In the Blink of an Eye

Volodar Arturovich Murzin – Jonas Buhl Bjerre

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 3rd stage; Kramnik Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, August 12, 2021

2r1q1k1/5ppp/Q3pn1b/2r1N3/3Nn2P/2P2R2/P4PPB/4R1K1 w - - 1 32

Position after 31. ... Rd5-c5

The 3rd stage of the 1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour has started today with much work for the teams’ coaches who have to do their best to get the best out of their pupils. If nothing else, Danish Grandmaster Bjerre, who’s tutored by four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), in his game against Russian prodigy Murzin, managed to miraculously escape being checkmated. And yet, from the position of diagram, White began well: 32. Nxf7! Nd2? After 32. ... Kxf7 33. Rxe4 Rxc3 34. Rxc3 Rxc3 35. Re1 White’s extra passed Pawn on the Queenside is enough to guarantee a win. 33. Nxh6+ Kh8 (33. ... gxh6 34. Rxf6 Rxc3 35. Qe2+−) 34. Rxf6! gxf6 35. Rxe6 Qg6 36. Bf4 Qb1+ 37. Kh2 Nf1+ 38. Kh3 Rxc3+ 39. g3 Nd2 40. Re8+ Kg7 41. Ndf5+ Kg6

42. h5+!? White goes King hunting, apparently overlooking that His Majesty was already in a mating net: 42. Qxf6+!! Kxf6 43. Be5+ Kg6 44. Re6+ Kh5 45. Ng7#. 42. ... Kxh5 43. Qe2+? Actually, Murzin overlooked it. White was still in time for 43. Ng7+ Kg6 44. Qxf6+!! Kxf6 45. Be5+ Kg5 (or 45. ... Kg6 46. Re6+ Kg5 47. Nf7#) 46. Nf7+ Kg6 47. Nh8+ Kg5 (or 47. ... Kh6 48. Re6+ Kg5 49. Nf7#) 48. f4+ Kh6 49. Re6+ Qg6 50. Nf7#. 43. ... Nf3 44. g4+ Kg6. Now White’s two Knights cannot checkmate: 45. Ne7+ Kg7 46. Nhf5+ Kf7 47. Nd6+ Kg7 48. Nef5+ Kg6 49. Ne7+ Kg7 50. Ndf5+ Kf7 51. Nh6+ Kg7 52. Nhf5+ ½ : ½.