The Thought

Matthias Blübaum – Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer
15th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, February 24, 2017
Réti Opening A07

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 c6 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Bxf3 e5 7. d3 a5 8. a4. In Erdos – Navara, Schachbundesliga 2013/2014, Eppingen 2014 was seen 8. Nd2 Bc5 9. e4 0-0 10. Nb3 Bb6 11. a4 Nbd7 12. c3 h6 13. Qc2 Re8 14. Kh2 Nc5 15. Nxc5 Bxc5 16. Bd2 Qb6 17. Kg2 Rad8 18. Rad1 Rd7 19. Bc1 Red8 20. Rfe1 dxe4 21. dxe4 ½ : ½. 8. ... Bc5 9. Nd2 0-0 10. e4 Re8 11. c3 Nbd7 12. Bg2 Ba7 13. exd5 cxd5 14. Nb1. It seems a bit convoluted. “The idea, after 16. Nb1-a3, was probably Na3-b5”, but then it won’t happen”, writes Thomas Richter in his commentary for chess-international.de. 14. ... e4 15. d4 h6 16. Na3 Bb8 17. Be3 Ra6 18. b4. White continues his Queenside mobilisation without paying any attention to the whole board. 18. ... axb4 19. cxb4 Nf8 20. Qb3. 20. Nb5 is also answered by 20. ... h5! taking the upper hand. 20. ... h5! A brilliant way to claim the initiative! 21. Bg5 N8h7 22. Bd2. “Even more loss of time”, says Richter. 22. ... h4. Black’s attack looks powerful enough to seize its target. 23. g4 Qd6 24. Rfc1 Qh2+ 25. Kf1

25. ... Bg3!! Of course, something like ... Nh7-f8-e6 was very good and nearly winning, but Najer concludes in a much more spectacular way. 26. g5. If 26. fxg3 then 26. ... Nxg4! 27. hxg4 Rf6+ finis. 26. ... Bxf2! 27. Kxf2 e3+ 28. Bxe3 Nxg5 29. Kf1. Or 29. Bxg5 Ne4+ and wins. 29. ... Nh5 30. Ra2 Ng3+ 31. Ke1 Qg1+ 0 : 1.

Matthias Blübaum vs. Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer
Photo: ruchess.ru

Marvel One-Shots

Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer – Artyom Valeryevich Timofeev
23rd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 8, 2016
French Defence C10

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 c5 7. 0-0 Nxe4 8. Bxe4 Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Qe2 f5 12. Bd3 cxd4 13. Rad1 0-0 14. c3 Bf6 15. Nxd4 Qb6 16. Bc4 Kh8 17. Rd3 Qc7 18. Rh3 Rg8 19. Rd1 Bd7? The decisive mistake, which allows Najer – who is in great shape – to make a pretty combination. Deserving consideration was 19. ... a6 (preventing Nd4-b5) in order to answer 20. Qh5 by 20. ... Rg7 and Black should be able to handle the worst and the best of his own situation; for instance: 21. Rg3 b5 (both 21. ... Qxc4?? 22. Qh6! and 21. ... Rxg3 22. hxg3 Qxc4?? 23. Qxf7 would lose instantly) 22. Qh6 Be5 23. Nc6! Bxg3 24. Rd8+ Qxd8 25. Nxd8 Bxf2+! 26. Kxf2 bxc4 27. Qh4 Rb8 28. Nxf7+! Kg8 29. Qd8+ Kg7 30. Qg5+ with perpetual check.

20. Nxf5! White starts his devastating attack with a Knight sacrifice. 20. ... exf5. There is no serious alternative to the acceptance of the gift as White was threatening 21. Rxh7+ Kxh7 22. Qh5 mate. 21. Rxh7+! Kxh7 22. Qh5+ Kg7 23. Qxf7+ Kh6 24. Qxf6+ Rg6 25. Qh4+ Kg7 26. Qe7+ Kh6 27. Rxd7. The end, as well as the beginning, is pretty forced: 27. ... Qxc4 28. Qh7+ Kg5 29. Rd4! 1 : 0.

Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer
Photo: Chess-News.ru

開放原始碼 (Open Source)

Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)

2nd China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship; match game 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; 上海 (Shànghǎi), December 13, 2015

Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 h6 8. Bg2 Nc6 9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 Qc7 11. 0-0 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 e5 13. Qd2 exf4 14. Rxf4 Be6 15. Raf1 Nd7! A significant improvement over 15. ... 0-0? 16. Rxf6! Bxf6 17. Rxf6 gxf6 18. Qf2 Kg7? 19. e5! fxe5 20. Bxh6+! Kg6 21. Qh4! 1 : 0 Timman – van Wely, Breda 1998, match game 6. 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Bf6

18. e5! Najer seizes his chance to take a volatile initiative. 18. ... Nxe5 19. Qxb7 Qxb7 20. Bxb7 Rb8 21. Rb4 Kd7 22. Rb3 a5 23. Ba7. 23. Bd5 looks a bit more promising, although after 23. ... a4 24. Rxb8 Rxb8 25. b3 Rc8 White cannot hope for serious advantage. 23. ... a4 24. Rb5 Kc7 25. Bxb8+ Rxb8 26. Ba6 Ra8 27. Bb7 Rb8 28. Rd1? Evgeniy Yuryevich declines to take a draw by repetition (28. Ba6 Ra8), but it turns out to be a very bad idea. 28. ... Rxb7 29. Rxb7+ Kxb7 30. Rxd6 Nc4. Black’s minor pieces coordinate excellently to give 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) the win. 31. Rd7+ Kc6 32. Rxf7 Nxb2 33. Kf1 Nd1 34. Ra7 Nc3 35. Ke1 Bd4 36. Ra8 Kb7 37. Ra5 Kb6 38. Ra8 Kb5 39. a3 Bc5 40. Kd2 Kc4 0 : 1.

Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Photo: sports.sina.com.cn.

“This year is the 70th anniversary of victory over nazi-fascism in the Second World War. I think it’s a very meaningful fact that, after the conclusion of the Match of Friendship, all participants will pay a visit to the War Museum of 上海 (Shànghǎi). It’s important to combine general culture with chess for helping young people’s development, not only to increase the strength of play, but also to learn and understand the history. Even if in the future they were all to be professionals, life is not only chess”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) said.

Friends in War

The 2nd China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship will take place in 上海 (Shànghǎi), China from 13 to 15 December 2015. The schedule includes a school teams tournament, a match between European Chess Champion Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer and women’s world number one 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), simultaneous displays, and a visit to the War Museum of 上海 (Shànghǎi). The Match of Friendship is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of victory over nazi-fascism in the Second World War.

Photo © kabre

Epaulettes

Alexander Anatolyevich Motylev – Evgeniy Yuryevich Najer
22nd Russian Team Chess Championship; Sochi, May 6, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B11

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. d3 e6 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. 0-0-0 d4 9. Ne2 c5 10. e5 Nfd7!? A novelty. For 10. ... Nd5 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. Kb1 0-0-0 13. g4 c4 14. dxc4 Ba3 see Domínguez Pérez – Rodshtein, 30th European Chess Club Cup, Bilbao 2014. 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. f4 0-0-0 13. c4 h5 14. g3 f5 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. Qxe6+ Kb8 17. Ng1 Re8 18. Qf5 Nb4 19. Bxb4 cxb4!? Preparing for a sharp Pawn sacrifice. 20. Nf3 b3!? 21. axb3. White accepts the challenge. 21. ... Re3 22. Ne5 Qxb3 23. Ng6? White makes his first serious error which can be blamed for his defeat. After the immediate 23. Rh2 Bb4 Black would have compensation for the Pawn, but probably nothing more. 23. ... Bb4!! 24. Rh2. The tactical justification is 24. Nxh8 Bd2+! and mate in three moves. 24. ... Rc8 25. Ne5 a6. The straightforward 25. ... a5 – intending ... a5-a4-a3 – is still stronger. 26. Nd7+? Motylev aims to exchange pieces, but his basic rules of survival will be demolished by tactical means. The comparatively best is 26. Qe6, although after 26. ... Rc7 Black’s position appears most imposing anyway. 26. ... Nxd7 27. Qxd7

27. ... Rxc4+!! A well-calculated disrupting sacrifice! 28. dxc4 Rc3+! 29. bxc3. Or 29. Kb1 Qxd1+ 30. Ka2 Rc1 and wins. 29. ... Ba3+ 0 : 1. For if 30. Kd2 then 30. ... Qxc3+ 31. Ke2 Qe3 mate. Just a taste of delicious “epaulette mate”!