Chess News: Your Daily Update - Vitiugov comes up trumps

IM Malcolm Pein
November 16, 2023

NIKITA Vitiugov scored his first win for England to secure a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic in the second round of the European Team Championships in Budva, Montenegro.
Vitiugov defeated former European Individual champion David Navara, after Luke McShane got into difficulties and lost.
Vitiugov stayed calm in the face of what looked like a winning sacrificial attack. Michael Adams took a short draw, while Ravia Haria had to struggle to save the half point.
England women were beaten 3.5-0.5 by France. The in-form Lan Yao drew. Germany and Poland were in the group on maximum points.

M Bartel – J Skoberne
Poland vs Slovakia
French Advance

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 f6 7.0–0 fxe5 8.dxe5 Nh6 9.c4 d4 10.b4 (10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Bd3)
10...Nxb4 (10...cxb4 11.Nbd2 Be7 12.Ne4 intending c4–c5 and Bxh6 looks nice for White, d4 is falling)
11.Bxh6 gxh6 12.Nxd4! (Black is already pretty much lost, as if 12...cxd4 13.Bh5+ Ke7 14.Qxd4 threatens Qd6# and if 14...Bc6 15.Qh4+ Kd7 16.Rd1+ wins the queen)
12...Qb6 13.Bh5+ Kd8 14.Nb5 (Material is equal, and Black’s king is a nomad)
14...a6 15.Nd6 Kc7 16.Nf7 Rg8 17.Nc3 (There is no defence to the coming attack down the open b-file)
17...Be7 18.a3 Nc6 19.Rb1 Qa7 20.Nd6

20…Nd4 (20...Bxd6 21.Qxd6+ Kc8 22.Rfd1 Rd8 23.Bf3 is hopeless for Black. Nc3-a4xc5 is one threat and if 23...Qb8 24.Bxc6 Qxd6 25.Bxb7+ Kb8 26.Bxa8+)
21.Rxb7+ Qxb7 22.Nxb7 Bc6 23.Nd5+ exd5 24.Na5 Rxg2+
25.Kxg2 Rg8+ 26.Kh1 Ba8 27.Rg1 dxc4+ 28.f3 Rxg1+ 29.Qxg1 c3
30.Qg7 Nf5 31.Qf7 c2 32.Nb3 1–0

G Aydin – V Radeva
Turkey vs Bulgaria
French Tarrasch

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Qe2 Qc7 9.Nf3 Ne7
10.e5 Bc5 11.0–0 h6 12.c3 a5 13.Nd4 Qa7 14.Qg4 Ba6 (Bold play, sacrificing two pawns for the attack down the open files. If 14...Kf8 15.Re1 is good for White)
15.Bxa6 Qxa6 16.Qxg7 Rg8 17.Qxh6 Bxd4 18.cxd4 Nf5 19.Qf4?! (19.Qh7!)
Qe2 20.Be3 Kd7 21.Kh1 Qh5 22.Qf3 Qh7 23.Rg1

Black to play and win: