Fractals and Chaos

Vincent Keymer – Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko

2nd World Fischerandom Chess Championship Qualifier 2; time control: 10 minutes plus 2 seconds per move; chess.com, August 29, 2022

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Position #17

1. c4 Nf6 2. b3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Bf3 Na6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. d4 Rd8 7. e4 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Be2 c5 11. Nf3 0-0 12. Rd1 Nb4 13. a3 Nc6 14. 0-0 cxd4 15. Nb5 Rfe8 16. b4 a5 17. bxa5 bxa5 18. Qf4 Bb7 19. Nbxd4 Nxd4 20. Nxd4

20. ... Bxa3!? A somewhat risky Pawn grab, although Black might be able to hold his own with correct play. Of course here 20. ... Bg5 was to be considered, on which there could follow 21. Qf5 Qxf5 22. Nxf5 g6 with a more or less balanced game. 21. Bb5

21. ... Rf8? This obvious reply is in fact mistaken and leaves White with a free hand on the h-side. Black’s only chance was 21. ... Ba6! 22. Bxe8 Rxe8 23. Rfe1 Bb4 24. Nf5 Bxe1 25. Rxe1 Qc5! 26. Nxg7! Qb4 27. Rd1 Nc3 28. Qxb4 axb4 29. Bxc3 Rb8 30. Bxb4 Kxg7 31. Bd6 Be2! 32. Re1 d4 33. Bxb8 d3 with a likely draw. 22. Nf5 Qe6 23. f3 Qb6+ [23. ... Nc5 24. Qg5 g6 25. Nh6+ Kg7 (25. ... Kh8? 26. Nxf7!+−) 26. Ng4+−] 24. Bd4 Qxb5 (24. ... Nc5 25. Qg3 g6 26. e6!+−) 25. fxe4 Bc5 26. Qg5 g6 27. Nh6+ Kg7 28. Nf5+ Kg8

29. Qf6! gxf5 30. Qg5+ Kh8 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Rxf5 Bxd4+ 33. Rxd4 Qb1+ 34. Kf2 Qb2+ 35. Kg3 h6 36. Qxh6 Qc3+ 37. Kh4 1 : 0.

Ticket to Ride

Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko – Fabiano Caruana
83rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 17, 2021
Slav Defence D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Bd2 Be7 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Qc2 Nbd7 11. 0-0-0 a6. Deviating from 11. ... Nb6 12. c5 Nbd7 13. Kb1 Qb8 14. h4 g5 15. Be1 g4 16. e4 gxf3 17. gxf3 b6 18. exd5 exd5 19. cxb6 axb6 20. Ne2 Qa7 21. b3 Nh5 22. Ng3 g6 23. Nxh5 Rxh5 24. f4 Kf8 25. Be2 Rh8 26. Bd3 c5 27. Bc3 cxd4 28. Bxd4 Bf6 29. Bxf6 Nxf6 30. f5 gxf5 31. Bxf5 b5 32. Rh2 Rh5 33. Re2 d4 34. Re5 Ng4 35. Rc5 Ne3 36. Rc8+ Rxc8 37. Qxc8+ Ke7 38. Rc1 Nd5 39. Re1+ Ne3 40. Rc1 Nd5 41. Re1+ Ne3 42. Rc1 ½ : ½ Giri – Caruana, Candidates Tournament 2020, Yekaterinburg 2020. 12. g4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 b5 14. Be2. Interesting seems 14. Bxe6!? fxe6 15. g5, after which there might follow: 15. ... Nh5 16. Qxg6+ Kf8 17. Qxe6 Bxg5 18. Qf5+ Kg8 19. Qe6+ with a draw by perpetual check. 14. ... c5 15. d5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. f4. White should have considered 17. Kb1 here — as well as in the next few moves. 17. ... b4 18. e4 (18. Kb1) 18. ... d4 19. e5? (19. Kb1) 19. ... Nb6 20. e6? Consistent and wrong. 20. Qe4 Qd5∓ should be the “less worst”. 20. ... Qd5 21. exf7+ Kf8

22. h4. White should have moved his King to b1 earlier, but he didn’t. And now it’s too late: 22. Kb1 c4−+ with devastating threats. Likewise, 22. b3 a5−+ can’t give any hope at all. 22. ... Qxa2 23. Qxg6. In sheer desperation, White hopelessly moves towards his doom. 23. ... b3 24. Be1 c4! (Δ ... c4-c3) 25. Rxd4 Na4 26. Qb1

26. ... Ba3! 27. Qxa2 (27. bxa3 b2+−+) 27. ... bxa2 28. Kc2

28. ... Rb8! 29. Rd8+ Rxd8 30. bxa3 c3! 31. Bg3 (31. Bxc3 Rc8−+) 31. ... Rd2+ 32. Kb3 Nc5+ 0 : 1.

Caruana’s deep opening preparation and tactical alertness gave him today the most satisfaction. Photo © Jurriaan Hoefsmit/Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021.

Meister des Tegernseer Hochaltars

Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko – Alexandr Fier
Tegernsee Masters 2020; Bad Wiessee, October 31, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E97

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 Nh5 10. Re1 f5 11. a4 Nf4. A questionable variation. 12. Bf1 fxe4 13. Nxe4 h6!? A novelty, but no improvement on 13. ... Bg4 14. Ra3 a5 15. bxa5 Rxa5 16. h3 Bd7 17. c5 which quickly led to a strategic win for White: 17. ... Bf5 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. Bd2 Rxd5 20. Bc4 Kh8 21. Bxd5 Nfxd5 22. Bg5 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 Qc8 24. Rb3 Nf6 25. Bxf6 Rxf6 26. Reb4 Nc6 27. Rxb7 h6 28. Qd5 Kh7 29. a5 Nd4 30. Rb1 Nxf3+ 31. gxf3 h5 32. Kg2 Qf5 33. Qe4 Qg5+ 34. Kf1 Rf4 35. Qd5 Qf5 36. R7b4? (36. Ke2+−) 36. ... Qxh3+ 37. Ke2 Rf5? (37. ... e4! 38. R1b3 Rf5−+) 38. Rb7 e4 39. Rxg7+ Kxg7 40. Rb7+ Kh6 41. Qd2+ Rg5 42. Rf7 exf3+ 43. Rxf3 Qe6+ 44. Re3 Qc4+ 45. Rd3 Qe4+ 46. Re3 Qg4+ 47. Ke1 Qg1+ 48. Ke2 Qg4+ 49. Ke1 Qg1+ 50. Ke2 Qg4+ ½ : ½ P. H. Nielsen – Korobov, MrDodgy Invitational Blitz Knockout Blitz Chess Tournament, chess24.com, June 12, 2020, match game 1 (time control: 5 minutes without increment). 14. Ra3 g5. 14. ... a5 15. bxa5 Rxa5 16. Bd2 is also much better for White.

15. h4! gxh4 (15. ... g4 16. Nh2) 16. Nxh4 Nexd5 17. Ng6! Nxg6 18. Qxd5+ Kh8 19. c5! Of course, Black’s extra Pawn counts for nothing because of White’s overwhelming position (and Black’s shattered Kingside). 19. ... Ne7 20. Qd1 d5 21. Ng3 e4 22. Nh5 Nf5 23. Nxg7 Kxg7 24. Rh3 Be6 25. f3 Kh7 26. Qd2 Qf6 27. fxe4 dxe4 28. Rxe4. Now Black cannot even console himself with a Pawn. 28. ... Rad8 29. Bd3 (Δ Re4xe6) 29. ... Kg8 30. Bb2 Qg6 31. Qe2 Ng3

32. Rxg3! A final brilliancy, leaving the stage to White’s Bishop pair. 32. ... Qxg3 33. Re3 Qg4 34. Rxe6 Qxe2 35. Bxe2 Rd2 36. Bc3 Rc2 37. Rg6+ Kh7 38. Rg7+ Kh8 39. Rg3+ 1 : 0.

Back to the Future

Pentala Harikrishna – Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko

53rd Biel International Chess Festival; ACCENTUS Chess960 Tournament (15+5); Biel/Bienne, July 18, 2020

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Position 627

1. b3 b6 2. e4 e5 3. Nd3 d6 4. 0-0-0 f5? A dangerous adventure. Safer seems 4. ... Nce7 in order to reply 5. f4 with 5. ... f6 6. g4 g5 7. f5 h5 followed sooner or later by a-side castling (0-0-0). 5. exf5 Nce7? Likewise after 5. ... Rxf5 6. g4! Bxh1 7. gxf5 Bg2 8. f4! Bxf1 9. Qxf1 e4 10. Nf2 d5 11. d3 e3 12. Ne4! the complications should favour White, but Black’s cause is not yet lost. Instead, after the text Black has neither the harmony in development nor the coordination to carry out a decent defence. 6. f4! e4 7. Nf2 Nxf5 8. g4 Nfh6 9. Ngh3 d5 10. f5. It’s quite incredible, but Black could resign already! If nothing else, he finally manages to castle, but that is of little consolation: 10. ... 0-0-0 11. Ng5 Rf6. Black gives away also the Exchange, but Harikrishna can afford to snub it, at least for a while. 12. Nxh7 Rc6 13. Ng5 Qe7 14. Ne6 Qa3+ 15. Bb2 Qxa2 16. Nxd8 Kxd8

17. Nxe4! By now it’s only a matter of one blow after another. 17. ... dxe4 18. Qxe4 Nf6 19. Qb4 Nd7 20. Bxc6 Bxc6 21. Qc4 Bg2 22. g5 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 b5 24. Qe6 Ng4 25. Qg8+ Ke7 26. Qxh8 1 : 0.

“I didn’t invent Fischerandom chess to destroy chess”, 11th World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer said in a radio interview on June 27, 1999. “I invented Fischerandom chess to keep chess going”. Photo: Simon Bohnenblust.

Flying Carpet

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh – Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 24, 2019
Modern Benoni A77

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. Nd2 Nbd7 8. e4 Bg7 9. Be2 0-0 10. 0-0 Re8 11. a4 Ne5 12. Qc2 a6. Another way is 12. ... g5!? 13. Nf3 Nxf3+ 14. Bxf3 h6!?= Gligorić – R. J. Fischer, Interzonal Tournament, Palma de Mallorca 1970. 13. Ra3 Bg4 14. Bxg4 Nfxg4 15. h3 Nf6 16. a5 Qe7. On one hand, vintage theory gives 16. ... c4!? 17. f4 Ned7 18. Nxc4 Qc7∞ Boersma – Timman, 33rd Dutch Chess Championship, Leeuwarden 1977. On the other hand, Donchenko knows his Benoni nuances very well. 17. Na4 Ned7 18. Nc3 Ne5 19. Na4 Ned7 20. Nc3. Tacitly offering a draw by threefold repetition of position (20. ... Ne5), which Black surprisingly refuses to accept: 20. ... Rac8 21. Nc4 Ne5 22. Nb6 Rc7 23. Bg5 h6 24. Bh4 c4!? Donchenko opts for a thematic Pawn sac, which, however, appears a little doubtful. The alternative was 24. ... g5 25. Bg3 Nh5 26. Bh2 Nf4 with perhaps more chances for counterplay, even if White, after 27. Kh1 or 27. f3, should get the better of it. 25. Ra4 Ned7. Or 25. ... g5 26. Bg3 Nfd7 27. Nd1(!) with a big strategic advantage for White. Black prefers to give up the Pawn, for no compensation whatsoever. 26. Nxc4 Rec8 27. Nb6 Nxb6 28. axb6 Rc5. Maybe it was a little better to exchange a pair of Rooks by 28. ... Rc4 29. Rxc4 Rxc4 (then there would have followed 30. Qb3 with great advantage to White). 29. f4! With the devastating threat of e4-e5. 29. ... Re8? This simply allows Khademalsharieh to give execution to her own threat, but also after 29. ... Qe8 30. Bf2 White would have likely arrived — soon or later — to wherever she was heading (e4-e5).

30. e5! dxe5 31. fxe5 Qxe5 32. Bxf6 Bxf6 33. Qf2. Threatening both the Rook and the Bishop. 33. ... Bg5. If 33. ... Rxc3 34. bxc3 Kg7 then 35. Re4! Qxe4 36. Qxf6+ Kg8 37. Qxf7+ Kh8 38. d6 winning handily. 34. Re4! Khademalsharieh elegantly finishes with a well-calculated sequence. 34. ... Be3 35. Qxe3 Rxc3 36. Qf2! Qxe4 37. Qxf7+ Kh8 38. bxc3 Re7 39. Qf8+ Kh7 40. Rf7+ Rxf7 41. Qxf7+ Kh8 42. d6 Qe1+ 43. Qf1 Qxc3 44. Qf8+ Kh7 45. Qe7+ Kg8 46. Qd8+ 1 : 0. For if 46. ... Kh7 then 48. Qc7+ finis.

Sarasadat Khademalsharieh vs. Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko. Photo © John Saunders.

Harpa submersa

Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko – Anish Giri
32nd Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, April 25, 2017
Catalan Opening E09

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 c6 4. Qc2 Nf6 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 6. g3 Be7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 b6 9. e4 Bb7 10. e5 Ne8 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Re1 Rc8 13. Qa4 Nc7 14. Bf1 Qe8!? A novelty. For 14. ... a5 15. Bd3 Ba6 16. Bb1 see Grachev – Simonian, 21st Russian Team Chess Championship, Loo 2014. 15. Kg2 Nb8!?? “Here we see the difference between open tournaments and the Élite one’s. Giri is ready to take risks here against his opponent that we wouldn’t see in an Élite tournament. Giri now gives up two Pawns!”, writes Ingvar in his tournament report. 16. Qxa7 Ba8 17. Qxb6 Nc6 18. Qb3 f6 19. Qe3 Qf7 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Kg1. Maybe it’s not wrong, but 21. Bd3 appears more to the point. 21. ... Rce8 22. Qf4? In order to prevent ... e6-e5, but... 22. ... g5! 23. Nxg5 Qg7 24. Nh3 Nxd4. “Black’s pieces have become magically alive. Meanwhile White is still lagging in co-ordination!”, Ingvar wrote. 25. Bd3 e5 26. Qe3 e4 27. Bb1 Nce6 28. Kh1 Kh8 29. a4 Qg4 30. Nf4 Nxf4 31. Qxf4 Qg7 32. Qe3 Bg5 33. f4 Bf6 34. Ra3 Nf5 35. Qb6 Bd4 36. Qb5 Bf2 37. Rf1 Ba7 38. Ba2 d4. White is in a valley of tears. 39. Bd5 Rb8 40. Qc4 Rfc8 41. Qa2 Ne3 42. Rxe3 dxe3 43. Nxe4

And now Giri concludes in grand style: 43. ... Qf7!! 0 : 1. For if 44. Bxf7 then 44. ... Bxe4+ 45. Kg1 e2+ and mate in two moves.

Anish Giri
Photo: Lennart Ootes