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A bad day at the office…

 

gm  Svetushkin,D

gm  Cruz,C

TCh-ESP Div Honor Linares 2014.9.7  Position after White’s 16th move (16.h5). The impression is that something has gone wrong with Black’s opening; Cruz–my team mate– is trying to punish Black for castling too early. I don’t think that Black is lost yet, but he must play very precisely if he is to survive: 16…PxP!  17.Bxh5 NxB 18.RxN f6!, allowing the King to escape via f7 if necessary. INSTEAD, Svetushkin jumps from the pan into the fire:

 

16…Nxh5?

 

After this Black is lost.  It is surprising that such a strong player as Svetushkin–himself a great attacker–would succumb so quickly. Probably he was just having a bad day…

 

17.BxN  Bf6

Black probably overlooked that 17…PxB 18.Nxd5! wins immediately

 

18.Qd1!

 

Now if 18…PxB 19.Nxd5! PxN 20.Qxh5 Bc3+! 21.BxB f6 22.Bxf6! wins, but this is the best that Black can do anyway!  Svetushkin no doubt saw this and thought that his move order amounted to the same thing…

18…BxN+?! 19.BxB PxB

 Now 20.Qxh5 f6! 21.Bxf6! should  eventually win, but Cruz has better!

 

20.Bxg7!!

Now if 20…Bg4 21.QxB!!  PxQ 22.Bf6! with mate to follow.  No doubt Svetushkin want to resign here, but played on for his team mates

 

20…KxB  21.Qxh5

There is nothing to do.  21…Rh8 is met by 22.Qg5+ and 21…Rg8 allows mate in one.

 

21…Kf6!? 22.Qh4+! Kg6  23.Qh6+

Here Svetushkin was about to move his King to f5 but resigned.  It is forced mate starting with 24.Rh5+

 1-0

Everybody is allowed a bad day…

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