Aida

David Navara – Radosław Wojtaszek
48th International Chess Festival; Biel/Bienne, July 23, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. h3 Be7 9. g4. For 9. f4 exf4 10. Bxf4 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. 0-0-0 Nce5 see Navara – So, Prague 2015, match game 1. 9. ... d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Bg2 Nxe3 12. Qxd8+ Bxd8 13. fxe3 Bh4+ 14. Kf1 Nc6 15. Nc5. “I decided to play this line of the Najdorf, because previously I had only used it in training games with Pentala Harikrishna”, then Navara said. 15. ... Bc4+ 16. Kg1 0-0-0 17. b3 Bg5 18. Re1 Bh4 19. Rb1 Bg5 20. Kf2. “I did not want to repeat moves, so I decided to advance my King. Analysis with the computer showed that White is not worse, although he does have to find some only moves”, Navara said. 20. ... Bh4+ 21. Kf3 e4+ 22. Kf4 g5+ 23. Kf5 Rhe8 24. Rhd1 Re5+ 25. Kf6. “Up to here was all preparation...”, Navara said. 25. ... Rg8. “During preparation, I joked that if the game ended in a quick draw, I would be disqualified for pre-arranging it, and if it was not drawm I’d be disqualified for following computer help ...”, Navara said. 26. bxc4 Rg6+ 27. Kxf7 Re7+ 28. Kf8 Rf6+ 29. Kg8 Rg6+ 30. Kh8!! “Who says ‘the Chinese Immortal’? No, it’s Navara – Wojtaszek that will remain in history of chess forever. Phenomenal!”, Grandmaster Andrey Deviatkin jubilated.

30. ... Rf6. If 30. ... Bg3? (with a direct threat of mate) then 31. Rd5! Be5+ 32. Rxe5 Nxe5 33. Rxb7! and White wins! 31. Rf1 Bf2 32. Rxf2 Rxf2 33. Rf1 Rxg2. Black should first have played 33. ... Re8+ and only then (after 34. Kxh7) 34. ... Rxg2 avoiding the Rook’s penetration. 34. Rf8+! Kc7 35. Nd5+. All chess engines quite rightly recommend 35. N5xe4(!), but it is understandable that Navara wants to win back the Exchange. 35. ... Kd6 36. Nxe7 Kxc5 37. Rf5+ Kxc4 38. Nxc6 bxc6 39. Rxg5 Rg3. “After 39. ... Rxc2 I did not see anything convincing at the board, although there are many ideas. Yesterday I had dinner with the Poles and pointed out that previously, I had only beaten Radoslaw twice, both in drawn Rook endings. So, that means today is the third...”, Navara said. Indeed 39. ... Rxc2 40. Kxh7 Kd3 looks like a draw. 40. h4 h6? A fatal faux pas. The artificial line 40. ... Rxe3 41. Kxh7 Rg3 42. h5 e3 43. h6 Kc3 44. Kg6 e2 45. h7 e1=Q 46. h8=Q+ Kxc2 would lead to a very drawish position. 41. Rg6 Rxe3 42. Kg7 Rg3 43. Kxh6 e3 44. Kg5? Navara relaxes in accuracy. After 44. g5 Rg4 45. h5 White’s two united passed Pawns apparently run faster than Black’s e-Pawn, e.g. 45. ... Re4 46. Rxc6+ Kd5 47. Rb6 Re6+ 48. Rxe6 Kxe6 49. g6 e2 50. g7 e1=Q 51. g8=Q+ and White should win. 44. ... Kd5? The decisive mistake. Correct was 44. ... Kc3! 45. Rxc6+ Kd2 46. Rd6+ Kxc2 47. Re6 Kd2 leading to a drawn game. 45. Kf4 Rh3 46. h5 c5 47. Rg5+! Kd4 48. Re5! 1 : 0. “After losing, Radek behaved impeccably and even took part in a post-mortem”, Navara said.

David Navara
Photo: Biel International Chess Festival

Nigel David Short (@nigelshortchess)