[Event "Chess.com"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.03.03"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Rapport, Richard"]
[Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E48"]
[WhiteElo "2763"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. a3 Bd6 8. Qc2
{Rapport and Vidit are entering one of the most complex structures, a Carlsbad
with a white dark-squared bishop behind the pawn chain.} a6 ({The Indian GM
has experience with the other main continuation in the first GP tournament:}
8... c6 9. Nge2 Re8 10. Bd2 b6 11. O-O Ba6 12. Kh1 c5 13. Rad1 g6 14. Qb1 Bb7
15. Nf4 {and White eventually prevailed in Aronian,L (2772)-Vidit,S (2727)
Berlin 2022}) 9. Nge2 Re8 10. O-O {[%mdl 4] 10.0-0 is the recent fashion
according to Megabase.} b6 ({Sure enough, Rapport knows that the Greek gift
sacrifice} 10... Bxh2+ $2 11. Kxh2 Ng4+ {would not work due to} 12. Kg3 $1 Qg5
13. f4 Qh6 14. Bd2 Qh2+ 15. Kf3 {and the king escapes.}) 11. b4 {First and
foremost, White needs to take the teeth out of the c7-c5 break.} Nbd7 $146 {
Rapport sank into deep thought and, after more than thirty minutes on the
clock, came up with a good plan.} ({The predecessor witnessed highly
instructive play by White:} 11... Bb7 12. Rb1 Qe7 13. h3 Nbd7 14. b5 a5 15. a4
Rac8 16. Qb3 Nf8 17. Nf4 Rcd8 18. Ra1 $1 {the white problematic bishop is
about to be traded while the opponent's bad one on b7 will suffer till the end
of the game, Milov, V (2680)-Riff,J (2474) Kemer 2007}) 12. Nf4 {First and
foremost, the Hungarian GM lures the opponent's bishop on b7 anyway.} (12. b5
$5 {like in the above-mentioned predecessor also made a lot of sense.}) 12...
Bb7 13. Rb1 $1 {Now c7-c5 would be difficult to execute.} Nf8 ({One other
classical idea in the Carlsbad} 13... b5 {intending to transfer the knight via
the b6-square to the c4-outpost would be met with the timely} 14. a4 {Notice
that the white rook defends the b4 pawn.} c6 15. a5 {with White's edge.}) 14.
f3 {Now that c7-c5 is out of the question, Rapport can concentrate on
Botvinnik's idea of preparing e3-e4 $1} Ng6 {Vidit hopes to swap some pieces
and reduce the attacking potential of his opponent.} ({Here, and on the
previous move, the trade} 14... Bxf4 15. exf4 {never works for Black as the
black knights will lack good outposts, whereas White will find a way to
transfer his only horsie all the way to the vulnerable e5-point.}) 15. Nfe2 $3
{But his offer is rejected $1 The white knight has far better perspectives.} ({
Further on, the straightforward} 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. e4 {would have failed
tactically due to} dxe4 17. fxe4 Nxe4 $1 18. Nxe4 Bxe4 19. Bxe4 Qh4 {when
Black wins material.}) 15... Qe7 16. Ng3 {The knight found an even better
career, and his salary would raise after reaching the f5-square.} Qd7 ({
The attempt to stop the knight with} 16... Nh4 {releases the e-pawn} 17. e4) ({
However, the machine claims that Black could have defended better with the
passive} 16... Bc8 {Its main point is that in the line} 17. e4 dxe4 18. fxe4 {
There is} Ng4 {and Black somehow gets enough play against the enemy king. This
is hard to believe, but the machine insists and prints the following line:} 19.
e5 Qh4 20. h3 Qxg3 21. hxg4 Rxe5 $3 22. dxe5 Bxe5 23. Ne2 Qh2+ 24. Kf2 Bb7 {
It seems as Black has enough for the rook, somehow, and should be able to find
a perpetual with} 25. Be4 Qh4+ 26. Ke3 Qg5+ 27. Kf2 Qh4+ {I honestly do not
buy any of this...}) 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Kh1 $1 {The final preparation. And a move
of a true master $1 Why rush when the opponent is forced to sit and wait for
your decision $2} Ne7 ({The active attempt} 18... c5 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. dxc5
Bxc5 21. Na4 {only makes things worse for Black.}) 19. Ng3 $1 {A second
retreat $1 And, once again, it is the black knight that looks silly, clumsily
blocking his own pieces.} Rad8 ({There will be no repetition after} 19... Ng6
20. Bd2) ({And, in the case of the pseudo-active} 19... h5 {White can finally
go for} 20. e4 $5 dxe4 21. fxe4 Qxd4 {Without a check.} (21... h4 22. Rxf6 $1)
22. Nce2 {with a massive attack.}) 20. Nce2 Ng6 21. e4 {The time had come.} (
21. Bd2 $5) 21... dxe4 22. fxe4 Re6 {Vidit is apparently afraid of the
exchange sacrifice on f6, but the move in the game will soon lead to complete
White domination.} ({Maybe it was worth trying} 22... c5 23. bxc5 bxc5 24. Rxf6
$1 gxf6 25. d5 {at least hoping for some practical chances.}) 23. Bb2 ({
Apparently, the Indian GM hoped to sacrifice an exchange himself in the line}
23. d5 Re5 24. Bb2 (24. Nd4 $1 {is a big advantage for White though.}) 24...
Ng4 25. Bxe5 N6xe5 {when the dark-squared domination indeed compensates Black
somewhat.}) 23... Ng4 24. Qb3 b5 ({Or} 24... Nh4 25. Bc2 $1) 25. Bc2 $1 Rc6 26.
Nf5 {A picturesque position $1 Just like that, Rapport is completely winning.
Vidit's pieces are scattered all over the place, completely oblivious to
reality.} Re8 ({Maybe it was worth at least trying for the last time to trade
THAT knight with} 26... Ne7 27. Neg3 ({But, since the knight was insulted so
many times, Black might have feared the third retreat:} 27. Nfg3 $5) ({Or the
retreat forward} 27. Nxg7 $1 Bxg7 28. Rxf7) 27... Nxf5 28. Nxf5 {although it
will be immediately replaced by the other.}) 27. Neg3 a5 {Desperation.} 28. Bd3
({Nothing wrong with the immediate} 28. bxa5) 28... Rce6 29. bxa5 c6 30. e5 Be7
31. Nh5 {Rapport is winning as he likes and chooses his way.} (31. Qd1 $1 {
would have been another solution} Nh6 32. Nxh6+ gxh6 33. Be4) 31... Bf8 32. h3
Nh6 33. Nxh6+ gxh6 34. Nf6+ Rxf6 35. Rxf6 Bg7 36. Rf2 Rb8 37. Be4 c5 38. Bxb7
c4 39. Qf3 Rxb7 40. Bc3 {PLAY CHESS, NOT WAR.} 1-0
