1e4c52Nf3e63d4cxd44Nxd4Nc65Bf4!?...White plays a very rare move. Surprisingly, this move was met only once on the top level and it was Rapport himself playing with White back in that game!5...d65...Nf66.Nb5e57.Bg5d6doesn't quite lead to Sveshnikov variation as White has not played N1c3 yet.8.Bxf6gxf69.Nd2And White's much better6Nxc6bxc67Bd3N...Novelty came as early as on move 7!7.c4was Rapport's choice.Rb88.Qc28...e5was Caruana's reply, but perhaps Black could have reacted more precisely.9.Be3Nf610.Nc3Qc711.Be2Be712.O-OO-O13.Rac1Be614.b3h615.h3a516.Rfd1Rfd8⩲and White was slightly better in the game Rapport - Caruana (Saint Louis, 2021)8...Qf6White has9.Bc1⇆8...Ne79.c5e510.Bg3Ng6⇆7...Ne78c4g6?This simply looks bad.8...c5followed by ...-Nc6 seemed much more natural.9.O-ONc610.Nc3Be7⇆9c5!...Duda finds the critical move after what Black's dark squares are super weak. I wonder how Richard felt at this moment, in his very first game of the Candidates tournament he's in serious trouble before move 10!9...e59...dxc510.Be5Rg811.Qc2+−9...Bg7?10.Bxd6Bxb211.Nd2such
exchanges are always welcome to be offered! AfterBxa112.Qxa1+−White
totally dominates over the dark squares.10Bg5...White wants to play Bf6.10...Bg7Parrying White's threat11cxd6Qxd612O-OBe612...O-O13.Bc4Qc714.Nc3looked really bad for Black. White has a much better pawn structure, as well as their pieces, are more active.13Na3!?...Creative.13.Qc2Followed by Rd1 was also quite strong.13...Rd813...O-O14.Bc4After a small tactical motif White's almost winning.14Be2Qxd115Rfxd1Rxd1+16Bxd1?...Played surprisingly
quickly, absolutely not in Duda's style.16.Rxd1was leading to a very sad
position for BlackBxa217.Nc4Bxc418.Bxc4h619.Be3Nc820.Ba6Nb621.Rd6+−White has the Bishop pair, more active pieces, and Black's g7-Bishop is ugly.17.Nb5!?even is possiblef617...cxb5??18.Bxb5+Nc619.Rd8#18.Nd6+Kd719.Nb7+Kc720.Be3+−16...Kd7!Black needs to regroup pieces.17Be2Nc818Rd1+Kc718...Nd6!?19.Nc4Bxc420.Bxc4Kc7was also an option for Black.19Bc4Bg419...Bxc420.Nxc4Nb621.Na5after light-squared Bishops being traded off, c6-pawn is even more weak.20f3f6!Black finds a nice resource to keep the Bishop on the board.21Be3...21.fxg4fxg5followed by ...-Bf8 looks just ok for Black.21...Bd722Be2h523Nc2Bf8Bishop gets back to the game!24a3a525Kf1?!...Too cautious25.b4axb426.Nxb4looked really promising for White. Now Black King is in trouble and the only way to not get checkmated soon is to give away the dark-squared Bishop.Bxb427.axb4now Black's King is still weaker; White has the Bishop pair and more active pieces. They have all rights to play for a win.25...Be626Bd2Kb627Ne3Nd628Rc1c5I'm not sure of that move as it weakens the d5-square.28...h4!?could be a possible way to continue the game, followed by ...-h4, grabbing more space.29Be1...29.b4!?could still be an option for White, trading off the pawns and playing on Black King's position.cxb430.axb4axb431.Bxb4And the King of Black is somehow in danger.29...Bh630Rd1Rd8?!30...Kc6Could have been the turning point of the game. By taking the King to -c6 Black also opens the b-file for the Rook.31.Nd5Rb8And now White's the side to be careful here, as after natural32.Bc3Bxd533.Rxd533.exd5+Kd7∓Knight is perfectly placed, blockading the d5-pawn, next Bishop can be transferred to d4.Nf5!And suddenly all Black's pieces start dancing on the board!34.Kf2Ne335.Rd3Nc4White loses b2-pawn.31Nd5+...and here we see why Black's 28...-c5 was not great.31...Bxd532Rxd5±...White has better chances in the endgame.32...Be3?Black wants to get Bishop to d4, but it apparently loses to a concrete idea.32...Nb7trading off the Rooks is perhaps the correct way of dealing with the position.33.Rxd8Nxd834.Bc4Bc135.Bc3h4next also playing ...-g5, Black should be able to hold the endgame.33Rd3?...And again White misses the chance!33.a4!would be a smart move to play! Now Black takes b5-square and is ready to play Bb5 followed by Be8! Game could have continued like:Bc134.b3Ba335.Bb5Bb436.Bf2+−and after some more improving-the-position moves such as h4; Ke2 White is ready to go for Be8.33...Bd4Now Black's fine34Rb3+Kc635Bxa5Ra836Rb6+...36.Bd2f5and Black is okay thanks to the activity.37.exf5gxf5=∞36...Kd737Ra6Rxa638Bxa6Bxb2Occurred endgame objectively should be drawn, although, Black yet has to be careful here since White as the outside passer as well as the Bishop pair.39a4c440Bb4h441Ke2Kc642Ba5Bc143Bd8Bg544Kd1Kd745Bb6Kc646a5Bf447Kc2...White wants to exchange h2 pawn to c4.47.h3f5=47...f547...Bxh248.Kc3f5should still be okay for Black.48Kc3fxe449fxe4Nxe4+50Kxc4Nd6+51Kb4Bxh2Black is up a pawn, although still, White's the side to be pressing (for a bit) here, thanks to their a-pawn.52Be2e453Bc5Nf554Bb5+Kc755Bb6+Kb756Bc4Nd657Be2Kc658Bc5Nf559Bb5+Kc760a6Bd661a7Bxc5+62Kxc5Kb763Bc6+Kxa764Bxe4Ne365Kd4Nxg266Bxg2g567Bh3g468Bxg4h369Bxh3...AbasovAt the end of a fighting game Rapport managed to save a very difficult for him (since move 9) position.Abasov1/2-1/2 The game is a draw.
½-½
Draw