[Event "Wijk aan Zee"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2021.01.31"] [Round "13.4"] [White "Van Foreest, Jorden"] [Black "Grandelius, Nils"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2671"] [BlackElo "2663"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "93"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Qd3 {A very rare line, also played by Carlsen against Grandelius in this tournament. It has recently been tested by Fedoseev, and before that it was brought briefly into the spotlight by the creative Spanish GM Vallejo. It should be mentioned that the Dutch GM had tested it in the distant 2014.} Nbd7 ({Grandelius deviates from} 6... e6 {which he played against Carlsen.}) ({That earlier game of Van Foreest went:} 6... g6 7. Bg5 Bg7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nc6 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Qa3 Qc7 14. Bd3 Rb8 {and did not end well for the young Dutch player, Van Foreest,J (2461)-Von Meijenfeldt,B (2331) Dieren 2014}) 7. Be2 b5 8. a4 {White gambits a pawn and after some hesitation...} Nc5 $146 {Grandelius accepts the challenge. From here on, the players enter uncharted territory, or at least Black does. Van Foreest keeps practically blitzing his next moves.} ({ An earlier game saw} 8... b4 9. Nd5 Bb7 10. Nxf6+ Nxf6 11. Bf3 Qc7 12. O-O e6 13. Bg5 Be7 14. Rfd1 {Socko,M (2421)-Sarana,A (2636) Online 2020}) 9. Qe3 b4 10. Nd5 Ncxe4 11. a5 $1 {The point. White fixes the b6-square, as well as we shall see later, the pawn on a6.} ({Hardly any stand-up Sicilian player enters the line} 11. Nxb4 Bb7) 11... Nxd5 ({The other obvious idea is the development with} 11... Bb7 12. Nb6 Rb8 13. O-O e6 {White has compensation for sure, but we will have to wait and see how exactly it will be developed in future games.} ) 12. Qxe4 e6 ({Once again,} 12... Bb7 13. O-O Qd7 {trying to develop with threats.}) 13. O-O Bd7 {At last the Swedish GM decided to develop his bishop on the other diagonal.} ({In the line} 13... Bb7 14. c4 bxc3 {besides the obvious} 15. bxc3 ({Grandelius might have disliked} 15. Bd1 $1 Be7 16. bxc3 Rb8 17. Ba4+ {when his king will permanently remain in the center.})) 14. Bd2 Be7 15. Bf3 {Once that White finished his development, he is ready to challenge the enemy knight in the center.} O-O {Standing against the pin.} ({Or else Black loses the pawn:} 15... Rc8 16. Qd3 Rc5 17. Qxa6) 16. Qd3 Qb8 17. c4 $1 { All of this is very natural. White needs to open files and diagonals in order to capitalize on his superior piece energy.} bxc3 18. bxc3 Ra7 {Finally, after almost 20 powerful moves in blitz mode, Van Foreest has his first deliberation. } ({Apparently, the best defense is the sacrifice of the exchange with} 18... Bf6 19. c4 Nb4 20. Bxb4 Qxb4 21. Bxa8 Rxa8 {although White should be on top here.}) 19. Rfb1 $1 {And plays again the best move.} Qc8 ({Since} 19... Rb7 $2 20. c4 {loses on the spot.}) 20. c4 Nf6 {Probably now those of you who were following the game unarmed (not biased by the computer assessments and not spoiled by their suggestions) were thinking about a way to remove the Ra7 from that square. Something like Bd2-e3 made perfect sense following this logic. But the young Dutchman has something else in mind.} ({After:} 20... e5 { White can reply with the simple} 21. Bxd5 ({Or as in the game:} 21. Nb5 $3 axb5 22. cxb5 Nf6 23. b6 {when the pawns are unstoppable.})) 21. Nb5 $3 {Definitely one of the star moves of this Tata Steel edition!} axb5 22. cxb5 {The passer are connected and, since they are so nicely supported by all the white pieces, should be stopped as soon as possible.} Bxb5 $1 {The only way.} ({After some other normal move like} 22... e5 {The game could have continued with} 23. b6 $1 {Sacrificing more material but moving the passers even closer. These pawns will soon promise White huge payback bonus.} Bf5 ({Nothing changes} 23... Rb7 24. Bxb7 Qxb7 25. a6) 24. Qe2 Bxb1 25. bxa7 Be4 $1 {The only chance.} 26. Bxe4 d5 27. Bd3 e4 28. Ba6 Qd7 {The first passer will be lost.} 29. Rb1 Qxa7 30. Rb7 Qc5 31. Bb4 Qc1+ 32. Qe1 Qxe1+ 33. Bxe1 {But the second a-passer would decide the outcome of the game.}) 23. Qxb5 Nd7 24. Bb7 $1 {That locks the black rook permanently. The game is essentially over, but loads of tricks remain in the cards.} Qd8 25. a6 Bf6 {Now White needs to find a way to annihilate the a7-rook.} 26. Ba5 Qe8 27. Bc7 $5 {A nice maneuver, albeit somewhat complicated. } ({The neatest way of finishing the game would be} 27. Ra2 Nc5 28. Qb6 Qb8 29. Qxa7 $3 Qxa7 30. Bb6 Qb8 31. Bxc5 dxc5 32. a7 {And the a7-pawn is a queen.}) 27... Bxa1 28. Rxa1 ({Here, strong is} 28. Bxd6 $1 Bf6 29. Bxf8 Kxf8 30. Rc1 { It is not very obvious what White wants, but let's say Black makes a random move like} h6 {Then} ({Black is also helpless after} 30... Bd8 31. Rd1 Nb6 32. Qb4+ Kg8 (32... Be7 33. Qxb6) 33. Qd6) 31. Rc8 Bd8 32. Qb4+ Kg8 33. Qd4 { finally traps the black rook.}) 28... d5 {Missing his chance.} ({Grandelius had } 28... Nc5 $1 29. Qb6 Qd7 {with the idea to meet} 30. Bxd6 {with the brilliant } ({True, White can avoid the back-rank problems with} 30. h3 $1 Re8 {although here not everything is clear yet.}) 30... Qxb7 $3 31. Bxc5 Rfa8 $1 32. Qxb7 Rxb7 33. a7 {when Black pushes for a win.}) 29. Bd6 Qd8 30. Rc1 ({Here, more precise is} 30. Bxf8 Nxf8 31. Rc1 Qd6 32. h3) 30... g6 ({Now Black could have again tried back-rank tricks with} 30... Re8 31. Rc7 ({True, White should still be clearly on top with the careful} 31. h3 $1) 31... Nb8 {It is late for} 32. h3 ({However:} 32. Rc8 $2 Qxc8 33. Bxc8 Rxc8 34. Bxb8 $4 Rc1+ {is even worse for White...}) 32... Nxa6 $1) 31. h3 $1 {Air is essential for the white king.} ({Van Foreest avoids} 31. Rc7 Nb8 32. Qb6 Nxa6 $1) 31... Re8 32. Rc7 Nf6 ({With the back rank in order, White is ready to meet} 32... Nb8 {with} 33. Rc8 Qxc8 34. Bxc8 Rxc8 35. Bxb8) 33. Be5 Ne4 34. Qc6 Rf8 35. Bd4 Qb8 36. f3 $1 { Removing the knight from the c5-square and finishing the game in style.} Rxa6 ( {If the knight moves, all White needs is to swap the queen off with} 36... Nd2 37. Bxa7 Qxa7+ 38. Qc5 {and the a-pawn will be a queen.}) 37. Bxa6 Qb4 38. Be5 Qe1+ 39. Kh2 Nf2 40. Qc3 {Van Foreest decided to finish the tournament of his life (so far) a la Short vs. Timman.} Qh1+ 41. Kg3 Qg1 42. Rc8 Nh1+ 43. Kh4 Qf2+ 44. g3 g5+ 45. Kxg5 f6+ {The last little trap that White would not fall in.} 46. Kh6 ({Excessive greed can spoil any tournament:} 46. Bxf6 $4 Qxg3+ 47. Kh5 Qxh3+ 48. Kg5 Qf5+ 49. Kh4 Qf4+ 50. Kh5 Ng3#) 46... fxe5 47. Qxe5 {Last year when Van Foreest said in one of the after-game short interviews that he had come to play for the first place no one took him seriously. This year he proved it!} 1-0