Circling the Square

David Navara – Lê Quang Liêm

56th Biel International Chess Festival; ACCENTUS Chess960 Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Biel/Bienne, July 15, 2023

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Position #330

1. d4 d5 2. Nb3 Ng6 3. f4 Bb5 4. g4 e6 5. h4 Bd6 6. h5 Ne7 7. Bh4 c6 8. e4 Bxf1? In a Pavlovian loop, Black captures the Bishop, completely overlooking White’s zwischenzug. 8. ... dxe4 was called for, when there might follow 9. c4 Ba4 10. c5 Bc7 11. Qe3 Qd7 12. Qxe4 f6 with more or less equality.

9. e5! In fact, a refutation of Black’s 8th move.
11. ... Bxe5 10. fxe5 Bb5 11. Qg5 Qc7

12. h6 Nb6. Black’s position is inexorably falling apart. Of course, Black could not play 12. ... gxh6?? because of 13. Qxg8+ Kd7 14. Nc5#, whilst if 12. ... g6 then 13. Nf2 to be followed by Nf2-h3, Qg5-f6 and Nh3-g5.
13. hxg7 Nc4 14. Ng3 c5 15. Nh5 cxd4 16. Nxd4 0-0-0. Desperation, as Black was virtually in zugzwang.
17. Qxe7 Qb6 18. c3 Nxe5 19. Qb4 a6 20. Bxd8 Rxd8 21. 0-0-0 1 : 0.