And Then There Were None

Pier Luigi Basso – Ashot Parvanyan
Tegernsee Masters 2020; Bad Wiessee, November 1, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E81

Just like in an Agatha Christie novel, today German chess prodigy Vincent Keymer was ordered by the Mainz health authorities to leave Bad Wiessee and undergo a two-week precautionary quarantine at home, because only a few days before the tournament’s start, he was seated in the same classroom for examination with a classmate who then tested positive to COVID-19. The young Grandmaster, though feeling well and healthy, could do nothing else but return home. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 0-0 6. Nge2 a6 7. Be3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. Bh6 e5 (9. ... b4 10. Nd5 Bxh6 11. Qxh6 c5 12. h4 e6 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. h5 Qg7 15. Qd2 a5 16. Rd1 Ra6 17. Kf2 e5 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. d5 f6 20. Ng3 Kf7 21. Bd3 Ra8 22. Qh6 Nb6 23. Rh2 Ba6 24. Qh3 Bc8 25. Qh4 Na4 26. b3 Nb2 27. Rd2 Nxd3+ 28. Rxd3 Bd7 29. Qh7 a4 30. Rd1 Rh8 31. Qxg7+ Kxg7 32. Rxh8 Kxh8 33. Nf1 Kg7 34. Nd2 f5 35. Ke3 g5 36. Rh1 f4+ 37. Kd3 Rh8 38. Rxh8 Kxh8 39. Ke2 Kg7 40. Kf2 Kh6 41. g4 a3 ½ : ½ Basso – Blohberger, GMT Banicky kahanec 2020, Bojnice 2020) 10. Bxg7 (10. 0-0-0 Δ 10. ... bxc4 11. h4⩲↑ Murey – Belkhodja, 6th OHRA International Tournament, Amsterdam 1987) 10. ... Kxg7 11. cxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ba6. Black could sacrifice a second Pawn — quite in Morphy’s style — by 12. ... d5! 13. exd5 e4! with excellent compensation. 13. Nec3 exd4 14. Qxd4 Nc5 15. b4 Ne6 16. Qd2 c5? The exchange of Queens leaves White with a much better endgame. Probably best was 16. ... Qe7 and if 17. a4 then Black can effectively reply 17. ... c5 with good equalising chances. 17. bxc5 dxc5 18. Qxd8 Rfxd8 19. a4 Nd4 20. Rc1 Nd7 21. Kf2 Ne5 22. Be2 Nxe2 23. Kxe2 Nd3 24. Rcd1 Bxb5 25. axb5 c4

26. g3? White groundlessly fears the check at f4, thus giving Black precious time to set up a defence. 26. Ra1 was simple and very strong, leaving White a Pawn ahead and with a winning endgame. 26. ... Ra3! 27. Nd5 Rda8? (27. ... f5!= Δ 28. b6 fxe4 29. fxe4 Nc5=) 28. b6? (28. Nb6+−) 28. ... Rb3 (28. ... Ne5!? 29. f4 Nd7) 29. Ra1 Rxa1 30. Rxa1 Nb4 (30. ... Ne5 31. Ra7 Nxf3 32. Rc7+−) 31. Nxb4 Rxb4 32. Ra6 Rb3

33. f4 (33. e5!) 33. ... h5 (33. ... Kf6!) 34. Kd2 (34. e5!) 34. ... Kh6? 34. ... Kf6! 35. e5+ Ke6 36. b7+ Kd7 37. Ra7 Ke6! looks drawish. 35. e5 Kg7 36. Kc2 Kg8. 36. ... Kf8 37. Ra8+ Ke7 38. Rb8 Kd7 39. b7 Kc6 40. Rc8+ Kxb7 41. Rf8 Rf3 42. Rxf7+ Kc6 43. Rf6+ Kc5 44. Rxg6 also leads to a won endgame for White. 37. Ra8+ Kg7 38. Rb8 Kh7 39. b7 Kg7 40. h3 Kh7 41. g4 Kg7 42. f5 gxf5 43. gxf5 h4 44. e6 Kf6 45. exf7 Kxf7 46. Rh8 1 : 0.