KHALIFMAN vs PETROV – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 4

This game is from round 4 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Alexander Khalifman with White against Marian Petrov with Black.

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

Khalifman,Alexander (2617) - Petrov,Marian (2482)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (4), 15.10.2018

1.Nf3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.c4 c5 5.Nc3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nc6 7.Be3 Nf6 8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 Bd7 10.Qd2 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 Nd7 13.Be3 a5 14.b3 Nc5 15.Rac1 Qb6 16.Nd5 B38: Sicilian: Maroczy Bind with 5...Bg7 and 7...0–0 

16...Bxd5 17.cxd5 Rfc8 18.Rfd1 Qb4 19.Rc2 Nd7 20.Rdc1 Rxc2 21.Rxc2 Qxd2 22.Bxd2 Bd4+ 23.Kf1 Nc5 

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24.Bb5N Kg7 25.Ke2 h5 26.h4 e5 27.dxe6 Nxe6 28.Bc4 Black must now prevent Bxe6. 

28...Bc5 next ...Nd4+ is good for Black. 

29.Kd3 Nc7 30.a4 b6 31.Bc3+ Kf8 32.Bf6 Ne8 33.Bb2 Nc7 34.g4 Ke7 [34...Rd8± might work better.] 

35.gxh5+- gxh5 

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36.Rg2! d5 [¹36...Rf8 37.Rg7 Ne6] 

37.Bxd5 Nxd5 38.exd5 Endgame KRB-KRB 

38...Kd6 [38...b5 was necessary. 39.axb5 Rb8] 

39.Rg5 Re8 40.Bc1 [Less strong is 40.Rxh5 Re3+ 41.Kc4 Rxf3±] 

40...Re1 41.Bf4+ Kd7 42.Rf5 

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42...Rf1? [42...Rd1+ is a better defense. 43.Kc2 Rh1 44.Rxf7+ Ke8] 

43.Bg5 [¹43.Rxf7+ Ke8 44.Rh7] 

43...Ke8 44.Kc4 Rb1 45.Bh6 Be7 46.Rxh5 Rf1 47.Re5 Kd7 48.Rf5 1–0