The Rilton Cup is over, with Indian grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran winning and American Gata Kamsky in third. Local players Sam Sevian (38th) and Mark Esserman (52nd) had poor events, but Tiger Christopher Robin Hillarp-Persson, a 46-year-old Swedish grandmaster who finished in 20th place, had the distinction of playing perhaps the best game of the event.
Today’s game is a good example of the intuitive sacrifice, a true sacrifice at least according to Rudolf Spielmann in his book “The Art of Sacrifice in Chess,’’ in that the consequences of the sacrifice are not clear. Hillarp-Persson ends up sacrificing a rook based on some calculation, of course, but more on a feel for the resulting positions.
Black, a German international master, can’t find an answer to White’s swarming pieces and must concede.
2016–17 46th Rilton Cup, Stockholm, Sweden
Tiger Hillarp Persson (2511) - Grafl Florian (2394)
1.d4 e6 2.e4 b6 Here we have the Owen’s Defense (English Vicar John Owen, 1827-1901, who played it often and even beat Morphy with it in an off-hand game.) yet another off-beat, little theory opening which is its main appeal as it has very little else to recommend it. 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Qe2 d5 6.e5 Nfd7 7.0–0 c5 8.c3 Nc6 We have reached a French type position with a similar pawn structure and that bad Black bishop 9.a3 c4 10.Bc2 Be7 11.Bf4 b5 It’s a game of pawn chains and pawn levers - f5 for White and b4 for Black.12.Nbd2 a5 13.Qe3 Nb6 Maybe 13...h6 is better to prevent White’s next regrouping maneuver. 14.Ng5 h6 14...g6 Doesn’t work: 15.Ndf3 h6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Bxg6+ Kf8 18.Bxh6+ Kg8 19.Qf4 winning 15.Nh3 Kd7 Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Black’s king heads for the apparent safety of his queenside but looks are deceiving. 16.Bg3 b4 17.f4 g6 Thinking that this stops f5 but it’s not so. 18.f5! gxf5 19.Bxf5! exf5 20.Rxf5 It’s a piece for a pawn and chaos in Black’s position — weak pawns, squares and a very insecure king.
Notice that c7 is not a safe square for the king due to that very quiet bishop on g3. 20...Qg8 21.Raf1 Nd8 Thinking he had consolidated but... 22.Rxf7! Now it’s a rook for just two pawns. 22...Nxf7 The computer “feels’’ that its best to decline the rook with Rh7 but after 23.e6+ Nxe6 24.Nf3 Na4 25.Nf4 Ra6 26.Ne5+ Black is still losing but he lasts longer 23.e6+ Kc6 24.exf7 The f7 pawn is a real monster, this pawn is probably worth as much as a rook. 24...Qd8 or24...Qf8 25.Nf3 Bd6 26.Ne5+ Bxe5 27.Qxe5 Kb5 28.axb4 axb4 29.Nf4 Qxf7 30.Ne6 winning with the threat of Nc7+ 25.Nf3 Kb5 or 25...Nd7 26.Nf4 Nf8 27.Ne5+ Kb5 28.Neg6 Rh7 29.Ne6 Qd7 30.Nc7+ Kb6 31.Nxe7 26.Ne5 Though a rook down, White is very calm, just bringing up his pieces, especially his all-powerful knights.
This was an intuitive sacrifice, as it is not possible to calculate all the lines but you just the feel that Black will not be able to hold the position. And you know what, the “all-powerful’’ chess engine agrees with Tiger! 26...Bf8 or 26...Nd7 27.Ng6 Bf6 28.Nhf4 Nf8 29.Nxh8 Bxh8 30.Ne6 Nxe6 31.Qxe6 Bg7 32.Bd6 Bf8 33.Bxf8 Qxf8 34.Rf6 is winning 27.Nf4 Nd7 28.Ne6 Qc8 29.Ng6 Rh7 30.Nc7+ Kb6 31.Qe6+ Bc6 31...Ka7 32.Nb5# 32.Nxd5+ Kb7 33.Nde7 Bxe7 34.Nxe7 Nf8 34...Qd8 35.Qxc6+ Ka7 36.f8Q Nxf8 37.Rf6 35.Qe5 Qd7 36.Rf6 Bd5 37.Rd6 Since he is dropping his bishop and his king is still in great trouble, Black gave up; 1–0
Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.
