[Event ""] [White "Gukesh,Dommaraju"] [Black "Firouzja,Alireza"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Havanur,Nagesh"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2024.04.20"] [WhiteElo "2743"] [BlackElo "2760"] [PlyCount "125"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 {Gukesh avoids the Berlin endgame and opts for middlegame play.} ({Months later the Berlin endgame surfaced in a game between the same opponents.} 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {Gukesh,Dommaraju (2743)-Firouzja,Alireza (2760) 1/2 -1/2 (/ \73 moves), 11th Sinquefield Cup 2024 .} )Bc5 5. O-O ({Not} 5. Nxe5 $6 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe5 $17 )(5. c3 {prevents the knight advance on d4 and prepares d2-d4. Howerver, Black's freeing advance comes first.} O-O 6. O-O d5 ({Vidit Gujrathi surprised the unsuspecting Nakamura with} 6... d6 7. h3 Ne7 8. d4 c6 $5 9. Bd3 Bb6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxh3 $3 {(0-1,.. 29 moves) Nakamura, Hikaru (2789)-Vidit,S (2727 ) Candidates' Tournament 2024} ))Nd4 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. Nd2 (7. c3 Bb6 {is another line.} )c6 (7... O-O {is more usual.} )8. Bc4 d6 9. c3 Bb6 10. Bb3 a5 {In BCM, May 2024 issue Aleksandar Colovic pointed out that this is an idea of Aronian. Among other things it allows the bishop to retreat to a7 in the event of Nc4 and remain on the diagonal a7-g1.} ({Again} 10... O-O {is possible. However, Firouzja is aiming for counterplay on the queenside.} )11. Nc4 Ba7 {The bishop remains on this diagonal to check the White pawn advance, d3-d4. However, it prevents the rook from acting on the a-file.} ({The restrained} 11... Bc7 {is more often played and better. It strengthens the pawn chain d6-e5 and importantly keeps the a-file for use by the rook on a8.} )12. Ne3 {The first new move in this position.} (12. Kh1 b5 (12... a4 13. Bc2 Ng4 $15 )13. Ne3 d5 $11 )(12. a4 {preventing ...b7-b5 advance is an alternative.} )O-O 13. Qf3 d5 14. Bc2 ({Not} 14. exd5 $6 a4 15. Bc2 cxd5 $15 )g6 15. Re1 Be6 {If unchecked, Black can advance with...d5-d4. So White moves first to stop it all.} 16. exd5 cxd5 17. h3 {Preventing...Ng4 ideas so that the knight can mov to f1 freeing the diagonal for the other bishop.} Re8 {Preparing the advance of the e-pawn.} 18. Ba4 e4 19. dxe4 dxe4 20. Qe2 Re7 21. Nf1 {Planning to play Be3 to neutraize his counterpart on a7.} Qc7 {However, Firouzja is on the alert.} 22. Bb3 ({Now} 22. Be3 {is met by} Bc4 23. Qd2 ({Not} 23. Qc2 $2 b5 24. Bb3 Bxf1 25. Rxf1 a4 $19 )Rd8 24. Qc1 Bb8 $17 )a4 23. Bxe6 ({If} 23. Bxa4 $2 Bc4 24. Qc2 Bd3 25. Qd2 Bxf1 26. Rxf1 Bb8 $19 )Rxe6 24. Be3 a3 {Sharpening the play at all costs.} ({ Otherwise} 24... Nd5 {centralizing the knight comes into consideration.} )25. c4 Nh5 $1 {Commencing a kingside attack.} ({The simplifying line} 25... axb2 26. Qxb2 Qxc4 27. Qxb7 Qc6 28. Qb3 Bxe3 29. Nxe3 Nd5 $11 {would not have suited him.} )26. g3 Bc5 {Threatening 27...axb2 and it is easily met.} ({ He could have tried} 26... Bxe3 27. Nxe3 Nxg3 28. fxg3 Qxg3+ 29. Qg2 Qxg2+ 30. Kxg2 axb2 31. Rab1 Rxa2 32. Re2 Rb6 33. Nd5 Rb3 34. Nf6+ Kg7 35. Nxe4 h5 $13 )27. b3 f5 28. Bxc5 Qxc5 29. Rad1 $1 {Centralization is the right way to meet a kingside offensive.} Rf8 ({After the immmediate} 29... f4 30. Qg4 Rf6 31. Re2 $11 {the game is still level.} )30. Rd5 {The point.} Qe7 31. f4 $1 Nf6 32. Rd2 g5 $5 (32... h5 {is the engine's suggestion.} )33. Ne3 (33. fxg5 Nd7 34. Qe3 Ne5 {gives Black counterplay for the sacrifced pawn.} )gxf4 34. gxf4 ({ Not} 34. Nxf5 $2 Qc5+ 35. Nd4 Rd6 36. Red1 e3 37. Rd3 Ne4 $19 )Qf7 35. Kh2 ({Again} 35. Nxf5 $4 {loses to} Nh5 36. Rd6 Rg6+ 37. Rxg6+ Qxg6+ 38. Qg2 Rxf5 $19 )Nh5 36. Qf2 Rg6 37. Rd5 Ng7 38. Red1 Rh6 {Clearing the path for the queen to occupy h5.} 39. Rg1 ({If} 39. Rd7 Qh5 40. Qg2 Rg6 $11 )Rg6 (39... Qh5 {is simply met by} 40. Rg3 )40. Rgd1 Rh6 41. Rg1 Rg6 42. Qh4 Rxg1 43. Kxg1 Kh8 {Firouzja moves the king to a safe corner.This is fine, but not the idea of vacating g8 for the rook.} ({He had an elegant draw with} 43... Qg6+ 44. Kf2 Ne6 45. Rd6 Rf7 ({Colovic gives a similar line,} 45... Kh8 46. Nd5 Qg7 $1 47. Rxe6 Qd4+ 48. Ke2 Qd3+ $11 )46. Nd5 Kh8 47. Ne7 Qg7 48. Rxe6 (48. Nxf5 Qb2+ $11 )Qd4+ $11 )44. Kf2 Rg8 $2 {A passive move.} ({After} 44... Qg6 $1 {followed by 45..Ne6 Black has sufficient counterplay to draw.} )45. Qg5 $2 {Looks obvious and wrong.} ({It was hard to see} 45. Qh6 $1 Qe7 46. Ke2 $1 Qf7 47. Kd2 Re8 (47... Rf8 48. Qd6 $18 )48. Qg5 $18 )Qg6 $4 {A tragic blunder.} (45... Ne6 $1 46. Qxf5 Qg7 47. Qe5 Qxe5 48. Rxe5 (48. fxe5 Rf8+ 49. Ke1 Rf3 )Nxf4 49. Rxe4 Nxh3+ 50. Ke2 Rf8 $11 )46. Qxg6 hxg6 47. Rd6 Re8 { A brave attempt at creating counterplay in a lost position.} ({Passive defence is of no avail.} 47... Kh7 48. Rb6 Rb8 49. Nd5 {followed by 50. Ke3 and White wins.} )({Similarly} 47... Nh5 {loses to} 48. Nd5 {followed by Ke3. In each case White would advance his queenside pawns assisted by the king and the rook. } )48. Rxg6 Ne6 49. Nd5 Nd4 50. Rb6 Nc2 51. Rxb7 Re6 $2 ({He could have created more complications with} 51... e3+ $5 52. Ke2 Re6 ({Or} 52... Nd4+ 53. Kd3 e2 54. Nf6 Re3+ 55. Kxd4 Rxh3 56. Re7 Rh2 57. Kc5 e1=Q 58. Rxe1 Rxa2 $4 59. Rg1 $18 )53. Re7 Rxe7 54. Nxe7 Nb4 55. Kxe3 Nxa2 56. Kd2 Nb4 57. Kc1 ({not} 57. Kc3 $4 Nd3 $1 $19 )Nd3+ 58. Kb1 Nxf4 59. Nxf5 $18 )52. Re7 Rh6 53. c5 Nd4 (53... Rxh3 54. c6 Rf3+ 55. Kg2 $18 )54. Kg2 Rg6+ 55. Kf2 Rh6 56. b4 Rxh3 57. Kg2 Rh6 ({If} 57... Rd3 58. Nf6 Rd2+ 59. Kh3 Rd3+ 60. Kh4 Nf3+ 61. Kh5 $18 { There are no more checks and Black has to give up the knight to prevent 62.Rh7 mate. Much of this analysis emanates from Alexander Grischuik in "64 Chess Review", 06/2024 issue.} )58. Rb7 Kg8 59. b5 Kf8 60. b6 Rg6+ 61. Kf2 Rh6 62. Rc7 Rh2+ 63. Kg3 1-0