11/6/2017 – Azerbaijan beat Russia in Round 8, leaving the tournament to be decided in the final round with both teams plus Ukraine vying for the title. Rauf Mamedov has a remarkable 7½ out of 8 games and has broken 2700 for the first time. Azerbaijan takes a small lead into their match with Ukraine, Germany rocketed to fourth with wins over Armenia and Israel, and will face Russia. GM Daniel Fernandez and IM Lawrence Trent annotate the best games from Rounds 6-8. | Photo: EuroTeams2017.com
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Three-way race in Open
Azerbaijan clings to a small lead after an eigth round victory over Russia on Sunday, moved them to 13 matchpoints. They play third place Ukraine on top table in Monday's final round. Russia meets the German squad, who has scored back-to-back wins over Armenia and Israel, and looking to medal.
Round 6
Croatia's unlikely run came to an abrupt halt as they lost in Round 6 to Hungary 3½ : ½, and then to Russia the following round 3 : 1. Poland suffered a similar fate, also losing twice to Russia and Israel in succession.
Leko's win over Ivan Saric contributed to Hungary's rout of Croatia | Photo: EuroTeams2017.com
GM Daniel Fernandez looked at the two key games from the sixth round: The top game Peter Leko vs. Ivan Saric and Ian Nepomnichtchi's key win over Jan-Krzystof Duda.
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Peter Leko is renowned for playing games of high theoretical value and this
one is no exception.1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.f3e57.Nb3Be68.Be3h5It seems to be the modern fashion to avoid White's g4
lines, and this is the only move to do so. No fewer than four others merit
mention:8...b5is unpopular as it allows White a favourable early a4:9.a4b410.Nd5Bxd511.exd5and Black does not have the needed ...Nb6
move, or indeed any real development available to his queens knight.8...Be7is an absolute main line and may be the best order for delaying White's g4
8...Nbd7is also played but White's g4 is reasonably strong now8...Nc6!?is a minor line that maybe should be explored more, with
Sveshnikov-type play in case of Nd5, and otherwise Black may consider ...d5, e.
g.9.Qd2d510.exd5Nxd511.Nxd5Qxd5=This position compares
favourably to the analogous variation of my Dragon sideline, 5...g6 6.Be3 Nc6
7.f3 e5!? and notably both have been played as Black by Ljubojevic...9.Nd5Bxd510.exd5Nbd710...g6may be another order.11.Qd211.a4Rc812.a5may indeed deprive Black of ...Nb6, but it loses too much time: now Black
is more interested in the e5 square and other dark squares and could continueg613.Qd2Bg714.Be2e4!11...g612.0-0-0Likely the best move in
light of this game.12.Be2is the other major way the game could go- White
takes the decision to castle short and not long. A recent game that followed
this path wentBg712...b613.0-0-0!13.Na513.0-0b614.c40-0=has been solid for Black, e.g. Topalov,V (2749)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2796)
Paris 201713...Qc714.c40-015.0-0e416.f416.b4!?16...Ng4=Adair,J (2481)-Gormally,D (2462) Llandudno 201712.Na5is more of
the same12...Qc712...Nb6has been played most, but a venomous
attacking idea now, which has been tried by both players of the present game,
is the confusing13.Kb1!?Probably Saric did not feel like testing his
opponent's preparation in this line...Nbxd513...Nfxd514.Bf2Nf615.Na5N15.Bd3=Saric,I (2654)-Palac,M (2568) Porec 201615...Qc716.Bh4!Nbd716...Be717.Bxf6Bxf618.Qxd617.Nc4White keeps
annoying pressure, for instance after ...Rc8 either c3 or g3/Bh3 could be
considered.14.Bg5Be715.g3!?15.c4could be even better15...0-016.f4a516...Nb6!?threatens Ne4 and cues up to play ...Nc4 in response
to Bg2, so is worth considering17.Bg217.a417...a4=Leko,P
(2737)-Giri,A (2730) London 201213.Kb1Bg7The bishop was going here
anyway.13...Ng8might be the only other thing Black could consider doing
with the Bf8, but after14.g4Bh615.g5it transpires that the plan is too
slow14.Be20-014...a5!?could be worth considering since Bb5 will
cost an additional tempo.15.Bb515.a40-016.g4Nb6shows the problem
for White of inserting the a-pawn moves15...a416.Na10-017.c4Nc515.g4!Giving Black a time constraint. It may be that this move forces an
advantage.Rfc8Likely the best reaction, ensuring that retreating the
knight to e8 is always acceptable.15...a516.g5Ne817.Qd315...hxg416.fxg4Nb6is the obvious recommendation, but there is now a whole lot
less in the way of a White attack beginning with17.h4!Nc417...Nfxd518.h5±18.Bxc4Qxc419.h5Nxg420.Rdg1From my cursory further
analysis it seems Black is in considerable trouble.16.Rc1a516...Nb617.c4now makes no sense.17.g5Ne818.a4Qd818...Nb619.Bb5Nc419...e4!?should be considered, but the situation isn't good if Black
has to do this20.Qe2Nxe321.Qxe3is not a great improvement, since
White can easily continue with Bxe8 (if he feels necessary) and then Nd2-e4,
b3, c4 ideas, when Black has absolutely no freedom at all.19.Bb519.Bf2!?could be preferable, since Black doesn't have a waiting move.19...Nc720.c4Nxb521.cxb5White has now established a near-total blockade.Nb6?Maybe there was a chance here to exploit the slight innacuracy of Bb5;
certainly, the simplifying combination that the text allows should be avoided.21...e422.f4doesn't change much21...f5!was a good try to get
some counterplay.22.h422.Rxc8Rxc823.Qxa5b624.Qb4f4=22...e423.fxe423.f4Nb623...Qe824.Qg2fxe4White still has an easier
position, but time is running out a little bit and it is not obvious to me
that any of the ways of cashing in are that great.22.Rxc8White now
asserts control over the position in instructive fashion.Rxc823.Qxa5Nxd524.Qxd8+Rxd825.Ba7!The real reason for picking this game was this
far-sighted maneouvre.25.Bf2Nf4gives Black a little breathing room and
play (...Nh3, ...d5)25...Ra825...Nb4is only pseudo-active:26.a5Ra827.Bb6Nd528.Bf2Nf429.Rd1Bf830.a6!±25...Nf426.a5Nh327.a6+-26.b6Nxb626...Ne727.Rc1Nc828.Rxc8+Rxc829.Na5was the
alternative, and now Black can give his bishop rather than rook for the pawn,
but it doesn't help.e430.fxe4Bd431.Nxb7Bxb632.Bxb6Rb833.a5Rxb734.Kc2+-27.Bxb6±With only two pawns for the piece, Black is now
really just clutching at straws.Rxa428.Be3Rb429.Nd2d530.Kc2f531.gxf6Bxf632.Rg1Kf733.b3Rh434.Nf1Rh335.Rg3Rxg3It seems that
trading rooks is a practical error, since one can say with some certainty that
the resulting position is lost.36.Nxg336.hxg3g5would have left a
White minor piece tied down in the long run to the h-pawn.36...Ke637.Kd3Be738.Ke2Bd839.Nf1Be740.Bd2Bd841.Ne3Bc742.h3Bd843.Nd1Be744.Nc3Bb444...Bd6!?If Black recognises that any winning plan must include
f4, he could try this.45.Nb5Bb846.h4Kd747.f4exf448.Kf3Be549.Bxf4Bf650.Bg5±45.Nb5Bc546.Be3Be747.f4White had completed his
re-organisation (having made sure ...e4 was never check) and now this push
comes.e448.Ba7Kd749.Nd4Kc750.Nb5+Kc651.Nd4+Kc752.f5!+-
The final break to smash what's left of the Black fortress.gxf553.Nxf5Bf854.Bd4Kc655.Ng3Kb556.Kd2Bh6+57.Kc2e358.Nf5e259.Bf2A powerful
opening concept and great execution. White may have only made one small error
all game (Bb5.)1–0
The Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defence is considered one of the most promising replies to 1.e4, often giving rise to sharp and complex positions which require precise and inventive play from both sides. Thus, an opening tailor-made for Alexei Shirov (FIDE World Cup finalist in 2007), who has included it into his repertoire with both White and Black and knows the mutual tricks and traps all too well.
Round 7
After six impressive rounds from the Hungarians, during which they gave up just two matchpoints in ties with Armenia and the Netherlands, they finally faltered against Azerbaijan in the seventh round, thanks largely to the streaking Rauf Mamedov. With his win over Ferenc Berkes he crossed the 2700 mark for the first time.
Ferenc Berkes 0-1 Rauf Mamedov (annotated by GM Daniel Fernandez)
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One of the key games of round 7 was this encounter, where Black escaped a
solid opening that looked very difficult to win, and did so anyway.1.d4d52.Nf3Nf63.Bf4Bf54.e3e65.Bd3Sometimes it is important first of all
to try and eliminate all risk of losing.Bxd36.Qxd3c67.0-0Bd68.Nbd20-09.c3Bxf4Actually quite a big decision.9...Bc7tries to play
without making pawn-structure concessions, and to fight for the e5-square. For
instance:10.Bg3Nbd711.Rfe1Re812.e4White should get this in before
Black plays ...e5.dxe413.Nxe4Nxe414.Qxe4a5with a position type
often seen in the Caro-Kann, for instance an Inarkiev-Ding game (venue slips
my mind.)10.exf4Nbd711.Rfe1Qb612.Rab1Rfe813.Ne5White's position
is a lot easier to play, though it is not better. He may also want b4 so Black
hurries:c513...a514.Ndf3will force a decision anyway due to the ideas
of Ng5 and f514.Ndf3cxd415.Qxd4Qxd416.Nxd4a6The position type has
now changed- a good transformation from Black's perspective, though the
evaluation is the same.17.f3Rac818.g4Trying to keep the heat on.18.f5Nxe519.Rxe5Nd7!=18...Nxe519.Rxe5Nd720.Re2Nc520...Nb8!?If Black was really playing for equality, the knight swap is an obvious place
to look. The fact that he tried for more could have caused him a little
trouble.21.Rbe1Nc622.Nxc6Rxc623.f5g6=21.Rd1Na422.Kf2?!
A little bit slow.22.Rde1!?Nc523.f5is most exacting:Nd324.Rd1Nf425.Re5Rcd826.Kf2White stands better, as ...f6 can always be met with
Rxe6 (reminiscent of the L'Ami game from r4.)22...g623.Rd3Nb624.b3?!Lining up future headaches.Nd725.Ke1Kg726.Kd2Kf627.h4h528.gxh5gxh529.Rg2Nf829...Rh8!=and ...Rcg8 could have been better, when
White isn't managing to attack his targets properly and can easily become worse
30.f5e531.Ne2Kxf532.Rxd5Now the position is still equal, but it is
easier for White.Ke633.c4Ng633...Rcd834.Nc3Ng635.Rg5Rh8!
was the correct approach.34.Rg5b534...Red835.Nc3is similar34...Rcd835.Rxh5is now not such a panacea:Rxd5+36.cxd5+Kxd537.Rh635.Kd3Now Black can fully equalise through a contortion.35.Kc3avoided future rook swaps.35...Rh835...Red8!Like this one.36.Rxh536.Nc3is not legal now.36...Rh8‼=A hard detail to see
unless the engine helpfully advises you as to its presence.36.f4!bxc4+37.bxc4exf438.Nd4+Ke739.Nf5+Kf839...Ke640.Rd6+Ke541.Rxa6
is a mating net40.Nd640.Ke2‼is a great quiet move- Black has no
obvious next move, so the king simply heads over to blockade the pf4.Ne741.Rd7!f641...Nxf542.Rxf5±42.Nxe7Re843.Rgd5Rxe7+44.Kf3!
with a much better rook ending.40...Rc6?!40...Rc7was marginally
more accurate, since White has no knight move that gains tempo against a rook
here41.c5Ke7Now Black gets active again, but White can still control it:
42.Ke442.Nf5+Kf643.Nd4was advisable, in spite of the random detailRe6!?44.Nxe6fxe645.Rd6Ne5+45...Nxh4!?46.Ke4Nf747.Rf5+Ke7White cannot avoid giving back the exchange; now48.Rxf7+Kxf749.Rxa6is the best he can do, with another better rook ending42...Rb843.Rxh5Rb143...Rb4+44.Rd4Rb2may be better, to take away the d4
square from a white knight. Now Black is fully equal.44.Nf5+44.Rdf5!
The last advantage White had.44...Ke845.Nd6+Ke746.Nf5+Ke847.Nd447.Rg5is inhuman and not really that great:Re6+48.Kf3Rf1+49.Kg4Re2
The engine gradually grows less optimistic.47...Rc748.c6Rd148...Re7+49.Kf5was White's intention, hiding on f6.49.Rd6Re7+50.Kd5f351.Rf5?51.Rf6Re3Black's activity has grown beyond control.51...Re6!Black is tactically alert.52.Rxe6+fxe6+53.Kxe6Rxd454.Rxf3Rc455.Kd5Rc156.h5?Could easily be the decisive mistake.56.Kd6!Ne757.Kc7Rxc6+58.Kb7was another way to try and defend; it's not at all clear to me
that Black has anything against Ra3xa6.56...Ne7+57.Ke5Rc5+58.Kd4Rxc6Completely natural.58...Rxh5!59.Rf6Ra5-+59.Ra3Rh660.Kc5Kd761.Rg3Rc6+?After61...Rxh5+!62.Kb6Rh6+63.Kb7White could
still have obtained the defensive construct from a few moves back, but nowNd564.Ra3Rb6+65.Ka7Kc7!-+is the hard-to-see sting in the tail62.Kb4Rh663.Ka5Kc764.Rg7Kd865.Rg5Kc866.Rg7Nd567.Rg5?67.Rg6!
was surely easy enough.Rxh567...Rxg668.hxg6Kb769.g7Ne7is a draw
even without the White a-pawn.68.Kxa6and a brief look should have
satisfied White that none of his opponent's mating tricks are working.67...Nc768.Rf5Kb769.Rg5Rf670.Re5Rf471.Rg5Rh4Black has improved his
rook position and this should now be objectively winning.72.Re5Rh273.a473.a3avoids the ...Nc6 mate motif, see next note, but Black must still win.73...Rh474.Rf5Rd474...Re4!is the precise sequence to force
through ...Nc5.75.Rg5Ne676.Rd576.Rf5Nd8!76...Rc477.Re5Nc5-+75.Rg575.h6Rh476.Rf6Rh5+75...Ne6?Now Black is in danger of
repetition.76.Rg6Nc776...Rd5+77.Kb4a5+is probably winning and
Black needed to do this.77.Rg5Ka7Trying to set up ...Nb7 mate, but
there is an issue.77...Rh4!Black still has a winning path that avoids
all the repetitions, but he must be careful.78.h6?This forgives Black.78.Rg7!Now Black has to play ...Rd5, as ...Kb7 would be threefold.Rd5+78...Rc479.h6Kb780.h7Rh481.Rf7=79.Kb4Kb780.h6White can
probably draw this.78...Ne6!Making no mistake.79.h779.Rg6Nc5-+79...Rh480.Rg6Making it quick.80.Rd5Rxh7will lose eventually too80...Nc5Concluding this epic struggle!0–1
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The other key match of the round was Russia-Croatia which hinged on wins by Nikita Vitiugov and Daniil Dubov.
Daniil Dubov 1-0 Alojzije Jankovic (annotated by GM Daniel Fernandez)
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My weakness for technical chess leads me to annotate this game also, which
was critical in ending Croatia's title aspirations.1.d4d52.c4dxc43.e4e54.Nf3Bb4+4...exd45.Bxc4Nc66.0-0Be6is an interesting line where
White must play creatively after either of his options (Bxe6 or Bb5.)5.Bd2Bxd2+6.Nbxd2exd47.Bxc4Nc68.0-0Nge7This position has a bad rep
for Black, and I doubt the current game will do much to change that.8...Nf6!?is most critical; play can continue9.e59.Bb5!?N9...Nd510.Nb310.Qb3Na511.Qb5+c612.Qc5Nf4!?12...Qb613.Qxd4Qxd414.Nxd4Nxc415.Nxc40-0White can play around the Nd5 as in Melkumyan,H (2406)
-Kotanjian,T (2560) Martuni 200713.b413.Rfd1Qb614.Qxd4Qxd415.Nxd40-013...b614.Qxd4Qxd415.Nxd4Nxc416.Nxc40-017.Rfd117.Nxc6Ba617...c5Black is getting active.10...0-011.Nbxd4Nxd412.Qxd4Nb6Van Wely,L (2646)-Ivanchuk,V (2709) Monte Carlo 20009.Nb3d310.Bxd3Bg411.h3Bh512.Be2!Consolidating his small edge, the young
Russian shows great maturity.Qxd113.Rfxd1Bg6?!13...Rd814.Nc50-0
may be the best Black can do:15.b3or something is now necessary, andb616.Na6Bg6is now acceptable, if not enviable14.Nc5!b614...0-0is the kind of move humans really hate making, and it is not even clear that .
..b6 can be avoided in the long run:15.Nh4!±15.Nxb7Bxe416.Nc5Bd517.Na6±15.Na60-016.Nxc7Rad817.e5±Up a pawn, most GMs aren't
going to let you back. Black never really got into this game until now, but
now he does:Bc218.Rxd8?!18.Re1takes better care of the e5 pawn18...Rxd819.Rc1Bd319...Be4!was best;20.Ng5was presumably the
intention, butBg621.f4Rd2!22.Bb5Nd4!is unnecessarily messy
from white's perspective20.Bxd3Rxd321.e6f622.Kf1Rd623.a3Kf8
So White has some technical issues of largely his own making.24.b4Ng6?!24...Nf5!?25.g4Nfd426.Nd2is mostly only pseudo-active, but Black
should have done this to keep a closer eye on e6.25.g3!Nge526.Nxe5±fxe526...Nxe527.f4Nf3was obviously not much better and White makes an
impressive pawn chain after28.f5Nd429.g4Ke729...g630.Re1!Ke731.g5‼+-30.Na6±27.Ke2Ke727...Nd4+28.Ke3Nxe629.Nxe6+Rxe630.Ke4is probably dead lost.28.Ke3a529.b5Nd830.Ke4Rd231.f431.Nd5+immediately could have been chosen:Kxe632.Nxb6Rxf233.Rc8Nf734.Nc4again forcing a winning rook ending, else the b-pawn wins.31...exf432.gxf4g632...Nxe633.Nd5+Kf734.Nxb6Re2+35.Kd5Nxf4+36.Kc6Re6+37.Kb7Re338.Nc4!+-Counterplay is very slow to arrive.33.Nd5+Kxe634.Nxb6Rb235.a4Rb4+36.Rc4Kd637.Rxb4axb438.Kd4Ne6+39.Kc4Nxf440.Kxb4The rest is not comment-worthy.g541.a5Kc742.Nc4Nd3+43.Kc3Nf444.Kd4h545.a6Ne6+46.Kd5Nf4+47.Ke5Nd3+48.Kd4Nb449.b6+Kb850.a7+Ka851.Kc5Nd3+52.Kc6Nb4+53.Kb5g454.Kxb4gxh355.Nd6h256.Ne8h1Q57.Nc7+Kb758.a8Q+A nice finish to a great technical game by
Dubov!1–0
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Rasmus Svane, one of the young "princes" of German chess has done well in Crete, scoring 5½ from his 7 games played as the fifth and youngest member of the team. In Round 8, he upset the veterin Israeli GM Ilia Smirnin.
Rasmus Svane vs. Ilia Smirnin, Round 8
Position after 18...Qxd8, white to move
Notes by IM Irene Sukandar (Play through the moves on the live diagram!)
Some of the Grandmaster games could make you feel better about yourself, especially when one missed simple calculation like this.
19.Rc1 Qd5 Black could enjoy equality by bringing the Bishop back to f5. But instead, Smirin chose a pretty "ambitious" move.
But after 20. Qc3 the black position just collapsed. 20... Bd1 And now Black's Bishop on d1 is very restricted and soon be lost. Perhaps Smirin missed 20... Bf5 21. e4 +-
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