Tablescapes

Ilya Yulievich Smirin – Anton Sergeyevich Korobov
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 28, 2016
Sicilian Defence B93

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 Qc7 7. a4 g6 8. Be2 Bg7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Kh1 e6. For 10. ... e5 11. Nf3 b6 12. f5 see Filipowicz – Kavalek, 2nd Rubinstein Memorial, Polanica-Zdrój 1964. 11. f5 Nc6 12. fxg6 hxg6 13. Nxc6. There is nothing wrong yet, but Black will strengthen his own centre nearly for free. 13. ... bxc6 14. Bf4 e5 15. Bg5 Nh7 16. Be3 Be6 17. a5 f5 18. Qd3 Nf6 19. Bb6 Qe7 20. Qg3 Kf7 21. exf5 gxf5 22. Bd3 e4 23. Be2 Rh8 24. Rad1 d5 25. Na4 Nd7 26. Bc7 Rag8 27. Bd6 Qf6. 27. ... Qxd6 28. Qxd6 Be5 is quite interesting, but, rightly enough, Korobov prefers to keep as many pieces as possible on the board. 28. Bf4 Bf8 29. Qe3 Bh6 30. Bxa6. Such a courage will be bitterly rewarded. 30. ... Qh4. Black’s attack will son become overwhelming. 31. h3 Bxf4.

31. ... Bxf4. Exitus acta probat, but here 31. ... Rg4! was quicker and stronger. 32. Rxf4 Qg5 33. Bf1 Nf6 34. Kg1 Rxh3. Black regains his Pawn without ceding anything. 35. Qxh3 Qxf4 36. a6 Rg3 37. Qh2 Qe3+ 38. Kh1 Rg7 39. Ra1 Rh7 40. Qxh7+ Nxh7 41. Nb6 Nf6 42. Ra3 Qe1 0 : 1. A pretty attacking game.

Both Ilya Yulievich Smirin (standing) and Anton Sergeyevich Korobov (seated) like playing on more tables. Photo: papinchess.ru.

Whiteout

Viorel Antonovich Bologan – Ilya Yulievich Smirin
17th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, July 26, 2016
English Opening A15

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. b4 Bg7 4. Bb2 0-0 5. g3 d6 6. Bg2 e5 7. 0-0 a5 8. a3 e4!? This is apparently a new idea, and appears to be a good one. 9. Ng5 Re8 10. d3 exd3 11. exd3 Bg4 12. f3 Bf5 13. Qd2 d5 14. g4 Bc8 15. b5 Nbd7 16. Nc3? Very careless – in any way. After 16. cxd5 Nc5! Black’s game is easier to play, but nothing irreversible has happened yet. 16. ... h6 17. Nh3 dxc4 18. dxc4

18. ... Ne5! Devastating. White must cede a clear Pawn in order to avoid more disastrous consequences. 19. Qxd8 Rxd8 20. Rad1 Be6 21. Nd5 Nxd5 22. cxd5 Rxd5 23. a4. Losing another Pawn, but there were not good moves for White. 23. ... Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Bb3 0 : 1. For after 25. Ra1 Nxf3+ 26. Bxf3 Bxb2 27. Rb1 Bd4+ 28. Kg2 Bxa4 it’s skin and bones.

Ilya Yulievich Smirin
Photo: Chess-News.ru

ù_ù

Ilya Yulievich Smirin – Nikhilesh Kumar Kunche
43rd World Open; Arlington, July 1, 2015
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. c3 Bg7 5. d4 Qb6 6. a4 cxd4 7. 0-0 a6 8. Bxc6 dxc3? A bad move. Black ought to have retaken on c6, e.g. 8. ... dxc6 9. a5 Qc7 10. cxd4 Bg4 as in the game Smirin – Agasiyev, Baku 2010. Of course, both 8. ... bxc6 and 8. ... Qxc6 are perfectly playable. 9. Bxd7+ Bxd7 10. Nxc3 Bc6 11. a5 Qb4 12. Bd2 Rd8 13. Qc2 Qc4. A wandering Queen... 14. Rfe1 e6? This move is too slow. Mr. Kunche might perhaps have considered 14. ... Nh6 in order to answer 15. h3 by 15. ... f6. 15. Bg5 Ne7 16. Rad1 Rxd1 17. Rxd1 Qc5?? Black clearly stands badly, but the text allows White a very pretty refutation.

18. Nd5!! 1 : 0. For if 18. ... Qxc2 there follows 19. Nc7+ Kf8 20. Rd8+ and mate next move, whilst after 18. ... Qxa5 19. Qc5!! Black must give up his Queen to avoid mate.