[Event ""] [White "Sindarov,Javokhir"] [Black "Esipenko,Andrey"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Havanur,Nagesh"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2026.03.29"] [WhiteElo "2745"] [BlackElo "2698"] [PlyCount "81"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 (3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 {is the old classical Main Line.} )Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 {The Queen's Gambit Declined.} 5. cxd5 {The Exchange Variation.} (5. Bf4 {is the Main Line.} )exd5 6. Bf4 O-O 7. e3 c5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O c4 {Now Black has a queenside pawn majority.} (9... cxd4 10. exd4 (10. Nxd4 Nxd4 11. exd4 a6 {is not bad either.} )Bg4 {is still playable.} )({Otherwise} 9... Bg4 {is better known. It would have developed the last remaining piece.} )10. Bc2 Nh5 $5 {"This is practically a Theoretical Novelty. Now Sindarov started to think" -GM Aleksandar Colovic in BCM May 2026. This move was seen only once in over the board play way back in 1988.} (10... a6 { is met by} 11. Ne5 {preventing ...b7-b5 advance for the time being.} )(10... Bd6 11. Bg5 Be6 {strengthening the pawn on d5 and c4 also looks solid.} )(10... Bg4 {has been played more often.} )11. Be5 f6 12. Bg3 {Sindarov plays it safe.} ({Probably Esipenko had prepared the line,} 12. Ng5 $5 g6 (12... fxe5 $4 13. Qxh5 Bxg5 14. Qxh7+ Kf7 15. Qg6+ Kg8 16. f4 $18 )13. Nxh7 fxe5 14. Nxf8 Bxf8 15. Bxg6 (15. dxe5 {was seen in Olafsson, H.-Einarsson, H. in Reykjavik 1988 (1-0), 26 moves. However, Black could have defended better.} )Nf6 $13 )f5 {He does his best to prevent the freeing e4 advance. He also keeps the possibility of opening the f-file.} (12... Nxg3 13. hxg3 f5 14. Ba4 Be6 { also appears OK.} )13. Be5 ({Or} 13. Ne5 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Bf6 15. f4 (15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Rb1 ({If} 16. b3 $6 c5 $1 )Be6 {and there is still a lot of play left.} )Be6 $13 )Be6 (13... Nxe5 $2 14. dxe5 Be6 15. Nd4 Bf7 16. Bxf5 {wins a pawn as pointed out by GM Colovic in BCM May 2026.} )14. b3 $6 (14. Ba4 Rc8 15. Rb1 a6 16. Bxc6 Rxc6 $11 )Qa5 15. Ne2 b5 16. Nf4 Nxf4 17. exf4 Qd8 18. Re1 Qd7 19. Re3 $1 {A reasonable move guarding the vulnerable point, b3 and prepared to move along the third rank and attack the kingside.} Rae8 20. h4 {From now on Sindarov plays without a plan and is outplayed.} (20. Qb1 $1 {preparing a2-a4 and targeting f5 was good.} Nb4 21. Bd1 a6 22. a3 Nc6 $11 )h6 21. g3 a6 22. Kg2 Bf7 23. Qd2 Bb4 24. Qe2 Bh5 25. a4 Ba5 26. axb5 axb5 27. Bd1 Bxf3+ $2 {The tension tells.} ({He could have prepared and dominated the queenside with the more circumspect} 27... Ra8 $1 28. Qb2 Bb4 $17 )28. Qxf3 ({If} 28. Kxf3 $4 Rxe5 $1 $19 )({Or} 28. Rxf3 $4 Nxd4 $1 $19 )Bb6 $6 {A tempting move threatening to win the d-pawn. However, it plays into White's hands.} ({He could have set problems for White with} 28... Bd2 $1 29. Re2 c3 30. Rxd2 cxd2 31. Qd3 Rc8 $13 )29. Ra6 $1 {Now it is White that sets problems for Black.} Nxd4 ({If} 29... Bxd4 $6 30. Rxc6 Bxe5 31. Rc5 Bf6 32. Rxe8 Rxe8 33. Rxd5 Qc6 34. Bc2 c3 35. b4 $14 )30. Qh5 Rxe5 $1 {The only move. He has to eliminate the menacing bishop even if it means sacrificing the exchange.} (30... Ba7 $4 31. Rxh6 gxh6 32. Qg6+ Qg7 33. Qxg7# )31. Rxe5 Qc6 $2 {Perhaps he played this move with the idea of 32.bc4 dc4, opening up the diagonal with a queen check.} ({He missed} 31... Bc7 $1 32. Re3 Bd8 33. Qg6 Bf6 $13 )32. bxc4 bxc4 ({He decides not to play} 32... dxc4+ 33. Bf3 Qf6 (33... Nxf3 34. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 35. Kxf3 $18 )34. Re8 Nxf3 35. Rxf8+ Qxf8 36. Qxf3 Qc5 37. Ra8+ $16 )33. Ba4 Qc5 (33... Qf6 34. Re8 Rxe8 35. Qxe8+ Kh7 36. Ra8 $18 )(33... Qc7 34. Qg6 Bc5 35. Bc6 $18 )34. Qg6 Ba7 35. Re8 Rxe8 36. Qxe8+ Kh7 37. Qg6+ Kg8 38. Bd7 c3 39. Qe8+ Kh7 40. Qg6+ Kg8 41. Re6 $1 (41. Re6 Nxe6 42. Bxe6+ Kh8 43. Qe8+ Kh7 44. Bxf5+ g6 45. Qxg6+ Kh8 46. Qh7# )1-0