Brilliancy Prize

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

The Israeli grandmaster Emil Sutovsky does not win every tournament in which he takes part. But in nearly every one, he either wins or is a candidate for the brilliancy prize. The just-concluded Montreal international tournament did not have such a prize, but if they had, Sutovsky’s game from the final round would have been a leading contender. The outstanding novelty he unveiled in the opening was the prelude to a fierce attack.

SUTOVSKY VS. MITON (WHITE) (BLACK)

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 Na5 This line was popularized by Beliavsky. Since the world championship match Kasparov and Karpov 12…h6 13. Bc2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Bb1 c5 16.d5 Nd7 has been considered the main continuation here. 13. Bc2 b4!? Alexander Morozevich introduced this move in his Monaco 2006 game against Alexander Grischuk. Beliavsky prefers 13… c5 here, which is what he played against Leko in 2000. 14. Bd3!? A recent Ivanchuk novelty. After 14. cxb4 Nc6 black regains a pawn.; 14.d5 bxc3 15. bxc3 c6 16.c4 Qc7 gave black a good game in the previously mentioned Grischuk-Morozevich encounter. 14… bxc3 This exchange is unnecessary and the immediate 14…d5!? deserves attention. Where 15. Qc2 (by analogy with the game) black can use the b4-pawn for 15…b3! 16. Qb1 (or 16. Nxb3 dxe4 17. Nxa5 exd3 18. Nxb7 Qd5!) 16… exd4 , and 17.e5 dxc3 18. exf6 c2! is not dangerous; In the speed tournament held after the finish of the main event, Ivanchuk tried the interesting novelty of 14…g6!? against Sutovsky. After this an interesting line is 15. cxb4 Nc6 16.b5! with an unclear game. 15. bxc3 d5?! Consistent, but it is refuted in this game. Deserving attention was 15…exd4 16. cxd4 c5 16. Qc2! A very strong novelty. No advantage can be found in 16. Nxe5 dxe4 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 (18. Bxe4?! Bxe4 19. Rxe4 f6 and the knight is pinned) 18…Bxe4 19. Bxe4 because of 19… 19… Rxe5 20. Bxa8 c6!; After 16. exd5 strong is 16…Qxd5!? (instead of 16…exd4 17. Rxe8 Qxe8 18.c4 c6 19. Nb3! and Black faced problems in Ivanchuk-Miton, 2007) 17. Ne4 (The position is equal after 17.c4 Qd8! 18.d5 c6!) 17…exd4 18. Nxf6+ gxf6; Finally, just plain bad for White is 16. dxe5? dxe4! 16… dxe4 Clearly good for White was 16… exd4 17.e5!; or 16…Nc6 17. exd5 Qxd5 18. Rb1!?; The sacrifice of the exchange by 16…Bd6!? 17. dxe5 Bxe5 18. Nxe5 Rxe5 19. Nf3 Rxe4 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Nd2 also didn’t promise sufficient compensation. 17. Nxe4 Nxe4

(See diagram)

18. Rxe4!! The point of white’s idea. In this particular position the d3 bishop is much more important for white than his rook. 18… g6!? White has a decisive advantage after 18…Bxe4 19. Bxe4 exd4 (after 19…g6 white could play 20. Bxa8 Qxa8 21. Nxe5 with an extra pawn.) 20. Bxh7+! Kh8 21. Qf5! g6 22. Qxf7 Bg7 23. Bxg6. 19. Bg5! Another excellent move. Weaker is 19. Rxe5?! Bxf3 with the idea of 20. Rxe8 Qxe8 21. gxf3 Qe6! with ideas of 22…Nb3 or 22…Qxh3. 19… Qd6 After 19…f6!? 20. Bh4 Bxe4 21. Bxe4 exd4 22. Bxa8 Qxa8 23. Bxf6 Black loses a second pawn because 23…dxc3? 24. Qa2+ leads to mate.

20. dxe5 Qe6

21. Nd4 Qd5

22. Bf6! c5

23.c4!

A beautiful idea: white give up the pawn to bring the black knight to c4 and to block the c5 pawn. Of course, bad was 23. Nf3? c4.

23… Nxc4

After 23…Qd7 good enough is 24. e6!? fxe6 25. Rg4 Qf7 26. Be5 cxd4 27. Bxg6.

24. Nf3!

Now Black must lose time for the knight to make its retreat.

24… Na5

25. Rh4! Bg7

The natural move 25…c4? permits the brilliant 26. Bxg6! fxg6 27. Qxg6+! hxg6 28. Rh8+ Kf7 29. Ng5#.

26. Be4 Qd7

Another beautiful mate could arise after 26…Qb3 27. Qc1 Bxf6 28. exf6 Qe6 29. Qf4! Bxe4 30. Ng5! Qe5 31. Rxh7! Qxf4 (31… Qxa1+ 32. Kh2) 32. Rg7+ Kf8 (or 32…Kh8 33. Nxf7#) 33. Nh7#,

27. Bxg7 Bxe4

White would win nicely in case of 27…Kxg7 28. Qc1 h5 29. Rxh5 gxh5 30. Qg5+ Kf8 31. Qh6+ Ke7 32. Bxb7 Nxb7 33. Qf6+ Kf8 34. Nh4 Qd3 35. Nf5 and only 35…Qxf5 prevents mate.

28. Qc1! Bxf3

Another beautiful mate would arise after 28…f5 29. Rxh7! Kxh7 30. Qh6+ Kg8 31. Qh8+ Kf7 32. Ng5+ Ke7 33. Bf6#.

29. Qh6! f5

30. Qxh7+ Kf7

31. gxf3 Rg8

32. Bf8+!

Winning a queen or a rook.

1-0


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