Chess News: Your Daily Update - Teams tough it out

IM Malcolm Pein
November 17, 2023

ALTHOUGH Vincent Keymer was ground down by former Russian Alexandr Predke on top board, Germany defeated Serbia 2.5-1.5 in round three of the European Team Championship, thanks to wins from Matthias Bluebaum and Alexander Donchenko.
Poland also made it three wins from three after defeating France, who are without Alireza Firouzja and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The pair are involved in the Grand Chess Tour’s Rapid and Blitz.
Magnus Carlsen crushed Hjorvar Gretarsson, but Norway lost to Iceland, while England drew with Croatia. Michael Adams dug deep to win, but that was cancelled out by Ravi Haria misjudging a complex position on board four. England were disappointingly also held 2-2 by Estonia in the Women’s Championship, in which France and Azerbaijan lead with 6/6.
The unusual 2...c6 aims for transposition to a Slav after 3.Nc3 d5 or 3.Nf3 d5. Donchenko’s 3.Bf4 is critical, since 3...d5 4.e3 would be a pleasant version of a Slav for White with the dark-squared bishop outside the pawn chain.

A Donchenko – V Ivic
Germany vs Serbia

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6!? 3.Bf4 Qb6 4.Qd2 Ne4 5.Qc2 d6 6.Nf3 (Naturally, not 6.Qxe4?? Qxb2)
6...g6 7.Nbd2 Nxd2 8.Bxd2 Bg7 9.Bc3 0-0 10.h4! (Sounding the charge, with Black lacking a knight on f6)
10...h5 11.e4 Bg4 12.Qd2 Bxf3 13.gxf3 e5?! (13...Nd7 14.f4 Bh6 is very murky)
14.c5! (A strong advance, exploiting the pawn being on c6 to undermine Black’s centre, and now 14...dxc5?? 15.Ba5 traps the queen)

14...Qd8 15.Rd1?! (15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Qd6! gives White an edge)
15...exd4 16.Bxd4 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 d5! 18.Be2 Na6 19.exd5 cxd5 20.f4! (Lining up f4-f5 in this very unclear middlegame)
20...Qe7 21.Kf1 Nxc5 22.f5 Kh7 (22...Ne4!? 23.Rg1 Rae8! either gives Black the initiative or leads to a draw after 24.Bb5! Qxh4 25.Bxe8 Qh3+ 26.Rg2 Qh1+)
23.Rg1! Ne4? 24.f3 (Possible thanks to the inclusion of Rg1)
24...Nc5 25.b4 Rae8 26.Bb5 Nd7 27.Qxd5 (27.Rg5! was fairly strong)
27...a6? (27...Nb6! was necessary)
28.Bd3 Kh8? (Total collapse, whereas 28...Kg7 29.fxg6 f6 and Ne5 fights on)
29.fxg6 fxg6 30.Rxg6 Qh7

Both 31.Re6 and 31.Rd6 are very strong. What other, prettier win did White prefer?