Escape from the 21st Century

Alexey Vasilievich Sarana – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
71st Russian Chess Championship Superfinal; Satka, September 1, 2018
Queen’s Indian Defence E15

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 c6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. Rd1 Ba6 10. b3 Nbd7 11. Bf4 Rc8 12. Nc3 Nh5 13. Bc1 f5 14. e3 Bd6 15. a4 Nhf6 16. Ne2!? 16. a5(!) is now regarded as the best continuation for White (and, indeed, a very unpleasant one for Black), Ftáčnik – E. de Groote, Dutch Team Chess Championship Meesterklasse 2012/2013, Rotterdam 2012. However, Sarana’s novelty doesn’t harm White’s strategic leitmotiv. 16. ... c5 17. Nf4 Qe7 18. cxd5? A very ugly mistake which soon puts White on fire. 18. a5(!) was still strong enough to claim an advantage. 18. ... cxd4! 19. Qb2 dxe3!? 19. ... e5 seems good enough for Black, but Jakovenko feels of having to play sharply for a tactical outcome. 20. Nxe6 exf2+ 21. Qxf2 Ne4 22. Qe3? Sarana looks disoriented and quickly loses the (feeble) thread of the game. After 22. Qb2 Black could have sacrificed the Exchange by 22. ... Ndf6! 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 with good piece play and the initiative. 22. ... Rc3. Stockfish gives 22. ... Ndf6(!) as Black’s best, but who dares say that Jakovenko is doing something wrong? 23. Qd4? The last error. Obviously after 23. Qe1 Ndc5 White has nothing to be happy with, but the game is not yet over. 23. ... Ndc5 24. Ba3. Or 24. Nxf8 Nxb3 and finis. 24. ... Nxe6 25. Bxd6 Nxd4 26. Bxe7. White somehow managed to keep material equality, but just to run into a “windmill” storm of discovered checks that very much resembles the grand finale of the Game of the (Last) Century D. Byrne – R. J. Fischer, 3rd Rosenwald Trophy, New York 1956.

26. ... Ne2+ 27. Kf1. No other choice: 27. Kh1 Nf2 mate. 27. ... Nf4+ 28. Kg1 Ne2+ 29. Kf1 N2xg3+ 30. Kg1 Ne2+ 31. Kf1 Nf4+ 32. Kg1 Ne2+ 33. Kf1 Rc2 34. Ne1 Nf4+ 35. Kg1 Rxg2+! 0 : 1. White resigned just before 36. Nxg2 Nh3+ 37. Kh1 Nef2 mate.

Alexey Vasilievich Sarana (left) vs. Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko (right). Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.

Cat in the Castle

Russian chess Grandmaster Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko won on tie-break over Levon Grigori Aronian the fourth and last stage of the Grand Prix 2017 held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain from 16 to 25 November 2017. Photo: Francisco Javier Ochoa de Echagüen (@echaguen).

Form and Object

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
Agon Grand Prix; fourth stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 24, 2017
Giuoco Piano C54

So Maxime Vachier-Lagrave did not succeed in conquering a chair for the next Candidates Tournament, in spite of his desire to fight for it till the very end. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. 0-0 d6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 0-0 9. h3 h6 10. Nbd2. For 10. b4 Ne7 11. Nbd2 Ng6 12. Nf1 c6 13. Bb3 Re8 14. Ra2 d5 15. Ng3 Be6 16. Rd2 Qc7 see Vachier-Lagrave – Giri, 2017 “Your Next Move” Grand Chess Tour Rapid, Leuven 2017. 10. ... Re8 11. b4 Ne7. The alternative 11. ... Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6 13. Nf1 Ne7 14. Ng3 Ng6 15. d4 Qd7 16. d5 Ree8 17. a5 c6 also seems to be okay for Black, Vachier-Lagrave – Carlsen, Grand Chess Tour Blitz Paris 2017, Paris 2017. 12. Qb3 Rf8 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 d5 15. exd5 Nexd5 16. b5 Be6 17. bxa6 bxa6 18. Ba3 Re8 19. Ne5. White seems to have seized the initiative, but Jakovenko defends strenuously his “uncomfortability”. 19. ... Nf4 20. Ndf3 Bxc4 21. Qxc4 Qd5 22. Qxd5 N6xd5 23. Nc6 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 a5 25. g3 Ng6 26. Nxa7 Rxa7 27. Re8+ Kh7 28. h4 Rb7 29. Nd2 Nc3 30. h5 Nh8 31. Nc4 Nxa4 32. Ne5. White desperately pushes for a win. On the other hand, if 32. Nxa5 Black might answer 32. ... Rb5 33. Re5 c5! with almost equality. 32. ... Nb6 33. Bc5 a4. Black’s passer more than compensates for the sad position in which the h8-Knight is placed. 34. d5!? When you should play for a draw it’s hard to play for a win. Stockfish gives 34. Nc6 Nd7 35. Ra8 Nxc5 36. dxc5 Rb5 37. Ne5 Rxc5 38. Nd7 Rxh5 39. Nf8+ with a draw by perpetual check. But it was obviously not enough for Vachier-Lagrave. 34. ... f6! 35. Nc6 Nd7 36. Bd4 Rb5

Objectively speaking, White has now nothing better than 37. Ra8 Rxd5 38. Rxa4 Rxh5 39. Ra7 Rd5 40. Rxc7 playing for a draw in an ending a Pawn down. Understandably, Vachier-Lagrave keeps looking for something more that he won’t find. 37. Nd8?? It looks like a broken dream. 37. Re7 was also not good, but not that bad: after 37. ... Rxd5 38. Bb2 Nb6! 39. Rxc7 (or 39. Bxf6 Rd7) 39. ... Rd7 Black successfully consolidates his plusses. 37. ... Rb8! 38. Bb2. White goes even deeper into his drama. 38. ... Rxb2 39. Ne6 a3 40. Re7 Nf7! Sic et simpliciter. 41. Rxf7 a2 42. Rxg7+ Kh8 43. Rxd7 a1=Q+ 44. Kg2 Qe1 0 : 1.

Flashy Flash

Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko – Viorel Antonovich Bologan
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 30, 2016
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. e4 Nc6 10. Bd3 Rc8? Maybe it’s not so wrong, but 10. ... Be7 seem much safer and more suitable, and even 10. ... g6 is worth considering: 11. Bg5 Be7 12. Bh6 Bf8 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Bh6 Bf8 ½ : ½ Browne – Sosonko, Tilburg 1982.

11. d5! A very powerful Pawn sacrifice and a novelty as well. The old 11. Qe2 is not so good, but still not bad: 11. ... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Bb2 Qd8 15. 0-0 Qg5 16. h4! Qxh4? 17. Bb5+ Bc6 18. Bxc6+ Rxc6 19. Qb5 Qxe4 20. Rac1 Kd7 21. Rfd1+ Bd6 22. Be5 Ke7 23. Bxd6+ Rxd6 24. Rc7+ Kd8 25. Rd7+ 1 : 0 I. Faragó – Podlesnik, 20th International Open, Bled 1999. 11. ... exd5 12. exd5 Qxd5 13. 0-0 Be7 14. Rd1 Rd8? This turns out to be the decisive mistake as it loses material. However, we aren’t able to give any good advice and, as a matter of fact, Black’s position appears already compromised by his bad opening play. 15. Bg5 Qd6. If 15. ... Bxg5 then 16. Bb5 and wins. 16. Bb5! Qc7 17. Rxd8+ Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Ke8 19. Qe4 f6 20. Bf4 Qc8 21. Rd6! A pretty finish. 1 : 0.

Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
Photo: papinchess.ru

It may not be good, but it’s not so bad

Sanan Vyacheslavovich Sjugirov – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 27, 2015
Réti Opening A07

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 c6 4. 0-0 e6 5. h3 Bh5 6. d3 Nd7 7. e4 Bd6 8. exd5 cxd5 9. c4 Ne7 10. Nc3 0-0 11. cxd5 exd5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Nh4 Nb6? This is probably not a good choice. For 13. ... d4 14. Nb5 Bc5 15. b4 Bxb4 16. Rb1 Bc5 17. Bf4 Nc6 see Kovalev – Moroz, 72nd Ukrainian Chess Championship, Simferopol 2003, while for 13. ... Nc5 14. d4 Ne6 see U. Andersson – G. Flear, Interzonal Tournament, Szirak 1987. 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. a4! Rae8? Black could have tried 15. ... d4 16. Nb5 Bb4 – it may not be good, but it’s not so bad. 16. a5 Na8 17. Nxg6 Nxg6 18. Qa4! Qe6

19. Bd2! Qe5? This leads to disaster. Anyway, after 19. ... Nc7 20. Rae1 White stands much better. 20. f4 Bc5+ 21. Kh1 Qb8 22. Nxd5 Bd6. No better is 22. ... Re2 23. Qc2 followed by Bg2-f3. 23. Qd4. White’s attack will soon become overwhelming. 23. ... Rd8 24. Bc3 f6 25. g5 Ne7 26. gxf6 Nf5 27. Qc4 Rf7 28. fxg7 Rc8 29. Nf6+ Kxg7 30. Nd7+ Kg8 31. Nxb8 Rxc4 32. dxc4 Ng3+ 33. Kg1 Ne2+ 34. Kh2 Nxf4 35. Kh1 1 : 0. Jakovenko literally disintegrated.

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

One Way Out

Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko – Boris Abramovich Gelfand
Grand Prix 2014–2015; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, May 23, 2015
q6k/3Q4/3P4/5Pp1/5n2/1B5P/PP3K2/8 b - - 4 48

After having suffered during all the phases of the game, Gelfand finally unsettles his opponent with a last-ditch trick: 48. ... g4! 49. hxg4?? Jakovenko misses the point and falls into the trap! After 49. Kg3! Qf3+ 50. Kh4 Qf2+ 51. Kg5! (on 51. Kxg4?? Qg2+ 52. Kxf4 Qe4+! 53. Kg5 Qg4+! 54. Kf6 Qxf5+!! 55. Ke7 Qf6+! 56. Ke8 Qf8+! 57. Kxf8 is a pretty stalemate!) 51. ... Nxh3+ 52. Kg6 Nf4+ 53. Kf7 Black is dead lost. 49. ... Qg2+ 50. Ke3 Nd5+! 51. Kd4 Qf2+! 52. Kxd5 Qd4+! 53. Kxd4 stalemate.

Boris Abramovich Gelfand. Photo: Kirill Merkurev.

Baadur Scissorhands

Baadur Jobava – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
FIDE Grand Prix; Khanty-Mansiysk, May 20, 2015
Larsen’s Opening A01

1. b3. “This harmless looking opening (1. b3) wasn’t given much respect until the great Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen (who jokingly called it the Baby Orangutan) began winning one game after another with it in the late 1960s and early 1970s”, International Master Jeremy Silman wrote in his “The Complete Book of Chess Strategy: Grandmaster Techniques from A to Z”, Los Angeles, Siles Press, 1998, p. 55. 1. ... e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. h3!? “I found [this] before the Grand Prix. I thought I had to try it at least once. It is not such a stupid move as it seems”, then Jobava said. 4. ... d5. “I don’t think Jobava really expect to get an advantage with b2-b3, e2-e3 & h2-h3 in first 4 moves. :)”, Tarjei J. Svensen ‏said. 5. Bb5 Bd6 6. Nf3 Qe7 7. d4 exd4 8. Qxd4. Thus spoke Jobava! For the colourless 8. Nxd4 Bd7 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bd3 0-0 see Bobanac – Solic, 2nd Zlatni Rat Open, Bol, 2011. 8. ... Bd7 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. Nbd2 0-0 11. 0-0-0! When a player such as Jobava castles on the opposite wing it is a clear indication he is out for blood! 11. ... a5 12. g4 a4 13. g5 Ne8 14. Kb1 axb3 15. axb3 Bc5 16. Qe5. White has nothing better than to propose the exchange of Queens as after 16. Qh4 Ba3 Black would get the upper hand. 16. ... Bd6 17. Qxe7 Bxe7 18. Rhg1 Nd6 19. Ne5 Be8 20. h4 f6 21. Nd3. Note that not all chess programs can understand Jobava’s play. 21. ... fxg5 22. hxg5 Nb5 23. Nf4 c6 24. c4 Na3+ 25. Kc1 dxc4

26. Ne4. A typical Jobava idea. 26. ... Bg6. Chess engines do not like this move, but who would dare to play 26. ... cxb3 27. Nf6+! now? 27. Rd7 Rf7 28. Nxg6 hxg6 29. Rxb7 cxb3 30. Rxb3 Nc4 31. Rd1 Nxb2 32. Kxb2 Ra4 33. Rb8+ Rf8 34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. f3 Ra3 36. Nc3 Bb4 37. Rc1 Kf7 38. f4 c5 39. e4 Ke6 40. Nd5 Rd3 41. Ra1 Rxd5. A good practical Exchange sacrifice which ensures the draw. 42. exd5+ Kxd5 43. Kc2. Or 43. Ra7 Ke4 44. Rxg7 Kxf4 45. Rxg6 Kf5 46. Rg8 Bd2 47. g6 Kf6 followed by ... Bd2-h6-g7 and then ... Kf6xg6 drawing. 43. ... Ke4 44. Ra6 Kf5 45. Kd3 Kxf4 46. Rxg6 c4+ ½ : ½.

Baadur Scissorhands
Photo: Kirill Merkurev

The Surrealist Revolution

Baadur Jobava – Vadim Viktorovich Zvjaginsev
22nd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 1, 2015
English Opening A21

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. e4 Nf6 4. Bd3!? An original development, in the style of a very particular Grandmaster! 4. ... 0-0 5. Nge2 Bc5 6. 0-0 a6 7. Bc2 Nc6 8. h3 b5 9. d3 bxc4 10. dxc4 h6 11. Rb1 Rb8 12. a3 a5 13. Bd2 d6 14. Nd5 Bd7 15. Bc3 Ra8 16. Kh1 Nh7 17. b4 axb4 18. axb4 Ba7 19. Qd3 f5 20. c5 dxc5 21. bxc5 fxe4 22. Qe3 Ng5 23. Rfd1 Bxh3 24. Ba4 Bd7? Now Zvjaginsev becomes apprehensive and goes astray. Black ought to have played 24. ... Nd4! with wild complications probably leading to quite an even game.

25. Nb6! A pretty coup. 25. ... Bxb6. Equally after 25. ... cxb6 26. Bxc6 Bxc6 27. Rxd8 Raxd8 28. cxb6 Bb8 29. Qc5 White stands much better. 26. Bxc6 Bxc5 27. Qxc5 Ne6 28. Bd5! The pointe. 28. ... Qh4+ 29. Kg1 Kh8 30. Bxe6 Bxe6 31. Bxe5 1 : 0.

Baadur Jobava – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
22nd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 5, 2015
Giuoco Piano C53

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. h3 Bd7 10. Ba4. More convincing than 10. Bd3 Nb4 11. Be2 c5 as in the game Vachier-Lagrave – Eljanov, Wijk aan Zee 2007. 10. ... f6 11. 0-0 fxe5 12. dxe5 Ne7 13. Nbd2 Nxd2 14. Bxd2 0-0 15. Bc2 Bf5 16. a4 a5 17. Ra3 Nc6 18. Bxf5 Rxf5 19. Re1 Nd4 20. g4 Rf8 21. Nxd4 Bxd4 22. Be3 Bxb2 23. Rd3 Bxe5 24. Rxd5 Bd6 25. Qb3 Kh8 26. Qxb7 Qe8 27. Qb1 Rb8 28. Qc2 Rb4 29. Rxa5 Re4 30. Rb5 c5 31. Rb6 Bf4 32. Qxc5 Bxe3 33. Rxe3 Rxe3 34. fxe3. Or 34. Qxe3 Qxa4 35. Kg2 with an ending similar to the one that occurs in the game. 34. ... Qf7 35. Qf5 Qe8 36. Qd3 Qxa4 37. Rb1 Qa7 38. Rf1 Re8 39. Qd4 Qe7 40. Kg2 h6 41. Rf3 Qb7 42. h4 Rf8 43. e4 Re8 44. Rf4 Qc7 45. Kg3? It looks very strange to put his own King in a self-pin! Here a move like 45. Qe3 suggests itself. 45. ... Rd8

46. Qe3??? “I don’t understand Jobava’s style of play! It seems very good for ICC, but crashes and burns in serious competition”, Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett said. “Here Jobava has mangled an extra Pawn and is almost – but not quite – lost! His King is lined up in a pin to his Rook, amongst other things. The only defence, and one that should not be too difficult for master with a pulse, is 46. Qf2!: if now 46. ... g5 47. hxg5 hxg5 48. Qh2+! Kg7 49. Qb2+ Kg8 50. Qb3+! the game should end in a perpetual. Probably a better try is 46. ... Rf8!?, but 47. h5! and White should not lose”. 46. ... g5 0 : 1. Incredible but true.

Bogdan Belyakov – Baadur Jobava
22nd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 6, 2015
French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. Nf3 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. 0-0 Ngf6 8. Ng3 g6 9. c4 Bg7 10. b4. Departing from 10. d5 exd5 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. cxd5 Bxd5 13. Qc2 c6 14. Ng5 Kg8 15. Bf4 Nf8 16. Rad1 Qa5 17. a3 Rd8 18. Bd2 Qb6 19. Be3 Qc7 20. h3 h6 21. N5e4 Ne6 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Be4 Kg7 24. Bxa7 b6 25. Bxd5 Nd4 26. Qa4 Rxd5 27. Qa6 Qd7 28. Rxd4 Bxd4 29. Bxb6 c5 30. Ba5 Bxb2 31. Qc4 Bd4 32. Bc3 Ra8 33. Re3 Rxa3 0 : 1 Kasimdzhanov – Jobava, FIDE Grand Prix, Tashkent 2014. 10. ... Nb6 11. Be3 Ng4 12. Rc1 0-0 13. b5 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 f5 15. Be2 e5 16. dxe5 Qh4 17. h3 Nxe3 18. Qxe3 f4 19. Qe4 Rae8 20. e6 Qf6 21. Nh1 Rxe6 22. Qc2 Nd7 23. Bg4 Re7 24. Bxd7 Rxd7 25. f3 Rfd8 26. Rfd1 Qb6+ 27. Kf1 Qe3

“Jobava has been pressing all the way, but Belyakov has hung tough and has his best position since early in the opening. If he trades Rooks and plays Rc1-e1 he’ll only be a little worse, and if plays the immediate 28. Re1 he won’t be worse at all. Instead, he makes a disastrous move, and after thinking for three minutes. Sometimes we have blind spots, and when that happens it might not matter how long we stare at the board, we might still miss something that’s normally obvious”, Dennis Monokroussos said. 28. Nf2??? Rd2 0 : 1.

Baadur Jobava
Photo: Anastasiya Karlovich