[Event "FIDE Grand Swiss"] [White "Sindarov,Javokhir"] [Black "Vidit,Santosh Gujrathi"] [Site "Douglas"] [Round "7"] [Annotator "Giri,Anish"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2023.11.01"] [WhiteElo "2658"] [BlackElo "2716"] [PlyCount "114"] {[%evp 0,114,58,32,56,31,42,15,43,26,26,33,42,0,2,1,7,-14,17,38,34,23,61,2,21,18,18,12,40,16,29,26,41,26,21,24,80,62,48,44,35,19,19,1,7,8,8,-71,-6,-153,-89,-157,-157,-157,-152,-177,-332,-332,-330,-376,-317,-317,-279,-303,-329,-311,-147,-169,-164,-164,-167,-173,-173,-173,-167,-169,-175,-183,-179,-189,-189,-205,-224,-233,-184,-233,-208,-194,-204,-212,-212,-204,-243,-225,-282,-237,-170,-202,-170,-223,-186,-186,-186,-225,-226,-226,-180,-283,-241,-370,-300,-332,-340,-348,-359,-364,-423]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. c3 Bb6 {There are all sorts of Italian move orders and this is one of the more weird looking ones. There isn't a way White can quite punish Black for delaying the development of the g8 knight, it seems.} 6. O-O Nf6 7. a4 a5 8. Be3 {This pawn structure always guarantees a somewhat unforced slow game, though with the semi-open f-file White is often looking for attacking chances and complications down the road.} Bxe3 9. fxe3 O-O 10. Nbd2 Ne7 {The knight is rerouting towards g6, and the d5 break is being prepared.} 11. Nh4 {A typical response, before Black is in time with Ng6.} d5 {Another ambitious approach is to prepare d5 with c6, but I imagine, you don't want to tempt a player as sharp as Sindarov to sacrifice the exchange on f6.} 12. exd5 Nexd5 {This is a very complicated pawn structure. Black has freed himself in the center and has soundly placed pieces, but with the semi-open f-file and pressure along the a2-g8 diagonal, White has some potential for the kingside initiative.} 13. Qf3 Nb6 14. e4 Qd6 {Both sides are playing sensible moves here.} 15. Qe2 Bg4 16. Nhf3 Rad8 17. h3 Bh5 {Interesting idea, inviting g4, which could also backfire. } 18. g4 {It is always hard to tell, whether this weakening is worth shutting down the h5 bishop. Often the situation is dynamically balanced and the side that plays better is proven right. The stakes are high.} (18. Qe3 $5 {Less commital way was very possible as well.} )Bg6 19. Rfd1 Nfd7 {Vidit starts shuffling.} 20. Bb3 Nc5 21. Nc4 Qf6 22. Ba2 Rfe8 {The tension is very high in the position and now Sindarov goes wrong.} 23. Kg2 $2 {The king ends up vulnerable to tactical ideas here. White had to calculate the variations precisely at this point, as this mistake basically costs him the game already. I told you the stakes were high.} (23. Rd2 $5 {This somewhat consolidating move would keep the dynamic balance. Now in the same variation down the road, the tactics no longer win for Black.} Nbxa4 24. h4 Qf4 25. Ncxe5 Rxe5 26. Nxe5 Qxe5 27. h5 {Now Black has enough for equality after 27...Bxe4! but no more. The game continuation of 27...Rxd3 is no longer possible, as Bxe4 later does not come with check.} Bxe4 28. dxe4 Qg3+ {and the mess continues, but the assesment is that of a dynamic equality, apparently.} )Nbxa4 $1 {Vidit is going for it, having calculated it all precisely.} 24. h4 {Forcing Black's hand.} Qf4 $1 25. Ncxe5 Rxe5 26. Nxe5 Qxe5 27. h5 {Probably Sindarov had seen this far, but missed the final touch.} Rxd3 $1 {A neat tactic that is a lot easier to calculate from upclose than from a far. There are many things that Sindarov could have missed - 28.Rxd3 Nxd3! threatens Nf4+, while 28.hxg6 Qg3+ 29.Kh2 Qh3+! (though hxg6 is also better for Black) 30.Qh2 Qf3+! wins on the spot as well.} 28. Bxf7+ {This is already desperate. The rest of the game is frankly just conversion, as essentialy the result is already decided. Black is just up material.} (28. Rxd3 Nxd3 $1 {[%cal Gd3f4]} )(28. hxg6 Qg3+ 29. Kh1 Qh3+ 30. Qh2 Qf3+ $1 )Kf8 $5 {The strongest, though not the only way at this point.} 29. Rxd3 Nxd3 30. Qe3 Qxe4+ {Vidit chooses the most secure way to bring the point home. The game drags on, but the result is never in doubt.} 31. Qxe4 Bxe4+ 32. Kg3 Kxf7 33. Rxa4 Bc6 34. Rxa5 Nxb2 {It is not even close, though Sindarov does fight and makes it look closer than you would expect.} 35. Rf5+ Ke7 36. Re5+ Kf7 37. Rf5+ Kg8 38. Re5 Na4 39. c4 Nb6 40. g5 Kf7 41. Rf5+ Ke7 42. Re5+ Kd8 43. Rf5 Ke7 44. Re5+ Kd6 45. Rf5 Ke6 46. Rf8 Nxc4 47. Rh8 Nd6 {White has been very persistent in trying to drum up some counterplay and so here Vidit decides to give in a little bit and give up one of the kingside pawns, correctly judging that this is the cleanest way to win, as his own passers are way more effective.} 48. Rxh7 Be4 49. g6 b5 50. Kf4 b4 51. Rh8 b3 52. Rb8 Bd5 53. Ke3 b2 {The final touch, hinting at the knight fork.} 54. h6 gxh6 55. Kd4 Nf5+ 56. Kc5 c6 57. Rxb2 Kf6 {It took a long time, but the win was never in doubt and the final position is still winning for Black with a massive margin.} 0-1