“Death is the same everywhere,/ A man dies but once,/ Blessed is the one that dies/ For the freedom of his nation.” These are the stirring words of the Armenian national anthem, written in the 19th century by the Armenian poet Mikael Nalbandian and set to music and officially adopted in 1991 upon the country’s gaining independence from the USSR. Armenian chess players are nothing but ferocious, fully prepared to win or die on the chessboard. Winning the most recent Olympiad is only one of many accomplishments in their long and glorious history. In the just-concluded European team championship, the match between Armenia and Russia turned out to be decisive. Russia won and took first place. Armenia lost and took second. The dazzlingly original game between Alexander Morozevich and Vladimir Akopian determined the outcome of the match. Blessed is the one that dies; in this case it was Akopian.

MOROZEVICH VS. AKOPIAN (white) (black) Nimzo-Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 c5!? The main theoretical lines 6… Ne4 7. Qc2 Nc6 or 7…c5 have been thoroughly researched and black has faced difficulties in them in the most recent games. Players have therefore recently returned to Romanishin’s older idea of 6… c5!? 7. dxc5 d4 8. Qg3 0-0 In the weeks after the conclusion of the European championship, black’s play was rapidly improved upon. In Gasanov – Miroshnichenko, black tried 8…Nc6!? 9. Nf3?! (The fate of the sharp 8… Nc6 depends upon the evaluation of the position after 9. Qxg7! Rg8 10. Qh6) 9…0-0 10. Bh6 Ne8 11.h4 e5 12.h5 f5! 13.e3 (bad for white was 13. Bxg7? f4!) 13…Qa5+ 14. Nd2 Kh8! 15. Bg5 h6 16. Bh4 f4! with black gaining the initiative. 9. Bh6 Ne8 10.h4! In Gelfand-Ponomarev 2006, white did not gain an advantage after 10.e3 Nc6 11.0-0-0 Qc7! 12. Qxc7 Nxc7 13. Bf4 e5 14. Bg3 dxe3 15. fxe3 a5! Now white brings his h1 rook, into the game, keeping the f1 bishop and g1 knight on their starting position. 10…Nd7?! Preferable was the immediate 10… Kh8! 11. Bf4 Nc6 12.b4 f6! with an unclear position. 11.h5! Qc7! 11…Nxc5 12. Bxg7 Nxg7 13.h6 was clearly in white’s favor. 12. Rh3! f5! The best way. The endgame after 12…Qxg3 13. Rxg3 Kh8 14. Bc1! Nxc5 15.b4 is better for white. 13. Qxc7 13. Bxg7 f4! 14. Qg4 Nxg7 15.h6 Nxc5 16. hxg7 Qxg7 17. Qxg7+ Kxg7 didn’t promise anything for white. 13… Nxc7 14. Bg5 e5 Permitting the white bishop to relocate to the cozy square d6. Preferable was 14…Re8!? 15.b4 a5 16. Rb1 axb4 17. axb4 e5 with a complicated struggle. 15. Be7! Re8 16. Bd6 Ne6 17. Rd1 Not 17.b4 a5, which promised black counterplay. 17… Nexc5 18.f4! exf4 19. Nf3! d3 20.h6 g6?!

(See Diagram)

The crucial moment of the game. After black’s natural move, white obtains a huge advantage. Black had to prefer 20…Na4! 21. Rd2 Ndc5 22. Bxf4 Nb6! 23.b4 Ne6 with mutual chances. 21. Ng5! Ne4 Black cannot organize a successful blockade: 21…a5 22. Bxf4 a4 23. Re3! Rxe3 24. Bxe3 dxe2 25. Bxe2 and the bishop on f1 wakes up and travels to d5 with crushing impact. 22. Bxf4 dxe2 Of no help was 22…Ndc5 23. Re3! 23. Bxe2 Nxg5 24. Bxg5 Nc5 25. Re3 Ne4!? More defensive resources were generated by 25…Be6! 26. Bf4 a5 27. Re5 Nb3. 26. Bf3! Kf7 27. Bh4 Be6 28. Rd4 Rac8 29.b3 a5 To avoid perishing silently, black had to play 29…b5!? 30. cxb5 Rc1+ 31. Rd1 Rc3 which at least creates a mess. 30. Bxe4 fxe4 31.a4! Bf5 32. Rd5 b6 33. Rd6 Rb8 34. Kd2 Rb7 35. Kc3 Re6 36. Rd8 g5 Also unattractive was 36…Re8 37. Rxe8 Kxe8 38.g4! Be6 39. Rxe4 and white must win because of the weaknesses of the black pawns on the queen-side. 37. Bxg5 Rg6 38. Rg3 e3 39. Rd5! Be6 Black could hang on a little longer after 39…Be4 40. Re5 Re6 41. Rxe6 Kxe6 42. Bxe3. 40. Rf3+ 1-0