[Event "Superbet Chess Classic"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.05.06"] [Round "1.5"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C50"] [WhiteElo "2785"] [BlackElo "2760"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "144"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "France"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"] [BlackTeamCountry "USA"] [WhiteClock "0:01:39"] [BlackClock "0:01:08"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. c3 Bb6 {\"Fabiano [Caruana] made this move popular. He played it in Paris two years ago.\" (So). Black keeps his kingside knight undeveloped for the time being in order to avoid the pin with Bc1-g5.} ({Relevant:} 5... Nf6 6. O-O a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 h6 9. Nbd2 g5 10. Nf1 g4 11. N3d2 h5 12. b4 h4 {Aronian,L (2745)-Grischuk,A (2745) Astana 2023}) 6. O-O h6 7. Nbd2 {There is no need to invent anything extraordinary. The normal development is a good way to face Black's idea.} ({So also faced} 7. a4 Nf6 8. b4 a5 9. b5 Ne7 10. Be3 Bxe3 11. fxe3 O-O 12. Nbd2 Ng6 13. Qe1 c6 14. Nh4 d5 {and Black was doing just fine in Adhiban,B (2660)-So,W (2772) chess24.com INT 2021.}) 7... Nf6 8. Bb3 a5 $5 {[%c_effect a5;square;a5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] A rare move. Black wants to preserve his dark-squared bishop. Why this pawn stands better here than on a6 is somewhat of a mystery.} ({However, the conventional} 8... a6 9. Nc4 Ba7 {enters a famous position in which it is normally Black to move (he does not lose a tempo on …Bc5-b6-a7 in the normal lines.)}) 9. Re1 ({Here it is $1 In case of} 9. Nc4 Ba7 10. Be3 b5 {the black a5-pawn actually stands pretty well.}) 9... O-O 10. h3 {\"I thought I was slightly worse out of the opening, but nothing special.\" (So)} Be6 {\"I like this move.\" (So)} 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. Nc4 Ba7 13. Be3 $146 {The bishop is too annoying to be tolerated.} ({The predecessor was an email game:} 13. a4 Rf7 14. Be3 Bxe3 15. Rxe3 Qd7 16. Nh4 Rd8 17. Ng6 b6 18. Nd2 Qe8 {Achilles,E (2434)-Susedenko,V (2443) ICCF email 2017}) 13... Bxe3 14. Rxe3 a4 15. d4 {Until here Firouzja played very quickly and confidently. This was an important moment in the game, and an important decision was taken. As it often happens, the immediate attempt to seize the center leads to relieving trades for the second player.} ({So suggested instead to keep the pressure for the time being with} 15. Rc1 $5 {[%c_effect c1;square;c1;type;Interesting;persistent;true]}) 15... exd4 16. cxd4 d5 $1 {[%c_effect d5;square;d5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] \"I equalized quickly after this.\" (So)} 17. exd5 exd5 18. Ncd2 ({More trades can hardly scare Black.} 18. Nce5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Ne4) 18... Qd6 19. a3 $1 {[%c_effect a3;square;a3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Fixes a weakness. Now White has something to play for.} Qf4 {Somewhere around here So starts to hesitate and shuffles his queen around without clear aim.} ({More purposeful is} 19... Nh5 $1 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] initiating counterplay on his own on the kingside.}) 20. Nb1 $1 {[%c_effect b1;square;b1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Firouzja intends to aim two pawns at the same time.} Ne4 $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Which of course cannot be allowed.} 21. Nc3 Nxc3 22. Rxc3 Qd6 {Admitting that the queen was more of a scarecrow.} 23. Rac1 {Whereas White brings his rooks out of slumber.} Rf7 24. R1c2 Rf4 {So, too, searches for sore points in the enemy position.} 25. Re3 {Now both players start a little dance around the opponent's weaknesses.} Qf6 26. Rd3 Re8 27. Rc5 Qd6 {A small tactical defense.} 28. Rcc3 (28. Qxa4 $4 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type;Blunder;persistent;true]} Qxc5) 28... Rfe4 29. g3 {Finally White is ready to capture the pawn.} ({Still not} 29. Qxa4 $4 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type;Blunder;persistent;true]} Re1+ 30. Nxe1 Rxe1#) 29... Re2 {But Black is again in time to generate counter-threats.} 30. Rd2 (30. Qxa4 Rxb2) 30... Rxd2 31. Qxd2 Qg6 {Surprisingly, this active move allows White a chance.} ({Safer was} 31... Qe6 $1 {[%c_effect e6;square;e6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 32. Kg2 Qe2 {and the a4-pawn is out of any danger.}) 32. Kg2 ({Firouzja missed his chance to hit the weakness once more with} 32. Qd1 $1 {[%c_effect d1;square;d1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Now that the active black pieces are no longer around, White is really threatening the weakness, and a passive defense like} Ra8 {would not work due to} 33. b4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} axb3 34. Qxb3 {when White is winning a pawn.}) 32... Qb1 {Now it is back to balanced.} 33. Rc1 Qf5 34. Rc3 Qb1 35. h4 {Firouzja wants more than a draw, but as we shall see, this move is not without issues of its own.} Re7 36. Rc1 Qf5 37. Qd1 (37. Rc5 {was stronger and safer.}) 37... g5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] \"I am pretty sure he missed this move. He had little time.\" (So) The drawback of the h-push is now evident and White's position becomes too loose.} 38. hxg5 hxg5 39. Qd2 g4 {Suddenly, both the d4-pawn and the white king are in danger. Firouzja needs to switch to the defense.} 40. Nh4 ({The machine holds somehow after} 40. Ne5 Nxe5 41. dxe5 Rxe5 (41... Qxe5 42. Qb4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}) 42. Qa5 $3 {[%c_effect a5;square;a5;type;Brilliant;persistent;true]} ({Whereas the human move} 42. Rxc7 {with the idea to announce a perpetual check after} Qf3+ ({actually loses to the neat} 42... Qe4+ $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The queen needs to cover the b1-h7 diagonal.} 43. Kg1 Rh5 44. Rc8+ Kh7 45. Rc7+ Kg6 $19 {and the checks are over.}) 43. Kg1 Rh5 44. Rc8+ Kg7 45. Rc7+)) 40... Qe4+ 41. Kh2 {This turns out to be a mistake.} ({Apparently, the king needed to defend the f2-pawn, thus} 41. Kg1 $1 {[%c_effect g1;square;g1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] would have been more stubborn when} Qxd4 ({Although here, too, Black can play for more with} 41... Nxd4 42. Rd1 Ne2+ 43. Kh2 Re5) 42. Qg5+ Rg7 43. Qh5 {provides White enough counterplay due to the Nh4-f5 inclusion.}) 41... Qxd4 42. Qg5+ Rg7 43. Qf5 (43. Qh5 Qxf2+ {is out of the question.}) 43... Rf7 44. Qg5+ Kf8 $1 {[%c_effect f8;square;f8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] So kept an extra pawn and got his favorite extra-material type of position.} 45. Kh1 Qe4+ 46. Kg1 Ke8 {Out of the checking zone.} 47. Qd2 Re7 48. Rd1 d4 49. Qg5 Ne5 {The powerful centralization secures Black of any perpetual checks.} 50. Qd2 d3 (50... c5 $5 {[%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] looked more solid.}) 51. Qf4 Qxf4 {This turned out to be enough for the full point.} ({But there was an even more convincing continuation} 51... Qe2 $1 {[%c_effect e2;square;e2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 52. Rd2 Nf3+ $3 {[%c_effect f3;square;f3;type;Brilliant;persistent;true]} 53. Nxf3 gxf3 $1 {[%c_effect f3;square;f3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] when the pawns would be unstoppable.}) 52. gxf4 Nc4 53. Rxd3 Nxb2 54. Rc3 Rd7 55. Kg2 {Missing his last chance.} ({Redeploying the knight with} 55. Ng2 $1 {[%c_effect g2;square;g2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] was more resilient.}) 55... Nd3 $1 {[%c_effect d3;square;d3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Now Black is optimally positioned to run his passers.} 56. Kg3 c5 57. Kxg4 b5 58. Nf5 Kf7 59. Kg5 Rd5 60. Rc2 Ne1 {Extra cautious play by So in the opponent's time-trouble $1} (60... b4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] would have been stronger as there is no perpetual after} 61. axb4 cxb4 62. Rc7+ Ke8) 61. Rc3 Nd3 62. Rc2 b4 {Time to roll the pawns.} 63. axb4 cxb4 64. Rc7+ Ke8 65. Kf6 Kd8 66. Ra7 b3 67. Ne3 Rd6+ 68. Kf5 b2 69. Rb7 Rd4 70. Nc2 Rxf4+ 71. Kg5 Rxf2 72. Na3 Rf1 0-1