[Event "Eu-ch 23rd Vrnjacka banja (11) "]
[White "Korobov,Anton"]
[Black "Dardha,Daniel"]
[Site ""]
[Round ""]
[Annotator "Havanur, Nagesh"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Date "2023.03.13"]
[WhiteElo "2658"]
[BlackElo "2610"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[Setup "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/1p1q1pp1/1bb4p/pN1p3Q/P2P4/2P3PP/1P4BK/4R3 b - - 0 22"]
22... g6 $1 {Dardha offers a pawn on the kingside to neutralise Korobov's
attack. A move of imagination and daring.} ({Otherwise} 22... Rf8 {preparing ..
.f7-f5 also deserves attention.} )23. Qxh6 Re8 ({If} 23... Bxb5 24. axb5 Qxb5 25. h4 Re8 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8 27. h5 $16 )24. Rxe8+ Qxe8 25. h4 {Preparing 26.h5} ({If} 25. Bf1 Qe4 26. Qd2 Bd8 27. Nd6 Qe6 $11 )Qe2 $1 {Stopping 26.h5 and
also targeting b2 and b5.} ({The direct} 25... Bxb5 26. axb5 Qxb5 27. Qd2 (27. h5 gxh5 28. Qg5+ Kf8 {appears risky for Black. However, after 29. Qxd5 or 29.
Qxh5 White has only a series of checks, but no win.} )Bc7 $11 {is OK,
but sets no problems for White.} )26. Qf4 Bxb5 27. axb5 Qxb5 28. Qb8+ Kg7 29. Qe5+ Kg8 30. Kh3 $5 {This move frees the bishop as White does not have to fear
a check with....Qxb2.} ({White can take a draw with} 30. Qb8+ {leading to
repetition of moves. But Korobov does not want that.} )({Instead he could have
tried} 30. h5 $1 gxh5 31. Bxd5 Qxb2+ 32. Kh3 Qf2 33. Qxh5 ({Or} 33. Bxb7 a4 34. Qg5+ Kf8 35. Qh6+ Kg8 36. Qxb6 Qf5+ 37. Kg2 Qc2+ $11 )a4 $13 {The
engine's verdict is a draw.} )Qd7+ 31. g4 $5 {Exposing his own king on
the dark squared diagonal and courting danger.} (31. Kh2 {retracing his steps
is safer.} )Bc7 32. Qxd5 Qe7 33. Be4 Qf6 34. Kg2 (34. Bf3 {walks into a
mating net after} Qf4 $19 )Qxh4 35. Kf1 $2 {Panic!} ({After the
cold-blooded} 35. Qxb7 $1 Qxg4+ 36. Kf2 Bf4 37. Bf3 Qf5 $13 {the position
remains complicated.} )Qxg4 36. Qxb7 $4 {The same move that was good
before now comes too late.} ({It was necessary to stop the invasion of the
Black queen on the short diagonal with} 36. Bf3 {and White would have fought
on, though the insecure position of his king would have favoured Black in the
long run.} Qf4 37. Qxb7 Qc1+ 38. Ke2 Qc2+ 39. Kf1 Bg3 40. Be2 $17 )Qd1+ 37. Kf2 Qd2+ 38. Kf3 Bf4 39. Bxg6 Qe3+ 40. Kg2 {and a despairing Korobov
resigned.} 0-1