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Battaglini, Gabriel

Le Roux, Jean-Pierre

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.5  Yesterday!  Position after 29 moves.  Something has gone terribly wrong for Black, his passed d-pawn completely blockaded while White’s center advances unchecked.  Black’s last move (29…Rf8) hopes to break the centre (…Bxf6).  White , no doubt, can keep a large edge by simply taking the b-pawn, but he sees better.  Do you see it?

WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!

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gm  Solodovnichenko, Yuri

gm  Navara, David

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.5  Position after 26 moves of a sharp variation of the Sicilian that has seen both sides castle on opposite sides. White is temporarily up a pawn and should not think of trying to hold on to it.  In such positions the initative is of more importance than material.

WHITE TO PLAY AND CRUSH!

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‘ONLY A DRAW’

gm  Demuth, Adrien

gm  Salgado Lopez, Ivan

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.4 Position before Black’s 23rd move. A super-sharp Sicilian pitting two of Europe’s top young grandmasters!  White has a strong initiative on the Kingside, threatening to mate  with 24.PxP followed by 25.Rxh7. Fortunately it is Black’s move.  Adrien thought a while here, not seeing anything clearly forced , and erred with 23…Bf2(?) when 24.Qg5! should soon end the game.

INSTEAD, Black has a forced draw starting with:

23…Bxa2+!  24.Kxa2 Rxc2 25.Rxd4! Qxd4 26.Qb3 Rxe2!  27.hxg6

27…h5!!! (This incredible was overlooked by Adrien) 28.Rxh5 Rxb2+!! 29.Qxb2 Qa4+ with a perpetual check. AMAZING!

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TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.5 Le Roux, Jean-Pierre–Battaglini, Gabriel:  30.Ng5!! 1-0  Forced mate.  The threat is 31.Qg8+! and mate next move.  Ofcourse, thaking the Queen with 30…RxQ allows mate in one.  The best line of defence will also end in mate, but in about 12 moves, after 30…Qxf6 31.exf6 Rxf7 32.Nxf7+ Kg8 33.Nh6+ Bxh6 34.d7 etc   Better to just throw in the towel and have a cold beer!

TCh-FRA Top 12  Montpellier  2015.6.5 Navara, David–Solodovnichenko, Yuri: 27.Rxf6! gxf6 28.Rg1+ Rg7 29.Rxg7+ Kxg7 30.Nf5+ 1-0  The King has no shelter from White’s next checks, and mate is justa round the corner.  Unstoppable!