KARJAKIN vs SEVIAN – ISLE OF MAN MASTERS 2018 ROUND 5

Sopiko Guramishvili Photo: John Saunders

This game is from round 5 of the 2018 Isle Of Man Masters. It is between Sergey Karjakin with White against Samuel Sevian with Black.

This game features a Ruy Lopez. To learn more about the Ruy Lopez, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Karjakin,Sergey (2760) - Sevian,Samuel (2634)

IOM chesscom Masters 2018 Douglas (5), 24.10.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.a4 b4 9.a5 d6 10.d3 Be6 11.Nbd2 C88: Closed Ruy Lopez: Anti-Marshall Systems 

11...Qc8 12.h3 Rb8 13.Nc4 h6 14.Be3 Rd8 15.Qe2 Bf8 16.Nfd2 

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16...g6N [16...Re8 17.Ba4 Bd7 18.Qf3 1/2–1/2 (56) Wei,Y (2728)-Sasikiran,K (2669) Khanty-Mansiysk 2017] 

17.Ba4 Qb7 18.Qf3 Nh7 19.Qg3 Bg7 20.f4 exf4 21.Bxf4 Nf6 22.Be3 Nd7 23.Qf2 Nc5 24.Bxc6 Qxc6 

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25.Bd4ƒ White is pushing. 

25...Bxd4 26.Qxd4 b3 27.c3 Nd7 28.Qe3 d5 29.exd5 Bxd5 30.Qxh6 Re8 [¹30...Bxg2 31.Re2 Bd5] 

31.Ne3 

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31...Ne5 [31...Nc5± was called for.] 

32.c4 [32.Nxd5+- Qxd5 33.Ne4] 

32...Bxg2± 33.Nxg2 Hoping for Re3. 

33...Nxd3 34.Re3 

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34...Qc5 [34...Nxb2± 35.Rae1 (35.Nxb3 Nxc4 36.Rg3 Re2²) 35...Qc5] 

35.Kh1+- Nf2+ 36.Kh2! Qd6+ 37.Kg1! Rxe3 38.Qxe3 Nxh3+ 39.Kh1 

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39...Kg7 next ...Rh8 is good for Black. 

40.Re1 [40.Nxb3 Qf6=] 

40...Rh8 

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41.Qe5+ [¹41.Qc3+! f6 42.Ne4 Ng5+ 43.Kg1 Qh2+ 44.Kf1 Nxe4 45.Rxe4] 

41...Qxe5± 42.Rxe5 Ng5+ 43.Kg1 Rd8 44.Rd5! Rxd5 45.cxd5 Kf6 46.Nxb3 Ne4 47.Ne3 Ke5 48.Kg2 [White should try 48.Nc1!± ] 

48...f5!= 49.Nc1 aiming for Kf3. 

49...f4 

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50.Nc2 Nd3+ is the strong threat. 

50...Kxd5? [Better is 50...g5² ] 

51.Nb4+!+- Kc4 52.Nxa6 Kb5 53.Nxc7+ Kxa5 

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54.Nd3? [54.Kf3+- Nd2+ 55.Ke2 (55.Kxf4 Nc4²) ] 

54...Nd2 [54...Ka4!=] 

55.Ne6± [Much less strong is 55.Nxf4?! Nc4²] 

55...Kb5 

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56.Nexf4 Strongly threatening Ne2. [But not 56.Ndxf4?! Nc4²] 

56...Nc4 [56...g5±] 

57.Ne6 [Not 57.b3 Na5²] 

57...Nxb2? [57...Na5 is tougher. 58.Kf3 Nc4 59.Nd4+ Ka5 60.b4+ Ka4] 

58.Nxb2+- g5 59.Nd4+ Kc5 60.Nf5 g4 61.Ng3 Kd4 62.Kf2 Kc3 63.Nd1+ Kd3 64.Ke1 Kc4 65.Kd2 Kd4 66.Nc3 Kc4 67.Nce2 Kd5 68.Kc3 Kc5 69.Nf4 Kc6 70.Kc4 Kd6 71.Nd3 Kc6 72.Ne5+ Kd6 73.Kd4 Ke6 74.Nc4 Kf6 75.Ne3 Ke6 76.Nef5 Kd7 77.Kd5 Kc7 78.Nd4 Kd7 79.Ne6 Ke7 80.Nc5 Kf7 81.Kd6 Kf6 82.Nce4+ Kf7 83.Kd7 Kf8 84.Nd6 Kg7 85.Ke6 Kg6 86.Nde4 Kg7 

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87.Ke7 [¹87.Ng5 Kf8 88.Nf7 Ke8 89.Nh8 Kd8 90.Nf7+ Kc7 91.Kf5 Kc6 92.Ke5] 

87...Kg8 88.Kf6 Kh7 

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89.Nf5? [89.Nc5 mates 89...Kg8 90.Nd7 Kh7 91.Nf8+ Kg8 92.Ne6 Kh7 93.Kg5 Kg8 94.Kg6] 

89...Kg8? [89...g3+- 90.Ng5+ Kg8] 

90.Ke7 g3 91.Nf6+ Kh8 

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92.Kf8! 1–0