Lost & Found

Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli – Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov

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

Slava Defence D17

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Nb6 8. Ne5 a5 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 e6 11. e4 Bh7 12. f3 Be7 13. Bf2 0-0 14. Be2 Nfd7 15. Nd3 Rc8 16. 0-0 c5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. Nxc5 Bxc5 19. Bxc5 Rxc5 20. Qxd8 Rxd8 21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Kf8 23. Rd8+ Ke7 24. Rb8 Rc7 25. Kf2

25. ... f5? An unfortunate novelty which betrays nervousness. Theoretically speaking, 26. ... f6 27. Ke3 Bg6 28. Nb5 Rd7 29. Nd4± was also quite bad for Black, 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě) – 阮露斐 (Ruǎn Lùfěi), Women’s Zonal 3.3, 北京 (Běijīng) 2005, but he could well play 25. ... Bg6!? at once, in order to answer 26. Ke3 by 26. ... e5!? with reasonable play. 26. Ke3. Very natural, but 26. Nb5! has its merits also, because if 26. ... Rd7 White might continue 27. e5 with a crushing advantage. 26. ... fxe4 27. fxe4 Bg6 28. Nb5 Rd7 29. Nd4. 29. e5 seemed very strong here. 29. ... e5 30. Nb3 Rc7 31. Bb5 Nc4+ 32. Bxc4 Rxc4 33. Rxb7+ Kf8 34. Nd2 Rxa4 35. Rb5 Be8 36. Rxe5 Rb4 37. Rxa5 Rxb2 38. h4 Bc6 39. Rc5

39. ... Rxd2? Black must have been tremendously short of time, since by the text move he deliberately simplifies into an ending the Exchange down without any saving chances. From a practical standpoint, even 39. ... Bxe4!? — not to say of 39. ... Bd7 — 40. Nxe4 Rxg2 would have given Black much better prospects of drawing. 40. Kxd2 Bxe4 41. g3 Kf7 42. Ke3 Bb1 43. Kf4 Kg6 44. Rc6+ Kf7 45. Ke5 Ba2 46. g4 Bb1 47. Rb6 Bd3 48. Rd6 Bb1 49. Rd2 Ke7 50. Rb2 Bd3 51. Rb3 Bc4 52. Rb7+ Kf8 53. Rb4 Ba2 54. Kd6 Ke8 55. Re4+ Kf7 56. Kd7 Kf6 57. Re2 Bb3 58. Rf2+ Kg6 59. Ke7 Bd1 60. Rf4 Kh7 61. Kf8 Kh8 62. g5 Bh5 63. Rf5 Kh7 64. Ra5 hxg5 65. Rxg5 Bg6 66. Ra5 Kh6 67. Ra6 Kh5 68. Kxg7 Bd3 69. Rh6+ Kg4 70. Rh8 1 : 0.

That’s how classical chess has evolved — too much theory and not enough RAM. Photo: Lydia González/Salamanca RTV al día.