[Event "73rd RUS-ch Superfinal 2020"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "2020.12.16"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Dubov, Daniil"] [Black "Karjakin, Sergey"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2702"] [BlackElo "2752"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "2020.12.05"] [EventCountry "RUS"] {[%evp 0,75,38,27,25,25,19,19,29,51,63,70,2,-73,-18,-26,-53,-94,-94,-82,-82, -82,-82,-65,-63,-134,-81,-166,-68,-95,-110,-187,-111,-111,-122,-133,54,54,17, -90,-94,-54,-28,-16,34,39,39,50,30,42,37,37,39,51,60,51,57,63,66,66,87,80,80, 122,282,305,417,467,448,485,485,485,485,489,591,599,616,633]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. b4 $5 {/?! Now this is a rare bird. Is it good? Possibly not, if you've got got access to a computer during the game, but the result of this matchup suggests it's just fine as a surprise weapon against any human being. Note that this was not a blitz or even a rapid game, but a 90'+30" battle against a former world championship finalist and the tournament co-leader. So if Dubov can get away with this against Karjakin, you and I can get away with it against the lesser mortals we're facing.} (6. cxd4 { is the old-fashioned move, long defanged, while}) (6. e5 {has received a lot of attention. The variation continues} d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be3 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Qc2 {before splintering off in various directions. Black seems to be alright here, but the play is interesting enough that White keeps trying it.}) 6... Bb6 7. e5 Ne4 (7... d5 {is a standard idea in such circumstances - see the line given in the last note as an example. It seems to be playable here as well, but Karjakin's move is probably the most precise.} 8. exf6 (8. Bb5 $2 {makes no sense in this case:} Ne4 9. cxd4 {is what we'd have in the 6.e5 variation if White played the absurd 9.b4 instead of 9.Nc3. Black has a big, probably winning advantage after} f6 $19) 8... dxc4 9. Qe2+ Be6 10. b5 $44 {This is an asset White would *not* have in the 6.e5 line. It's enough for decent play. There haven't been many games with this, but here's one between chess patron Oleg Skvortsov and Vishy Anand:} Nb4 11. fxg7 Rg8 12. cxb4 Qf6 13. O-O Qxg7 14. g3 O-O-O 15. a4 d3 16. Qb2 Qxg3+ 17. hxg3 Rxg3+ 18. Kh2 Rxf3 {So far, Skortsov has played more or less perfectly, but now things go awry.} 19. Bg5 $2 (19. Qg7 $1 Rh3+ (19... Bd4 20. Qg2 Rh3+ 21. Qxh3 Bxh3 22. Kxh3 Bxa1 23. Bd2 $16) 20. Kg2 Bd4 21. Qg5 f6 (21... Bxa1 22. Bf4 f6 23. Qc5 $16) 22. Qg7 Bxa1 23. Bf4 Rg8 24. Qxg8+ Bxg8 25. Kxh3 c3 26. Nd2 $1 Bb2 27. Ne4 f5 28. Nxc3 Bxc3 29. Rd1 $14) 19... Bd4 $19 20. Qd2 (20. Nc3 Rg8 21. Rg1 Rh3+ 22. Kg2 Rxg5+ 23. Kf1 Rxg1+ 24. Kxg1 Bd5 25. Nxd5 Bxb2 $19 {is terminal as the passers are too strong.}) 20... Rg8 $1 21. Ra3 h6 $1 22. Rg1 Rh3+ 23. Kg2 Rxg5+ 24. Kf1 Rxg1+ 25. Kxg1 Bd5 {0-1 (25) Skvortsov,O-Anand,V (2786) Zuerich 2017}) 8. Bd5 (8. O-O) 8... Nxc3 9. Nxc3 dxc3 10. Bg5 Ne7 11. O-O $15 {/-/+ White has a lead in development, more space, and gloriously active pieces in return for the two pawns. Nevertheless, it seems that Black is better--not that it's easy to prove this at the board.} h6 $1 12. Bh4 O-O (12... g5 $1 {Be bold, be brave! } 13. Nxg5 $1 Nxd5 $1 14. Nf3 Ne7 15. Re1 {gives White tremendous compensation for his bishop and pawn deficit. The computer still thinks Black has an edge after} a5 {, but good luck with that in a practical context.}) 13. Re1 $44 { Now White is objectively fine, and not just okay as a practical matter.} Qe8 14. Bb3 (14. Be4 {also makes sense, to stop ...Nf5.}) 14... a5 {A good idea in general, but it turns out that it's already too late for "in general" moves.} ( 14... Nf5) 15. Bf6 $3 a4 16. Bc4 Ng6 17. Qd3 $2 {An inaccuracy.} (17. Qc2 $142 {was the right way to threaten Qxg6.} d5 18. exd6 Be6 {and here, but not in the game, White has time for} 19. Bxc3 $1 {, with a winning or near-winning advantage after} cxd6 20. Qxg6 $1 fxg6 21. Rxe6 Qc8 22. Rxg6+ Qxc4 23. Rxg7+ Kh8 24. Rc7+ Qxc3 25. Rxc3 $16 {/+- It's only a pawn, but White's 3-1 kingside majority increase his winning chances.}) (17. Nh4 $142 {is another good move, also threatening to grab the knight for free thanks to the pinned f-pawn. Black will take it, of course -} Nxh4 {- but now White gains time for an even bigger threat:} 18. Qg4 $1 {Play is forcing from here, but will eventually resolve into a superior endgame for White.} Nf5 $8 19. Bd3 g6 20. Bxf5 d5 21. exd6 Bxf5 22. Qf4 Kh7 23. Rxe8 Rfxe8 24. Qc4 Be6 25. Qb5 $1 Red8 26. dxc7 Bxc7 27. Bxc3 $16 {/+-}) 17... d5 18. exd6 (18. Bxd5 $4 Nf4 $19) 18... Be6 19. Qxg6 $1 fxg6 20. Rxe6 Qf7 $2 (20... Qc6 $1 21. Re7+ Qxc4 22. Rxg7+ Kh8 23. Rxc7+ Rxf6 24. Rxc4 Rxd6 25. Rxc3 Bd4 26. Nxd4 Rxd4 27. a3 Rad8 $14 {was better, giving Black very real drawing chances thanks to his active rooks and the weakness of White's a-pawn. White may succeed in swapping off all the queenside pawns, but that would result in a drawn ending, at least/especially if Black can swap off a pair of rooks.}) 21. Bxc3 Kh8 (21... Bxf2+ $3 22. Kxf2 (22. Kh1 $2 {isn't good here (compare the note to Black's 23rd move) due to} b5 $1 {The check on f2 was also a clearance tactic, allowing this pawn move.} 23. Bd5 c6 $1 $19) 22... Kh8 23. Re4 (23. Rc1 $142 cxd6 24. Rxd6 $16) 23... Qf5 { So what's the point? It shows up here. Unlike the game, White cannot now play} 24. Re7 $4 {because of} Qc2+ $19 {, winning the bishop and the game.}) 22. Re4 $1 Qf5 23. Re7 Rg8 $2 ({It's still right to try} 23... Bxf2+ {(hoping for 24. Kxf2?? Qc2+-+, as above), though White is still in control with} 24. Kh1 $16 { /+-}) 24. Bxg8 Rxg8 25. dxc7 {Now White is unequivocally winning.} Qc2 26. Be5 Bxf2+ 27. Kh1 Bb6 28. h3 Kh7 29. Re1 (29. a3) 29... a3 30. Kh2 g5 31. Nd4 Qc4 32. Nf5 Qxb4 (32... Bxc7) 33. Rc1 Kg6 34. Rxg7+ Kxf5 (34... Rxg7 35. c8=Q) 35. Rxg8 Bxc7 36. Bxc7 Qb2 37. Rc5+ Ke4 38. Rd8 $1 {A nice way to finish. This slams the door shut on the Black king, leaving him without a satisfactory defense to the coming Re5+.} 1-0