[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.05.31"] [Round "17"] [White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Black "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E11"] [WhiteElo "2751"] [BlackElo "2753"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,69,27,17,28,-6,6,6,6,-24,-2,-2,14,0,0,9,21,19,20,15,12,-12,-11,-19, -24,-14,0,-52,-56,-57,-8,-49,-20,-15,-7,-1,-1,-9,-8,0,17,17,13,-33,-38,-76,-65, -105,13,-1,-23,-80,-87,-21,-8,-20,-36,-50,-59,-59,0,-122,-64,-64,-35,-35,-17, -17,-17,-17,0,-17]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 b6 9. Nc3 {For the decisive game of the tournament, Mamedyarov decided to sacrifice a pawn in the opening. As usual.} ({To more cautious play leads:} 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Nc3 Nfd7 11. Nf3 a5 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Rfc1 Nc6 14. Qb3 Rc8 15. Nb5 {And now thanks to the following neat maneuver} Nf6 16. e3 Ne4 17. Be1 Nd6 $1 {Black equalized in full in Markus,R (2627)-Sjugirov,S (2680) Belgrade 2022}) 9... dxc4 10. e4 {The QGA, the Catalan, and their siblings all offer the c4-pawn in return for a strong center and kingside-attacking chances.} Nbd7 11. e5 {Removing the important defender.} Nd5 12. Ne4 {The chess pieces do not like central vacuum.} Ba6 13. Neg5 g6 14. h4 { All of this has been seen before, but now Radjabov comes up with a novelty.} Kg7 $146 {A move that overprotects the vital g6-point.} ({The predecessor is an email game that witnessed a quick draw after:} 14... c5 15. Rad1 ({However} 15. Rfe1 $5 {deserves attention instead, and after} cxd4 16. Nxd4 {White's initiative seems strong.}) 15... Qe8 16. h5 Rd8 17. Qa4 Nb8 18. Qc2 Nd7 19. Qa4 Nb8 20. Qc2 Nd7 {1/2-1/2 (20) Beecham,C (2478)-James,A (2400) ICCF email 2020}) ({Black could have also taken the exchange at once} 14... c3 15. bxc3 Bxf1 16. Bxf1 {with similar play as in the game.}) 15. h5 {Offering the exchange once again.} ({The other way to play it is} 15. Rfe1 $5 {Overprotecting the center and intending to meet} c5 {with} 16. Rad1) 15... c3 {And this time, Radjabov accepts the offer.} ({There is, however, an alternative. Wild, bewildering, and frightening but one that the machine does not fear} 15... c5 $1 {then} 16. Rfe1 cxd4 {is likely met with} 17. Nxd4 Bxg5 18. Bxd5 exd5 ({Or also} 18... Bxd2 19. Qxd2 exd5 20. e6 Qf6 21. exd7 Rad8 {with full compensation for the pawns thanks to the perfect knight.}) 19. e6 $1 {and after some more fun} Nc5 20. Bc3 Kg8 ({Or} 20... Bf6 21. e7) 21. e7 Qd6 ({But not} 21... Bxe7 $2 22. Nc6 ) 22. exf8=Q+ Rxf8 {we reach a total mess with approximately balanced character.}) 16. bxc3 Bxf1 17. Bxf1 {The compensation for the exchange is clear. On top of that, Mamedyarov threatens to chase the black knight even farther from the kingside with c3-c4, and Radjabov needs to find only-moves.} b5 $1 {The best defense $1} ({The annoying knight cannot be chased away} 17... h6 $1 {due to} 18. Nxe6+ fxe6 19. Qxg6+ Kh8 20. Qxh6+ Kg8 21. Qg6+ Kh8 22. Bd3 {With winning attack, e.g.} Rf5 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Qxe6+ Rf7 25. Bg6 (25. h6)) ({ The annoying knight cannot chased away either.} 17... Bxg5 $2 18. Bxg5 Qe8 19. Qd2 {as Black is too weak on the dark squares.}) ({Finally, allowing c2-c3 is also deadly for Black, say} 17... a5 $2 18. c4 Nb4 19. Qe4) 18. Qe4 $1 { Transferring the main attacker close to the black king.} Qe8 $1 {Another neat defense $1 The g6-pawn is once again additionally covered.} ({The immediate trade} 18... Bxg5 19. Nxg5 Qe8 {would have allowed Mamedyarov an additional resource} 20. Qh1 $1 ({In comparison} 20. Qh4 h6 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Ne4 g5 { looks safer for Black.}) 20... h6 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Ne4 g5 {and the extra tempo can be used for something constructive, like} 23. Bd3) 19. Bd3 ({Black would have likely parried the direct attack} 19. Qh4 {with} h6 20. hxg6 Bxg5 21. Nxg5 fxg6 $1 (21... hxg5 $4 22. Qh7#) 22. Ne4 g5 23. Qg4 Qg6) 19... Bxg5 { Now he can.} 20. Nxg5 h6 21. hxg6 ({Or else} 21. Nf3 f5 22. exf6+ N7xf6 23. Qe2 g5 {trying to lock the kingside.}) 21... fxg6 {Once again, an only-move.} ( 21... hxg5 $2 {loses after} 22. gxf7 Rxf7 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Qh8+ Ke7 25. Bxg5+ N7f6 26. exf6+ {when White has a huge attack with enough material.}) 22. Nf3 ({ Black would have reacted to} 22. Nh3 {in the same way as in the game.} N7b6) 22... N7b6 {At last, Radjabov has stabilized the kingside, but Mamedyarov prepares to bring on the last reserves.} 23. Kg2 $1 h5 ({The other way to defend is} 23... Qf7 {and this is somewhat more precise. For example, after} 24. Rh1 h5 25. g4 {Black has the interesting} Qxf3+ $5 ({Or} 25... Nc4 { as in the game.}) 26. Qxf3 Rxf3 27. Kxf3 Rh8 {looking for a fortress.}) 24. Rh1 ({White got an additional chance, and the complicated play after} 24. Nh4 $5 Qf7 25. Qe2 Ne7 26. Be4 Nbd5 27. Nf3 Nf5 {might have been Mamedayrov's practical choice as his opponent was running very short of time.}) 24... Qf7 25. g4 Nc4 ({There is still} 25... Qxf3+ $5 26. Qxf3 Rxf3 27. Kxf3 Rh8 { But Black obviously wanted to avoid this endgame.}) 26. Bg5 $1 {Now it seems as Black's position is about to collapse at any moment.} Nxc3 27. Bf6+ Kg8 28. Qe1 ({Maybe} 28. Qxc6 $5 {is a try, although Black can also defend here with} Rac8 29. Qa6 Qd7 30. gxh5 Nd5 31. hxg6 Nxf6 32. exf6 Rxf6 33. Rh7 Qc6 $1 { and still, this might have given White better chances for the full point.}) 28... Nd5 29. Ng5 ({Or} 29. gxh5 Nxf6 30. hxg6 Qg7 31. exf6 Qxf6 32. Rh3 Rae8 { with sharp, unclear position.}) 29... Qd7 30. Bxg6 {Almost mate, but...} Nxf6 $1 {Radjabov demonstrates amazing resilience when under pressure.} ({Instead} 30... Nf4+ $2 31. Kg1 Nxg6 32. Qe4 $1 Rxf6 33. exf6 Nf8 34. Rxh5 {would have led to a decisive attack for Mamedyarov.}) 31. exf6 Rxf6 32. Bh7+ Kg7 33. Rxh5 Raf8 {This presents White one last chance to play for the overall win of the tournament.} ({Safer is} 33... Rh8 $1 34. Ne4 Qxd4 35. Nxf6 Qxf6) 34. f3 { And Mamedyarov decided that the risk is too much and offered a draw on the next move.} ({Strong is} 34. Bf5 $1 {when Radjabov still had to find a lot of strong moves to save the game with} Qd5+ 35. f3 exf5 ({Less accurate is} 35... Ne3+ 36. Qxe3 exf5 37. Qe7+ R8f7 38. Nxf7 Qxf7 39. Qd8 {when Black is in great danger.}) 36. Rh7+ Kg6 37. Qh4 {And now} Ne3+ $1 38. Kg1 fxg4 39. Qh5+ Kf5 40. Ne4+ Kf4 {This king somehow escapes $1} ({But neither here} 40... Ke6 $2 41. Nc5+) 41. Qh2+ Kf5 $1 ({Nor there} 41... Kxf3 42. Nd2#) 42. Rh5+ Kg6 43. Rxd5 cxd5 44. Nxf6 Rxf6 {and this should be a draw.}) 34... Rh8 35. Qc3 {PLAY CHESS, NO WAR $1} 1/2-1/2