Title: There Is More Than One Capture! - Navara vs Grischuk | Fide Grand Prix Hamburg Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation
Hello Chess Friends and Welcome to the Channel. Yesterday was game 2 of the second round at the Fide Grand Prix in Hamburg.
In game one on Vachier Lagrave was able to win against Topalov and game 2 was a draw. So MVl is now in the semi-finals.
What about the others? We are going to watch the decisive game between David Navara and Alexander Grischuk. Let's start
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 {the Queen's Gambit Declined. With} Bb4 {
we are in the Ragozin Variation} 5. Qa4+ {is one of the main lines but in my
opinion the less effective one.} Nc6 6. e3 O-O {we will watch the next moves
without too many comments because they are the natural moves} 7. Qc2 Re8 8. Bd2
Bf8 {so that a3 doesn't come with tempo} 9. a3 {and now} e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 {
only two possible continuations: c-captures and Knight captures. They are both
ok. With Knight captures} 11. cxd5 (11. Nxe5 Rxe5 12. cxd5 {only one game in
database where} Nxd5 13. e4 {with more or less equality}) 11... Nxf3+ 12. gxf3
Nxd5 13. Bd3 {attacking h7 again with more or less equality} Nxc3 14. Bxc3 Qh4
{protecting the pawn. Only one game in database . With} 15. O-O-O {Navara is
following his victory against Kasper Piorun in 2015.} g6 {is a novelty. Piorun
played Be6 that is probably just a bit better} 16. Be4 {watching b7 and
bothering black's operations on the queenside} Bg7 {is the best idea. Grischuk
wants to exchange the strong dark bishop that was controlling the long diagonal
} 17. Qa4 Qe7 {Black can't play Be6 because b7 is under attack} 18. Bxg7 Kxg7
19. h4 Qc5+ 20. Kb1 Bf5 {is good good because now the bishop on e4 is pinned
and can't capture on b7. This is an important moment of the game. The bishop
on e4 is attacked twice and protected twice. What to play for white?} 21. h5 {
played by Navara is an inaccurancy.} (21. Rc1 {seems the best idea} Qe5 22. Bc2
h5 {to stop the white pawn} 23. Rhg1 {is strong} Qf6 {that prevents Rg5
pinning the bishop and the position is equal}) (21. Bxf5 {gives some advantage
to Black} Qxf5+ {comes with tempo and the pawn is gone}) 21... b5 {where to
put the Queen? This is the critical moment of the game. And the moment that
suggested me the title of the video. In this position I had in mind only one
move. The simplest one that is Qd4+. Let's watch this variation} 22. Qa6 {
now if} (22. Qd4+ {forces the exchange of queens} Qxd4 23. Rxd4 c5 24. h6+ Kf8
25. Rd5 Rxe4 26. Rxf5 gxf5 27. fxe4 fxe4 28. Kc2 {Black is a pawn up but is it
enough to win? Probably not. The White King is well placed and Rh5 is strong
Instead of Qd4+ Navara played a different move. After 6 minutes he moved the
queen to}) 22... Rxe4 (22... Bxe4+ 23. fxe4 Rxe4 24. h6+ Kf8 25. Qf6 {even
with a pawn less the position is completely equal because the queen is
dominant. but it's not equal if Black captures on e4 with the rook. Exactly
what Grischuk played}) 23. h6+ {first} Kf8 24. fxe4 Bxe4+ 25. Ka1 Bxh1 {
of course the natural move is to capture the bishop with the rook} 26. Qf6 (26.
Rxh1 Qb6 {white is forced to exchange the queens} 27. Qxb6 axb6 28. Rc1 c5 {
but this position is winning for Black. The Black king is better and there are
no weaknesses in Black's camp. The King can move to e7 and the rook to d8
completely controlling the game}) 26... Bc6 {not only the bishop was saved but
this bishop is also saving Black from checkmate} 27. e4 {of course Black can't
capture} b4 (27... Bxe4 28. Rd8+ Rxd8 29. Qxd8# {that why before I said the
the bishop from c6 saves Black from checkmate}) 28. axb4 Qb5 (28... Qxb4 {
leads to a draw by perpetual check} 29. Qh8+ Ke7 30. Qe5+) 29. b3 {controls a4}
a5 {is good} 30. Kb2 axb4 31. Rd2 Qc5 32. Rd3 Re8 {Grischuk is playing it safe.
Without blunders the game is won} 33. Qg7+ Ke7 34. Rf3 Kd8 35. Rxf7 Bxe4 36.
Qf6+ Kc8 {and finally Navara resigns. Let's try to bother black with some
other moves} 37. Qa6+ Kb8 38. Qe2 Qd4+ 39. Kc1 Qc3+ 40. Kd1 Rd8+ {so we didn't
bother Black too much it seems. Because it's a forced checkmate} 41. Qd2 Qxd2#
*
Nice victory for Grischuk that is also in the semi-finals. Today there is the tie-break between Svidler and Dubov
and tomorrow the semi-finals will begin. Our analysis is over. Thank you very much for watching and see you soon.
Photos by:
Lennart Ootes
FIDE Master and Professional Photographer
You can follow him here:
@LennartOotes
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