ČEZ Chess Trophy 2014

Never back up from a fight

[10.06.2014 00:00:00] - A knowledge quiz has become a regular part of chess festivals on Kampa. This year was not an exception and so three contestants seated themselves in desks of chess professor Vlastimil Hort. There was a slight, but pleasant change, when questions about chess history were replaced by the ones about concrete positions from famous games. What counts as points were the names of protagonists of the game, time and place and of course a grandmaster´s story in addition. Luděk Sedlák and František Štross both had the same amount of points out of the twelve questions and a crucial question from director of Prague chess society was better handled by Luděk Sedlák.

The one who is well-informed about David Navara´s match against Hikaru Nakamura was surely restless to see what opening move will Czech GM choose in his second game with white pieces. No evasive actions and once again Karasenkov's variant of King´s Indian. Hikaru Nakamura has changed the way of game by his move f6, but the position which occurred in several moves gave a lot of optimism to the Czech fans.

Navara,David (2724) - Nakamura,Hikaru (2775) [E92]
CEZ Chess Trophy 2014 Prague (3), 09.06.2014
[GM Robert Cvek]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Sg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3!? For the second time, David chooses to play King´s Indian, which is a brave choice and shows that David is a true fighter. 6...e5 7.d5 a5 8.Bg5 Ja6 9.Nd2 Qe8 10.Be2 Nd7 11.a3 f6!? In the first game 11...Nb6 happened 12.Bh4 Nb6 13.b3 Bh6 14.Rb1 Nc5 15.0-0 f5?! Too ambitious the white now has a better position. [15...Bd7!? Smart move targetted against 16.b4, black takes control over the field b5 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 Nba4! and now it cannot be 18.Nb5 for Bxb5] 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4



17...Nxe4? I kind of wondered where GM Nakamura made a mistake in his opening because his position was not good at all. The last move was the main mistake. The black should have taken on d2 and then on e4 with still a reasonable position. 18.Ndxe4 fxe4 19.c5! Extraordinary strong move after which the black probably realized that the position is not OK and he lost a lot of time here. 19...dxc5 It might be antipositional, but still on 19...Na4 was really unpleasant 20.Nb5! with big advantage. [19...Na4 20.Nxa4? (20.Nb5!) 20...Rxa4 21.cxd6 cxd6 22.Be7 Qxe7 23.Qxa4 e3 the black has a great compensation (confirmed by computer).] 20.bxc5 Na4 We were surprised by David´s long thoughts. We expected defence with a Knight on e4, but he instead played: 21.Nxa4!? He chose that move, which is more forced. After 21.Nxe4 the strongest answer of the black would be 21...Rf4!? the white would have dominated, but so he was in the game so for now, the white´s play was OK. 21...Qxa4 22.Be7? A mistaken calculation. [22.d6! cxd6 (22...Qxd1 23.Rfxd1 cxd6 24.cxd6 Be6 25.Rxb7 black´s position is critical, for example: 25...e3 26.d7 g5 27.Bg3 exf2+ 28.Bxf2 s Bb6 +-) 23.Qxd6! with strong advantage, for example: 23...Rf7 (23...e3 24.Qd5+ Kh8 25.Bg3! and black King on h8 is weak) 24.Bd1!] 22...Rf7 23.d6 cxd6? Even a famous American makes a mistake. [23...e3!<=> this is the only way for black´s counterplay] 24.cxd6 [24.Qd5!? is not bad at all because after: 24...Qd4 25.Bc4 Qxd5 26.Bxd5 dxc5 27.Bxc5 Ra6 28.Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.Be3!+/- the white has a good chance of winning] 24...Be6! 25.Qxa4! [25.Rxb7 Qd4! It is not easy to escalate white´s advantage] 25...Rxa4



26.Rxb7+/- The white has beautiful ending, but how to beat that American? 26...Bf8 27.Rfb1!? A bit too soft move, but to get to 30.Kh1!! in variant 27.Bb5! is not easy at all... [27.Bb5! Rb4 (27...Ra8 28.Bc6! is really unpleasant for the black; 27...Rd4 is probably the best defence, but even after: 28.Be8! Rf4 29.Rb2! the advantage for the white is clear, the black has a major trouble with a Pawn on d6 and all of the white´s active pieces - whose plan is to play Rook on f1.) 28.Rd1! This extremely strong move was found by Houdini 28...Rb2 counterplay against f2 is a headstone of black´s defence, but... 29.Rb8! Rfxf2 (29...Rbxf2 30.d7!+-) 30.Kh1!! awesome silent checkmate, but extremely hard for one to see in his calculations. 30...Kg7 (30...Rxg2 31.Rxf8+ Kg7 32.Bf1!+-) 31.Bxf8+ Rxf8 32.Rxf8 Kxf8 33.d7 Bxd7 34.Bxd7 e3 35.Re1 with technically won position] 27...Ra2



28.Bxf8? Not a smart move from David, one could say that he lets American samurai too easily to flee from his firm grip. [28.Kf1! would be the strongest, for example: 28...e3 29.f3 e4 30.Rb8 exf3 31.Bxf3 Bc4+ 32.Kg1 Rd2 33.Rd8 e2 34.Bxe2 Rxe2 35.Rbb8 Kg7 36.Rxf8+/- and the black is facing a long defence] 28...Kxf8 29.R7b2 Rxb2 30.Rxb2 Ra7 31.Kh2 Ra4 [31...Kf7! would be more accurate] 32.Rb5?! [32.Rb8+ Kf7 33.Bb5 Rd4 34.Rd8 This is what GM Nakamura had shown after the game. 34...Rd2 35.Kg3 was the last chance of the black to try] 32...Rd4 33.Rxe5 Kf7! The white gets a Pawn, but it is just symbolic. It is obviously a draw position. 34.Bg4 Bxg4 35.Re7+ Kf6 36.hxg4 Rxd6 37.Rxe4 Rd5 38.f4 h5! Rook play is of course an obvious draw. 39.Kg3 hxg4 40.Kxg4 Rd2 41.g3 Rd5 42.Ra4 Rb5 43.Kh4 Rh5+ 44.Kg4 Rb5 45.Ra6+ Kf7 46.Rd6 Rc5 47.Kf3 g5 48.Ke4 Both of the players did their best, but David hesitated and after well played opening and putting the American under real pressure, he unfortunately lets him breathe during 27th and 28th move. The American did not do any mistake again and so the game ended by draw. 1/2-1/2

The match of David Navara and Hikaru Nakamura will end today by the last game. You can watch it online from 4 PM (program).

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