The match between Jan Timman and Jorden van Foreest isn’t over yet. Today, trailing with 3-1, the 16-year-old grandmaster struck back with a vengeance in a well-prepared attacking game.
Anna-Maja Kazarian tried something similar, but with her it was improvisation in an opening in which Sopiko Guramishvili again proved to be better at home. And then things tend to go wrong.
Van Foreest - Timman
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.Q4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Qxe5 Be6
This variation had already been prepared by Van Foreest for various other occasions. ‘Perhaps Timman thought he could surprise me with this’, Van Foreest said. ‘But I finally got a position that suited me.’
9.Be3 Be7 10.c3 Nc5 11.Bc2 Nd7 12.Nd4 Ndxe5
13.Nxe6
An improvement on a game Tal-Timman, in their match in Montpellier, 1985, which soon ended in a draw after 13.f4.
13...fxe6 14.Nd2 Bf6
Van Foreest opined that 14...0–0 is better here. There is one game with this move, in the Tata Steel tournament even: 15.f4 Ng6 16.Nb3 Bd6 17.Qh5 Nce7 18.Nc5 Bxc5 19.Bxc5 Rf7 20.Rae1 Qd7 21.g4 Nf8 22.Re3 Qe8 23.Qh3 g6 24.b4 Nd7 25.Bd4 Nc6 26.Bxg6 Nxd4 27.Bxf7+ Qxf7 28.cxd4 and also here White won in Swiercz-Jan Willem de Jong, Wijk aan Zee 2011. Van Foreest had seen a few computer games with this variation.
15.f4 Nf7 16.Qg4
Now Black has to move into defence mode quickly.
16...Qc8 17.Bc5!
The vultures are already circling above the black king.
17...h5 18.Qh3 Be7 19.Nb3 Bd6 20.Rae1 Rh6
Not a move anyone would enjoy playing, but such desperate measures are already necessary.
21.Be3 Rf6
The rook is going astray.
22.Nd4 Ncd8 23.Qxh5 c5 24.Nf3 Qc7 25.Bg6
25.f5! also looks strong, for example: 25...e5 26.Ng5 and 27.Nh7.
25...Kd7 26.Qh7 Kc8 27.Qxg7 Qe7 28.f5
28...Qf8?
While in the commentary room, Robert Ris and Sipke Ernst (who had finished his game early) were still looking at 28...Ra7 29.Bf2 (29.g4!, Houdini) 29...Ne5 30.Qxe7 Nxf3+ 31.gxf3 Rxe7? (31...Bxe7 32.h4) 32.Bh4, the text move was made, which elicited a cry of bewilderment from Ris.
29.Qxf6 Be7
This seems to catch the queen, but Timman too will have immediately realized that White has various ways to win here.
30.Bh6
And Black immediately resigned. After 30...Nxh6 31.Qxf8 Bxf8 32.fxe6 Black has nothing to fight for anymore.
The other way to win was 30.Bxc5! Bxc5+ 31.Nd4 or also 31.Kh1 Be7 32.Qd4.
Jorden. Photo: Harry Gielen
And now for Anna-Maja Kazarian’s last-ditch attempt in the ladies’ match, which ended today.
Kazarian - Guramishvili
1.e4 c5 2.c3
Kazarian deviates again, but Guramishvili had also reckoned with this move.
2...Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3
‘I’ve played different lines here’, said Guramishvili. ‘But this one is certainly OK for Black.’
4...Q6 5.Q4 cxd4 6.cxd4 Nc6 7.Bc4 dxe5 8.Qxe5 Ndb4 9.Qxd8+!?
‘This doesn’t give White much’, the black player said. ‘But also after 9.Qb3 e6 Black has no problems.’
9...Nxd8 10.Na3 Bg4 11.Bd2 Nbc6 12.Bc3
This looks promising for White, doesn’t it? ‘Yes, when I looked at this position I wondered how this would be’, Guramishvili. ‘But it’s not such a problem.’
12...g6! 13.Nb5?
This turns out not to work. Better is the immediate 13.e6 f6 14.Ng5 Bh6 15.Nf7 Nxf7 16.exf7+ Kf8, but after this comes 17...Nd8 and Black will conquer the pawn.
13...Rc8 14.e6 f6 15.Ng5 a6
Now 16.Nf7 doesn’t work in view of the simple 16...axb5. Kazarian now resorts to gallery play.
16.Nd6+
Relatively best was going back with 16.Na3, but of course this wasn’t worth considering: 16...b5 17.h3 Bf5 18.g4 Bh6 19.Nf7 bxc4 20.Nxh6 (20.gxf5 Nxf7) 20...Bd3 and Black is better.
16...exd6 17.Bxf6 Be7 18.Bxh8 Bxg5
And Black is winning. White still makes one violent attempt to get through, but in vain:
19.h4 Be7 20.h5 Bxe6 21.Bxe6 Nxe6 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.Bc3 d5 24.Rh8+ Nf8
And Black won on move 47.
And so Anna-Maja Kazarian had at least made an attempt to entertain the audience. But against the imperturbable Sopiko Guramishvili it wasn’t enough. So the final result in this match was 5½-½. ‘Well, at least I have learned a lot here’, the loser of the match said.
Sopiko. Photo: Harry Gielen
