MAMEDOV vs NAVARA – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 7

Rauf Mamedov

This game is from round 7 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Rauf Mamedov with White against David Navara with Black.

This game features a Sicilian Defence with 2.c3 Alapin Variation. To learn more about the Sicilian Defence Alapin Variation (2.c3), here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Mamedov,Rauf (2699) - Navara,David (2740)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (7), 18.10.2018

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 d5 7.exd6 Qxd6 8.Na3 a6 9.0–0 Bf5 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.cxd4 e6 B22: Sicilian: 2 c3 [12...g6 13.Re1 Bg7 14.Bg5 Bf6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qf3 0–0 17.Qxb7 Qxd4 18.Qxe7 Qxb2 19.h3 a5 20.Rad1 1/2–1/2 (40) Kamsky,G (2670)-Paravyan,D (2620) Sochi 2018] 

13.Qf3 Qd7 14.Qg3 

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14...Bg6 The position is equal. [Reject 14...Qxd4?! 15.Be3±] 

15.Bf4N [15.Qe5 Rd8 16.Qa5 Bxa3 17.Qxa3 Qd6 18.Qxd6 Rxd6 19.Bf4 Rd7 20.f3 0–1 (46) Bronts,G (2314)-Laube,B (2352) ICCF email 2012] 

15...Bxa3 [Of course not 15...Qxd4?! 16.Rad1±] 

16.bxa3 0–0 17.Rac1 Rac8 18.h4 Nd5 

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19.Bd6 And now Bxd5 would win. 

19...Nc3! 20.Rce1 [White should try 20.Rxc3= Rxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxd6 22.d5] 

20...Ne4ƒ Black is more active. 

21.Rxe4! Bxe4 22.Re1 

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22...Qc6 [22...Bc6!³ 23.h5 h6] 

23.h5= h6! 24.Be7 Threatening f3. 

24...Kh7 ...Rg8 is the strong threat. 

25.Bxf8 Rxf8 

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26.Qf4 [26.Re3= remains equal.] 

26...Bxg2µ 27.Rxe6! fxe6 28.Qxf8 28...Bh3! 

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29.f3 [29.d5!µ exd5 30.Qf7] 

29...Qc7 ( -> ...Qg3+) 

30.Kh1 Qc1+ 31.Kh2 Bf5 aiming for ...Qf4+. 

32.Qd6 Qg5 

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33.d5 [33.Qg3 was worth a try.] 

33...Qxh5+–+ 34.Kg2 Qh3+ 35.Kf2 Qh4+ 36.Kg2 Bh3+ 37.Kh2 White wants to play Qg3. 

37...exd5 

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38.Kg1 [38.Qe5–+ d4 39.Kg1] 

38...Qg5+ 0–1