BLOMQVIST vs SVIDLER – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 6

After having suffered four painful losses in a row, Peter Svidler has bounced back with a win with Black, out of the Sicilian Defence. Watching him play it seemed at times that he seemed surprised at how well the game was going. This sets him up for a face-off against Carlsen in the final round.

This game is from round 6 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Erik Blomqvist with White against Peter Svidler with Black.

This game features a Sicilian Defence Moscow Variation. To learn more about the Sicilian Defence, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Blomqvist,Erik (2499) - Svidler,Peter (2756)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (6), 17.10.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.a4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 B51: Sicilian: Moscow Variation (3 Bb5+) without 3...Bd7 

6...b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Re1 The position is equal. 

8...g6 9.d4 cxd4! 

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10.Qxd4N [10.Nxd4 Bg7 11.Bg5 0–0 12.Qd2 0–1 (37) Vachier Lagrave,M (2789)-Adhiban,B (2655) Riadh 2017] 

10...Bg7 11.Bd5 Qc7 12.Bxb7 Qxb7 13.Nd5 Rc8 14.Re2 h6 15.h3 Kf8 16.Nxf6 Bxf6 17.Qd3 Kg7 18.c3 Nc5 19.Qc2 b5 20.axb5 axb5 21.Be3 b4 22.Bd4 Bxd4 23.cxd4 b3 24.Qb1 Ne6 25.Ra3 

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25...Ra8ƒ Black is pushing. 

26.Rxa8 Rxa8 27.Re3 Ra4 28.Qd3 Qb4 29.Kh2 Nxd4 30.Nd2 e5 31.Nxb3 Nxb3 32.Qxb3 Qxb3 33.Rxb3 

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33...Rxe4µ Endgame KR-KR 

34.Rd3 Re2 35.Kg3 Rxb2 Hoping for ...Rb6. 

36.Rxd6 g5 37.Kf3 

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37...e4+! 38.Kxe4 [38.Ke3!= was the only way to keep the balance.] 

38...Rxf2 39.g4 Rh2 40.Rd3 Kg6 41.Re3 [41.Ra3µ might work better.] 

41...h5 42.Ra3 Rf2 43.Rg3 

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43...hxg4 [Better is 43...Rf4+µ 44.Ke5 f6+ 45.Ke6 h4] 

44.hxg4³ Rf4+ 45.Ke3! Kf6 46.Rg2 Ke5 47.Rg1 f6 48.Ke2! Kd4 49.Rg3 

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49...Ke4 [49...Re4+!³ 50.Kf2 Rf4+ 51.Ke2 Ke5] 

50.Re3+= Kd5 ...Re4 is the strong threat. 

51.Rg3 [51.Rd3+= Ke5 52.Rg3] 

51...Ra4³ 

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52.Rf3? [52.Kf2³] 

52...Re4+!–+ 53.Kd3 

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53...Rf4 Black mates. 

54.Rg3 Ra4 55.Ke2 Ke4 56.Re3+ Kf4 57.Rf3+ Kxg4 58.Rxf6 Ra2+ 59.Kf1 Kg3 60.Rf8 g4 61.Rg8 Ra1+ 62.Ke2 Rg1 63.Rh8 Kg2 64.Rg8 g3 65.Rh8 Ra1 66.Rh7 Kg1 0–1