KHOTENASHVILI vs RICHARD – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 4

This game is from round 4 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Bela Khotenashvili with White against Emma Richard with Black.

This game features a Caro-Kann Defence. To learn more about the Caro-Kann Defence, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Khotenashvili,Bela (2469) - Richard,Emma (2127)

23rd European Women Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (4), 15.10.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 cxd4 6.exd4 d5 7.c3 Be7 8.Bd3 0–0 9.0–0 B13: Caro-Kann: Exchange Variation and Panov-Botvinnik Attack [9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.Bxe5 Bd7 11.0–0 Bc6 12.Bg3 b5 13.a3 a5 14.Nf3 Qb6 15.Ne5 b4 16.axb4 axb4 17.Qc2 Bb5 18.Qb3 Ne4 19.Rfe1 Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Nxg3 21.hxg3 f6 22.Bxb5 fxe5 23.Bd7 Qd6 Ivekovic,J (2053)-Lengyel,L (2162)/Banska Stiavnica 2007/CBM 119 ext/½–½ (41)] 

9...Nh5 10.Be3 

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10...f5N Black has a new backward pawn: e6 [10...g6 11.Re1 Bd7 12.Ne5 Ng7 13.Ndf3 Be8 14.Bh6 Rc8 15.Qe2 f6 16.Nxc6 Rxc6 17.Bb5 Rb6 18.a4 a6 19.Bxe8 Rxe8 20.a5 Rc6 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Qc2 Bd6 23.Qb3 Re7 24.g3 Bb8 25.Red1 Bazan,O (2200)-Rebizzo,C (2200)/Santa Fe 1973/MCD/½–½ (71)] 

11.Ne5 Praise the knight! 

11...g6 12.Ndf3 Bd6 13.Bh6 Re8 14.Re1 Qc7 15.Rc1 Nf6 16.c4 Bxe5 17.Nxe5 dxc4 18.Bxc4 Qb6 19.Nxc6 bxc6 20.Bb3 Bd7 21.Bf4 Rad8 22.h3 Nd5 23.Be5 Rf8 24.Rc5 Rf7 25.Qd2 Qb4 26.Qc1 f4 27.Re4 f3 28.g3 Qb6? [28...a6!?±] 

29.Qh6+- 

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29...Ne7?? Black falls apart [¹29...Qa6+-] 

30.Rf4 Qb4 31.Rc3 

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31...Rdf8 [31...Nf5 is not much help 32.Rxf5! Pinning: f7 32...Qf8 33.Qxf8+ Rdxf8 34.Rxf7 Kxf7 35.Rxf3+ Ke8 36.Kg2+-] 

32.Rg4 [32.a3 seems even better 32...Qxc3 33.bxc3 c5 34.dxc5 Nc6+-] 

32...Qa5 [32...Qb5 a fruitless try to alter the course of the game 33.Rxf3 Qxe5 34.Qxf8+ Kxf8 35.Rxf7+ (35.dxe5 is a bad alternative 35...Rxf3 36.Ra4 Nc8µ) 35...Kxf7 36.dxe5+-] 

33.h4 [¹33.Bc2 keeps an even firmer grip 33...Qxe5 34.dxe5+-] 

33...Nf5 

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[33...Qb5 the last chance for counterplay 34.Rxf3 Qxe5 35.Qxf8+ Rxf8 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 37.dxe5 Nc8+-] 

34.Rxg6+! Deflection: h7 

34...Ng7 [34...hxg6 35.Qh8# Deflection(35.Qh8# Mate attack) ] 

35.Rxg7+ [35.Rxg7+ Rxg7 36.Qxg7#]  1–0