COASTAL BOWL PORTUGAL 2018 ROUND 9 – GRIGORE vs LOCHTE

This game is from round 9 of the Coastal Bowl 2018 tournament in Sao Martinho, Portugal. It features George-Gabriel Grigore with White against Thomas Lochte with Black.

Today’s game features a Nimzo-Indian.

Grigore,George-Gabriel (2486) - Lochte,Thomas (2071)

1st Coastal Bowl 2018 Sao Martinho (9), 21.09.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.dxc5 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.e3 E35: Nimzo-Indian: Classical: 4...d5 5 cxd5 exd5 

10...Qa5 [10...Nc6 11.Bd3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 d4 13.exd4 Qxd4 14.Nf3 Qxc5 15.0–0 Be6 16.Rfc1 g4 17.Ne1 0–0–0 18.Be4 Kb8 1/2–1/2 (27) Giri,A (2777)-Karjakin,S (2778) Shamkir 2018] 

11.Be5 0–0 12.Bd3 Nc6 13.Bxe4 Nxe5 14.Bxd5  aiming for Nf3. 

14...Rd8 

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[14...Bf5= keeps the balance. 15.Qxf5 Bxc3+ 16.Kf1 Qb5+ 17.Ne2 Bxb2] 

15.e4N [Better is 15.0–0–0± ; 15.0–0–0 Be6 16.Nge2 Bxd5 17.Rxd5 Bxc3 18.Rxd8+ Rxd8 19.Nxc3 1–0 (50) Vovk,Y (2549) -Leniart,A (2368) Lvov 2008] 

15...Bf5 [15...Bg4= remains equal.] 

16.0–0–0± Bxc3 [¹16...Qxc5 17.Nge2 (17.Bxb7 Rxd1+ 18.Nxd1 Rd8=) 17...Bg4] 

17.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 18.bxc3 

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8r+-tr-+k+(
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1+-mKR+-sNR!
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18...Rac8? [18...Bg4± keeps fighting.] 

19.exf5+- Rxc5 20.c4 [Don't play 20.Bxb7 Rb8+-] 

20...b5 21.Nf3 bxc4 22.Nxe5 Rcxd5 [¹22...Rdxd5 23.Ng4 Rd3 24.Rxd3 cxd3+ 25.Kd2 Kg7] 

23.Nxc4 1–0