The Edge of the Horizon

Baskaran Adhiban – Neuris Delgado Ramírez
9th Chess World Cup; match game 1; Krasnaya Polyana, July 15, 2021
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c6 7. e4 dxe4 8. fxe4 e5 9. Nf3 Qa5 10. Bd2 Nxe4 11. Bd3 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 exd4?! It may be that hereafter Black will have to consider 12. ... Be6!? 13. Ng5 (13. Nxe5 0-0 14. 0-0 Nd7 doesn’t seem anything special for White) 13. ... Nd7 14. 0-0 0-0-0 with heterogeneous castling and complex play. 13. 0-0! A strong novelty which gives White a terrific initiative. The usual play was 13. cxd4 Qxd2+ 14. Kxd2 0-0 15. Rhe1 with enough compensation for the Pawn, Suleymenov – Utegaliyev, Chelyabinskiy Variant — A, Chelyabinsk 2021.

13. ... 0-0? If 13. ... Be6 then 14. Ng5 Nd7 15. Rxf7! h6 16. Qe1 Qe5 17. Rxd7 Qxe1+ 18. Rxe1 Kxd7 19. Nxe6 leaving White with a slight material edge (two pieces against Rook and Pawn) and the better position, but no incontrovertible evidence for a victory. 14. Ng5 f5. Both 14. ... h6 and 14. ... g6 would be demolished by 15. Nxf7! with an irresistible attack. Relatively better is 14. ... Nd7 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 16. Bd3 f6 although after 17. Nh7 White’s attack continues. 15. c5! (Δ Qd2-a2+) 15. ... Kh8 16. Qe2 Nd7 (16. ... Qxc5 17. Qh5 h6 18. Nf7+ Rxf7 19. Qxf7 dxc3+ 20. Kh1 Qd5 21. Qg6+−) 17. Nxh7! dxc3 18. Qh5 Qxc5+ 19. Kh1 Kg8 20. Bxf5 Qd5 21. Ng5 Nf6

22. Qh7+! 1 : 0.