[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.02.18"] [Round "3"] [White "Praggnanandhaa, R..."] [Black "Keymer, Vincent"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C84"] [WhiteElo "2690"] [BlackElo "2690"] [Annotator "rafael"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. Bd2 { A curious move, considering we learn early on that it's better to develop knights before bishops in the opening. White has several more natural moves, but the bishop on d2 has its uses and the Ruy Lopez is such a well-researched opening that you have to break the most conventional rules to try to outwit your opponent.} O-O 9. h3 h6 10. Re1 Rb8 11. a3 Re8 12. Nc3 Bf8 {The last moves by both sides were all very reasonable.} 13. Nd5 (13. Ba2 {A difficult and subtle move, played by Carlsen in 2020. The idea of this retreat, I think, is to prevent the traditional plan of Na5 followed by c7-c5. The position remained balanced after} Ne7 14. Nh4 g5 15. Nf3 Ng6 16. Nh2 {in Carlsen-Vitiugov, Wijk aan Zee 2020.}) 13... Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Ne7 15. Bb3 $1 { [%c_effect b3;square;b3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The right square, as now White has the plan of playing a3-a4 and using the a-file.} (15. Ba2 { led to an equal position after} Ng6 16. d4 c5 {Adams-Wahls, Germany 1996.}) 15... c5 {A new move that was probably prepared beforehand, as Keymer played it quickly. It was predictable that this position could happen, since Praggnanandhaa played all of this in a 2023 game.} (15... Ng6 {was played in the two previous games:} 16. a4 Be6 17. Bxe6 Rxe6 18. axb5 axb5 19. Ra7 (19. Qe2 d5 {with equality in Caruana-Carlsen, Almaty (Wch Blitz) 2022.}) 19... Ra8 20. Qa1 {with a very slight advantage for White in Praggnanandhaa-Salem, Airthings Masters (rapid) 2023.}) 16. a4 $1 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type; GreatFind;persistent;true]} Bb7 {The right way to develop the bishop.} (16... Be6 $2 {[%c_effect e6;square;e6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This move looks natural, in order to exchange the strong bishop on b3, but the position is dangerous for Black after} 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. axb5 axb5 19. Nh4 $1 {[%c_effect h4;square;h4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Followed by Qg4. This is the same plan that we will see later in the game. That's why it's so important to analyze typical ideas in the openings you play. It's quite possible that you will be able to use them in similar positions.}) 17. Nh4 $5 {[%c_effect h4; square;h4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Here it is.} Qc7 $6 {[%c_effect c7; square;c7;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Played after a long thought. Probably Keymer was out of book at this point. It's better to play 17...d5 and fight for counterplay immediately.} (17... d5 $1 {[%c_effect d5;square;d5;type; GreatFind;persistent;true]} 18. axb5 axb5 19. exd5 Nxd5 (19... Bxd5 {is also possible, with equality.}) 20. Qh5 Qc7 {Black is preparing …c5-c4 and has a decent position.}) 18. axb5 axb5 19. Qg4 $1 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type; GreatFind;persistent;true] Now the position becomes dangerous as there is no way to defend the h6-pawn.} Qc8 (19... c4 20. dxc4 bxc4 21. Ba4 {This is similar to the game continuation.}) 20. Qg3 c4 21. dxc4 bxc4 22. Ba4 Bc6 23. Bxh6 {Without the h-pawn, Black's position seems insecure, even though nothing serious is happening at the moment.} Rxb2 (23... Bxa4 $5 {[%c_effect a4;square; a4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] is possible to remove the defense of c2. This involves sacrificing the c4-pawn after} 24. Rxa4 Rxb2 25. Qc3 Qb7 26. Bc1 Rb1 27. Rxc4 {but Black gets enough compensation after} d5 $1 {[%c_effect d5; square;d5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 28. exd5 Nxd5) 24. Bc1 $1 { [%c_effect c1;square;c1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The bishop performs a dribble. First he expels the rook from b2, which could capture the c2-pawn. But the plan is to go back to the attack.} Rb7 $6 {[%c_effect b7;square;b7; type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] This is a serious inaccuracy. Black should sacrifice the exchange.} (24... Rb4 {is also dangerous after} 25. Bxc6 Qxc6 26. Bg5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}) (24... Bxa4 $1 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] This is the move. I fell in love with this idea when I saw it. For the cost of an exchange, Black is almost sure not be checkmated. A nice deal, if you ask me.} 25. Bxb2 Bxc2 {With a strong light-squared bishop and the passed c-pawn, the compensation is adequate. And, more importantly, the character of the game is changed. I love exchange sacrifices (when I'm not the one playing the game).}) 25. Bg5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The annoying bishop is back.} Bxa4 26. Rxa4 Qc6 $6 {[%c_effect c6;square;c6;type; Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} (26... d5 $1 {[%c_effect d5;square;d5;type; GreatFind;persistent;true] Black needs to start taking drastic measures to get active play before it's too late.} 27. Bxe7 Rbxe7 28. exd5 e4 {For the price of a pawn, the position has become sharp, and the knight on h4 is no longer so dangerous.}) 27. Ra5 $1 {[%c_effect a5;square;a5;type;GreatFind;persistent; true] The right square, preventing …d6-d5.} (27. Ra3 $2 {[%c_effect a3; square;a3;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} d5 $1 {[%c_effect d5;square;d5;type; GreatFind;persistent;true]}) 27... Qc7 28. Ra6 {Black's position is very dangerous now, and it will get worse soon.} Nc6 (28... d5 {The computer indicates this move as a better chance, but it doesn't look so pretty now.}) 29. c3 $1 {[%c_effect c3;square;c3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] What an irresistible move $1 One of the best feelings in chess occurs when we make a move that makes our opponent's knight sad.} Rb3 30. Nf5 {The white pieces are concentrated around the black king and are ready for the final assault.} Nd4 31. Bf6 $1 {[%c_effect f6;square;f6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Ne6 (31... Nxf5 32. exf5 {This leads to a winning attack. The threat is 33.Bxg7 followed by 34.f6.} Kh7 33. Re4 $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent; true]} gxf6 34. Rh4+ Bh6 35. Qe3 {with mate in four moves.}) 32. Rxd6 $1 { [%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] I love games where there's a sense of harmony, where one move leads to another naturally. This game is one of them. Note that when Praggnanandhaa played 15.Bb3, he intended to bring this rook to life via the a-file with a3-a4. That's exactly what happened in the game, and the culmination of that plan comes now. Of course, he didn't imagine that this rook would be sacrificed on d6 on move 32; after all, you can't predict everything. But the sacrifice did not come out of the blue; it is a consequence of all the precise previous play by White.} Rxc3 { A nice move to distract the queen from g3, but this piece will come back in a moment.} (32... Bxd6 $2 {[%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 33. Nxg7) 33. Qxc3 Bxd6 34. Qg3 $1 {[%c_effect g3;square;g3;type;GreatFind; persistent;true]} Bf8 (34... g6 $2 {[%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;Mistake; persistent;true]} 35. Qh4) 35. Bxe5 {White is a pawn up and the attack continues. Furthermore, the pawn on c4 is more of a weakness than a strength.} Qd7 36. Kh2 Qb7 37. Qg4 $1 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent; true] A good move, preparing either Ne3 or a plan with Re3-g3.} Rd8 38. Rc1 Qa7 (38... Rc8 39. Ne3 $1 {[%c_effect e3;square;e3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The result of the game is not in doubt.}) 39. Rc2 {Defending the f2-pawn.} Qc5 {This loses immediately, but it's hard to suggest.} (39... Rc8 40. Nxg7 $1 { [%c_effect g7;square;g7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Bxg7 41. Bxg7 $18) 40. Nh6+ Kh7 41. Nxf7 Re8 42. f4 Kg8 43. Qg6 1-0