HOWELL vs HARIKRISHNA – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 3

This game is from round 3 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between David Howell with White against Pentala Harikrishna with Black.

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

Howell,David W L (2689) - Harikrishna,Pentala (2733)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (3), 14.10.2018

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4 Nf6 5.0–0 e6 6.c4 dxc4 7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 c3 10.bxc3 0–0 11.Nb3 Be7 12.c4 Bd7 13.Bb2 E04: Open Catalan: 5 Nf3 

13...Rfd8 14.Nfd4 Rac8 15.Nb5 b6 16.Nd6 Bxd6 17.Rxd6 Be8 18.Rd3 Nb4 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.Bc3 

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20...Nc6N [20...a5 ] 

21.Rc1 Rc8 22.Bd2 h6 23.Kf1 Bd7 24.Ke1 Kf8 25.h3 Ke8 26.g4 Ng8 27.f4 Nge7 28.Kf2 f6 29.Be4 e5 30.f5 Nd8 31.Bb4 Bc6 32.Bd3 Nf7 33.Nd2 Rd8 34.Ke3 Nd6 35.Bb1 Bg2 36.Kf2 

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36...Bb7 [Much worse is 36...Bxh3 37.Kg3±] 

37.Nf1 Nc6 38.Ba3 Na5 39.c5 Nb5 [39...Nac4=] 

40.Bb2 Rc8 41.Bd3 Nd4 42.e3 Ndc6 43.Ba3 Ne7 44.Ng3 Bd5 45.Ba6 Bb7 46.Bb5+ Bc6! 47.Ne4 Nb7! 48.Bxc6+ Rxc6 49.cxb6 Rxc1 50.Bxc1 

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50...axb6² Endgame KBN-KNN 

51.Ba3 Nd5 52.Ke2 b5! 53.Kd3 b4 54.Bb2 Kd7 55.Ng3 Nc5+ [55...Kc6=] 

56.Kc4 Kc6 57.e4 Ne3+ [57...Nf4=] 

58.Kxb4 Nd1 [Black should play 58...Na6+!² 59.Ka5 Nc5] 

59.Ba3+- Nf2 60.Kc4! Nd7 

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61.h4! Nxg4 [¹61...Nb6+ 62.Kc3 Na4+ 63.Kd2 Nxg4] 

62.Kd3 Nf2+? [62...Nh2 63.Nh5 Nf3 64.Nxg7 Nxh4] 

63.Ke3 Nd1+ 

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64.Kd2! Nf2 65.Ke3? [65.Ke2+- is the precise move to win.] 

65...Nd1+± 66.Kd2? [66.Kf3±] 

66...Nf2+- 67.Ke2 Nh3 68.Nh5 Nf4+ 69.Nxf4 exf4 KB-KN 

70.Kf3 

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70...h5? [70...Ne5+ 71.Kxf4 Kb5] 

71.Kxf4 Ne5 72.Bf8 Kd7 73.Bxg7 Ke7 74.a4 Nd3+ 75.Kf3 Ne5+ 76.Ke2 Nd7 77.a5 Kd6 78.Bh6 Kc5 79.Be3+ Kb5 

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80.Bb6! Ne5 [80...Nxb6 81.axb6] 

81.Bd8 Nd7 82.Ke3 Ne5 

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83.Kf4 [¹83.Bxf6 Ng4+ 84.Kd4 Nxf6 85.e5 Ne8 86.Kd5 Kxa5 87.f6 Nc7+ 88.Kc6] 

83...Nd3+ 84.Ke3 [84.Kg3+- Nc5 85.Kf3] 

84...Ne5 85.Bxf6  1–0