Going Forward by Looking Back

Daniele Vocaturo – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov
10th Chess World Cup; round of 64 match game 2; Baku, August 6, 2023
Four Knights Game C47

The game was annotated by International Master Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky in the Chess Federation of Russia website, and its translation is given below.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d6 8. 0-0 Ng4 9. h3 Ne5 10. Be3 0-0 11. f4 Nxd3 12. cxd3 d5 13. Qa4

13. ... a5! Daniil Dmitrievich knows how to find unexpected ideas! He now seizes the initiative by sacrificing two Pawns.
14. Qxc6 Ra6 15. Qxd5 Rd6 16. Qg5 f6 17. Qh5 Bb7 18. Rad1 f5 19. a3. Vocaturo, for obvious reasons, acts with extreme caution; he does not cling to the material, but aims at simplifying the position.
19. ... Bxc3 20. bxc3 fxe4 21. dxe4 Bxe4 22. Bc5 Rf5 23. Qe2 Rxc5 24. Rxd6 Qxd6 25. Qxe4 Qc6!? 26. Qe7. White could feel uncomfortable in the Rook ending despite the extra Pawn: 26. Qxc6 Rxc6 27. Rf3 Rc4. Black has the more active King, and can always win back his Pawn with ... Rc4-a4.
26. ... Rxc3 27. Qd8+ Kf7 28. Re1 Qd6 29. Qe8+ Kf6 30. f5 Kg5. A beautiful, sweeping game! Alas, no miracle occurred.

31. Qg8 Qd4+ 32. Kh1 Rc5 33. f6! Qxf6 34. Qxh7 Rf5 35. Re3 c5 ½ : ½. The draw was offered by Black, who by now had everything to lose in continuing to play.

So, Vocaturo kept his nerves cool, and made it through to the round of 16. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova/chess.com.

Underdog Day Afternoon

Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov – Daniele Vocaturo
10th Chess World Cup; round of 64 match game 1; Baku, August 5, 2023
English Opening A13

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 d4 5. d3 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 a5 7. Ne5 Qd6 8. f4 Nbd7 9. Nef3 Ng4 10. 0-0 Nc5 11. Nb1 a4 12. e4 Bd7 13. Qe2 Bc6 14. Ne1 Ne3! 15. e5 Qd7 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Bxe3 dxe3 18. Qxe3 Rd8

Vocaturo has given up a Pawn for a latent initiative, which induces his highly rated opponent to hasten to give it back, in the hope to get closer to a draw.
19. Nc2 Nxd3 20. Nxb4 Nxb4 21. Qe4 Qe7 22. Nc3 Qc5+ 23. Kh1 Nd3 24. Rad1 Nxb2 25. Rxd8+ Kxd8 26. Rb1 a3 27. Na4 Qf2

28. Qxc6! Faithful to himself, Dubov goes on the tactical counterattack. However, it should be noted that he could have played more simply, if not better, with 28. Nxb2 axb2 29. Qg2! making the game very drawish.
28. ... Qc2 29. Nc5! The pointe: White sacrifices a whole Rook in order to force a draw.
29. ... Qxb1+ 30. Kg2 Qd1 31. Nb7+ Ke7

32. Qxc7+? An inexplainable miscalculation. After 32. Qc5+ Ke8 33. Nd6+!! White would have forced perpetual check.
32. ... Qd7 33. Qc5+ Ke8 34. Nd6+ Kd8! That’s all: White is left a Rook down with a handful of flies.
35. Qxa3 Qc6+ 36. Kh3 Nxc4 37. Nxc4 Qxc4 38. Qa8+ Qc8 39. Qa7 Ke8 40. a4 Kf8 41. a5 g6 42. a6 Kg7 43. Qe7 Re8 44. Qf6+ Kg8 45. Kg4 Qd8! 0 : 1.

Vocaturo won as Black against Dubov, and the victory was the surprise of the day. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Chess Federation of Russia.

“Hello, World!” program

Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov – Nils Axel Grandelius

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 4th stage; Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, March 13, 2021

English Opening A37

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nf3 e5 6. d3 Nge7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Nd2 d6 9. a3 a6!? 9. ... a5 has also its own good merits. A game Lein – Tukmakov, 39th USSR Chess Championship, Leningrad 1971 continued (by transposition): 10. Nd5 Rb8 11. Ne4 Nxd5 12. cxd5 Ne7 13. Nd2 h5 14. e4 Bg4 15. Qc2 a4 16. Qxa4 Be2 17. Re1 Bxd3 18. Qb3 Ba6 19. a4 Bh6 20. Qc3 Qd7 21. b4 cxb4 22. Qxb4 Rbc8 23. Bf1 Bxf1 24. Rxf1 Bxd2 25. Bxd2 Rc7 26. Bc1 Ra8 27. f4 Rc2 28. f5 (should be the losing move) 28. ... gxf5 29. Qb3 Rac8 30. Qf3 R8c4 31. exf5 Qxf5 32. Qxf5 Nxf5 33. Bg5 Nd4 34. Rab1 Rxa4 35. Rxb7 Raa2 36. Rfxf7 Ra1+ 37. Rf1 Nf3+ 0 : 1. 10. Nd5 Rb8 11. Ne4 h6 12. b4 cxb4 13. Nxe7+ Nxe7 14. axb4 d5 15. cxd5 Nxd5 16. Qb3 Nc7 17. Qb1 Nb5 18. Bb2 Be6 19. Rc1 Bd5 20. Rc5 Kh8 21. Qf1 Re8 22. Rac1 Bc6 23. Nd2 Bxg2 24. Qxg2

24. ... Nd4? (24. ... Qe7 25. h4⩲↑) 25. Bxd4 exd4 26. Qf3 Re7 27. h4!→ Qe8 28. h5 g5 (28. ... Rxe2? 29. Ne4+−) 29. Ne4 Qd7 30. Kg2 Rf8 31. g4 (Δ Ne4-g3-f5) 31. ... Qa4. Sheer desperation, but by now there was no saving. Now Dubov energetically concludes his attack: 32. Rc8. Mutatis mutandis, 32. Nf6 Re6 33. Rc8+− would lead to a similar finale. 32. ... Qd7 33. Qf5! Qe6

34. Nf6! Qxf5 35. gxf5 Rxe2 36. Nd7 Rxc8 37. Rxc8+ Kh7 38. f6 Rb2. If 38. ... Bh8 then 39. Nf8+ Kg8 40. Ng6+ followed by mate in two moves. 39. fxg7 Kxg7 40. Rc4 1 : 0.

Hidden Hitchcock

Magnus Carlsen – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Quarterfinal match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, February 10, 2021

Two Knights Defence C55

Although Carlsen did go through to the semifinals, his win over Dubov was not easy at all, and it took him till the Armageddon to shake his opponent off. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 h6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. 0-0 Bxc3 7. bxc3 0-0 8. Bb3 d6 9. Nd2 d5!?TN (9. ... Be6 10. Nc4 a5 11. Ne3 d5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 Bxd5 14. f4 exf4 15. Rxf4 Be6 16. Ba3 Re8 17. Qf3 Ne7 18. Rd4 ½ : ½ Zvjaginsev – Grischuk, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015) 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Ne4 Na5 12. Bxd5 Qxd5

13. Bxh6! f5! 14. c4! Qc6 15. Bd2 fxe4 16. Bxa5 Qg6!? Whatever it takes to win! Dubov hopes to scare his “king-employer” with the double threat of ... Bc8-g4 and ... Bc8-h3. 17. Qe2. Of course 17. f3 at once was also perfectly playable. 17. ... Rf4. With redundant reiteration.

18. Bd2? Seemingly oblivious to the manifest danger, Carlsen leaves his opponent with a free hand to do what he wants. White again ought to play 18. f3, after which the following variation is very likely, if not forced: 18. ... exf3 19. Rxf3 Bg4 20. Rg3 Bxe2 21. Rxg6 Raf8 22. h3 Rf1+ 23. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 24. Kh2 Kf7 25. Rg3 Ra1 26. Bxc7 Rxa2 27. Bxe5 g6 28. c5 Rxc2 29. d4 b6 30. cxb6 axb6 31. d5 Rd2 32. d6 Rd3 with a draw. 18. ... Bg4! 19. f3 Bxf3! 20. Qf2 Rg4 21. g3 Rf8 22. Rae1 Rf6 23. dxe4 (23. Re3 Bh1!!−+) 23. ... Qh5! 24. Re3 Bxe4 25. Qe2? 25. Qe1 Bxc2 is very bad too, leaving White a Pawn down and much the worse game, but at least it would have avoided immediate disaster.

25. ... Rxg3+! 0 : 1. White must surrender either the King or the Queen.

Above and Below

Magnus Carlsen – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Quarterfinal match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, February 9, 2021

Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 0-0 7. Re1 h6 8. Nbd2 Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Nf1 a5!?TN (10. ... Nh5 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 d5 13. exd5 Qxd5 14. Ne3 Qd7 15. Nc4 Bb4 16. Nce5 Nxe5 17. Rxe5 Qf7 18. Qb3 Bd6 19. Rxe6 a5 20. Bd2 a4 21. Qc4 Rae8 22. Rae1 b5 23. Qd5 Nf6 24. Qf5 Rxe6 25. Rxe6 Qd7 26. Be3 Nd5 27. Qg6 Qf7 28. Qe4 Qf5 29. Qxf5 Rxf5 30. Re8+ Kf7 31. Rb8 Nb4 32. Kf1 Rd5 33. Ke2 Nxa2 34. Kd3 Nb4+ 35. Ke4 c6 36. Rb7+ Kf6 37. g4 g5 38. h4 gxh4 39. Bxh6 h3 40. Bd2 Nc2 41. g5+ Ke6 42. g6 Bb4 43. Bg5 Bf8 44. g7 Bxg7 45. Re7+ Kd6 46. Rxg7 b4 47. Bf4+ Ke6 48. Be5 1 : 0 Bernášek – Cvek, 28th Czech Team Chess Championship — Extraliga, Brno 2020) 11. Ng3 a4 12. Bd2 d5 13. b4 axb3 14. axb3 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 d4 16. Qb1 dxc3 17. Bxc3 Bc5 18. b4 (18. Nxe5?? Nxe5 20. Bxe5 Ng4−+) 18. ... Bb6 19. b5 Nd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qb3 Qd7 22. Nf5

22. ... Ng4? Black’s Knight takes a bad jump crash. Instead, it had to head for the f4-square with 22. ... Nh5! seeking counterplay against the White King. 23. N5xd4 exd4 24. e5. Threatening to trap the Knight with h2-h3. 24. ... h5 25. Qc4

25. ... Rxf3!? Given the circumstances, that is, if nothing else, tricky. 26. gxf3 Nh6 27. Rc1 Nf5 28. Qxc7 Qd5 29. Qc2 Nh4 30. Qe2 Nxf3+ 31. Kh1 Nxe5+ 32. f3

32. ... Qxb5? That is tantamount to resignation, but it’s very doubtful — not to say impossible — whether 32. ... Nxf3 33. Qe4 Qxe4 34. dxe4 g5 35. Kg2 g4 36. Rc7 b6 37. Rc6 might have saved Black. 33. Re1 Nxd3 34. Rd1 1 : 0.

Out of Line

Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, February 8, 2021

Catalan Opening E01

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) ended up being excluded from the quarterfinals of the Opera Euro Rapid, and can hardly console himself with the honour of having been one of the testers for Dubov’s opening secrets. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 dxc4 6. Bg2 a5 7. a3 Bxd2+ 8. Bxd2 0-0 9. Qc2 b5 10. a4 c6 11. h4 Nbd7. Dubov’s coming attack might have been inspired by the following game: 11. ... Ba6 12. h5 h6 13. g4 Nxg4 14. Rg1 f5 15. Bh3 Qe8 16. Bxg4 fxg4 17. Ne5 Qxh5 18. Nxg4 Kh8 19. 0-0-0 Qf5 20. e4 Qh5 21. Nxh6 gxh6 22. Rh1 Qe2 23. Rxh6+ Kg7 24. Rg1+ Kf7 25. Rf6+ Kxf6 26. Bg5+ Kf7 27. Qxe2 Ke8 28. Qh5+ Kd7 29. Bf4 Kc8 30. Qe5 Rf7 31. Rg8+ 1 : 0 Sadzikowski – Sonis, 4th PRO Chess League Group Stage, chess.com, January 15, 2020 (time control: 15 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). Black has no reason to feel happy about 11. ... Na6 (apart from the final result): 12. Ne5 Nb4 13. Bxb4 axb4 14. Nxc6 Qd6 15. Ne7+ Qxe7 16. Bxa8 b3 17. Qc3 Qa7 18. Bf3 Nd5 19. Qc1 Qxd4 20. axb5 c3 21. bxc3 Nxc3 22. Qd2 Nxb5 23. Qxd4 (23. Ra8 first is also strong) 23. ... Nxd4 24. 0-0-0? (24. Be4 f5 25. Bd3 Bb7 26. f3 Rd8 27. Kd2±) 24. ... Nxf3 25. exf3 Bb7 26. Rd3 Bd5 27. Kb2 h6 28. Ra1 Rc8 29. Rc3 Rxc3 30. Kxc3 g5 31. hxg5 hxg5 ½ : ½ 许翔宇 (Xǔ Xiángyǔ) – 韦奕 (Wéi Yì), 14th “映美杯” (“Yìng Měi Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 杭州 (Hángzhōu) 2018. 12. h5 h6

13. g4!↑ Nxg4. Otherwise g4-g5 follows. 14. axb5 Bb7? Thus 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) gets caught into one of Dubov’s (many?) homemade opening traps, with an inevitable débâcle. 14. ... Qb6 15. bxc6 Ndf6 was probably the best he could do at the moment.

15. Nh2!+− Nxf2 16. Kxf2 Qh4+ 17. Kf1 Qf6+ 18. Bf3 1 : 0.

Gendered Resistance

Aleksandra Yuryevna Goryachkina – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov
27th Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, November 21, 2020
Catalan Opening E05

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3 dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6. Another way is 7. ... c5 8. dxc5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 Bxc5 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 Bb6 13. Bxb6 axb6 14. Nxc6 Bb7 15. Nb4 Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Nc3 Bc6 18. Rfd1 Rfd8 19. f3 Kf8 20. Kf2 Ke7 with a nearly equal ending, Goryachkina – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn), 上海 (Shànghǎi) 2020, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 1. 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 Nd5 12. Qxc4 a5 13. Bd2 Ba6 14. Qc5 Qd7 15. f3!? Goryachkina adds her novel nuance to the theory so far recorded: 15. Rc1 a4 (15. ... Rfb8 16. b3 Nxc3 17. Rxc3 Rb5 18. Qxc7 Qxd4 19. Be3 Qe4 20. 0-0 Rbb8 21. Rfc1 h6 22. f3 Qg6 23. Kf2 a4 24. Qf4 axb3 25. axb3 Qh5 26. h4 Qd5 27. b4 Qb5 28. R1c2 Rc8 29. Rc5 Rxc5 30. bxc5 Bb7 31. Qe5 Bd5 32. c6 Rc8 33. c7 Qd7 34. Qc3 f6 35. Bb6 Qb5 36. Rb2 Qa4 37. e4 Bc6 38. Rd2 Kh7 39. Rd8 Bb7 40. Kg2 Ba6 41. g4 Qb5 42. Bf2 h5 43. gxh5 Qxh5 44. Qa3 Qb5 45. Qe7 Qf1+ 46. Kg3 Qc1 47. Rd7 Qh6 48. Qxe6 Qg6+ 49. Kh2 Bb5 50. Rd8 Rxc7 51. Qg8+ 1 : 0 Oparin – Buhmann, 20th European Individual Chess Championship, Skopje 2019) 16. f3 Rfb8 17. Nd1 f5 18. Kf2 Rb6 19. Rc2 Rab8 20. Ne3 Rxb2 21. Rhc1 Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Qb5 23. Qxb5 Bxb5 24. a3 Nxe3 25. Kxe3 c6 26. Bb4 Rd8 27. Bc5 Kf7 28. Kf4 Kf6 29. h4 Rd7 30. e3 g6 31. g4 fxg4 32. Kxg4 e5 33. h5 exd4 34. Bxd4+ Ke6 35. hxg6 hxg6 36. Bc5 Bd3 37. Rc3 Bb5 38. Kg5 Rd3 39. Rc1 Kf7 40. Kf4 Ke6 41. e4 Kf6 42. Rc2 Rd1 43. Rh2 Bc4 44. Rh8 Rd3 45. Rf8+ Bf7 46. Kg4 g5 47. f4 gxf4 48. Kxf4 Ke6 49. Rc8 Kd7 50. Ra8 Bb3 51. Ra7+ Kc8 52. e5 Rd7 53. Ra8+ Kb7 54. Rh8 Rd1 55. Re8 Rf1+ 56. Kg5 Rc1 57. Bd6 Rg1+ 58. Kf4 Re1 59. Rb8+ Ka6 60. Kf5 Rb1 61. Kf6 Rf1+ 62. Ke7 Rf7+ 63. Kd8 Rb7 64. Rc8 Bd5 65. Bc7 Be6 66. Ra8+ Ra7 67. Rb8 Rb7 68. Ra8+ ½ : ½ Malakhov – Bacrot, 5th Tournament of Peace, Zagreb 2018. 15. ... Rfb8 16. Rb1 Rb6! 17. Kf2. 17. Qxa5 Rc6 is quite critical, with Black having powerful compensation for his temporary two Pawn deficit. 17. ... Rc6 18. Qa3 (18. Qxa5 Qe8!) 18. ... Nb6 19. Be3 (19. Qxa5?? Qxd4+ 20. Be3 Qxe3+!−+) 19. ... Nc4 20. Qb3 Rb6 21. Qc2 Rab8

22. b3!?? An overambitious but far from forced Exchange sacrifice. 22. Ne4 (Δ Ne4-c5) was well worth considering. 22. ... Na3 23. Qd2 Nxb1 24. Rxb1 Rd8 25. Ne4 Rb5 26. Rc1 e5 27. dxe5 (27. Nc5 Qh3) 27. ... Rd5 28. Qc2 Qh3

29. Rh1? Goryachkina cracks under the pressure of time and compensation needs. Best was 29. Kg1! Rxe5 30. Bf4 Re7 31. g4! Rde8 32. Nf2 Qh4 33. e4 with some chances to hold. 29. ... Rxe5. Both White’s King and Rook are dramatically badly placed, and Dubov has easy play in finishing matters with his opponent: 30. Qxc7 Rde8−+ 31. Bf4 (31. Bd4 R5e6−+ Δ 32. g4 Rxe4! 33. fxe4 Qxg4−+) 31. ... R5e7 32. Qxa5 Bxe2! 33. Ng5 Qd7 34. Re1 Qd4+ 35. Kg2 h6 0 : 1.

Today Dubov proved too much of a challenge for Goryachkina. Photo: Vladimir Leonidovich Barsky/Russian Chess Federation.