Two Pieces Left Hanging

The game, move by move

A slow Anti-Nimzo

1. 1. d4 Queen’s pawn
2. 1… Nf6
3. 2. c4
4. 2… e6
5. 3. Nf3
6. 3… Nc6
7. 4. Nc3
8. 4… Bb4 Bb4, at the knight
9. 5. Qc2
10. 5… Bxc3+ The bishop takes the knight
11. 6. Qxc3
12. 6… O-O
13. 7. g3
14. 7… Ne4
15. 8. Qc2
16. 8… d5
17. 9. Bg2
18. 9… a5
19. 10. O-O
20. 10… a4
21. 11. Rd1
22. 11… Nd6
23. 12. c5 c5, closing the queen’s side
24. 12… Nf5
25. 13. e3
26. 13… f6
27. 14. Bd2
28. 14… Bd7
29. 15. Bc3
30. 15… Nce7
31. 16. Qe2
32. 16… Qe8
33. 17. Bf1
34. 17… Nc6
35. 18. Ne1
36. 18… Na7
37. 19. Nd3
38. 19… Bb5
39. 20. b3
40. 20… Nc6
41. 21. Bh3
42. 21… Qf7

White takes over

1. 22. Qf3
2. 22… g5 g5, at the king’s side
3. 23. Bf1
4. 23… Nce7
5. 24. Re1
6. 24… Ra7
7. 25. Qd1
8. 25… Rfa8
9. 26. Qc2
10. 26… Qg6
11. 27. Rad1
12. 27… Kh8
13. 28. Bg2
14. 28… axb3
15. 29. axb3
16. 29… Ra2
17. 30. Qb1
18. 30… Nc6
19. 31. Nc1
20. 31… R2a3
21. 32. Qb2
22. 32… Kg8
23. 33. e4 e4 — the centre opens
24. 33… Nfe7
25. 34. exd5
26. 34… exd5
27. 35. Re6 Re6, into the hole
28. 35… Qf5
29. 36. Rde1
30. 36… Kf7
31. 37. R6e3
32. 37… h5
33. 38. Bf3
34. 38… g4
35. 39. Bd1
36. 39… h4 h4, with forty seconds left One more move to the time control. Qd7 was the move; this one leaves White three pawns better on the engine’s count.
37. 40. f3 f3 — the king’s side opens
38. 40… gxf3
39. 41. Rxf3 The rook takes back
40. 41… Qg5
41. 42. Qf2
42. 42… Rh8
43. 43. g4
44. 43… Ra6
45. 44. Nd3
46. 44… Bxd3 The bishop takes the knight
47. 45. Rxd3

h3, and it is level

1. 45… h3 h3 — something to get wrong White is winning. The pawn asks one question, and Rg3 is the answer.
2. 46. Ree3 Ree3 Not Rg3, and most of White’s advantage goes.
3. 46… Ng6 Ng6
4. 47. Rxh3 Rxh3 — and it is level The rooks come off on the h-file and the engine has the position at zero.
5. 47… Rxh3
6. 48. Rxh3
7. 48… Qc1 Qc1, behind the lines
8. 49. Qf1
9. 49… Kg7
10. 50. Rf3
11. 50… Ra2

Nf4, and two pieces hanging

1. 51. Be2 Be2, with two minutes left b4 held. On e2 the bishop stands where a knight on f4 attacks it.
2. 51… Nf4 Nf4 — both pieces offered The rook can take the knight, and the white queen on f1 can take the black queen on c1. Rxf4 lets the queen take the bishop on c3; Qxc1 is met by Nxe2+, checking the king and taking back the queen. Bd1 was the only defence.
3. 52. Rxf4 The rook takes it, with forty seconds left
4. 52… Qxc3 And the queen takes the bishop on c3
5. 53. Bd1 Bd1
6. 53… Qe3+ Qe3+
7. 54. Kh1 The king to the corner
8. 54… Qd2 Qd2 — and Donchenko resigned The material is level, but the black queen and rook are inside White’s position and the engine has White lost. India won the match 2½–1½.