Nxf7, and the Only Match Uzbekistan Lost

The game, move by move

A Moscow Sicilian

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… c5 The Sicilian
3. 2. Nf3
4. 2… d6
5. 3. Bb5+ Bb5+ — the Moscow Variation
6. 3… Nd7
7. 4. a4
8. 4… Nf6
9. 5. Nc3
10. 5… a6
11. 6. Bc4
12. 6… Qa5
13. 7. d3
14. 7… b5
15. 8. Bb3
16. 8… e6
17. 9. Bf4
18. 9… b4 b4, at the knight
19. 10. Nb1
20. 10… Nh5 Nh5, at the bishop
21. 11. Be3
22. 11… Be7
23. 12. Nbd2
24. 12… Qc7
25. 13. O-O
26. 13… h6
27. 14. Ne5 The knight to e5
28. 14… Ndf6
29. 15. g4 g4, at the knight on h5
30. 15… g5 g5 dxe5 was the move: the knight on e5 could simply be taken. Yakubboev had under ten minutes left for twenty-five moves.

Nxf7, and the f-file

1. 16. Nxf7 Nxf7 — the knight goes in It takes the pawn in front of the king and forks the rook on h8.
2. 16… Rh7 Rh7, saving the rook And attacking the knight along the seventh rank.
3. 17. gxh5 But White takes a knight first gxh5 takes the knight on h5 before the one on f7 is lost. White comes out of the exchanges a pawn up.
4. 17… Rxf7 The rook takes on f7
5. 18. f4 f4 — the f-file opens
6. 18… d5
7. 19. fxg5 The pawn takes on g5
8. 19… hxg5
9. 20. a5
10. 20… Bd7
11. 21. exd5 The centre opens too
12. 21… exd5
13. 22. Bxd5 The bishop takes on d5
14. 22… Nxd5
15. 23. Rxf7 The rook takes on f7 White has taken a rook. Kxf7 takes it back and the game goes on.

Be6, and a piece gone

1. 23… Be6 Be6 — attacking the wrong rook Kxf7 was the only move. Be6 attacks the rook on f7, and it escapes by taking the bishop on e7 with check. Yakubboev had under three minutes.
2. 24. Rxe7+ Rxe7+ — a whole piece up
3. 24… Qxe7 The queen takes back
4. 25. Qf3
5. 25… O-O-O Castling long, at move twenty-five The king leaves the centre at last, a piece down.
6. 26. Re1
7. 26… Rf8
8. 27. Qe4
9. 27… Qf6
10. 28. Bxc5 The bishop takes on c5
11. 28… Re8
12. 29. Nc4 Nc4 — and Yakubboev resigned A piece down, with the last white piece joining the attack. Germany won the match 2½–1½, and it was the only match Uzbekistan lost in Samarkand.