If you want to buy imported Emmentaler, just make yourself sure it is from Switzerland

Daniele Vocaturo – Yannick Pelletier
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 6, 2017
Caro-Kann Defence B13

In the last round of the 21st European Team Chess Championship Italy defeated Switzerland (2½ – 1½), and much credit goes to Daniele Vocaturo, who, on first board, played highly inspired brilliant chess: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3 Bxf3 10. Nxf3 Be7 11. Ne5 Qc8 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Rae1. The alternative is 13. Qd1 Rd8 (better appears to be the immediate 13. ... Nxe5) 14. Re1 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. h4 with the initiative: 16. ... Nf8 17. h5 h6 18. Re3 f5 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Rg3 Kf7 21. Qf3 Qc5 22. Re1 Rac8 23. Be3 (23. Be5 seems even stronger) 23. ... Qd6 24. Bd4 Nd7 25. Qg4 e5 26. Qg6+ Kf8 27. Qh7 Nc5 28. Bf5 Rc7 29. Be3 Rf7 30. Bg6 Rc7 31. Rf3 Rdc8 32. Rd1 Ke7 33. Bxh6 Ne6 34. Bxg7 Bxg7 35. h6 Rh8 36. Rf7+ Kd8 37. hxg7 1 : 0 Tringov – Pomar Salamanca, International Tournament, Büsum 1968. 13. ... Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Nd7 15. Qc2 h6. Who knows, perhaps 15. ... g6 16. Bf4 Re8 might be a sounder formation. 16. Bf4 Re8 17. Re3 Qd8 18. Qe2 Bg5 19. Bxg5 Qxg5 20. f4 Qd8 21. g4! g6 22. Re1 Nf6 23. Rh3 h5? This doesn’t seem a good idea at all, allowing White to build up the most imposing attacking position. 23. ... Qc7(!) was a much better option for Black. 24. gxh5 Nxh5 25. Qg4 Ng7

26. Bxg6! This must be winning! You don’t need to calculate too much for knowing it. 26. ... fxg6 27. Qxg6 Re7. 27. ... Rf8 was probably more stubborn, but after 28. Qh7+ Kf7 29. Rg3 White (sooner or later) will breakthrough anyway. 28. Re5! (Δ Re5-h5-h8 mate) 28. ... Qe8 29. Qh7+ Kf8 30. Rh6! Threatening f4-f5. The rest comes easy. 30. ... Rf7 31. f5 Qa4 32. Re1 Rxf5 33. Rg6 Rf7 34. Qh8+ Ke7 35. Qxa8 Qb5 36. Qc8 1 : 0.

Spot the Shark

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 5, 2017
Spanish Game C72

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. 0-0 Bd7 6. Re1 g5!? 7. Bxc6. The historical premiere went 7. d4 g4 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. Nfd2 Qh4 10. Nc4 Bg7 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Nc3 Rd8 13. Nd5?? (White ought to play 13. Qe2) 13. ... Bxd5 14. exd5 g3! Black won a piece and then the game, Kortschnoi – L. Portisch, 30th Hoogovens International Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 1968. 7. ... bxc6 8. d4 g4 9. Nfd2 exd4 10. Nb3 Ne7 11. Nxd4 Bg7 12. Nc3. If 12. Nf5 then 12. ... Nxf5 13. exf5+ Kf8 14. Qxg4 h5 15. Qf3 Qf6 and Black wins back his Pawn with a lead in development, 陈琪 (Chén Qí) – 戴常人 (Dài Chángrén), 上海 (Shànghǎi) Youth Gulf Cup, 上海 (Shànghǎi) 2017. 12. ... 0-0 13. Bg5 f6 14. Be3 Qe8 15. Qd3 Qf7 16. Qd2 Qg6 17. Bf4 h5 18. b4 h4 19. a4 Qh5 20. Be3 h3 21. Nce2 hxg2 22. Nf4 Qh7 23. Nfe6 Bxe6 24. Nxe6

24. ... Ng6! Black’s Exchange sacrifice shows that Mamedyarov has decided to initiate his attack. 25. Nxf8 Rxf8 26. Bf4 f5! 27. exf5 Nh4 28. Ra3 Qxf5 29. Bg5 Nf3+ 30. Rxf3. Grischuk has nothing better than to give back the Exchange with vague hopes of somehow holding on in spite of his minus Pawn. 30. ... gxf3 31. Bh6 Qd5 32. Qc1? Grischuk falls apart. 32. Qe3 was White’s only chance to keep playing. 32. ... Bc3 33. Re3 Bd4 34. Rd3 Re8 35. c3 Bxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Re2+ 0 : 1. Let’s think of how much geography can change in a short period of time.

Ice Lolly

Benjamin Arvola – Luca Moroni
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 4, 2017
Scotch Game C45

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 0-0 8. 0-0 Bb6 9. f4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4. If 10. cxd4 then 10. ... d5! 11. exd5 (Black stands better both after 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Re8! and after 11. e5 Qg6) 11. ... Nf5 12. Bf2 Nd6! and Black wins the f4-Pawn. That is vintage analysis by 11th World Chess Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (Chess Life, No. 12, December 1964, pp. 294-295). 10. ... d5! 11. exd5. 11. e5 Qg6 also gives Black a more comfortable game, Tkachuk – Coenen, 28th Post Open, Düsseldorf 2012. So maybe White should have been content with 11. Bxd5 Rd8 12. Kh1 Bxd4 13. cxd4 Nxd5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nc3 Rd8= (15. ... Rxd4? 16. Nd5) – Bobby Fischer’s analysis (ibidem). 11. ... Nf5! 12. Bf2 Bxf2+ 13. Rxf2 Ne3 14. Qb3 Ng4 15. Rf3 Qh4 16. h3 Qe1+ 17. Bf1 Nf6 18. c4 Re8 19. Qc2 Ne4 20. f5? This is Arvola’s crucial mistake, after which suddenly Black’s initiative turns into a storm. White had to play 20. b3 at once. 20. ... Re5 21. b3 Bxf5 22. Qb2 Ng5 23. Rf2

23. ... Bxh3! The storm begins. 24. Nc3 Qe3 25. gxh3. 25. Qd2 Qg3 26. Qf4 Qxc3 (Stockfish) is anything but tempting, but what should we say about the text? 25. ... Rf5? More accurate seems 25. ... Qg3+ 26. Kh1 Rae8 leaving White no resource. 26. Nd1? After 26. Bg2 Rxf2 27. Qxf2 Qxc3 Black is a Pawn up and stands clearly better, but it would not have been so easy for him to demonstrate a win. 26. ... Qg3+. Or 26. ... Nf3+ 27. Kh1 Rg5 28. Bg2 (else 28. Rg2 Qg1+ and mate next move) 28. ... Qe1+ 29. Rf1 Qxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Rg1 mate. 27. Kh1 Nxh3 28. Bxh3 Qxh3+ 29. Kg1 Qg3+ 30. Kf1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qg3+ 32. Kf1 Re8 33. Qd2 Qh3+ 34. Kg1 Re1+! 0 : 1. Mate in two follows.

Shark attack

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – David Navara
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, November 1, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D28

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. 0-0 a6 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bd3 cxd4 9. Rd1 Be7 10. a4 bxa4 11. Rxa4 dxe3 12. Bxe3 Nbd7. After 12. ... Bd7 13. Bc2!? Qc7 14. Nc3 0-0 15. Rh4 Nc6 16. Bf4 Qb7 Black could look forward to a comfortable game (but very likely White might have played better), Ibragimov – Baburin, 3rd Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO), London 1999. 13. Nc3 0-0 14. Bg5 Bb7 15. Rd4 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Ne5 17. Qe3 Qb8 18. Bf4 Neg4 19. Qe2 e5 20. Bg3 h5 21. Nd5 Re8? Navara played quite risky so far, but the text is definitely his final bravery, allowing White an ideal attacking position. Black ought to take the White Knight with his Knight. 22. h3! h4 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qe4 g6 25. Bc4! Kg7 26. Rd7 Re7 27. Bxh4 Bxh4 28. Qxg4 Bf6

29. R7d6! Stockfish’s 29. Bxf7! Kxf7 30. R1d6! might have been even more ferocious, but, of course, Mamedyarov’s pseudo-inversion is not so bad either. 29. ... Rc7 30. Qf3 Bh4 31. Rd7 Rxd7 32. Rxd7 Qb4 33. Qxf7+ Kh6 34. Qh7+ Kg5 35. f4+! Kf5 36. Qf7+ Ke4 37. Qxg6+ 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

The laws of luck

David Wei Liang Howell – Danyyil Dvirnyy
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
8/4n3/2N2k2/p2p3p/Pp1P3P/1P3PK1/8/8 w - - 1 48

Position after 47. ... Ng6-e7

The two-time Italian Chess Champion Danyyil Dvirnyy saved today both the honour and the day of Italy’s team managing to accomplish a “mission impossible” against the three-time British Chess Champion David Wei Liang Howell. Objectively speaking, he couldn’t have done that without his opponent’s help. In the position of the diagram, although under time pressure, Howell – very unwisely, no doubt – decided to play for a win, whereas 48. Nxe7 Kxe7 49. Kf4 Kf6 would have led to a neat draw (in spite of White’s extra Pawn), ensuring England team’s victory. 48. Nxa5(?) Nf5+ 49. Kf4 Nxd4 50. Nb7 Nxb3 51. a5 Nd4 52. a6? Howell stubbornly insists in his irrational search for a win, that simply doesn’t exist – not this way, I mean. 52. ... b3 53. a7 b2 54. a8=Q Ne6+ 55. Kg3 b1=Q 56. Qh8+ Ke7 57. Kh2 Qf5. So White ended up standing worse. The rest is a colourful succession of big and small steps towards self-destruction, nearly begging (just in extremis) for the mirage of a stalemate. 58. Qc3? Qf4+ 59. Kh3 d4 60. Qa3+ Kd7 61. Na5 Qf5+ 62. Kg3 Qe5+ 63. Kg2 Qe2+ 64. Kg3 Qe1+ 65. Kh2 Qxh4+ 66. Kg1 Qe1+ 67. Kh2 Qe5+ 68. Kh1 Qb5 69. Qa2 Qf1+ 70. Kh2 Qxf3 71. Nc4 Ke7 72. Qa6 Qf4+ 73. Kh1 h4 74. Qb7+ Kf6 75. Qc8 Qe4+ 76. Kh2 d3 77. Qh8+ Ke7 78. Qc3 Qf4+ 79. Kh1 Qf3+ 80. Kh2 Qf2+ 81. Kh1 h3 82. Qa3+ Kf6 83. Qa1+ Nd4 84. Qa6+ Kg5 85. Qa5+ Kg4 86. Ne3+ Qxe3 87. Qh5+ Kxh5 0 : 1.

A Cat’s Nine Lives

Sabino Brunello – Nigel David Short
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 31, 2017
Accelerated Queen’s Indian Defence A50

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. f3 Nc6 4. Nc3 e5 5. d5 Ne7 6. e4 Ng6 7. Be3 Bc5 8. Bxc5. For 8. Qd2 d6 9. 0-0-0 h6 10. h4 a6 see Levin – I. Sokolov, 12th European Individual Chess Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. 8. ... bxc5 9. Qd2 d6 10. Bd3 0-0 11. 0-0-0 Bd7 12. Nge2 c6 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. h4 Rb8 15. h5 Ne7 16. g4 Qb6 17. Ng3 h6 18. Rh2 Nh7 19. f4 Bd7 20. Nf5. Brunello has developed a powerful initiative, but in the case of Short the old saying of the cat’s nine lives should be seriously taken into account. 20. ... Bxf5 21. exf5 f6 22. Be4 Rfd8 23. Rg1 Kh8 24. g5 Qb4? It looks like a gamble, which, however, will end up having a speculative effect on Brunello’s judgement – Sabino was already very much short of time. Of course 24. ... hxg5? was out of question due to 25. h6, but 24. ... fxg5 25. fxg5 d5! (Stockfish) gave Black good counterchances. 25. gxh6 gxh6 26. fxe5 dxe5 27. Qxh6. Black is on the verge of abyss, but Brunello has only 2 minutes and 42 seconds left on the merciless clock. 27. ... Rg8 28. Rhg2? As in a grand-style drama, White first throws away a great advantage and a likely win (28. Rxg8+ Rxg8 29. Rd2). 28. ... Rg5 29. Rxg5 Qxb2+ 30. Kd1 fxg5

31. f6? And then also a draw: 31. Rxg5 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qb2+ 33. Bc2 Rd8+ 34. Nd5 e4 35. f6 e3+! 36. Kd1 (or 36. Kxe3 Nxd5+ 37. cxd5 Qc1+ with a draw by perpetual check) 36. ... Qd4+ 37. Kc1 Qd2+ 38. Kb1 Rb8+ 39. Bb3 Qd1+ 40. Kb2 Rxb3+! 41. axb3 Qd2+ with perpetual check. 31. ... Rd8+ 0 : 1. The tables are by now turned. If 32. Nd5 then 32. ... Qd4+, and if 32. Bd5 then 32. ... Nf5.

Pop Goth

Georg Meier – Sabino Brunello
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 30, 2017
Slav Defence D12

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3 Qb6 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Kf2. Meier likes this line probably very much. Most usual is 10. Bd2 followed by Queenside castling. 10. ... Nbd7. Just another way of being: 10. ... Be7 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. Bd2 0-0 13. g4 Rd8 14. g5 Ne8 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. h4 Nc6 17. Nb5 Rdc8 18. Bd3 Bb4 19. Ke2 Kf8 20. h5 gxh5 21. Rxh5 Bxd2 22. Kxd2 Ke7 23. Rh7 Na5 24. Rc1 Nc6 25. Nc3 Nb4 26. a3 Nxd3 27. Kxd3 Nd6 28. Rch1 g6 29. R1h2 b5 30. e4 dxe4+ 31. fxe4 Nc4 32. Nxb5 Ra5 33. a4 Rxa4 34. b3 Ra3 35. Nxa3 Nxa3 36. Rf2 Rf8 37. Rf6 Nb5 38. Rxg6 Rd8 39. d5 exd5 40. e5 Rc8 41. e6 Rc3+ 42. Kd2 1 : 0 Meier – Hector, 32nd Politiken Cup, Copenhagen 2010. 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. Bd2. Of course, 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Bd3 b5 14. b3 Ba3! it’s not a line that may give Black any problems, Caprio – S. Brunello, 73rd Italian Chess Championship, Rome 2013. 12. ... Bd6 13. Be2 dxc4 14. a4! It’s definitely an improvement on 14. Bxc4 b5 15. Bd3 e5 16. Ne2 exd4 17. Nxd4 Ne5 18. Be2 Nd5 19. h3 Nb4 20. Bxb4 Bxb4 21. Rhd1 Ke7 22. a3 Bd6 ½ : ½ Halkias – Atakisi, Zonal Tournament, Yerevan 2000. 14. ... e5 15. h3 exd4 16. exd4 Bb4 17. Bxc4 Rh5 18. g4 Rha5 19. h4 Kf8. If 19. ... Bxc3 then 20. Bxc3 Rxa4 21. Rae1+ Kf8 22. Bb3 followed by h4-h5 with a powerful initiative for White. Black must probably look for improvements somewhere around moves 14-19. 20. Rae1. Two moves later White will apparently realize that the Rook must stand on d1. 20. ... Re8. And here Brunello very probably misses his best chance of resistance: 20. ... Rxa4! 21. Nxa4 Bxd2 22. Re2 Rxa4 23. b3 Rxc4 24. bxc4 Bc3 with a very unclear, uneven ending, in which, however, Black’s drawing possibilites seem not unrealistic. 21. Ra1 Rea8 22. Rad1 Bxc3 23. Bxc3 Rxa4 24. Bb3 Nd5. 24. ... R4a7 25. h5 certainly seems unpleasant (and maybe very unpleasant), but Brunello’s decision to sacrifice the Exchange is not grounded on any pragmatic foundation for a draw. Meier will convert his material and positional advantages with his usual refined technique. 25. Bxa4 Rxa4 26. Ra1 b5 27. b3 Rxa1 28. Bxa1 Ke7 29. Bb2 Nf8 30. Ra1 Kd7 31. Bc1 Ne6 32. Be3 f5 33. Ke2 Kd6 34. Ra7 b6 35. Bf2 c5 36. dxc5+ bxc5 37. Bg3+ f4 38. Bf2 Nb4 39. Rb7 Nc6

40. h5! gxh5 41. gxh5. White is threatening (in the case, for example, of 41. ... b4) 42. Rxg7! Nxg7 43. h6 winning easily. 41. ... Kd5 42. Bg1 Ke5 43. Kd2 Kf6 44. Rb6 Ne5 45. Ke2 c4 46. Bd4! cxb3 47. Bb2! 1 : 0. A very pretty Zugzwang ends the movie (but not the world).

An Autumn Afternoon

Daniele Vocaturo – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
21st European Team Chess Championship; Hersonissos, October 28, 2017
Sicilian Defence B32

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 Be6 8. Nc4 b5 9. Ne3 Nf6 10. g3 g6 11. Bg2 Bh6!? A novelty hard to follow. For 11. ... Bg7 12. 0-0 0-0 (else 12. ... Rc8 13. Ncd5 Bxd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 as in Medarde Santiago – Édouard, 5th Open Internacional, Llucmajor 2016) 13. Ncd5 Rb8 14. c3 Na5 15. Qd3 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Nc4 17. Rd1 Qd7 18. a4 Nb6 take a look at Pijpers – Ikonnikov, 11th Open (Group A), Leiden 2017. 12. 0-0 0-0 13. Bd2 Rc8 14. Ncd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne7 16. a4! Qb6 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qe2 Ra8 19. b4! Qb7 20. Ra5 Bxe3? A panic move that makes things very bad for Black. After 20. ... Rab8 21. Rfa1 White stands better, but with respect to the actual game, it would have been a bed of roses. 21. fxe3 Rxa5 22. bxa5. The passed a-Pawn gives White a clear superiority and very good winning chances as well. Somehow, however, Radjabov will succeed in saving the ending, even though, after all, with no convenience for the Azerbaijani team, which, due to the stubborn victories of Sabino Brunello (against Arkadij Naiditsch) and Luca Moroni (against Gadir Guseinov), was defeated by Italy’s team 2½ – 1½.

22. ... Kg7 23. Rb1 Qc7 24. Rxb5 Qxc2 25. e4 Qa4 26. Rb7 Neg8 27. a6 Rc8 28. Rb4 Qa3 29. Rb1 Qa4 30. Rc1 Rb8 31. Bf3 Rb3 32. Rc6 Qd4+ 33. Qf2 Qa4 34. a7 Ra3 35. Be3. Even after 35. Rc7 Ra2 seems very hard to prove a win for White. 35. ... Nxe4 36. a8=Q Nxf2 37. Qxa4 Nh3+ 38. Kg2 Rxa4 39. Bc1 Ne7 40. Rc2 Nf5 41. Kxh3 Nd4 42. Rf2 f5 43. Kg2 Ra5 44. Rb2 Kf6 45. Bd2 Ra3 46. Bd1 g5 47. Bb4 Ra1 48. Be2 Nxe2 49. Rxe2 Ra6 50. Rc2 Rb6 51. Ba5 Rb5 52. Bd8+ Kg6 53. Rd2 Rb7 54. Rc2 Rb5 55. Rd2 Rb7 56. Rc2 Rb5 57. Rd2 ½ : ½.

The Right Man at the Right Place at the Wrong Time

Jón Viktor Gunnarsson – Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer
17th European Team Chess Championship; Novi Sad, October 23, 2009
Sicilian Defence B83

Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer is a very gifted player, who always plays chess deeply inspired by the wish to paint a masterpiece. Sadly enough, he was sacrificed twice by Norway Altibox for making room to new entries from abroad. The sudden withdrawal of Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, decided by Karjakin himself in strict accordance with the Russian Chess Federation’s instructions – as FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov told Interfax-Russia.ru – has indeed forced the Norwegian organizers to give a “neutral” answer under circumstances in which the emergency responder has to transform himself into a counterattacker. Whatever it is, Hammer will not participate in the 4th Altibox Norway Chess, but undoubtedly he’ll show his not common erudition as a commentator for TV 2, and we all hope that Norwegian organizers will succeed in realizing their goal with the moral satisfaction to know that they always played a fair game.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Be7 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 Nc6 9. f4 Bd7 10. Kh1 Rc8 11. Qe1. Another try is 11. Bd3 a6 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. a3 b5 14. Rae1 Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bc6 16. e5 dxe5 17. fxe5 Nd7 18. Qh5 g6 19. Qh6 Nc5? (Black should probably have played 19. ... Qd8 in order to answer 20. Be4 by 20. ... Bg5) 20. Re3! with powerful attack for White, Brkić – Movsesian, 4th Premijer liga Bosne i Hercegovine, Neum 2005. 11. ... Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Bc6 13. Qg3 g6 14. Bf3 b5 15. a3 a5 16. b4 d5! Black has already solved his potential opening problems. 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Rad1. White disdains to play for a draw by 19. c3, and launch himself into a controversial combination. 19. ... axb4 20. axb4 Rxc2 21. Bxd5

21. ... Qxd5!! This probably came as a hammer blow surprise to Gunnarsson, who was likely expecting 21. ... exd5 22. f5! with a powerful initiative for White. 22. Bg7. And now what with it? 22. ... Qe4 23. Rd4 Qe2 24. Re1 Rfc8! The elegant corollary of 21. ... Qxd5. 25. Rxe2 Rxe2 26. h3. No better at all is 26. Rd1 Kxg7 with ... Rc8-c2 expressly coming. 26. ... Rc1+ 27. Kh2 Ree1. Threatening mate at h1. Very similar but more accurate was perhaps 27. ... Kxg7 28. Rd7 Ree1 29. Qxe1 Rxe1 30. Rxe7 Re4 remaining two Pawns up. 28. Qxe1. Anyway, after 28. Qf2 Rh1+ 29. Kg3 Rc3+ White must give up his Queen to avoid mate. 28. ... Rxe1 29. Bh6 f6 30. Rd7 Kf7 31. Rb7 e5 32. Rxb5? The losing move! After 32. fxe5 Rxe5 Black is a Pawn ahead and savours a favourable ending, but the way is yet long. 32. ... e4. Bye-Bye. 33. Kg3 Rf1 34. Ra5 e3 35. Ra2 g5. White’s Bishop is now in a cage. 36. fxg5 Bd6+ 37. Kh4 Kg6 0 : 1. Very beautiful game.

Вечерний Ургант (Evening Urgant)

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (@Kosteniuk)

Here is the selfie of 13th Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk – and a magnificent bouquet of roses in her hand – surrounded by “renowned Grandmasters” :). Form left: Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi, Ivan Andreevich Urgant (host of Evening Urgant), Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler, and Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin.

Селфи (Selfie)

Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk (@Kosteniuk)

Here is the selfie of the Russian Champions winning both the unisex and the women’s sections of the European Team Chess Championship!

Super Donkey

Levon Grigori Aronian (@LevAronian)

Anish Giri (@anishgiri)

Vintage Superbrand

Yannick Pelletier – Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky
20th European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 22, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D46

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. 0-0 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. Ng5 h6 12. Nge4 Be7 13. a3 a5 14. Rd1 Qb6 15. Qe2. For 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Bd2 e5 see So – Navara, Prague 2015, match game 4. 15. ... Nxe4 16. Bxe4 b4 17. Na4 Qc7 18. axb4 axb4 19. Bd2 c5 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 21. Nxc5 Nxc5 22. dxc5 Bxc5 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Qc4 Be7 25. Rc1 Qa6 26. g3 Qd6 27. Be1

27. ... g5! “Think Like a Grandmaster”. 28. e4 Bf8 29. Kg2 Qe5 30. b3 Rd8 31. Qe2 Rd4. “Train Like a Grandmaster”. 32. f3 g4! “Play Like a Grandmaster”. 33. Bf2 gxf3+ 34. Kxf3? After 34. Qxf3 Rxe4 White is down a Pawn; however, this would be the lesser evil. 34. ... Qh5+ 35. g4 Qh3+ 36. Bg3 h5!? Here 36. ... f5! looks even stronger. 37. Ke3? Pellettier’s last chance was the (unpleasant) Pawn-down ending by 37. gxh5 Qxh5+ 38. Kf2 Qxe2+ 39. Kxe2 Rxe4+ and so on. Now Black wins by force: 37. ... Rd8! 38. Qb5 Bh6+ 39. g5 Qg2! 0 : 1. For after 40. gxh6 Qd2+ 41. Kf3 Rd3+ Black wins everything.

Douglas Griffin (‏@dgriffinchess)

Garry Kimovich Kasparov vs. Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky
Photo: ChessPro.ru

Into the Spider’s Web

Michael Adams – Levon Grigori Aronian
20th European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 16, 2015
Spanish C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. h3 Ke8 10. Nc3 h5 11. Ne2 Be7 12. Bg5 Be6 13. Nf4 Bd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Rad1 c6 16. Rfe1 h4 17. Rd3 Rh5 18. Bxe7. The Spider’s theoretical novelty. The older try was 18. Bf4 g6 19. a4 Rd8 20. Red1 Ng7 21. Be3 Ne6 22. a5 a6 23. c3 ½ : ½ Karjakin – Pashikian, 39th Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010. 18. ... Kxe7 19. Red1 Rd8 20. c4! d4 21. b4! b6 22. Kf1 c5 23. bxc5 bxc5 24. Ra3 Rd7 25. Ne1 Rh6. Maybe Aronian should have played 25. ... f6, although after 26. Nd3 fxe5 27. Re1 White keeps the edge. 26. Nd3 Rc6 27. Rb1 Rdc7 28. Nf4 Rd7 29. Rb8 g5? Weakening f6 without any compensation. But also 29. ... a6 30. Rf3 looks very unpleasant for Black. 30. Nd5+ Ke6 31. Re8+ Ne7 32. Ke2! Rb6

33. Kd3! Threatening Kd3-e4 followed by Ra3-f3-f6 mate. 33. ... Rb2 34. Ra6+ Rb6 35. Nxb6 axb6 36. Rxb6+ Kxe5 37. Rc6 Kf5 38. Rxc5+ Kf6 39. Rb8 Ng6 40. Rb6+ Ke7 41. Rxg5 Nf4+ 42. Ke4 1 : 0. A masterly game, and the first win ever scored by Adams against Aronian.

Michael Adams
Photo: Icelandic Chess Federation

L’homme qui plantait des arbres

Baadur Jobava – Ivan Šarić
20th European Team Chess Championship; Reykjavík, November 16, 2015
Ponziani Opening C44

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Ne7 6. Nxe5 Ng6 7. Qe2 Qe7 8. Qxe4 Qxe5 9. Qxe5+ Nxe5 10. Bf4 Bd6 11. Bg3 f5 12. Nd2 0-0

13. f4! Baadur’s inimitable style is under the lights: who would ever have played such a move? For 13. f3 f4 14. Bf2 Be7 see Velimirović – P. E. Littlewood, Borovo 1980. 13. ... Ng6 14. 0-0-0 Bxf4 15. d6! cxd6 16. Bxf4 Nxf4 17. g3 Nh5 18. Nc4 d5 19. Nd6. Although Jobava is momentarily two Pawns down, he has the better prospects, for now the c8-Bishop is buried alive. 19. ... Nf6 20. Bg2 Ne4 21. Rxd5 Nxd6 22. Rxd6 Re8 23. Rf1 g6 24. Bd5+ Kh8 25. Kd2 a5 26. Rf4 Re5 27. Rc4 Rb8 28. Rc7 b6 29. c4 Kg7 30. a4 Kf8 31. Rf6+ Ke8 32. Ra7 Re7 33. h4 Rg7 34. Ke3 Ke7 35. Re6+ Kd8 36. Re5 h6. Šarić is not able to put up serious resistance, but also 36. ... Bb7 37. Kf4! looks quite hopeless. 37. Kd4 Rh7 38. h5 Rg7 39. hxg6 Rxg6 40. Re3 Rg7 41. Rf3 Rg6 42. Rxf5 Rxg3 43. Rf8+ Ke7 44. Rf7+ Kd6 45. Rf6+ Ke7 46. Rxh6 Rg4+ 47. Ke5 Rg5+ 48. Kf4 Rg1 49. Be4 Re1 50. b3 Re2 51. Ke5 Kf7 52. Kd6 Rxe4 53. Kc7 Rb7+ 54. Rxb7 Bxb7. The very short life of a Bishop: “My first breath is my last breath”. 55. Kxb7 Re6 56. Rxe6 dxe6 57. Kxb6 e5 58. Kxa5 1 : 0.

Baadur Jobava at the 11th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament in 2010
Photo: Evgeny Surov

Root sum squared

For the Ukrainian women’s team, the European Championship has opened with a nuisance. According to our source, Muzychuk sisters have missed their flight, which resulted in them failing to appear for the first round (England vs. Ukraine). Since there is only one reserve player in the team, a loss by forfeit was unavoidable: Houska 1–0 A. Muzychuk (board 1). [Read more].

• Reykjavík: Ukrainian Women’s Team Started With 0-1 Score as Muzychuk Sisters Missed Their Flight, Chess-News.ru, November 13, 2015

Evgeny Surov (‏@surovlive)