The 2018 ‘Super-Finals ‘ of both the men and women is taking place in Satka between August 24 and September 6. Always one of the toughest tournaments of the year. And some great chess is being played! Below I present the game between Jakovenko and Nepomniachtchi. Nepo (as he is affectionately called) is a difficult man to beat, but on this particular day Jakovenko had his number. It turned out to be a real crush. Enjoy!
gm Jakovenko,D – gm Nepomniachtchi,IRussian Ch 30.8.2018
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.O-O a6 5.Bd3{[#]<strong style="color: red;"> The hottest move today! But let’s give credit where it is deserved: the late Danny Kopec championed this idea some 40 years ago, writing and promoting it whenever he had the chance! Few of us took it seriously, but that is because Danny was ahead of his time with respect to playing the anti-Sicilian systems.</strong>} Ngf6 6.Re1 g6$5{[#]<strong style="color: red;"> The most solid, though hardly the only move played in praxis</strong>}
( 6...e6$5 ) ( 6...b5$5 ) ( 6...Ne5$5 ) ( 6...e5$5 )
7.c3 Bg7 8.Bc2
( 8.Bf1$5 {<strong style="color: red;">Is possibly better. Nobody really knows for sure.</strong>} ) O-O 9.d4 e5 {<strong style="color: red;">This can often lead to positions similar to the Spanish Opening.</strong>}10.a4$5{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Perhaps not the most difficult move for Black to meet, as Nepo could have equalized on move 15</strong>}
( 10.dxe5$5 dxe5 ( 10...Nxe5 11.h3 )
11.a4 b6 12.c4 Nh5 13.Nc3 Nf4 14.a5 b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Rxa5
17.Rxa5 Qxa5 18.Nd6 Qc7 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.e5 Bb7 21.Nxb7 Qxb7 22.e6
fxe6 23.Ng5 Rb8 24.Rxe6 Nf8 25.Re4 Bf6 26.h4 Qxb2 27.Qd5+ Kh8
28.Qxc5 Qb5 29.Qd6 Qb6 30.Qxf4 Bb2 31.Nf7+ Kg7 32.Nd6 Kh8 33.Re7
Qb4 34.Be4 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Qb4 36.g3 Bd4 37.Bd5 Bc3 38.Qf7 {1-0, Areshchenko,A 2654 – Dastan,B 2480 , Warsaw POL 9/ 7/2016 Najdorf Mem Open A 2016}
)
( 10.d5$5 {<strong style="color: red;">This is my recommendation, transposing into rich Spanish-type positions.</strong>} b5 11.a4 Nb6 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.b3 Qc7 {Xu,Yi 2444 – Peng,Xiongjian 2423 , Shanghai CHN 29/ 3/2017 Shanghai Gulf Cup 2017}
14.a5 {!} ) cxd4 ( 10...b6$6 11.d5! ) 11.cxd4 exd4 12.Nxd4{[#]}
( 12.Qxd4 Qc7 13.Nc3 Re8 {<strong style="color: red;">when White really has nothing better than to move his Queen.</strong>} ) Nc5$5{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Apparently this is new.</strong>}
( 12...Re8 13.Nc3 {<strong style="color: red;">when Black has not done particularly well in praxis</strong>} )
13.Nc3
( 13.Ra3$5 {<strong style="color: red;">The computer suggest this strange move, but there is a little problem </strong>} Re8 14.b4 Ncxe4 15.f3 d5!{<strong style="color: red;">when Black will get great compensation for the piece. I think Jakovenko wisely avoided this line.</strong>} ) d5!{[#]}
( 13...Re8 14.Bg5! ) 14.e5{[#]}
Nfe4 15.f4 Nxc3$6{[#]}
( 15...f6! 16.exf6 Qxf6 ( 16...Nxf6 17.f5 ) 17.Be3
Nxc3 18.bxc3 Bd7 19.a5 Rac8 20.Rb1 Qf7 {<strong style="color: red;">and Black has little to complain about, though a tough fight is in progress.</strong>} )
16.bxc3 Re8{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Now Black has some difficulties in reaching a satisfactorily developed game. This problem is the root of Black’s subsequent defeat.</strong>} 17.Be3 Qc7{[#]}
( 17...Be6$6 18.Nxe6 Nxe6 19.Bb3 ) 18.Qf3!{[#]<strong style="color: red;">White quickly takes advantage of Black’s omission on move 15, piling up pressure.</strong>} Ne4$5{[#]} ( 18...Rd8 19.a5
Rb8 20.Bf2 {<strong style="color: red;">does not change the assessment of the position.</strong>} ) 19.Bb3{[#]} ( {<strong style="color: red;">It is curious that Jakovenko is not interested in getting just a small advantage that comes with the simple</strong>}19.Bxe4$5 dxe4 20.Qxe4 Qxc3 21.Bf2 {<strong style="color: red;">No doubt Jakovenko wanted more!</strong>} ) Qd7{[#]<strong style="color: red;">this move has been criticized, but there is nothing better</strong>}
( 19...Nxc3 20.Rac1 Qa5 21.Bd2! )
( 19...Bd7 20.Bxd5 Nc5 21.a5! )
20.Rad1$5{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Only a very ambitious grandmaster would reject playing c4!</strong>} ( 20.c4!{<strong style="color: red;">this move wins a pawn, as trying to hold on to it would lead to immediate defeat:</strong>} dxc4 ( 20...Nd2 21.Qxd5 ) 21.Bxc4 Nd2
( 21...Nc5 22.Nb5 ) 22.Bxf7+! Kxf7 ( 22...Qxf7 23.Bxd2 ) 23.Qe2
Ne4 24.Qc4+ Kf8 25.Bc1 {<strong style="color: red;">and Black’s days are counted</strong>} ) Nxc3{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Otherwise White is going to move Nc2 and win the d-pawn</strong>} 21.Rd3$5{[#]} ( 21.Rc1 {<strong style="color: red;">was also strong, but Jakovenko knows what he wants!</strong>} Ne4 ( 21...Nxa4
22.Bxd5 ) 22.Red1 ) Ne4{[#]}
( 21...Nxa4 22.Bxd5 Nc5 23.Rc3 Ne6 24.Nxe6
fxe6 25.Be4 a5 26.Rd1 Qf7 27.Rdc1 a4 28.Rc7 )
22.e6!{[#]A very nice concept.}
( 22.Nc2$5{<strong style="color: red;">was also strong</strong>} f5 23.Bxd5+ Kh8 24.Bxe4 fxe4 25.Qxe4 Qf5 26.Qd4 Be6
27.Rd2 Rac8 28.Qb2 ) fxe6{[#]} ({<strong style="color: red;">Also ugly is</strong>} 22...Qe7 23.Bxd5 f5 24.Bxe4 fxe4
25.Qxe4 Bxd4 26.Bxd4 Qxe6 27.Be5 ) 23.Nxe6!{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Brilliant!Isn’t it curious how tactics always flow naturally from superior positions?</strong>} Nf6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Probably the toughest try to hold the position</strong>}
( 23...Rxe6$6 24.Rxd5!
Qe8 25.Rd3 Nf6 26.Bd2 Kh8 27.Bxe6 Bxe6 28.Rd6 {<strong style="color: red;">and White wins material</strong>} ) ( 23...Qxe6 24.Bxd5 )
24.f5!{[#]} ( 24.Bf2$5 Rxe6 25.Rxe6 Qxe6 26.Rxd5 ) gxf5{[#]<strong style="color: red;">there is nothing better</strong> }
( 24...Kh8 25.Bxd5
gxf5 26.Nxg7 Qxg7 27.Rc1 Nxd5 28.Qxd5 Be6 29.Qa5 Kg8 30.Bd4 Qh6
31.Rg3+ )
25.Nxg7!{<strong style="color: red;">By removing the dark squared Bishop, Black will be helpless in the coming enslaught.</strong>} Qxg7{[#]} ( 25...Kxg7 26.Bxd5 ) 26.Qf1!{[#]<strong style="color: red;">Ofcourse White has numerous strong continuations, but Jakovenko picks the most decisive.</strong>}
( 26.Bxd5+$5 Nxd5 27.Qxd5+ Qf7 28.Qd4 f4 29.Bd2 Rxe1+ 30.Bxe1 Bf5
31.Bc3 ) Be6$5{[#]} ( 26...Kh8 {<strong style="color: red;">goes down in flames after</strong>} 27.Bd4! Bd7 28.Rg3 Qf7 29.Rxe8+ Rxe8 30.Bxd5
Qf8 31.Qa1 ) 27.Bd4!{[#]<strong style="color: red;">White’s position is so strong, and his Bishops so powerful, that resigning in frustration here is understandable. Nepo fights on courageously, but it is hopeless…</strong>} Kf7 28.Qf4{[#]} ( 28.Rxe6$5 Rxe6 ( 28...Kxe6 29.Bxd5+ )
29.Bxd5 Rc8 30.Rb3 ) Bd7{[#]}
( 28...h6 29.Rg3 Qh7 30.Bxf6 Kxf6 31.Bd1 )
( 28...Qg4 29.Qc7+ Re7 30.Qe5 Qg6 31.Rg3 Ng4 32.Rxg4 Qxg4
( 32...fxg4 33.Rf1+ Ke8 34.a5 ) 33.Qf6+ Ke8 34.Rxe6 )
29.Rf1!{[#]}
Be6 ( 29...Re4 30.Bxd5+ Nxd5 31.Qxe4 ) 30.Rg3 Qh8 31.Qh4$5{[#]}
( 31.Rg5 {<strong style="color: red;">is also quite effective in ending all resistance</strong>} Rac8 32.Rxf5! ) Rad8 32.Bc2{[#]} h6{[#]<strong style="color: red;">It makes no difference at this point of the game.</strong>} ( 32...Rd7 33.Bxf5! Bxf5
34.Rxf5 Re6 35.Rxf6+ Rxf6 36.Qh5+ Ke7 37.Qe5+ Kf7 38.Rf3 )
33.Bxf5! {[#]<strong style="color: red;">Here Nepo threw in the towel. Large material losses or mate is in the cards.</strong> }
Bxf5 34.Rxf5 Re6 35.Rxf6+ Rxf6
36.Bxf6 Qxf6 37.Rf3{[#]<strong style="color: red;">A great game by Jakovenko who never let Nepo off the hook!</strong> } 1-0
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