[Event "Superbet ROM Classic 2024"] [Site "Bucharest ROM"] [Date "2024.07.02"] [Round "6.1"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E24"] [WhiteElo "2737"] [BlackElo "2757"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "61"] [GameId "2063127485995868"] [EventDate "2024.06.26"] {[%evp 0,61,25,26,18,-17,3,2,30,3,-9,-2,14,-25,37,11,59,-6,-6,-62,5,5,46,0,63,48,89,66,65,53,97,77,55,63,53,37,83,39,40,86,144,133,133,159,159,159,157,149,151,146,146,161,226,233,212,212,255,294,331,362,334,328,357,350]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 b6 6. f3 Nc6 7. e4 Na5 8. c5 {Very rare.} (8. Bd3) (8. Bg5) 8... bxc5 9. Rb1 $146 cxd4 10. cxd4 c5 $6 {Firouzja was surprised by this move, and found it strange. It's not so much the pawn as the dark-squared bind it hands White.} 11. dxc5 O-O 12. Bf4 {Possibly not best, but hard to resist.} (12. Be3 $142) 12... Nb7 (12... Re8 $142) 13. Qd4 Re8 14. Ne2 $16 Qa5+ 15. Nc3 a6 $6 (15... Qxc5 16. Qxc5 Nxc5 17. Be3 $1 Na6 18. Nb5 Rd8 $8 19. Nd6 $16) 16. Be3 Qxa3 $2 (16... d6 $1 17. cxd6 Nxd6 $16) 17. e5 Nd5 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Kf2 $1 $18 Nd8 20. Qxd5 Bb7 $6 21. Rxb7 Nxb7 22. Qxb7 Rab8 23. Qd5 {Black's material situation is hopeless, so as long as White can keep Black's rooks from achieving something tangible it's a near-certain win for him.} Qb2+ 24. Be2 Rxe5 25. Qd4 a5 26. Rb1 $1 {A nice touch. With only one rook to work with, Black's chances for counterplay are further diminished.} Qxb1 27. Qxe5 Kh8 28. Bd4 f6 29. Qd6 Qb7 30. Bxf6 Re8 (30... gxf6 31. Qxf6+ Kg8 32. Bc4+ Qd5 33. Bxd5#) 31. Bc3 ({After} 31. Bc3 a4 32. Qd4 {(not the only good move) the threat of mate on g7 allows White to eliminate Black's only, very minor trump, the a-pawn. Time to give up.}) 1-0 [Event "Superbet ROM Classic 2024"] [Site "Bucharest ROM"] [Date "2024.07.02"] [Round "6.2"] [White "Praggnanandhaa, R."] [Black "Deac, Bogdan-Daniel"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E44"] [WhiteElo "2747"] [BlackElo "2692"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "77"] [GameId "2063127486069597"] [EventDate "2024.06.26"] {[%evp 0,77,26,18,18,3,-4,-3,25,27,25,10,24,16,17,8,8,7,7,1,22,-3,1,7,3,-12,-4,-17,-1,-17,18,-9,17,17,29,-30,-24,-14,15,-29,-7,-8,8,-52,-35,-35,-22,-65,-65,-44,-37,-53,-45,-62,-43,-34,-34,-74,-89,-89,-51,-76,-69,-93,-102,-85,-75,-73,-56,-56,-56,-55,-54,-55,-55,-54,-55,-55,-55,-55]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Nge2 Ne4 6. Bd2 Nxd2 7. Qxd2 Bb7 8. a3 Be7 9. d5 a5 10. Nf4 e5 11. Nd3 d6 12. Be2 Nd7 13. O-O Ba6 14. Nc1 Bc8 15. Bd1 Nc5 16. Nd3 O-O 17. e4 Bg5 18. Qe2 g6 19. Rb1 f5 20. Nxc5 bxc5 21. b4 cxb4 22. axb4 fxe4 23. Nxe4 axb4 24. Rxb4 Bf5 25. Rb2 {For me, and maybe for you, the most interesting moment of the game is what comes next, and it's something we can use:} Bc1 $1 26. Rb1 Bxe4 27. Qxe4 Ba3 28. g3 Bc5 {Now Black has the more comfortable play, though it's nothing tangible. This nice maneuver by the bishop can serve as a double lesson. First, while we're used to maneuvering knights to ideal squares, this can happen for bishops as well. Second, maneuvers don't necessarily have to take place on our half of the board; sometimes, an incursion via the enemy camp will serve the purpose.} 29. Rb2 Ra1 30. Bf3 Qa8 31. Rc2 Kg7 32. Rxa1 Qxa1+ 33. Kg2 h5 34. Re2 Qc3 35. Rc2 Qa1 36. Re2 Qc3 37. Rc2 Qb3 38. Rd2 Qc3 39. Rc2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Superbet ROM Classic 2024"] [Site "Bucharest ROM"] [Date "2024.07.02"] [Round "6.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D78"] [WhiteElo "2805"] [BlackElo "2770"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "38"] [GameId "2063127486069598"] [EventDate "2024.06.26"] {[%evp 0,38,28,25,18,-9,13,23,12,15,14,13,19,7,21,-4,4,1,44,66,93,22,50,31,43,30,3,-4,10,-15,-8,-12,0,0,0,0,9,0,0,0,0]} 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 c6 7. Nbd2 a5 8. b3 Ne4 9. Bb2 a4 10. bxa4 Nc5 11. a5 Qxa5 12. Nb3 Qb4 13. Nxc5 Qxb2 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. a4 Nd7 $146 {One new move, and now a repetition. Maybe Caruana didn't want to spend any time across the board from Nepo after their game from the last round of the Candidates? (98.5% joking.)} 16. Rb1 Qa2 17. Ra1 Qb2 18. Rb1 Qa2 19. Ra1 Qb2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Superbet ROM Classic 2024"] [Site "Bucharest ROM"] [Date "2024.07.02"] [Round "6.4"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Gukesh, D."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C89"] [WhiteElo "2732"] [BlackElo "2763"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "119"] [GameId "2063127486069599"] [EventDate "2024.06.26"] {[%evp 0,119,23,29,23,32,10,9,31,6,0,-4,10,-14,5,10,20,-51,33,33,-5,-1,26,31,17,17,29,-23,-2,-89,29,19,20,-12,121,-27,22,-9,21,21,35,15,12,28,28,25,19,13,17,11,51,34,40,38,48,38,40,51,43,45,71,66,86,85,101,62,59,73,59,81,52,69,65,71,64,72,73,68,73,48,55,27,16,8,76,20,8,-7,10,0,10,-17,0,-15,0,-2,0,0,0,-14,0,-31,-33,-20,22,32,29,29,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1 Bd6 13. d3 Bf5 14. Qf3 Qh4 15. g3 Qh3 16. Be3 Bxd3 17. Nd2 Qf5 18. a4 (18. Bd4 {is the main move.}) 18... Rfe8 (18... h6) 19. Bd4 {Returning to most of the 18.Bd4 games.} Bf8 {Gukesh was not happy about this move after the game.} (19... h6 {may be best, as played in a slew of games where Aronian had Black and MVL had White (including a couple against each other).}) 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Qxf5 Bxf5 22. axb5 axb5 23. Bxd5 $146 cxd5 24. b4 {White may not be officially better, but all the defending will be by Black. White can bother Black's b-pawn (e.g. with Ra5) and his d-pawn (with Nf1-e3), while Black has no source of counterplay.} Bd3 25. Nf1 g6 26. Ne3 Bc4 27. f3 (27. Nxc4 dxc4 28. Ra5 {wins against every move but one:} Bg7 $1 (28... Rb8 $2 29. Be5 {wins the b-pawn (for starters), because} Rb6 30. Ra8 {will be far more painful after Bd4-c5. Black can avoid losing a piece with} f5 31. Bd4 Rb7 32. Bc5 Rf7 {, but all that does is get back to where we started:} 33. Rb8 {and White will help himself to Black's queenside pawns.}) 29. Bxg7 (29. Rxb5 Bxd4 30. cxd4 Rc8 $1 $11 {White's rook must run back to the first rank via a5 or e5; going to c5 loses as Black trades rooks and promotes first.}) 29... Kxg7 30. Rxb5 Re1+ 31. Kg2 Rc1 $11) 27... Bh6 {Looking for an opposite-colored bishop ending, which isn't a panacea either.} 28. Kf2 Bxe3+ 29. Bxe3 d4 $1 {This may not be necessary; however, if Black does not do this he will be condemned to passivity for the rest of the game, while White does have ways to improve his position. In case you've heard too many chess coaches, writers, and presenters say "opposite-colored bishops = draw", play the position out against an engine and see if you survive with Black.} 30. cxd4 Bd5 {To play actively, bringing the rook to a8. In case of a rook trade, *then* it will be a straightforward draw.} 31. Ra5 Ra8 32. Rxb5 Ra2+ 33. Kg1 Bxf3 34. d5 {This is something White wants to do in any case, but he's also setting a little trap.} f6 (34... Rg2+ $2 35. Kf1 Be2+ 36. Kxg2 Bxb5 {is not a drawn ending, as White's king can speedily reach c5.} 37. Bh6 $1 f6 38. Kf3 Kf7 39. Ke4 Ke7 40. Kd4 Kd6 41. Bf8+ Kd7 42. Kc5 $18) 35. Rb8+ Kf7 36. Rb7+ Ke8 $1 37. Rxh7 Bxd5 {The worst is over for Black.} 38. b5 Re2 $1 39. Ba7 (39. Bd4 Rg2+ 40. Kf1 Rd2 {lets Black eliminate the b-pawn, as White can't both save his bishop and avoid ...Bc4+ followed by ...Bxb5.} 41. Bxf6 Bc4+ 42. Ke1 Re2+ 43. Kd1 Bxb5 $11 {White's extra pawn is essentially useless.}) (39. Bc5 Rg2+ 40. Kf1 Rc2 {is essentially the same. This is why White sends his bishop to the otherwise ridiculous a7 square.}) 39... Rb2 (39... Rg2+ 40. Kf1 Ra2 41. b6 {is the point of 39.Ba7; White both saves his bishop and avoids losing his b-pawn to ...Bc4+. That said, this is still drawn.}) 40. b6 g5 41. g4 Bf7 42. Kf1 Kf8 43. Rh6 Ke7 44. Ke1 Bd5 45. Kd1 Be4 46. Rh3 Ke6 47. Rc3 Ke5 48. h3 Kd4 49. Rc1 Ke5 50. Ra1 Rb3 51. Ra4 Bd5 52. Ra5 Ke6 {Now for one last try by White.} 53. Kc2 Rxh3 54. Rxd5 Kxd5 55. b7 Rh8 56. Kd3 {Now b8Q is a real threat, as Black is no longer able to force the win or the swap of White's g-pawn just using his king and pawns.} (56. b8=Q Rxb8 57. Bxb8 Ke4 $11 {lets Black eliminate White's last pawn, with a draw.}) 56... Rh3+ $1 {The only move.} (56... f5 57. gxf5 Ke5 58. Bd4+ Kxf5 59. Bxh8 $18) (56... Ke5 57. b8=Q+ Rxb8 58. Bxb8+ {prevents the king from penetrating, and after} Ke6 59. Ke4 {Black can't force a trade of pawns with ...f5+.}) 57. Be3 (57. Ke2 Rb3 58. b8=Q Rxb8 59. Bxb8 Ke4 $11 {followed by ...f5, drawing.}) (57. Kc2 Rh8 $11 {is a repetition.}) 57... Rh8 58. Ba7 Rh3+ 59. Be3 Rh8 60. Ba7 1/2-1/2 [Event "Superbet ROM Classic 2024"] [Site "Bucharest ROM"] [Date "2024.07.02"] [Round "6.5"] [White "Abdusattorov, Nodirbek"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2765"] [BlackElo "2745"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "189"] [GameId "2063127486069600"] [EventDate "2024.06.26"] {[%evp 0,189,32,32,46,72,69,67,58,38,38,46,74,37,31,-11,23,32,28,16,61,48,19,7,0,0,13,16,14,29,16,3,41,44,47,36,22,16,9,30,36,31,46,46,48,48,46,30,30,14,40,20,17,12,9,12,12,-2,0,-48,-41,-80,-42,-40,-6,-27,-56,-62,14,10,13,10,21,19,20,18,19,15,8,4,14,-2,0,10,26,0,7,1,-12,-3,0,0,0,0,0,-32,2,0,0,0,0,0,16,16,12,6,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-18,-17,-17,-17,-17,-16,-16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,4,4,4,5,4,5,4,3,0,4,3,4,4,6,4,5,3,3,3,4,3,6,4,6,4,6,4,5,3,5,3,3,3,3,3,5,3,5,3,5,3,3,3,3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Qd3 Nbd7 7. a4 g6 8. Be2 Bg7 9. O-O b6 10. Nc6 Qc7 11. Nb4 Bb7 12. Nbd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. exd5 O-O 15. c3 Nc5 16. Qc2 Qb7 17. Be3 b5 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19. Bf3 Rab8 20. Rfe1 Qc7 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ra6 b4 23. g3 bxc3 24. bxc3 Bf6 25. Kg2 Rb6 26. Rxb6 Qxb6 27. Rb1 Qc7 28. Qd3 Rb8 29. d6 exd6 30. Ra1 c4 31. Qe3 Qc5 32. Qxc5 dxc5 33. Ra7 Re8 34. Bd5 Re7 35. Ra3 h5 36. Bxc4 {Normally the players would look for a speedy end to the game, either with a swap of the queenside pawns and the rooks or just repeating. Instead, they play on...and on, and on, and on. I'm not sure anyone knows why except the players, who were near-giggles (especially Abdusattorov) for a fair chunk of the rest of the game. It was pretty silly, especially after the rooks came off.} Kg7 37. h3 h4 38. g4 Be5 39. Bd5 c4 40. g5 Bf4 41. Bxc4 Re5 42. Bd3 Bxg5 43. c4 Be7 44. Ra7 Bc5 45. Rc7 Bb6 46. Rc6 Bd4 47. Kf3 Re6 48. Rxe6 fxe6 49. Kg4 Bxf2 50. Kg5 Be3+ 51. Kxh4 g5+ 52. Kg4 Kf6 53. Bc2 Bc5 54. Bd3 Bb6 55. Bc2 Ba7 56. Bd3 Bc5 57. Bc2 Bg1 58. Bd3 Bc5 59. Bc2 Be7 60. Bd3 Ke5 {White can do almost anything to force a draw. The most cynical is to give up the c-pawn for nothing, play h4, put the king on h1 and then give up his bishop for Black's e-pawn. There's no chess-related reason for the game to continue.} 61. c5 Kd5 62. c6 Kxc6 63. Bc4 e5 64. Kf5 Kd6 65. Bb3 Bd8 66. Ba2 Be7 67. Bb3 Bd8 68. Ba2 e4 69. Kxe4 Ba5 70. Kf5 Bd8 71. Bb3 Kc5 72. Kg4 Kd4 73. Ba2 Kc3 74. Be6 Kd2 75. Ba2 Kc1 76. Bd5 Kb2 77. Be6 Kc3 78. Ba2 Kc2 79. Be6 Kc1 80. Ba2 Be7 81. Be6 Kb1 82. Bd5 Kb2 83. Be6 Kc2 84. Bd5 Kc3 85. Ba2 Kd2 86. Be6 Kc1 87. Bd5 Kd1 88. Be6 Ke1 89. Bd5 Kf2 90. Be6 Ke3 91. Bd5 Kd4 92. Be6 Ke5 93. Ba2 Kf6 {The silliness of the game, which is rapidly approaching stupidity, finally comes to an end as Giri allows Abdusattorov to swap off Black's last pawn.} 94. h4 gxh4 95. Kxh4 {Did Abdusattorov claim a draw here? As idiotic as it would be to continue, I'm not sure he should be able to *claim* it - at least not on the basis of "insufficient mating material". Why not? Because there is a possible mating position - put the White king on a1 and bishop on b1 against Black's king on a3 and bishop anywhere on the long diagonal. If a player is allowed to claim a draw when his opponent has only a minor piece remaining, then Stamma's mate and those like it (e.g. White king on c2 and knight on d3, Black king on a1 and pawn on a3; White to move plays 1.Nc1! a2 2.Nb3#.) would be ruled out a priori.} 1/2-1/2