Motylev is the new European Rapid Champion

by Klaus Besenthal
12/20/2021 – At the European Rapid Championship in Katowice, three grandmasters finished level on points atop the standings: Alexander Motylev (Russia), Alexander Donchenko (Germany) and Paulius Pultinevicius (Lithuania), each with 9½ points after 11 rounds. According to the tiebreak criteria, Motylev was declared European Champion, Donchenko got the silver medal and Pultinevicius took home the bronze. | Photos: Michał Walusza
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Motlyev edges Donchenko and Pultinevicius

Rating favourite Alexander Motylev won the European Rapid Championship in Katowice after scoring 9 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss at the two-day event. The one loss suffered by Motylev, aged 42, came in round 5, when he was defeated by Polish grandmaster Michal Krasenkow, who is still going strong at 58.

A crucial game was played in round 9, when Motylev inflicted Alexander Donchenko’s only loss of the tournament. After move 20, Donchenko suddenly found himself confronted with a position that was difficult to handle.

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qe2 Nc6 7.c3 e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Be3 Be7 12.Ne1 f6 13.f3 Ng5 14.Nd3 0-0 15.Nd2 Nf7 16.f4 Rac8 17.Nf3 Nh6 18.h3
18...Nb4?! This is not the best move, a fact that is symbolically underlined a few moves laterwhen Black had to "take it back". In addition, Donchenko lost the option of taking back on f6 with the bishop - and the intended exchange of knights does not come about at all. Playable was 18...b6 to prevent the white knight from entering c5. 19.exf6 gxf6 19...Rxf6 was probably also playable, but then 20.Nde5 made the knight's excursion to b4 even more absurd. 20.Nc5 Bxc5 21.dxc5 Now the black centre is more an object of attack than a potential for dynamic play. Nc6 22.Rad1 Qe7 23.Bf2 Rcd8 Presumably this move is a waste of time. Following the realisation that the centre was not strong but weak, better would have been 23...Rce8! 24.Rfe1 After 24.b4! White could go straight to the attack. Nxb4 25.Nd4 e5?! 26.Bh4 Here, Black can no longer cope with his many problems. 24...Rfe8 25.a3 a5 26.Qd2 Again White could directly play 26.b4 26...Qg7 27.b4 But this slower approach also works excellently. axb4 28.axb4 Kh8 29.b5 Rg8 30.Bh4 Na5 31.Rxe6
White is clearly on the winning side. 31...Rdf8 32.Qe2 Nf5 33.Rxd5 Nxh4 34.Nxh4 Qg3 35.Rh5 Rf7 36.Re8 Rfg7 37.Rxg8+ Rxg8 38.Rxh7+ Kxh7 39.Qh5+ Kg7 40.Nf5+ Kf8 41.Nxg3 Rxg3 42.Qh4 Rg6 43.f5 Rg5 44.Qb4 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Motylev,A2703Donchenko,A25351–02021B52European Rapid Championship 20219.1

Donchenko and Motylev during their crucial round-9 confrontation

Final standings after 11 rounds

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Motylev Alexander 9,5 0,0
2 Donchenko Alexander 9,5 0,0
3 Pultinevicius Paulius 9,5 0,0
4 Krasenkow Michal 9,0 0,0
5 Brodowski Piotr 9,0 0,0
6 Janik Igor 9,0 0,0
7 Bjerre Jonas Buhl 9,0 0,0
8 Keinanen Toivo 8,5 0,0
9 Balog Imre 8,5 0,0
10 Bernadskiy Vitaliy 8,5 0,0
11 Fridman Daniel 8,5 0,0
12 Stefansson Hannes 8,5 0,0
13 Kovalenko Igor 8,5 0,0
14 Kyc Jerzy 8,5 0,0
15 Kosakowski Jakub 8,5 0,0
16 Kozak Antoni 8,5 0,0
17 Mis Mieszko 8,5 0,0
18 Fus Jakub 8,5 0,0
19 Grabarczyk Miroslaw 8,5 0,0
20 Semjonovs Ilja 8,5 0,0

...571 players

All available games

 
Loading...
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.

Links

Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.