Beauty Conquers Injustice

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Sanan Vyacheslavovich Sjugirov
23rd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 5, 2016
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4. It’s quite rare, but it’s quite sound. 5. ... Be7 6. d4 0-0 7. Bd3 Ng5 8. Nc3 Bg4 9. Bxg5! A deeply conceived theoretical novelty. For 9. Be2 Nxf3+ 10. Bxf3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Nc6 12. Be3 Bg5 see Tseshkovsky – Makarichev, 47th USSR Chess Championship, Minsk 1979. 9. ... Bxg5

10. Bxh7+! Kxh7 11. h4!! The most difficult move of the whole game. Then Nepomniachtchi recognized it as Grandmaster Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov’s idea and credited him for it: “[...] honor and glory to Daniil Dubov, who shared this beauty with me!”. 11. ... Bd2+!? If 11. ... Bxh4 then 12. Qd3+ Kg8 13. Rxh4 f5 14. Rh2 followed by long castling, with an overwhelming attack. 12. Qxd2 Re8+ 13. Kf1 Bxf3 14. Qd3+ Kg8 15. Qxf3. White is up a Pawn and has the better game. Black’s decision to bet on the endgame is hardly commendable, but it is even harder to suggest a more constructive policy. 15. ... Nd7 16. Rd1 Qf6 17. Qxf6 Nxf6 18. f3 d5 19. c5 b6 20. cxb6 axb6 21. Kf2 b5 22. a3 b4 23. axb4 Rab8 24. b5 c6 25. Rhe1. Nepomniachtchi brings home the point with easy confidence. 25. ... cxb5 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Rc1 Ra8 28. Nxb5 Ra4 29. Rc8+ Kh7 30. g4 Rb4 31. Nd6 Rxd4 32. Kg3 1 : 0.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Photo: Chess-News.ru

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi (@lachesisq)

It may not be good, but it’s not so bad

Sanan Vyacheslavovich Sjugirov – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 27, 2015
Réti Opening A07

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 c6 4. 0-0 e6 5. h3 Bh5 6. d3 Nd7 7. e4 Bd6 8. exd5 cxd5 9. c4 Ne7 10. Nc3 0-0 11. cxd5 exd5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Nh4 Nb6? This is probably not a good choice. For 13. ... d4 14. Nb5 Bc5 15. b4 Bxb4 16. Rb1 Bc5 17. Bf4 Nc6 see Kovalev – Moroz, 72nd Ukrainian Chess Championship, Simferopol 2003, while for 13. ... Nc5 14. d4 Ne6 see U. Andersson – G. Flear, Interzonal Tournament, Szirak 1987. 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. a4! Rae8? Black could have tried 15. ... d4 16. Nb5 Bb4 – it may not be good, but it’s not so bad. 16. a5 Na8 17. Nxg6 Nxg6 18. Qa4! Qe6

19. Bd2! Qe5? This leads to disaster. Anyway, after 19. ... Nc7 20. Rae1 White stands much better. 20. f4 Bc5+ 21. Kh1 Qb8 22. Nxd5 Bd6. No better is 22. ... Re2 23. Qc2 followed by Bg2-f3. 23. Qd4. White’s attack will soon become overwhelming. 23. ... Rd8 24. Bc3 f6 25. g5 Ne7 26. gxf6 Nf5 27. Qc4 Rf7 28. fxg7 Rc8 29. Nf6+ Kxg7 30. Nd7+ Kg8 31. Nxb8 Rxc4 32. dxc4 Ng3+ 33. Kg1 Ne2+ 34. Kh2 Nxf4 35. Kh1 1 : 0. Jakovenko literally disintegrated.

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)