiative, Seirawan – Kortschnoi, 42th Hoogovens International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1980. 12. Rb1 Be7 13. c5 e5 14. Bb2 Qe6? This is the first serious error by Valsecchi. 14. ... 0-0! seemed perfectly playable. 15. Nxe5 Nxe5

16. d5! This powerful zwischenzug, obviously unforeseen by Valsecchi — who was probably expecting 16. dxe5? 0-0! — decisively crushes Black’s position. 16. ... Qf6 17. Qe2 Bf5 18. Bb5+ Kf8 19. Bxe5 Qg6 20. Re1. Maybe it’s only a matter of taste, but 20. Rb3! Bxc5 21. Rg3 Bg4! 22. Qb2! f6 23. Bd3 seems even stronger. 20. ... a6. If 20. ... Bxc5 then 21. h4! maintaining the bind on Black. 21. Bg3! axb5. 21. ... Re8 is no better, on account of 22. d6! axb5 23. Kg1! followed by d6xe7+ and Bg3-d6 with overwhelming advantage. 22. Qxe7+ Kg8 23. h4 Rxa2. 23. ... Kh7 should likewise have been met by Kf1-g1-h2. 24. h5? This move incredibly loses a crucial tempo, which could have costed Gelfand a well deserved win. White ought to play 24. Kg1! at once, to be followed by Kg1-h2. 24. ... Qg5! 25. d6!? If 25. Qe8+ then 25. ... Kh7 26. Qxf7 Rha8 (intending to exchange two pairs of Rooks) 27. Kg1 Ra1 28. Kh2 Rf8!! 29. Qe7 Qxh5+ 30. Qh4 Qxh4+ 31. Bxh4 Rxe1 32. Rxe1 Rc8 33. Be7 b4 with equality. 25. ... Qd2? Valsecchi misses his salvation: after 25. ... Qxe7! 26. dxe7 Kh7! there’s nothing left for White except to content himself with a draw. 26. Kg1! But now it’s all right again! 26. ... Kh7 27. Kh2 Rc8. Black self-mates in short order, but other moves weren’t better. 28. Qxf7 Rxc5 29. Re8 Qd5 30. Qf8 1 : 0.