MAMEDYAROV vs SAMMALVUO – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 1

This game is from round 1 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It features Shakhriyar Mameduarov with White against Tapani Sammalvuo with Black.

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

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2820) - Sammalvuo,Tapani (2414)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (1), 12.10.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 0–0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3 b6 8.Bf4 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nc6 10.e3 E39: Nimzo-Indian: Classical: 4...c5 5 dxc5 0–0 

10...Nh5 11.Bg3 Be7 12.Be2 Nxg3 13.hxg3 h6 14.g4 Rc8 

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15.Nb5N [15.Qd2 Na5 16.Qxd7 Qxd7 17.Rxd7 Bf6 1–0 (26) Malakhov,V (2705)-Filip,L (2483) Plovdiv 2012] 

15...f5 [15...a6= keeps the balance. 16.Nd6 Bxd6 17.Rxd6 Na5] 

16.Nfd4 [16.gxf5± Rxf5 17.Qd3] 

16...Nxd4= 17.Nxd4 b5 18.gxf5 bxc4 [18...Qa5+² 19.Qd2 Qxd2+ 20.Rxd2 bxc4] 

19.fxe6+- Qa5+ 20.Qc3 [20.Kf1!+- and the rest is easy. 20...dxe6 21.Nxe6] 

20...Qxc3+± 21.bxc3 dxe6 22.Nxe6 Rd7 is the strong threat. 

22...Rf6 

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23.Nxg7! Hoping for Rd7. 

23...Bxa3 [23...Kxg7 24.Rd7] 

24.Nh5ƒ White has strong initiative. 

24...Rd6 [24...Rb6± was called for. 25.0–0 Bb2] 

25.Rh4+- Rxd1+ 26.Kxd1 Kf8 27.Ng3 [Much less strong is 27.Bxc4 Bxg2 28.Ke2 Bd6±] 

27...Bxg2 

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28.Rxh6 And now Rh8+ would win. 

28...Rc7 29.Rh5 Bd6 [¹29...Bc6 30.Nf5 Bd5] 

30.f4 Bc5 31.Nf5 Black must now prevent Rh8+. 

31...Bb6 32.Kd2 Bd5 33.Rh8+ Kf7 34.Rd8 Rc5 

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35.Rd6 aiming for Bh5+. 

35...Ra5? [35...Kf8 36.Bh5 Be6] 

36.Bh5+! Kf8 

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37.e4! Bxe4 38.Rf6+ Kg8 39.Bf7+ Kf8 40.Bxc4+ [¹40.Bg6+ Kg8 41.Ne7+ Kh8 42.Rf8+ Kg7 43.Rf7+ Kh8 44.Rh7#] 

40...Ke8 41.Nd6+  1–0