Denys Shmelov is having a moment. The International Master, who earned his title in 2014, has leveraged his long-renowned relentless maneuvering and positional prowess into some major tournament victories, including the 2016 New England Open. Highlighting these wins are multiple victories over GM Alexander Ivanov with the black pieces (!). I asked IM Shmelov to share a few of his big wins with Chess Horizons.
GM Alexander Ivanov (2530)
IM Denys Shmelov (2497)
76th New England Open (3)
09.04.2016
Caro-Kann [B12]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. Nd2 c5 7. dxc5 Nc6 8. Nb3 h5 9. gxh5 e6 10. Bf4 Bxc5 11. Nxc5 Qa5+ 12. Qd2 Qxc5 13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. Nf3 Rxh5 15. Be2 f6 16. Be3 Qe7 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Nd4 Rhh8 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20. Bxa7
20... d4 21. f3 e5 22. Bb6 Rde8 23. Qa5 Nd5 24. Bc5 Qc7 25. Qa3 Rh6 26. Rhg1 Nf4 27. Bd3 Rf6 28. Qa8+ Qb8 29. Qxb8+ Kxb8 30. Rxg7 Bxf3 31. Bb5 Rc8 32. Be7 Rb6 33. a4 Bxd1 34. Kxd1 Nd5 35. Bg5 Ne3+ 36. Bxe3 dxe3 37. c4 Rh6 38. Rg5 Rxh4 39. Rxe5 Rh2 40. Rxe3 Rxb2 41. Kc1 Rf2 42. Rc3 Rg8 43. Rc2 Rxc2+ 44. Kxc2 Rg3 45. Kb2 b6 46. Kc2 Kc7 47. Kb2 Kd6 48. Kc2 Kc5 49. Kb2 Kb4 50. Kc2 Rh3 51. Kd2 Kb3 52. Ke2 Kc3 53. Ba6 Rh5 54. Bb5 Re5+ 55. Kd1 Rh5 56. Ke2 Rh1 57. Ba6 Rb1 58. Bb5 Ra1 59. Kf2 Kd2 60. Kf3 Re1 61. Kf2 Re5 62. Kf3 Kc3
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GM Alexander Ivanov (2564)
IM Denys Shmelov (2511)
H.N. Pillsbury Memorial (3)
12.04.2016
Caro-Kann, Classical [B18]
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nh3 e6 7. Nf4 Bd6 8. Ngh5 Bxh5 9. Nxh5 g6 10. Nf4 Ne7 11. g3 Nd7 12. Bg2 Nd5 13. Nd3 b5 14. O-O O-O 15. c3 Re8 16. a4 a6 17. Bd2 Bf8 18. Qe2 Bg7 19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Qc7 21. Rfe1 Red8 22. Kh1 Rab8 23. axb5 axb5 24. f4 c5 25. b3 c4 26. bxc4 bxc4 27. Ra2 Rb3 28. Rc1 Bf8 29. Qe1
29... Ba3 30. Rb1 Qc5 31. Be4 Rdb8 32. Rd1 Bb2 33. Bc2 Bxc3 34. Bxb3 cxb3 35. Ra6 Qc4 36. Rd6 Bxd2 37. Qxd2 Qe4+ 38. Kg1 b2
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Interestingly, despite the magnitude of these wins – they led to IM Shmelov taking first in almost half of MACA’s adult tournaments in 2016 – the IM highlighted another victory, against a young expert at the Boylston Club’s Fall FIDE Festival, as his favorite of recent memory:
Danila Poliannikov (2062)
IM Denys Shmelov (2512)
BCF Fall FIDE Festival (4)
11.12.2016
Caro-Kann [B11]
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. d4 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Qxd4 8. Bd3 Nd7 9. Be3 Qd5 10. Rd1 Ne5 11. Qf4 Qa5+ 12. Ke2 Rd8?
12... Ng6 13. Nd6+ Bxd6 14. Qxd6
13. Nc5! Nxd3 14. Rxd3 Rxd3 15. Nxd3
15. Kxd3 Bxc5 16. Qb8+ Qd8+ 17. Qxd8+ Kxd8 18. Bxc5 b6 19. Bf8 Ne7 20. Bxg7 Rg8 21. Be5 Rxg2 22. Bg3 Nf5 23. Rd1 Nxg3 24. Ke3+ Ke7 25. Kf3 Rxf2+ 26. Kxf2 Ne4+
15... Qd8
15... e5 16. Nxe5 Nf6 17. Rd1 Be7 18. Nc4
16. Bxa7
16. Rd1 Nf6 17. Ne5 Qc7 was my initial intention, but it is answered with a stunning 18. Nxc6!! After which Black can resign. 18. Rd7 Nxd7 19. Qxf7+ Kd8 20. Bg5+ Nf6 21. Bxf6+ Be7 also looks dodgy for Black, but at least he is not losing by force.
16... Nf6 17. Qb8 Qxb8 18. Bxb8 Nd7 19. Bc7 Be7 20. Rd1 O-O 21. Ne5 Nf6 22. Nd7 Rc8 23. Nxf6+Bxf6 24. Bg3 Kf8 25. b3
25. Rd7
25... Ke8 26. Bd6
26. a4 denies Black his only counterplay.
26... b5
Now Black can put some pressure on the a-file.
27. Bc5 Ra8 28. a3 Be5
28... Bb2 comes with no threat, since white will pin the bishop with Rd1-a1.
29. Bd6
Another impatient move
29... Bxd6 30. Rxd6 Ra6
30... Rxa3?! 31. Rxc6 gives White advantage 31. a4
31. b4 Ke7 32. Rd3 makes it very hard for Black to make any progress
31... bxa4 32. bxa4 Ke7 33. Rd4 c5 34. Rc4 Kd6 35. Kd3 Kd5 36. Rh4 h6 37. Rf4 f5 38. h4 g5 39. hxg5 hxg5 40. Rc4 e5 41. f3 Re6 42. Rc3 e4+ 43. fxe4+ Rxe4 44. Ra3 Rg4 45. c4+
45. Ra2 Rg3+ 46. Ke2 Rxg2+ 47. Kf3 Rg4 48. a5 Rh4 49. a6 Rh3+ 50. Kf2 Rh8 51. a7 Ra8 52. Ra5 Kc6 53. c4 Kb6 54. Rb5+ Kxa7 55. Rxc5 Rf8 56. Rb5
45... Rxc4 46. a5
46. g3
46... Rg4 47. Ra1 Rg3+ 48. Ke2 Rxg2+ 49. Kf3 Rb2 50. a6 Rb3+ 51. Ke2 Rb8 52. Rg1 g4 53. Rf1 Ke4 54. Ra1 Ra8 55. Ra4+ Kd5 56. Rf4 Ke5 57. Rc4 Rxa6 58. Rxc5+ Kf4 59. Kf1 g3 60. Rc4+ Kf3 61. Rc3+ Kg4 62. Rb3 f4 63. Rb8 Ra1+ 64. Ke2 f3+ 65. Ke3 Re1+
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