[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2019.09.14"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Rakhmanov, Alexander"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A35"]
[WhiteElo "2606"]
[BlackElo "2718"]
[Annotator "Vidit,Santosh Gujrathi"]
[PlyCount "124"]
[EventDate "2019.09.10"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 192"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.31"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.31"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
1. c4 {Apart from the English, my opponent also started with 1.d4.} c5 2. Nf3
Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 (5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nc7 {leads to more fighting
positions. Also, it reminds me of some bitter memories where I couldn't win a
+6 position against Ding Liren in the previous World Cup!} 7. a3 g6 8. h4 Bg4
9. d3 Bg7 10. Be3 Nd4 11. Bxd4 cxd4 12. Ne4 O-O 13. O-O b6 14. Rc1 Qd7 15. Nh2
Bf5 16. Ng5 Nd5 17. Qb3 Rfd8 18. g4 Be6 19. Nxe6 Qxe6 20. Rc2 Be5 21. Nf3 Bg7
22. g5 Qf5 23. Rfc1 Nf4 24. Bf1 h6 25. Rc7 Nd5 26. Rb7 hxg5 27. hxg5 Rdb8 28.
Rxb8+ Rxb8 29. Bh3 Qxh3 30. Qxd5 Rc8 31. Rxc8+ Qxc8 32. Kg2 Qg4+ 33. Kf1 Qh3+
34. Kg1 Qg4+ 35. Kf1 Qh3+ 36. Kg1 Qg4+ 37. Kh2 Qf4+ 38. Kg2 Qg4+ 39. Kh2 {
1/2-1/2 (39) Ding,L (2771) -Vidit,S (2702) Tbilisi 2017 CBM 181 [Vidit,S]})
5... cxd4 6. Nxd4 dxc4 7. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 8. Nxd1 bxc6 {This is a semi forgotten
line. It used to be popular in 90s and early 2000s. Black's pawn structure is
compromised, but he hopes that his activity will compensate for it.} 9. Bg2 Nd5
10. Ne3 e6 11. Nxc4 Ba6 12. Ne3 $6 {A strange move. Now to castle or develop
the queenside White have to spend extra tempis. I expected Rakhamanov to be
prepared as I had already played this twice before.} (12. b3 {and}) (12. Na5 {
are the mainlines.}) 12... Rb8 13. b3 Be7 {Not the most incisive. In hindsight
and with engine on, it seems better to force exchanges.} (13... Bb4+ $1 14. Bd2
Ke7 15. Rc1 Rhc8 {It's not easy for White to avoid exchanges.} 16. Bxb4+ Rxb4
17. Kd2 Nxe3 18. Kxe3 c5 {With next move being c4, it's completely equal.}) 14.
Bd2 O-O 15. Bf3 {Defending e2 and preparing to castle short.} Rfd8 $5 16. Ba5 (
16. O-O {looked like the most obvious move, but I was thinking of some tricky
lines like...} Nf4 $5 17. Ba5 (17. gxf4 Rxd2 $17) 17... Bxe2 $1 (17... Nxe2+
18. Bxe2 Bxe2 19. Bxd8 Rxd8 20. Rfe1 $16) 18. Bxd8 Bxf3 $1 19. gxf4 (19. Bxe7
Nh3#) 19... Rxd8 $44 {I didn't know how to assess it. I feel Black has enough
compensation and even chances to take over the advantage if White is
inaccurate. His next moves are easier than White's.}) (16. Rc1 Nb4) (16. h4 {
Is stockfish's first choice. I don't know how to rationalize it! :)}) 16...
Rdc8 (16... Nxe3 {It looks good to spoil the structure. But I didn't like that
White gets a lot of play in return. For example} 17. fxe3 Rdc8 18. Rd1 {
and the threat of Rd7 is unpleasant.}) 17. Rd1 $5 Bc5 $5 {Trying to force
exchanges.} 18. Bd2 Kf8 $1 {Precise! Bringing the last piece in the game.} (
18... Nxe3 19. Bxe3 Bxe3 20. fxe3 {and the threats of Rd6/d7 are annoying.})
19. O-O Ke7 $6 {I really dislike this move. I underestimated the danger of the
resulting positions. Now that White had castled and coordinated, it was my
last chance to simplify the position.} (19... Nxe3 20. Bxe3 Bxe3 21. fxe3 Ke7
22. Rd4 {with ideas of Ra4 bothered me, but apparently it#s parried easily.}
Bb5 (22... c5 23. Ra4 Rb6 24. Rc1 Rc7 {should also hold.}) 23. a4 c5 24. Rg4
Be8 $1 25. Rxg7 Rxb3 26. Bh5 {I saw this far, but misevaluated the endgame.
Black is the one who is better!} c4 27. Bxf7 Bxf7 28. Rgxf7+ Kd6 $132 {With
the c-pawn marching, Black has a lot of play.}) 20. Nc2 $1 $14 {Suddenly all
my pieces are awkwardly placed. The bishop stops the c-pawn. The rook on b8
and c8 shoot at empty spaces. Whereas White can slowly improve the pieces.} (
20. Nc4 {I only considered this, but it allows exchanges} Bxc4 21. bxc4 Nb6
$132) 20... h6 $6 {Mistakes comes in pairs!} (20... Bd6 {Trying to push the c
pawn immediately was the right plan. Rfe1 with idea of e4-e5 bothered me, but}
21. Rfe1 Be5 $1 {takes care of the e4-e5 ideas.}) 21. Rc1 $16 {The position is
extremely unpleasant for Black. He simply can't move any of his pieces! The
only thing which kept me motivated was the time difference. If I remember
correctly, my opponent only had 5-6 minutes for the rest of the game.} g5 22.
Rfd1 f5 23. e4 fxe4 24. Bxe4 Rd8 $6 {I missed Ba5. There is lot of truth to
the saying 'The chances of mistakes are higher in worse positions'.} 25. Ba5
Rdc8 26. Nd4 {The most obvious move. Me and as well as my opponent looked at
only this move. White gains the bishop pair with a tempo. In fact it's a
mistake as it allows Black a lot of counterplay. The best is to slowly improve
the position without allowing play. Usually a good strategy in such positions!}
(26. Bg2 {preparing Nd4, as White would have a square on e4 after c5 like in
the game.}) 26... Bxd4 27. Rxd4 c5 28. Rd2 $6 (28. Rdd1 $1 {Now ...Rb5 isn't
effective as the bishop can retreat.}) 28... Rb5 $1 29. Bc3 Nxc3 30. Rxc3 Rb4
$11 {I breathed a sigh of relief! I can play c4 and equalize.} 31. Re3 $2 {
Time pressure took its toll! f3 was a simple draw.} (31. f3 c4 $11) 31... Rd4
$17 32. Rxd4 (32. Rc2 {leads to a nice tactic:} Rd1+ 33. Kg2 Bf1+ 34. Kf3 h5 $1
{The only way to win!} 35. Bf5 Kf6 $1 36. Bxe6 g4+ 37. Kf4 Rd4+ $19) 32... cxd4
33. Re1 Kd6 34. f3 e5 35. Kf2 (35. h4 $1 {exchanging pawns immediately.}) 35...
Rc3 (35... Rc7 $1 {A brilliant suggestion by the machine.} 36. h4 g4 $3 {
sacrificing to get connected passed pawns!} 37. fxg4 Bb7 $1 $19 38. Bxb7 Rxb7
39. Ke2 Kd5 40. Rf1 Rc7 $19) 36. h4 Bd3 (36... g4 {I thought about the similar
motif as in the previous comment, but here the rook is misplaced on d3.} 37.
fxg4 Bd3 38. Bxd3 Rxd3 39. g5 hxg5 40. hxg5 Rc3 41. g6 Rc7 42. Re4 $11) (36...
gxh4 $5 {keeps one extra pair of pawns.} 37. gxh4 Bd3 38. Bxd3 Rxd3 39. f4 exf4
40. Re4 f3 41. h5 {Although, I feel that this should be a draw as well.}) 37.
Bxd3 Rxd3 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. f4 ({I was worried about} 39. Re4 $1 Rd2+ 40. Re2 {
The pawn endgame is just equal and I feared that the rook endgame is just
equal.} Rd1 41. f4 $1 exf4 42. gxf4 gxf4 43. Re4 Rd2+ 44. Kf3 Kc5 45. Rxf4 Rxa2
46. Ke4 $11) 39... exf4 40. gxf4 g4 $5 (40... gxf4 41. Re4 f3 {I felt it's not
easy to progress.} 42. Rf4 Kc5 43. Rf7 (43. Rxf3 Rxf3+ 44. Kxf3 Kb4 45. Ke2 Kc3
46. Kd1 a5 47. Kc1 d3 48. Kd1 Kb2 49. Kd2 Kxa2 50. Kxd3 Kxb3 $19) 43... a5 44.
Rb7 $1 Re3 45. Rd7 $11) 41. Re4 (41. Re5 $5 {We both underestimated White's
activity in the following line:} Rf3+ 42. Ke2 Rxf4 43. Ra5 Ke6 44. Rxa7 Rf7 45.
Ra8 Rg7 46. Rd8 g3 47. Kf1 $11) 41... Rf3+ 42. Ke2 d3+ 43. Kd2 g3 {A very
interesting endgame. During the game I felt that White can draw, but with
difficulty.} 44. Ra4 $2 (44. Re5 $1 Rxf4 45. Rg5 Rf3 {It's not easy to
understand that the best way is to simply give a pawn and get the rook behind.
But when you compare to the game, White here is a couple of tempi up.}) (44. f5
{I thought this is the best way. But now I think it loses.} Kd5 $1 {Apparently
this is very strong.} (44... Rxf5 45. Kxd3 Rg5 46. Re1 g2 47. Rg1 Kc5 48. a3 $1
Rg3+ 49. Ke4 $11) 45. Ra4 a5 $3 (45... Ke5 46. Rxa7 {and the rook gets to g7
behind the g3 pawn.}) 46. f6 (46. Rxa5+ Ke4 47. Ra4+ Kxf5 {White has to waste
tempi to get to the g-file.}) 46... Ke6 47. Rg4 Kxf6 48. Rg8 Kf5 49. a3 Kf4 50.
b4 a4 51. b5 Rf2+ 52. Kxd3 Rf3+ $1 53. Ke2 Rb3 $19 {Beautiful line!}) 44... Rf1
$1 {The threat of g2 is very hard to meet.} 45. Ra6+ Kd5 46. Rg6 Rf3 {Black
has improved his king's position, compared to two moves earlier.} 47. Ra6 Rxf4
{Hard to imagine that taking a free pawn could be inaccurate!} (47... Ke4 $1 {
wins by force, although one needs to calculate the pawn race until the end.}
48. Ra4+ Kf5 49. Rxa7 Rxf4 50. Rf7+ Kg4 (50... Ke4 51. Re7+ Kf3 52. Kxd3 g2 53.
Re1 Kf2 54. Rc1 g1=Q 55. Rxg1 Kxg1 56. a4 $132) 51. Rg7+ Kf3 52. Kxd3 g2 53.
Rxg2 Kxg2 54. a4 Kf3 $1 55. a5 Kg4 $1 56. a6 (56. Kc3 Kf5 57. a6 Ke6) 56... Rf6
) 48. Rg6 Rf3 49. a4 $6 {The wrong pawn!} (49. b4 $1 Ke4 50. Rg4+ Kf5 51. Rg7
Kf4 52. a4 Rf2+ 53. Kxd3 g2 54. Kc4 Re2 55. Rf7+ Ke3 56. Rg7 Kf2 57. Kb5 Re7 (
57... g1=Q 58. Rxg1 Kxg1 59. Ka6 $132) 58. Rxe7 g1=Q 59. Rxa7 Qg5+ 60. Ka6 {
And probably it's a draw?!}) 49... a5 $1 $19 50. Rg5+ Ke4 51. Rg4+ Kf5 52. Rg7
Kf4 53. Rg8 Ke4 54. Rg4+ Kf5 55. Rg7 Kf4 56. Rg8 Rf2+ $1 {I didn't see that
this is winning instantly, but after a while I saw the idea with ...Rb2 and I
couldn't see a defense for White.} 57. Kxd3 g2 {Threatening Rf3-g3} 58. Kc4 Rb2
$1 (58... Re2 {also wins with the same idea of checking and covering the
g-file.}) 59. Kb5 (59. Kc3 Re2 60. Kc4 Kf3 {Re4-g4 is next.}) (59. Kc5 Kf3 60.
Kb6 Rxb3+ 61. Kxa5 Kf2 62. Rxg2+ Kxg2 63. Ka6 Kf3 64. a5 Ke4 65. Ka7 Kd5 66. a6
Kc6 $19) 59... Rxb3+ 60. Kxa5 Rg3 61. Rf8+ Ke5 62. Re8+ Kd6 0-1
