[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2021.11.05"] [Round "9"] [White "Gelfand, Boris"] [Black "Movsesian, Sergei"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D15"] [WhiteElo "2674"] [BlackElo "2618"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. Be2 e6 7. a4 $5 { Exploring less charted territory. There were just four games played so far in this line but since it got some exposure, Gelfand decided to uncork his novelty.} ({Another super-exciting game in the line went:} 7. O-O Bb7 8. Rb1 Nbd7 9. b3 Bb4 10. Qc2 Bxc3 11. Qxc3 Nxe4 12. Qe3 c5 13. bxc4 b4 14. d5 exd5 15. cxd5 Bxd5 16. Rd1 O-O 17. Rxd5 Nc3 18. Bc4 Nxb1 19. Qd3 {with more tactical strikes to follow by both sides, which eventually ended in a draw, Li, C (2683)-Ma,Q (2630) Liaocheng 2021}) 7... b4 ({One of the very fresh games of the tournament went} 7... Bb7 8. axb5 cxb5 9. e5 Ne4 10. Nxb5 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Bd5 12. Na3 Bxa3 13. Rxa3 O-O 14. h4 {Zhou,J (2629)-Cori,J (2655) FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss 2021}) 8. e5 bxc3 9. exf6 cxb2 10. fxg7 bxa1=Q ({An there was another game of Zhou in Riga:} 10... Bxg7 11. Bxb2 Qa5+ 12. Nd2 Ba6 13. Rc1 O-O 14. O-O Nd7 15. Bxc4 Bxc4 16. Nxc4 Qd5 17. Ne3 Qe4 18. a5 {with an edge for White in Zhou,J (2629)-Bartel,M (2597) FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss 2021}) 11. gxh8=Q {[%emt 0:00:11] A picturesque position $1 I am not sure, in which other opening line we get four queens as early as on move $1} Qa5+ 12. Nd2 $146 { \"I kind of prepared this sacrifice, but I could not remember so much.\" (Gelfand)} ({The earlier game was equally wild and went} 12. Kf1 Q5xa4 13. Qxa4 Qxa4 14. g3 Nd7 15. Kg2 Bb7 16. Bf4 O-O-O 17. Qxh7 Qa2 18. Nd2 c5+ 19. Bf3 Qa6 20. Rb1 Bxf3+ 21. Nxf3 Qc6 {and Black managed to consolidate in Halkias,S (2553) -Heinemann,J (2255) Riga 2019. Interestingly, it seems as almost all the games in this line were played in Tal's birth city Riga $1}) 12... c3 13. O-O {The actual sacrifice, which was already forced.} cxd2 14. Bxd2 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 {And, here we are, almost a \"normal\" position. At least from a queen count perspective.} Qxa4 {Already a very risky decision by Movsesian. It is not about the pawn, rather the Armenian GM tries to keep the enemy pieces tied up.} ({The computer believes that} 15... Qf5 {to keep the queen close to the kingside is the only defence. Then} 16. Bh6 $2 {leads White nowhere due to} ({ Black however, might have been afraid of the spectacular} 16. d5 $3 {The pawn is immune:} cxd5 $2 {For} ({Equally bad for Black is} 16... exd5 $2 17. Bb4 Nd7 18. Bd3 {and the check along the freshly opened e-file would be deadly.}) ({ But, there was an equally amazing defence:} 16... Qg6 $3 {Black is threatening to swap the queens. Then one of the many amazing lines runs} 17. Qe5 Nd7 18. Qc7 {Rerouting the major attacker still leads to problems for Black. Somehow, it seems as he holds though with} exd5 19. Bh5 $3 Qxh5 20. Re1+ Be7 21. Bb4 Qh4 $1 22. Bxe7 Qxe7 23. Rxe7+ Kxe7 24. Qxc6 Rb8 ({A slightly tricky improvement is } 24... Bb7 $1 25. Qh6 Rc8 {when anything is possible.}) 25. h4 {Although the same Tal would have loved to have the queen in this position.}) 17. Bb4 Nd7 18. Bb5 {pins Black decisively.}) (16. Bb4 $2 {is helping Black just as the other pin and he does well with} Nd7) 16... Nd7 {With the simple but strong threat Qf5-f6 $1}) 16. Qxh7 {Gelfand decided to try an original plan. Rather than mating the enemy king he wants...} ({Actually, it seems as there was nothing wrong with the direct mating play:} 16. Bh5 $1 Nd7 {Then another bunch of brilliant moves} ({Or} 16... Qb5 17. d5 $3 {To win again some time.} cxd5 18. Qg8 Qb7 19. Rc1 Na6 {And now a move that a human being can hardly remember or understand:} 20. h3 $3 {with an edge for White.}) 17. Bg5 $1 h6 18. Bh4 $3 Qb5 19. d5 $1 cxd5 20. Qg8 Ne5 21. Bf6 {lead to huge attack for White.}) 16... a5 { Movsesian is trying to bring the rook out for the defence.} ({Stronger was to sacrifice a pawn in return:} 16... e5 $1 {in order to bring the light-squared bishop out at once. After} 17. Bh6 ({Or} 17. h4 Be6 18. h5 Nd7 19. h6 O-O-O { and the black rook can participate in the defense against the white passer.}) 17... Qb4 18. dxe5 Be6 {the position is extremely complex, and White apparently has plenty for the piece.}) 17. h4 $3 {This is what the Israeli GM had in mind. The pawn is extremely powerful.} Ra7 {Waiting for the pawn to make another step.} ({This time} 17... e5 {comes late due to} 18. h5 Be6 19. h6 Nd7 20. Bg5 $1 {when Black will not get a chance to castle.}) 18. h5 Ba6 { Now there is no Be2-h5, but:} 19. Bf3 $1 {is equally good for White.} Rd7 ({ The other try was} 19... Nd7 20. h6 Rb7 {when after} 21. Qg8 ({However, the power move that we shall see later in the game} 21. Bg5 $1 {would push Black on the ropes.}) 21... Bd3 22. h7 Bxh7 23. Qxh7 Nf6 24. Qh4 {the position seems unclear.}) 20. h6 {Gelfand forces matters.} ({The calm} 20. Be3 $1 {was surprisingly strong too.}) 20... Rxd4 ({The other capture} 20... Qxd4 {should not have saved Black either after} 21. Qg8 Bd3 22. Bg5 $3 {The same idea $1 The black bishop is pinned and in order to stop the h-passer Black needs to play} Qe5 23. Bh5 Bg6 {When} 24. Rxd7 {wins in all lines, e.g.} Qxg5 ({Or} 24... Kxd7 25. Qxf8 Qxg5 26. Bxg6 Qxg6 27. Qg7 $1) ({And finally} 24... Nxd7 25. Bxg6 fxg6 26. Qxg6#) 25. Rxf7 $1) 21. Bh5 Rd7 ({The last chance was} 21... Qxd1+ $1 22. Bxd1 Rxd2 23. Bh5 Rd7 {although here too, White should prevail thanks to the centralization:} 24. Qe4 $1 {when} Bxh6 {loses to} ({Whereas} 24... Bd3 {leads to large advantage for White after} 25. Qxe6+ Kd8 26. Qe5 Na6 27. Qxa5+ Nc7 28. Qg5+ $1 ({Or} 28. Qe5 $1)) 25. Qxe6+) 22. Qg8 Bd3 23. Bg5 $1 {One threat is to sacrifice the exchange for the bishop and promote.} Bg6 ({ Another is to mate in case of any other bishop retreat:} 23... Bf5 24. Qxf7+ Rxf7 25. Rd8#) 24. Re1 $3 {Suddenly, Gelfand switches back to the attack and this time it proves unstoppable as Movsesian also has a huge passer to deal with.} Bxh5 25. h7 {The passer will be crowned $1} Qb4 ({Or another sweet mate after} 25... Bg6 26. Qxf8+ Kxf8 27. h8=Q#) 26. Rxe6+ ({Not yet} 26. h8=Q $2 Qxe1+ 27. Kh2 Qb4 {when nothing is clear $1}) 26... fxe6 27. Qxe6+ Re7 28. Qc8+ Kf7 29. Qf5+ ({Avoiding the temptation again:} 29. h8=Q $2 Re1+ 30. Kh2 Qd6+ 31. g3 Bg6) 29... Ke8 30. Qc8+ Kf7 31. Qf5+ Ke8 32. h8=Q {Finally $1 It was quite the run $1} Re1+ 33. Kh2 Bg4 ({With the queen centralized} 33... Qd6+ { does not bother White:} 34. Bf4) 34. Qg6+ {The two queens quickly finish Black. } Kd7 35. Qf7+ Be7 36. Qhe8+ Kc7 37. Bxe7 1-0