{"id":4057,"date":"2020-02-09T18:57:50","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T18:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/?p=4057"},"modified":"2020-02-09T19:00:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-09T19:00:12","slug":"croatia-bulldogs-russia-wizards-pro-chess-league-2020-round-4-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/2020\/02\/09\/croatia-bulldogs-russia-wizards-pro-chess-league-2020-round-4-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Croatia Bulldogs &#8211; Russia Wizards, Pro Chess League 2020 &#8211; Round 4 report"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/event\/croatia-bulldogs-vs-russia-wizards-pro-chess-league-2020-eastern-division-round-4\/\">Croatia Bulldogs &#8211; Russia Wizards<\/a><\/h1>\n<p>Following their round 3 victory against Turkey Knights, high-spirited Croatia Bulldogs were seeking to continue their streak in round 4 of the Pro Chess League 2020, on January 30th, 2020, at 15:15 CET (08:15 Pacific Time) against the frightening team from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/event\/croatia-bulldogs-vs-russia-wizards-pro-chess-league-2020-eastern-division-round-4\/\">the greatest chess nation &#8211; Russia Wizards.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Round report and highlights follow.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Team Lineups<\/h2>\n<p>Considering that this match was crucial to keep the potential hopes of reaching the playoff alive, the obligations of players and the fact a number of players in the Croatia Bulldogs rooster didn&#8217;t get the opportunity to play in the Pro Chess League, our standard &#8220;super IM&#8221; lineup was altered somewhat with the addition of two grandmaster members:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/gm-vojta-plat\/\">GM Vojtech Plat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/ante-saric\/\">GM Ante \u0160ari\u0107<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/tuan-minh-le\/\">IM Tuan Minh Le<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/leon-livaic\/\">IM Leon Livai\u0107<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Russia Wizards decided to play without Ian Nepomnhiachtchi, who made an appearance a week before, but still brought a fairly strong lineup, consisting of one 2700+ player, one 2600+ player and two 2550+ players:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/evgeny-tomashevsky\/\">GM Evgeny Tomashevsky<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/pavel-ponkratov\/\">GM Pavel Ponkratov<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/mikhail-demidov\/\">IM Mikhail Demidov<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/player\/pavel-anisimov\/\">GM Pavel Anisimov<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once again, Croatia Bulldogs had to take the role of the underdogs (or should I say, underBulldogs, heh, heh&#8230; I will show myself out).\u00a0 However, considering that the average rating of our team was highest of all rounds so far, we were fairly optimistic before the match.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Round 1<\/h2>\n<p>And indeed, our optimism didn&#8217;t seem to be without justification, as the first round went well for us.<\/p>\n<p>IM Tuan Minh Le allowed us to grab the lead after his opponent blundered the queen:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_84d71bd0' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 3.1\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"wonderfultime\"]  [Black \"Infernal_XaM\"]  [Result \"1-0\"]  [WhiteElo \"2515\"]  [BlackElo \"2632\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:09:39\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"A46\"]  [Opening \"Indian Game: Wade-Tartakower Defense\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 { No London this time! } 3... b5 { Rare, but possible, preventing c4. } 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c3 g6 7. a4 a6 8. Qb3 Bd5 9. Qc2 Be4 10. Qb3 Bd5 11. Qc2 { Offering the repetition... } 11... Bg7 { ...but to no avail. } 12. Re1 Be4 13. Qb3 O-O 14. Nbd2 Bd5 15. Qc2 e5 16. e4 { Tuan's psychological ploy has worked as he has managed to carry out this central advance under good circumstances and now has an edge } 16... Bb7 17. b4 { Fighting against c5 } 17... Re8 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Rxe5 20. Bb2 { Connecting the rooks } (20. f4 Re7 21. e5 { Doesn't work. The rook on e1 is pinned }) 20... Rb8 { Defending b7 and fighting against potential f4-e5 in the future, but this allow c4 } (20... Re7 { Was the best move, in order to meet c4 with } 21. c4 Qe8 22. cxb5 axb5 23. a5 c5 { With come counterplay }) 21. axb5 (21. c4 { Discovering the attack on the rook was strong. After } 21... Re7 22. cxb5 axb5 23. a5 c5 24. a6 { The absence of the rook on a8 makes a difference. Black is in bad shape here. }) 21... axb5 22. c4 Re7 23. cxb5 Qe8 24. b6 cxb6 25. f3 { Now White is in firm control, although it is not so easy to target the d6 and b6 weaknesses } 25... Qb5 26. Qc4 Qg5 27. f4? { A mistake. Black does get some counterplay due to the weakened g4 square now. } (27. Rad1 { Was simpler. Tuan probably feared } 27... d5 { But after the engine move } 28. Qb5 { He has it all under control. e5 is coming next. }) 27... Qh5 28. Bf3 Qh3 29. Qd3 Rbe8 30. Bd4 h5 31. Bg2 Qd7 32. Rad1 (32. Ra7 { Was more active }) 32... b5 { Removing the pawn from attack and taking the c4 square under control. } (32... h4 { Was very interesting, although then White can put the knight to c4 after } 33. Bxf6 Bxf6 34. Nc4 { With a good position }) 33. Re2 { Slightly strange } (33. h3 { Intending to meet h4 with g4 and vacating the h2 square for the king, was probably the best approach here }) 33... h4 { Now Black creates a target on g3 } 34. Rde1 hxg3 35. hxg3 Qg4 36. Bf2 { Black has definite counterplay now } 36... Nh5 (36... Nd5 { Was a very nice tactical idea. The knight would come to c3 and White would have to play accurately to stay afloat }) 37. Nf1 Qd7 38. Bf3 Nf6?! (38... Qh3 { Was better }) 39. Nd2 Qh3 40. Bg2 Qh5 41. Bf3 Ng4 42. Bd4! { A good move, exchanging the passive bishop and opening the 2nd rank } 42... Qh3 43. Nf1 { Now White has managed to consolidate and can start thinking about taking on b5 or d6. } 43... Bh6? { A losing move } (43... Nf6 { Opening the queen's retreat route and attacking e4 was best. The game would continue. }) 44. Bg2 (44. Qxb5 { Was now possible }) 44... Qh5 45. Bf3 Bc8? { Overlooking a tactical blow } (45... Qh3 { Black had to repeat. Then White would have to take on b5 or seek for an alternative approach }) 46. Rh2! { Exploiting the pin and winning the queen, and with it the game as well. } 46... Nxh2 47. Bxh5 { Now the rest is a matter of technique and Tuan doesn't have problems in converting the full point. } 47... Nxf1 48. Bd1 Nxg3 49. Qxg3 Rxe4 50. Rxe4 Rxe4 51. Bb3 Bf5 52. Qc3 Rxf4 53. Be3 Rf3 54. Bxf7+ Kh7 55. Bg8+ Kxg8 56. Qb3+ Kh7 57. Qf7+ Bg7 58. Bd4 Kh6 59. Qxg7+ Kh5 60. Bf2 Rh3 61. Qh8+ Kg4 62. Qd4+ Kh5 63. Qxd6 Rd3 64. Qe5 Kg4 65. Kg2 g5 66. Be3 Kh5 67. Qh8+ Kg6 68. Qg8+ Kf6 69. Bxg5+ Ke5 70. Qe8+ Kd4 71. Qxb5 Be4+ 72. Kh2 Rf3 73. Qc5+ Kd3 74. Qd6+ Ke2 75. Qd2+ Kf1 76. Be3 Bc2 77. Qc1+ Ke2 78. Qxc2+ { And Black finally resigned. A good, solid win against a strong opponent and the continuation of a very consistent performance throughout the PCL 2020. } 1-0   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_84d71bd0&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>In his debut, GM Vojtech Plat made a solid draw from the position of strength. Ante \u0160ari\u0107 was not so fortunate in his debut as he missed the best continuation in a complicated situation. Still, it seemed we would at least draw the first round, if not win it, considering that Leon had GM Evgeny Tomashevsky on the ropes during the entire game. Unfortunately, in severe time trouble, he blundered in a favorable rook endgame and was forced to resign a couple of moves later:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_b3b22323' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 4.1\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"Bulldog167\"]  [Black \"EvgenyT\"]  [Result \"0-1\"]  [WhiteElo \"2505\"]  [BlackElo \"2705\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:09:54\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"A45\"]  [Opening \"Indian Game\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 g6 3. Nc3 { As far as I know, Leon has never played this. } 3... d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. h4 c6 6. Be2 h6 (6... h5 { Setup with h5 is more common. }) 7. Nf3 Be6 8. Ne5 Nbd7 (8... Nfd7 { Was played by Kulaots Kaido in 2017. He won that game (against a much lower opponent, though). }) 9. Qd2 { Now it seems to me that White has a pleasant game. Black does not dare to castle due to the fast g4-g5. } 9... a5 { A bit artificial. } (9... Ne4 { Might be a better alternative. }) 10. O-O-O a4 11. Kb1 (11. a3 { White will play this move later all the same, so why not prevent the a3 option once and for all? }) 11... Nxe5 (11... a3 { In the style of Alpha Zero, was possible, restricting the White king. }) 12. Bxe5 b5 (12... a3!?) 13. a3 { Now White manages to stabilize and once again has the edge. } 13... Qb6 14. f3 O-O 15. Na2 { White is in complete control. Black doesn't have any counterplay. } 15... c5? { Already a bit desperate, as Black can't mount an attack. This weakens the b5 pawn. } 16. dxc5 Qxc5 17. Qd4 { Of course! } 17... Qxd4 18. Rxd4 Bd7 19. Nc3 e6 20. Bxb5 Bxb5 21. Nxb5 { Now White is a clear pawn up and should be technically winning. } 21... Nd7 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. e4 { It is questionable whether this advance was strictly necessary, although it is not bad in itself. } 23... Nb6 24. Nc3 dxe4 25. fxe4 { The aesthetic guy inside of me is severely against separating pawns, although objectively it is not wrong. Just think it is not practical. } 25... Rfc8 26. Rb4 Rc6 27. Rd1 Rac8 28. Rd2? { A bit careless, allowing the tactical shot. } 28... Nc4 { Now Nxa3 is coming and White almost has to win the game anew. } 29. Rf2 Nxa3+ 30. bxa3 Rxc3 31. Rxa4 R8c7 32. Kb2 Rg3 { Now Black's rooks are very active, although White still has an advantage. } 33. Rb4 f5 { Probably other moves are better, but it is logical to advance your pawn majority. } 34. exf5 gxf5 { Keeping the passed e-pawn. } 35. a4 Ra7 36. Re2 Ra6 37. c3 Kf6 38. Kb3 e5 39. Rb5 Rc6 40. Rc2 Ke6?! { A bit too passive. } (40... e4 { Seems more resilient, strivicing for activity at all costs. After } 41. a5 Rd3 42. Kb4 Rd1 { Black seems to have sufficient counterplay. }) 41. a5 Kd6 42. Kb4 f4 43. Rd2+ { Now White is winning again } 43... Kc7 44. c4 (44. Rxe5 { Was probably simpler. After } 44... Rgxc3 45. Re7+ Kb8 46. Rd4 { White is just winning, although with little time it is a bit scary to evaluate this. }) 44... e4 45. Rf5 e3 { The culmination of the entire game } 46. Rd4?? { A horrible time trouble blunder, throwing the game away. } (46. Rf7+ { White would still be winning if he had inserted this check. The line continues } 46... Kb8 47. Rd8+ Rc8 48. Rdd7 Re8 49. Rb7+ Kc8 50. Ra7 Kb8 51. Rfb7+ Kc8 52. a6 { With checkmate on a8 coming next. }) 46... e2 { And suddenly there is no stopping of the e-pawn. } 47. Rf7+ Kc8 48. Rf8+ Kc7 49. Rf7+ Kb8 50. Rd8+ Rc8 { It is hard to say anything after this game. Leon played brilliantly, outplayed his 2700 rated opponent and then threw it all in a single move. Just a pity, not only because it threw a point, but because this game obviously affected his performance throughout the rest of this match. } 0-1   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_b3b22323&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Therefore, instead of 2.5-1.5 in our favor, we found ourselves trailing by one point, which made a fundamental difference from the psychological standpoint in the remainder of the match.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Round 2<\/h2>\n<p>Still, the result of the first round was not catastrophic and we were definitely very much in the match. Alas, Leon Livai\u0107, still apparently affected by the disastrous result of the previous game, lost quickly despite having an overwhelming position early in the opening:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_7eb409ff' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 4.2\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"Infernal_XaM\"]  [Black \"Bulldog167\"]  [Result \"1-0\"]  [WhiteElo \"2632\"]  [BlackElo \"2505\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:24:40\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"C00\"]  [Opening \"French Defense: Steiner Variation\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. c4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. e5 { Non-standard, non-theoretical and just bad. } 3... c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bb5 Ne7 7. O-O a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Bc2 Bg4 { And just like that, Black has gained a vastly superior position after just 9 moves. Moreover, Ponkratov was playing rather fast up to this point. } 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Nd4 12. Qd1 Nec6 13. f4 c4 14. Nc3 Nxc2 15. Qxc2 Nb4 (15... d4 { Was also strong! }) 16. Qd1 Bc5+? { Overlooking White's reply. From this point onward Black's game starts to go downhill } (16... Nd3 { Was simple and strong. Even if White wins the d5 pawn after } 17. Qf3 Bc5+ 18. Kh1 O-O 19. Nxd5 Qd7 { Black has sufficient compensation due to his monster knight on d3. }) 17. d4! { A strong resource obviously overlooked by Leon. } 17... Bb6? { Mistakes come in pairs... } (17... cxd3+ { For better or for worse, the pawn had to be taken. After } 18. Kh2 O-O { White's point was that he will regain it after the inevitable a3. Even so, it was lesser evil for Black than what happened in the game. }) 18. Be3 Nd3 19. Qf3 { Now the game for White plays itself. Nxd5, f5-f6-e6, check check check, mate. } 19... O-O 20. Nxd5 Nxb2 21. f5 Nd3 (21... f6 { Was mandatory, trying to slow down the initiative, although the position is horrible, of course. }) 22. f6 g6 23. e6 fxe6 24. Nxb6 Qxb6 25. f7+ Kg7 26. Qf6# { A horrible and painful loss for Leon, who clearly hadn't recovered from his previous game against Tomashevsky. } 1-0   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_7eb409ff&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Fortunately, Vojtech Plat kept us in the match by checkmating his opponent from a seemingly dead-drawn middlegame, much to the delight of the team manager Vjekoslav Nemec:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_a068d79' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 1.2\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"Broucinek\"]  [Black \"kuli4ik\"]  [Result \"1-0\"]  [WhiteElo \"2589\"]  [BlackElo \"2552\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:24:46\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"B02\"]  [Opening \"Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. g3 { You don't see this against Alekhine that often, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad. } 3... d6 4. exd6 exd6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. Ne2 { Certainly not the most ambitious approach, but very much playable } 6... d5 7. O-O Bd6 8. d4 O-O 9. Bf4 Re8 10. Nd2 Bf5 11. Nf3 Bxf4 12. Nxf4 { The game is resemblant of some Berlin\/Petroff and should be equal. } 12... Bg4 13. h3 Bxf3 { It was probably wiser not to exchange this bishop for a knight. } 14. Bxf3 c6 15. c3 Nbd7 16. Qc2 Ne4 17. Bxe4 { It was probably wiser not to exchange this bishop for a knight. } 17... Rxe4?! { Allowing White to nurture his small plus. } (17... dxe4 { Was actually playable. }) 18. Rae1 Nf6 19. f3 { Now White gets control of the e-file and has a slight pull. } 19... Rxe1 20. Rxe1 Qd7 21. Re5 h6 22. Kg2 Re8 23. Qf2 Qd8 24. Qe3 Kf8 25. Qd3 Qd6 26. Qf5 { Still it is very hard to improve. The text move allows Black to force the exchange of rooks. } 26... g6 27. Rxe8+ { Else White loses a pawn. } 27... Nxe8 28. Qc8 { Now the game should be dead equal, but... } 28... Qe7 29. Kf2 Kg7 30. Nd3 Nd6 31. Qb8 Nc4 32. Qf4 g5 33. Qc1 Qe6 34. b3 Nd6 35. g4 Nb5 36. a4 Nc7?! (36... Nd6 { Was more active. }) 37. h4!? { Trying to win the f4 square for the knight, creating some threats. } (37. f4 { Was actually even more unpleasant }) 37... gxh4 38. Nf4 Qd6 39. Kg2 Ne6 40. Nh5+? { Overstepping the mark. This lands White in an objectively bad position. } (40. Nxe6+ Qxe6 41. Kh3 { Should end in a draw. }) 40... Kh7 41. Qc2+ Kg8 42. Qf5 { Now Black just needs to make one accurate move and he will either have good winning chances, or draw the game. Fortunately, Plat's opponent chose the third option } 42... Ng5?? { Blundering into a checkmate } (42... Qe7 { First of all, there were many moves that didn't blunder, e.g. } 43. Nf6+ Kf8 44. Qe5 { With equality. }) (42... Qa3 { Was a surprising winning attempt. Black just wants to give a check and then play Ng5 and White surprisingly doesn't have any threats. }) 43. Nf6+ Kf8 44. Qc8+ Ke7 (44... Kg7 { Loses the queen to } 45. Ne8+) 45. Ng8# { An amazing swindle. Sometimes playing for the win does get rewarded, although, if we want to be objective, luck was on our side in this one. } 1-0   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_a068d79&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The other two games were drawn and Russia maintained their one-point lead &#8211; something that could have easily gone the other way if Leon managed to exploit his chances in first two games.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Round 3<\/h2>\n<p>Alas, in the third round, it all went downhill for our team. Leon, obviously shaken from his two previous defeats, also lost his third game with relative ease. Vojtech Plat, the hero of the previous round, played a splendid game and completely outplayed Pavel Ponkratov, but then lost the thread, allowed the simplification in a drawn endgame that was very tricky to hold and in the end even lost the game:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_f44d0965' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 2.3\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"Broucinek\"]  [Black \"Infernal_XaM\"]  [Result \"0-1\"]  [WhiteElo \"2589\"]  [BlackElo \"2632\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:24:54\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"B00\"]  [Opening \"Nimzowitsch Defense: Mikenas Variation\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nc6 { If I noticed one thing in this match - almost all Russian players played offbeat openings. Ponkratov, in particular. } 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d5 Nb4? { But this is just bad. } (4... Ne5 { For better or for worse, had to be played. }) 5. c3 Na6 6. Bxa6 bxa6 7. Bg5 c5? { This move is also not mandatory and probably doesn't help. } 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. O-O Qb6 10. b3 { White has just obtained a wonderful position right out of the opening. } 10... Rg8 11. Nbd2 Qc7 12. Kh1 f5 13. exf5 Bxf5 14. Re1 Bg7 15. Rc1 { It is not certain where the black king will go. He can't castle kingside and he surely doesn't want to castle queenside. } 15... Kf8 16. Ne4 h6 17. Qe2 a5 18. Ng3 { With Black's ruined pawn structure, the knights are not inferior to the bishops and have juicy squares f5 and h5 available. } 18... Bh7 19. Nh5 Re8 20. Nxg7 Kxg7 21. Qd2 Qd7 22. c4 a4 23. Rc3 axb3 24. axb3 Qf5 25. Ra1 Ra8 26. Re3 Qf6 27. Rae1 Rge8 28. Ng1 { Very strong. The knight had no perspective on f3, so Plat sends it on a journey to f4 or g3 via e2 } 28... a5 { The only counterplay for Black is connected with a5-a4 break and trying to play against the c4 weakness. } 29. Rf3 Qd4 30. Qc1 a4 31. Ne2 Qh4 32. Nf4 Bf5 33. g3 { Very human, intending Kf2-h4 kind of things. The engine points out other alternatives, though. } 33... Qg5 34. Kg2? { Perhaps it was better to take on a4 first and then continue with the plan. } 34... Bg4 (34... a3 { And it would appear it is difficult indeed to deal with this pawn. }) 35. Rfe3 axb3 (35... a3!? { Less strong than on the previous move, but still playable }) 36. Rxb3 Kg8 37. Rbe3 Ra4 38. h3 Bc8? { Intending Ba6, but this is a losing move. } (38... Bf5 { Was a must. The point is that now } 39. h4 Qf6 40. Nh5 Qd4 41. Rxe7 (41. Rf3 { Might be a try to play for more, but it is much more complicated after } 41... Be4 42. Qxh6 Bxf3+ 43. Kxf3) 41... Rxe7 42. Rxe7 Be4+ 43. Kh3 Bf5+ { And Black has perpetual }) 39. Qc3? { Missing a winning chance } (39. h4! { Was very strong } 39... Qf6 40. Nh5 Qg6 (40... Qd4 { Now doesn't work. After } 41. Rxe7 { There is no bishop check on e4 }) 41. Rxe7 { And the bad position of the bishop on c8 is decisive }) 39... Ba6 40. h4 Qg7 41. Qxg7+ (41. Qd3 { Is probably better, but White was not willing to give up his pawn on c4 and also consider the consequences of capturing on f4. Still, it was playable. For example, after } 41... Rxc4 42. Rxe7 Rxe7 43. Rxe7 { Black doesn't have time to capture on f4 and all his pieces (and especially his king) are in precarious situation } 43... Qf8 44. Ng6) 41... Kxg7 42. Nh5+ { Now the game is objectively equal, but ... } 42... Kg6 43. Nf4+ Kg7 44. Nh5+ Kf8 { ... Black is even the one to avoid the repetition, although there is zero justification for it } 45. Nf6! { Of course, taking the advantage of the pin on the e-file } 45... Rd8 46. Rxe7 Bxc4 47. g4 { White wants to create some mating ideas on the kingside. } 47... Bb3 (47... Kg7) 48. Kg3 Kg7 49. Nh5+ Kf8 50. Nf4 { Defending d5 and avoiding the repetition. } 50... Rb8 { Intending Rb4 } 51. g5? { A blunder. } (51. Rd7 { Was very strong. The point is that this prepares a check on the 8th rank in the case of } 51... Rbb4 52. Rd8+ Kg7 53. Nh5+ Kh7 54. f3 { And White is completely winning }) 51... hxg5 52. hxg5 Rbb4 { Now White has to find only moves to survive. } 53. Re8+ Kg7 54. Nh5+ Kg6 55. Rg8+?! { Objectively not the wrong move, but from a practical viewpoint not ideal. } (55. f4 Kxh5 56. Rh1+ Kg6 57. Rh6+ Kg7 58. Rhh8 { Would lead to perpetual, but good luck finding that }) 55... Kxh5 56. Rh1+ Rh4 57. Rxh4+ Rxh4 58. Rh8+ Kxg5 59. Rxh4 Bxd5 { This endgame is objectively drawn, but Black can play for the win with his two passed pawns. } 60. Rh8 Kf6 61. Kf4 Be6 62. Rh6+ Ke7 63. Rh5 Kd7 64. Ke3 Kc6 65. f4 d5 66. f5 d4+ 67. Ke4 Bb3 { The critical moment. } 68. Rh8? { A losing move. } (68. Kd3 { Preventing Bc2+ was mandatory. }) 68... Kb5 { Missing the chance. } (68... Bc2+ { Is winning. After } 69. Kf4 c4 70. Rc8+ Kb5 { Black will just queen one of the pawns. }) 69. Rc8? { A move that loses the game. } (69. Kd3 { Was required, in order to prevent Bc2 checks and also the approach of the enemy king. }) 69... Kb4? (69... Bc2+ { Was winning again. }) 70. f6? { Giving the last opportunity and Black will take it. } (70. Kd3) 70... Bc2+ 71. Kf4 c4 72. Rd8 { Now the game is over. } 72... Kc3 73. Rd7 Bg6 74. Rd8 d3 75. Ke3 Kc2 76. Rg8 d2 77. Rd8 d1=Q { A devastating loss and definitely one of the games that determined the outcome of this match. } 0-1   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_f44d0965&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Since two other games ended in a draw, the Wizards took the commanding 7.5-4.5 lead and it was hard to expect that the Bulldogs can recover from this.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Round 4<\/h2>\n<p>And indeed, the outcome of the match was quickly decided by the following game, in which Ante \u0160ari\u0107 suffered an opening disaster:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_a0e2e2cc' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 2.4\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"Infernal_XaM\"]  [Black \"Mornar1951\"]  [Result \"1-0\"]  [WhiteElo \"2632\"]  [BlackElo \"2556\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:25:01\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"A30\"]  [Opening \"English Opening: Symmetrical Variation\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. c4 c5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 { A weird and rare opening line where White doesn't fight for the center ASAP. } 3... d5 { It is debatable whether this is the best reaction as White achieves good results in these lines. It is not yet a catastrophe, of course, but to an extent, this helps White justify his opening setup. } 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Qc1 { Continuing in the same, weird style, attacking the c5 pawn. } 5... b6?! { With hindsight, it was better to defend the pawn with the bishp from f8. } (5... e6 { Seems somewhat more natural }) 6. Nf3 Nc6? { But this is a mistake, allowing a central blow. } (6... Bb7 { Was more precise. Now d4 doesn't work: } 7. d4 cxd4 { And there is no knight on c6 }) 7. e4?! (7. d4 { Immediately would be stronger, with unpleasant game for Black. }) 7... Ndb4? { But this is a mistake. This knight will end up sidelined. } (7... Nc7 { Was a better move. Now if } 8. d4 Nxd4 { White hasn't achieved anything and is even worse. }) 8. d4 e6? { The final mistake in a difficult situation } (8... cxd4 { Is bad due to } 9. a3) (8... Nxd4 { Doesn't help } 9. Bxd4 cxd4 10. a3 Na6 11. Bxa6 Bxa6 12. Qc6+ { And wins }) (8... f5 { Is a weird computer move that is apparently the best (or the least evil), but no human would ever play this. }) 9. a3 Na6 10. Bb5 { Now Black is just busted. } 10... Bb7 11. Ne5 Nb8 12. dxc5? { Letting Black off the hook. } (12. d5 { Was devastating (although far from obvious). After } 12... exd5 13. exd5 Qxd5 14. O-O { Black is too tied up to complete his development. Bc4 and Rd1 and Re1 are all in the offing. }) 12... bxc5 (12... f6 { Would actually allow Black to breathe more freely. If } 13. Nxc6 Nxc6 14. cxb6 Qxb6 { He gets good compensation for the pawn. }) 13. O-O Qb6? { Alas, Black again goes wrong. This is a shot in the dark. } (13... Be7 { Finishing development and intending to castle, was mandatory. Perhaps he didn't want to give up his g-pawn, but after } 14. Nxc6 Nxc6 15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Be5 { Black at least has some potential on the kingside. }) 14. Ba4 Qc7 { What else? } (14... Be7 15. Nc4 Qc7 16. Be5 { Is curtains }) 15. Rd1 Bd6?! { Trying to create some counterplay. } (15... Be7 { Giving up the g-pawn in the manner similar to previous lines, was probably better. }) 16. Qg5 { Logical move, defending e5 and apparently preventing castling. } (16. Rxd6 { Was possible and strong here. After } 16... Qxd6 17. Nc4 Qe7 (17... Qc7 18. Bxg7 Rg8) 18. Bxg7 Rg8 19. Be5 { Black is sorely missing his dark-squared bishop and White is winning, despite small material deficit. }) 16... f6 (16... O-O { Was actually possible. If } 17. Nxc6 (17. Nd7 { Winning the exchange is the best move, but at least Black can still fight }) 17... f6 { Black is very much back in the game }) 17. Qh5+ { Now it is basically all over. } 17... g6 18. Nxg6 Bxh2+ (18... Qf7 19. Rxd6 Qxg6 20. Rxe6+ { Is decisive }) 19. Kh1 Qf7 20. Qxh2 Qxg6 21. Qd6 { White just has too much activity. } 21... Kf7 22. Rd3 Rg8 23. Rg3 Qh6+ 24. Rh3 Qg6 25. Qh2 Na6 26. Nd2 Rad8 27. Rxh7+ Rg7 28. Rh6 Rxd2 29. Rxg6 Kxg6 30. Bxc6 Bxc6 31. Bxf6 Rh7 32. Bh4 Bxe4 33. Qf4 Bf5 34. Qxd2 Rxh4+ 35. Kg1 { A tough game for Ante, in which he never really got out of the opening unscratched. } 1-0   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_a0e2e2cc&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The cherry on the top was Tuan Minh Le&#8217;s final game, which saw an amazing turnaround, which fortunately didn&#8217;t have a decisive impact on the outcome of the match:<\/p>\n<div class='chessboard-wrapper'><pre style='display:none;'><textarea id='pgn4web_dd9f23f3' style='display:none;' cols='40' rows='8'>   [Event \"Round 4 - 3.4\"]  [Site \"Chess.com\"]  [Date \"2020.01.29\"]  [White \"wonderfultime\"]  [Black \"kuli4ik\"]  [Result \"0-1\"]  [WhiteElo \"2515\"]  [BlackElo \"2552\"]  [TimeControl \"600+2\"]  [UTCDate \"2020.02.05\"]  [UTCTime \"12:25:12\"]  [Variant \"Standard\"]  [ECO \"A46\"]  [Opening \"Indian Game: London System\"]  [Annotator \"https:\/\/lichess.org\/@\/chessentialsBLOG\"]   1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 { Minh Le's favourite London Systemin full swing. } 3... Bd6 { Another very rare continuation from the Russian team. } 4. Bg3 { Not giving in to Black's wishes and taking on d6. } 4... b6 5. Nc3 { Intending Nb5, but it is not clear if it was better to continue in the standard London manner with e3-Nbd2 etc. } 5... Bb4 6. Bh4 { But moving a piece again in the opening is a bit weird, although the goal is to prevent Ne4. } (6. Nd2!?) 6... Bb7 7. e3 h6 8. Nd2 Bxc3?! { Black was obviously not forced to take and could have castled. } 9. bxc3 d6 10. f3 Nbd7 11. e4 { Maybe declaring White's intentions a bit oo early. } (11. Bd3!?) 11... e5 12. Bd3 O-O 13. O-O Re8 14. d5!? (14. a4 { Was also interesting }) 14... Nf8 (14... c6!? { Was probably most principled utilizing the fact that d6 pawn is hard to attack } 15. c4 Qc7) 15. Bf2 { Missiing a far from obvious move. } (15. Bb5 { Was very strong here! Black can't avoid the ruinatiion of his kingside pawn structure. } 15... Re7 (15... N8d7 16. Bxf6) 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. f4 { With strong, perhaps even decisive initiative. }) 15... Ng6 16. Be3 Nf4 (16... c6!?) 17. g3 Nxd3 18. cxd3 { I think this exchange has helped White as it has increased the mobility of his pawn center. } 18... c6 19. c4 Qd7 20. Qb3 Qc7 21. a4 { Now White clearly holds the initiative. a5 is coming. } 21... c5 22. a5 bxa5? { Probably not recommendable, but at least it opens the b-file for Black. } 23. Qc3 Reb8 24. Rxa5 (24. Qxa5 { Intending to contest the b-file, was probably more precise. }) 24... Bc8 25. Rfa1 a6 26. R5a2 Rb4? { A blunder, overlooking a great tactical possibility for White. } (26... Rb6 { And it is not entirely clear how White is going to improve his position. }) 27. d4!! { A remarkable shot, one for the books on the topic of pawn breakthroughs. } 27... exd4 (27... cxd4 { Loses the rook: } 28. Qxb4) 28. Bxd4 Ne8 29. e5 { Now White has all the play and should be completely winning. } 29... Qb8 30. Be3 dxe5 31. Bxc5 Rb7 32. Re1 Qc7 33. Bf2 Nf6 34. Qxe5 Bd7 35. Qxc7 Rxc7 36. Ra5 Rb7 37. Bd4 { This is technically winning and it wouldn't require additional commentary, were it not for an amazing turn of events that the game takes. } 37... Rb4 38. Bc3 Rb6 39. Bd4 Rb4 40. Rea1 Bc8 41. Bc3 Rb6 42. c5 Rbb8 43. c6 Rb6 44. Bd4 Rb4 45. Bc3 Rb6 46. Rc5 (46. Bxf6 { Was perhaps the easiest }) 46... Nxd5 { Making White's technical task a tad harder, but a piece is a piece. } 47. Rxd5 Rxc6 48. Rd8+ Kh7 49. Ba5 Rc2 50. Ne4 Rb8 51. Rd2 Rc6 52. Raa2 Bf5 53. Rac2 Re6 54. Rc4 Bh3 55. Kf2 Rb1 56. g4 Bf1 57. Rc7 Kg6 58. h4 Bb5 59. h5+ Kh7 60. Rxf7? { After a brilliant game, Minh Le makes a big blunder, overlooking a crafty tactical reply. } 60... Rxe4! 61. Bc3? { Mistakes come in pair... White overlooks the same tactical pattern once again. } (61. fxe4 { Is, of course, bad, due to } 61... Rf1+ 62. Ke3 Rxf7 { With a dead draw. }) (61. Kg3 { Might be worth a shot, with still some theoretical chances. }) 61... Rxg4! { Of course! The g7 is now defended and a draw should be the outcome. } 62. Rd6 Rbg1 63. fxg4 Rf1+ 64. Ke3 Rxf7 65. Rb6 Rd7 66. Bd4 Re7+ 67. Kf4 Rf7+ 68. Ke3 Re7+ 69. Kf4 Bd3 70. Be5 Rf7+ 71. Ke3 Re7 72. Kf4 Be2 73. Bc3? { Any move with the rook was better, but it is natural to control the a5 square } 73... Rf7+ { Now it is impossible to defend the g4 pawn and suddenly White has to fight for a draw } 74. Ke4 (74. Kg3 Rf3+ { Loses the bishop on c3 }) 74... Bxg4 75. Rxa6 Bxh5 76. Ra5 { In theory, White should be able to sacrifice material and survive, but as Ben Finegold often says: Theory and practice are same in theory, but not in practice. } 76... Bg4 77. Bd4 g5 78. Ra8?? { A horrible blunder and a fitting end to our match against Russia. } 78... Bf3+ { A sad end to a brilliant game by Tuan and just one out of four great positions we managed to lose in this match. } 0-1   <\/textarea><\/pre><iframe src='https:\/\/www.chessentials.com\/Croatia_Bulldogs\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-chessboard\/pgn4web\/board.html?am=none&amp;d=3000&amp;ig=f&amp;iv=0&amp;ih=s&amp;ss=26&amp;ps=d&amp;pf=d&amp;lch=FFFFFF&amp;dch=7FA6CF&amp;bbch=545454&amp;hm=b&amp;hch=545454&amp;bd=c&amp;cbch=FFFFFF&amp;ctch=545454&amp;hd=j&amp;md=f&amp;tm=13&amp;fhch=FFFFFF&amp;fhs=14&amp;fmch=FFFFFF&amp;fcch=808080&amp;hmch=E0E0E0&amp;fms=14&amp;fcs=m&amp;cd=i&amp;bch=12212F&amp;fp=13&amp;hl=f&amp;fh=700&amp;fw=p&amp;pi=pgn4web_dd9f23f3&amp;pfr=%2Fpgn4web&amp;ss=50&amp;delay=500' frameborder='0' width='100%' height='700' scrolling='no' marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>your web browser and\/or your host do not support iframes as required to display the chessboard; alternatively your wordpress theme might suppress the html iframe tag from articles or excerpts<\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Therefore, we lost the match with a big margin 10.5-5.5, but we think it is not the reflection of true events happening on the boards. Even though Russia is nominally a stronger team, we can&#8217;t avoid the feeling of sadness and regret considering that we lost 4 clearly winning positions, which effectively buried our playoff dreams for the 2020 season.<\/p>\n<p>But okay, this first season is a learning experience all the same and we didn&#8217;t embarrass ourselves so far. In the remaining three rounds, we will try to win and end the season on a positive note.<\/p>\n<p>And who knows, maybe hope for a miracle?<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video Recap<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Croatia Bulldogs vs. Russia Wizard || Pro Chess League 2020 || Match highlights\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OrTcRXmhJrQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Full Stream<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Croatia Bulldogs vs. Russia Wizards, Pro Chess League 2020 || Full match with commentary\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5s0wn__Dj9c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Croatia Bulldogs &#8211; Russia Wizards Following their round 3 victory against Turkey Knights, high-spirited Croatia Bulldogs were seeking to continue their streak in round 4 of the Pro Chess League 2020, on January 30th, 2020, at 15:15 CET (08:15 Pacific Time) against the frightening team from the greatest chess nation &#8211; Russia Wizards. Round report&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Croatia Bulldogs - Russia Wizards, Pro Chess League 2020 - Round 4 report - Croatia Bulldogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Croatia Bulldogs - Russia Wizards. 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