Liturgy of the Hours

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – Rinat Jumabayev
14th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, March 9, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D78

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nbd2 Na6 8. b3 c5 9. Bb2 b6 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. b4 Ne6 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Bxg7 Kxg7. It appears to be a novelty. For 13. ... Nxg7 14. Qb3 Nf6 15. Ne5 Be6 16. Qb2 Bd5 17. b5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Ne6 19. Nc6 Qc7 20. Nf3 a6 21. a4 Nc5 see Ki. Georgiev – Lékó, Stočar banka, Čačak 1996. 14. Qb3 Bb7 15. Rfd1 Nf6 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. Rac1 Rac8 18. Qb2 Qb8? An artificial manoeuvre (Δ ... Qb8-a8) that cramps Black’s position and surrenders the initiative to Boris Abramovich. After 18. ... Rfd8 Black seems to have no problem at all.

19. Bh3! b5 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. Nce5 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Qd6 23. Qd4 Bd5 24. a3 a5. Jumabayev nervously starts off aiming too high. 25. Ne1. Of course, 25. bxa5 is also very good and maybe better, but Gelfand, in his typical style, exploits his advantage by subtle positional means, finally gaining material and converting it into a win with superb technique. 25. ... axb4 26. axb4 Bc4 27. Qb2 Qd5 28. Ng2 Rc8 29. Nf4 Qe4 30. f3 Qe3+ 31. Kg2 Kg8 32. Nfd3 g5 33. Nf2 Rd8 34. Nxc4 bxc4 35. Rxc4 Kf7 36. b5 h5 37. Rc3 Rd2 38. Rc2 Rd8 39. Nd3 g4 40. Ne5+ Kg7 41. Nc4 Qc5 42. Qa3 Qxa3 43. Nxa3 Ra8 44. Rc3 Nd5 45. Rb3 gxf3+ 46. exf3 Nb6 47. Kh3 Rc8 48. Nb1 Rd8 49. Re3 Kf7 50. f4 Nc4 51. Re4 Rc8 52. Re2 Nd6 53. Rb2 Rb8 54. Nc3 Nc4 55. Rb4 Nb6 56. Ne4 Nd5 57. Ng5+ Kf6 58. Re4 Nc7 59. Rc4 Nxb5 60. Rb4 e5 61. Ne4+ Kf5 62. Nc3 Nxc3 63. Rxb8 exf4 64. Rf8+ Kg6 65. Rxf4 Nd5 66. Ra4 Ne3 67. Re4 Nf5 68. Kg2 Kf6 69. Kf3 Nd6 70. Rf4+ Kg5 71. Ra4 Kf5 72. Rd4 Ne8 73. Rf4+ Kg6 74. Ke4 Nf6+ 75. Ke5 Kf7 76. h3 Kg6 77. Ke6 Kg5 78. h4+ Kg6 79. Kxe7 1 : 0.

Amruta Sunil Mokal (@amrutamokal)

Breviter

Rinat Jumabayev – Temur Igonin
14th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, March 6, 2016
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Nc6 7. Ne2 Bf5 8. Nbc3 e6 9. 0-0 Qd7 10. Be3 0-0-0 11. Rc1 Kb8 12. Na4 Nd5. For 12. ... Be7 13. Nc5 Bxc5 14. Rxc5 Ne7 see Onischuk – Bacrot, 6th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament, Poikovsky 2005. 13. Bg5 Rc8 14. Nac3 h6 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Bf4 Nd8. Possibly better is the immediate 16. ... g5 in order to answer 17. Be3 (if 17. Bg3 there follows 17. ... h5) by 17. ... Na5 with a more balanced position. 17. Ba4 Qe6 18. Bg3 g5 19. f4 Be7 20. fxg5 hxg5 21. Nc3 c6

22. Nxd5! Sic et simpliciter. 22. ... Bg4? After 22. ... Qxd5 23. Rxf5 White emerges a clear Pawn ahead, but the text is much worse. 23. Qb3 cxd5 24. Bd7! The pointe. 24. ... Qxd7 25. e6+ Qd6 26. Qa3! Mercilessly. 26. ... Nxe6 27. Bxd6+ Bxd6 28. Qxd6+ Ka8 29. Rxc8+ Rxc8 30. Rxf7 1 : 0.

Too Much is Not Enough

David Wei Liang Howell – Rinat Jumabayev
25th Paul Keres Memorial; Tallinn, January 9, 2016
English Opening A33

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Ndb5 Ne5 8. Bg2 a6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10. bxa3 Nxc4 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Bg5 d5 13. Rc1 Nxa3? Gaining a second Pawn, but losing valuable time. Safer is 13. ... Rd8 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. e4 d4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. Rxc4 Qxc4 18. Nb6 Qc5 19. Nxa8 Bd7 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Qf4 Rxa8 22. Qxf6 Rc8 23. e5 Bb5 ½ : ½ Agrest – Wedberg, Swedish Chess Championship, Skara 2002 14. e4 d4 15. e5 Nd7 16. Ne4 Nxe5? Black cannot absolutely afford to take the third Pawn. If, however, 16. ... Nb5 then 17. Be7 Re8 18. Nd6 Nxd6 19. Bxd6 and, in spite of the two Pawns minus, White dominates the board.

17. Nf6+! Howell disdains the Exchange (17. Be7) in order to pursue the attack against the enemy King. 17. ... gxf6. 17. ... Kh8 18. Qh5 leads to mate. 18. Bxf6 Ng6 19. Qh5 e5. Hoping against hope. 20. Rc6! A cruel interference! What follows is a merciless execution. 20. ... Qd8 21. Qh6 Qxf6 22. Rxf6 Bg4 23. Bd5 Be2 24. Rxg6+ hxg6 25. Qxg6+ Kh8 26. Qh6+ Kg8 27. Be4 1 : 0.