Great Chess from Iceland

Reykjavik has is all for a top-level chess event. The history, the passion for chess and even the climate. Since the historical match Spassky-Fischer in 1972 no Icelander is indifferent to the game of chess. The country is a proud owner of a chess record- it has the largest number of GMs per capita of the population. And is currently running another great event- the European Team Championships. Here is a game from round one:

[Event "European Team Championship - Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2015.11.13"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Kveinys, Aloyzas"]
[Black "Ivanisevic, Ivan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2662"]
[Annotator "Bojkov, Dejan"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2015.??.??"]
[WhiteClock "0:01:17"]
[BlackClock "0:00:54"]

1. Nf3 {Aloyzas Kveinys is a frequent played at the famous Reykjavik open and
good friend of the local chess players. At least one of Iceland's best GMs is
his student and the Lituania's top board feels at home in Reykjavik as this
game shows.} d5 2. d4 Bf5 3. Bg5 f6 {[%csl Yg5][%cal Gg8h6,Gh6f5] Diagram [#]
Black often plays this move without his bishop on f5, the idea being to trade
the white bishop in case it retreats to h4 after the maneuver Ng8-h6-f5.} ({
The alternative} 3... h6 {led to highly interesting position after} 4. Bh4 c6
5. e3 Qb6 6. b3 Qa5+ 7. c3 Bxb1 8. b4 Qa3 9. Rxb1 Qxc3+ 10. Nd2 Qa3 11. Rb3 Qa4
12. Nb1 {in the game Papaioannou,I (2622)-Stevic,H (2607) Khanty-Mansiysk 2010}
) 4. Bf4 ({The bishop has hardly much to do on h4} 4. Bh4 {and Black can still
go for} Nh6 {followed by Bf5-g6 and Nh6-f5.}) 4... Nc6 5. e3 e6 6. Nh4 {
Only six moves were played and the position became extremely unusual and
complex. Original too- according to Megabase there were only three games
played so far.} Be4 {Another interesting try was} (6... g5 $5 {Looks risky as
Black loses the right to castle after} 7. Qh5+ Kd7 8. Nxf5 gxf4 9. Qf7+ Nge7
10. Bd3 $5 {[%csl Yd7,Rf7][%cal Gd8e8] Diagram [#] But the immediate trade of
queens solves all the problems-} Qe8 (10... exf5 $4 11. Bxf5+ Kd6 12. Qe6#) 11.
Qxe8+ Rxe8 12. Nxe7 Bxe7 $11) 7. f3 Bg6 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. c4 e5 $5 $146 {Diagram
[#] A sharp, rich novelty-Ivanisevic fights for the initiative. Previously
another logical move was tried:} (9... Bd6 10. Bxd6 Qxd6 11. c5 Qd7 12. Bb5
Nge7 {with approximate equality, Rufino Bengoetxea,A-Sion Castro,M (2390)
Mondariz 1995}) 10. cxd5 {The only attempt to get something out of the opening.
} ({Black is fine after} 10. dxe5 fxe5 11. cxd5 exf4 12. dxc6 Qxd1+ 13. Kxd1
O-O-O+) 10... Qxd5 (10... exf4 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. exf4 $16 {is better for White.
}) 11. Nc3 Bb4 12. dxe5 Qc5 {[%csl Rc3,Ye3,Re5][%cal Rb4c3,Rg6g5,Yc5e3,Rc5e5,
Rc5c3] Diagram [#] The point behind Black's play. Ivanisevic is ready to
sacrifice a pawn but to keep the white king in the center.} 13. Qd3 $1 {
The lines after} (13. exf6 Nxf6 (13... Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Qxc3+ 15. Kf2 Rd8) 14.
Qd3 g5 15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Bg3 Rd8 17. Qg6+ Kf8 {are too risky for White.}) 13...
g5 14. exf6 (14. e6 $1 {was objectively stronger as Black cannot take the piece
} gxf4 ({After the correct} 14... Kf8 15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Qd7 Qxe3+ 17. Be2 Nge7 {
Black has good compensation for the pawn.}) 15. Qd7+ Kf8 16. Qf7#) 14... Nxf6
15. Bxc7 Rc8 16. Bg3 Ke7 {Ivanisevic misses a golden chance. The incredible} (
16... Rd8 17. Qg6+ Ke7 $3 {Diagram [#]} 18. Qxg7+ (18. Qc2 {is objectively
better when Black has rich compensation after} Nd5 ({Or} 18... Ne5)) 18... Ke6
{is a resource that would make any living person proud. The black king laughs
at the efforts of the white queen, while without it around it will be the
white king that will suffer.}) 17. Rc1 a6 18. Be2 {[%cal Ge1g1] Diagram [#]
Now White is in control.} Rhd8 19. Qc2 Qxe3 20. Bf2 Qe5 21. O-O {Kveynis
saveguarded the king and is ready to attack through the center. The extra pawn
and bishop pair would not hurt neither.} Nd4 {Black's only chance is connected
with kingside attack.} 22. Bxd4 Qxd4+ 23. Kh1 Rh8 {Creates a mating threat.}
24. g3 (24. Rfe1 $4 {walks into it} Rxh2+ {Diagram [#]} 25. Kxh2 Rh8+ 26. Kg3
Qh4#) ({Worse is} 24. h3 Qf4 25. Qg6 Bd6 {Diagram [#] when White needs to find
the cute} 26. Qxf6+ $1 ({But not} 26. Qxg7+ Ke6 $1) 26... gxf6 27. Nd5+ Kf7 28.
Nxf4 Bxf4 {although due to the opposite-colored bishops this should wnd
peacefully.}) 24... Bd6 25. f4 $1 {A counter-attacking signal. Kveynis needs
that tempo to get his queen close.} (25. Qg6 $4 {would be answered in another
checky-matie-fashion} Rxh2+ {[%csl Yh1][%cal Rd4h4] Diagram [#]} 26. Kxh2 Qh4+
27. Kg2 Qxg3+ 28. Kh1 Qh2#) 25... gxf4 26. Qg6 Rcg8 27. Rcd1 {Now White has
all the fun.} Qb6 {Black's last chance was} (27... Qc5 28. Nd5+ Nxd5 29. Qe4+
Kd8 30. Rxd5 Re8 31. Qd3 Rxe2 32. Rxd6+ (32. Rxc5 $4 Rhxh2+ 33. Kg1 Reg2#)
32... Kc7 33. Qxe2 Qxd6 34. Qc4+ Kb8 35. Qxf4 {although the extra pawn should
give be sufficient for the full point here as well.}) 28. Bc4 {[%csl Ye7][%cal
Ge1e8,Gd1d8] Diagram [#] Strangely enough, it is the black king that gets in
trouble now in the middle of the board.} fxg3 29. Rfe1+ Kd8 30. Qxg3 $1 Qc6+ (
30... Kc7 31. Re7+ ({Or first} 31. Rxd6)) 31. Kg1 Qc5+ 32. Re3 {Checks are
over, Black loses the bishop and the game.} Kc8 33. Be6+ {Not the hasty} (33.
Rxd6 Qxc4) 33... Kc7 34. Rxd6 $1 {[%csl Rc5,Rc7] Diagram [#] A nice finish of
a beautiful game.} Qxd6 35. Nb5+ {Ivanisevic resigned due to the checkmate} (
35. Nb5+ axb5 36. Rc3+ Kd8 37. Qxd6+ Ke8 38. Rc8#) 1-0

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