Author: Neil Hickman

   [Event "Keres mem"]   [Site "Tallinn"]   [Date "2016.01.??"]   [Round "?"]   [White "Howell, D."]   [Black "Jumabayev, R."]   [Result "1-0"]   [ECO "A33"]   [PlyCount "53"]   [EventType "rapid"]     {British no 2 David Howell had the pleasure of producing the most spectacular   game of the Keres Memorial rapidplay tournament, Tallinn, 2016, commemorating   the centenary of Keres' birth. In playing through this game it is as well to   remember that the Kazakh GM who gets walloped with the black pieces is rated   over 2600.} 1. c4 ({Of course, the game which first brought Keres to the   attention of the chess world was a sacrificial attack in which he made the   experienced British master Winter look like a rabbit:} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3.   e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nxd5 exd5 6. d4 d6 7. Bg5 Qa5+ 8. c3 $1 cxd4 9. Bd3 $1 dxc3   10. O-O cxb2 $6 11. Rb1 dxe5 12. Nxe5 Bd6 13. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 14. Qh5+ g6 15.   Bxg6+ hxg6 16. Qxh8 Bf5 17. Rfe1 Be4 18. Rxe4 dxe4 19. Qf6+ {1-0 Keres-Winter,   Warsaw 1935}) 1... c5 {Commenting on Petrosian-Spassky, W Ch 1966 (8), O'Kelly   wrote of this move 'The most solid reply: the one to adopt if you do not want   to run any risks'. As we shall see, White has other ideas.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4   cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g3 {Of this, van der Sterren writes: 'White   strengthens his grip on the centre without sticking his neck out with e4. The   B will also hinder Black's queenside evelopment and support a future attack on   that wing. Strangely enough, however, this quiet approach usually leads to a   very sharp battle...'} {...because it invites Black to play} Qb6 7. Ndb5 Ne5 8.   Bg2 ({Another hairy variation is} 8. Bf4 Nfg4 9. Qa4 $5 {with an interesting   pawn sacrifice. Howell doesn't intend anything so routine!}) 8... a6 9. Na3 $5   Bxa3 10. bxa3 Nxc4 11. O-O O-O 12. Bg5 d5 13. Rc1 $1 Nxa3 ({This appears to be   a new move.} 13... Rd8 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. e4 d4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. Rxc4 Qxc4 18.   Nb6 Qc5 19. Nxa8 Bd7 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Qf4 Rxa8 22. Qxf6 Rc8 23. e5 Bb5 {drawn,   Agrest-Wedberg, Swedish ch 2002.}) (13... Nd7 {was Rada-Teuschler, corres,   agreed drawn in 37. It is unlikely that anyone is going to be in a hurry to   repeat Jumabayev's attempt at an improvement.}) 14. e4 d4 15. e5 Nd7 16. Ne4   Nxe5 $2 {Grabbing the third pawn is rash. Rather as in Keres-Winter, White has   a lot of open lines as a result of his pawn sacrifices and Black's queenside   pieces might as well not be there. But, as in the Keres game, it takes some   inspired play by White to take full advantage.} 17. Nf6+ $3 gxf6 ({Black   cannot escape by declining the sacrifice -} 17... Kh8 18. Qh5 h6 19. Bxh6 {and   mates}) 18. Bxf6 Ng6 19. Qh5 e5 20. Rc6 $3 {This magnificent interference   sacrifice is, of course, made possible by 6 g3.} Qd8 ({Of course,} 20... bxc6   21. Qh6 {and mates}) 21. Qh6 Qxf6 22. Rxf6 Bg4 23. Bd5 {Briefly, material is   about even. White has no intention of allowing that state of affairs to   continue.} Be2 ({'Best' appears to be} 23... Be6 24. Bxe6 fxe6 25. Rxg6+ hxg6   26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Re1 Nc4 28. Re4 {when Black is going to have to shed all his   pieces in order to postpone mate. Black prefers a quick end}) 24. Rxg6+ hxg6   25. Qxg6+ Kh8 26. Qh6+ Kg8 27. Be4 {It is mate in four.} 1-0