Chinese Shadows

Nurgyul Salimova – Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli

3rd Salamanca Chess Festival; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, February 4, 2021

Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 g6 8. Bg2 Bg7 9. Nc3 0-0 10. a4. 10. a3 d6 may transpose to well-known paths: 11. 0-0 Re8 12. Re1 Qc7 13. Bf4 Nh5 14. Bd2 Nd7 15. Qa4 Bb7 16. Qh4 a6⇄ Kasparov – Fedorowicz, 3rd World Youth U-26 Team Chess Championship, Graz 1981. 10. ... Bb7 11. Qb3 Na6 12. 0-0 Nb4 13. Rd1 d6 14. Nd2 Re8 15. Nc4 Ba6 16. Bf3 Bxc4 17. Qxc4 a6 18. Qb3 Nd7

19. a5? This seems to be Salimova’s crucial mistake, allowing Black to expand in the Queenside. Correct was 19. Ne4 Ne5 20. Bg2 h6!? with more or less equality. 19. ... b5 20. Ne4 Ne5 21. Bd2?! Now 21. Bg2 would be met by 21. ... Nc4 with overwhelming advantage, but 21. Bg5 Qd7∓ was probably a little better.

21. ... Nbd3!−+ 22. Bg5 f6 23. Be3 (23. Rxd3 c4−+) 23. ... Nxb2 24. Qxb2. 24. Nxc5 dxc5! 25. Qxb2 Nc4 is of no help as well. The rest is easy: 24. ... f5 25. Nc3 b4 26. Qb3 Nxf3+ 27. exf3 Bxc3 28. Ra2 Qd7 29. Qc4 Qb5 30. Qf4 Be5 31. Qh6 b3 32. Rad2 c4 33. f4 Bg7 34. Qh4 c3 0 : 1.

Venezuelan Grandmaster Iturrizaga Bonelli managed to deploy all the potential of his Indo-Benoni formation. Photo: Club Deportivo Ajedrez Salamanca.