Harpa submersa

Alexander Anatolyevich Donchenko – Anish Giri
32nd Reykjavík Open; Reykjavík, April 25, 2017
Catalan Opening E09

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 c6 4. Qc2 Nf6 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 6. g3 Be7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 b6 9. e4 Bb7 10. e5 Ne8 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Re1 Rc8 13. Qa4 Nc7 14. Bf1 Qe8!? A novelty. For 14. ... a5 15. Bd3 Ba6 16. Bb1 see Grachev – Simonian, 21st Russian Team Chess Championship, Loo 2014. 15. Kg2 Nb8!?? “Here we see the difference between open tournaments and the Élite one’s. Giri is ready to take risks here against his opponent that we wouldn’t see in an Élite tournament. Giri now gives up two Pawns!”, writes Ingvar in his tournament report. 16. Qxa7 Ba8 17. Qxb6 Nc6 18. Qb3 f6 19. Qe3 Qf7 20. exf6 Bxf6 21. Kg1. Maybe it’s not wrong, but 21. Bd3 appears more to the point. 21. ... Rce8 22. Qf4? In order to prevent ... e6-e5, but... 22. ... g5! 23. Nxg5 Qg7 24. Nh3 Nxd4. “Black’s pieces have become magically alive. Meanwhile White is still lagging in co-ordination!”, Ingvar wrote. 25. Bd3 e5 26. Qe3 e4 27. Bb1 Nce6 28. Kh1 Kh8 29. a4 Qg4 30. Nf4 Nxf4 31. Qxf4 Qg7 32. Qe3 Bg5 33. f4 Bf6 34. Ra3 Nf5 35. Qb6 Bd4 36. Qb5 Bf2 37. Rf1 Ba7 38. Ba2 d4. White is in a valley of tears. 39. Bd5 Rb8 40. Qc4 Rfc8 41. Qa2 Ne3 42. Rxe3 dxe3 43. Nxe4

And now Giri concludes in grand style: 43. ... Qf7!! 0 : 1. For if 44. Bxf7 then 44. ... Bxe4+ 45. Kg1 e2+ and mate in two moves.

Anish Giri
Photo: Lennart Ootes

Biding Time

Alexander Anatolyevich Shabalov – Abhijeet Gupta
31st International Chess Open; Reykjavík, March 13, 2016
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. 0-0 Re8 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Be7 9. Nbd2 d6 10. Re1 Bd7. For the immediate 10. ... g5 11. Bg3 g4 12. Nh4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxh4 14. Bxh4 Qxh4 15. d4 f5 see Inarkiev – Aronian, Petrossiàn Memorial, Moscow 2014. 11. a4 g5. Gupta, too, decides to win the Pawn. 12. Bg3 g4 13. Nh4 Nxe4 14. dxe4 Bxh4 15. Bxh4 Qxh4 16. a5 a6. “The amicable Indian Grandmaster came in to the commentary room to show his game and explain his train of thought and he thought if Black managed to consolidate his position and then play a later ... f7-f5 he should be better with a clear extra Pawn while the American GM felt that that White should have plenty of compensation for the Pawn in the form of the numerous weaknesses around the Black King”, writes Manuel Weeks. 17. Bc4 Kg7 18. Nf1 Ne7 19. Ne3 Rf8 20. Bf1 Be6 21. c4. “Shabalov has just played 21. c4 with aggresive intentions of a Rook lift via a3 and swing the Rook to the Kingside along the third rank but it leaves the d4 square weak and Gupta immediately played 21. ... Nc6 and headed for the valuable central outpost”, Weeks said 21. ... Nc6 22. Nf5+. Surely this doesn’t solve anything, but on the contrary worsens matters. 22. ... Bxf5 23. exf5 Qg5 24. Ra3 h5 25. h3 Kf6 26. Rg3 Rg8 27. Bd3 Nd4 28. Be4 Qf4 29. Ree3 c6 30. Bb1 d5. White is dramatically helpless. 31. cxd5 cxd5 32. Re1 Rac8. Or immediately 32. ... Nf3+! winning easily. 33. Rge3

33. ... Nf3+! 0 : 1. For if 34. gxf3 there follows 34. ... gxf3+ 35. Kf1 (or Kh1 Rg2 and mate next move) 35. ... Rg1+! 36. Kxg1 Qg5+ and mate next move.