Ten Plus One

Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev – Denis Vasilyevich Pershin
26th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 10, 2019
English Opening A28

The last round of the 26th Russian Team Chess Championship marked the fourth win in a row for Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev, which pushes him towards the probably non-open door of the world’s top ten. 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bb4 5. d3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 d6 7. g3 h6 8. Bg2 Be6 9. 0-0 Qd7 10. Nh4!? A novelty, or rather a new move order with respect to 10. Rb1 b6 11. Nh4 Bh3 12. Nf5 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 g6 14. Ne3 Nh5 15. Qg4 Ne7 16. h3 ½ : ½ Semcesen – Westerberg, 5th International Open, Västerås 2014. 10. ... 0-0-0!? This must not have been an easy decision, but it’s not clear which castling is better (10. ... 0-0 11. f4↑). 11. Qa4 Bh3 12. Nf5 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 Nh5 14. Rb1 Rde8? After this, Black will no longer be able to neutralise White’s Queenside attack. Pershin ought to have played 14. ... g6 at once, in order to answer 15. Ne3 and/or 15. Nh4 by 15. ... Nf4+! with good drawing prospects. So White would have better played: 15. Qb5! b6 16. Qxc6 Qxc6 17. Ne7+ Kd7 18. Nxc6 Kxc6 19. f4⩲ with a slight edge. 15. f3! g6 16. Ne3 f5 17. Nd5! With the powerful threat of Bc1-e3. 17. ... f4!? Black sacrifices the Exchange with the (unfounded) conviction that he will manage to launch a counter-attack on the Kingside. On the other hand, after 17. ... b6 18. Qa6+ Kb8 (18. ... Kd8 19. Qb7+−) 19. Be3 Qc8 20. Qa4 Qb7 21. Bxb6! axb6 22. Rxb6! cxb6 23. Rb1 Black would also fall down shortly. 18. g4 Ng7 19. Nf6 Qe7 20. Nxe8 Nxe8 21. d4 h5

22. g5! Pershin might have overlooked or underestimated this very strong move, which in fact keeps the h-file closed. 22. ... Qxg5+ 23. Kh1 a6 24. Ba3! Simply threatening c4-c5. By now White’s attack goes by itself. 24. ... Qh4 25. c5! dxc5 26. Bxc5. Threatening both Qa4-b3 and Rb1xb7. 26. ... Qh3. Black parried Rb1xb7, but not the other threat. 27. Qb3 b6. If 27. ... Nd8 then 28. Be7 winning easily. 28. Bxb6! cxb6 29. Qxb6 Kd7 30. dxe5 1 : 0.

Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev (right) vs. Denis Vasilyevich Pershin (left). Photo © Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.