The One Before

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa – Aditya Mittal

1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour; 4thd stage; 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) Challenge; time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; chess24.com, September 21, 2021

Sicilian Defence B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qe2 Qc7 9. 0-0-0 b5. 9. ... Nb6? is incongruent with the line as it leaves White with a free hand to carry on his attack as he likes: 10. g4 Be7 11. Bg2 h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. fxg5 Nh7 14. Bg3 Bxg5+ 15. Kb1 e5 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. exf5 0-0-0 18. h4 Be7 19. Bf2 Rhe8 20. Bxb6 Qxb6 21. Nd5 Qa7 22. Qc4+ Qc5 23. Qb3 Bf8 24. Nf6 1 : 0 Tatai – Avgousti, Zone 11 Tournament, Bečići 1981. 10. a3. The alternative is 10. g4!? on which there can follow 10. ... Bb7 11. a3 Be7 12. Rg1 Nb6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. f5 e5 15. Nb3 Rc8 16. Rg3 Rg8 17. Kb1 Nc4 18. Nd2 Nb6 19. Rc1 Nd7 20. Na2 Nc5 21. c4 bxc4 22. Qxc4 Qd7 23. Qe2 Rb8 24. Ka1 a5 25. b4 axb4 26. axb4 Ba6 27. Nc4 Qb7 28. Qc2 Bxc4 29. Bxc4 Nd7 30. Qb3 Rg7 31. Bd5 Qa7 32. Bc6 Kf8 33. Kb2 Nc5 34. Qa3 Qb6 35. Bd5 Qb5 36. Ka1 Nb7 37. Nc3 Qb6 38. Na4 Qd4+ 39. Qc3 Qa7 40. Qa3 Qd4+ 41. Nb2 Nd8 42. Rc4 Qf2 43. h3 h5 44. Ka2 hxg4 45. hxg4 Rh7 46. g5 fxg5 47. Rf3 Qh4 48. f6 Bxf6 49. Rxf6 g4 50. Rf1 g3 51. Qa7 Rb5 52. Rc8 1 : 0 Micheli – Tatai, 2nd International Tournament, Madonna di Campiglio 1974. 10. ... Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6!? 11. ... Nxf6 is probably safer, although White still has the initiative after 12. g4 Nd7 13. g5 Rb8 14. Qe1!⩲↑ Garrido Outón – Valenzuela Gómez, 1st Masters Sevilla-B, chess24.com, July 9, 2021.

12. Ndxb5! axb5 13. Nxb5 Qb8 14. Nxd6+ Kf8 15. e5 Be7 16. h4!? Only time and theory will say whether the new is better than the old: 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh6+ Kg8 18. h4 Bf8 19. Qg5 h5 20. Rh3 Bh6 21. Qe7 Nxe5 22. Rb3 Qa7 23. Qxa7 Rxa7 24. Nxc8 Bxf4+ 25. Kb1 Rc7 26. Nd6 Kh7 27. Ne4 Ng4 28. g3 Bh6 29. Bb5 Ne3 30. Rd7 Rxd7 31. Bxd7 Rd8 32. Rb7 Kg8 33. a4 Nc4 34. b4 Be3 35. a5 Ra8 36. Be8 Ne5 37. Nd6 f5 38. Bb5 1 : 0 Pons – Eilering, RE-2011-0-00077, by e-mail via the Lechenicher SchachServer (LSS), October 22, 2011. Or maybe there is not much difference. 16. ... Nc5 17. Rh3 Ba6 18. Qh5 g6 19. Qh6+ Kg8 20. Bxa6 Rxa6 21. b4

21. ... Bxd6?? A tragicomic mistake which reduces Black to complete paralysis. After the best defence, 21. ... Qa8! 22. bxc5 Rxa3∞ nothing is clear yet. 22. exd6 Nd7 23. Rc3 Rxd6. This precipitates the end, but Black could do little or nothing to avoid the inevitable. 24. Rxd6 Qxd6 25. Rc8+ Nf8 26. c4 f6 27. c5 Qe7 28. b5 Kf7 29. b6 Nd7 30. b7 e5 31. f5 gxf5 32. Qe3 Rd8 33. c6 f4 34. Qb3+ Kg7 35. cxd7 Qxd7 36. Rxd8 Qc7+ 37. Kb1 Qxd8 38. b8=Q Qd2 39. Qc2 Qe1+ 40. Ka2 e4 41. Qxf4 1 : 0.