NAVARA vs GRANDELIUS – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 3

This was a stinging endgame loss for Navara with White!

This game is from round 3 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It features David Navara with White against Nils Grandelius with Black.

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

Navara,David (2740) - Grandelius,Nils (2655)

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

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e3 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.0–0 Be7 D16: Slav Defence: 5 a4: Lines with 5...Bg4 and 5...Na6 

10.Bg5 0–0 11.Qd2 b6 The position is equal. 

12.d5 Na5 13.Ba2 Black should prevent Rfd1. 

13...Nxd5 14.Nxd5 

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14...exd5N [14...Bxg5 15.Nxg5 exd5 16.Qxd5 Qxd5 17.Bxd5 1–0 (53) Macieja,B (2636)-Semcesen,D (2449) Stockholm 2010] 

15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.b4 Nc4 17.Qxd5 Be6 18.Qh5 Rac8 

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19.Rac1 Ng5 is the strong threat. 

19...h6ƒ Black is pushing. 

20.Nd4 Nd2! 21.Nxe6? [21.Bxe6= and White stays safe. 21...fxe6 22.Rxc8 Rxc8 23.Rd1 Qxb4 24.Nc6] 

21...Nxf1–+ 22.Re1 [¹22.Rxf1 fxe6 23.Qg6] 

22...Kh8 [22...fxe6 23.Rxe6 Kh8 24.Rxe7²] 

23.Bb1 And now Qf5 would win. 

23...Nd2 [Not 23...fxe6 24.Qg6²] 

24.Qd1 fxe6 25.Qxd2 Qf6 26.g3 Qc3 27.Qe2 Qxb4 28.Qxe6 Qd2 29.Bf5 Rc1 30.Rxc1 

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30...Qxc1+ Endgame KQR-KQB 

31.Kg2 intending Qg6. 

31...Qg5 32.Bd3 Rd8 33.Be4 Qf6 34.Qc4 Qd4 35.Qe6 

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35...Qf6 [Inferior is 35...Qxa4 36.Qg6=] 

36.Qc4! Rf8 37.f3 Re8 38.h4 Qe6 39.Qc7 Qa2+ 40.Kh3 Qe6+ [¹40...Qxa4 41.Qf7 Qb5] 

41.Kg2! a6 42.Qb7 Rd8 43.Qxa6 Rd2+ 44.Kg1 Qf6 ( -> ...Qd4+) 

45.Qc8+ Rd8 

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46.Qc2 [46.Qc7 was necessary.] 

46...Qd4+! 47.Kg2 Qd2+ 48.Qxd2 Rxd2+ KR-KB 

49.Kh3 Rd4 50.Bc6 g6 51.f4 Kg7 52.h5? [52.Kg2µ was called for.] 

52...g5 53.Kg4? [53.fxg5 hxg5 54.g4] 

53...Kf6 54.Be8 Rb4 55.Bd7 

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55...Rb1? [55...Ke7 56.Bb5 gxf4 57.gxf4 Ke6] 

56.Bb5 [¹56.fxg5+ hxg5 57.Kh3] 

56...Rg1 57.Kf3 [57.fxg5+ was forced. 57...hxg5 58.Kf3] 

57...Rd1 [¹57...gxf4 58.gxf4 Rc1] 

58.Kg4 

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58...Rd4? [58...gxf4 59.gxf4 Rg1+ 60.Kf3 Rh1] 

59.Be8! Ke6 60.Bb5 Rb4 61.Be8 gxf4 62.gxf4 Rb1 63.Bc6 Rg1+ 64.Kf3 Kd6 65.Bb5 Kd5 

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66.Be8 [¹66.Bd3 Ra1 67.Bb5] 

66...Rf1+ 67.Kg4 Ke4 68.Bc6+ Ke3 69.Kf5 Rxf4+ 70.Kg6 Rd4 aiming for ...Rd6+. 

71.Be8 Rd6+ 72.Kf5 Kf3 73.Bg6 Kg3 74.Ke5 Rd8 75.Kf6 Kg4 76.Ke7 Rd4 77.Be8 

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77...Re4+ Black mates.
78.Kd8 Rxe8+ 79.Kxe8 Kxh5 0–1