It's not over until it's over... That is the theme to this week's game from this year's Quebec Open between Nikita Kraiouchkine and IM Keaton Kiewra. Take a look at a game where even a master fails to win a completely winning position up a queen!
[Event "Quebec op inv."]
[Site "Montreal CAN"]
[Date "2013.07.26"]
[Round "7.17"]
[White "Kraiouchkine, Nikita"]
[Black "Kiewra, Keaton"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E70"]
[WhiteElo "2234"]
[BlackElo "2422"]
[Annotator "MacKinnon,Keith"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2013.07.21"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Nf3 c6 {sure out of the ordinary} 6.
Bg5 ({more common is} 6. Bd3 d6 7. h3 (7. O-O Na6 8. Re1 e5 9. Bf1 {and we
reach a well-known unbalanced position})) 6... d5 {I'm not a King's Indian
player, but I can't recall seeing this line before.} 7. Bxf6 exf6 (7... Bxf6 8.
cxd5 cxd5 9. Nxd5 Bg7 {and Black has full compensation. Moves like ...Bg4, ...
Qa5, ...Nc6 will ensure that he gets his pawn back in short order.}) 8. exd5
cxd5 9. Nxd5 {Neither recapture looks particularly appealing here. It's
interesting to note that black scores over 60% in my database} (9. cxd5 Qb6 10.
Qd2 Bg4 11. Be2 f5 12. O-O Nd7 {and black is developing quickly. He is doing
well here}) 9... Nc6 10. Be2 f5 11. O-O Be6 12. Qb3 Na5 {Up until now, I've
been a big fan of how black has handled the opening. I don't think that this
move was necessary, however.} (12... Re8 {and} 13. Qxb7 {is probably unwise
because of} Na5 14. Qxa8 (14. Qb4 Bxd5 15. cxd5 Rxe2 $19) (14. Qa6 Bc8 15. Qb5
Bd7 16. Qc5 Rxe2 $19) 14... Qxa8 15. Nc7 Qc8 16. Nxe8 Qxe8 $17) 13. Qb5 Re8 14.
Nc3 Rc8 15. c5 b6 16. cxb6 axb6 17. Rfd1 (17. Rfe1 {White should try to
contest the e-file. It isn't worth it to try and defend d4}) 17... Nc4 18. Rac1
Nd6 19. Qb4 Bh6 $2 (19... Bxa2 $5 {The position is approximately equal after}
20. Nxa2 Rxe2 21. Rxc8 Nxc8 22. Nc3 Re6) 20. Ra1 (20. d5 $1 {Tricky!
Intermezzos are often some of the toughest moves to find} Bxc1 (20... Bxd5 21.
Rxd5 Bxc1 22. Rxd6 Qe7 23. Bb5 Rcd8 24. Rd4 $18) 21. dxe6 Rxe6 22. Nd4 Re5 23.
Rxc1 Ne4 24. Ba6 $16) 20... Bf8 21. Qa4 Ne4 22. d5 $2 {Two moves too late} (22.
Nxe4 fxe4 23. Ne5 {Unclear}) 22... Bd7 23. Bb5 Nxc3 {and Black misses his
chance!} (23... Rxc3 24. Bxd7 (24. bxc3 Nxc3 25. Bxd7 Nxa4 26. Bxa4 Re2 27. Re1
Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Qxd5 29. Bb3 Qa5 $19) 24... Rxf3 25. gxf3 (25. Bxe8 Rxf2 $19)
25... Nc5 26. Bxe8 (26. Qf4 Qxd7 $19) 26... Nxa4 27. Bxa4 Bd6 $17) 24. bxc3 Re4
25. Qb3 Bxb5 26. Qxb5 Rxc3 27. Rab1 (27. d6 {to prevent black's bishop from
getting to c5}) 27... Bc5 28. d6 Rc2 29. d7 Ree2 (29... Bxf2+ 30. Kh1 Re6 $11 {
Still work to be done by both sides to reach a draw, but the position is equal}
) 30. Kh1 Kg7 31. Nd4 Bxd4 32. Rxd4 Rcd2 33. Qd5 Rxa2 34. h3 Rxf2 $4 35. Qe5+
$1 $18 Kh6 36. Qe8 Qg5 37. Qf8+ Kh5 38. g4+ fxg4 39. hxg4+ Kh4 40. d8=Q f6 (
40... Rh2+ 41. Kg1 Rag2+ 42. Kf1 Rf2+ 43. Ke1 f6 44. Qde7 {And black has no
more checks to overcome white's queen advantage. There is a particularly
pretty mate after} Rf3 45. Qh6+ Qxh6 46. g5+ Kxg5 47. Rb5+ Rf5 48. Qe3+ Kh5 49.
Qf3+ Kg5 50. Qg4#) 41. Qfd6 $2 {A big step in the wrong direction.} (41. Qc7 {
Defends h2 while attacking h7 at the same time.}) 41... Qh6 42. Qe5 $1 g5 43.
Qed6 (43. Qdd6 {and mate follows shortly}) 43... Qg6 {Black's last chance} 44.
Re1 $4 {and it works!} (44. Rc1 {both this move or 44.Rg1 lead to easy wins.})
(44. Rg1 Rf3 45. Re1) 44... Qc2 $19 45. Qa8 Rh2+ {It's pretty uncommon to see
the player up a queen lose like this. I imagine that time played a major
factor in the latter half of this game.} 0-1
