[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2023.08.09"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Sarana, Alexey"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "2769"]
[BlackElo "2685"]
[Annotator "TA"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2023.??.??"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
{[%evp 11,68,35,44,22,22,14,22,5,12,0,1,0,-5,-18,-16,-7,-16,-17,-20,-27,0,-50,
-29,-48,-51,-50,-38,-20,-28,-60,-49,-89,-112,-122,-122,-214,-221,-186,0,-4,0,
-23,0,-254,-253,-227,-195,-599,-433,-947,-950,-951,-914,-1244,-1112,-6039,
-5788,-6039,-6039] There comes a time when playing white was more dominant
than handling the black pieces. Such players like World Champion Vladimir
Kramnik when he handled the white pieces using 1. Nf3 always has a 65/35
chance of winning. Nowadays, black is equally dominant, surely the level of
chess opening research has been done. We witness how Queen's Gambit Declined:
Exchange Variation becoming one of the best chess openings in handling 1. d4.
Let's find out.} 1. c4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 2. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:
00]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 3. d4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 4. cxd5 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} exd5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 5. Bg5 {[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl Yc1g5,Yg5f4,
Yf4d6][%mdl 32]} Bb4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 6. e3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} h6 {[%emt 0:00:00]
} 7. Bf4 {[%emt 0:00:00] D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation.} O-O
{[%emt 0:00:00]} 8. Bd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 9. dxc5 {[%emt 0:
00:00] THE ASSIGNMENT: Developing the knight at c6 is much more important than
taking the pawn at c5 at the moment.} Nc6 $146 {[%emt 0:00:00]} ({Predecessor:
} 9... Bxc5 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. O-O a6 12. Rc1 Ba7 13. Ne2 Ne4 14. Ne5 Qf6 15. Nxc6
bxc6 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Qc2 Be6 18. Ng3 Bd5 19. Nxe4 Qg6 {1-0 Raja,R (2491)
-Unat,C (2256) TUR-chT Ankara 2022 (9.4)}) 10. Bd6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Re8 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} 11. Nge2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} b6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 12. Bb5 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} (12. Bg3 {simplifies} Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 bxc5 14. Rb1) 12... Bb7 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} 13. a3 $132 {[%emt 0:00:00][%mdl 2048] White is not keeping still} Bxc5
{[%emt 0:00:00]} 14. Bxc5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} bxc5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 15. O-O {
[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl Yb2b4]} Qd6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (15... Qc7 $5 {[%CAl Re8d8]})
16. Rc1 {[%emt 0:00:00]} ({White should play} 16. b4 $11) 16... a6 $1 $15 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} 17. Bd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 18. Na4 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} Nxd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 19. Qxd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Rac8 {[%emt 0:00:00]
[%CAl Yd5d4] And now ...d4! would win.} 20. Qb3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Ba8 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} 21. Ng3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} d4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 22. exd4 {[%emt 0:00:00]}
cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:00] aiming for ...Rxc1.} 23. Qd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (23. Rxc8
$17 {is a better defense.} Rxc8 24. Rd1) 23... Rxc1 $19 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (23...
Qd5 24. f3 Rxc1 25. Rxc1 $17) 24. Rxc1 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Ng4 $2 {[%emt 0:00:00]}
(24... Nd7 $19 {...Ne5 would be deadly.} 25. b4 Ne5) 25. Qf5 $1 $11 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl Yg4f6,Yf6h5,Yh5f4][%mdl 32] Hoping for ...d3.}
26. Nc5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} h5 {[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl Yh6h5,Yh5h4,Yh4h3,Yh3g2][%mdl
32]} 27. b4 $2 {[%emt 0:00:00][%mdl 8192]} (27. Nxh5 $2 {perishes.} Nxh5 28.
Qxh5 Re5 $19) (27. Qg5 $11 {and White stays safe.}) 27... h4 $19 {[%emt 0:00:
00]} 28. Nf1 {[%emt 0:00:00]} ({Don't play} 28. Nh5 Nxh5 29. Qxh5 d3 30. Nxd3
Qxd3) 28... g6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 29. Qd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (29. Qg5 h3 30. Qg3
Qxg3 31. hxg3 Bxg2 32. Nd3) 29... Nh5 {[%emt 0:00:00] White must now prevent ..
.Nf4. Black is clearly winning.} 30. Qxa6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (30. g3 $142 hxg3
31. hxg3) 30... Qxa6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 31. Nxa6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf4 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} 32. Nc7 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} h3 $1 {[%emt 0:00:00] ( -> ...Ne2+)} 33.
Ng3 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} (33. Ne3 Ne2+) 33... hxg2 $1 {[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl
Rf4h3]} 34. Nxa8 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (34. h3 Rc8) 34... d3 {[%emt 0:00:00]
Fantastic win by Super GM Alexey Sarana of Serbia. His slow yet effective
attack at white's kingside following a mating threat is amazingly clever.
Never underestimate the power of imagination as it is shown in this game.
Congratulations!!! Super GM Sarana.} (34... Rxa8 $2 {loses.} 35. Rd1 Re8 36. h4
$19) 0-1