Malcolm Pein on…The Fall of Fedoseev

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Today’s Daily Telegraph chess column sees Malcolm Pein focusing on the fall of Fedoseev.

It is yet another case of Hikaru Nakamura showing his class at speed chess. His resourcefulness is impressive too, as today’s main game clearly demonstrates.

Malcolm Pein on…The Fall of Fedoseev

One of the most one-sided matches ever seen in the Chess.com 2020 Speed Championship saw American GM Hikaru Nakamura breeze into the semifinals after crushing Vladimir Fedoseev of Russia 21.5-9.5. Nakamura started with nine straight wins in the Blitz section and advanced to an all-American semifinal clash against Wesley So. In the other semifinal Maxime Vachier-Lagrave takes on Magnus Carlsen.

Fedoseev did at least have the satisfaction of playing a wonderful combination here. Unfortunately, he did not manage to convert an overwhelming advantage. This position is from Nakamura – Fedoseev after 27.Qf6

The Fall of Fedoseev

Black to play

27…Qxg2+!! 28.Kxg2 Bxd5+ 29.Rf3? (After 29.Kg1! Bc5+ 30.Rf2 Bxf2+ 31.Qxf2 Re4 32.h3! Ne5 intends Nf3+ when Black is not worse after 33.Bxe5 Rxe5, or White can risk 33.Rf1) 29…Re2+ 30.Kg3 (If 30.Kf1 Rxb2! 31.Qxb2 Bxf3 White is completely dominated. For example, 32.Re1 Bg4 33.Re2 Rd1+ 34.Kf2 Bxe2 35.Kxe2 Rd2+) 30…Bd6+ 31.Rf4 (31.Kh4 Be7) 31…Rxb2 (31…Bxf4+ 32.Qxf4 Rg2+ 33.Kh4 g5+ was the practical choice or if 31…Bxf4+ 32.Kxf4 Rf8) 32.Qxb2 g5 33.Raf1 gxf4+ 34.Kh3 Be5 35.Rg1+ Kf7 36.Qe2 Be6+ 37.Kh4 Bf6+ 38.Kh5 Rd5+ 39.Kh6 Ne5 (39…Nd4 40.Qg2 Nf5+ 41.Kxh7 Ng3! was another win) 40.Qe4 Ng6 41. Rxg6 hxg6 42.Qxg6+ Ke7 43.Qe4 Bg5+?! (43…f3 44.Qxf3 Bf7!)

Muddying the Waters

44.Kg6 Kd7 45.Qa4+ (And Nakamura managed to muddy the waters sufficiently to draw) 45…Ke7 46.Qb4+ Ke8 47.Qxb7 Be7 48.Qb8+ Kd7 49.Qxf4 a5 50.h4 Bd6 51.Qa4+ Ke7 52.Qe4 Be5 53.h5 Bf6 54.Qe3 Be5 55.Qg5+ Kd7 56.h6 Bd4 57.Qf4 Bf5+ 58.Qxf5+ Rxf5 59.Kxf5 Kd6 60.Ke4 Kc5 61.a3 Bb2 62.h7 Kb5 63.Kd5 Bc3 64.Ke4 Kc5 65.Kd3 Bb2 which brings us to today’s puzzle.

Nakamura - Fedoseev

White to play and draw

This game was brutal:

V. Fedoseev – H. Nakamura

Nimzo-Larsen Attack 1+1
1.b3 g6 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.g4 Bg7 4.g5 Nh5 5.Bxg7 Nxg7 6.Bg2 e5 7.h4 h6 8.Nf3 e4 9.gxh6 Rxh6 10.Ng5 d5 11.d3 f6 12.Nh3 e3 13.fxe3 Nf5 14.Nf4 Nxe3 15.Qd2 d4 16.Bf3 Qd6 0–1

The answer to today’s puzzle can be revealed by highlighting the text below this line.

66.b4+ axb4 67.axb4+ Kxb4 68.Ke4 Kc5 69.Kf5 Kd6 70.Kg6 Ke7 71.h8Q Bxh8 draw. Not 66.a4 Kb4 67.Kc2 Bh8 wins.

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