Samba

David Navara – Alexandr Hilário Takeda Sakai dos Santos Fier
International Chess Open; Reykjavík, March 16, 2015
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. 0-0 Nf6 8. Be3 Be7 9. f4 d6 10. Kh1 0-0 11. Qe1 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. a3 Bb7 14. Qg3 Bc6 15. Rae1 Qb7 16. Bd3 b4 17. Nd1 bxa3 18. bxa3 Rad8. For 18. ... g6 19. Nf2 Nh5 20. Qe3 f6 21. Bc4 Ng7 22. Rb1 Qc8 23. Bb3 see Bacrot – Lautier, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansyisk 2005. 19. Nf2 Qc7 20. Bxa6 Ra8 21. Bd3 Ra4 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Ng4 Qe7 24. f5 e5 25. Re3 Rxa3 26. h4 Kh8 27. Qe1 Bxh4 28. f6 Bxf6 29. Rxf6. A bold Exchange sacrifice. Navara probably overlooked Black’s reply.

29. ... Bd7! Certainly not a difficult move to find! Now White has probably insoluble problems... defending his “attack”! If, instead, 29. ... gxf6? there follows 30. Qh4 Rg8 31. Nxf6 Rg7 32. Kh2! Bb7 33. Rh3 and White wins. 30. Rf5 Bxf5 31. exf5 Qg5 32. Qe2? A fatal slip. After the comparatively better 32. Be4 Ra4 33. Nf2 Ra1! 34. Qxa1 Qxe3 Black stands better, but White can still hope to survive. 32. ... e4! That’s the reason why! The following sequence of moves is nearly forced. 33. Bc4. Nolens volens: 33. Rxe4 is refuted by 33. ... Ra1+ and 33. Bxe4 by 33. ... Rxe3 34. Nxe3 Qh4+. 33. ... Qh4+ 34. Rh3 Rxh3+ 35. gxh3 Qxh3+ 36. Kg1 Qg3+ 37. Qg2 Qf4 38. Nf2 e3 39. Ne4 Ra8 40. Ng3 Ra1+ 41. Bf1 h6. Or 41. ... Qxg3! 42. Qxg3 e2 winning. 42. c4 Kh7 43. f6 g6 44. Kh2. Nothing but a way to end a chess game. 44. ... Rxf1 0 : 1.