BATSIASHVILI vs CRAMLING – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 7

Nino Batsiashvili

This game is from round 7 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Nino Batsiashvili with White against Pia Cramling with Black.

This game features a Catalan Opening. To learn more about the Catalan Opening, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Batsiashvili,Nino (2482) - Cramling,Pia (2465)

23rd European Women Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (7), 18.10.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5 6.0–0 Nc6 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Rc8 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 h6 E04: Open Catalan: 5 Nf3 

13.Bxb7 Rb8! 14.Bf3 Rb4 The position is equal. 

15.Qh3 e5 16.Qg2 Qc8 White should prevent ...Bh3. 

17.a3 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+q+k+-tr(
7zp-+l+pzp-'
6-+-+-sn-zp&
5+-vl-zp-+-%
4-tr-+-+-+$
3zP-sN-+LzP-#
2-zP-+PzPQzP"
1tR-vL-+RmK-!
xabcdefghy

17...Rb6 And now ...Bh3 would win. 

18.Qh1N [18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.Bxd5 0–0 20.Qe4 Bd4 21.e3 Bf5 22.Qf3 Bg4 23.Qe4 Bf5 24.Qf3 Bg4 25.Qe4 Bf5 26.Qf3 1/2–1/2 (26) Sargissian,G (2691)-Harikrishna,P (2743) Batumi 2018] 

18...0–0 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.Bxd5 Bd4 21.e3 Bxb2 22.Bxb2 Rxb2 23.Qe4 Qb8 24.Rfd1 Kh8 25.Rab1 f5 26.Rxb2 Qxb2 27.Qb4 Qxb4 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-tr-mk(
7zp-+l+-zp-'
6-+-+-+-zp&
5+-+Lzpp+-%
4-wq-+-+-+$
3zP-+-zP-zP-#
2-+-+-zP-zP"
1+-+R+-mK-!
xabcdefghy

28.axb4= Endgame With the idea Ra1. KRB-KRB 

28...Rb8 29.Ra1 Rb5 30.Ra5 Rxb4 31.Rxa7 Rb1+ 32.Kg2 Bb5 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-mk(
7tR-+-+-zp-'
6-+-+-+-zp&
5+l+Lzpp+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-zP-zP-#
2-+-+-zPKzP"
1+r+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

33.h4 [White should try 33.g4± Bf1+ 34.Kg3] 

33...g5 34.hxg5 hxg5 35.g4 Rd1 [35...Bf1+= keeps the balance. 36.Kh2 Rb5] 

36.Bf3± Bf1+ [36...Rd7± might work better. 37.Ra5 Bd3] 

37.Kh2+- 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-mk(
7tR-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+-+-zppzp-%
4-+-+-+P+$
3+-+-zPL+-#
2-+-+-zP-mK"
1+-+r+l+-!
xabcdefghy

37...Rd2? [37...Rd6 was worth a try. 38.gxf5 Rh6+ 39.Kg3 e4] 

38.gxf5 Rxf2+? [38...g4] 

39.Kg3 Rd2 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-mk(
7tR-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+-+-zpPzp-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-zPLmK-#
2-+-tr-+-+"
1+-+-+l+-!
xabcdefghy

40.f6 Threatening mate with Ra8+. 

40...Rd8 41.Kg4 Bd3 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-tr-+-mk(
7tR-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-zP-+&
5+-+-zp-zp-%
4-+-+-+K+$
3+-+lzPL+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

42.Bd5! White mates. 

42...Rf8 [42...Rxd5 43.Ra8+] 

43.Kxg5 Rd8 44.e4 Bc2 45.Kh6 1–0