Colour opposites

Ivan Cheparinov – Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov
1st FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019; Santon, October 13, 2019
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 a6 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be6 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Nh5 11. Be5 Nhf6 12. Qb3 g4 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Qxe5 16. Qxb7 Rd8 17. Qc6+ Ke7 18. 0-0 h5!?TN (18. ... Kf6 19. Rad1 h5 20. Bc2 Kg7 21. Ne2 Bd6 22. Nf4 Qxb2 23. Bb3 Rh6 24. Rd4 Bxf4 25. Rxf4 Qe5 26. Rc1 Rd7 27. Qxa6 d4 28. Qd3 dxe3 29. Qxe3 Qxe3 30. fxe3 Bxb3 31. axb3 Rhd6 32. Rfc4 Rd1+ 33. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 34. Kf2 Rd2+ 35. Kf1 Rd3 36. Kf2 Rxb3 37. Rxc7 ½ : ½ Akobian – Deac, 16th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2018) 19. Rae1?! 19. Rad1 Kf6 would have transposed into the above mentioned game. The text is more ambitious, but also much riskier. 19. ... Kf6 20. e4. The alternative 20. f4!? gxf3 21. Rxf3+ Kg7 was likewise nothing special for White. 20. ... Bd6! 21. g3 d4! 22. Nd5+ (22. Ne2 h4! 23. Nf4 Kg7↑) 22. ... Kg7 23. h4! Attack is the best defence!? 23. ... gxh3 24. f4 Bxd5 25. exd5 Qf6 26. Rf3?! 26. Kh2! Rhg8! is certainly easier for Black to play, but there is still nothing definite. 26. ... Rhg8! 27. Qc2 Rde8?! 28. Ref1? This is a very grave mistake, probably due to lack of time. White had to exchange Rooks with 28. Rxe8 Rxe8, because then after 29. Kh2 h4⩱↑ he could still have hoped to survive Black’s initiative. 28. ... Kf8!−+ (Δ ... h5-h4) 29. Qh2 h4 30. Qxh3 hxg3 31. Rxg3 Rh8 32. Qg4

32. ... Re3? Vitiugov missed here an almost forced win: 32. ... Qh6! 33. Rg2 Re3−+ with devastating threats. Now, quite incredibly, White succeeds in mixing up things to the extent of saving the game. 33. Rff3 Rxf3 34. Qxf3 Bxf4 35. d6!? Qxd6 36. Qa8+ Ke7 37. Qxh8 Bxg3 38. Qh7 Qf4? (38. ... Qb4!? 39. Qe4+ Kd6∓) 39. Qe4+! It’s not a rule but a recurrent casuistry that endings with Bishops of opposite colour are drawn, so Cheparinov must have taken a breath of relief as he exchanged Queens. And here, indeed, there’s no exception! 39. ... Qxe4 40. Bxe4 Kd6 41. Kg2 Bf4 42. Bd3 a5 43. Kf3 Bc1 44. b3 Ke5 45. a4 Bd2 46. Bc4 f5 47. Bd3 f4 48. Ke2 Be3 49. Bc2 Kd5 50. Bd1 Kc5 51. Kd3 Kb4 52. Kc2 Bf2 53. Be2 Be1 54. Bd1 Bc3 55. Be2 Kc5 56. Kd3 Kd5 57. Bf3+ Kc5 58. Kc2 Kb4 59. Be2 c5 60. Bc4 f3 61. Bd5 f2 62. Bc4 Be1 63. Bf1 c4 64. Bxc4 Kc5 65. Kd1 Kd6 66. Ke2 Ke5 67. Kf3 Kf5 68. Bd3+ Kg5 69. Be2 Kf5 70. Bd3+ Ke5 71. Bc4 Kd6 72. Ke2 Kc6 73. Kd1 Kc5 74. Bd3 Kd6 75. Ke2 Kd5 76. b4 axb4 77. a5 b3 78. a6 Kc6 79. Kf1 Kb6 80. Ke2 Bb4 81. Kxf2 Bc5 82. Bc4 b2 83. Bd3 Ka5 84. Ke2 Kb4 85. Kd2 Kb3 86. Bb1 Bb6 87. Kd3 ½ : ½.

Cheparinov (right) and Vitiugov (left) showed with clarity why endings with Bishops of opposite colour are so often drawn. Photo credit: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/Chess.com.