[Event "Rated Rapid game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/7YlWCGvu"] [Date "2024.03.01"] [White "VladimirBelous"] [Black "Andrii_Baryshpolets"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2678"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [BlackElo "2705"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [TimeControl "600+2"] [Termination "Normal"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D11"] [Opening "Slav Defense: Quiet Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/kyrongriffith"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/1R205aUZ/CDvNaU3b"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 1... c6 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:09:43] } 2... d5 { [%clk 0:09:59] } 3. e3 { [%clk 0:09:37] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 0:09:58] } 4. d4 { In one of the first all-GM battles of the season, white chooses the "Slow Slav" variation which is more venomous than it looks or sounds. } { [%clk 0:09:35] } 4... e6 { [%clk 0:09:56] } 5. Bd3 { [%clk 0:09:30] } 5... dxc4 { Black commonly waits for white to move the f1 bishop before taking on c4 in order to make white waste a tempo. } { [%clk 0:09:45] } 6. Bxc4 { [%clk 0:09:29] } 6... Nbd7 { [%clk 0:09:46] } 7. O-O { [%clk 0:09:29] } 7... Bd6 { [%clk 0:09:46] } 8. Nc3 { [%clk 0:09:22] } 8... O-O { [%clk 0:09:42] } (8... b5 9. Bd3 O-O 10. e4 e5 { Is another way of playing which has also been played thousands of times }) 9. e4 { [%clk 0:09:08] } 9... e5 { Black cannot allow white to advance e5 } { [%clk 0:09:43] } 10. Bb3!? { Not a main move at all but it certainly doesn't spoil anything. White's idea is to secure the bishop from any b5 / Nb6 / Ne5 threats. } { [%clk 0:08:58] } (10. Bg5 exd4 11. Qxd4 { White has historically scored very well from this position but the engine is unimpressed } 11... Qe7 12. Rad1 Bc7 { and black has no serious problems. }) 10... h6 { [%clk 0:08:19] } 11. h3 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 11... Re8 { [%clk 0:08:14] } 12. Be3 { [%clk 0:07:06] } 12... exd4 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 13. Qxd4 { [%clk 0:07:04] } (13. Bxd4 { may have been slightly more accurate }) 13... Ne5 { [%clk 0:05:51] } 14. Nh4 { White makes their intentions clear. f4 and e5 is immediately threatened. } { [%cal Gf2f4,Gh4f5] [%clk 0:06:29] } 14... c5 { [%clk 0:04:56] } 15. Qd1 { [%clk 0:06:16] } 15... Nc6 { [%clk 0:04:27] } 16. f4!? { A very double-edged pawn sacrifice. The engine claims that it is a mistake but with limited time and only 2 second increment this may be a very strong practical decision since black's defensive task will be quite tough. } { [%clk 0:03:58] } 16... Nxe4 { [%clk 0:02:14] } 17. Qh5? { [%clk 0:03:58] } (17. Bxf7+! { was already called for: } 17... Kxf7 18. Qb3+ Be6 (18... Kf6? { is way too bold: } 19. Qc2 { and black already needs to give all the material back to survive }) 19. Qxb7+ Be7 20. f5! Bc4 21. f6!! Nxf6 22. Rxf6+! gxf6 23. Qxc6 Qd3 { is an insane computer line which leads to a slightly better position for black. This is of course completely unfindable in a rapid game. }) 17... Be6?? { Just a straightforward blunder of material, but there was only one path to an advantage: } { [%clk 0:02:00] } (17... c4! { Is a beautiful sacrifice to enable black's defensive tactics to work } 18. Bxc4 Be6 { and the key difference is that the c4 bishop is hanging now so the game continuation no longer works for white. } { [%csl Gc4] }) 18. Nxe4 { [%clk 0:03:35] } 18... Bxb3 { [%clk 0:01:57] } 19. Nxd6 { [%clk 0:03:25] } 19... Qxd6 { [%clk 0:01:27] } 20. axb3 { [%clk 0:03:25] } 20... Rxe3 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 21. Nf5 { Probably what black missed - white now wins at least an exchange } { [%clk 0:03:26] } 21... Qe6 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 22. Qg4! { White knows not to cash in too early - why not create a mating threat first in order to jeopardize the black king? } { [%clk 0:03:17] } (22. Nxe3? Qxe3+ 23. Kh1 Re8 { White is still better but there is plenty of game left to be played. }) 22... g6 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 23. Nxh6+! { White correctly evaluates that continuing the attack is stronger than taking the exchange } { [%clk 0:02:34] } 23... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 24. f5! { black's position is lost } { [%clk 0:02:35] } 24... Qe4 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 25. Qg5? { This move would be winning except it allows a very sneaky defensive resource } { [%clk 0:02:36] } (25. Rf4! { is the only clean win }) 25... Qd4 { [%clk 0:00:05] } 26. Kh1 { [%clk 0:02:24] } 26... Rh8? { [%clk 0:00:04] } (26... Qe4! { amazingly, white is no longer winning due to the simple threat of Rxh3! } { [%cal Ge3h3] } 27. f6+ Kf8 28. Qxc5+ Ke8 29. Qxe3! Qxe3 30. Rfe1 Qxe1+ 31. Rxe1+ Kf8 { white is up a pawn but the engine believes that the position is already equal. Black's rook will quickly activate via d8 and d2. }) 27. fxg6 { 1-0 Black resigns. } { White simply has too many threats and the game is over. } { [%clk 0:02:22] } 1-0