FM Joakim Nilsson - GM Keith Arkell
South Wales International (7), 11.07.2022
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 0–0 9.0–0 Na6 10.Nd2 Nc7 11.a4 b6 12.Nc4 Ba6 13.Na3 Qd7 14.Re1 Rfe8 15.h3 Re7 16.Qb3 Qe8 17.Bf4 Rd8 18.Nab5 Nxb5 19.axb5 Bc8 20.Ra4 Nh5 21.Bg5 f6 22.Bd2 f5 23.Bg5 Bf6 24.Bxf6 Nxf6 25.Rea1 Qf7 26.Qa2 Rdd7 27.e3 Rc7 28.Qc4 Nd7 29.Qh4 Ne5 30.e4 Nd3 31.exf5 gxf5 32.Qg5+ Qg6 33.Qd2 c4 34.b3 Nc5 35.bxc4 Nxa4 36.Rxa4 Qf6 37.Ne2 Bd7 38.Bf3 a5 39.Qf4 Rc8 40.Nd4 Re1+ 41.Kg2 Qe5 42.Qh4 Re8 43.Ne6 Bxe6 44.dxe6 Kh8 45.Bd5 f4 46.Ra3 Rg8 47.e7 Qg5
This time it was my turn to be the exchange up, but I never managed to stabilise my position and Nilsson always seemed to have enough compensation. I now tried my luck in a rook endgame, but really shouldn't have been allowed to play for a win.
48.Bxg8 Qxh4 49.gxh4 Kxg8 50.Rd3 Rxe7 51.Rxd6 Rb7 52.Kf3 Kf7 53.Kxf4 a4
Oh dear, I'm now two pawns down, but with the passed a-pawn there is still some hope.
54.Ke5 a3 55.Rd2 Rc7 56.Rc2 Ke7
57.Kd5? An instructive mistake. If immediately 57 Kd4! I will be fighting for a draw, but now I can fantasise about playing for more.
57...Rc5+ 58.Kd4 Rh5 59.Ra2 Kd6
Maybe Joakim didn't see that I could throw in this useful move.
60.Rxa3 Rxh4+
61.Kc3?? The only explanation for this horrendous double blunder is that the heat was getting to us both after nearly 4 hours of struggle.
61...Kc5?? Obviously simply exchanging rooks followed by queening my h-pawn wins trivially!
62.Ra4 Rxh3+ 63.Kd2 h5 64.Ke2 Rc3 65.Ra8 Rxc4 66.Rf8 Kxb5 67.Kd3 h4 68.f4 h3 69.Rh8 Rxf4 70.Rxh3
So I have gone from two pawns down to one pawn up, but with perfect play it's a draw.
70...Rc4 71.Rh1 Kc5 I know enough about this position to understand that the defence isn't trivial. What would you play here, with time getting low?
72.Rh8 Blunder! The drawing moves were 72 Rg1, Rf1, Re1, Rb1 and Ra1. Now I get to play ....Kb4 for free:
72...Kb4!
The only winning move.
73.Rh1 Rc3+
Again the only winning move.
74.Kd2 b5 And again!
75.Rb1+ Rb3 And again.
76.Rc1 Rb2+ 77.Kd3 Kb3 78.Rc3+ Ka4 79.Rc8 b4 80.Rc7 Kb3 81.Rc1 Rh2 82.Rb1+ Ka3 83.Kc4 Rc2+ 84.Kd3 b3 85.Ra1+ Kb2 86.Ra7 Rc3+ 87.Kd2 Rc8 88.Rd7 Kb1 89.Ra7 b2
To convert I will need to build a 'bridge' to shield my King from checks. Thus: 90 Ra6 Rd8+ 91 Ke2 Rd5 92 Ke3 Kc2 93 Rc6+ Kb3 94 Rb6+ Kc3 95 Ke2 ( or 95 Rb8 [95 Rc6+ Kb4 96 Rb6+ Rb5] 95...Rd1) 95...Rd4 96 Rc6+ Rc4 97 Rb6 Rb4.
90.Ra6 Rd8+ 91.Kc3 Kc1 0–1