Thursday, July 23, 2020

Meta-Reality

Vincent Keymer – Arkadij Mikhailovich Naiditsch
53rd Biel International Chess Festival; Grandmaster Triathlon — Classical; Biel/Bienne, July 23, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E62

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 c6 7. e4 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 e5 10. d5 cxd5 11. cxd5 a5 12. Be3 Na6


13. h4! h5 14. g4! The corollary of what, with Teutonic pride, Grandmaster Georg Meier calls “a stragetically decisive breakthrough”. 14. ... hxg4 15. Bxg4 Nxg4 16. Qxg4 Nb4 17. h5!?? Maybe Keymer just couldn’t believe he had to exchange Queens after Queenside castling, although 17. 0-0-0 Qc8 18. Qxc8 Rfxc8 19. Kb1 would have left White with an imposing bind. 17. ... f5? “All’s well that ends well”. Critical was 17. ... Nc2+ 18. Kd2 Nxa1 19. hxg6 fxg6 20. Qxg6 Rf6 (20. ... Qf6?? 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. Rh6!+−) 21. Qh7+ Kf7 22. Qh5+ Kg8 23. Rxa1 with unclear compensation. 18. Qxg6 Rf6 19. Qg2 Kh7 (19. ... Kf7 20. exf5!+−) 20. exf5! Nc2+ 21. Kd2 Nxe3 (21. ... Nxa1 22. Ne4!+−) 22. fxe3 Qb6 23. Kc2 Rc8 (23. ... Qxe3 24. Rh3+−) 24 Rag1 Bh6 25. Kb1 Qxe3 26. Ne4 Rff8 27. Qg6+ Kh8 28. Nf6 1 : 0.

After yesterday’s eclipse, the sun shined today for Keymer. Photo: Simon Bohnenblust.

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