[Event "FIDE Grand Prix 2 Playoff"] [Site "Belgrade SRB"] [Date "2022.03.13"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Rapport, Richard"] [Black "Andreikin, Dmitry"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D31"] [Annotator "cahan"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2022.03.09"] {[%evp 0,13,25,27,29,-14,0,-4,18,-4,21,6,20,38,30,29]} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 a6 {Repeating his choice from his game against Shankland in the pool play.} 4. cxd5 ({This is far and away the main line. In an online game, Andreikin had also faced the peculiar-looking} 4. c5 b6 5. cxb6 c5 6. e3 Nd7 7. Nf3 Ngf6 8. Be2 Nxb6 9. O-O Bd6 10. b3 cxd4 11. exd4 O-O 12. Bd3 Bb7 {(The chances are pretty much even at this point.)} 13. Bg5 Nbd7 14. Qe2 Qa5 15. Rac1 Rac8 16. Bd2 Qb6 17. Na4 Qa7 18. b4 {(Here White has taken control of the game.)} a5 19. b5 Ne4 20. Qe1 Ba3 21. Rb1 Nxd2 22. Qxd2 Bb4 23. Qf4 h6 24. Rfc1 Ba3 25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. h4 Qb8 27. Qxb8 Rxb8 28. Rb3 $2 (28. Nd2 $1) 28... Bb4 29. Kf1 Rc8 30. Ke2 Kf8 31. Ne1 Ke7 32. Nc2 Bd6 33. Rc3 Rxc3 34. Nxc3 Nb6 35. Na1 Bb4 36. Nb1 a4 37. Nc2 Ba5 38. Ne3 f6 39. f4 Bc8 40. Bc2 Bb4 41. a3 Bd6 42. Nc3 Bd7 43. Kd2 Bxf4 44. Kd3 Bd6 45. Kd2 Bxa3 46. Nxa4 Bb4+ 47. Kc1 Nxa4 48. Bxa4 Kd6 49. h5 Bc3 50. Nc2 e5 51. dxe5+ fxe5 52. Ne3 e4 53. b6 Bd4 54. b7 Bxe3+ 55. Kc2 Ba7 { 0-1 (55) Ibrahimli,M (2418)-Andreikin,D (2724) Chess.com INT 2022.}) 4... exd5 5. a3 ({Andreikin's game against Shankland went} 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bg5 Be6 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 h6 9. Bh4 Bd6 10. Bg3 Bxg3 11. hxg3 O-O 12. Ne2 c5 13. dxc5 Qa5+ 14. Qd2 Qxd2+ 15. Nxd2 Nxc5 16. Bc2 Rfc8 17. f3 Rc7 18. Nd4 Rac8 19. Ke2 Bd7 20. Bd3 Ba4 21. Bf5 Bd7 22. Bd3 Ba4 23. Bf5 Bd7 24. Bd3 {½-½ (24) Shankland, S (2708)-Andreikin,D (2724) Belgrade 2022.}) ({The other main lines are} 5. Bf4 ) ({and} 5. Qb3 {.}) 5... h6 6. Bf4 Nf6 7. e3 c5 $5 {Very sharp and very principled. Black accepts that he will get an isolated pawn, but in return he gets very active pieces.} 8. Be5 $5 {White decides to threaten to capture on f6, which, followed by dxc5, could win White a pawn.} Be6 9. Nge2 ({White cannot go for the d5-pawn, as} 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Qxd5 Qxb2 {and Black has a clear advantage.}) 9... Nc6 10. Nf4 ({The knight attacks the d5-pawn, but just importantly, it takes a look at the bishop on e6. Another option for White is} 10. g3 $5 {, for instance,} cxd4 11. Bxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Bg4 13. Qd2 {and White has an edge.}) 10... cxd4 11. Bxd4 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 { Black has won the bishop pair, but this will likely not be a long-term asset as White can capture Black's bishop on e6,} Bd6 13. g3 ({In a normal Tarrasch Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5), White frequently deploys his bishop to g2, and that is the kind of set-up that Rapport is angling for. It was, of course, also possible to play the normal development move} 13. Be2 {but Black should not have too much to worry about after} O-O 14. O-O {.}) 13... Rc8 14. Rd1 ({An alternative is} 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Bh3 {when Black probably will have to play} Kf7 {with} 16. O-O Rc4 17. Qd3 Be5 {being the likely continuation, reaching something closely similar to the game continuation.}) 14... Qa5 ({ A sharp alternative is} 14... Bxf4 $5 15. gxf4 (15. Qxf4 O-O 16. Be2 Qb6 { is okay for Black.}) 15... O-O 16. Rg1 Kh8 17. Be2) 15. Rc1 O-O $6 {This move was played after a long think, but it is likely not the best.} ({If Black instead had opted} 15... Rc6 {then} 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bh3 Kf7 {would had led to a superior version of the game continuation for Black as the h8-rook will head to c8 without a pit stop on f8.}) 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bh3 Kf7 18. O-O Rc4 19. Qd3 Be5 20. Ne2 {White has a tiny positional edge, but Black's pieces are very active. The presence of the opposite-colored bishops is, as of yet, not a factor, although Black has to be careful around the light squares on the kingside because of his king on f7.} Rfc8 21. Rxc4 Rxc4 22. b4 ({A surprising decision by Rapport, considerably weakening the queenside. Co-commentator Benjamin Bok felt that this was too risky an approach for White. A sharp alternative discussed by the commentators was} 22. f4 {but Black seems to okay after} Bxb2 23. Rb1 Qxa3 ({also} 23... Bxa3 24. Rxb7+ Be7 {is okay for Black according to the engines.}) 24. Qxa3 Bxa3 25. Rxb7+ Ke8 (25... Be7 $2 26. Nd4 { is much better for White.}) 26. Rxg7 Bc5 27. Kg2 Bxe3 28. Bxe6 Bc5 {with a complex endgame which the engines assess as equal, but with two open kings and very uneven pawn distribution, a draw seems far from a certainty.}) ({In the broadcast, Bok was quite convinced that Rapport would opt for the more solid} 22. Rb1 {which is about equal but safe and gives the opportunity to play on in a less forcing way.}) 22... Qa4 23. Nf4 Bxf4 $1 {Black has no alternatives because of the threat to e6 as well as Qg6+.} ({White wins on the spot after} 23... Rc6 24. Qg6+ Kf8 25. Nxe6+ {.}) 24. exf4 Qc6 25. Qe3 {White targets the e6-pawn, but Black has both ...Re4 and ...Ne4 available.} Ne4 26. f3 Rc3 27. Qd4 Rc4 28. Qe3 Rc3 29. Qd4 Rc4 {Andreikin is offering a draw by repepition.} 30. Qe5 $3 {A stunning decision. Rapport thought until he had less than two minutes left on the clock (vs. more than eight minutes for Andreikin), and declined the draw that the commentators thought a certainty. The exclamation points are not given because of the objective value of the move, but rather the practical value. The position is still equal according to the engines, but having emotionally settled for a draw when offering the repetition, Andreikin would be challenged to find the right continuation by Rapport's bold decision.} Nd2 {Played immediately by Andreikin.} 31. f5 $1 ({White cannot save the rook; after} 31. Rf2 Rc1+ 32. Kg2 Nc4 33. Qd4 Rd1 34. Qa7 ({or} 34. Qxd1 Ne3+ {.}) 34... d4 {, Black is winning due to the devastating ...Ne3+.}) 31... Nxf1 ({ Also played promptly by Black. He could also have played} 31... Qb6+ 32. Kh1 Nxf1 33. fxe6+ Kg8 $1 {(Only move.)} 34. Qb8+ Kh7 35. Bf5+ g6 36. e7 (36. Bxg6+ Kxg6 37. Qg8+ Kf6 38. Qf7+ Ke5 39. Qg7+ Kd6 40. Qd7+ {with a perpetual check and}) 36... Nxg3+ 37. Kg2 $1 Nh5 38. e8=Q Nf4+ 39. Qxf4 Rxf4 40. Qf7+ {with another perpetual check.}) 32. fxe6+ Ke8 $4 {A natural move that throws the game away.} ({Black had to find} 32... Ke7 {which looks completely illogical because it allows White to capture on g7 with a check, but the black king is safe, for instance,} 33. Qxg7+ Kd6 34. Qf8+ Kc7 35. e7 ({or} 35. Qf7+ Kb8 36. e7 Qb6+ 37. Kxf1 Rc1+ 38. Ke2 Qb5+ 39. Kd2 Rc2+ {with another perpetual check.} ) 35... Qb6+ 36. Kxf1 Rc1+ 37. Ke2 Qb5+ 38. Kd2 Rc2+ 39. Kxc2 Qe2+ {with a perpetual check.}) ({Note that} 32... Kg8 $4 {loses after} 33. e7 Kf7 34. e8=Q+ Qxe8 35. Qxd5+ Kf8 36. Qxc4 {with a won position for White.}) 33. Qxg7 $1 { White is a full rook down, but Black's king is vulnerable.} Qb6+ $2 ({This check pretty much seals Black's fate. The last and best try would have been} 33... Qc7 34. Qg6+ Ke7 35. Bxf1 Qb6+ 36. Kg2 Qxe6 37. Qxe6+ Kxe6 38. Bxc4 dxc4 39. Kf2 Kf5 40. Ke2 b5 {when it is far from certain that White can win.}) 34. Kxf1 Rc1+ 35. Ke2 Re1+ $2 ({A desperate try that is easily refuted. Black could have tried} 35... Rc7 36. Qg8+ Ke7 37. Qf7+ Kd6 38. Qf6 Re7 39. f4 Qg1 40. Qe5+ Kc6 41. Bf1 {, preparing to advance the f-pawn with a winning position for White}) 36. Kxe1 Qe3+ {Black is hoping for a perpetual check, but unlike the lines we looked at after 32...Ke7, White's queen on f6 is ideally placed to interfere with Black's desperate attempt at saving the game.} 37. Kd1 Qd3+ 38. Kc1 Qe3+ 39. Kb1 Qd3+ 40. Kc1 Qe3+ 41. Kb2 Qd2+ 42. Ka1 Qc1+ 43. Ka2 Qc4+ 44. Kb2 Qe2+ 45. Ka1 Qf1+ {One last joke by Andreikin.} ({After} 45... Qd1+ 46. Ka2 Qe2+ 47. Qb2 Qc4+ 48. Kb1 {, Black is out of checks.}) 46. Bxf1 { Black resigned and congratulated White on winning the tournament.} 1-0