[Event "Chess.com"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.03.04"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Predke, Alexandr"]
[Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B95"]
[WhiteElo "2682"]
[BlackElo "2761"]
[Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qf3 {A rare
line, which became popular thanks to the efforts of the unforgettable
Bronstein. Recently Nepomniachtchi added it to his repertoire as well.} Be7 ({
The above-mentioned players ended up in identical positions, seprated appart
by almost seventy years of chess development and a modest pawn advance (on a3)
} 7... Nbd7 8. O-O-O Qc7 9. a3 (9. Qg3 b5 10. Bxb5 axb5 11. Ndxb5 Qb8 12. Nxd6+
Bxd6 13. Qxd6 Qxd6 14. Rxd6 {as in Bronstein,D-Najdorf,M Buenos Aires 1954})
9... Be7 10. Qg3 b5 11. Bxb5 axb5 12. Ndxb5 Qb8 13. Nxd6+ Bxd6 14. Qxd6 Qxd6
15. Rxd6 {interestingly both White players won in these games, Nepomniachtchi,
I (2784)-Abdusattorov,$146 (2627) Chess.com INT 2020}) 8. O-O-O Qa5 {
Vachier-Lagrave is as always perfectly prepared in his beloved Najdorf.} ({
In the majority of the cases Black prefers to develop his knight on d7, here,
or on the next move. Here is an example:} 8... Nbd7 9. Be2 Qc7 10. Qg3 b5 11.
a3 Bb7 12. Rhe1 Rc8 13. f4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Bxe7 Kxe7 16. Bd3 Bxd3 17.
Qxd3 Nc5 18. Nf5+ Kf6 19. Qg3 Ne4 20. Qxg7+ Kxf5 21. g4+ Kxf4 22. Rf1+ {
1-0 (22) Yoo,C (2647)-Drygalov,S (2838) Chess.com INT 2020}) 9. h4 Bd7 $5 {
[%mdl 4] Black indicates that he would like to develop his knight to c6.} (9...
Nbd7) 10. Bc4 $146 {After a heavy thought, Predke decided to switch to
Sozin-like development.} ({The predecessor saw:} 10. g4 Nc6 11. Nb3 Qc7 12. Qe2
b5 13. Be3 h5 14. g5 Ng4 15. a3 Rb8 16. Bd2 b4 {with active counter-play for
Black, Sedlak,$146 (2524)-Ljubicic,F (2406) Pula 2003}) ({Critical seems} 10.
e5 $5 dxe5 {when} 11. Qxb7 $2 {certainly does not work due to} ({However} 11.
Nxe6 $1 {leads to interesting complications and unclear play after} fxe6 12.
Bxf6 O-O 13. Qxb7 gxf6 14. Rxd7 ({But not} 14. Qxa8 $2 Bc6 15. Qa7 Bc5 {
when the queen is suddenly trapped.}) 14... Nxd7 15. Qxd7 Kf7 {and it is
anyone's game.}) 11... exd4 12. Qxa8 Qb6 {and Black wins material.}) ({The
machine likes Bronstein's} 10. Qg3 $5) 10... Nc6 11. Bb3 h6 ({Another way to
play it is} 11... Nxd4 12. Rxd4 Bc6 {but Vachier-Lagrave wants to keep this
knight alive for greater deeds.}) 12. Be3 ({Perhaps the computer's} 12. Nxc6
Bxc6 13. Bf4 {is an improvement $2}) 12... Ne5 13. Qe2 ({The queen can be left
in front of the pawns with} 13. Qg3 {but from here it does not threaten
anything yet, and Black can proceed as in the game} Rc8 14. Qxg7 $2 Rg8 15.
Qxh6 Neg4 {and Black will win a piece.}) 13... Rc8 14. Kb1 $1 {Careful play by
Predke.} ({The immediate} 14. f4 {is spectacularly refuted with} Rxc3 $1 15.
Bd2 (15. bxc3 Nxe4 {is plain bad for White.}) 15... Nd3+ 16. Kb1 Qh5 $1 {
and Black is clearly on top.}) 14... b5 15. f4 {Another major decision point.
The Russian GM decided to force matters in the center.} ({Th alternative was
the doubled-edge position after} 15. a3 b4 16. axb4 Qxb4 17. f3) 15... Neg4 ({
This time} 15... Rxc3 16. Bd2 $1 {does not work for Black.}) 16. e5 ({After}
16. Bg1 b4 $1 {suddenly embarrasses the white knight.}) ({However} 16. a3 {
was still possible.}) 16... dxe5 17. fxe5 Nxe5 18. Bxh6 Rxh6 19. Qxe5 {As a
result, Vachier-Lagrave won a hefty bishop pair and from here on every endgame
he enters would be close (if not perfectly) winning for him. But before that
he needs to solve the problem of his king in the middle. Right now Predke
threatens various knight jumps, like Nd4-f5, or even Nd4xe6 $1} Qc7 $1 {
Very useful $1 The white queen is removed from her optimal position.} 20. Qe2 (
{As we know, the endgame after} 20. Qxc7 $2 Rxc7 {is horrific for White.})
20... Qf4 {Black finds a clever idea to insert the second rook into the
assault.} ({There was an interesting alternative} 20... b4 21. Na4 Rh5 22. g4
Re5 $1 (22... Ra5 23. g5) 23. Qg2 Ra5 {with Black's edge.}) 21. Rh3 ({Here} 21.
Rhe1 $1 {looked stronger, when White can consolidate his kingside thank to
small tactics, like} Kf8 ({Or} 21... Qxh4 $2 22. Nf5) ({Or} 21... Rxh4 $2 22.
Nxe6 $1 fxe6 23. Bxe6 Bxe6 24. Qxe6 Qc7 25. Nd5 $1) 22. g3 {capitalizing on
the extra tempo to defend.}) 21... Rc5 $1 {The point behind Vahcier-Lagrave's
play. The second rook enters the battle.} (21... Qg4 $5 22. Qe1 b4 {looks good
for Black too.}) 22. Re3 Qg4 23. Nf3 Bc6 24. a4 {This turns out to be a
weakening.} ({Safer looked} 24. a3 {with the idea to meet} Bxf3 25. gxf3 Qxh4 {
with} 26. Bxe6 $3 fxe6 27. Rxe6 Nh5 28. Rxh6 gxh6 29. Qe6 $1 {when the same
old machine claims that White has enough initiative for a perpetual.}) 24...
Kf8 25. axb5 axb5 26. g3 b4 {Black took full control and now pushes the knight
to the edge.} 27. Na2 (27. Na4 Rf5 {is awkward for White.}) 27... Rf5 {The pin
is unbearable and Predke goes for a forcing line.} 28. Nd4 Qxe2 29. Rxe2 ({
As we already know the endgame after} 29. Nxe2 Ng4 {is practically unplayable
for White.}) 29... Bf3 30. Rxe6 {This was White's point. Alas, there is a
drawback.} ({However, the endgames were pretty bad for White as well} 30. Nxf3
Rxf3 31. Rd3 Rxd3 32. cxd3 Bd6) ({Or} 30. Nxf5 Bxe2 31. Re1 (31. Nxh6 Bxd1)
31... exf5 32. Rxe2 Ne4 {with massive Black advantage in both cases.}) 30...
Bxd1 31. Rxe7 ({No time for} 31. Nxf5 fxe6) 31... Bxc2+ $1 {A decisive
in-between spoiler $1} ({Predke likely only saw} 31... Kxe7 32. Nxf5+ Kf8 33.
Nxh6 gxh6 {when White should be the one to win.}) 32. Kxc2 (32. Bxc2 Rf1+ {
changes nothing.}) 32... Rc5+ {Vachier-Lagrave keeps the rook alive and
quickly converts his advantage.} 33. Kd3 Kxe7 34. Nxb4 Nd7 35. Nd5+ Kf8 36. Nf5
Rg6 37. Nde3 Rb6 38. Nd4 Ne5+ 39. Ke4 Nc6 40. Bd5 Ne7 41. b3 Rg6 42. b4 Rc3 43.
Bc4 Rxg3 44. Ndc2 Rg4+ $1 {PLAY CHESS, NOT WAR.} 0-1
