David Navara meets Richard Rapport

by ChessBase
6/3/2016 – As part of the Čez Chess Trophy 2016 in Prague from 3rd to 8th June the "Best Czech Chess Player" David Navara plays "World Junior Champion Richard Rapport" in a four-game-match with classical time control. The spectacular venue of the match is the Michna Palace. But the duel of these top players is only one of many events of the Čez Chess Trophy 2016.
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By GM and "Blindfold King" Timur Gareyev

Over the past 10 years Čez Group has sponsored matches of seven-time Czech champion GM David Navara against some of the top players in the world. This weekend David will face Hungarian chess super-star GM Richard Rapport at Michna Palace.

 David Navara

Richard Rapport

Anticipating the match I wanted to find out if and how these two had played against each other before. To my surprise it appears that Navara has a perfect score of 3-0 vs Rapport! Here is the best fighting game:

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nf3 e5 6.dxe5 Be6 7.Bg5 Nxc3 8.Qxd8+ Nxd8 9.bxc3 h6 10.Bh4 Nc6 11.e3 Bd5 12.Bb5 g5 13.Bg3 0-0-0 14.0-0 a6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.h4 Rg8 17.hxg5 hxg5 18.Nd4 c5 19.Nb3 Rg6 20.Rfd1 Be7 21.Rd2 Rb6
22.Nxc5 Rh6 22...Bxc5 23.Rad1± 23.Rad1 Rdh8 24.f3 Bxa2 25.Kf2 Bc4 26.Ne4 Rh1 27.f4 gxf4 28.exf4 a5 29.f5 a4
30.e6 fxe6 31.f6 Rxd1 32.Rxd1 Bf8 33.Bf4 Bd5 34.Nd2? 34.Ke3= 34...Rg8 35.g3 Bc5+ 36.Be3 Bd6 37.c4 Bc6 38.Ke2
38...a3? 38...Rxg3 39.f7 Rxg3 40.Ne4 Rg2+ 41.Kf1 Bf8 42.Kxg2 Bxe4+ 43.Kg3 e5 44.Bg5 a2 45.Bf6 Bd3 46.Bxe5 Bxc4 47.Bf6 a1Q 48.Rd8+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
David Navara2724Richard Rapport26711–02015D07Biel3

Along with the spectacular match, the Čez Trophy event features the premiere of the “Chess Train” documentary by Maris Flabba, a blindfold simul on twelve boards by Timur Gareyev, and presentations by the legendary GM Vlastimil Hort and GM Robert Cvek.

Vlastimil Hort and Katerina Nemcova at the CEZ Trophy 2014

Among David’s previous opponents were Judit Polgar, Vladimir Kramnik, Hikaru Nakamura and Anatoly Karpov. David won matches against Viktor Kortschnoi, Sergey Movsesian and Nigel Short and drew against Boris Gelfand and Anatoly Karpov. 

In 2014 David Navara played Hikaru Nakamura

In 2015 Navara's opponent was Wesley So. They even dared the skies with a balloon.

The venue of the match is the Michna Palace, an impressive Baroque palace, located in the south part of the Lesser Town, between Újezd and Karmelitská Street. Today, it is a residency of The Sokol Movement and of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University.

Michna Palace

No need to be afraid: Chess is fun!

I am truly excited to be part of the festival and play my exhibition match this Sunday. Prague is a wonderful city. My friend and partner in the blindfold chess journey, Jennifer Vallens, joined me in Prague to experience the festival and to take some cool pictures of the town.

Timur Gareyev draws on a “Beneficial Brick” to support a charity project

The finished masterpiece

Charles Bridge and Castle

GM Timur Gareyev and Jennifer Vallens, founder of “Off-da-Rook”

Beautiful Prague

More about the Chess Train Movie

The schedule and more information about the festival can be found at the tournament website

Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

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