Another Way to Climb a Tree

Luca Moroni – Szymon Gumularz
11th Dolomiti International Chess Open; Forni di Sopra, September 28, 2020
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 0-0 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 dxc4 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. Qa4 Nd5 9. Qc2 Be7 10. Rd1 Bd7 11. e4 Ncb4 12. Qd2 Nb6 13. Ne5 Nc6 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. Qe2!? Moroni ambitiously aims at improving Fabiano Caruana’s heritage: 15. Qc2 f5 16. a4 fxe4 17. Bxe4 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 Qd7 19. d5 exd5 20. Nxd5 Nxd5 21. Rxd5 Qc6 22. Rd4 Bc5 23. Qxc6 bxc6 24. Rxc4 Bxf2+ 25. Kg2 c5 26. Ra2! Bd4 27. b4! Rad8 28. bxc5 c6 29. Bf4 Rfe8 30. Rd2 with great play for White, Caruana – So, 6th Sinquefield Cup/4th Grand Chess Tour, 4th leg, Saint Louis 2018, tie-break game 2 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 15. ... Re8 16. Be3 f5? (16. ... Bb4!)

17. d5!± exd5 18. Bxb6 axb6? 18. ... cxb6 was necessary, so as to neutralise any effect from Nc3xd5xb6; White, however, would play 19. e5!± followed either by the capture of the d5-Pawn or of the c4-Pawn (if Black pushes on d4). 19. Nxd5 b5 20. Nb6 Bd6 21. Nxa8 Qxa8 22. a4. Black has not enough for the Exchange, as Moroni brilliantly demonstrates. 22. ... Qa6 23. axb5 Qxb5 24. Rd4

24. ... fxe4? White obviously stands much better and would win the game anyway, but Black’s move hastens the end. 25. Bxe4 Bc5 26. Bxc6 Qxc6 (26. ... Rxe2 27. Ra8+ Kf7 28. Rf4+ Kg6 29. Bxb5+−) 27. Qxc4+ Kh8 28. Re4 Rf8 29. Rf4 1 : 0.