Operatic struggle offers chess on a grand scale

Even chess columnists have their biases.

Oh, we try to be rigorously objective, favoring neither Black nor White, but we have a clear preference for a certain kind of game — the flashy, shortish blowout, the stunning sacrifice, the combination that ends in a satisfying (and easily analyzable) checkmate.

But some of the best chessboard struggles don’t offer such a neat through-line. Instead of a sitcom that tidily wraps things up in tidy half-hour, these games are full-length Wagnerian operas, complete with plot twists, shocking reversals and meaty roles for even the minor characters.

To atone for past prejudices, we offer today a game from the recent St. Louis Fall Classic B tournament, pitting GM Conrad Holt against fellow GM Elshan Moradiabadi, last seen locally winning May’s Cherry Blossom Open. The two manage to stuff a lot into this 76-move brawl, before Holt finally emerges with the full point.

Things get interesting early in this Bogo-Indian when Holt as White gives up his bishop on Move 15 to break up the Black kingside. Sixty moves later, as we shall see, the harvest of pawns White collects on the kingside in Act I will help decide the game.

Things get fiendishly complex on 21. Nh4 Rg5 (Be8!? 22. Nxg6 Bxg6 23. Rg4 Qf6 24. Rd1 Ne5 25. Rg3, and White has an edge) 22. Nf5+! Rxf5 (Kf6 23. Qxg5+ Kxg5 24. Nxe7 Nxe7 25. Rd1 Bc6 26. Rxe6) 23. Rg4+ Kf6 24. Rg6+ Ke5 (an unfortunate necessity as 24…Kf7? 25. Rg5+ Kf6 26. Qg6+ Ke5 27. Rxf5+ exf5 28. Re1+ is winning) 25. Re1+ Kd6 26. Qxf5, winning back the rook with an unusual pin.

Holt has a rook and two pawns for two minor pieces, and the material imbalance will influence play for the rest of the game. White declines a draw by repetition just before time control at Move 40, and the contest soon becomes a race between Black’s a-pawn and White’s h-pawn: 50. h6 a3 51. g5 (equal appears to be 51. h7 Bxh7 52. Rxh7 a2 53. Ra1 Nc2 54. Rd1+ Ke5 55. Rh5+ Ke4 56. g5 Ra3+ 57. g3 a1=Q 58. Rxa1 Rxa1 59. g6 Ne3) a2 e5?! 53. c5+! (drawing the Black king farther from the kingside) Kxc5 54. Rxg8! Rxg8 55. h7 Rf8 56. g6 Ne6 57. Kg4! — avoiding 57. Rxa2? Nf4+.

Black cheats death once on 60. Rf6 (Ra7 Kd6 61. Rxg7 e2 62. Rg8 e1=Q 63. Rxf8 Qe2+ 64. Kg5 Qxg2+ 65. Kf6 Qf3+, and it will be hard to escape the harassing queen checks) Re8 61. Rf1 Kd4 62. Kg2 e2 63. Re1 Ke3 64. g4! Rf8 65. Kh6 Ne6, when White could have won with 66. Rxe2+! Kxe2 67 g5!, and Black is lost despite his material edge — 67…Rf3 68. g7 [and not 68. h8=Q?? Rh3 mate] Rh3+ 69. Kg6 Rg3 70. g8=Q Rxg5+ 71. Kf7 and wins.

A good tragedy demands a satisfying denouement, and it arrives in the final scene with 68. Rh5 e1=Q 69. h8=Q (see diagram) Qd2? (Black fights on after 69…Kf4 70. g7 Nxg7 71. Qxg7 Qe6+ 72. Kh7 Qe4+ 73. Rf5+ Kg3 74. Qg6 Rc3) 70. Qe5+ Kd3+ 71. g5 (White has built a perfect fortress, while his pawns are still heading for the promised land) Qa2 (Re3 2. Qd6+ Kc3 73. Qxd2+ Kxd2 74. g7 Nxg7 75. Kxg7 and wins) 72. Rh1 (with the nasty threat of 73. Rd1+ Kc2 74. Qe2+ Kb3 75. Qxe6+) Re3 73. Rd1+ Ke2 74. Re1+ Kxe1 75. Qxe3+ Kd1 76. Qg1+ and the curtain comes down on the exhausted principals as 76…Kc2 77. Qf2+ Kb3 78. Qxa2+ Kxa2 79. g7 Nxg7 80. Kxg7 Kb3 81. Kf7 Kc4 82. g6 finally puts an end to the fight.

A struggle that does credit to both combatants.

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With less than three weeks before his title defense against American GM Fabiano Caruana in London, world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway had what might be called a so-so tune-up at the recent European Club Cup championship, notching a win and five draws holding down first board for the Valerenga Sjakklub team. The 12-game match begins Nov. 9.

Holt-Moradiabadi, St. Louis Fall Classic B, St. Louis, October 2018

1. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d6 7. Bd3 c5 8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Qc2 Nc6 10. e5 Ng4 11. Bxh7+ Kh8 12. O-O Ngxe5 13. Re1 Nxf3+ 14. Nxf3 g6 15. Bxg6 fxg6 16. Qxg6 Rf6 17. Qh5+ Kg7 18. Bg5 Rg6 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Re4 Bd7 21. Nh4 Rg5 22. Nf5+ Rxf5 23. Rg4+ Kf6 24. Rg6+ Ke5 25. Re1+ Kd6 26. Qxf5 Rf8 27. Qg4 Qf7 28. Qg3+ Qf4 29. h4 Qxg3 30. fxg3 Rh8 31. Re4 Nd4 32. Kh2 Be8 33. Rg7 Nf5 34. Rg5 b6 35. Kg1 Ne7 36. Re2 Nf5 37. Re4 Ne7 38. Re1 Nf5 39. b4 Bf7 40. Kh2 Be8 41. Kh3 Bf7 42. Kg4 cxb4 43. axb4 Rc8 44. Rc1 a5 45. bxa5 bxa5 46. Kh3 Ra8 47. g4 Nd4 48. Rg7 Bg8 49. h5 a4 50. h6 a3 51. g5 a2 52. Ra1 e5 53. c5+ Kxc5 54. Rxg8 Rxg8 55. h7 Rf8 56. g6 Ne6 57. Kg4 e4 58. Rxa2 e3 59. Ra6 Ng7 60. Rf6 Re8 61. Rf1 Kd4 62. Kg5 e2 63. Re1 Ke3 64. g4 Rf8 65. Kh6 Ne6 66. Rh1 Rf1 67. Rh3+ Rf3 68. Rh5 e1=Q 69. h8=Q Qd2 70. Qe5+ Kd3+ 71. g5 Qa2 72. Rh1 Re3 73. Rd1+ Ke2 74. Re1+ Kxe1 75. Qxe3+ Kd1 76. Qg1+ Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.