[Event "Tata Steel Masters"] [Site "?"] [Date "2021.01.19"] [Round "4.7"] [White "Tari, Aryan"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B12"] [WhiteElo "2625"] [BlackElo "2749"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. c3 ({Firouzja also faced} 6. O-O h6 7. a4 Nd7 8. a5 Qc7 9. c3 g5 10. b4 Bg7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nb3 f6 13. exf6 Bxf6 14. Nc5 Ng6 {as in Grischuk,A (2777)-Firouzja,A (2749) Online 2020}) 6... Ng6 7. O-O Nd7 8. Ne1 {Probably the most important maneuver in the Advance Caro-Kann. White is ready to bring his pawns into motion.} h5 9. Be3 Qb6 10. b3 f6 $1 {N A sharp novelty by the young prodigy. Black sacrifices a pawn but destroys the enemy center.} ({An earlier game saw a quick draw after} 10... h4 11. Nd3 ({However,} 11. a4 $5 {might have been an improvement for White.}) 11... c5 12. dxc5 Qc7 13. b4 Ngxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Bd4 Qc7 16. c4 dxc4 17. Bxc4 h3 18. g3 Qc6 19. f3 {1/2-1/2 (19) Khairullin,I (2543) -Grigoriants,S (2582) Moscow 2006}) 11. Bxh5 {Principled.} fxe5 12. g4 { Sharp and risky play by Tari in return.} ({More solid looks} 12. Bxg6+ Bxg6 13. dxe5 {although then after} Qd8 $1 14. Nf3 Bh5 {White has problems with his pinned knight, True, he can slowly defend it and free the queen with, say:} 15. Bf4 Be7 16. Nbd2 O-O 17. Bg3 {but Black should have a lot for the pawn after something like} Qe8 {followed by Qe8-g6. Two bishops, strong center, and open files and diagonals should suffice.}) 12... Rxh5 $1 {The only move.} (12... Be4 13. Nd2 {would lose a lot of material.}) 13. gxh5 Nf4 {The pawn sacrifice transformed into an exchange sacrifice. The permanently weakened white king, and especially the weak light squares around it, promise Firouzja a long-lasting initiative. An important detail is that both players started to think on their own immediately after the novelty.} 14. dxe5 ({After} 14. Bxf4 exf4 15. Nf3 {Black has a lot of excellent options:} ({Or} 15. Qf3 Bd6) 15... Qd8 {in order to bring the queen on f6 is the computer's first choice.} ({ Although normal developing moves like} 15... Nf6) ({Or} 15... Be7 {should be good for Black as well.})) 14... Nh3+ 15. Kg2 (15. Kh1 {is weaker as it defends neither the f2-pawn nor the f1-rook, and a line like this:} Bc5 16. Bxc5 Nxc5 17. Qd4 Qa6 {will expose those flaws.}) 15... c5 {Black opens the long diagonal and intends to profit from the light squares as soon as possible. } ({Although} 15... Bc5 $5 {is also interesting with a strong position for the second player after, say:} 16. Bxc5 Qxc5 17. Qd4 Qe7 18. f4 O-O-O {followed by a kingside attack.}) 16. f4 Qc6 17. Nf3 {Tari correctly finishes his development and shields the king.} ({Black's only problem could be the knight on the rim. However, an instant operation to surround it} 17. Kg3 O-O-O 18. Nf3 Be7 19. Nh4 $2 {would be overly optimistic. No wonder that Black has a way to exploit it:} Bxh4+ 20. Kxh4 {And a brilliant one:} d4 $1 21. cxd4 g5+ $3 22. fxg5 Qe4+ {winning.}) 17... O-O-O 18. Nbd2 {Both sides have almost completed development; it is time to place the pieces more concretely.} Nb6 $1 {A very smart idea that intends d5-d4 followed by the Nb6-d5! jump.} ({Black could have prepared the advance with the prophylactic move} 18... Kb8 {although then White can also do something similar, like} 19. Kg3 $5 Be7 20. Rc1 {True, Black's position looks more promising after} ({We already know what happens in case of} 20. Nh4 Bxh4+ 21. Kxh4 d4 $1) 20... Rg8 {here too.}) 19. Qe1 ({ Another way to chase the knight on h3 could be} 19. Kg3 Be7 20. Ng5 {Not winning, but at least getting rid of the intruder. But then his brother would have joined in:} Nxg5 21. fxg5 d4 22. cxd4 Nd5 23. Nc4 b5 {and this mess once again looks promising for Black.}) 19... Be7 {Final preparation.} ({However,} 19... d4 $1 {would have been even more promising:} 20. cxd4 Nd5 21. Rc1 Nhxf4+ 22. Bxf4 Nxf4+ 23. Kh1 Nd3 {with an edge for Black.}) 20. Rc1 {Tari adds more and more pressure on the c-file in vain, trying to prevent the central breakthrough.} ({It makes sense, however, to step away from the possible checks with} 20. Kh1 $5 {Then a sample line runs} d4 21. cxd4 Nd5 22. Nc4 Nhxf4 23. Bxf4 Nxf4 24. Nd6+ Bxd6 25. exd6 Rxd6 26. Qe5 Rxd4 {when it is unclear.}) 20... d4 $1 {Firouzja's powerful and logical play is impressive.} 21. cxd4 Nd5 22. Nc4 {Now Tari steps on the edge.} ({Here} 22. Kh1 $1 {is mandatory. Then} Nhxf4 23. Bxf4 Nxf4 24. Qe3 Nd3 25. Rc4 Kb8 26. dxc5 Bxc5 27. Rxc5 Nxc5 28. Kg1 {would be approximately equal!}) 22... Ndxf4+ 23. Bxf4 ({White cannot retreat any more:} 23. Kh1 Nd3 24. Qg3 {because of the powerful} Qe4 $1 ({Worse is} 24... Nxc1 25. Rxc1 Qe4 26. Rc3 {when White can defend.}) 25. dxc5 Nxc1 26. Bxc1 ({The multiple pins decide the outcome of the game after} 26. Rxc1 $2 Bg4 27. Kg2 Rd3) 26... Bxc5 {and Black completely dominates.}) 23... Nxf4+ 24. Kg1 $1 {This square is the right one now.} ({White has no survival chances after} 24. Kh1 Nd3 25. Qe3 ({Nothing changes} 25. Qg3 Nxc1 26. Rxc1 Rxd4) 25... Nxc1 26. Rxc1 Rxd4 {and White's king won't last for long.}) 24... Bg4 {Continuing the light-squared strategy.} ({White's idea is revealed in the line} 24... Nd3 25. Qg3 Nxc1 26. Rxc1 {when the d4-pawn survives.}) ({Therefore,} 24... Rxd4 $1 {is called for, with the main point} 25. Nd6+ Bxd6 26. exd6 Nh3+ 27. Kg2 Rg4+ 28. Kxh3 Qxd6 $3 {with an inevitable, decisive discovered check.} ({Although the prosaic} 28... Re4+ 29. Kg3 Qxd6+ 30. Kf2 Rxe1 {should also suffice.})) 25. Rc3 ({After} 25. Ncd2 {Black has a pleasant choice of what to take. Multiple good options:} Bxh5 $1 (25... Nd3 $1 26. Qg3 Nxc1 27. Rxc1 Bxh5) (25... Rxd4 $1 )) 25... Rxd4 26. Nd6+ $1 {Tari also opens his pieces. Things are heating up, but the lack of time will soon start to tell.} Kb8 {In return, Firouzja keeps his bishop.} ({There is also} 26... Bxd6 27. exd6 {when} Nh3+ $1 {keeps strong initiative for Black.} ({The check is better than the capture} 27... Qxd6 28. Qe3)) 27. Qe3 Bg5 $1 {Loading a powerful discovered-check mechanism. This is why Black kept this bishop alive.} ({After} 27... Bxh5 28. Kf2 Nh3+ 29. Kg3 Nf4 30. Kf2 {the white king finally escapes the risky zone.}) 28. Rxc5 {The queen is deflected from the long diagonal, but...} (28. Kh1 $3 {is the only chance.}) 28... Qxc5 {The other diagonal turns to be a great one too.} 29. Nxg5 {The culmination of the game. With seconds on the clock, Black has opted for the obvious check:} (29. Nxd4 {loses on the spot to} Ne2+) 29... Ne2+ {And a draw. And what a pity!} ({Firouzja did not have the time to spot the brilliancy} 29... Be2 $3 {In the main line of the combination, Black sacrifices both his light pieces:} 30. Rxf4 ({Another brilliant line is} 30. Re1 Rd1 31. Qxc5 Rxe1+ 32. Kf2 Nd3+ {when ironically, the game is decided by the knight that is no longer dim!}) (30. Rf2 {leads to mate:} Rd1+) ({Whereas if the rook goes too far:} 30. Rc1 Rd1+ 31. Kf2 Nd3+ {decides.}) 30... Rd1+ 31. Kf2 Rf1+ 32. Kxe2 { And then the rook:} Re1+ $1 {To regain everything back with huge interest:} 33. Kxe1 Qxe3+) ({The machine also states that} 29... Qb6 $1 {is close to a win, but this is far more complicated and far less clear:} 30. Kh1 Bh3 31. Nxh3 Qc6+ 32. Qf3 {Now a beauty:} Rd1 $3 {is answered by another beauty:} 33. Ne4 $1 Rxf1+ 34. Qxf1 Qxe4+ 35. Kg1 {and White has chances to survive.}) 30. Kg2 { Draw agreed.} (30. Kg2 {One way to prove it is this line:} Qc6+ 31. Nge4 Bf5 32. Qxe2 Bxe4+ 33. Qxe4 $3 {Why not!? Everybody sacrifices everything today!} Rxe4 34. Rf8+ Kc7 35. Rc8+ Kd7 36. Rxc6 Re2+ 37. Kf3 Rxe5 38. Rc2 Kxd6 39. Kg4 {and the point should be split.}) 1/2-1/2