[Event "Laznicka-Rapport Match game 1"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.09.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Laznicka, Viktor"]
[Black "Rapport, Richard"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A21"]
[WhiteElo "2675"]
[BlackElo "2713"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2014.??.??"]

{This is the first game of the Laznicka-Rapport match which will last for six
games. It is quite an interesting battle because Laznicka is quite a
technically correct player, while Rapport on the other hand is a complete
maverick who thrives on complicated positions.} 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 $5 {This is
the first time that Rapport has played this opening.} 3. Nf3 {Laznicka goes
for the main line.} (3. d5 {I would recommend this move to those who are
looking for a simple way as White to play against this opening.} f5 4. e4 $5
fxe4 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nge2 Bf5 7. Ng3 Bg6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. h4 Qd7 11.
f3 $5 {The game Mikhalevski-Milos which reached this position is worth
studying in detail.}) (3. dxe5 {Hardly anyone plays this move.} dxe5 4. Qxd8+
Kxd8 5. Nc3 Be6 6. b3 c6 $11 {[%cal Gd8c7] Black king goes to c7 and he has
absolutely no problems.}) 3... e4 4. Nfd2 (4. Ng5 {is definitely the main move.
} f5 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Nh3 {The N will later go to f4 when it will be perfectly
placed.}) 4... f5 5. Nc3 c6 (5... Nf6 {is the more common way to go and play
continues with} 6. e3 g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O {When according to me Black has
a very superior version of Dutch Defence.}) 6. e3 Nf6 7. Be2 Na6 {The N can be
put to good use on c7 form where it can support d6-d5.} (7... g6 {is the
normal way but Rapport always has his own ideas.}) 8. Qa4 $5 {An odd move by
Laznicka. I wonder why he played his queen to a4. Maybe he wanted to expand on
the queenside with b4 but maybe it's not the best plan in the position. The
right plan should definitely be 0-0 followed by breaking the structure with f3.
} Nc7 9. b4 a6 {preventing b5.} 10. Qb3 d5 $1 {Things have gone well for Black
in the opening. He has a perfectly satisfactory position.} 11. a4 Be6 12. Bb2 (
12. c5 {could have been tried by Laznicka. But it reduces the tension in the
center and later Black can prepare the f5-f4 break, taking his time.}) 12...
Be7 13. O-O O-O 14. b5 {Laznicka gets his play going on the queenside but
Black doesn't really care. He has a strong pawn chain in the center and it is
quite difficult to break it.} Kh8 15. Rfb1 (15. b6 $6 Nce8 16. c5 {This is a
typical computer variation that gives a slight edge to White. I think this is
an incorrect assessment. With the queenside closed, it will be Black who will
play on the kingside and launch a violent pawn storm without much hindrance.})
15... dxc4 16. Bxc4 Ncd5 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Ba3 $1 {Laznicka does the right
thing to exchange the Black's best minor piece.} Bxa3 19. Qxa3 $14 Ng4 $5 {A
typical Rapport move. The knight jumps into the kingside with some vague
threats. But thanks to his excellent tactical mastery Richard could see what
would happen if his opponent goes wrong and Laznicka lost his sense of danger
I guess.} (19... f4 $5 {was totally messy but maybe the best move in the
position.} 20. Ncxe4 $6 (20. Ndxe4 $2 Nxc3 $19) 20... Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Bf5 $15)
20. h3 $6 (20. Bxd5 $1 {was very strong.} Qh4 {looks scary but it is important
to see that nothing is happening after} 21. Bxe6 $1 Qxf2+ (21... Qxh2+ 22. Kf1
Qh1+ 23. Ke2 Qxg2 24. Rf1 $18) 22. Kh1 Nxe3 23. Rg1 Qxd2 24. Ra2 Qxd4 25. Ne2
$14 {Black has three pawns for a piece but White has an upper hand here
because his piece are quite decently co ordinated.}) (20. Rb2 $5 {Keeping
control was also interesting.} Qh4 21. Nf1 Ndxe3 $5 22. Bxe6 Nxf1 23. h3 $1 $13
{it's a crazy position. A clear cut evaluation is impossible.} (23. Kxf1 $2
Nxh2+ 24. Kg1 Rf6 $1 $40 {playing such positions against Rapport is scary.}))
20... Nxf2 $5 {The sacrifice looks strong but White can still come out of it
unhurt if he chooses the right path.} 21. Kxf2 $2 {The worst move that White
could make. Maybe Laznicka had lost the thread of the game after the 20th move.
} (21. Bxd5 $1 {was the only way to maintain the balance.} Nxh3+ 22. gxh3 Qg5+
23. Kh2 cxd5 (23... Qxe3 $2 24. Bxe6 Qxd2+ 25. Kh1 $16) 24. Ne2 f4 25. exf4 Qh5
26. Re1 g5 $1 $13 {Though black is a piece down, the White pieces have
absolutely no co-ordination and it is a crazily complicated position.}) 21...
Nxe3 $3 {That was not a difficult shot for Rapport to calculate.} (21... Qh4+ {
It could well be that Laznicka had only seen this and that it was not working
due to} 22. g3 Qxh3 23. Rh1 Qg4 24. Be2 $18 {White has consolidated.}) 22. Qc5
$2 {Now the end is swift.} (22. Kxe3 Qg5+ 23. Ke2 Qxg2+ 24. Kd1 Bxc4 $1 25.
Nxc4 Qf1+ $1 26. Kd2 Qxc4 $17) (22. Bxe6 Qxd4 $3 $19 {This is what Richard is
strong in. Two pieces down but he sees that his attack will succeed.} 23. Ke2
Qd3+ 24. Kf2 Nc2 $19) 22... Qg5 {Qxg2 followed by f4 mate is threatened.} 23.
Bf1 Nd5 (23... Nc2 {could have been a tad stronger.}) 24. Ke1 (24. Kg1 Qxd2 {
would prolong the game but isn't it too sad?}) 24... Qg3+ $1 {The c3 knight
falls and with it the entire house! What a crushing victory for the Hungarian
prodigy.} 0-1

[Event "Rapport Simul"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2014.09.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rapport, Richard"]
[Black "Novotny, Viktor"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A00"]
[PlyCount "110"]

1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 d4 3. Nce2 Nc6 4. Ng3 g6 5. Bc4 Ne5 6. Bb3 d3 7. Nf3 Bg7 8.
Nxe5 Bxe5 9. Qf3 Nf6 10. Qxd3 Qxd3 11. cxd3 Bg4 12. h3 Bd7 13. Ne2 c5 14. f4
Bc7 15. e5 Nh5 16. d4 cxd4 17. d3 Bb6 18. a4 a5 19. Bd2 Rc8 20. Kf2 Ng7 21.
Rhc1 O-O 22. Bd5 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Bxa4 24. Bxb7 Bb5 25. Bxa5 Bxa5 26. Rc5 Bxd3 27.
Rxa5 Ne6 28. g3 Rb8 29. Ra8 Rxa8 30. Bxa8 g5 31. Bd5 gxf4 32. Bxe6 fxg3+ 33.
Nxg3 fxe6 34. Ne2 Bf5 35. Nxd4 Bxh3 36. b4 Kf7 37. Kg3 Bf1 38. Kf4 Bg2 39. Kg5
Bd5 40. Kh6 Be4 41. b5 Bd5 42. b6 Ke8 43. Nxe6 Kd7 44. Nd4 Be4 45. Kg5 Kc8 46.
Ne6 Bc2 47. Nc5 Bd1 48. Kf5 h5 49. Kg5 Be2 50. Ne6 Kb7 51. Nf4 Bf3 52. Ng6 Kxb6
53. Nxe7 Kc7 54. Ng6 Kd7 55. Kf6 Bg4 1/2-1/2

