ODT111129

=**Germany wins European team championship**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 3.

Germany were the surprise winners of the 18th European Team Championship, held in the Greek resort of Porto Carras earlier this month. Starting as only the tenth seeds behind former soviet powerhouses Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the German team lacked star players. But all five team members (grandmasters Arkadij Naiditsch, Georg Meier, Daniel Fridman, Jan Gustafsson and Rainer Buhmann) performed well, losing only two games among them.

The top seeded Russian team started poorly and were soon out of the running. Germany crushed the second seeded Ukraine 3½-½ in the fourth round to briefly hit the lead before losing to Bulgaria. Bulgaria led until in turn being crushed in round seven by the Azerbaijan team, who looked good to take the title. However, Germany scored narrow 2½-1½ wins over both Azerbaijan in round eight and Armenia in the final ninth round to sneak ahead and win the tournament on 15 match points out of 18 (22½ board points). Azerbaijan held on for second on 14 (23), while the Armenian (22½) and Russian (21½) teams were just pipped for third on countback by fifth-seeded Hungary (23) on 13 match points.

Today's game is the German board 4 GM Jan Gustafsson's win over the much higher rated GM Zahar Efimenko in the fourth round rout of the Ukraine. Gustafsson is White. media type="custom" key="25641460" Reserving the choice of where to put the king's bishop, which usually goes to e7 in the Queen's Gambit Declined. White responds with the Exchange Variation. A less common choice aiming at active active piece play against c3 similar to the Cambridge Springs Defence. Making the exchange while White must capture with the pawn (10 Rxc3? Ne4 loses the exchange), thus lessening the effect of his own pawn weaknesses, but ceding the Two Bishops. Firmly occupying the square in front of the isolani. The a-pawn does not need defending as it is not worth the loss of time capturing it. Cmilyte – Koneru earlier this year went 12...Ndxc5, but Black wants to direct this knight to the outpost on c4. Grabbing the c-pawn would be disasterous: 14...Nxc3? 15 Rxc3! Qxc3 16 Nb5 Qc6 17 Nc7 and the fork will win back a whole rook. This time 16... Nxc3? would only rid White of a weakness after 17 Qc2 Rac8 18 Bxh7+ regaining the pawn. White's unsightly pawn structure will soon come under pressure unless he utilises his central knight and two bishops to good effect. This move prepares to transfer the queen to the kingside. The pawn fork 20... g5 wins a piece but after 21 Bxg5 hxg5 22 Qxg5+ White has a draw by perpetual check. Clearly Black was expecting more from this game. The fork was no longer safe: 21...g5?! 22 Bxg5 hxg5 23 Qxg5+ Kh8 24 Rce1! gives White more than ample compensation for the piece. The text move allows Black to capture on e4, but costs time and underestimates the open f-file. Best was 21...Rac8 22 Bxc4 Rxc4 23 e5 Nh7 24 Qxe7 Rxe7 with an equal game. The bishop is taboo: 24 gxh6? 25 Rxf6 with a winning attack. Overlooking White's brilliantly calculated sacr1fice, but after the relatively better 25...gxh6!? 26 Bxe4 Nd2 (26...Qxe4 27 Qxf7+ Kh8 28 Qxd7 is winning for White) 27 Bxb7! Nxf1 28 Rxf1 Rab8 29 Bd5 Qe3+ 30 Kh1 Rf8 31 Qg6+ Kh8 32 Qd6! Rbd8 33 Qf6+ Kh7 34 h4! and despite only have a pawn for the exchange White's attack is still strong. Other captures are no better: 26... gxf6? 27 Bh7+! Kxh7 28 Bf8+ etc. or 26...gxh6 27 Rcf1! averting the queen fork on e3, and White will win shortly after Rxh6. Other king moves meet the same reply: 27... Kxh7 28 Bg5+ etc or 27...Kh8 28 Bg5 threatening mate in three starting with 29 Bg6+. Unfortunately 28... Qe5 fails to 29 Bd3! f6 30 Bxc4 and the threat of mate on f7 means White keeps the bishop on g5 and a winning attack. Nor does 28...Qa6 29 Bf5! f6 30 Bxd7 offer any defence. Saving the queen by 30...Qg7 would cost a whole rook after 31 Bxd7! with the dual threat of 32 Bh6 and 32 Bf6. A final blunder, but after the correct 31...gxf5 White's queen will eventually prevail over rook, bishop and exposed king. Threatening both 33 Qh8+ and 33 Nxf5 winning further material. Black resigned.
 * 1.d4 Nf6**
 * 2.c4 e6**
 * 3.Nf3 d5**
 * 4.Nc3 Nbd7**
 * 5.cxd5 exd5**
 * 6.Bg5 Bb4!?**
 * 7.e3 c5**
 * 8.dxc5 Qa5**
 * 9.Rc1 Bxc3+**
 * 10.bxc3 O-O**
 * 11.Nd4 ---**
 * 11.--- Ne4**
 * 12.Bf4 Re8**
 * 13.Be2 Qxc5**
 * 14.O-O Nb6**
 * 15.Bd3 Bd7**
 * 16.f3 Nf6**
 * 17.Bg5 Qd6**
 * 18.Qe1! ---**
 * 18.--- h6**
 * 19.Bf4 Qe7**
 * 20.Qh4 Nc4**
 * 21.e4 Nb2?**
 * 22.Bc2 dxe4**
 * 23.fxe4 Nc4**
 * 24.Bxh6! Nxe4**
 * 25.Qh5 Nf6**
 * 26.Rxf6!! Qxf6**
 * 27.Bh7+! Kf8**
 * 28.Bg5 Re5**
 * 29.Bf5! g6**
 * 30.Qh4! Qxg5**
 * 31.Qxg5 Bxf5?**
 * 32.Qh4!**


 * 1-0**


 * Solution:** 1 Rxc8+! Rxc8 2 Nxb7+ Ke8 3 Re7#.