Review

Players from opposite parts of the tournament bracket play each other in the opening rounds of the Swiss system competitions. In such cases ranking favorites are trying to prove their superiority over less experienced opponents with the help of pure technical means, avoiding unnecessary risk. The first round of the 2018 Moscow Open is not an exclusion from this rule. Chief opponents were playing with confidence, high techniques, but…. dull.

However, Grandmaster Oksana Gritsayeva managed to play a funny, beautiful and short game, the last is highly appreciated by the commentator!

Bayonet Attack

In this game the opponents' pawns showed miracles of bravery one by one. First the black pawn e7 rushed forward practically alone and found yourself  on square e3. Then the white pawn  followed the route f2-f4-f5:g6:f7+!  White strategy turned out to be more forward-thinking  as soon we saw the queen a5 and the rook a8 couldn't help the black king.

Gritsayeva, Oksana (Russia)– Bulatova, Kamaliya (Russia)
Russia Cup Stage 2018
King’s Indian Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.b3
In the opening Oksana Gritsayeva chooses the Double Fianchetto as she is good in middlegame refusing from the struggle for advantage in it.

3…Bg7 4.Bb2 d6 5.d4 0–0 6.Bg2 c6 7.0–0 Nbd7 8.c4
Gradually the game takes shapes of usual variants for King's Indian Defence. White could chose 8.Nbd2, leaving the square с4 empty for this knight.

8…Re8 9.Nc3 e5

Now it is the important moment to choose the plan of the game. White can play  10.е4, and after 10…exd4 11.Nxd4 Nc5 12.Re1 a5, as it is known that in such positions White must develop his bishop on e3. In two  famous games F.Zita - D.Bronstein and L.Pachman-D.Bronstein in 1946 White has  lost developing his bishop on b2. If White developes his bishop on b2, Black can play Qb6 where the black queen is very active.

10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Ng5
After the exchange on e5 White wants to use the week square on d6 transfering his knight there.

11…e4
A brave though a risky decision. The solid alternative is 11...Nc5.

12.Qc2
Of course White can't take a pawn on e4 because white  bishop on b2 will be under attack after exchange on e4.

12…e3

13.f4!
At first glance white should try to win e3 pawn but GM from Crimea has a cunning plan. Let's note that in case of 13.fxe3 Qe7 Black has a nice counterplay.

13...Nc5 14.Rad1
The key moment of the game has come.

14...Qa5?
It was the only and fatal mistake of Black in this game. Further we can recommend for Black 14...Qe7,  14...Qc7 or even 14...Bf5!?, with mutual chances.

15.f5!
Suddenly we see that White is going to attack the black king and has advantage in force on the kingside.

15…h6
In case of 15...Bxf5 there is exchange sacrifice16.Rxf5! gxf5 17.Qxf5, and Black can't protect his king. E.g. : 17…Nxb3
(or a) 17...Rad8 18.Nd5 (18.Rf1) ; b) 17...h6 18.Nce4 Rxe4 (18...hxg5 19.Nxf6+) 19.Nxe4 Nfxe4 20.Bxe4 Bxb2 21.Qh7+ Kf8 22.Rf1 Bg7 23.Bg6 Qc7 (23...f6 24.Rxf6+ Bxf6 25.Qf7#) 24.Rxf7+ Qxf7 25.Bxf7 Kxf7 26.Qf5+ Bf6 27.Qxc5 +-) 18.Nd5! cxd5 19.Bxf6 and White wins.
That's interesting the same position was in the game Short – Bischoff (Dortmund 1983), and was followed by: 15...Ncd7 16.fxg6 Qxg5 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Ne4 Rxe4 19.Qxe4 Nf8 20.Rd8 Ne6 21.Qxh7 Nxd8 22.Bxf6 1–0
Did Oksana Gritsayeva know about this game? Or not?

16.fxg6!
Effective knight sacrifice distroys completely black pawn structure around the black king .

16…hxg5 17.gxf7+ Kxf7

18.Nd5!
And  White sacrifices his second knight for opening lines and diagonals for his pieces!

18…Nce4
Black can't avoid matting attack. E.g.: 18...cxd5 19.Bxf6 (19.Bxd5+ Ke7 20.Qg6) 19...Bxf6 20.Qh7+ Ke6 21.Qf5+ Kd6 22.Qxd5+ Ke7 23.Qd6+ Kf7 24.Qxf6+ Kg8 25.Qg6+ Kh8 26.Rf7.

19.Bxe4 cxd5 20.Bxd5+ Ke7 21.Bxf6+ Bxf6 22.Qh7+ Kd6 23.Bxb7+ Kc5 24.Rd5+ 1–0