Two rising Russian chess stars to keep an eye on

The child is father to the man, as the poet once said, so it behooves us to keep a close eye on the young chess talent now bubbling up around the world.

A recent column on the game played between 11-year-old Magnus Carlsen, now the world champion, and 12-year-old Ian Nepomniachtchi, now the Russian grandmaster who will play for Carlsen’s crown this fall, at a long-ago Under-12 European title event is a good reminder that you can never tell just what stars in the making you might spot at a junior event.

Two new names to note are 18-year-old Vladivostok-born IM Kirill Shubin and 19-year-old WIM Anna Afonasieva, the newly crowned Russian junior and junior women’s champions, respectively. Nepomniachtchi is trying to reclaim a world title that was once the exclusive preserve of the Russian/Soviet chess machine, and Shubin and Afonasieva are part of a rising generation in what is still a world chess superpower.

Shubin ran off four straight wins in the final rounds to claim the open junior title in Sochi late last month by a half point over IM Volodar Murzin. The second of those four wins was a hard-fought victory over FM Erik Obgolts, in which the new champ needed two exchange sacrifices and some late help from his opponent to secure the win.

It’s a standard Sicilian battle, with White have greater space but Black enjoying a tough-to-crack position and chances to counterpunch. That counterpunch comes abruptly on 20. b3 Rd4!? (a classic disruptive sacrifice, where White can win material only by giving up his best minor piece; also interesting was 20…Nd5!?, as Black gets good play for the pawn after 21. exd5 exd5 22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Bxa6) 21. Bxd4 cxd4 22. Na4 Kh8 23. Nb2?! (Re2, covering the weak c-pawn, may be more prudent here) f5!, the start of a relentless effort to open up the center for Shubin’s bishop pair.

Both sides have defensive vulnerabilities in the ensuring intricate play. On 26. Bxe6!? Nxc2 (fxe4 27. Qxd4+ Rf6 28. Na4 [Bc4?? Bc5] Nxc2 29. Rc1 Qc6 30. Qc4 looks equal) 27. Bxf5 Nxe1 28. Rxe1 — White’s material advantage is now just a pawn and his kingside is looking airy.

Another exchange sac sets up the game’s decisive battle: 29. Rd1 Rxf5!? 30. exf5 (Rd3? Qc6, and Black sidesteps the pin with a mate threat on h1) Qxh3 31. Qxd4+ Kg8 32. Qc4+ Kf8 (see diagram) 33. Rd8+?? (a pity after a well-played struggle; the computer says White can survive the tightrope walk after 33. Kf2! Qf3+ 34. Ke1 Qe3+ 35. Kf1 Bh4 36. Qb4+ Kg8 37. Qc4+, as 37…Kg7?? draws Black into a mating net in lines like 38. Qc7+ Kf6 39. Rd6+ Kxf5 40. Qxh7+ Kg4 41. Qg6+ Kxf4 42. Nd3+ Kf3 43. Qg2 mate) Bxd8 34. Qb4+ Be7!, and White suddenly realizes that 35. Qxb7 restores material equality but allows 35…Bc5 mate. Obgolts resigned.

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Afonasieva had an easier time of it, scoring 8½ points in the nine-round event to run up a 2½-point victory margin. One of her best efforts came against a game WFM Zarina Shafigullina in the final round, when the new champ’s enterprising Sicilian Wing Gambit (2. b4!?) leads to some very interesting play.

After 7. c4 Nc7 8. d4, White already has an imposing pawn center and free development for her pieces, so Black is obliged to strike back with 8…d5 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. c5!? — a fateful decision that grabs space but gives Black some great blockading squares. After 14. Bd3 0-0 15. Qb1 (regaining the pawn owing to the double attack on b7 and h7) h6!? (Nd5!? 16. Bd2 h6 17. Qxb7 Rb8 18. Qa6 Ncb4 19. Qc4 a5 gives Black good play as well) 16. Qxb7 Nd5 17. Bg3 Ndb4 18. Be4! White’s bishops exert strong pressure on the Black queenside.

The players exchange some sharp blows on 22. Nc4?! (Bf3, saving a tempo might be better here) f5! 23. Bxc6 Bxc6 24. Be5 Bxg2 25. Qxe6+ Kh7 26. f3?! (yet another exchange sacrifice, but this one is not so forcing) Bxf1?, when 26…Bxf3! 27. Bf4 (Ra3? Bd5 wins material) Bd5 28. Qe2 Bf6 would have offered Black a clear plus. After the game’s 26…Bxf1? 27. Rxf1 Qe8?! (and here 27…a4! would have given White a fresh source of worry in lines such as 28. Kh1 Qc8 29. Qd5 a3 30. Rg1 Bf6) 28. Kh1 Qf7, Afonasieva’s 29. Qxf7! is nicely judged — preserving her queen for a kingside attack is less promising than the prospect of finally getting the central pawns moving.

After 32. Nxe5 Rfe7 33. f4, White is still down the exchange, but the Black rooks are notoriously poor blockaders and the White knight is superbly positioned to support the advancing pawns. White cashes in materially with 36. Rc1 Rc7 37. Ra1 g5 (Ra7 38. Rc1 Rc7 39. Rc4 a3 40. Ra4 also is bleak for Black) 38. Rxa4 gxf4 39. Rd4 Kg7 40. d8=Q Rxd8 41. Rxd8 Kf6 42. Nf3 Rxc6 43. Rf8+ Kg7 44. Rf7+!, driving the king back as 44…Kxf7 45. Ne5+ Kf6 46. Nxc6 Kg5 47. Nd4 Kg4 48. Kg2 h5 49. h3+ Kg5 50. Ne2 h4 51. Kf3 wins for White.

Black could concede with dignity after 48. Kg2 Ra2 49. Rxf4, as her depleted forces can’t establish a fortress. In the final position, White’s last remaining pawn is on the march to the queening square and Shafigullina resigned.

Obgolts-Shubin, Russian Junior Championship, Sochi, Russia, April 2021

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nb3 Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Be3 Qc7 8. a3 a6 9. f4 d6 10. Bd3 b5 11. Qe2 Be7 12. O-O Bb7 13. Rae1 O-O 14. g4 Nd7 15. Qf2 b4 16. axb4 Nxb4 17. g5 Nc5 18. Nxc5 dxc5 19. Bc4 Rad8 20. b3 Rd4 21. Bxd4 cxd4 22. Na4 Kh8 23. Nb2 f5 24. gxf6 gxf6 25. h3 f5 26. Bxe6 Nxc2 27. Bxf5 Nxe1 28. Rxe1 Qc3 29. Rd1 Rxf5 30. exf5 Qxh3 31. Qxd4+ Kg8 32. Qc4+ Kf8 33. Rd8+ Bxd8 34. Qb4+ Be7 White resigns.

Afonasieva-Shafigullina, Russian Junior Girls Championship, Sochi, Russia, April 2021

1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. a3 bxa3 4. Nxa3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. e5 Nd5 7. c4 Nc7 8. d4 d5 9. exd6 Qxd6 10. c5 Qd8 11. Bb5 e6 12. O-O Bd7 13. Bf4 Be7 14. Bd3 O-O 15. Qb1 h6 16. Qxb7 Nd5 17. Bg3 Ndb4 18. Be4 a5 19. Ne5 Ra7 20. Nxc6 Nxc6 21. Qb6 Qa8 22. Nc4 f5 23. Bxc6 Bxc6 24. Be5 Bxg2 25. Qxe6+ Kh7 26. f3 Bxf1 27. Rxf1 Qe8 28. Kh1 Qf7 29. Qxf7 Rxf7 30. c6 Bf6 31. d5 Bxe5 32. Nxe5 Rfe7 33. f4 a4 34. d6 Re8 35. d7 Rf8 36. Rc1 Rc7 37. Ra1 g5 38. Rxa4 gxf4 39. Rd4 Kg7 40. d8=Q Rxd8 41. Rxd8 Kf6 42. Nf3 Rxc6 43. Rf8+ Kg7 44. Rf7+ Kg8 45. Rxf5 Rc4 46. Kg2 Ra4 47. Kh3 Kg7 48. Kg4 Ra2 49. Rxf4 Ra5 50. Rb4 Ra6 51. Rb7+ Kf6 52. Kh5 Kf5 53. Nh4+ Kf4 54. Ng6+ Kf3 55. h4 Black resigns.

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