Tic-Tac-Toe

Arman Mikaelyan – Abhimanyu Mishra
4th Spring Chess Classic—B; Saint Louis, March 7, 2022
Semi-Slav Defence D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 dxc4 8. Bxc4 b5 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. e4 e5 12. h3 Re8 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Be3 a6 (15. ... Qe7 16. Rae1 a6 17. Ne2 c5 18. Bxc5 Qc7 19. Bd4 ½ : ½ L. Portisch – Tukmakov, 30th New Year’s International Tournament, Reggio Emilia 1987) 16. a4 Qe7 17. Ne2 Bc7!?TN (17. ... Rad8 18. Rad1 Bb8 19. Rfe1 h6 20. Bc5 Bd6 21. Bxd6 Rxd6 22. f4 Rdd8 23. Ng3 Qb4 24. Nf5 c5 25. e5 c4 26. Bf1 Ne4 27. Qe2 Kh7 28. axb5 axb5 29. Kh2 g6 30. Ng3 Nxg3 31. Kxg3 Rd3+ 32. Kh2 Rxd1 33. Qxd1 c3 34. bxc3 Qxf4+ 35. Kg1 Be4 36. Bxb5 Rxe5 37. Bf1 h5 38. Qd4 Re7 39. c4 f5 40. c5 Ra7 41. Qd6 Qxd6 42. cxd6 Rd7 43. Rd1 Bc6 44. Bc4 Rd8 45. Kf2 Kg7 46. g3 Kf6 47. Re1 Be4 48. Rd1 Ke5 49. Ke3 Bc6 50. h4 Rd7 51. Bb3 Be4 52. Bf7 Bc6 53. Be8 Rxd6 54. Rxd6 Kxd6 55. Bxg6 Ke5 56. Bxh5 Ba4 57. Bf3 Be8 58. Be2 Bf7 59. Bd3 Bh5 60. Bf1 Be8 61. Bg2 Bh5 62. Bf3 Bf7 63. Be2 Be8 64. h5 Bf7 65. h6 Kf6 66. Kf4 Kg6 67. Bh5+ Kf6 68. Bxf7 Kxf7 69. Kxf5 1 : 0 V. P. Moskalenko – Barrientos, 7th Sants Open, Barcelona 2005) 18. Bc5 Bd6 19. Bxd6 Qxd6 20. Ng3 g6 21. Rad1 Qb4 22. f4 c5 23. e5 c4

24. Bf5? Good idea, bad execution, overlooking his opponent’s strong reply. Best was 24. Bxg6! hxg6 25. exf6 Re3 26. Kh2 Rd3! with complex but probably balanced play. 24. ... Nd5! 25. Qf2 gxf5 26. Nxf5 Re6! 27. Rd4 Kh8 28. Rfd1 Rg8 29. Nd6 Rxd6 30. exd6

30. ... Qxd6? A very strange mistake of Mishra. 30. ... Nf6! was simple and strong, for after 31. d7 Nxd7! 32. Rxd7? Rxg2+ White’s two Rooks cannot do anything against Black’s Queen and Pawns. 31. Rxd5 Bxd5 32. Qd4+ f6 33. Qxd5 Qxf4 34. axb5 axb5 35. Re1 Qg5

36. Qxg5? Now this is really illogical. By keeping the Queens on the board (⌓ 36. Qc6), there was very high, if not certain, probability for a draw. 36. ... Rxg5 37. Re7? The second error in a row, probably due to time shortage. The prospect of defending the Rook endgame a Pawn down after 37. Kf2 Kg7 was certainly not exciting for White, but as they say, as long as there is hope there is life. 37. ... Rg3!−+ 38. h4 Rb3 39. h5 h6 40. Re2 Kg7 41. g4 Rg3+ 42. Kf2 Rxg4 43. Re7+ Kf8 44. Rh7 Rg5 0 : 1. For if 45. Rxh6 then 45. ... Kg7 forcing an easily won Pawn ending.