From a Terrace in Prague

David Navara – Richárd Rapport
ČEZ Chess Trophy 2016; match game 4; Prague, June 8, 2016
Alekhine Defence B05

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. 0-0 Be7 7. h3 Bh5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 0-0 10. Be3 d5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Ne1 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 c6 14. Nd3!? A novelty, as far as I know. For 14. f4 f5 15. g4 see M. D. Tseitlin – Vasiukov, Almaty 1979. 14. ... Na6 15. Rae1 Nc7 16. Nf4. Navara’s looking for luck on the Kingside, but, contrary to any appearances, the strategic key of White’s position is (or better should be) more positional than tactical. 16. ... Qd7 17. Nh5 Rae8 18. Qf3 Kh8 19. Ne2 Nc4 20. Bc1 f6! A cool defence. 21. Qg3 Bb4 22. exf6 g6

23. Bh6!? Regardless of the result, I think it’s a very interesting idea, which maybe deserved better luck. 23. ... Bxe1! But Rapport doesn’t fear anyone and anything. 24. Bxf8? Too hasty! White should have played 24. Rxe1 Rf7 25. Ng7 Ref8 26. Nf4! with good chances to complicate matters; for instance: 26. ... Rxf6 27. b3 Nd6 28. Nd3 Ne4 29. Qe5 Kg8 30. f3 Nd6 31. Nh5! gxh5 32. Bxf8 Rxf8 33. Qg3+ finally winning back the Knight with definite drawing chances. Of course, it’s all but forced, but it was better than the text. 24. ... Rxf8 25. Rxe1 gxh5 26. Nf4 Rxf6 27. Nxh5 Rg6. That’s all. There’s nothing for White. 28. Qh4 Re6 29. Rxe6 Qxe6 30. Nf4 Qf7 31. Qd8+ Ne8 32. Nd3 h6 33. b3 Nd6 34. Ne5 Qc7 35. Qh4 Qg7 36. Qd8 Kh7 37. f4 Qf6 38. Qd7+ Ng7 0 : 1.

Richárd Rapport
Photo: praguechess.cz

David Navara
Photo: praguechess.cz

Prague astronomical clock

Chess-News.ru ‏(@Chess__News)

David Navara and Richárd Rapport play each other using real people in Prague, Czech Republic. Video by Evgeny Surov. See http://chess-news.ru/node/21579 (Russian language) as well as http://chess-news.ru/en/node/21582 (English language).

Hours of Prague

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – David Navara
Čez Chess Trophy 2013; match game 1; Prague, June 11, 2013
Sicilian Defence B85

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 Qc7 9. Kh1 0-0 10. a4 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Qd2 Bd7 14. Nb3 b6. If 14. ... b5!? then 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rfd1 Red8?! 17. Nd5 exd5 18. exd5 with an edge (Karpov’s analysis). 15. Bf2 (Δ e4-e5) 15. ... Bc8 16. Bg3 Nd7 17. Rae1 Na5!?TN (17. ... Bb7 18. e5 Rbd8 19. Qf2 Rf8 20. Be4 dxe5 21. fxe5 Nc5 22. Nxc5 bxc5 23. Bf4 Nd4 24. Re3 Bxe4 25. Nxe4 Nf5 ½ : ½ Karpov – Kasparov, Moscow 1985, World Chess Championship mastch game 18) 18. e5 Nxb3 19. cxb3 dxe5 20. fxe5 Bb7 21. Ne4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 a5 23. Qf4 Rf8 24. Rf3 b5 25. Bh4? Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort writes: “Probably the first mistake in interesting position, which I would label as critical and which requires thorough analysis. What would do in such position celebrated Mikhail Tal? There was a possibility of 25. Rc3!? or 25. Rc1 and Black Queen would have to search escape”. 25. ... Nc5 26. Rg3 g6. A pyrotechnic halfway was 26. ... f5 27. exf6 Qxf4 28. Rxg7+ Kh8 29. Rxh7+ Kg8 with a draw by perpetual check. 27. Bxe7 Qxe7 28. axb5 Rxb5 29. Bc2 Rb4 30. Qh6 Rh4 31. Qd2 Qd8 32. Qc3 Na6 (32. ... Qb6!?) 33. Rd3 Qb8 34. Rd6 Rc8 (34. ... Nb4 35. Be4 Qa7 36. Qe3 Qe7) 35. Qxa5 Kg7

36. Rb6. Hort recommends 36. Qxa6 Rxc2 37. Qf1! (sic!) with the obvious threat of Qf1-f6+, but after 37. ... Qb4!! 38. Qf6+? Kh6 White is deadlocked. 36. ... Qc7 37. Qxa6 Qxc2 38. Qf1 Qf5! 39. Qxf5 gxf5 40. h3 Rc2 41. Rb7 Rh6 42. Rd1 Rg6 43. g4 fxg4 44. Rf1 gxh3 45. Rfxf7+ Kh6 46. Rxh7+ Kg5 47. Rxh3 Kf4 48. Rb4+ Kxe5 49. Re3+ Kd6 50. Rd3+ Ke7 51. Re4 Rxb2 52. Rde3 Rc2 53. Re2 Rc5 54. b4 Rh5+ 55. Rh2 Rhg5 56. Rhe2 Kd6 57. Rd2+ Kc6 58. Ree2 Kb5 59. Re4 e5 60. Rd5+ Kc6 61. Rc5+ Kd6 62. Rh4 Rg1+ 63. Kh2 R1g2+ 64. Kh1 Rb2 65. Ra5 Rb1+ ½ : ½. “Who has seen it, definitely wouldn’t consider that afternoon as wasted. A combative game, indeed”, Hort said.

David Navara 和 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

Photos: Anežka Kružíková