[Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2021.04.19"] [Round "8.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B97"] [WhiteElo "2820"] [BlackElo "2758"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "147"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] {[%evp 0,147,19,38,40,41,66,66,57,33,33,38,58,65,60,33,22,0,0,0,0,-36,-35,-27, -26,-26,-32,-137,-57,-111,-83,-89,-100,-100,-116,-97,-129,-285,-277,-226,-174, -174,-188,-61,-28,-28,-56,-56,-27,2,2,4,0,0,-11,-5,-5,5,59,41,32,39,34,32,61, 68,58,54,54,66,55,41,73,78,91,96,97,93,88,92,148,181,189,193,198,195,196,128, 128,148,157,163,221,229,242,168,235,183,250,251,252,257,257,257,266,257,259, 253,244,246,262,262,262,262,262,262,262,251,248,246,262,246,262,246,262,262, 262,248,252,252,257,257,262,262,262,262,262,262,262,262,262,252,252,246,252, 246,251,231,447,492]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 h6 11. Bh4 dxe5 {B97: Sicilian Najdorf: Poisoned Pawn.} 12. fxe5 Nfd7 {is currently scoring better than 12... g5.} 13. Ne4 $1 Qxa2 {The position is equal.} 14. Rd1 Qd5 15. Qe3 Qxe5 ({ Avoid the trap} 15... Nxe5 $2 16. Nb3 $18) 16. c3 Bc5 {White must now prevent . ..f5.} (16... f5 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 18. Nd6+) 17. Bg3 Qd5 {[#]} 18. Bc4 $146 ({ Predecessor:} 18. Bd6 Bxd6 19. Nb5 Qxd1+ 20. Kxd1 Be5 21. Nbd6+ Ke7 22. Nc4 Rd8 23. Kc2 Bc7 24. Be2 {1-0 (37) Beveridge,C (1963)-Milde,L (2075) ICCF email 2013 }) 18... Qxc4 $17 19. Bd6 {[#] Threatens to win with Bxc5.} Nf6 $1 20. Nxc5 $15 (20. Bxc5 Nxe4) 20... Nd5 21. Qe5 {[#]} Rg8 22. Ndxe6 $1 fxe6 23. Nxe6 Qxc3+ 24. Qxc3 Nxc3 25. Nc7+ {Double Attack} Kf7 26. Rd3 Ne4 {And now ...Ra7 would win.} 27. O-O+ Kg6 {Strongly threatening ...Ra7.} 28. Nxa8 Nc6 (28... Rd8 $11 { remains equal.} 29. Nb6 Bf5) 29. Nb6 $16 Rd8 30. Nxc8 Rxc8 31. Ba3 Rc7 32. Rf4 Nf6 33. Bb2 Ne7 34. Bxf6 gxf6 {Endgame KRR-KRN} 35. h4 h5 36. Rg3+ {White has strong compensation.} Kf7 37. Rg5 Rc1+ 38. Kh2 Ng6 39. Rf2 Nxh4 (39... Kg7 $142 40. Rxh5 Ne5) 40. Rxh5 Ng6 41. Rh7+ Ke6 42. Rxb7 {Rb6+ is the strong threat.} Ne5 {Threatening ...Ng4+.} 43. Rb6+ Rc6 44. Rxc6+ Nxc6 $18 {KR-KN} 45. Kg3 Kf7 46. Rc2 Nb4 47. Rd2 Nc6 48. Kf4 Kg6 49. Rd6 Ne5 50. Rxa6 Nf7 51. Ke4 Nh6 52. Ra5 Nf7 53. Ra3 {aiming for Rg3+.} Nd6+ 54. Kf4 Nf5 55. Rd3 Nh6 $2 (55... Ne7 56. Ra3 Nc6 57. Rg3+ Kf7) (55... Ng7 {[%csl Gf5,Gh5]}) 56. Rg3+ Kf7 57. Ke4 Ng8 58. Kf5 $2 (58. Rb3 Ne7 59. Ra3) 58... Ne7+ 59. Kf4 Nd5+ 60. Kg4 Kg6 61. Kf3+ Kf7 62. Ke4 Ne7 $2 (62... Nc7 63. Rc3 Ne8) 63. Kf4 $2 (63. Rc3 $18 {has better winning chances.} Ke6 64. Ra3) 63... Nd5+ $1 $16 64. Kf5 Ne7+ 65. Ke4 $2 (65. Kg4) 65... Ng8 $1 $18 66. Rh3 $2 (66. Ra3 Ne7 67. Ra7) 66... Kg6 67. Ra3 Kf7 $2 (67... Ne7 68. Rd3 Nc6) 68. Kf4 Nh6 69. Rg3 Ng8 {[#]} 70. Kg4 $1 Ne7 71. Kh5 Nd5 72. Rf3 Ke6 73. g4 Ke5 74. Kg6 {Weighted Error Value: White=0.21/Black=0.09 } 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2021.04.21"] [Round "10.3"] [White "Wang, Hao"] [Black "Grischuk, Alexander"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2763"] [BlackElo "2777"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "82"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 {7.Nf3 is more fashionable.} Be7 8. Nf3 f6 {C11: French: Classical System: 4 e5 and 4 Bg5 dxe4.} 9. Be3 O-O 10. g3 Qb6 {The position is equal.} 11. Qd2 {[#]} cxd4 $146 ({Predecessor:} 11... Kh8 12. Bg2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Bb4 14. Nc3 Qa6 15. Kf2 fxe5 16. fxe5 Ndxe5 17. dxe5 Nxe5 {1/2-1/2 (53) Fedoseev,V (2667)-Morozevich,A (2676) Moscow 2016}) 12. Nfxd4 Nc5 13. exf6 $1 Bxf6 {Hoping for ...Qxb2!} 14. Nb3 Ne4 15. Qd3 Qc7 16. Bg2 Nd6 17. Bf2 Nc4 18. Qc2 Ne7 19. O-O e5 20. fxe5 $1 Bf5 21. exf6 ({White should play} 21. Qc1 $14 Qxe5 22. Nf4) 21... Bxc2 $11 22. fxe7 Rfe8 {Strongly threatening ...Be4.} 23. Nf4 Nb6 ({Wrong is} 23... Rxe7 $2 24. Nxd5 Qe5 25. Nxe7+ Qxe7 26. Bd5+ Kh8 27. Bxc4 $18) 24. Nxd5 (24. Bd4 $11) 24... Nxd5 $17 25. Bxd5+ Kh8 26. Nd4 {[#]} Qd7 $1 27. c4 {[#]} (27. Bc4 $142 Be4 28. Be6) 27... Bg6 (27... Bd3 $142 $1 28. Rfd1 Bg6) 28. Ne6 Rxe7 29. Rae1 Bf7 30. Nxg7 Bxd5 (30... Rxe1 $17 31. Bxe1 Kxg7 32. Bxf7 Qxf7 33. Rxf7+ Kxf7) 31. Rxe7 $1 $11 Qxe7 32. Nf5 Qf8 (32... Qe4 $5 33. Bd4+ Qxd4+ 34. Nxd4 Bxc4 $14 ) 33. Bd4+ Kg8 34. cxd5 {Threatens to win with d6.} h5 (34... h6 $1 $14) 35. d6 $16 {White has strong compensation.} Kh7 (35... Qe8 $142) 36. Ne7 Qe8 37. Rf6 ( 37. b3 {is interesting.} b6 38. Bc3 a5 39. Rf5 Rd8 40. Be5) 37... Rd8 38. Bc3 { [#]} Rxd6 $1 {Remove Defender. Black has an edge.} 39. Rxd6 Qxe7 40. Rd4 Kg6 41. a3 Qe3+ {Weighted Error Value: White=0.15/Black=0.24} 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2021.04.23"] [Round "11.4"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C85"] [WhiteElo "2776"] [BlackElo "2791"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] {[%evp 0,57,41,11,11,40,14,25,28,3,4,3,19,-1,5,5,5,9,-2,-5,-7,-12,-7,-18,21,10, 19,-3,14,14,21,-2,29,13,37,36,34,43,43,-56,63,37,61,92,86,83,92,-83,-42,37,59, 168,124,197,49,100,163,290,559,709]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 Bd6 8. Nbd2 Be6 {[#] C85: Closed Ruy Lopez: Deferred Exchange Variation.} 9. Nb3 $146 ({Predecessor:} 9. b3 Nd7 10. a4 a5 11. Nc4 Bxc4 12. bxc4 O-O 13. Rb1 Re8 14. c3 b6 15. Bg5 Be7 16. Be3 {1-0 (39) Le,Q (2694)-Jones,G (2709) Saint Louis 2019}) 9... Qe7 10. Na5 O-O-O {The position is equal.} 11. Qe2 Bg4 12. c3 c5 13. a3 c6 14. b4 Bc7 15. Nb3 Nd7 16. h3 Bh5 17. Be3 f5 18. Bxc5 Qf7 19. Rab1 ({White should try} 19. Nbd2 $11) 19... g5 20. exf5 g4 (20... Qxf5 $15 21. Qe4 Qxe4 22. dxe4 Nxc5 23. Nxc5 Bxf3 24. gxf3 b6 25. Nxa6 Rhf8) 21. Ng5 $1 $14 Qxf5 22. h4 b6 {[#]} ({Black should play } 22... Rhe8) 23. Ne4 $1 bxc5 (23... g3 $1 $14 24. Qb2 gxf2+ 25. Rxf2 (25. Qxf2 Qxf2+ 26. Bxf2 Be2 $15) 25... Qe6) 24. bxc5 $16 {Threatens to win with Na5!} Nf6 {[#] White must now prevent ...g3.} (24... Rhg8 25. Na5 Qe6 26. Qb2 Nb8 27. Qb7+ Kd7 28. Nc4 Qe7) 25. Nd6+ $1 Bxd6 26. cxd6 Rxd6 27. d4 {Discovered Attack} c5 $2 (27... Kd8 28. Qxa6 Ke7) 28. Nxc5 $18 Re8 29. Qc4 {Weighted Error Value: White=0.13/ Black=0.27} 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2021.04.26"] [Round "13.4"] [White "Grischuk, Alexander"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2776"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "101"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 c5 7. Bxb4 cxb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Nbd2 d6 10. Qb3 a5 11. a3 Na6 12. Rfd1 {E16: Queen's Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Bb4+.} Qe7 13. Ne1 Bxg2 {[#]} 14. Kxg2 $5 $146 {White has an edge. An interesting novelty.} ({Predecessor:} 14. Nxg2 e5 15. Nf3 e4 16. Nfh4 Qd7 17. Ne3 Rfc8 18. Rac1 g6 19. Nhg2 b5 20. Nf4 a4 21. Qa2 bxc4 22. Nxc4 {0-1 (62) Reis,C (2408)-Dieguez Vera,C (2466) ICCF email 2013}) 14... h5 15. Nc2 bxa3 16. bxa3 ({Don't play} 16. Qxb6 Rfb8 $15) 16... Rab8 17. e4 e5 18. Qd3 Nc7 19. Rab1 Ne6 20. Rb5 Rfe8 (20... h4 $5) 21. h4 g6 22. f3 Nd7 23. Nf1 exd4 24. Nxd4 Ne5 25. Qe2 Nxd4 26. Rxd4 Nc6 27. Rd1 Qe6 28. Ne3 Ne7 29. Qd2 f5 $2 {[#] Black cannot hold the game after this.} (29... Nc6 $16 {was worth a try.} 30. Qxd6 Red8 31. Qxe6 fxe6) 30. Qxd6 Nc6 $2 (30... Qxd6 31. Rxd6 fxe4 32. fxe4 Kf7) 31. exf5 gxf5 32. Qxe6+ Rxe6 33. Nxf5 Ne5 34. Rd6 Ree8 35. Rd4 Nc6 36. Rd2 Rbd8 37. Rxd8 Rxd8 38. Rd5 {[#] aiming for Ne7+!} Rxd5 39. cxd5 $18 {Endgame KN-KN. White is clearly winning.} Ne5 40. Nd6 Kf8 (40... Nd7 $142 41. Ne4 b5) 41. Kf2 Ke7 42. Nb5 Kf6 43. Ke3 Kf5 44. Nd6+ Kf6 45. Ke4 Nd7 46. Kd4 Ke7 47. Nb5 Kf6 48. Nc3 Kf5 49. Ne4 Kg6 50. g4 b5 51. Nc5 {Weighted Error Value: White=0.14/ Black=0.36} 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2020.03.18"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Alekseenko, Kirill"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2842"] [BlackElo "2698"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 dxe4 {E20: Nimzo-Indian: 4 g3 and 4 f3.} 7. fxe4 c5 {now scores much better than the old 7...e5. Played by Viswanathan Anand in January 2020.} 8. d5 exd5 {The position is equal.} 9. exd5 O-O 10. Be2 Re8 11. Nf3 Bg4 12. O-O Nbd7 {[#]} 13. d6 $146 ({Predecessor: } 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 Bd6 15. Qc2 Qb8 16. Kh1 Bh5 17. Nb5 Bf4 18. d6 Bxd6 19. Nxd6 Qxd6 {0-1 (55) Lombaers,P (2383)-Schoppen,C (2489) Leiden 2020}) 13... Bf8 14. h3 Bh5 15. Nb5 Re6 16. Bf4 a6 (16... Re4 $14 17. Bh2 a6) 17. Nc7 $16 { [#] Double Attack} Re4 18. Bh2 Rc8 19. g4 Bxg4 20. hxg4 Nxg4 21. Bd3 Nxh2 22. Bxe4 Nxf1 23. Qxf1 Bxd6 (23... Nf6 $14 24. Re1 (24. Bxb7 Rb8 $17) 24... Qxd6) 24. Nd5 g6 25. Qh3 {Strongly threatening Qxd7!} Kg7 26. Kh1 $40 {Threatens to win with Bf5! Black is in trouble.} Ne5 27. Nh4 {aiming for Nf5+!} h5 $2 { Loses the game.} (27... Rc6 $16) 28. Rg1 $18 Bf8 $2 (28... Rc6 29. Nf4 Ng4 30. Nxh5+ {Deflection} gxh5 31. Nf5+ {Discovered Attack} Kf8 32. Rxg4 Be5 33. Bxc6 (33. Qxh5 $2 Qd1+ 34. Kg2 Qe2+ {Double Attack} 35. Kg1 Rg6 $19) 33... hxg4 34. Qh6+ Kg8) 29. Nf4 {Black must now prevent Nhxg6!White is clearly winning.} Ng4 {[#]} 30. Nxh5+ $1 gxh5 31. Bf5 Be7 32. Bxg4 hxg4 33. Qxg4+ Bg5 34. Qh5 { Accuracy: White = 93%, Black = 58%.} 1-0