[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.03.07"] [Round "6"] [White "Andreikin, Dmitry"] [Black "Bacrot, Etienne"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D27"] [WhiteElo "2724"] [BlackElo "2642"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 c5 {The solid QGA.} 6. O-O a6 7. Nbd2 {Andreikin, known for his original thinking, found an unbeaten path to fight against one of the most reliable black openings.} cxd4 ({The Russian was nevertheless not the first top GM to use the line:} 7... Nc6 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. a3 b5 10. Be2 Bb7 11. b4 Be7 12. Bb2 O-O 13. Nb3 a5 14. Nc5 Bxc5 15. bxc5 Qxd1 16. Rfxd1 b4 17. axb4 axb4 18. Nd2 Na5 {was the course of Ding,L (2791)-Yu,Y (2709) chess24.com INT 2020}) 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. N4b3 $146 ({The predecessor witnessed a fascinating draw after:} 9. b3 Bxd4 10. exd4 b5 11. Ba3 Nc6 12. Rc1 bxc4 13. Nxc4 Ne7 14. Nd6+ Kf8 15. Qf3 Bd7 16. Rc7 Rb8 17. Rfc1 Kg8 18. Nb7 Qe8 19. Nd6 Qd8 20. Nb7 Qe8 21. Nd6 {½-½ (21) Theodorou,$146 (2577)-Shlyakhtenko,R (2364) New York 2022}) 9... Be7 10. Be2 b5 11. a4 ({Black is also successfully solving his opening problems after} 11. Bf3 Ra7 12. Ne4 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Bb7) 11... bxa4 12. Rxa4 O-O 13. Nc4 Bd7 {Once Bacrot catches up with his development, he should have nothing to complain about.} 14. Ra1 Nc6 15. Nbd2 $5 {The game has been equalized and Andreikin needs to find something interesting if he wishes to win the group outright.} ({Normal play like} 15. Bd2 Qb8 16. Bc3 Rd8 17. Bf3 Be8 {would lead to a normal draw once that the players clash their major pieces along the open files.}) 15... Nd5 16. Nf3 {The point behind the maneuver: the knight reaches the almost-perfect e5-square. The ideal one would be the c6 square, but how to get there $2} Ncb4 {Bacrot also improves his situation on the queenside.} (16... Bf6 {is less appealing due to} 17. e4) 17. Bd2 ({If} 17. Nfe5 Bb5 {regroups nicely for Black.}) 17... Qb8 18. Nce5 Bb5 {Once the problem of this bishop is solved, it seems as if the game would soon peter out in a draw.} 19. Bxb5 Qxb5 20. Nd4 Qb7 21. Qb3 Qc7 ({Here the active} 21... Bf6 $5 {was interesting as White cannot exploit the pin after} 22. Nec6 Qb6 23. Nxb4 Bxd4 24. exd4 a5 $1) 22. Ndf3 {Black's only minor problem could be the c-file and, in particular, the c6 square.} ({If} 22. Nef3 {both} a5 ({ And} 22... Nc6 {look good for Black.})) 22... Rfb8 {A natural move.} ({On the other hand, had Bacrot wanted a draw, he could have gone for the solid} 22... Qc2 $5 23. Qxc2 Nxc2 24. Ra4 Rfc8 {with full equality.}) 23. Rfc1 Qd6 24. e4 { That is the chance that White was searching for $1 Now things get spicy.} Nc6 $1 {Black accepts the challenge $1} ({White would have squeezed some edge after } 24... Nf6 25. Qe3 ({Or} 25. Rc4)) 25. Qxb8+ $3 {And even spicier $1 Andreikin spent a bit over a minute on this move, and it is strictly his only way to play for something. Moreover, it was evident that he was heading for this sacrifice in advance, and his intuition did not fail him.} ({It is only White who risks losing after} 25. Rxc6 Rxb3 26. Rxd6 Bxd6 27. exd5 Bxe5 28. Nxe5 Rxb2 29. Bc3 Rc2 {as Black will also pick up the d-pawn.}) 25... Nxb8 $1 { An only move.} 26. Rc8+ Bf8 $1 {And an only move again.} ({The other retreat would have lost in a study-like fashion after} 26... Bd8 27. exd5 Qxd5 28. Ra5 $3 {It is mandatory to spoil the coordination between the black queen and rook. } ({In comparison,} 28. Ra3 Nc6 $3 {works well for Black as after} 29. Rxa8 Nxe5 {the white rook on a8 hangs.}) 28... Qd6 29. Ra3 $1 {And there is no adequate way to meet the threat of Ra3-d3 $1}) 27. exd5 exd5 {Bacrot spent valuable ten minutes from his remaining time for the capture, but did not guess right.} ({Two other ideas, both connected with an exchange sacrifice, would have worked better. First} 27... Qxd5 28. Ra4 Nd7 $1 {would have likely led to a draw after} 29. Rxa8 Nxe5 30. R4xa6 Nxf3+ 31. gxf3 Qxd2 32. Rb8 g6 33. Raa8) ({And the cunning} 27... f6 28. Nc6 Nxc6 $1 {might have also led to a perpetual in the semi-forcing line} 29. Rxa8 Qxd5 30. R1xa6 ({Black seems OK in the posiiton after} 30. R8xa6 Bc5) 30... Ne5 31. Bb4 Nxf3+ 32. gxf3 Qg5+ 33. Kh1 ({Not} 33. Kf1 $2 Qb5+) 33... Qc1+ $11) 28. Rac1 {But this time Andreikin did not guess right $1} ({The rook belonged on the other open file} 28. Re1 $3 {and thus both the white major pieces would have united their efforts along the eighth rank as quickly as possible. It seems Black has no defense, e.g.} f6 ({If} 28... Qe6 29. Rec1 f6 30. Bb4 $1 {exploits the pin.}) ({If} 28... a5 { to cover the -b4 square} 29. Nd3 {opens the file for the white rook.}) 29. Nd3 Kf7 30. Ree8 Be7 31. Bb4 {And Black loses material.}) 28... f6 29. Nc6 { And this, too, only plays into Black's hands.} ({White would have still kept control, and an advantage, with} 29. Nd3 a5 30. Re1 Kf7 31. Ree8 Be7 32. Bf4 Qa6 33. Nfe1) 29... a5 ({The exchange sacrifice} 29... Nxc6 $1 {is still recommended by the machine} 30. Rxa8 Qd7 31. Rxa6 Ne5 {It is not clear why White does not dominate after} 32. Nd4 {but the compy says it's all right after } Qb7) 30. Rd8 {All very natural, very scary, and well off the mark $1} ({ The unhuman move backward} 30. Ncd4 $3 {leads to a position where Black does not seem to have a good move, say} Qa6 ({Or} 30... Qb6 31. Re8) ({Or} 30... Kf7 31. R1c7+ Nd7 32. Rxd7+ $1) 31. Rd8 {would have preserved White's edge.}) 30... Qc7 31. Nfd4 (31. Rc8 $5 {is objectively better} Qb7 32. Nxa5 Qxb2 {when it is anyone's game.}) 31... Qb7 {Bacrot gets very close to complete consolidation but also-very short of time. Now the real drama starts.} ({The exchange sacrifice} 31... Nxc6 $1 {would have been still interesting when Black seems fine in the line} 32. Rxa8 Qb7 33. Rxf8+ Kxf8 34. Rxc6 Qxb2 35. Nf3 a4) 32. Nxa5 Qxb2 33. Ndb3 $5 {The danger in the game influenced Andreikin.} ({This should be the reason why he rejected the obvious} 33. Ne6 Kf7 34. Nxf8 Qxd2 35. Rc7+ {It seems like a win, but Black actually has} Nd7 $3 {and White needs to force a draw with} 36. Rdxd7+ ({Or else the back-rank weakness will tell} 36. Rcxd7+ $2 Kg8 $1) 36... Kxf8 37. Rf7+) 33... Kf7 {The king is on the run. Once it is out, the black extra material should finally prevail.} 34. Bf4 Bb4 35. Rc7+ ({Or else why did White reject the draw $2 The line} 35. Rxd5 Na6 { is good for Black.}) 35... Kg6 36. Rg8 Bxa5 37. Nxa5 {The culmination of this incredible thriller. Bacrot played the most obvious} Rxa5 ({But $1 Since the king was on the run} 37... Kf5 $3 {to safeguard, it would have worked better $1 Black wins after} 38. Bc1 Qb4 {Back-rank weakness $1} 39. g3 Na6 40. Rxa8 Nxc7) ({Speaking of the back-rank weakness, the beautiful intereference} 37... Nc6 $3 {would have won for Black as well.}) 38. g4 $3 {A nasty move in the time trouble. The black king is in a mating net. Black spent his last seconds for} Nd7 ({But} 38... f5 $1 {to cover the g7-spot would have been better when it is again Black who should play for the full point. Perhaps Bacrot saw} 39. Rxb8 Qxb8 $4 ({However, there was a defense} 39... Qa1+ $1 40. Kg2 Ra6 { and Black should be more than fine.}) 40. Rc6+ {which indeed wins for White.}) 39. Rxd7 {When short of time, the human gives checks. So did Bacrot} Qb1+ ({ It was not too late for} 39... f5 $1) 40. Kg2 Qe4+ 41. Kg3 Ra3+ 42. Kh4 $1 { PLAY CHESS, NOT WAR.} ({And he resigned as the mate is inevitable after} 42. Kh4 f5 43. Rgxg7+ Kf6 44. g5+ Ke6 45. Rde7#) 1-0