[Event "Norway Chess op"] [Site "Stavanger"] [Date "2023.05.30"] [Round "6"] [White "Vaibhav, Suri"] [Black "Stremavicius, Titas"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C43"] [WhiteElo "2595"] [BlackElo "2540"] [Annotator "Vaibhav,Suri"] [PlyCount "85"] [GameId "468340539783"] [EventDate "2023.05.27"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "10"] [EventCountry "NOR"] [SourceTitle "CBM 215 Extra"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2023.09.30"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.09.30"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,85,19,19,15,16,55,23,11,14,14,6,37,27,12,16,13,14,39,16,25,26,59,32,33,25,30,36,37,20,68,50,62,62,95,36,48,88,89,89,107,66,129,94,141,145,191,65,53,127,117,60,53,56,50,97,101,58,59,38,64,69,82,31,31,26,46,29,69,68,76,48,69,61,55,25,25,14,66,66,176,204,235,197,301,427,456,877] This was the 6th round of the recently concluded Norway Chess Open and I was paired against the tournament leader. Trailling by half point and getting white only meant one thing - "Go all out".} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {Getting surprised on second move after preparing for 3+ hours is not the most pleasant experience in the world.} 3. d4 {I decided to refrain from going for the main lines in the Petroff where I assumed my opponent would be well prepared} Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 (5... Nd7 {is supposed to be the main line} 6. Nxd7 (6. Nc3 {is an alternative which leads to sharp play. Black has shown to solve their problems without much difficulty with some precise moves} Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bd6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 (9. Nxd7 Bxd7 10. Qh5 f5 11. Bg5 Qe8 12. Qf3 Qg6 13. h4 h6 14. Bf4 Bxf4 15. Qxf4 Qd6 {Black managed to hold without much difficulties in this position. ½-½ Vachier Lagrave,M (2757)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2792) Saint Louis 2022}) 9... c5 10. Qf3 c4 11. Bf5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Re8 13. Bxc8 Rxc8 14. Bg5 Qxg5 15. exd6 Re6 16. h4 Qxh4 17. d7 Rf8 18. Qxd5 Rh6 19. g3 Qh2+ {½-½ (19) Vallejo Pons,F (2711)-Bjerre,J (2598) Sanxenxo 2022}) 6... Bxd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. Nc3 (8. c4 {was the old way of playing these positions until the computers showed a powerful pawn sacrifice with black} O-O $1 9. cxd5 f5 10. Nc3 Qf6 $1 {Black gets very interesting intitiative and active play}) 8... Nxc3 9. bxc3 O-O {transposes to the line above}) 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. bxc3 Nd7 8. O-O Nxe5 $2 {Very serious mistake. Black loses vital time and now white's central pawns get free advance} (8... O-O $1 {was mandatory and this would transpose into the opening theory mentioned above}) 9. dxe5 Be7 (9... Bxe5 $2 10. Re1 {loses the piece}) 10. f4 c5 (10... Bc5+ 11. Kh1 g6 12. f5 $18 {White gets attack for free}) (10... g6 11. f5 Bxf5 12. Bxf5 gxf5 13. Rxf5 Qd7 14. Qh5 Qe6 (14... Bc5+ $2 15. Kh1 Qe6 16. Rf6) 15. Be3 {[%csl Rf7] the f7 weakness makes it difficult for black's king to escape} Rg8 16. Raf1 $16) (10... O-O 11. f5 $18 {[%CAl Gc1f4] white has very strong development and high chances of developing a devastating attack on the kingsflank}) 11. f5 (11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Be2 Bc6 13. f5 Qa5 {[%CAl Ge8c8] black's king escapes. White is still better but position is not entirely clear}) 11... c4 12. Be2 Bc5+ (12... O-O 13. Be3 $16 {[%CAl Ge3d4] White solidifies the center with Bd4}) (12... g6 $1 {was required to complicate matters} 13. Bg4 (13. f6 Bc5+ 14. Kh1 Be6 {[%CAl Ge8c8] black will eventually castle queenside}) 13... h5 (13... gxf5 14. Bxf5 Be6 15. Qh5 $18) 14. Bh3 gxf5 (14... g5 15. g3 $16) 15. Be3 Be6 16. Rxf5 $5 $16 {[%CAl Gf5h5]} Bxf5 17. Bxf5 {[%csl Re8] The light squared bishop is worth much more than a rook}) 13. Kh1 O-O 14. Bg4 {[%csl Rc8][%CAl Gd1f3] with idea to develop Queen to f3 and support the central pawns.} d4 (14... Re8 15. Bf4 $16) 15. Qf3 d3 {Black must act dynamically to look for counterplay otherwise their position simply collapses} 16. Rd1 Bd7 $6 (16... Qh4 {objectively was better} 17. cxd3 cxd3 18. Bf4 $16 {and white recaptures the d3 pawn} Bd7 19. Rxd3 Bc6 20. Qg3 {and black can hope to save this endgame}) 17. cxd3 Ba4 18. d4 Bxd1 19. Qxd1 $18 {[%csl Gc3,Gd4,Ge5,Gf5] White has massive compensation for the exchange} Re8 20. Bf4 (20. dxc5 $2 {being greedy would throw away all the advantage} Qxd1+ 21. Bxd1 Rxe5 {gives black a lot of hope}) (20. f6 $1 {would have been devastating for black} g6 (20... gxf6 21. Bf5 $18 {[%csl Rg8][%CAl Gd1h5] White's attack is decisive}) 21. Bh6 $18 {[%CAl Gd1f3] and white combines attack on black's king with the central pawn push}) 20... Ba3 21. Rb1 Qa5 22. Qf3 f6 $1 {very important and tenacious defensive move to prevent white's f6 move. Black forces white to make a decision regarding the center} (22... b5 23. f6 $18 {White's attack on the kingside would be decisive}) 23. Bh5 $6 (23. Rxb7 $1 fxe5 (23... Rab8 24. Rxb8 Rxb8 25. h3 $18 {2 extra pawns and connected pawns in the center}) 24. Rxg7+ $3 {the killer blow} (24. Bxe5 $2 Rxe5 25. dxe5 Qxe5 {complicates the matters}) 24... Kxg7 25. f6+ Kh8 26. Qb7 Be7 (26... Bf8 27. Bf5) 27. Bxe5 {Such a magnificient line} Rab8 28. f7+ Qxe5 29. fxe8=Q+ Rxe8 30. dxe5 $18) (23. e6 {was the other alternative to push the central pawns} Re7 24. d5 Rd8 25. Rd1 Bd6 26. Bxd6 Rxd6 27. Qf4 {White has huge advantage but pushing the pawns still requires a lot of work} Rxd5 $2 28. Qb8+ {is checkmate}) 23... Re7 24. Rxb7 Rd8 25. h3 $1 {king safety is important} Kh8 26. Rxe7 $2 (26. exf6 gxf6 27. Rxe7 Bxe7 28. Qe3 $1 {[%CAl Ge3e6] important move and white pieces coordinate well in attack} Bf8 29. Bf7 Qxf5 (29... Qxa2 30. Bc7 $18 {[%csl Rd8] and the rook is surprisingly trapped} Qb1+ 31. Kh2 Rb8 32. Qg3 $18) 30. Bxc4 $18 {[%csl Rh8] White manages to keep 2 extra pawns and black's king is also exposed}) 26... Bxe7 27. Bf7 Qxa2 (27... fxe5 28. Bxe5 Bf6 $1 {Extremely hard for black to find all the subtleties but our silicon friend finds magical defense} 29. Bxf6 gxf6 30. Bxc4 Rc8 31. Be6 Rxc3 32. Qa8+ Kg7 33. Qg8+ Kh6 34. Qf8+ Kg5 35. Qg7+ Kf4 {and the king miracoulsly escapes} 36. Qxf6 Rxh3+ $1 37. gxh3 Qe1+ $11 {and prepetual}) 28. Kh2 Qc2 29. Bxc4 Qxf5 30. Bd3 Qe6 31. Qh5 Qg8 32. e6 g6 33. Qe2 Rc8 $6 (33... a5 $1 {black must push the passed pawn} 34. Bb5 {was my intention during the game} Rd5 $3 {very strong and computerish defensive idea that both the sides missed.} (34... Ra8 35. d5 $16) 35. Bc6 Rf5 36. Bg3 Rg5 $11 {[%CAl Gg5g3] Rook chases the dark squared bishop. Black would be able to create a blockade after this trade}) 34. c4 Qd8 35. d5 $2 (35. Qe4 $1 {[%CAl Gc4c5] It was better to keep the harmony in the central pawns. d5 allows black significant blockading opportunities} a5 36. c5 a4 37. Bc4 a3 38. Qb7 $1 $18 {paralyzes black and slowly pushing the central pawns}) 35... Qb6 $6 (35... a5 $1 {black manages to establish a blockade and combine it with counterplay thanks to the passed pawn} 36. Qf2 a4 37. Qh4 Qg8 (37... Kg7 38. Qh6+ Kg8 39. Bxg6 hxg6 40. Qxg6+ Kh8 41. Qh5+ Kg8 $11) 38. d6 g5 39. Qh5 gxf4 40. dxe7 Qg3+ $11 {prepetual check}) 36. h4 (36. Qe3 Qxe3 37. Bxe3 a5 38. Bf4 g5 $1 39. Bg3 h5 40. h4 Kg7 41. d6 Kf8 $1 {the point and black holds this position}) 36... Qd4 $2 (36... a5 $1 {black needed to push the passed pawn!} 37. h5 Qd4 38. Qf3 (38. g3 Kg7 {not easy for white to make progress}) 38... Kg7 39. g3 $1 {black still has practical challenges} Rd8 {only move!!} (39... a4 $2 40. d6 Bxd6 41. h6+ $18 {[%CAl Gf3b7]}) 40. Be3 Qe5 41. h6+ Kf8 42. Qf2 a4 43. Bd4 Qg5 44. Kg2 {and the game continues}) 37. Qe3 Qxe3 38. Bxe3 a5 (38... Bd6+ $2 39. g3 {[%CAl Ge3f4] White just needs to exchange the dark squared bishop and then the pawns roll automatically}) 39. Bf4 $1 (39. c5 $2 Rxc5 $1) 39... a4 $4 {Final mistake} (39... Rd8 $2 40. Bc7 $18) (39... g5 $1 {black still has an amazing defense} 40. hxg5 fxg5 41. Be5+ Kg8 42. d6 Kf8 $1 {the point. And black manages to fight against the central pawns} 43. g3 a4 44. Be4 a3 (44... Rxc4 45. d7 $1 $18 {[%CAl Ge5d6]}) 45. Bd5 a2 46. Kh3 h5 47. d7 g4+ 48. Kg2 Rd8 49. Bd4 Bb4 50. c5 a1=Q 51. Bxa1 Bxc5 52. Bf6 Be7 53. Bd4 Bd6 $11 {the engine manages to continue this variation which seems an impossible task for humans}) (39... Kg7 40. d6 g5 $1 (40... Kf8 $2 41. Bh6+ $1 {very important detail without which black would have good drawing chances}) 41. hxg5 fxg5 42. Be5+ Kf8 {transposes}) 40. d6 a3 (40... Bxd6 41. Bxd6 $18) (40... Re8 41. c5 $18) 41. Bb1 $1 {I had to see this intermediate move from afar. White stops the advance of the a-passed pawn and seals the game with central passed pawns} Re8 (41... Bxd6 42. Bxd6 Rxc4 (42... Ra8 43. e7 {[%CAl Gd6a3] and white takes the pawn on the next move}) (42... Kg7 43. e7 Kf7 44. Bxa3 Rxc4 (44... Ra8 45. Bd6 {[%CAl Gc4c5]}) 45. Ba2 $18) 43. e7 Rc8 44. Ba2 {White takes the a3 pawn and the bishops prevent black's king from coming close to our passed pawn}) 42. c5 {keeping possibility of multiple queens alive} Bd8 (42... Bxd6 43. cxd6 Rxe6 44. d7 $18) 43. Ba2 {A positive end to a rollercoaster game for me. This was definitely a big lesson in conversion, counterplay and defensive resources in chess.} 1-0