Little Buddha

Christopher Repka – Abhimanyu Mishra
4th Spring Chess Classic—B; Saint Louis, March 9, 2022
Semi-Slav Defence D43

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. g3 dxc4 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. 0-0 b5 8. Ng5 Qb6 9. b3 cxb3 10. Qxb3 Be7!? This is probably more accurate than 10. ... Bb7 as 11. a4 Nd5 12. axb5 Nxc3 13. Qxc3 cxb5 14. d5! gave White a powerful initiative in Dreev – Deac, 17th European Individual Chess Championship, Gjakova 2016. 11. Bf4 Bb7 12. a4 a6 13. Nge4 0-0 14. Nd6 Rfc8 16. Rfd1 c5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. Bxc5 Rxc5 19. axb5 Rf5 (19. ... axb5?? 20. Rxa8+ Bxa8 21. Na4+−)

20. Bf3? A clumsy move which turned out to be a wrong one. 20. e3 was obviously called for; and then play might continue: 20. ... h5 21. Rd6! Qxd6 22. Bxb7 Rd8 23. bxa6 Qd2 24. Rf1 Rd3 25. Qb4 Qxc3 26. Qxc3 Rxc3 27. Ra1 Ne8 28. a7 Nc7 29. a8=Q+ Nxa8 30. Rxa8+ Kh7 31. Be4 Rc5= with a draw in sight. 20. ... Ng4! 20. ... Bxf3? 21. Rxa6! Bd5 (21. ... Rxa6?? 22. bxa6!+−) 22. Qxd5 Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 Re8 is nothing special for Black. 21. Rf1 Bxf3 22. exf3 Ne5

23. Ne4? Better is 23. Qc2 (heading for the h1-a8 diagonal), although 23. ... Nxf3+ 24. Kg2 a5∓ leaves Black with a Pawn ahead and the better game. 23. ... Nxf3+ 24. Kg2 Qb7 25. Qe3 Ng5

26. bxa6. White gives up the Knight and bets everything on the passed a-Pawn. On the other hand if 26. f3 Black takes on e4 and, whatever White plays, will win the Pawn on b5, remaining two Pawns ahead and a won game. If, instead, 26. Rfe1 axb5 27. Qb6! then 27. ... Rxf2+! 28. Qxf2 Rxa1 29. Rxa1 Qxe4+ 30. Kf1 Nh3 and Black must win. 26. ... Qxe4+ 27. Qxe4 Nxe4. The passed a-Pawn is not sufficient compensation for a Knight, but the demonstration requires an accurate technique. 28. a7 Rc5 29. f3 Rc2+ 30. Kg1 Nf6 31. Rfb1 Rcc8 32. Rb7 g6 33. Rab1 Rf8 34. h4 Nd5 35. Rd7 Kg7 36. Rbb7 h6 37. Kf2 g5 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Ke2 Kf6 40. Kd3 Ke5 41. Rxf7 Rxf7 42. Rxf7 Nb4+ 43. Ke3 Nc6 44. Rc7 Kd6. Clearly not 44. ... Nxa7?? because of 45. Rc5+ Kd6 46. Ra5= with a draw. 45. Rg7 Rxa7 46. Rxg5 Ra3+ 47. Kf2 e5 48. Rg6+ Kd5 49. Rg5 Kc4 50. Kg2 Re3 51. Rg8 Nd4 52. Rf8 Re2+ 53. Kh3 Rf2 54. Kg4 Kd3 55. Ra8 (55. f4 e4−+) 55. ... Rxf3 0 : 1.

It was high noon at night in Saint Louis. Photo © Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.