[Event "Wijk aan Zee"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2022.01.17"] [Round "3"] [White "Dubov, Daniil"] [Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2720"] [BlackElo "2727"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 {A Giuoco Pianissimo by Dubov? There is something wrong here, the Russian GM usually sacrifices a pawn around here...} Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 a5 8. Na3 $146 {Ah, that is a juicy novelty! Dubov surprises Vidit on his own territory.} ({An earlier game of the Indian GM went} 8. Nbd2 Ba7 9. O-O g5 10. Bg3 O-O 11. a3 Nh7 12. Kh1 Kh8 13. b4 h5 14. b5 Ne7 15. Bxe5+ dxe5 16. Nxe5 Kg7 17. f4 g4 18. d4 {a true delight for the eye, Adhiban,B (2672)-Vidit,S (2727) Kolkata 2021}) 8... Bxa3 {Vidit accepts the challenge and ruins the opponent's pawn structure.} 9. bxa3 Qe7 {In the spirit of the Four Knights defence. There are also doubled pawns there. True, on the c-file, but still, a blockade on the dark squares makes perfect sense.} 10. O-O Nb8 {The logical follow up.} 11. d4 {Dubov searches for a class. He's got the development, the bishops, the mood.} Nbd7 12. Rb1 $1 {The rook is getting ready to torture the opponent, even if he stays in the center.} g5 13. Bg3 Nxe4 {A most principled move!} 14. Qc2 f5 $1 {The exclamation mark is for the courage. One needs a lot of conviction to play like this.} ({The alternative was} 14... Nxg3 {when} 15. fxg3 $1 {deprives Black of a short castle. How safe the black king is in the center is hard to say, but the impression is that there should be a strong storm gathering around it. True, in the line} Nb6 {White cannot win on the spot with} ({On the other hand} 15... f6 16. Qg6+ Kd8 {promises White a good choice between a knight transfer to e4, or the instant brick-walling} 17. h4) 16. Bxf7+ Qxf7 17. Nxe5 Qh7 18. Qe2 dxe5 19. Qxe5+ Kd8 20. Qf6+ Kd7 21. Rbe1 {because of} Ra6 {when White does not seem to have more than perpetual with} 22. Qe6+ Kd8 23. Qf6+) 15. dxe5 {A file is opened.} dxe5 {And this is correct!} ({As after} 15... Nxe5 16. Bxe5 dxe5 17. Rb5 c5 18. Re1 {Black's situation is delicate, to say the least.}) 16. Rfe1 { Dubov is already creating a bunch of threats: to attack the e5-pawn with Rb1-b5, remove the black knight with the help of Bc4-d5, or even better, a brutal exchange sacrifice.} Nxg3 {Also a correct trade, but look how exposed now the black king becomes!} ({The exchange sacrifice seals the deal after} 16... Kf8 $2 17. Rxe4 fxe4 18. Qxe4) 17. hxg3 e4 18. g4 $1 {Remember, courage and conviction! Strong, strong faith in yourself is needed to enter this position, which is about to collapse at any given moment!} Nc5 {Vidit does not seem to tremble. This knight is his most valuable asset as we shall see.} ({ The other square for the knight was not good} 18... Ne5 19. Nxe5 Qxe5 20. Rb5 c5 21. gxf5 Bxf5 22. Rd1 {and White wins.}) 19. Nd4 ({Not letting the bishop improve:} 19. gxf5 Bxf5 20. Nd4 Bg6) 19... Rf8 $1 {Overprotecting the f5-pawn. Once more, an only move.} ({After} 19... fxg4 {Dubov can remove the defender with} 20. Nb3 $1 {when a nice line that demonstrates how quickly Black's defense may crumble is} Bf5 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Rxe4+ Kf8 23. Rb5 Bxe4 24. Qxe4 { and Black is helpless with his dull rookies.}) 20. gxf5 $1 {Once more, depriving Black of extra possibilities.} ({After} 20. Bb5+ {the black king can run to the hills with} Kf7 21. gxf5 Kf6) 20... Bxf5 {Everything seems protected, Black is ready to castle and his knight does the best of the jobs.} 21. Rxb7 $3 {Not so fast with castling, and yeah, this knight needs to go away from the center.} ({Nothing yields} 21. Bb5+ c6 22. Nxc6 bxc6 23. Bxc6+ Kf7) 21... Rf6 $3 {Not so fast removing this knight!} ({And indeed} 21... Nxb7 { loses after} 22. Bb5+ Kf7 23. Nxf5 {when all the queen retreats lead Black to trouble, e.g} Qf6 ({Or} 23... Qe6 24. Nd4 Qg6 25. Bc6) ({Or finally} 23... Qe5 24. Nxh6+) 24. Qxe4) 22. Qb1 $5 {Dubov is strictly following his plan and wants to have his queen inside the enemy camp. In the process he sets up a nasty trap.} ({Black is stabilizing his position in case of} 22. Bb5+ Kf8 23. Nc6 Qd6) ({However} 22. Nxf5 $5 {seemed playable as well. Then, after} Rxf5 23. Rb5 (23. Qb1 $5) 23... c6 $1 {The further trades might lead to an approximately even endgame} 24. Rxe4 Qxe4 25. Qxe4+ Nxe4 26. Rxf5 O-O-O ({Or} 26... Kd7)) 22... Nxb7 23. Qxb7 ({For the moment rejecting the possible draw after} 23. Nxf5 Rxf5 24. Rxe4 Re5 25. Qxb7 Rxe4 26. Qxa8+ Kd7 27. Qd5+ Ke8 28. Qa8+ $11) 23... Rd8 24. Nxf5 Rxf5 25. Rxe4 Rd1+ $1 {Vidit spots the trap for just a bit more than a minute!} ({The instant} 25... Re5 $2 {would have lost due to} 26. Qc6+ Rd7 27. Qg6+ Kd8 28. Qg8+ Qe8 29. Rxe5 $1) 26. Kh2 Re5 { Now he can. White has a bunch of checks and starts announcing them in the mutual time-deficit.} 27. Qc6+ Kd8 28. Qa8+ ({A nice detail that once more proves why a good move works in multiple lines is} 28. Bb5 Qd6 {Now White wants to checkmate with} 29. Qe8+ {But is checked after} ({Still, a draw is possible after} 29. Qa8+ Ke7 30. Qe8+ Kf6 31. Qh8+) 29... Rxe8+ $1) 28... Kd7 29. Bb5+ Ke6 ({The endgame after} 29... Rxb5 30. Rxe7+ Kxe7 31. Qc6 {is more pleasant for White.}) 30. Qc8+ Kf6 31. Qh8+ Kf5 {And just when Dubov was forced to give a perpetual, he suddenly hesitates...} 32. f3 {...and loses the game!} ({Instead} 32. Qc8+ $3 {would have split the point as} Kg6 {is more or less forced.} ({The greedy} 32... Kxe4 $4 {leads to mate after} 33. Qg4+ Kd5 34. Qc4+ Kd6 35. Qc6#) 33. Qg8+ Kf5 {with repetition.}) 32... Rxe4 33. fxe4+ Kxe4 34. Qa8+ Ke3 {Ironically, the almost mated black king is leading Vidit's army towards the win!} 35. Bc6 Qe5+ 36. g3 g4 37. Qa7+ Kd2 {0-} 0-1