Bubble Wrap

Maxime Lagarde – Sabino Brunello
22nd International Chess Festival; Trieste, September 3, 2020
Sicilian Defence B90

French Grandmaster Maxime Lagarde won unbeaten the 22nd International Chess Festival in Trieste, Italy, which was held, quite exceptionally, “over the board”, so as to bring The Best of Youth back to reality. Of course, everyone had to follow the basic survival guidelines set for the safety of all participants in the times of a pandemic, such as self-certifications of good health, plexiglass dividing panels and face masks. No awards ceremony was held. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Rg1. The so-called Freak Attack. 6. ... b5 7. g4 Bb7 8. g5 Nxe4 9. Nxe4 Bxe4 10. a4. Dernier cri! 10. ... b4!? A recent and influential game continued: 10. ... e5 11. axb5 Be7 12. Rg4 axb5 13. Bxb5+ Nd7? (13. ... Kf8) 14. Bd2 Bb7 15. Nf5 0-0 16. Rxa8? (16. Rga4!+−) 16. ... Bxa8 17. Rh4 g6 18. Qg4 Nc5 19. Qh3 h5? (19. ... Bxg5! 20. Rxh7 Bxd2+ 21. Kxd2 Qg5+ 22. Kc3 Ne4+ 23. Kb4 Qd2+ ends in a draw by perpetual check) 20. Rxh5!+− Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen, Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, 4th stage, Legends of Chess, chess24.com, August 3, 2020, Final Day 1, match game 3 (time control: 15+10). 11. Qe2 d5 12. f3 Bg6 13. f4 e6 14. Be3 Bd6 15. h4 0-0 16. 0-0-0 Nd7. 16. ... b3!? has many points in its favour and could well have been considered. 17. h5 Be4 18. Bg2 Nc5 19. Bxe4 dxe4? Black doesn’t want to distract the Knight from its material goals on the Queenside, but this way it really means a lot of trouble. 19. ... Nxe4! 20. Qg4 Bc5 21. g6 Qf6 was, of course, rather unclear, but it would be hard for White to prove his compensation. 20. Kb1 Nxa4. Now or never. On the other hand, after 20. ... Qc7 21. Qg4 White’s initiative seems to be as powerful as ever.

21. f5! exf5. Here the engines give preference to 21. ... Be5, but after 22. h6! White’s attack must be close to breakthrough anyway. 22. Nxf5 Nc3+ 23. bxc3 bxc3 (Δ ... Ra8-b8+) 24. Rxd6 Rb8+. If 24. ... Qa5 there would equally follow 25. Nh6+! Kh8 26. Rb6! winning easily. 25. Kc1 Qa5 26. Nh6+! gxh6. Or 26. ... Kh8 27. Qxa6! Qb4 28. Rb6+− as in the game. 27. gxh6+ Kh8 28. Qxa6 Qb4 29. Rb6 1 : 0.

The Second Time Around

谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) – Maxime Lagarde
18th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay, January 30, 2020
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D24

For the second consecutive year, 16th Women’s World Chess Champion 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) won and took home the women’s top prize at the 18th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival. 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Be2 Bb7 9. 0-0 Nc6 10. Be3 Qd7 11. Qc1!?TN (11. Nc3 Be7 12. Qc1 0-0 13. Rd1 Nb4 14. Nd2 Ba6 15. Nce4 Nd3 16. Qb1 Rab8 17. b3 Qc6 18. Nxc4 Nxc4 19. Bxd3 Na3 20. Qc1 Qb7 21. Bxa6 Qxa6 22. Bg5 Bxg5 23. Qxg5 h6 24. Qg4 Rfd8 25. Nc5 Qc6 26. Rac1 Rd5 27. Ne4 Qb6 28. Nf6+ Kh8 29. Nxd5 exd5 30. Qd7 Nb5 31. Qxd5 a5 32. a4 Na7 33. Qxf7 Nc6 34. Qd7 1 : 0 Palac – Piesik, 2nd Open Chess Tournament, Innsbruck 2018) 11. ... Na5 12. Nc3 Qc6 13. Bd2 Bb4 14. Nb1 Nd5 15. Bxb4 Nxb4 16. Nbd2 Nd3 17. Qc3 Nf4 18. Rfe1 Nxe2+ 19. Rxe2 Qb6 20. Ne4 Bd5 21. Nfg5 h6 (21. ... 0-0?? 22. Nf6+!+−) 21. ... h6 22. Nh3 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 0-0-0! 24. Nf4 Rd7 25. b4 Nc6 (25. ... cxb3 26. d5!→) 26. Qxc4 Rxd4 27. Rxd4 Qxd4 28. Qa6+ Kb8 29. Rc1 Nxb4 30. Qe2? Objectively speaking, White should have contented herself with 30. Qb5+ settling for a draw, but her closest rival for the prize, 雷挺婕 (Léi Tǐngjié), had just brilliantly won her game against Azerbaijani Grandmaster Vasif Durarbayli, so 谭中怡 (Tán Zhōngyí) pushes harder in an all out bid to win Caïssa’s favours.

30. ... Rd8! A powerful move which White might have overlooked. 30. ... Qxf4?? was refuted by 31. Rc4+− — but now Black actually threatens 31. ... Qxf4 32. Rc4 Qxc4! winning instantly. 31. g3 g5 32. Ng2 Rd5? (32. ... Kc8∓) 33. Ne3 Rxe5? Black will soon regret for not taking her own King off the b-file. Correct was 33. ... Rc5! 34. Rb1 Kc8∞ with complex play. 34. Rd1? There’s a lot happening, and it’s happening too fast. White apparently missed 34. a3! Qd3? (34. ... Nd5 35. Qb5+ gives White an irresistible attack) 35. Qb2+− winning at least a piece. 34. ... Qe4?? A final blunder that loses material. After 34. ... Qc3 35. Qf3 Qc6 36. Qxf7 a5 the game was still dynamically roughly balanced. 35. Qb2+− a5? 36. Rd4! 1 : 0.

Of course, it’s not always true what they say — the second time is easier. Photo © John Saunders.

90年

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Notes by International Master Malcom Pein

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赵骏 (Zhào Jùn) – Maxime Lagarde
90th Hastings International Chess Congress; Hastings, January 1, 2015
Sicilian Defence B22

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. a3 Bd7 8. Bd3 Bc6 9. 0-0 Nd7 10. Re1 Qc7 11. Bf1. 11. Bf1 is a new move, unambitious-looking, but suggesting that the Pawn on e5 gives White a good game. 11. ... Rd8 12. Nbd2 dxe5 13. dxe5 Nc5. 13. ... Nc5 provokes a fight, but Black’s position is suspect once the Bishop on c6 is exchanged and his Kingside remains undeveloped. Perhaps instead 13. ... Be7 14. b4 a5 15. b5 Nc3 16. bxc6 Nxd1 17. cxd7+ Rxd7 or 13. ... Be7 14. b4 a5 15. b5 Nc3 16. Qb3 Bd5 17. Nc4 Ne4 18. Qc2, but Black’s Knights look vulnerable. 14. Nd4 Nf4

15. Nxc6 bxc6. There was a crazy line: 15. ... Qxc6 16. b4 Ncd3 17. Re3 Be7 18. g3 Qh1+ 19. Kxh1 Nxf2+ 20. Kg1 Nxd1 21. Re1 Nd5 22. Rxd1 Ne3 23. Bb5+ Kf8 24. Rf1 Nxf1 25. Bxf1, but White is better in the endgame. 16. Qc2 Nfd3 17. Re3 Nxe5 18. b4 Ncd7 19. Bb2 Ng4 20. Rg3 Ndf6 21. Nc4. h2–h3 is a terrible threat. The Knight on g4 has no good squares and if 21. ... Be7 22. h3 Nh6 23. Be5 Qc8 24. Rxg7. 21. ... Rd5 22. h3 h5. Desperation. 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Be5 Qd8 25. Re3 Nd7 26. g3 Qg5 27. Bg2 Nxe5 28. Bxd5 Nxc4 29. Bxc6+ 1 : 0. (Malcom Pein, The Telegraph, January 4, 2015).