[Event "FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss"] [Site "Riga"] [Date "2021.10.28"] [Round "2"] [White "Predke, Alexandr"] [Black "Yakubboev, Nodirbek"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E71"] [WhiteElo "2666"] [BlackElo "2621"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3 O-O 6. Bg5 {One of those smothering systems that the KID players need to face.} Nc6 {After a lengthy think Yakubboev opts for an aggressive line that aims to benefit on the relevant weakness of the d4-pawn.} ({Black can also go for the direct} 6... h6 7. Be3 e5 8. d5 Na6 9. Bd3 Nd7 10. a3 Nac5 11. Bc2 f5 12. b4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 fxe4 14. Bxe4 {as in Vallejo Pons,F (2701)-Jones,G (2657) Online 2021}) 7. Nf3 h6 { It is important to break the pin before the next move.} 8. Be3 e5 9. d5 Nd4 { That's the point behind Black's play. The central black pawn has been sacrificed earlier too, and as a rule White avoids to capture it.} ({Instead} 9... Ne7 {looks too passive when White can opt for} 10. Qd2 ({Or the immediate } 10. g4 $5) 10... Kh7 11. g4 {when White's main idea is to lock the kingside first with aggressive play and they play a one-sided game on the opposite wing. Knowing this, Black often risks and may fall into a proper kingside attack, as in this game} c5 12. Bd3 a6 13. Ne2 b5 14. Ng3 bxc4 15. Bxc4 Bd7 16. g5 hxg5 17. Nxg5+ Kg8 18. Be2 Bb5 19. h4 Rb8 20. Kf1 Bxe2+ 21. Qxe2 Qb6 22. Kg2 Qb5 23. Qf3 Qd7 24. h5 {Pultinevicius,P (2501)-Mamedov,R (2654) Online 2021}) 10. Nxd4 exd4 11. Qxd4 {Well, that is interesting. But how to react to} Ng4 12. hxg4 $3 $146 {Aha, here it is $1 This novelty will likely take away Blacks desire to try and take over the initiative that early.} ({Instead, an earlier game offered Black a pleasant play on the dark-squares after} 12. Qd2 Nxe3 13. Qxe3 f5 14. O-O-O a6 15. Bd3 b5 {and this is all that the KID players dream about $1 } 16. exf5 bxc4 17. Bxc4 Bxf5 18. g4 Re8 19. Qg3 Be4 20. Rhe1 Qf6 21. f4 Rab8 22. Rd2 Qxc3+ {0-1 (22) Potapov,A (2399)-Goluch,P (2231) Pardubice 2014}) 12... Bxd4 13. Bxd4 {Now instead of attacking, Yakubboev will have to think about the defence. Fun fact: it is Black who usually sacrifices his queen for a couple of light pieces and a pawn. And there too, one of the pieces must be the dark-squared bishop.} Kh7 {Most likely not the best defence.} ({The machine suggests to evacuate his Majesty at once with} 13... f6 $1 14. Rxh6 Kf7 {with the point to meet} 15. g5 {with} Rh8 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 $1 17. gxf6 Rxh6 { True, even here White is better.}) 14. Be2 {Intending f2-f4 and then g4-g5 with inevitable mate along the h-file.} f5 {Sooner or later Black will have to physically try and block the enemy pawns.} ({If a normal development like} 14... Bd7 15. f4 $1 {threatens as we know g4-g5 and then} f6 16. O-O-O { once again creates the same threat, for example after a neutral move like} a5 ( {Therefore Black would still need to push the pawn} 16... h5 {when White has a pleasant choice between} 17. gxh5 ({And} 17. f5 $1) 17... g5 18. fxg5 fxg5 19. Bd3 {with a growing attack.}) 17. g5 $1 {Leads to mate after} fxg5 18. Rxh6+ Kxh6 19. Rh1+ Bh3 20. Rxh3#) 15. exf5 $1 {Predke opens the diagonal for the light-squared bishop and crashes through.} gxf5 16. Rh5 {Not just doubling the rooks, but also controlling the f5-spot.} Kg6 (16... fxg4 17. Bd3+ {loses on the spot.}) ({And in case of} 16... Rg8 {White would have brought more attackers with either} 17. O-O-O ({Or} 17. Kd2)) 17. Kd2 $1 {White's attack grows by itself.} fxg4 18. Rah1 Bf5 {At last bringing a defender out.} ({ The assault cannot be slowed down with} 18... Rh8 19. Bd3+ Kf7 20. Bxh8 Qxh8 21. Rxh6) 19. Rxh6+ Kf7 20. R1h5 {So far Predke was impeccable, but this last move somewhat slows down his win. As we shall see, the Russian GM clearly understood that the black bishop needed to be removed, but he was trying to trap it.} ({The defender should have been swapped instead:} 20. Bd3 $3 Bxd3 21. Kxd3 {when the black king would have been mated without a chance} Ke7 (21... Ke8 22. Rh7 $1) (21... Qg5 22. Ne4) 22. Rh7+ Rf7 23. Re1+ Kf8 24. Rh8#) 20... Ke7 21. Nd1 $1 {A nice maneuver. Predke is sticking to his plan of harassing the black bishop.} ({It was not too late for} 21. Bd3 $3 Bxd3 22. Kxd3 { Abd this time the winning idea is different. After} Kd7 {The black king escapes the mate, but nevertheless loses the game after} 23. Rh7+ Kc8 24. Rh8 $1 {Yes, it is more comfortable on c8 and his Majesty will not be mated, but the Ra8 cannot come to the rescue.}) 21... c5 22. Bc3 {The most controlled continuation.} Kd7 ({After} 22... Qb6 23. Ne3 Bd7 24. Rh7+ Kd8 25. Rg5 { the white rooks make it to the seventh rank.}) 23. Ne3 Bb1 24. Bxg4+ ({Even easier was to hunt the bishop at once:} 24. Kc1 $1 {with the idea to clear the seventh rank again:} Bxa2 (24... Be4 25. Re6 $1 {traps the bishop in the middle of the board $1}) 25. Rh7+ Kc8 26. Bxg4+ Kb8 27. Rd7 Qe8 28. Rhh7 { when Black is helpless.}) 24... Kc7 25. f3 Qe8 $1 {The best defence by Black $1 Yakubboev wants to keep the bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal.} ({Or else his key pawn would suffer after} 25... Bxa2 26. Nf5 $1) 26. Rh1 $1 {Another nice maneuver.} ({Or} 26. Re6 Qf7 27. Rh1 Bh7 {Black's position is ugly, but perhaps still playable.}) 26... Bg6 27. Re1 {A second open file is seized with an ambush $1} Rg8 28. Be6 Qf8 {This is not the most resilient defence.} ({ Instead} 28... Rf8 29. Ng4 {lets the white knight to f6.}) ({However, a better idea was} 28... Qa4 $1 29. Bxg8 Rxg8 {in order to try and find counter-chances on the light squares.}) 29. Reh1 Re8 {This loses at once.} (29... Qe7 {was Black's last chance although there too} 30. f4 {would have likely led to White's slow win.}) 30. R1h4 $1 {Back to the fourth rank, everything is set for more pins $1} Rxe6 {That means resignation, but there was nothing better than that.} ({Or} 30... Kb8 31. Bxg8 Qxg8 32. Rg4 {and Black drops material.}) 31. dxe6 Qe8 32. Nd5+ Kc6 33. Nf6 Qe7 34. Rg4 1-0