Bacrot wins wild,wild game in Rd #4

Congratulations to both French grandmaster Étienne Bacrot and his opponent – Russian grandmaster Pavel Ponkratov – for demonstrating wonderful fighting spirit in the first game of their 2-game mini-match in the Sochi World Cup. 

The game saw both players playing for a win, featured opposite-side castling and pawn advances against each other’s King. Wild complications ensued, with Bacrot taking better advantage of his opportunities.

At one point Bacrot sacrificed his Queen and emerged with a winning game (plus 2 Rooks for his Queen).  Probably short of time, a slight imprecision gave Bacrot’s opponent to get back into the game, but Ponkratov did not see it.

gm Bacrot,E – gm Ponkratov,P
Sochi Rd.4  22.7.2021
1-0