Beyond the Prosaic

Vincent Keymer – Noël Oliver Studer

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

Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 dxe4 7. fxe4 c5 8. d5 exd5 9. exd5 0-0 10. Be2 Re8 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. h3!? In the recent first half of the Candidates Tournament 2020, Fabiano Caruana won a complex game after 13. d6!? Bf8 14. h3 Bh5 15. Nb5 Re6 16. Bf4 a6 17. Nc7 Re4 18. Bh2 Rc8 19. g4 Bxg4 20. hxg4 Nxg4 21. Bd3 Nxh2 22. Bxe4 Nxf1 23. Qxf1 Bxd6? (23. ... Nf6!∞) 24. Nd5 g6 25. Qh3 Kg7 26. Kh1 Ne5 27. Nh4 h5 28. Rg1 Bf8 29. Nf4 Ng4 30. Nxh5+! gxh5 31. Bf5 Be7 32. Bxg4 hxg4 33. Qxg4+ Bg5 34. Qh5 1 : 0 Caruana – Alekseenko, Candidates Tournament 2020, Yekaterinburg 2020. Keymer goes by another way. 13. ... Bxf3 14. Rxf3 Bd6 15. Bg5 Qe7 16. Nb5 Bb8 17. Re3 Be5 18. d6 Qf8 19. Bg4 a6? Studer goes for a very dubious Exchange sacrifice. Correct was 19. ... Bxb2 20. Rb1 Rxe3 21. Bxe3 Be5 with a perfectly playable game. 20. Bxd7 Nxd7 21. Be7 Rxe7 22. dxe7 Qxe7 23. Nc7 Rd8 24. Nd5 Qg5 25. Kh1 Bd4 26. Re7 Ne5 (26. ... Bxb2 27. Qf3 Ne5 28. Re1!+−) 27. Rxb7 h5 (27. ... Nxc4 28. Ne7+ Kh8 28. Nc6+−) 28. Qc1 Qh4 29. Ne7+ Kf8 30. Nf5 Qf6 31. Qf1 Qc6 32. Rb3 Qa4 33. Rg3. In a way 33. Rb6+− (Δ Nf5xg7) might have been simpler. 33. ... Bxb2 34. Rb1 Qxc4

35. Qf2. With a few minutes to the time control, Keymer is content to play safely within his comfort zone. Here 35. Nxg7 seems to be White’s best, for after 35. ... h4 36. Qf6! hxg3 37. Nf5 Nc6 38. Qxb2 Nd4 39. Qd2! his attack continues. 35. ... Bc1! 36. Qe1 Bf4 37. Rd1 Re8 38. Rc3 (38. Nxg7 Bxg3 39. Qxg3↑) 38. ... Qe6 39. Qe4 Ng6 40. Qxe6 (40. Qb1!) 40. ... fxe6 41. Ne3. Materially speaking, Black has enough compensation for the Exchange, but his Pawns are a bit too scattered to offer much hope for maintaining the status quo. Whatever it is, the following moves give the impression that Black could have defended better.

41. ... Rc8 42. Nc4 Rb8 (42. ... Ke7! 43. g3 Bc7 44. Re3±) 43. g3 Bc7 44. Rd7 Bd8 45. Re3 Bf6 46. Rxe6 Kg8 47. Rb6 Re8 48. Rd5 h4 49. gxh4 Nf4 50. Rf5 Re4 51. Nd2 Re1+ 52. Kh2 Be5 53. Nf3 Bc7 54. Nxe1 Ne6+ 55. Re5 Nd4 56. Rxa6 Bxe5+ 57. Kg2 1 : 0.

Once back to a classical time control, Keymer has regained his luster. Photo: Simon Bohnenblust.