Timofeev - Khismatullin one of the games of the year

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Russian Championships 2009 (5)

Timofeev - Khismatullin one of the games of the year

IM Malcolm Pein - Thursday 31st December 2009

To end the year one of the best games played in 2009 played only last week in the Russian Championship Superfinal.

To end the year one of the best games played in 2009 played only last week in the Russian Championship Superfinal. From a rather dull Maroczy Bind position White finds two wonderfully creative ideas.

A Timofeev - D Khismatullin

62nd Russian Ch Moscow (5)

Sicilian Bb5+

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nf6 9.f3 Bg7 10.Be3 0-0 11.0-0 Rac8 12.b3 a6 13.a4 Qd8 14.Qd2 Qa5 15.Rfd1 Rfd8 16.Rac1 Nd7 17.h3 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4+ 19.Qxd4 Qc5 20.Kf1 Qxd4 21.Rxd4 Nc5 22.Rb1 a5 23.Ke2 f6 24.Kd2 Kf7 25.Kc2 g5 26.Nd5 h5 27.Ne3 h4 28.Rd5 Rc6 29.Rbd1 Rdc8 30.Rf1 Rb6 31.Rb1 Rbc6 32.Rd2 Ne6 33.Kc3 Nc5 34.Nd5 Ne6 35.Rf1 Rg8 36.Ne3 Rb8 37.Nf5 Rb6 38.Rfd1 Ra8 39.Rd5 Nc7

Denis Khismatullin

Artyom Timofeev

Position after 39...Nc7

40.Rb5!! Nxb5+ 41.axb5 Ke8 42.Ra1 e6 43.Ne3 d5

(Freeing the imprisoned rook, White was threatening to move his king, play Ra4 and then b3-b4 and b4xa5 winning for example 43...Ke7 44.Ra4 Kd7 45.Kd4 Ke7 46.b4;

44.exd5 Rd6 45.c5 Rdd8 46.Kd4 Rac8 47.Rxa5 e5+ 48.Kc4 b6

Now Ra6 is quite good but wait for it...

Denis Khismatullin