[Event "Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2023"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.05.07"] [Round "2"] [White "Deac, Bogdan-Daniel"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2700"] [BlackElo "2794"] [Annotator "Rafael"] [PlyCount "88"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] {[%evp 0,88,19,31,14,-14,-11,0,0,6,24,3,23,23,51,44,58,27,29,15,50,36,55,56,45,45,45,45,45,-20,-21,-29,-13,-30,-31,-5,-24,-24,-4,-4,-29,-52,-41,-57,-44,-44,-44,-44,-39,-39,-37,-8,-8,-49,-8,-14,-7,-30,23,-17,0,-75,-32,-87,-88,-123,-123,-141,-122,-182,-183,-183,-161,-182,-158,-202,-155,-178,-154,-167,-143,-133,-161,-168,-163,-197,-212,-235,-236,-236,-224]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 {In the earliest days of the Queen's Gambit Declined, the bishop was almost always developed to g5. For some time now, however, elite grandmasters have favored this move and it has become the main line.} O-O 6. e3 c5 {The classical way of playing. 6...Nbd7 is very popular nowadays, but Nepomniachtchi is clearly using his world championship preparation.} 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. a3 Nc6 9. Qc2 Qa5 10. Rd1 (10. O-O-O {was played a lot in the past and there are some Kasparov games with it. But Black has already found the correct way to equalize.}) 10... h6 {A very rare move, but one that was used by Caruana last year. Black takes prophylactic measures while waiting for White to develop the f1-bishop.} (10... Be7 {is the main line.}) (10... Ne4 {To better understand the merits of the move played in the game, it's important to examine this more natural choice.} 11. cxd5 Nxc3 12. bxc3 exd5 13. Rxd5 Qxa3 14. Ng5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] with a promising position for White. Now we can see one of the reasons the pawn on h6 is useful.}) (10... Re8 {was played in the famous Korchnoi-Karpov 1978 world championship match and led to a brilliant win for White. Nakamura, in modern times, popularized this move again.}) 11. Be2 (11. b4 $2 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} Nxb4 12. axb4 Bxb4 {with a strong attack.}) (11. Bd3 d4 $1 {[%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 12. exd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Bxd4 14. Bh7+ Nxh7 15. Rxd4 e5 16. Rd5 Qa6 17. Rxe5 Qxc4 {was equal in Sulskis-Ssegwanyi, Batumi (ol) 2018.}) (11. Nd2 {is an important move and no doubt Nepomniachtchi, his team, and his supercomputers have something to show here.}) 11... Ne4 $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Now is the time.} (11... Be7 {was played by Caruana on April 9, 2022, a Saturday. A week later, he improved his game and tried the move that must have inspired Nepomniachtchi. Following in Caruana's opening footsteps is hardly a bad idea.} 12. O-O dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nh5 14. Ba2 Nxf4 15. exf4 {with the initiative for White in Le-Caruana, Chess.com (rapid) 2022.}) 12. cxd5 {Vidit-Caruana, Chess.com (rapid) 2022, ended in a draw here.} exd5 {Officially a novelty, but there could have been a transposition if White chose a different capture on c3 later on.} (12... Nxc3 13. bxc3 (13. Qxc3 {An important point is that this move now forces the exchange of queens, something that will be avoided in the game.}) 13... exd5 14. Rxd5 {I ask the reader to commit this position to memory, as it will soon be the subject of a philosophical inquiry. Certainly it has been carefully studied by the Nepomniachtchi team.} Qxa3 15. O-O Rd8 16. Rh5 Bg4 17. Rh4 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Bf8 {Gozzoli-Fressinet, FRA-ch 2022.}) 13. Rxd5 Nxc3 14. Qxc3 {Note that if White had captured with the pawn here, then we have the position of Gozzoli-Fressinet again. I ask the philosophical reader: who really made the novelty, Black with 12...Nxc3 or White with 14.Qxc3 $2 The question is not easy to answer, as 12...Nxc3 is a precise move order, which gives Black one more option.} Bb4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] A tactical detail that wins the exchange, although White has compensation. The computer evaluates the position as equality, but I prefer an even position an exchange up than an exchange down.} (14... Qxc3+ {is also possible. After} 15. bxc3 Bxa3 16. Nd4 {White can fight for a small advantage in this endgame, but my machine is not too worried.}) 15. axb4 Qxd5 16. b5 Ne7 17. O-O Be6 18. Nd4 {The knight on d4 and the pair of bishops provide compensation for White.} Nf5 $1 {[%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Forcing the exchange of the Pegasus.} 19. Nxe6 Qxe6 20. h3 {The first thing my seven-year-old son does after castling is to advance the rook pawn so the king gets an air. I insist on telling him to think of more useful moves, but elite grandmasters complicate my life as a teacher.} (20. Bc4 $1 {[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is more accurate.}) 20... Rfd8 21. Bf3 Rac8 22. Qa5 b6 23. Qxa7 {Black surrenders a pawn on the queenside to displace the white queen and begin the invasion with the rooks.} g5 $5 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Nepomniachtchi in his element: play with the initiative.} 24. Bh2 Nh4 $1 {[%c_effect h4;square;h4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 25. Bb7 {A bit of a sad square, but taking the bishop to c6 is not a good idea.} (25. Bc6 $2 {[%c_effect c6;square;c6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] loses to} Rxc6 26. bxc6 Qxc6 27. f3 Qc2) 25... Rc2 26. Qa4 Rc4 {A difficult move, since Black had plenty of options.} (26... Rxb2 27. Bc7 Rdd2 28. Qa8+ Kg7 {I would be terrified of having White in this position, but the computer insists that everything is fine after} 29. Bc6 {for instance:} Rxf2 30. Rxf2 Qxe3 31. Bg3 Qxg3 32. Rxf7+ Kxf7 33. Qe8+ Kf6 34. Qh8+ {with a draw.}) (26... Rdd2 27. Qe4 $5 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} Qxe4 28. Bxe4 Rxb2 29. Bc6 {with good drawing chances for White.}) 27. Qa6 (27. Qb3 $2 {[%c_effect b3;square;b3;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} Rd7 $1 {[%c_effect d7;square;d7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] and suddenly it transpires that the b7-bishop is in trouble.}) (27. Qa2 {The machine likes this timid move and indicates equality.}) 27... Kg7 {A useful move, preventing checks on the eighth rank.} 28. b4 (28. b3 {is more accurate.} Rc2 29. Qa1+ f6 30. Qa4 {the queen can use the fourth rank.}) 28... Rc2 (28... Rxb4 $6 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 29. Bc6 {Now the exchange sac on c6 is no longer available.}) 29. Qa1+ f6 30. Kh1 (30. e4 $5 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] is a difficult and good move. The idea is that after} Rdd2 31. Bg3 {the knight cannot go to f5.}) 30... Rdd2 31. Bg3 $2 {[%c_effect g3;square;g3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] White is lost after this move.} (31. Qa7 $1 {[%c_effect a7;square;a7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is necessary.} Ra2 32. Qb8 {Surprisingly, White's position is acceptable, although the game remains very complicated and Black is certainly better in practical play.}) 31... Nf5 $1 {[%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 32. Bc6 {The g3-bishop cannot move because the f2-pawn falls.} Ra2 33. Qb1 h5 34. Qe4 Qxe4 35. Bxe4 Nxg3+ 36. fxg3 Rab2 {The endgame is easily winning for Black.} 37. Bf3 Kh6 38. g4 h4 39. Bc6 Kg7 40. Kh2 Rxb4 41. Ra1 Re2 42. Kg1 Rbb2 43. Ra7+ Kf8 44. Ra8+ Ke7 {0-} 0-1