[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.03.02"] [Round "2"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Vitiugov, Nikita"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2772"] [BlackElo "2736"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {Just like yesterday, Giri pins his hopes on the fashionable Italian game.} Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 h6 7. Re1 O-O 8. Nbd2 a5 {The modern treatment.} ({Although Esipenko was super-successful last week with:} 8... Bb6 9. Bb3 Ng4 10. Re2 Na5 11. Bc2 f5 12. h3 Nf6 13. d4 fxe4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Rxe4 Bf5 16. Re1 Bxc2 17. Qxc2 exd4 18. Bxh6 Rxf3 19. gxf3 Qh4 20. Bc1 d3 {0-1 (20) Aronian,L (2772)-Esipenko,A (2714) chess24.com INT 2022}) 9. h3 Be6 10. b3 {And a flexible move in return by Giri. This idea has already been tested twice by his compatriot Van Foreest.} d5 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Ne4 Bb6 $146 {Only to see his opponent reacting in a flash with} ({The predecessor was comfortable for White after:} 12... Ba7 13. Bd2 Re8 14. a3 Nf6 15. Nxf6+ Qxf6 16. Bxe6 Rxe6 17. b4 Rd8 18. Qc2 Qg6 19. Be3 Qxd3 20. Qxd3 Rxd3 21. b5 { Van Foreest,J (2613)-Van den Doel,E (2615) Amstelveen 2018}) 13. Qd2 $3 { It appears that this is the perfect square for the queen. For starters, it eyeballs the opponent's kingside.} ({Her Grace is also away from some annoying knight kicks, as in this line.} 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. Bb5 Ncb4 $1) 13... Qc8 ({ Black is not well-prepared to fight for the center. The line} 13... f5 14. Ng3 Qd6 {backfires after} 15. a4 Bc5 16. Bb5 Nde7 17. Nxe5 $1) ({Perhaps the best move was} 13... Qd7 {intending to enter huge complications in the line} 14. Bb5 (14. Ng3 {is still possible though.}) 14... Bxh3 15. Nxe5 Qe6 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. d4 f5 18. Nc5 {but launching this unprepared sequence should be suicidal.}) ({ After} 13... Re8 14. Bb5 {might be annoying.}) 14. Ng3 {Giri, once more, managed to pressurize the center, causing the black pieces to obstruct each other.} f6 15. d4 $1 {Judjing by the speed with which the Dutch GM was executing his moves, the impression is that this was all standing on his home table for some time before the event.} Qd7 ({Plenty of amusing lines arise in case of the capture} 15... exd4 16. Nh5 $3 ({Also good seems} 16. Qd3 $1 { with the major idea} Qd7 17. Bxh6 $3 gxh6 18. Rxe6 $1 Qxe6 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Qxh6+ Kg8 21. Ng5 $1 {winning.}) 16... Qd7 ({Or} 16... dxc3 17. Qd3 Rf7 18. Bxh6 $1 {with decisive attack.}) 17. Nxg7 $3 {One more proof that the white queen is ideally placed on the c1-h6 diagonal $1} Kxg7 18. Qxh6+ Kf7 (18... Kg8 19. Rxe6 $1 {transposes to the winning line from above.}) 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Rxe6 Qxe6 21. Qg6+ Kh8 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Ng5 Qe1+ 24. Kh2 fxg5 25. Bxd5+ ({Or} 25. Qxg5+) 25... Rf7 26. Be3 $3 {cutting the black queen away from the defense and thus Black is helpless.}) 16. Ba3 $1 {Not just finishing the development, but also aiming to remove the rook from the f-file.} ({As, otherwise, it will work like crazy there.} 16. dxe5 fxe5) 16... Rf7 17. Re4 {Giri was tempted by a direct kingside attack.} ({But there was a simpler and more convincing way} 17. Rad1 $1 a4 ({Or} 17... Rd8 18. Qc2 {and the x-raying along the d-file is unbearable for the second player.}) 18. b4 exd4 19. cxd4 {with a large edge for White.}) 17... a4 $1 {Vitiugov forces a concession.} ({Of course not} 17... f5 $2 18. Nxe5) ({Or} 17... exd4 18. cxd4 {when White dominates.}) 18. b4 Nf4 { And he gets rid of the pin, at last.} 19. Bxe6 Nxe6 20. Rae1 ({Still, stronger was to play in the center.} 20. d5 Ng5 21. Nxg5 hxg5 22. Rd1 Ne7 23. c4 { with an edge.}) 20... Ng5 21. Nxg5 hxg5 22. b5 ({Here} 22. d5 Ne7 23. c4 Rd8 { does not seem as convincing for White.}) 22... Na7 23. h4 {That was Giri's inspiring point $1 The rook on e4 quickly joins efforts with the relentless queen and the threats quickly start to mount.} Nxb5 ({Vituigov correctly avoids } 23... gxh4 24. Rxh4 Nxb5 25. Qd3 g5 26. Rh6 $1 Nxa3 27. Nh5 {when White crashes through.}) ({However,} 23... g4 $5 {to keep the h-file locked, made perfect sense too.}) 24. hxg5 fxg5 ({Not} 24... Nxa3 $2 25. g6 Re7 26. Qe2 { with mate to come.}) 25. Qxg5 Nxa3 {What can be more obvious than that $1 Not only does Vituigov win a piece, but he also gets rid of a strong attacker while opening a safety road for his king.} ({But, it was the modest pawn that needed to be taken instead.} 25... Nxc3 $1 {Black seems to hold everywhere, somehow.} 26. Rxe5 ({Or} 26. Rh4 Bxd4 $1) 26... Bxd4 27. Re7 ({And if} 27. Rf5 Re8 $1) 27... Bf6 $1) 26. Rh4 Re8 27. Qh5 Rf6 ({There is no time to run.} 27... Kf8 28. Rxe5 Rxe5 29. Qxe5 Kg8 30. Qe4) 28. Ne4 Rf5 {Getting ready to get rid of the knight.} 29. Ng5 Rxg5 30. Qxg5 c5 {The last mistake.} ({The Russian GM should have tried to bring his knight close to the king ASAP.} 30... Nc4 $1 31. Qg6 Nd6 {Then, White would have had a pleasant choice between play for an attack with} 32. Qh7+ ({Or playing an advantageous endgame with} 32. Rxe5 Rxe5 33. dxe5 Qf5 34. Qxf5 Nxf5 35. Rxa4) 32... Kf7 33. Re3) 31. Qg6 Bd8 32. Rh7 { PLAY CHESS, NOT WAR.} ({Qg6-h5 and Rh7xg7+ threats cannot be stopped adequately. The final moves could have been} 32. Rh7 Bf6 33. Qh5 Kf8 34. dxe5 Rxe5 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Rxe5+) 1-0