[Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [White "Esipenko,Andrey"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa R"] [Site "Agios Georgios Pegeia"] [Round "12.4"] [Annotator "TA"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2026.04.12"] [WhiteElo "2698"] [BlackElo "2741"] [PlyCount "92"] [TimeControl "60"] {[%evp 9,92,9,17,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-12,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-33,-35,-41,-39,-33,-33,-33,-35,-57,-16,-20,-18,-22,-8,-19,-11,-11,-11,-28,-28,-33,-24,-20,-14,-24,-22,-31,-16,-18,-9,-21,-27,-35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-7,-12,-7,0,0,0,-9,0,0,0]} 1. c4 {[%emt 0:0:3]} e6 {[%emt 0:0:42]} 2. g3 {[%emt 0:0:18]} d5 {[%emt 0:0:7]} 3. Bg2 {[%emt 0:0:7]} d4 {[%emt 0:0:42]} 4. Nf3 {[%emt 0:0:22]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:0:11]} 5. O-O {[%emt 0:0:27]} Nh6 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 6. e3 {[%emt 0:0:50] A13: English Opening: 1...e6.} g6 $146 {[%emt 0:0:11]} ({Predecessor:} 6... Be7 7. d3 O-O 8. exd4 Nf5 9. d5 exd5 10. Nc3 dxc4 11. dxc4 Nd6 12. Qe2 Re8 {0-1 Matlakov,M (2673)-Maghsoodloo,P (2719) Budapest Hetenyi Memorial 2023 (4)} )7. b4 {[%emt 0:3:16] [#] Hoping for b5.} dxe3 {[%emt 0:0:26]} 8. Bb2 {[%emt 0:9:35]} exf2+ {[%emt 0:0:11]} 9. Rxf2 {[%emt 0:1:5]} f6 {[%emt 0:0:7]} 10. b5 {[%emt 0:7:53]} Na5 {[%emt 0:0:24]} 11. Qe2 {[%emt 0:6:42]} a6 {[%emt 0:25:55]} 12. Ng5 {[%emt 0:52:24]} Bc5 {[%emt 0:4:56]} 13. Ne4 {[%emt 0:2:19]} ({Reject} 13. Nxe6 $6 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 Bxe6 15. Qxe6+ Qe7 16. Qxe7+ Kxe7 $17 )Bxf2+ {[%emt 0:1:20]} 14. Qxf2 {[%emt 0:0:31]} Ng4 {[%emt 0:2:32]} 15. Nxf6+ {[%emt 0:5:11]} Nxf6 {[%emt 0:2:35]} 16. Bxf6 {[%emt 0:0:8]} Rf8 {[%emt 0:0:10]} 17. Bxd8 {[%emt 0:0:8] A sharp opening A strong pair of Bishops.} Rxf2 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 18. Kxf2 {[%emt 0:1:8]} Kxd8 {[%emt 0:0:7]} 19. Na3 {[%emt 0:0:10]} axb5 {[%emt 0:6:13]} 20. cxb5 {[%emt 0:0:17]} Ra7 {[%emt 0:3:16]} 21. b6 {[%emt 0:8:9]} cxb6 {[%emt 0:1:17]} 22. Nb5 {[%emt 0:0:10]} Ra8 {[%emt 0:5:1]} 23. Nc3 {[%emt 0:2:11]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:4:22]} 24. Rb1 {[%emt 0:0:22]} Kc7 {[%emt 0:0:11]} 25. Rb4 {[%emt 0:0:24]} Rf8+ {[%emt 0:4:32]} 26. Ke3 {[%emt 0:0:30]} Bc6 {[%emt 0:2:13]} 27. Be4 {[%emt 0:0:26]} Kd6 {[%emt 0:7:22]} 28. Bd3 {[%emt 0:1:52]} Kc5 {[%emt 0:2:44]} 29. a3 {[%emt 0:3:17]} e5 {[%emt 0:4:3]} 30. Ne4+ {[%emt 0:2:55]} Bxe4 {[%emt 0:0:28]} 31. Rxe4 $11 {[%emt 0:0:45][%mdl 4096] Endgame KRB-KRN. Black is a pawn up.} Nc6 {[%emt 0:1:0]} 32. a4 {[%emt 0:0:58]} Kd6 {[%emt 0:2:37]} 33. Rc4 {[%emt 0:0:22]} Rd8 {[%emt 0:7:14]} 34. h4 {[%emt 0:1:3]} Rf8 {[%emt 0:4:15]} 35. Rc1 {[%emt 0:0:50]} Nb4 {[%emt 0:4:51]} 36. Be4 {[%emt 0:0:25]} Ra8 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 37. Rf1 {[%emt 0:1:13]} Rxa4 {[%emt 0:4:6]} 38. Rf7 {[%emt 0:0:32] The position is equal.} Ra3+ {[%emt 0:0:9]} 39. d3 {[%emt 0:0:18]} Nc2+ {[%emt 0:1:33]} 40. Kf3 {[%emt 0:0:0]} Nb4 {[%emt 0:0:0]} 41. Rxh7 {[%emt 0:11:33]} Nxd3 {[%emt 0:9:40]} 42. Kg2 {[%emt 0:2:39]} Ra2+ {[%emt 0:3:20]} 43. Kg1 {[%emt 0:4:1]} Ra1+ {[%emt 0:3:32]} 44. Kg2 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Ra2+ {[%emt 0:0:26]} 45. Kg1 {[%emt 0:0:6]} Ra1+ {[%emt 0:0:4]} 46. Kg2 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Ra2+ {[%emt 0:0:4] Weighted Error Value: White=0.04 (flawless) /Black=0.03 (flawless) Inaccurate: White=1 Black=2 OK: White=6 Black=3 Best: White=1 ---} 1/2-1/2