Annotated by GM Alexander Kalinin

The leader at the Moscow open has changed. GM Artyom Timofeev from Kazan heads the race with 6.5 points as he beat Yuri Eliseev in the 7th round. Their battle was really exciting and we thank both the grandmasters for it!

The Guinness Book of World Records

After «the most mass chess lesson in the world» was held at the Moscow Open, the organizers are eager to get the laurels of new records.

- «There are four queens on the board! It’s fantastic!» - they exclaim.
- «No surprise there» - the representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records say.
- «There was a hot 48-move battle on the board in which many pieces and pawns died, new queens were born, and the Black king stood still on the e8-square, not making  a single move in the whole game!!» - we exclaim.
- «Needs checking» - the representatives say.
- «White was attacking the f7-point from the 16th move till the 49 th move and finished the game with the Scholar’s mate Bc4+Qf7#! In the end he managed to sacrifice two queens (!) by a single move (48.Qxe5)! Had this ever happened before?!!» - everybody is shouting.

We are waiting for an answer…

Timofeev, Artyom – Eliseev, Yuri
Russia Cup Stage 2016

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 a6 8.0–0–0 Bd7 9.f4 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Kb1 Qb6

This is a tabia of the Rauser variation in the Sicilian defense. Black dreams to transpose into an ending where his bishops will be able to demonstrate their power, whilst White wants to continue playing the middlegame (where it’s not easy to find a safe place for the black king) and organize pressure on the f6-pawn.

12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.f5 b4 14.Ne2 e5
The e6-pawn has left its place readily as it’s not easy for White to use the weakness on d5 - the pawns on b4 and e5 are preventing the white knight from coming there.

15.Ng3
Now Black faces the choice –either to let the knight on h5 or to allow Bc4.

15…h5
Holding the knight back. The alternative is 15...Qc5 16.Nh5 Ke7. The game M. Perunovic – A. Jankovich (Neum 2014) saw energetic 17.g4  (White used to play 17.Bd3 Rg8 18.Rhg1 Rg5 19.g4 Bh6 20.Qe2 Rgg8  but that allowed Black to activate his dark-squared bishop) 17...Rg8 18.Rg1 Bxe4 19.g5 fxg5 20.Rg4 with an attack for White.

16.Bc4!
A rare and vigorous continuation – White is sacrificing two pawns with the idea of occupying all the light squares in the center!
The previous games saw mainly 16.h4. For instance, the game S. Iermito – Y. Eliseev (Turkey 2013) continued: 16…Qc5 17.Qe2 Ke7 18.Nxh5 Bb5 19.Qg4 Bh6 20.Bd3 Bc6 21.Qe2 Qe3 22.Qxe3 Bxe3, and then Black outplayed the opponent gradually.

16...h4 17.Nf1 Bxe4 18.Qe2 Bxf5 19.Ne3 Be6

This position had also been practiced by Eliseev. The game A.Grischuk – Y. Eliseev (Moscow Superfinal championship 2014) saw 20.Qf3 Ra7 21.Bxe6 fxe6 22.Qxf6 Rh6 23.Qf3 etc.
The GM from Kazan doesn't hurry to get the material back and continues his plan of dominating the light squares.

20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.Bxd5 Rc8 22.Qg4 Rc7 23.Rhf1 Rh6 24.Rf3
From the 3rd rank, the rook is looking at each side of the board.

24…h3!
Wittily played! Black returns an extra pawn with the idea of exchanging the active rook.

25.Rg3!
25.Rxh3 or 25.gxh3 Rg6 26.Qe4 Rg1! would help Black, but now 25...Rg6? is impossible because of 26.Bxf7+.

25...a5
Diagram

26.a4!
A strong positional move. White neutralizes the eventual a5-a4-a3 counterplay and also provides a safe shelter for his king on а2.

26…Qf2
26...bxa3 27.Rxa3 would activate the white rook.

27.Bb3 f5 28.Qg8 hxg2 29.Rg7 Rf6

30.Rh7!
Played resourcefully and in cold blood. The attack goes on without losing its pace, and White is not afraid of the black passed g2-pawn. The tactical substantiation is 30...Qf1? 31.Rh8! Qxd1+ 32.Ka2 Kd7 33.Qxf8 Re6 34.Qd8+ Kc6 35.Qa8+ Kd7 36.Rd8+ Ke7 37.Rg8! Kf6 (White mates after 37...Kd7 38.Bd5! b3+ 39.cxb3) 38.Qxg2 with a winning attack.

30…d5!
Connecting the queen with the f8-bishop.

31.Rh8 Qc5 32.Qxg2
The g2-pawn is exterminated at last and White can develop his initiative in a quieter atmosphere.

32…d4
Black could exchange queens by 32...Rg6 33.Qxd5 Qxd5 34.Rxd5 but the ending would be bad for Black.

33.Qg7 Rcc6 34.Ka2
Immediate 34.h4 Qe7 35.h5 was also possible.

34...Rce6
An attempt to prepare Rf6-g6. Another try is 34...Qe7 35.h4 Rg6 36.Rxf8+ Qxf8 37.Qxe5+ Qe7 38.Qxf5 Rc5 39.Qf3 where White has a strong initiative for the exchange. 

35.Rg1
Both sides are fighting for the initiative ignoring material gains! Simple 35.Bxe6 Rxe6 36.h4 brings advantage to White as 36…Rg6 is followed by 37.Rxf8+ Qxf8 38.Qxe5+. White, however, doesn’t want to exchange his powerful bishop on b3 even for a rook.

35...Rh6 36.Rg5 Rxh8 37.Qxh8 Rh6 38.Qg8 Rf6 39.Rg7 Qe7 40.h4 f4
A pawn race starts. Black could play calmer - 40...Kd7 41.Rxf7 Rxf7 42.Bxf7 e4 43.Bc4 etc. , but both sides are striving to win.

41.h5

41...f3
More precise is 41...d3 42.cxd3 f3 43.h6 f2 44.h7 f1Q 45.h8Q Qxd3. However, after 46.Rg3 (46.Qh1? reveals Black's idea - 46...Qxb3+! 47.Kxb3 Qe6+ 48.Kc2 Rf2+ with mate) White keeps the initiative (46...Rf3?! 47.Bxf7+!).

42.h6 f2 43.h7 f1Q 44.h8Q d3 45.Rg1! Qf3
In case of  45...Qf5 (45...Qe2 46.Qg5+-) 46.Qh1 Qf3 (46...e4 47.Rg5) 47.Qxf3 Rxf3 48.Qg4 Black position is also unpleasant.

46.Rg3 Qc6 47.Rxd3 Rg6

Black hopes to catch the white queens in the corner, but now the crushing blow finishes the game.

48.Qxe5!!
1–0