An Army of Davids

David Navara – Fabiano Caruana
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 24, 2016
Nimzo-Indian Defence E32

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 Nce4 9. 0-0 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Be7 11. e4 d6 12. e5 dxe5 13. Nxe5 Qc7 14. Qe2 Nd7 15. Bf4 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Bd6 17. Rfe1 Rb8 18. Rad1 Bxe5 19. Qxe5 Qxe5 20. Rxe5 b6 21. c5 f6. So far it was all theory. Now Caruana finally departed from 21. ... bxc5 22. Rxc5 Bb7 23. Rd7 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 a6 25. Ra7 Rfc8 26. Rxc8+ Rxc8 27. Rxa6 g5 28. Ra3 Kg7 29. Kf3 f5 30. Ke3 Kf6 31. Kd3 Rd8+ 32. Kc2 f4 33. c4 e5 34. c5 e4 35. gxf4 gxf4 36. c6 Rc8 37. Rc3 Rc7 38. a4 Ke5 39. Kd2 Kd5 40. h4 h5 41. a5 Kd4 42. a6 e3+ 43. fxe3+ fxe3+ 44. Rxe3 Rxc6 45. Ra3 Rc8 46. a7 Ra8 47. Ra4+ Kc5 48. Ke3 Kb5 49. Ra1 Kb6 50. Kf4 Kb7 51. Kg5 Rg8+ 52. Kxh5 Ka8 53. Ra4 Rc8 54. Kg6 Rg8+ 55. Kh7 Rc8 56. h5 Rc7+ 57. Kg6 Rc6+ 58. Kg5 Rc5+ 59. Kg4 Rc6 60. Ra5 1 : 0 Dreev – Azarov, 5th Chess World Cup, Tromsø 2013, match game 3. 22. cxb6 axb6. Not 22. ... fxe5 23. bxa7 and White regains the Rook with interest. 23. Re2 Kf7 24. f4 e5

25. fxe5!?? No clear way to an advantage, so Navara decides to offer a very controversial Exchange sacrifice. 2nd World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker would have approved of him. 25. ... Bg4 26. e6+ Kg6 27. Be4+ f5? After 27. ... Kh6 would have been much more difficult for Navara to justify his adventure on earth. 28. e7 Bxe2 29. Rd6+ Kg5. After 29. ... Rf6 30. Rd8 Bb5 31. Bd5 Black must give back the Exchange. 30. exf8=R Rxf8 31. Bd5 Rf6 32. Rd7 Kh6 33. Kf2 Bb5 34. Rc7 Rd6. Navara afterwards recommended the more enterprising 34. ... f4. 35. c4. Now White gradually improves his own position. 35. ... Be8 36. Rc8 Bd7. Comparatively best was 36. ... Ba4 in order to answer 37. Ke3 by 37. ... Kg5 intending ... Rd6-h6 (Navara’s analysis). 37. Rd8 Kg6 38. Ke3 Kf6 39. Kd4 Ke7 40. Rg8 Rg6 41. Ke5. In spite of the material equality White appears to dominate the board. 41. ... Rg5 42. Rb8 Rg6 43. Rh8 Rh6 44. h4 Be6 45. Ra8 Bd7 46. Rh8 Be6 47. a4 Bd7 48. Ra8 Rg6 49. Ra7 Rxg3?? And this is very bad judgement, in spite of long reflection. The Rook should have remained on the 6th rank: after 49. ... Kd8 50. h5 Rh6 51. Bf3 Re6+ 52. Kf4 White stands better, but Black can still defend (Navara’s analysis). 50. a5! The End. Instead, after 50. Bc6 Rd3 Black would survive. 50. ... bxa5 51. c5 Kd8 52. h5! Prevents ... Rg3-g6. 52. ... f4. Also 52. ... Rd3 is met by 53. Kd6+-. 53. Kd6 Bc8 54. c6 Rg5. If 54. ... Rd3 then 55. Rxg7 finis. 55. Bf7! 1 : 0. One of David’s most inspired game in Wijk aan Zee.

David Navara vs. Fabiano Caruana
Photo: Tata Steel Chess (Facebook)