[Event "25th ETCC"]
[Site "Batumi GEO"]
[Date "2025.10.12"]
[Round "7.1"]
[White "Loek van Wely"]
[Black "Igor Kovalenko"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D24"]
[WhiteElo "2630"]
[BlackElo "2669"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[GameId "2239499116220429"]
[EventDate "2025.10.05"]
[WhiteTeam "Netherlands"]
[BlackTeam "Ukraine"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NED"]
[BlackTeamCountry "UKR"]
{[%evp 0,88,19,31,14,1,16,17,20,20,42,44,34,43,46,64,58,47,57,56,67,50,63,65,74,59,57,74,66,56,63,46,74,32,47,43,54,45,83,66,71,26,40,14,29,26,27,12,16,10,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-12,-31,-23,-23,-41,-63,-36,-54,-84,-55,-96,-85,-87,-114,-61,-94,-137,-142,-143,-179,-168,-262,-270,-279,-212,-241,-356,-373,-392,-396,-423,-792,-803]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 {In my view, this move gives the players more opportunity for independent thinking than the old main line that started with} (5... Bb4) 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Be3 Qd7 11. Rc1 a6 12. Nc3 Be7 13. a3 Na5 14. Nd2 O-O 15. Qc2 Rab8 16. Rfd1 Ba8 17. Rb1 Kh8 18. Nde4 Qc6 19. Bf3 Qe8 {Up to this point we have seen accurate play by both sides.} 20. Bg5 {But the exchange of the bishops that White is inviting makes Black's life much easier.} Nb3 21. Qe2 Bxg5 22. Nxg5 Qe7 23. h4 h6 24. Bxa8 Rxa8 25. Nce4 Rad8 ({Of course not} 25... hxg5 {as after} 26. Qh5+ Kg8 27. Nxg5 {White would win.}) 26. Nf3 Rd7 27. Qe3 Rfd8 28. g3 Qf8 {This is the start of a most remarkable and highly impressive queen's maneuver. Interestingly, the engine finds it quickly.} 29. Kg2 Qg8 30. Nc3 Qh7 {Black has taken up a commanding position on the h7-b1 diagonal.} 31. a4 a5 32. Qf4 Kg8 33. h5 Nd5 34. Nxd5 Rxd5 35. Re1 Qc2 {A beautiful move.} ({Much more obvious was taking a pawn with} 35... Nxd4 {but after} 36. Rbc1 {White would be able to put up a strong resistance.}) 36. Qe4 {Could it be that the complicated manoever Qe7-f8-g8-h7-c2 was only intended to force the exchange of queens?} Qxe4 37. Rxe4 Rb8 {It was well worth Black's effort. In the endgame he is winning.} 38. g4 Rb4 39. Kh3 c5 40. dxc5 Nxc5 41. Rd4 Rxd4 42. Nxd4 c3 {This is even stronger than} (42... Nxa4 {which would also be sufficient for a win.}) 43. Nc6 Rb3 44. Nxa5 {After this move it is over at once.} (44. Z0 {But nothing could help White against the terrible threat of} c2+) ({A move like} 44. f3 {would also fail, as after} Nd3 45. Nd4 Rb4 46. Nc2 Rxb2 {White's position would be hopeless.}) 44... c2+ {White resigned.} 0-1
