Jan Timman and Jorden van Foreest concluded their match in style today. With a lively game, with various tactical jokes, most of which remained under the surface however.
Timman - Van Foreest
1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.b3 Bg7 5.Bb2 a5!?
Original, and probably not bad.
6.Bg2 a4 7.0–0 0–0 8.c4 c5 9.d5
9...a3 10.Nxa3 Nxd5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.cxd5 Rxa3 13.Qd2 Ra8 14.Qb2+ Kg8 15.h4
Symmetry!
15...Nd7 16.h5 Nf6 17.hxg6 hxg6 18.Ng5 Qb6 19.Bf3 Bd7 20.Kg2 Kg7 21.e4
21...c4!?
Enterprising play by Van Foreest in the final round.
22.Rae1
Letting go of the a-pawn, after which Black gets unpleasant pressure on f2. Interesting was 22.Rh1 with threats on h7.
22...c3 23.Qxc3 Rxa2 24.e5 dxe5 25.Qxe5
25...Re8?
Both players miss, or reject, 25...Bb5!, winning the exchange or a pawn via 26.Be2 Rxe2 27.Rxe2 Bxe2 28.Qxe2 Qxb3.
26.Re3 e6?! 27.Qf4?!
Strong was 27.Qxe6 Bxe6 28.Qc3 and Black has to allow his kingside pawn structure to be ruined, or otherwise he has to allow something like 28...Bd7 29.Rxe8 Bxe8 30.Ne4 with annoying pressure.
27...exd5 28.Rfe1 Rxe3?!
28...Rd2! leads to a kind of zugzwang for White. He still cannot move his rook on e3 in view of the weakness on f2.
29.Rxe3 Rb2?
30.g4?!
Here, the surprising 30.Nxf7! was winning. Black cannot take the knight: 30...Kxf7 31.Bxd5+ Kg7 (31...Kf8 32.Qh6#) 32.Re7+ Kf8 33.Rf7+ and mate.
30...Qc5
30...Bc6.
31.Qe5
Also here, 31.Nxf7 was good, albeit less surprising here.
31...Rc2 32.b4 Qc7
32...Qxb4 33.Nxf7.
33.Qxc7
33.Nxf7 Qxe5 (33...Kxf7 34.Qe7+ Kg8 35.Qxf6) 34.Nxe5 Be6 is now only equal.
33...Rxc7 34.Re7
34...Rc6
Strongest now was the funny move 34...Ne8! 35.Rxf7+ Kh6 36.Nh3 Bxg4! 37.Bxd5 Rxf7 38.Bxf7 with a draw.
No White still has an edge after 35.Bxd5 Rb6 36.Rxf7+ Kh8 37.Kg3, but here Timman accepted Van Foreest’s draw offer from a ‘position of strength’. This brought him the match victory (3½-2½), after a certainly not flawless but absolutely entertaining struggle.
