When looking for a game this week, I first took a look at the St. Louis Showdown G/30 games but found nothing too interesting. And then somewhere in my Internet travels I stumbled across this game, which seems very much in the romantic vein of last week’s Bai Jinshi vs. Ding Liren game, as well as game in the spirit of the “Immortal Game’’ (Anderssen - Kieseritsky, London, England, 1851, 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 b5 5.Bxb5 Nf6 6.Nf3 Qh6 7.d3 Nh5 8.Nh4 Qg5 9.Nf5 c6 10.g4 Nf6 11.Rg1 cxb5 12.h4 Qg6 13.h5 Qg5 14.Qf3 Ng8 15.Bxf4 Qf6 16.Nc3 Bc5 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Bd6 Bxg1 19.e5 Qxa1+ 20.Ke2 Na6 21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Qf6+ Nxf6 23.Be7#) where Black wastes so much time gathering material that it costs him dearly.
Today’s game, a true brevity, is a kindred spirit to Anderssen - Kieseritsky, as Black really pushes his luck by grabbing material while still far behind in development. True, if he defends, he wins, but this game is further proof that this is easier said than done. Alexander Motylev is veteran Russian grandmaster who now serves as trainer for world champion contender Sergey Karjakin. Michele Godena is a veteran Italian grandmaster and five-time Italian champion.
2010 European Ind. Championships, Rijeka, Croatia
Alexander Motylev (2705) - Michele Godena (2561)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Bg5 trying to disrupt Black’s developing scheme 5...Be7 5...f6 is the other move but not 5...Nge7 6.Bf6 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Bxc6 Qb4+?! Rather dangerously impulsive, to say the least. Better is 7...dxc6 8.Qxd4 Nf6 9.Nc3 0–0 10.0–0–0 with a small advantage to White. 8.c3Qxb2 9.Ba4!? New. Both 9.Qxd4 and 9.0–0 have been seen once before with both leading to a draw 9...Qxa1 10.0–0 White has sacrifice an exchange and two pawns for much better development and hope of trapping Black’s queen! 10...b5?! Trying to save his queen by confusing the issue. If 10…Ne7 then 11.Qxd4 0-0 12.Qd2 and Black’s queen is doomed. Another try is 10...Qb2 but after 11.Qxd4 f6 12.Bb3 Qe2 13.e5 c5 14.Qxc5 Qa6 15.Bxg8 Rxg8 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.Re1+ Kd8 18.Qa5+ b6 19.Qd5 White is winning. The only chance for Black survival is 10...Qxa2 11.Qxd4 f6 12.e5 Qe6 13.Re1 Kf8 14.Nbd2 d6 15.exf6 Qxf6 16.Qc4 Qf7 17.Re8+ Kg7 18.Qe2 c6 when Black may hold on. 11.Bb3! Depriving Black’s queen of the a2 exit idea. 11.Qxd4 is also good 11…bxa4 12.Qxh8 Ba6 13.Qxg8+ Ke7 14.Qxa8 Bxf1 15.Qd5; 11.Bxb5 Qb2 helps Black get his queen out 11...c5!? Hoping to keep the position as closed as possible and he plans to meet cxd4 with c4 but first... 12.Nxd4! Material doesn’t matter, open lines do; 12.cxd4 c4 12...cxd4 12...c4 13.Nxb5 cxb3 14.Qxb3 Kd8 15.N1a3 Qxf1+ 16.Kxf1 should be winning. 13.Qxd4 f6 13...Bb7 14.Qxh8 0–0–0 15.Na3 Qb2 16.Nxb5 14.e5 More open lines, please 14...Bb7 14...f5 15.e6!; 14...Ne7 15.exf6 Nf5 16.f7+ Kd8 17.Qxh8+ Kc7 18.f8Q Should be enough to convince Black to resign 15.Na3 15.exf6 is which is equally winning 15...Qb2 16.exf6 or 16...Qxa3 17.f7+ Ke7 18.Re1+ Kd8 19.Qxh8 Kc7 20.fxg8Q Rxg8 21.Bxg8 16…Nh617.Qe5+ Kd8 17...Kf8 18.Qe7# 18.Nxb5 Qd2 19.Qc7+ Ke8 20.Nd6+; 1-0 As after 20…Qxd6 (20...Kf8 21.Qxd7 Qxf2+ 22.Rxf2 Rb8 23.Qe7# (23.Qg7#))21.Re1+ Be4 22.Rxe4+ Qe7 23.Rxe7+ Kf8 24.Rxd7 Ke8 25.Rd8+ Rxd8 26.Qe7#
Chris Chase can be reached at BostonGlobeChessNotes@gmail.com.
