Monday, February 13, 2017

Samba Pa Ti

Everaldo Matsuura – Paulo Jatobá de Oliveira Reis
83rd Brazilian Chess Championship; Rio de Janeiro, February 10, 2017
Pirc Defence B07

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 0-0 6. 0-0-0 c6 7. f3 b5 8. Kb1 Qa5? Not just a bit new, but seriously wrong. For 8. ... Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. g5 Nh5 11. b3 a5 see Barría Zuñiga – Campora, 33rd International Open, Sevilla 2008. 9. Nd5! Qd8. 9. ... Qxd2 10. Nxe7+ would cost Black a clear Pawn for no compensation, but, on the other hand, the text exposes his King to an irresistible attack. 10. Nxf6+ Bxf6 11. h4! So far, so easy. 11. ... Nd7 12. h5 e6 13. Nh3 Re8 14. hxg6 fxg6. 14. ... hxg6 15. Nf2 is no better at all. 15. f4 Bg7 16. e5 d5 17. Ng5 Nf8 18. Bd3 a5 19. g4 b4


20. Nxh7! As Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão notes, also 20. f5 would have won easily, but the leader of the Championship prefers a more aesthetic solution. 20. ... Nxh7 21. Rxh7! Kxh7 22. Qh2+ Kg8 23. Bxg6. Threatening f4-f5 followed by Qh2-h7+ and Be3-h6. 23. ... Ra7 24. f5! exf5 25. gxf5 Rf7 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Bxf7 Kxf7 28. f6 Rg8 29. fxg7 Be6 30. Qh5+ Kxg7 31. Bh6+ 1 : 0. Black resigned, not without a good reason: 31. ... Kh8 32. Bf8 mate.

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