Queen of Swords

Richárd Rapport – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 25, 2022
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 c6 9. Qb3 Bg4 10. Bxe4. Not yet 10. Qxb7? on account of 10. ... Bxf3! 11. gxf3 Qh4! winning for Black. If, instead, 10. Nbd2 then 10. ... Nxd2 11. Nxd2 Qb6 12. c5 Qxb3 13. axb3 Bf4 14. b4 Na6 15. Bxa6 bxa6 16. Nf3 Bxc1 17. Rfxc1 (Short – Harikrishna, 23rd European Chess Club Cup, Kemer 2007) and now after 17. ... Bxf3 18. gxf3 Rfb8 19. Rxa6 Rxb4 20. Rxc6 Rxd4 Black should hold without difficulty. 10. ... dxe4 11. Ng5 Be7. Or, alternatively, 11. ... Bc7 12. Qxb7 Qd7 13. Kh1 Be2 14. Re1 Bxc4 15. Qxa8 Bb6 16. Nxe4 Na6 17. Qxf8+ Kxf8 18. Nbc3 Bxd4 19. Be3 Bb6 20. Rad1 Qc7 21. Nd6 Be6 22. Na4 Nb4 23. a3 Nd5 24. Nc4 Nxe3 25. Nxe3 g6 26. Nxb6 axb6 ½ : ½ Alexe. A. Alekhine – Selezniev, 4th Ukrainian Chess Championship, Poltava 1927. It should be noted that Alexei Alexandrovich Alekhine was no one else that the elder brother of 4th World Chess Champion Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine. 12. Nxe4. If 12. Qxb7 then 12. ... Bxg5 13. Qxa8 Bf3! 14. Nd2 Qd7! with the upper hand for Black. 12. ... Qxd4 13. Qxb7

13. ... Qxe4! Forcing the draw. 14. Qxa8 Bh3! 15. gxh3 Qg6+ 16. Kh1 Qe4+ 17. Kg1 Qg6+ 18. Kh1 Qe4+ 19. f3. Why not accept the inevitable and repeat moves? 19. ... Qd3 20. Kg2 Qg6+ 21. Kh1 Qd3 22. Nd2? Rapport’s Queen sacrifice is decidedly too ambitious. Actually there was nothing better for White than 22. Kg2 Qg6+ drawing by repetition.

22. ... Qd7! 23. Ne4 Na6 24. Qxf8+ Bxf8 25. Bf4 Qxh3. Materially speaking, White stands well, but the exposed position of his King is a harbinger for an apotheosis of Nepomniachtchi’s Queen. 26. Rad1 h6 27. Bg3 (27. a3!? f5 28. Ng3 g5!?→) 27. ... Nc5 28. Rfe1 Ne6 29. a3 h5 30. Rd3 Qf5 31. b4 h4 32. Bb8 (32. Bxh4 Nf4−+) 32. ... Ng5

33. Rde3? 33. Ree3 is a little better, but probably not enough to hope for “saving the world” — as 33. ... Nxe4! 34. Rxe4 h3 leaves Black with the attack. 33. ... Nxe4! 34. fxe4 Qf2 35. h3 (35. Bxa7 h3!−+) 35. ... Be7 36. Bh2 Bg5 37. Bg1 Qd2 38. R3e2 Qd3 39. Be3 Bf6 40. Bxa7 Qxh3+ 41. Kg1 Qg3+ 42. Kf1 (42. Kh1 Qf3+ 43. Kg1 Bc3−+) 42. ... h3 43. Bg1 Bh4 0 : 1.

“I’m not thinking about overall results. I have one game per day, and that’s what I do”, Nepomniachtchi eventually said. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.