A Pawn’s Journey

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 王皓 (Wáng Hào)
Candidates Tournament 2020; Yekaterinburg, March 22, 2020
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bf5 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Re1 0-0 9. Nbd2 Nd6 10. Nf1 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 c6 12. Bf4 Na6 13. h4!? A powerful novelty which seems to offer White a slight but lasting initiative. A recent game went instead 13. Ne3 Nc7 14. Rad1 Ne6 15. Bxd6 Bxd6 16. g3 Re8 17. c4 dxc4 18. Qxc4 Qc7 19. Qa4 b5 20. Qc2 Bf8 21. Ng4 Rad8 22. Re5 h6 23. Re3 Rd6 24. Nge5 Red8 25. Rc1 Nxd4 26. Nxd4 Rxd4 27. Qb3 Rb4 28. Qc3 Rbd4 29. Qb3 Rb4 30. Qc3 Rbd4 ½ : ½ Anand – Vidit, 81st Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2019. 13. ... Nc7 14. Ng5 Bxg5 (14. ... g6 15. Nh2⩲↑) 15. Bxg5 f6 16. Bf4 Qd7 17. Ng3 Rae8 18. Bxd6 Qxd6 19. Nf5 Qd7 20. Qh3 Kh8 21. h5 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Nxe8 24. g4 a6 25. b3 Qe6 26. Ne3 Nd6 27. h6! g6

28. c4! dxc4 29. bxc4 Kg8. Clearly not 29. ... Nxc4?? 30. Nxc4 Qxc4?? on account of 31. Qh2! Qg8 32. Qd6! Qf7 33. Qd8+ Qg8 34. Qxf6+ and mate next move. 30. Qh2 Kf7 31. c5 Nb5 32. Qb8

32. ... Qd7? Most commentators agree that Black ought to play 32. ... Nxd4! 33. Qxb7+ Qe7 34. Qxa6 Qe4!= miraculously holding everything together; for instance: 35. Qb7+ Ke8 36. Qxh7 Ne2+ 37. Kf1 Ng3+! 38. fxg3 Qf3+ drawing by perpetual check. Following 王皓 (Wáng Hào)’s idea, however, 32. ... Qe7! 33. Qh8 Ke6 seems good enough as well. 33. Qh8!+− Ke6 34. f4! Nxd4 35. Qg8+ Qf7 36. Qc8+ Qd7 37. Qg8+ Qf7 38. Qd8! Qd7 39. f5+ gxf5 40. gxf5+ Nxf5 41. Qxd7+ Kxd7 42. Nxf5 Ke6 43. Ne3 1 : 0.

“It is too early to claim victory, of course, but it’s nice winning with White. And I’m glad that this time my opening preparation worked better than in the previous games”, Nepomniachtchi finally said. Photo © Lennart Ootes.