[Event "Legends of Chess Prelim"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.07.21"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Carlsen, M."] [Black "Giri, A."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E68"] [WhiteElo "2863"] [BlackElo "2764"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "2020.07.21"] [EventType "tourn (rapid)"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCategory "20"] [SourceTitle "TWIC 1342"] [Source "Mark Crowther"] [SourceDate "2020.07.27"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2020.07.27"] [SourceQuality "2"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. e4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nc5 10. h3 Re8 11. Re1 Bd7 12. Bf4 ({Relevant:} 12. Kh2 h6 13. b3 a5 14. Ba3 h5 15. Rc1 h4 16. g4 Bh6 17. Rc2 c6 18. Bc1 Bg7 19. Kh1 Qb6 20. Be3 Qb4 21. Bd2 Qb6 22. Be3 Qb4 23. Bd2 Qb6 24. Be3 {1/2-1/2 (24) Tomashevsky,E (2706)-Grischuk,A (2777) Lichess.org INT 2020}) 12... Nh5 13. Be3 c6 14. Qc2 { [#]} a5 $146 {Stabilizing the Nc5 meets with some disapproval from Stockfish12 as Black remains purely passive} ({Predecessor:} 14... Qc8 15. Kh2 Ne6 16. Rad1 Qc7 17. Nde2 a6 18. Qd2 Bf8 19. Na4 c5 20. Nac3 Nf6 21. Nf4 Bc6 22. Nfd5 Qd8 23. f4 Nc7 24. e5 dxe5 25. fxe5 Nfxd5 26. cxd5 Bd7 27. Bg5 Qc8 28. Ne4 Kg7 29. e6 fxe6 30. dxe6 Bxe6 31. Bh6+ Kg8 32. Nf6+ Kh8 33. Nxe8 Qxe8 34. Bf4 Nb5 35. Bg5 Rd8 36. Rxe6 {1-0 (36) Jablonicky,F (2222)-Likavska,B (1887) Brezova pod Bradlom 2009}) 15. Rad1 Qc7 (15... a4 $5) 16. Qd2 (16. g4 Nf6 17. Nb3 $16) 16... a4 (16... Nf6 17. Bf4 Nh5 18. Be3 (18. Bg5 $16) 18... a4 19. Nde2 $16) 17. Nde2 $5 {Black has some trouble after this modest looking retreat} Be6 18. Qxd6 Qxd6 19. Rxd6 {It is not so clear what compensation Black has for the pawn } Ra5 20. Rc1 $1 {A small cementing move that leaves Black with little to do} Bf8 21. Rd4 Raa8 (21... Bg7 22. Rd2 Bf8 23. Nd1 $16) 22. g4 (22. Rcd1 $16) 22... Nf6 23. f4 {The e4-pawn is secure and Black's knights are being slowly driven back} (23. Nf4 $16) (23. g5 Nh5 24. Rcd1 $16) 23... Nfd7 (23... h5 24. g5 Nfd7 25. Bf2 Nb6 $16) 24. Nd1 (24. Ng3 $16) 24... f6 {Making a retreat for the Be7} 25. Nf2 {Black now misses a couple of chances to make trouble with .. g5} Bf7 {[#]} (25... g5 $5 {is more combative} 26. fxg5 fxg5 27. Bxg5 Bg7 28. Bf4 (28. Rd2 a3 29. bxa3 (29. b3 $2 Nxb3 $1 $17) 29... Rxa3 $14) 28... Bxd4 29. Nxd4 $14 {White has two pawns and good compensation for the exchange}) 26. h4 { Black has no clear play so White takes more kingside space} h6 $6 $16 {Black cannot afford to be so passive} (26... g5 $5 $132 {is again a more active defence}) 27. Ng3 {Something is about to give way on the kingside while e4 gets reinforced} g5 28. hxg5 hxg5 29. fxg5 fxg5 30. Bxg5 Ne5 $6 {Black can at least brag about some dark square play for the two pawns. However White is in complete control} (30... a3 {is a more murky defence} 31. b4 Ne6 32. Rxd7 Nxg5 33. Rxb7 Rab8 34. Rxb8 Rxb8 35. Nd3 $14) 31. Be3 Red8 32. Nf5 (32. Rxd8 Rxd8 33. Bf1 $16) 32... Rxd4 33. Bxd4 Re8 $18 {[#]Black remains too passive now} ( 33... Ncd7 34. b3 axb3 35. axb3 $16 Bc5 36. Rc3 Ra2 $16 {At least Black has some activity}) 34. Rc3 {The rook gets some great laterial options and also restricts both knights} Ng6 (34... Ncd7 35. b3 axb3 36. axb3 $16) 35. b3 (35. g5 $18) 35... Nf4 36. Bf1 $6 {A rather large lapse} (36. Bf3 $18) 36... Nce6 $2 $18 {Declining the e4-pawn} (36... Nxe4 {is far more tenacious} 37. Rf3 Ng6 38. Bg2 axb3 39. axb3 b5 40. Re3 Nc5 41. Be4 bxc4 42. bxc4 Ne5 43. g5 $14 {Black has reduced the number of remaining pawns but White can still press}) 37. Be3 ( 37. Bf6 $18) 37... a3 (37... Bb4 38. Rc1 Bc5 39. Rc3 axb3 40. axb3 $16) 38. e5 {White has more of everything everywhere} (38. c5 $18 Ng6 39. b4 Ra8 40. Bc1 { More fruit will fall from the tree}) 38... Rd8 39. Ne4 Rd1 40. Nf6+ (40. Bxf4 { is even better} Nxf4 41. Rf3 Bg7 (41... Ne6 42. Nf6+ Kh8 43. Rh3+ Bh6 44. Rxh6# ) 42. Nxg7 Ne2+ 43. Kf2 Nd4 44. Be2 Ra1 45. Rd3 Kxg7 46. Rxd4 $18) 40... Kh8 41. Rc2 $1 {A small retreat secures a2 and the 2nd rank} Nh3+ 42. Kg2 Neg5 43. Rc1 Rd8 44. Kg3 {The Nh3 is trapped. A one-sided game} 1-0