[Event "Round 8: Richard Rapport - Jan-Krzyszto"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.06.18"] [White "Richard Rapport"] [Black "Jan-Krzysztof Duda"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Bajarani,Ulvi"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C47"] [Opening "Four Knights Game"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/450dtcgH/4UPm9LKl"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 { Rapport avoids the fight for the center in favor of the fianchetto development. In the long-term game, Black shouldn't have any problems. } 4... Bc5 5. Bg2 d6 6. d3 a5 { Preventing the trade of dark-squared bishop with Nc3-a4. } (6... a6!?) 7. O-O h6 8. b3!? $146 { Preventing the blockage of the queenside with a5-a4. } (8. h3 Be6 9. Nd2 (9. Nh4?! Qd7 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. exd5 Ne7 $15 { 0-1 (40) Dogdu,M (2043)-Percin,B (1799) Manavgat 2016 }) (9. Be3 { 0-1 (35) Kamps,J (2033)-Minnican,A (2105) Guernsey 2009 } 9... Bxe3 10. fxe3 Ne7 11. d4 Ng6 $132 { with the complex position where Black doesn't have any significant problems. }) 9... a4 10. Nc4?! (10. Kh2!? d5 11. f4 d4 12. Ne2 (12. Nb5 Ra5 13. Na3 b5 $132) 12... g5 13. f5 Bc8 $15) 10... Nd4 11. Kh2 { 1-0 (57) Risteski, E (2363)-Lysyj,I (2603) Chess.com INT 2022 } 11... c6!? $15) (8. Nd5 Nxd5 (8... Be6?! 9. Nh4 O-O (9... Bxd5? 10. exd5 Ne7 11. c4 $14 { 1/2 (28) Lumsdon,A (2026) -Popov,V (2138) ICCF email 2016 }) 10. Kh1 Bxd5 11. exd5 Ne7 12. c4 Ng6 13. Nf5 Ne7 14. Ne3 Qd7 $132) 9. exd5 Nd4 10. Be3 Bg4 11. c3 Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 { 0-1 (47) Lumsdon,A (2112)-Gorbunova,A (2076) GER email 2018 } 13... Bxe3!? 14. fxe3 O-O) (8. Be3?! Bxe3 (8... Nd4? 9. Bxd4 exd4 10. Ne2 Bg4 { 1/2 (13) Faust,M (2155)-Mueller,S Rieneck 1998 } 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 $14) 9. fxe3 Ne7 10. Nh4 c6 11. d4 O-O 12. Nf5 Nxf5 13. exf5 Qe7 $15 { 1-0 (50) Solovjov,S (2434) -Kazakov,K (2154) Peterhof 2008 }) 8... O-O (8... Nd4!? { deserved an attention. The idea is to capture the "d4"-square for a short time with the dark-squared bishop. } 9. Nxd4 Bxd4 10. Qe1 a4 11. Rb1 axb3 12. axb3 O-O $132 { Indeed, Duda has come to the same idea later. }) 9. h3 Nd4 { With the same idea explained in the 8... Nd4!? variation. While White wants to attack on the kingside, Black wants to create the counterplay in the center and queenside. } 10. Be3 c6 11. Kh2?! { Preparing the f2-f4 in a few moves. But it is too slow. } (11. Bxd4 exd4 (11... Bxd4? { is worse due to } 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Ne2 $14 { and Black loses the control on the center. }) 12. Ne2 { doesn't work due to } 12... d5! 13. e5 (13. Nfxd4 Re8! 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nf3 Bf5 $44 { Black has full compensation thanks to the bishop pair. }) 13... Nd7 14. c3 dxc3 15. d4 Be7 16. Qc2 (16. Nxc3?! f6 $15) 16... a4!? $132 { However, it has been the better choice than 11. Kh2?! }) 11... Re8! $15 12. a3! Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 Bxe3 14. fxe3?! { Worse than 14. Qxe3, but Rapport wants to attack. } (14. Qxe3 d5 $15 { Doesn't give White any chances to attack, although it has been the best decision from the positional side. }) 14... b5 { Black has captured the space on the queenside and has opened the 7th rank. In the following moves, White prepares an attack and Black takes actions against it. } 15. g4 Ra7 16. Qg3 h5!? { It hasn't been necessary. } (16... Re6!? $15 { because } 17. h4? { doesn't work due to } (17. g5? { also doesn't work due to, for example, } 17... Nh7!? $19) 17... h5 $19) 17. g5 h4!? { Duda captures the "g5"-pawn, but opens the "g"-file. This increases the danger on his king. } (17... Nh7!? 18. h4 g6!? $15 { keeps the position closed. }) 18. Qxh4 Nh7 19. Qg3 Nxg5 (19... Qxg5 20. Qxg5 Nxg5 $15 { with good draw chances for White but a safe position for Black. }) 20. h4 Nh7 21. Bh3 { Trading the worse bishop. } 21... Bxh3 22. Rg1! { White plays the interesting intermediate move giving Black the question of the pawn structure for the remaining game. Now, it is the critical moment of the game because Black's position degrades with every move after this. } 22... Ng5? { Duda decides to close the "g"-file, but the defense of the "h"-file is more difficult for Black. } (22... g6 23. Qxh3 Kg7 $15 { keeps the slight advantage for Blacj. }) 23. hxg5 Bc8 24. Rg2 Rae7?? { The horrible move having the Re6-g6 idea but blocking its pieces and preventing the defense of its own king. } (24... f6! { The counter-intuitive move keeping the equality. In general, it is not recommended to play on the side where an opponent attacks. However, Black has enough strength to defend its king in this position, and White's king might also be vulnerable against Black's heavy pieces. Additionally, it is the best way to connect the "a7"-rook to the game. For example, } 25. Qh4 (25. gxf6 Qxf6 $132) (25. g6 Kf8 $132) 25... fxg5 (25... Kf7!? 26. Qh5+ Ke6) 26. Rxg5 Rf7 27. Rag1 Qf6 $132) 25. Qf3? $16 { The logical move, but it allows Black to survive if Black finds the fantastic idea. } (25. Qh4! $18 { , for example, } 25... Re6 26. Qh5 Rg6 27. Rf1 { White's plan is simple: combining the rook doubling on the "f"-file to capture the "f7"-pawn and the attack on the "h"-file. } 27... Qd7 28. Rf3 Qe6 29. Kh1 $18) (25. Rf1!? $18 { , for example, } 25... Be6 26. Qh4 $18) 25... g6? { The decisive mistake. } (25... f6! 26. gxf6 (26. g6 Kf8 $14 { Black still holds the position. At least, there is no forced loss. }) 26... Rf7 27. Rag1 (27. Rxg7+ Rxg7 28. fxg7 Re7 (28... Qh4+ 29. Kg2 Qg5+ 30. Kf2 Qh4+ 31. Qg3 Qxg3+ 32. Kxg3 Kxg7 $14) 29. Qf6 Qe8 30. Qh4 Rxg7 31. Rg1 Qf7 $14) 27... Qxf6 28. Qxf6 Rxf6 29. Rxg7+ Kf8 $14 { With a worse but defendable position in all provided variations above. The question is which material combinations give Black the best chances for Black to draw the game requires a thorough analysis. }) 26. Rh1 $18 { Now, it is almost impossible to defend the king for Black. White's attack develops itself. } 26... f5 (26... f6 { also doesn't help due to } 27. Kg1! (27. Qxf6?? { loses the queen due to } 27... Rf8! 28. Qxg6+ Rg7 $19 { and Rh7 in the next move. }) 27... Rh7 28. Rxh7 Kxh7 29. gxf6 Rf8 30. Rf2 $18) 27. Kg1 b4 { the last tries to disturb White. } 28. exf5 { Ignoring threats. } 28... gxf5 (28... bxc3 29. fxg6 $18 { and Qh5. }) 29. Ne4!? $18 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0