[Event "chess.com Speed"]
[Site "Chess.com INT"]
[Date "2019.11.19"]
[Round "2.23"]
[White "Vachier Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Black "So, Wesley"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C52"]
[WhiteElo "2774"]
[BlackElo "2767"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]
{Both Super GMs are speed players. For sure, GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave chose
the Evan's Gambit suits his aggressive style against the solid playing GM
Wesley So.} 1. e4 e5 {The 1. e5 opening is now trending, used by Super GMs
Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So and more.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 (2... Nf6 {
The Petroff Defense soon will be our next topic.}) 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 {The
famous "Evan's Gambit". If you are not prepared to play this opening, it is
difficult to defend white from continuous attack because, if the bishop takes
the b4 pawn, therefore it loses a tempo.} Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 ({IF} 5... Be7 6. Qb3
Nh6 7. Qc2 Ng4 8. O-O d6 9. d4 O-O 10. Ba3 Nf6 11. Nbd2) 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O Nge7
({IF} 7... dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. Bg5 Qg6 10. Nxc3 Bxc3 11. Qxc3 Nf6 12. e5 Ne4 13.
Qe3 Nxg5 14. Nxg5 Nd8 15. Rac1) 8. cxd4 d6 9. Ng5 d5 ({IF} 9... O-O 10. Qh5 h6
11. Nxf7) 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxf7 {Fantastic move...} Kxf7 12. Qf3+ Qf6 13.
Bxd5+ Ke7 ({IF} 13... Be6 14. Bxe6+ Kxe6 15. d5+) 14. Qe4+ Kd8 15. Be3 ({IF}
15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Nd2 Bc3 17. Nf3 Bf5 18. Qe2 Bg4 19. Qc2) 15... Bf5 16. Qf3
Bb6 17. Nc3 Bg6 ({IF} 17... Nxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxd4 19. Rad1 c5 20. Nb5 Bd7 21.
Qxf6+ gxf6 22. Nxd4 cxd4 23. Rxd4) 18. Qg3 Qd6 19. Bf4 Qd7 {The black king is
not safe while the rook at a8 is immobile.} 20. Rfe1 {Limiting the movement of
the black king while teasing black to take the d4 pawn.} Nxd4 {No guts, No
glory...} 21. Rad1 Re8 22. Rxe8+ Qxe8 23. Be5 {GM Wesley So now feeling the
pressure because white's pieces are concentrating towards the black king.} c6
24. Bc4 Qd7 {Unbelievable position. The lady is protecting the lazy black king.
} 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Qh4+ {Nice combination by Super GM Vachier Lagrave.} Bf6
27. Rxd7+ Kxd7 {I think this is a resignable position. But let's see why Super
GM Wesley So chose to continue playing.} 28. Qh3+ Kc7 29. Qg3+ Kb6 30. Na4+ Ka5
31. Nc5 b5 32. Qa3+ Kb6 33. Nd7+ Kc7 34. Nxf6 gxf6 35. Qa5+ Kb7 36. Bxb5 {
Nice sacrifice to simplify the position. Soon the f6 pawn will be another pawn
to fall. White's kingside pawns will be the deciding factor for black to
eventually resign.} cxb5 37. Qxb5+ Kc7 38. Qc5+ Kb7 39. Qd5+ Kb8 40. Qc6 a5 ({
IF} 40... f5 41. h4 a6 42. Qb6+ Kc8 43. g4 fxg4 44. Qc6+ Kb8 45. h5 Bxh5 46.
Qb6+ Kc8 47. Qc5+ Kb8 48. Qxh5) 41. Qxf6 Ra7 42. g4 Rb7 43. Qe5+ Kc8 44. Qxa5 {
When the smoke is going down....it's like Scorpion Song...} Be4 45. Qc3+ Rc7
46. Qe3 Bg6 47. h4 {Yes, kingside pawn majority.} Rc6 48. h5 Bf7 49. Qf3 Rc7
50. Qf5+ Rd7 51. Qxh7 {This looks like the game " PACMAN".} Kc7 ({IF} 51...
Bxa2 52. Qc2+) 52. Qc2+ Kd8 53. h6 {It's over...} Bg8 54. g5 Bh7 55. g6 Bxg6
56. Qxg6 Ke7 {Super GM Wesley So should have resigned here. The mind is
willing but the will is not.} 57. h7 Rd6 58. Qxd6+ Kxd6 59. h8=Q Kd5 {Why
continue playing?} 60. f4 Kc4 61. Qe5 Kb4 62. f5 Ka3 63. f6 Kxa2 64. Qb5 Ka1
65. f7 Ka2 66. f8=Q Ka1 67. Qa8# {Super GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave played
flawlessly while Super GM Wesley So was not able to recover after the move 11.
Nf7. What we learned from this game is that when the king is uncastled and
stays at center, it will be difficult to develop immobile or cramped pieces.
Black dictated the game from opening to the end. Fantastic game. I hope you
learned how to play the "Evan's Gambit". Thank you for the support and God
bless you all...} 1-0