Periodisation

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

“Satty Zhuldyz” Rapid Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Astana, April 22, 2023

Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3 dxc4 7. Ne5 Qd6 8. 0-0 Rd8 9. Nb5 Qb6 10. a4 c6 11. Nxc4 Qa6 12. Nba3 Bxa3! 13. Nxa3 e5

14. Qc2. And now an illustrative game from the archives: 14. e3 Be6 15. b4 Qb6 16. Rb1 Nbd7 17. b5 e4 18. Qc2 c5 19. Bb2 Rac8 20. Nc4 Qc7 21. Ne5 c4 22. Rfc1 Bd5 23. Bf1 Nxe5 24. dxe5 Nd7 25. Qd2 Be6 26. Qd4? (26. Qc2) 26. ... Nb6? (26. ... Nc5) 27. Qxe4 Nxa4 28. Ba3 Qd7 29. Bxc4? Bxc4 30. Rxc4 Nc3 31. Rxc3 Rxc3 32. Bd6 h6 33. h4 Rdc8 34. Kg2 Rc2 35. Rb4 Rd2 36. Qb1 Qe6 37. Rf4 Rc4 0 : 1 Palatnik – G. P. Kuzmin, International Tournament, Kiev 1978.
14. ... exd4 15. b4 Be6 16. b5 Qb6 17. Bg5 cxb5 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Nxb5 Nc6 20. Rfb1 Qa5 21. Bxc6 bxc6 22. Qxc6 Rac8 23. Qf3 Kg7 24. Qf4

24. ... Rc4? This is the cause of all trouble. Consistent was 24. ... Bh3! 25. Qh4 (both 25. Nxd4 and 25. Nd6 can be met by 25. ... Qd5) 25. ... Bf5 26. Rd1 d3 27. exd3 Qb6⇄ with dynamic equality.
25. Nd6 Rxa4? This move exposes Black to a mating attack. She should have sacrificed the Exchange with 25. ... Rxd6 26. Qxd6 Qd2, although after 27. Re1 Rxa4 28. Rxa4 Qxe1+ 29. Kg2 Qxe2 30. Qxd4 White still has the better of it.
26. Rxa4 Qxa4

27. Ne4 Rc8 28. Qxf6+ Kg8 29. Qg5+ Kf8 30. Qh6+ Ke7 31. Rb7+ Bd7 32. Qd6+ 1 : 0. Mate in three follows: 32. ... Ke8 33. Nf6+ Kd8 34. Qxd7+ Qxd7 35. Rxd7#.

Only one mistake, but a big one. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy/ChessBase India.