Samba Pa Ti

Everaldo Matsuura – Paulo Jatobá de Oliveira Reis
83rd Brazilian Chess Championship; Rio de Janeiro, February 10, 2017
Pirc Defence B07

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 0-0 6. 0-0-0 c6 7. f3 b5 8. Kb1 Qa5? Not just a bit new, but seriously wrong. For 8. ... Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. g5 Nh5 11. b3 a5 see Barría Zuñiga – Campora, 33rd International Open, Sevilla 2008. 9. Nd5! Qd8. 9. ... Qxd2 10. Nxe7+ would cost Black a clear Pawn for no compensation, but, on the other hand, the text exposes his King to an irresistible attack. 10. Nxf6+ Bxf6 11. h4! So far, so easy. 11. ... Nd7 12. h5 e6 13. Nh3 Re8 14. hxg6 fxg6. 14. ... hxg6 15. Nf2 is no better at all. 15. f4 Bg7 16. e5 d5 17. Ng5 Nf8 18. Bd3 a5 19. g4 b4

20. Nxh7! As Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão notes, also 20. f5 would have won easily, but the leader of the Championship prefers a more aesthetic solution. 20. ... Nxh7 21. Rxh7! Kxh7 22. Qh2+ Kg8 23. Bxg6. Threatening f4-f5 followed by Qh2-h7+ and Be3-h6. 23. ... Ra7 24. f5! exf5 25. gxf5 Rf7 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Bxf7 Kxf7 28. f6 Rg8 29. fxg7 Be6 30. Qh5+ Kxg7 31. Bh6+ 1 : 0. Black resigned, not without a good reason: 31. ... Kh8 32. Bf8 mate.

Brazil

Alexandr Hilário Takeda Sakai dos Santos Fier – Paulo Jatobá de Oliveira Reis
83rd Brazilian Chess Championship; Rio de Janeiro, February 8, 2017
Nimzo-Indian Defence E46

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Nge2 c6 6. a3 Ba5 7. Ng3 d5 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. 0-0 dxc4 10. Bxc4 e5 11. Bb3 exd4 12. exd4 Bc7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. Bg5 h6 15. Be3 Nb6 16. Qd3 Nbd5 17. Nxd5 cxd5 18. f3 Bd6 19. Rac1 Bd7 20. Qd2 Qb6 21. Nf5 Bf8 22. Bf4 Rac8 23. Ne3 Be6 24. Be5 Be7 25. Nf5 Bxf5 26. Bxf5 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Bd6 28. Bxf6 gxf6 29. g3 Kg7 30. Kg2 Qb5 31. Rc2 Re7. Black’s King’s position on the Kingside is very weak and Fier breakthroughs without too much difficulty. 32. Qd1! Rc7 33. Rd2 Re7 34. f4 Bc7 35. Rc2 Qb3 36. Qg4+ Kf8. Or 36. ... Kh8 37. Kh3! with the deadly threat of Kh3-h4-h5xh6.

37. Bh7! 1 : 0.

Alexandr Hilário Takeda Sakai dos Santos Fier
Photo credit: Rafael Duailibe Leitão