Behind the Panel

Radosław Wojtaszek – Pentala Harikrishna

53rd Biel International Chess Festival; Grandmaster Triathlon — Classical; Biel/Bienne, July 27, 2020

Slav Defence D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3 Qc7 9. Bd2 Be7 10. 0-0-0 dxc4 11. Bxc4 b5 12. Be2 a6 13. Nxg6 hxg6 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. fxe4 c5 16. Kb1 Nc6 17. Bc3!? Very interesting is 17. e5! cxd4? (17. ... Rc8 18. Bf3 0-0 seems fine for Black) 18. Bf3 Rc8 19. Rc1 Qd7? (19. ... Qb6!? 20. exd4 0-0) 20. Qc2! Na7 21. Qxc8+! Nxc8 22. Bc6 Nb6 23. Bxd7+ Kxd7 24. exd4 Nd5 25. h4! Rxh4?! 26. Rxh4 Bxh4 27. Rh1 Be7 28. Rh7 Bf8 29. Rh8 Ke7 30. Kc2 f6 31. exf6+ gxf6 32. Rh7+ 1 : 0 Carlsen – Vachier-Lagrave, The Magnus Carlsen Invitational, chess24.com, April 24, 2020, match game 3 (15+10). 17. ... 0-0 18. h4 c4 19. Qc2 b4 20. Be1 c3. Who knows, maybe the “dual” 20. ... b3!? 21. axb3 cxb3 22. Qc4 Qb7 23. h5 g5 might have offered better counterattacking chances. 21. h5 g5 22. e5 (22. h6!?↑) 22. ... b3 23. Qxc3 bxa2+ 24. Ka1 Bb4 25. Qc2 Bxe1

26. h6? This tempting zwischenzug will turn out to be a cruel illusion. Simply 26. Rdxe1 Rfc8 27. Rc1± gave White a manifest superiority and excellent Kingside attacking prospects. 26. ... Rfc8! Supposedly White was only expecting 26. ... Bxh4? 27. g3! Qb6! 28. gxh4 Na5∞ with unclear play. 27. Rdxe1 Nb4 28. Qxc7 Rxc7 29. hxg7?! This is certainly not good, but otherwise Black would play ... g7-g6 with great advantage. 29. ... Nc2+ 30. Kxa2 Nxe1 31. Rh8+ (31. Rxe1 Kxg7−+) 31. ... Kxg7 32. Rxa8 Nxg2 33. Rxa6 Nxe3. Material equality is restored, but the ending is hopeless for White. 34. Ra3 Nf5 35. Rd3 Rd7 36. d5 Rxd5 37. Rxd5 exd5 38. b4 Nd4 39. Bg4 Nc6 40. b5 Nxe5 41. b6 Kf6 42. b7 Nc6 43. Ka3 Ke5 44. Ka4 Kd6 45. Kb5 Kc7 46. Kc5 Ne7 47. b8=Q+ Kxb8 48. Kd6

48. ... f5! 49. Bd1 g4! 0 : 1. For after 50. Kxe7 g3 51. Bf3 d4 one of Black’s Pawns promotes.

After his Sunday débâcle in the Blitz Tournament, Harikrishna scored a much-needed “Classical” win against Wojtaszek, thus reducing the gap to three points with two rounds to go. Photo: Simon Bohnenblust.