[Event "FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2022"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.06.17"] [Round "1"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A20"] [WhiteElo "2806"] [BlackElo "2766"] [Annotator "samsh"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] {[%evp 0,70,29,-27,-12,-51,17,-2,0,0,0,22,-7,4,5,-18,25,21,26,42,45,-11,-11, -30,18,11,36,29,26,12,23,10,0,17,11,-12,-4,-7,-14,-16,65,71,30,9,43,-35,-75, -89,-132,-79,-23,-30,7,-171,-244,-238,-283,-408,-605,-605,-605,-609,-1040, -1482,-29978,-29983,-29984,-29985,-29986,-29987,-29988,-29989,-29990] Greetings, everyone $1 This is Sam Shankland, and I will be annotating one game of each round of this Candidates Tournament. I've enjoyed working with Chess.com on annotated games in the past and look forward to showing some exciting chess $1 One thing I like about the Candidates is that the standard winner-takes-all element of the tournament provokes the players into playing a bit more combatively than you might see in other events. In round one, the most exciting game was between Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniatchtchi. The game itself was a serious deja vu to last year's candidates—Ding, who in my opinion was the pre-tournament favorite both times, went down hard with the white pieces in the English, and Nepo started with a win with Black against the same English.} 1. c4 e5 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Nd4 d5 5. cxd5 Qxd5 6. Nc2 Nf6 7. Nc3 Qe5 8. Bg2 Na6 9. O-O Be7 10. Ne3 {Up to here, everything has been pretty well-known theory. Now, while Ian's next move is very natural, I think it is not best.} O-O (10... h5 $5 {I remembered looking at this position in some detail and deciding that Black had enough counterplay after h5. The position is very messy, but Black gets some attacking chances.}) 11. a3 $1 { Simple, but strong. White plans b4, Bb2, and once Black's queen is destabilized, the e4-pawn can become a target.} Re8 (11... Nc7 {I doubt Nepo regrets much about this game in hindsight, but it was probably better to regroup the knight directly and remain flexible with the rook.}) 12. b4 Ng4 { Black is playing very energetic chess, but at some point, bluffs need to be called.} 13. Bb2 (13. Nxg4 $5 Bxg4 14. Bxe4 {I'm really not sure what Ding could have missed here. This is not the cleanest extra pawn in history and Black has some counterplay in the center, but there is nothing direct and I think the pawn could have been taken.}) (13. Bxe4 {The computer's top choice is also pretty convincing. I don't think Black has nearly enough for a pawn.}) 13... Qh5 14. h4 $6 {This seems to be asking for trouble.} (14. Nxg4 Bxg4 15. Bxe4 {I really don't get why White doesn't go take this pawn. Black has some compensation, but in the game, he got the compensation without the pawn less $1 }) 14... Bf6 15. Qc2 Nxe3 16. dxe3 Bf5 {The machine still likes White's position here, provided he plays a couple of good moves. But, I really dislike the way the last few moves have gone for him. Now the e4-pawn will survive. As such, Black's kingside attack is much scarier and White's g2-bishop is stuck out of play.} 17. Na4 $2 {I did not love Ding's earlier decisions, but this was somewhat a matter of taste. I wanted to take the pawn. But this move is just a mistake.} (17. b5 $1 Nc7 18. bxc6 bxc6 {According to the machine, White is still a little better here. That certainly would not be obvious to me at all at first glance and I find this much less convincing than taking the e4-pawn would have been. Had Ding blitzed out b5, bxc6, and now Na4 $1 afterward and gone on to grind out a victory, I would think any earlier criticism would be unwarranted. But this is not what happened.}) 17... Bxb2 ( 17... Bxh4 $5 {This looks incredibly scary.} 18. gxh4 Re6 {The computer insists every legal move here ends with 0.00. Does it look like that for White $6 I'd be very worried about getting checkmated.}) 18. Nxb2 Nc7 19. Nc4 Re6 { Now, Black has a very simple plan. Overprotect the e4-pawn to keep all of White's pieces from coming back to the kingside, and then at some moment, g5 will come and quickly end the game. White can probably hold the position together with extremely precise play, but even the world number-two was not up to the task.} 20. Rfd1 Nd5 21. Rd4 {Now, here the machines claim that ...g5 won the game. I'm sure they are right... but does it matter $2 Nepo played it slower, but I don't really see this as some shortcoming on his part.} h6 $5 { Now, Black is ready for g5 next. If he is allowed to take on h4, the game is over. If White takes on g5, then …hxg5 will come, …Rh6 will follow, and the game is over too. My computer claims White can hold on here, and with more moves than one, but this is the kind of mistake that I think would have been completely ignored in the pre-computer era.} (21... g5 22. hxg5 Qxg5 { Apparently Black is mating here.} 23. Rad1 Qh5 24. Nd2 {It's easy to see this far and get spooked by Nf1 keeping it all together, though grabbing on e2 does finish the job.} Qxe2 $1 {Black should win.}) 22. Qd2 $2 {This is way too slow, and a surprising mistake from a player of Ding's caliber. You need to activate all the pieces.} (22. Bxe4 $2 {surely Nepo saw this does not work.} Rxe4 $1 23. Rxe4 Qg6 $1 24. Nd2 Nf6 {White cannot avoid the loss of a piece, as f2-f3 is not to be recommended.}) (22. Rad1 $1 {This was the move. White needs to be ready to sacrifice on d5 right away. It's desperation time, but it does seem like he is just barely hanging on. For example, after} g5 23. Rxd5 $1 cxd5 24. Rxd5 gxh4 25. Nd6 $1 hxg3 26. fxg3 Rxd6 27. Rxd6 Bg6 {White is just about okay here, though, to my human eye, I'd still take Black.}) 22... Rae8 {Black overprotects e4 hard, and now g5 is coming. White is crushed.} 23. Kh2 Bg4 24. Na5 Rf6 25. Kg1 g5 $1 {It is time.} 26. Nxb7 (26. b5 {This might have put up a better fight, but I can't imagine it changing the result.} gxh4 27. bxc6 hxg3 28. fxg3 Qe5 29. Nc4 Qxg3 30. Qe1 Qxe1+ 31. Rxe1 bxc6 {This position is the best the machine can find for White. The ending looks more or less lost to me, but at least he is not mated right away.}) 26... gxh4 27. Nc5 h3 $1 { Everything wins, but this was particularly elegant.} 28. Rxe4 (28. Bxe4 h2+ $1 29. Kg2 Qh3+ 30. Kh1 Rxf2) (28. Bh1 {Normally, this would be the saving grace, but Black's pieces are too active.} h2+ 29. Kf1 Bh3+ 30. Ke1 Bg2 {Time to resign. Black had other wins, but I like this one the most, highlighting the deficiencies in White's pawn structure. His king is unable to evacuate.}) 28... hxg2 $1 {Well calculated.} 29. Rxe8+ Kg7 30. f4 (30. f3 Bxf3 $1 {This line is easy, but nice all the same.} 31. exf3 Qh1+ 32. Kf2 Rxf3+ $1 33. Ke2 (33. Kxf3 g1=Q+ $19) 33... Qf1+ 34. Rxf1 gxf1=Q#) 30... Qh1+ 31. Kf2 Qxa1 32. Kxg2 Bh3+ $1 {Ding resigned rather than face the mate that was sure to come shortly. For example, after} 33. Kxh3 Qh1+ 34. Kg4 h5+ 35. Kg5 Qh3 {White's king is done for.} 0-1 [Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022"] [Site "Madrid"] [Date "2022.06.17"] [Round "1.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2786"] [BlackElo "2760"] [PlyCount "99"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Nc6 { [%emt 0:00:07]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 4. d3 {[%emt 0:00: 14]} Bc5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 5. Bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} dxc6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 6. Nbd2 {[%emt 0:00:19] C65: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence (3...Nf6), unusual lines and 4 0-0 Bc5.} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 7. O-O {[%emt 0:00:26]} Bd6 {[%emt 0:00: 14]} 8. Nb3 {[%emt 0:00:10] White has an edge.} (8. b3 O-O 9. Nc4 Nd7 10. a4 Bxc4 11. bxc4 a5 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Be3 b6 14. h3 Bd6 15. g3 Be7 {½-½ (52) Caruana,F (2828)-Nakamura,H (2749) Chess.com INT 2019}) 8... Qe7 {[%emt 0:11: 18]} 9. Na5 {[%emt 0:00:41] [#]} Rb8 $146 {[%emt 0:03:46]} ({Predecessor:} 9... O-O-O 10. Bd2 Bg4 11. Rb1 Nd7 12. Nc4 Qf6 13. b4 Nf8 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Qxf3 16. gxf3 {0-1 (51) Robson,R (2667)-Dominguez Perez,L (2739) Saint Louis 2019}) 10. Bg5 {[%emt 0:11:59]} h6 {[%emt 0:03:06]} 11. Bh4 {[%emt 0:00:34]} g5 { [%emt 0:02:03]} 12. Bg3 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Nd7 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 13. d4 {[%emt 0: 14:40]} f6 {[%emt 0:01:34]} 14. Qd3 {[%emt 0:13:11]} h5 {[%emt 0:06:46]} 15. dxe5 {[%emt 0:10:58]} Nxe5 {[%emt 0:04:01]} 16. Bxe5 {[%emt 0:02:29]} fxe5 { [%emt 0:01:41]} 17. Nc4 {[%emt 0:00:05]} (17. Qc3 {is interesting.} O-O 18. Nxe5 Qg7 19. Nf3) 17... Rd8 {[%emt 0:14:03]} 18. Nxd6+ {[%emt 0:04:14]} cxd6 { [%emt 0:01:00]} 19. Qe3 {[%emt 0:00:16]} g4 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 20. Nd2 {[%emt 0: 00:43]} a6 {[%emt 0:02:16]} 21. b3 {[%emt 0:07:59]} O-O {[%emt 0:07:19]} 22. f3 {[%emt 0:01:11]} Qg7 {[%emt 0:01:16]} 23. fxg4 {[%emt 0:02:58]} hxg4 {[%emt 0: 07:22]} 24. Rad1 {[%emt 0:03:39]} d5 {[%emt 0:13:01]} (24... Rd7 $11 {keeps the balance.}) 25. exd5 $16 {[%emt 0:02:24]} cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 26. Rde1 { [%emt 0:01:24]} e4 {[%emt 0:08:20]} 27. Rxf8+ {[%emt 0:10:49]} Rxf8 {[%emt 0: 00:58]} 28. c4 {[%emt 0:00:17]} Re8 {[%emt 0:04:31]} 29. cxd5 {[%emt 0:01:01]} Bxd5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 30. Nf1 {[%emt 0:00:39]} Qe5 {[%emt 0:03:51]} 31. Qh6 { [%emt 0:08:24]} Qg7 {[%emt 0:02:07] Prevents Qg6.} 32. Qd6 {[%emt 0:03:54]} Bc6 {[%emt 0:10:19]} 33. Ne3 {[%emt 0:00:19]} g3 {[%emt 0:02:15]} (33... Rf8 $16 34. Qe6+ Kh7) 34. hxg3 {[%emt 0:04:34] Hoping for Nf5. White is more active.} ( 34. Qxg3 Qxg3 35. hxg3 Kg7 $14) (34. Rf1 $1 $18 {and the rest is easy.} Rf8 35. Rxf8+ (35. hxg3 Rxf1+ 36. Nxf1 Qa1 $16) (35. Qxg3 Qxg3 36. hxg3 Rxf1+ 37. Nxf1 Kg7 $16) 35... Qxf8 36. Qxg3+ Kh7 37. h3 (37. Qg5 Qh6 $18)) 34... Qe5 {[%emt 0: 00:40] Against Nf5 Prevents Nf5.} 35. Qg6+ {[%emt 0:05:39]} Qg7 {[%emt 0:00:04] } 36. Qd6 {[%emt 0:00:02] Hoping for Nf5. White is more active.} (36. Qh5 Qxg3 $14) 36... Qe5 {[%emt 0:00:17] Prevents Nf5. Against Nf5} 37. Qh6 {[%emt 0:01: 11] And now Rf1 would win.} Qxg3 {[%emt 0:02:04]} (37... Rf8 $16 {might work better.}) 38. Rf1 $18 {[%emt 0:00:21] Intending Nf5 and mate. Chess con chili.} Qg7 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 39. Qh4 $40 {[%emt 0:00:04] Black needs to defend precisely.} (39. Qd6 $1 $18 {has better winning chances.} Qe7 40. Qf4 (40. Qg6+ Qg7 $18)) 39... Qh7 $1 $11 {[%emt 0:00:31] remains equal.} 40. Qg3+ {[%emt 0: 00:00]} (40. Qf4 Kh8) 40... Qg7 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} 41. Qh4 $40 {[%emt 0:07: 39] Black needs to defend precisely.} Bd7 $16 {[%emt 0:07:12] is more resistant.} 42. Rd1 {[%emt 0:21:32]} Be6 {[%emt 0:07:47] [#] Inhibits Rd5.} ( 42... Re7 $16 {was worth a try.}) 43. Nd5 $1 {[%emt 0:05:23] Strongly threatening Nf6+.} (43. Qxe4 $6 Qg5 $16) 43... Rf8 {[%emt 0:02:44] Against Nf6+ } (43... Bxd5 $2 44. Rxd5 Qa1+ 45. Kh2 $18) 44. Qxe4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} ({Resist } 44. Ne7+ Kf7 45. Nd5 (45. Qxe4 Qg4 $14) (45. Rd6 $2 Qa1+ 46. Kf2 e3+ 47. Ke2 Qb2+ 48. Kxe3 Qe5+ 49. Qe4 Qxd6 $19) 45... Bg4 46. Rf1+ (46. Re1 Ke6 $14) 46... Ke6 47. Rxf8 Qxf8 $16) 44... Qh6 {[%emt 0:05:32]} 45. Re1 {[%emt 0:04:37]} Rd8 $2 {[%emt 0:05:40]} (45... Bxd5 46. Qxd5+ Kh8 47. Qxb7 (47. Re7 Qc1+ 48. Kh2 Qh6+ 49. Kg1 Qc1+ 50. Kh2 Qh6+ 51. Kg1 $11) 47... Qh4) 46. Ne7+ {[%emt 0:01:28] } ({Not} 46. Qxe6+ Qxe6 47. Rxe6 Rxd5 $18) 46... Kf7 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 47. Nf5 { [%emt 0:00:18]} Qf6 {[%emt 0:00:49]} 48. Rf1 {[%emt 0:02:03]} Bd5 {[%emt 0:00: 29]} 49. Nh6+ {[%emt 0:01:27]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 50. Qg4+ {[%emt 0:00:10] Weighted Error Value: White=0.22 (precise) /Black=0.56} 1-0 [Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2022"] [Site "Madrid"] [Date "2022.06.17"] [Round "1.2"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2806"] [BlackElo "2773"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. c4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 2. g3 {[%emt 1:59:58]} c6 {[%emt 0: 00:06]} 3. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e4 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 4. Nd4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:24]} 5. cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Qxd5 {[%emt 0:00:39]} 6. Nc2 { [%emt 0:00:00] A20: English Opening: 1...e5.} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:41]} 7. Nc3 { [%emt 0:00:00]} Qe5 {[%emt 0:00:45] 7...Qe5 scores better than 7...Qh5.} 8. Bg2 {[%emt 0:00:00] The position is equal.} Na6 {[%emt 0:01:10]} 9. O-O {[%emt 0: 00:00]} (9. d3 {with more complications.} exd3 10. Qxd3 Nb4 11. Nxb4 Bxb4 12. Bf4) 9... Be7 {[%emt 0:02:35]} 10. Ne3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} O-O {[%emt 0:01:16] [#] } 11. a3 $146 {[%emt 0:00:00]} ({Predecessor:} 11. Qc2 Nc5 12. b3 Ne6 13. Bb2 Nd4 14. Qd1 Rd8 15. Re1 Be6 16. Nc4 Qh5 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 {1-0 (50) Tyurin,A (2261)-Zemlyanskii,I (2169) Paracin 2022}) 11... Re8 {[%emt 0:08:26]} 12. b4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Ng4 {[%emt 0:08:55]} 13. Bb2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Qh5 { [%emt 0:03:43]} 14. h4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (14. Nxg4 $14 {should be considered.} Bxg4 15. Bxe4) 14... Bf6 {[%emt 0:08:23]} 15. Qc2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nxe3 { [%emt 0:01:45]} 16. dxe3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (16. fxe3 Bf5 17. Rab1 Qg6 $11) 16... Bf5 {[%emt 0:01:28]} 17. Na4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (17. b5 $5 {[%CAl Rb5a6]} Nc5 18. bxc6 $11) 17... Bxb2 {[%emt 0:18:51]} 18. Nxb2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc7 {[%emt 0: 01:11]} 19. Nc4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Re6 {[%emt 0:00:48] Inhibits Nd6.} 20. Rfd1 { [%emt 0:00:00]} Nd5 {[%emt 0:00:29] And now ...g5 would win.} 21. Rd4 {[%emt 0: 00:00]} (21. b5 $11) 21... h6 {[%emt 0:06:32]} ({Black should try} 21... g5 $1 $17 {[%CAl Rg5h4]} 22. hxg5 (22. Bxe4 Rxe4 23. Rxe4 Qg6 $17) 22... Qxg5) 22. Qd2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (22. Rad1 $11 {remains equal.}) 22... Rae8 $1 $17 { [%emt 0:02:55]} 23. Kh2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Bg4 {[%emt 0:03:32]} 24. Na5 {[%emt 0: 00:00]} (24. Qc2 $142) 24... Rf6 {[%emt 0:04:01]} (24... Bxe2 25. Nxb7 Rf6 26. Kg1 $11) ({Better is} 24... g5 $1 {[%CAl Rg5h4]} 25. Rh1 (25. Nxb7 $2 gxh4 26. Kg1 Rg6 $19) 25... gxh4) 25. Kg1 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} g5 $1 {[%emt 0:00:35] Black is more active.} (25... Bxe2 $6 26. Bxe4 Bf3 27. Bc2 $11) (25... Qf5 26. Rf1 $14) 26. Nxb7 $2 {[%emt 0:00:00] This move loses the game for White.} (26. b5 $17 {was the crucial defense.} gxh4 27. bxc6 hxg3 28. fxg3) 26... gxh4 $19 { [%emt 0:00:42]} 27. Nc5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} h3 {[%emt 0:04:46]} ({Avoid the trap} 27... hxg3 $2 28. fxg3 Bf5 29. Rf1 $19) 28. Rxe4 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} (28. Nxe4 $19 Rfe6 29. f3 hxg2 30. Nf2 Nxe3 31. fxg4) 28... hxg2 $1 {[%emt 0:02:54] Black mates.} 29. Rxe8+ {[%emt 0:00:00]} (29. Rxg4+ Qxg4) 29... Kg7 {[%emt 0: 00:04]} 30. f4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Qh1+ {[%emt 0:02:30] Skewer} 31. Kf2 {[%emt 0: 00:00]} Qxa1 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 32. Kxg2 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} Bh3+ $1 {[%emt 0: 00:11] Weighted Error Value: White=0.44/Black=0.11 (very precise)} 0-1