Hello Chess lovers,
I have the real pleasure of sharing with you a game that did not reach the books as a masterpiece.
At least I have not seen a lot of writing on it. Sutovsky 2669 went into overdrive against Ivanchuk then rated at 2711 in a Sicillian. What was so wonderful about this game is how Ivanchuk withstood waves of Sutovsky attacks with a virtuoso performance in terms of the use of multitasking knights. Ivanchuk's knights performed both offensive and defensive roles in a way that is hard to find in the upper stratosphere of chess.
Now unto this superlative battle!!
Sutovsky vs Ivanchuk Aeroflot 2005/6
1.e4c5 2.Nf3 Sutovsky developed a reputation in the mid nineties as a very inspired and dynamic chess player. I saw him live in West Bromwich Albion as he brutalized Ivan Sokolov over the board. He is fierce and often accurate.
2....e6 Ivanchuk has done well with this move before. 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4a6 5.Nc3Qc6 6.Bd3Nf6
7.Qe2Bd6!? - Ivanchuk plays an idea that started with the trainer of Tal, Koblenz in 1958. After one game in that year it resurfaced in 1991!! It really is relatively virgin territory for creative players. It stops white from castling for a move but also contests the f4 square. Normally, it is played a move earlier. Ivanchuk first played
...Nf6 to stop Qg4.
8.Nf3Nc6 9.0-0b5 10.Re1Ng4! one idea is to play ...Nge5 and then capture on d3.This knight was to prove quite a thorn in white's flesh.
11.Nd5?! - Sutovsky goes for a typical knight sacrifice in the Sicillian. He sees that the king is in the center and he believes in provoking a crisis. When confronted by this Ivanchuk showed just how much resources there were in the position.
11....ed5! Testing the opponent. 12.ed5Ne7 13.Bf4Qc5! Ivanchuk defends e7 twice and the queen can multi task on the 5th rank.
14.Nh4!? attacking the knight on g4 and ready to swoop in on f5. 14....h5 15.b4Qb4! -Ice cold.
Ivanchuk has clearly worked out that black has sufficient resources to handle white's onslaught.
It takes great nerves to play like this.
16.Bd2Bh2! 17.Kh1Qc5! targeting f2.
18.f4?!trying to stop the bishop from returning to d6. 18...Bg3 19.Nf5 A curious moment. Both sides are preparing assaults on each other's king. A slugfest!!
19....Nf2 20.Kg1Nh3 21.Kh1Nf2 22.Kg1Nd3 23.Be3Nf4!!! Ivanchuk follows Fischer's main principle "blow for blow" the equal or stronger threat rules in tactical skirmishes.
24.Qf3Qd5 25.Qg3Nf5! and now knight number two comes out. It takes massive courage to allow a discovered attack on one's king. Now the other knight will show defensive multitasking.
26.Bf4Kf8 27.Qd3d6! The knight on f5 makes this possible. 28.Rad1Qc6 29.Re2Be6 30.Bd6Kg8
The king runs to an escape hatch-all in time!!
31.Be5Rh6 !! Ivanchuk proves how many resources there are in the position. 32.R2d2 Sutovsky is planning the second wave -assault on the back rank. 32...Rg6! From defense to offense! 33.g3Kh7 34.Rd8!Qb6!
Sutovsky's charge of the light brigade has been stopped with a double attack. It was a refreshingly barbaric encounter between these two.
What was fascinating was how Ivanchuk used centralized pieces to strike out and then a rook lift to create more protection for an escaping King.
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