1.e4
Nf6
[It doesn't take much to provoke the Serbian grandmaster. Earlier, Humpy Koneru played the Modern defense 1...g6
against him and Velimirovic immediately rammed it with 2.h4
d5
3.exd5
Qxd5
4.h5
]
2.e5
Nd5
3.c4
Nb6
4.d4
d6
5.f4
Velimirovic was always fond of the Four Pawn Attack, a messy, chaotic line that suites his style.
5...dxe5
[Richard Reti's 5...g6
is advocated by Tim Taylor in his recent book "Alekhine alert" - a repertoir for Black against 1.e4, published by Everyman Chess.]
6.fxe5
Nc6
7.Be3
Bf5
8.Nc3
e6
9.Nf3
Be7
10.d5
exd5
[Nearly 40 years ago, Velimirovic encountered the immediate 10...Nb4
11.Rc1!?
f6
(After 11...exd5
12.a3
c5
13.axb4
d4
14.Bxd4
cxd4
15.Nxd4
Qb8
16.Qe2
Be6
17.c5
Nd7
18.Rd1!?
Nxe5
19.Nxe6
fxe6
20.Qh5+
g6
21.Qh3!
black is in trouble.) 12.a3
Na6
13.g4!
-a deflecting pawn sacrifice - 13...Bxg4
14.Rg1
f5
15.h3
Bxf3
16.Qxf3
0-0
17.Rc2
Qd7
18.Rd2
Rae8
19.d6
cxd6
20.Qh5
Rc8
21.c5
Rxc5
22.Bxc5
Nxc5
23.Rdg2
g5
24.Bb5
Qd8
25.b4
Ncd7
26.exd6
Bf6
27.Ne2
Ne5
28.Nf4
Qxd6
29.Rxg5+
Kh8
30.Qxh7+
1-0 Velimirovic,D (2490)-Gipslis,A (2580)/Havana 1971]
11.Bxb6?!
Interestingly, neither Taylor nor Valentin Bogdanov in Play the Alekhine defense, published last year by Gambit Publications, mentioned this move. [The main line is 11.cxd5
Nb4
12.Nd4
and now: 12...Bd7!
(In one of the shortest games in this line, black played the faulty 12...Bg6?
13.Bb5+
Kf8
14.0-0
Kg8
15.Nf5
(15.d6!
cxd6
16.e6
with powerful pressure is even better.) 15...N4xd5
16.Nxd5
Nxd5
17.Qxd5
c6
18.Qxd8+
1-0 Holas,J-Sajtar,J/Podebrady 1956) 13.e6?!
(13.Qf3
is less commital.) 13...fxe6
14.dxe6
Bc6
15.Qg4
Bh4+
16.g3
Bxh1
17.Bb5+
(17.0-0-0
0-0
18.gxh4
Qf6
a popular line with roughly equal chances 19.Be2
(19.Bb5
; 19.Bh3
) 19...Qe5=
) 17...c6
18.0-0-0
0-0
19.gxh4
h5
20.Qg3
cxb5
21.Bg5
Qb8
22.e7
Re8
(22...Nxa2+!
23.Nxa2
Rc8+
is stronger) 23.Rxh1
Qxg3
24.hxg3
Rac8
25.Kb1
a6
26.Ne4
Rc7
27.Nf5
Nc8
28.Rc1
Rxc1+
29.Kxc1
Nd5
30.Ned6
Nxd6
31.Nxd6
Rxe7
32.Bxe7
Nxe7
33.Kd2
b6
34.Ke3
g6
35.Kf4
Kg7
36.Kg5
Nd5
37.Ne8+
Kf7
38.Nd6+
Kg7
39.Ne8+
Kf7
40.Nd6+
Kg7
1/2-1/2 Velimirovic,D (2500)-Kovacevic,V (2555)/Yugoslavia 1984/MCL]
11...axb6
12.cxd5
Nb4
13.Nd4
Undeniably, Velimirovic's style -- going after the black king. White creates a big mess, hoping that black trips up somewhere. Objectively, it is too sharp. But after
13...Bg6
14.d6?!
[Undeniably, Velimirovic's style -- going after the black king. White creates a big mess, hoping that black trips up somewhere. Objectively, it is too sharp. But after 14.Bb5+
c6!
15.dxc6
0-0!
16.cxb7
Rb8
17.Nc6
(17.0-0
Bc5
) 17...Nxc6
18.Bxc6
Qc7
19.Bd5
Bc5
the white king is vulnerable. ]
14...Bh4+
[14...cxd6
15.Bb5+
Kf8
16.0-0
Kg8
17.e6
with white's big advantage.]
15.g3
Qg5
[Cmilyte probably got mixed up with the variation 15...0-0 16.a3 Qg5. Hiding the king is a good idea in general, but a great idea against Velimirovic. Anyway, after 15...0-0
16.a3
black has the following possibilities: (Accepting the piece is disasterous: 16.gxh4
Qxh4+
17.Ke2
Rfe8
18.Nf3
Rxe5+
19.Nxe5
Bh5+
20.Nf3
Re8+
21.Kd2
Qf4#
) 16...Qg5
(16...c5
17.Nf3
Nc2+
18.Kf2
Bg5
19.Bd3
Nxa1
20.Bxg6
hxg6
21.Qxa1
Bh6
22.Qa2
(22.Nd5!
is better.) 22...Qd7
23.Qd5
Qf5
24.Re1
g5
25.Kg2
g4
26.Nh4
Qd7
27.Rf1
Rfe8
28.Nf5
Qc6
29.Ne7+
Rxe7
30.dxe7
Re8
31.Qxc6
bxc6
32.Na4
Rxe7
33.Nxb6
Rxe5
34.a4
Re4
35.a5
Rb4
36.Ra1
Rxb2+
37.Kh1
Rb4
38.a6
1-0 Murey,J (2500)-Kovacevic,V (2560)/Hastings 1982/MCD) 17.Kf2
(17.axb4
Bxg3+
(17...Qxe5+
18.Nde2
Bc2
19.Rxa8
Bxd1
20.Rxf8+
Kxf8
21.dxc7
Qxc7
22.Kxd1=
) 18.hxg3
Qxg3+
19.Kd2
Qf4+
black has a draw at hand) 17...Qxe5
18.Nf3
Qc5+
19.Qd4
Qxd4+
20.Nxd4
Bf6
21.Rd1
Nd3+
22.Bxd3
Bxd4+
23.Kg2
Bxc3
24.bxc3
cxd6
25.Bxg6
hxg6
26.Rxd6
Rxa3
27.Rxb6
Rd8
28.Rxb7
Rd2+
29.Kh3
Rxc3
30.Rf1
f5
31.Ra1
Kh7
0-1 Carlsson,A-Kuehnrich,H/ICCF corr 1982/Corr 2002]
16.d7+?
[Velimirovic makes sure the black king stays in the middle, but he could have prevented black's castling with: 16.Kf2!
threatening to win a piece with 17.Nf3 and after 16... 16...Qxe5
(16...0-0
17.Nf3+-
) 17.gxh4
(or 17.Qg4
0-0
18.Qxh4+/=
) 17...0-0-0
18.Nf3
Qc5+
19.Qd4
white has the edge.]
16...Kd8
17.Kf2
Qxe5
18.gxh4
Nd3+!
Destroying white's coordination, the knight leap leads to a winning position for black.
19.Bxd3
Qxd4+
20.Kg2
[White can't protect the bishop. After 20.Ke2
Bh5+
wins. The game is virtually over, but for Velimirovic the fun only begins.]
20...Bxd3?!
[A psychological slip. Velimirovic feels better with the queens on the board. Exchanging them with 20...Qxd3!
wins comfortably, for example 21.Qxd3
Bxd3
22.Rad1
Bf5
and the d-pawn is doomed.]
21.Re1
h5
22.Kh1
Qd6
23.Qd2
Bc4
[Taking care of the d-pawn with 23...Bf5
was more advisable and better, for example 24.Qg5+
Qf6
25.Qxf6+
(25.Qg3
Qc6+
26.Kg1
Qg6
) 25...gxf6
26.Nd5
Bxd7
27.Rad1
Bc6
and the pin wins it for black.]
24.Qg2
Qc6
25.Ne4
Bd5
[Computer engines come up with an elaborate, clever defense: 25...Rh6!?
26.Qxg7
Bd5
27.Qg5+
Kxd7
28.Rad1
Rd6
leading to a winning rook engdame: 29.Rxd5
Qxd5
30.Qxd5
Rxd5
31.Nf6+
Kd6
32.Nxd5
Kxd5
33.Re7
Kd6
34.Rxf7
Rxa2-+
]
26.Rad1
Bxe4?!
[Bringing the rook into play and protecting the bishop with 26...Ra5!
left black with good winning chances, for example 27.b4
(27.Rd4
Bxe4
28.Rdxe4
(28.Qxe4?
Re5-+
; 28.Rexe4
Qc1+
29.Qg1
Qxg1+
30.Kxg1
Rxa2-+
) 28...Kxd7
29.Qxg7
Rd8!
30.Rd1+
Rd5
31.Qxf7+
Kc8
32.Rxd5
Rxd5
33.Qe8+
Qxe8
34.Rxe8+
Kd7
and the endgame is clearly in black's favor) 27...Bxe4
28.Rxe4
Rf5-/+
]
27.Rxe4
Ra4?!
[One square too far. 27...Ra5!?
was still the best choice. It can transpose into previous note after 28.Rde1
Kxd7
29.Qxg7
Rd8
30.Rd1+
Rd5
31.Qxf7+
Kc8
etc.; On the other hand, after 27...f5
28.Qg5+
Qf6
29.Qxh5!
g6
(29...Rxh5?
30.Re8#
) 30.Re8+
Rxe8
31.dxe8Q+
Kxe8
32.Re1+
Kf8
33.Qh6+
white should equalize.]
28.b4!
(Keeping the black rook out of play.)
28...b5?
[The game slips out of black's hands. It tends to happenin Velimirovic's games. When you thought you had him finished, he turned around and escaped. Still, black could have equalized after 28...f5!
29.Qg5+
Qf6
30.Qxh5
g6
31.Re8+
Rxe8
32.dxe8Q+
Kxe8
33.Re1+
Kf8
34.Qh6+
Kf7
35.Qh7+
Kf8
36.Qh6+
(36.Qxc7
Qc6+=
) 36...Kf7=
; Cmilyte perhaps thought she could get away with 28...Rxa2
but white has two ways to refute it: 29.Qg5+
(29.b5
Qc2
(29...Rxg2
30.bxc6
Ra2
31.cxb7+-
) 30.Qxc2
Rxc2
31.Ra4
Ke7
32.d8Q+
Rxd8
33.Re4++-
) 29...Qf6
(29...f6
30.Qg6!
) 30.Qe3
Qc6
31.b5+-
]
29.Qg5+
[White also wins after 29.Rde1
Kxd7
30.Qh3+!
Kd8
31.Rd1++-
]
29...Qf6
[After 29...f6
30.Qg6
threatening 31.Qe8+, wins for white.]
30.Qd5?!
[The dance with the queen was unnecessary. White wins immediately with 30.Qe3!
]
30...Qc6
[30...Qd6
31.Qg5+
Qf6
32.Qe3+-
]
31.Qe5
Qe6
32.Qd4
Qd6
33.Qg1
Qc6
34.Qg5+
Qf6
35.Qe3!
The white queen finally lands on the right square, threatening 36.Re8+.
35...Qc6
36.Kg1
Qg6+
37.Kf1
Qf5+
38.Ke1
(Leaving black without good checks.)
38...Qxe4
39.Qxe4
Ra6
40.Qxb7
1-0