[Event "World Championship Candidates 2020/21"] [Site "Yekaterinburg RUS"] [Date "2021.04.23"] [Round "11"] [White "Alexander Grischuk"] [Black "Maxime Vachier-Lagrave"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B23"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2767"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "95"] [EventDate "2020.03.15"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.03.01"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 {A rare line but Grischuk's offbeat lines are always well researched and tricky} cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2 {This move had only been played twice before 2018. White's intention is clear: he will play b3, Bb2 and 0-0-0 and attack on the kingside. In practice White has scored well from here.} (5. Bb5 {Was more common before 2018}) 5... g6 6. b3 Bh6 7. f4 Nf6 8. Bb2 e5 { this position had been reached only 33 times prevoiusly and 9.g3 was played in every case.} 9. Nge2 {Grischuck's novelty. He played it quickly so it was obviously part of his preparation. It is not clear that it is any better than 9.g3 but it at least tests his opponent in a slightly different way.} O-O 10. O-O-O Be6 11. Kb1 a5 12. a4 Qb6 13. h4 {Grischuk took nearly 30 minutes over this move, so the game has begun in earnest.} Rac8 14. h5 Nxh5 15. g3 Nb4 16. Bh3 Bxh3 17. Rxh3 Bg7 $16 (17... Rc7 18. g4 Bxf4 19. Qe1 Ng7 20. Nxf4 exf4 21. Qh1 $18) (17... Qf2 $1 $11 {this prevents the immediate g4} 18. Rdh1 (18. Qxd6 $2 Rxc3 19. Nxc3 Qxc2+ $19 20. Ka1 Bg7 $1 {and Black will play Qxb3 with an attack that nets him a material advantage} (20... Qxb3 {immediately is only good enough for a draw})) 18... Bg7 19. g4 Nf6 $11 {according to engines though the position remains very complicated}) 18. g4 Nf6 (18... Nxf4 {was another option but also seems to leave White with an advantage} 19. Nxf4 exf4 20. Qxf4 h6 $1 (20... Rc7 21. Rdh1 Be5 22. Rxh7 Qd4 (22... Bxf4 23. Rh8+ Kg7 24. Nd5+ Be5 25. R1h7#) 23. Qh6 Rfc8 24. Nd1 $18) 21. Nd5 {Natural and leads to a better endgame} (21. Rdh1 {looks scary but Black can defend} Rfe8 22. Rxh6 Rxc3 23. Qh2 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Qd4 $11) (21. Rc1 {May be the best option} Qd4 ( 21... g5 22. Qf5 Rfe8 23. Nd5 Nxd5 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Rxh6 $18) 22. Nd1 g5 23. Qh2 Rxc2 {forced} 24. Bxd4 (24. Qxc2 $2 Nxc2) (24. Rxc2 $2 Qxd1+) 24... Rxh2 25. Rxh2 Bxd4 26. Rxh6 $16 {White is an exchange for a pawn up but the position is quite ragged and it is difficult to accurately assess his winning chances.}) 21... Nxd5 22. exd5 $16 Qb4 23. c4 Rce8 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Qxh6+ Kf6 26. Qh4+ g5 27. Rf3+ Ke7 28. Qxg5+ Kd7 29. Qd2 f6 30. Qxb4 axb4 $16 {though Black retains drawing chances}) 19. g5 Nh5 (19... Ng4 {was the alternative and seemingly an improvement. It is fearsomely complicated but it appears White emerges with an advantage.} 20. Rf1 (20. Rdh1 $2 Nf2 21. Rxh7 Nxh1 22. Rxh1 Qf2 $1 $17 {this annoying move again holds up White's attack}) 20... Nf2 (20... Rfd8) 21. Rf3 Ng4 (21... Nxe4 22. Nxe4 Rxc2 23. Qd1 $1 (23. Qxc2 Nxc2 24. Kxc2 Qb4 25. N4c3 e4 26. Rh3 b5 {and despite White's material advantage his king cannot find safety}) 23... Qc6 24. Nf6+ Bxf6 25. gxf6)) 20. f5 Rfd8 21. f6 $18 {Judit Polgar and Tania Sachdev commentating were surprised by this move, expecting Grischuk to want to want to keep the option of fxg6 to open lines. However, Grischuk intends a straightforward attack down the h-file and whilst there were other ways of winning his judgement was good - this should lead to victory. And as another GM pointed out, if White can establish a blockade on d5 then the resulting endings will be won because the bishop on f8 will be dead and White will effectively be a piece up.} Bf8 22. Ng3 d5 $1 {The best practical chance} (22... Nxg3 23. Rxg3 h5 24. gxh6 Kh7 25. Nd5 Nxd5 26. exd5 $18 {and White has a simple but very effective plan - play Bc1, triple on the g-file, sac on g6 and mate!}) (22... Nf4 23. Rxh7 $18) 23. exd5 Nxg3 24. Rxg3 h5 25. Qe2 (25. gxh6 $18 {is the engines' choice but Grischuk's choice is good enough if followed up correctly}) 25... Rc5 26. Rh3 (26. Qe4 $18) 26... Nxd5 27. Nxd5 Rcxd5 28. Rdh1 Qd6 29. Ka2 Rd1 30. Rxh5 gxh5 31. Rxh5 {It is hard to criticise this move as at first sight it leads to an easy win for White with mate down the h-file. However, Vachier-Lagrave has seen a fantastic defence.} ( 31. Rh3 $1 {preserving the rook for the attack and with a difficult to threat of Qxh5 followed by mate - in fact Black must give back the rook} Ra1+ 32. Bxa1 Qd1 33. Qxd1 Rxd1 34. Bxe5 Rd5 35. Bf4 Rd4 36. Be3 Re4 37. Kb2 Bb4 38. Bb6 h4 39. Bf2 $18 {should be won}) 31... Rd4 $3 {the only move} 32. Rh1 (32. Bxd4 Qa3+ 33. Kb1 Rxd4 $11 34. Rh1 Rxa4 35. bxa4 Qb4+ 36. Kc1 Qf4+ {with perpetual e.g.} 37. Kd1 (37. Qd2 $2 Ba3+ 38. Kd1 Qf3+ $19) 37... Qd4+ 38. Qd2 Qa1+ 39. Qc1 Qd4+) (32. Qh2 {(the original threat)} Rxa4+ $1 33. bxa4 Qe6+ 34. Kb1 Rd1+ 35. Bc1 Qb6+ {and Black has a perpetual}) 32... Rxa4+ 33. Kb1 (33. bxa4 $4 Qd5+ $19 {picking up the loose rook}) 33... Qd5 34. Qh5 Qxh1+ 35. Qxh1 Rg4 36. Bxe5 {Vachier-Lagrave has defended superbly to reach this position but now makes a careless error that once again leaves him worse and probably technically lost} Rxg5 $2 {In the press conference Vachier-Lagrave explained that he had simply missed Qxb7 in reply to this. He understandably bemoaned that he had seen 31... Rd4 and then missed this simple tactic and later in the game 42...Ba3+} (36... Re8 37. Bc3 b6 {should hold}) 37. Qxb7 Rd2 (37... Rxe5 $2 38. Qg2+ Kh7 39. Qh2+ Kg6 40. Qxe5 $18) 38. Bc3 {natural to round up the a-pawn} (38. Bf4 {also led to a forced win, albeit a very tricky one} Rg1+ (38... Rd1+ 39. Kb2 Rdd5) 39. Kb2 Re2 40. Qa8 Rgg2 {Black has saved his rooks and come close to setting up a perpetual but!} 41. Kc3 $1 Rxc2+ 42. Kd3 {now White intends Bh6} Rb2 (42... Rcf2 43. Bh6 Rg3+ 44. Kd4 Rxf6 45. Bxf8 Kh7 46. Qe4+) 43. Bh6 Rxb3+ 44. Ke4 $1 {the only move to win} (44. Kc4 Rb4+ 45. Kd5 (45. Kd3 Rg3+ 46. Ke2 Rb2+ 47. Kf1 Rbb3 48. Qxf8+ Kh7 49. Bd2 (49. Kf2 Rbf3+ 50. Ke2 Rxf6) 49... Rgf3+ 50. Ke2 Rxf6 {is presumably drawn}) 45... Rg5+ $1 46. Bxg5 (46. Kc6 $2 Rc5+ $19 47. Kd7 Rd4+ 48. Ke8 Re5#) 46... Rb5+ 47. Ke4 Rxg5 $11) 44... Rb4+ 45. Kf3 Rg6 46. Qxf8+ Kh7 47. Bg7 Rb3+ {now White takes his king to a6 to shelter from checks} 48. Ke4 Rb4+ (48... Rgg3) 49. Kd5 Rg5+ 50. Kc6 Kg6 (50... Rc4+ 51. Kb7 Kg6 52. Qg8 Rgg4 53. Bh8+ Kf5 54. Qxf7) 51. Qg8 Rc4+ 52. Kb6 Rb4+ 53. Ka6 {finally White is threatening to win the f7 pawn with Bh8+ and to win the exchange with Bf8. Black cannot cope with both} Rgb5 (53... Rh5 54. Bf8+ Kxf6 55. Qg7+ Ke6 56. Bxb4 axb4 57. Qg4+ Rf5 $18) (53... Rb3 54. Bh8+ Kh6 55. Qxf7 $18) 54. Bf8+ (54. Bh8+ Kf5 55. Qxf7 Rb8 56. Ka7) 54... Kxf6 55. Bxb4 Rxb4 56. Kxa5 $18 { a few endgames with Q vs R+P are drawn but this is not one of them}) 38... Re2 (38... Rd1+ 39. Kb2 Rdd5 {was a tougher defence but probably also loses}) 39. Qc8 Rg1+ 40. Kb2 Rgg2 41. Bxa5 Rxc2+ 42. Qxc2 Rxc2+ (42... Ba3+ {would have been more logical as it saves a tempo, releasing the Black king to reach the queenside one move sooner but in fact it is still lost. If the Black king can reach b7 he can hold but White can prevent this.} 43. Kb1 (43. Kxa3 Rxc2 $11) 43... Rxc2 44. Kxc2 Kf8 45. Kc3 Ke8 46. Bb4 {Essential to ensure the f6 pawn can be defended} Bc1 47. Kc4 Kd7 48. Kb5 Kc7 49. Ka6 {and White can force the pawn through e.g.} Be3 50. Bc3 Bf2 (50... Bf4 51. b4 Bg3 52. b5 Bf4 53. b6+ Kb8 54. b7 Bg3 55. Bd4) 51. b4 Be3 52. Be5+ Kc8 53. b5) 43. Kxc2 Kh7 44. Kd3 Kg6 45. Bc3 Kf5 46. Kc4 Ke6 47. b4 Bd6 48. b5 1-0