GM Leinier Dominguez - GM Hikaru Nakamura

American Cup, (2.2)

Sicilian Kalashnikov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 The Maróczy Bind approach with 6.c4 is the more positional option here. 6...a6 7.Na3 Be6 Nakamura does what Nakamura does best of all by being a law only unto himself as he opts for a risky line to play for a win with Black. The more standard Evgeny Sveshnikov little wrinkle here is 7...Be7 to avoid all the heavy theory in his eponymous pet line that came from Bg5. Magnus Carlsen liked this move also, as it kept his opponents thinking whether they would get the Sicilian Sveshnikov or the Kalashnikov.8.Nc4 Rb8

According to more knowledgeable pundits than this one, this strange little rook move is a speciality of the young Iranian GM Parham Maghsoodloo. 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5 Nce7 11.g3 The brave punt from Mr Engine here is 11.g4 - but this is not the sort of uncharted territory you would want to go exploring blind during a big matchplay scenario. So, a big psychological pull to Nakamura for playing this risky line.11...b5 12.Ne3 g6 13.a4 Nf6 We're largely in uncharted territory here, but the general consensus was that the immediate 13...Bh6! was more accurate. 14.axb5

Many pundits were punting for 14.c4!? here - but this, to my eyes, looks the more natural continuation. 14...axb5 15.Bg2 Bh6 16.O-O O-O 17.Qd3 Nd7 With the plan of ...Nc5 and the kingside attack rolling with ...f5 - Nakamura had to be pleased with the way this game was now going.18.Bd2 Nc5 19.Qe2 Qc7 There are pros and cons over the better option with 19...b4 that secures the c5 square for the knight, but also at the same time gifting White an equally good knight outpost on c4. 20.b4 Kicking the knight was indeed the natural move, but the more interesting option was 20.Bb4!? intending the follow-up of Ra5 hitting the b5-pawn and threatening to double rooks on the a-file.

20...Nd7 21.Ra5 Bxe3! A brave call from Nakamura - and not the sort of move most players would necessarily make - but he obviously sees great potential for his knights to jump into the game and cause maximum mayhem for Dominguez. 22.Bxe3 Nf5 The point of Nakamura's timely trade of his bishop for knight. 23.Ra7?! We now come to a crossroads in the game, as Nakamura said he fully expected here 23.Rxb5 Nxe3 24.fxe3 Nb6 with good compensation for the pawn - the compensation being that White's bishop is locked out of the game as he'll soon be getting in ...f7-f5 and then ...e4, then ...Nc4 where white is left with several weak pawns to defend. 23...Rb7 24.Rxb7 Qxb7 25.Bd2 Ra8 26.Qd3 Ra2 27.Rd1 Nf6 28.Bg5 Kg7 29.Bh3 We find ourselves in an interesting struggle with the knights vs bishops - but from my experience of watching Nakamura over the years since he was a kid, he's a very dangerous and tricky player when he has knights on the board. 29...Nd4! The start of a typically imaginative Nakamura knights dance! 30.c3 Nc2 31.Qf3?! Dominguez either loses the thread of the game at this point, or else he was somewhat too optimistic over his chances to win by having the bishop-pair. It was time for 31.Rd2! Ra1+ 32.Rd1 Ra2 (Either way, life is going out of the game, as demonstrated with the alternative of 32...Rxd1+ 33.Qxd1 Na3 34.Bxf6+ Kxf6 35.Bf1 h6 36.Qb3 Qa6 etc.) 33.Rd2 Ra1+ and a draw by repetition. 31...Ng8! And now Nakamura's other knight gets to take an imaginative dance - but just watch where it re-emerges! 32.Bf1 Ra3 Nakamura puts great faith in his ability to calculate complicated tactics. The safer option was 32...Na3 33.Bc1 Qa8 34.h4 Qa4 and Black clearly has better prospects. But then again, perhaps this was just too simple an option for Nakamura and his dancing knights. 33.Bc1Dominguez begins to let his position drift again - the engine and commentators concurred that after 33.Qd3! Nxb4 34.Qb1 Na6 35.Qb2 Ra4 (Unfortunately for Black, he can't defend the b-pawn with 35...Ra5 due to 36.Bd8!) 36.Qxb5 Qxb5 37.Bxb5 Ra2 38.Be3 Nf6 39.f3 Nc7 40.Bc6 and I can't see any side wanting to push for more than a draw here. 33...Rb3 34.Qe4? Dominguez's position just aimlessly drifts now following a couple of bad moves. Instead, after 34.Qd3! Na3 35.Qd2 Qa7 36.Kg2 f5 Black has a slightly easier position to play, but nothing much to write home about with no breakthroughs possible. 34...Rxc3 35.Bb2 Nf6 36.Qh4?Dominguez continues to worship at the altar of the "drift gods". His last try to save the game was with 36.Qe2 Rc8 37.Rd2 Nxb4 38.f4! and Black has to tread carefully attempting to convert for a win. 36...Rb3 It is not so obvious, but the killer move for Nakamura was 36...Rf3! 37.Bc1(Perhaps in the heat of battle, in his calculations, Nakamura failed to spot that 37.Bg2? was losing on the spot to the stunning rook sacrifice 37...Rxf2!! 38.Kxf2 Qa7+ 39.Ke2 Qa2 and a crushing attack with the White king caught wandering aimlessly in no man's land.) 37...h5 38.Be2 Rf5 39.h3 Nd4 with a winning attack. 37.Bc1 Ng8! It's that ...Ng8 move again - but this time for Nakamura it offers safety for his king while White's position is on the edge of collapse. 38.Qd8 Qe7 Correctly working out that trading queens would lead to a won ending with White having weak pawns on b4 and d5. 39.Qa5?! Dominguez is drinking in the Last Hope saloon! The last try to avert a stunning collapse was 39.Bg5 Qxd8 40.Bxd8 Kf8 41.Bxb5 Nxb4 and see where the chips fall holding the endgame. 39...Nd4 40.Be3 Nf3+ 41.Kg2 Qf6 42.Be2 e4 43.Qxb5?? Dominguez doesn't sense the danger, but his position is primed for a spectacular collapse. 43...Qb2? The only bad move from Nakamura in this entertaining struggle. It is hard to be critical, though, as perhaps it wasn't so easy to see here for Nakamura, but the engine quickly finds 43...Rxe3!! 44.fxe3 Nh6! This is arguably what makes it not so easy to spot, being that after the rook sac, the killer blow comes from a knight on g8! 45.Qa4 (No better was 45.h3 Nf5 46.Qa6 Qg5 and the Black queen and knights combine with lethal effect to force mate.) 45...Ng4 46.Kh1 Qf5 (setting up a mate-in-four with ...Nf2+ and ...Qh3+.) 47.Qa1+ f6 48.Rf1 Ngxh2 crashes through to win. But Nakamura doesn't need to be asked twice to sacrifice his rook! 44.Qa6 Nf6 45.h3 h5 46.Kf1 Qe5 47.Kg2 [see diagram] 47...Rxe3!! This time, in fairness to Nakamura, the rook sacrifice is easier to see through to the mate. 48.fxe3 h4! The end to an intriguing struggle between these two players comes swiftly now. 49.gxh4 Qh2+ 0-1 And Dominguez resigns with 50...Qg1 mate to follow!