[Event "Round 2: Hikaru Nakamura - Teimour Radja"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.06.17"] [White "Hikaru Nakamura"] [Black "Teimour Radjabov"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/loepare"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C65"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/450dtcgH/EtQGN0lv"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Another Berlin in Nakamura's game! } 4. d3 { Again White prefers entering Anti-Berlin. } 4... Bc5 5. Nbd2!? { This move gives Black an additional option of playing 5...-Nd4!? what eventually happened in the game. } 5... Nd4!? { This move leads to concrete variations. } (5... O-O { Is a more regular continuation. }) 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. c3 Bb6 8. d4 c6 (8... Qe7 { was my move 8 years ago! } 9. O-O O-O 10. a4 (10. Nc4 { would be a better move for White } 10... Nxe4 11. Re1 d5 12. Nxb6 axb6 13. f3 Nd6 14. Rxe5 Qf6 15. Bf1 { with the pair of Bishops - White should be slightly better. }) 10... c6 11. Bd3 d5 12. exd5 exd4 13. dxc6 dxc3 14. bxc3 Rd8 15. Ba3 Qc7 16. Qc2 bxc6 { and after 75 moves game ended in a draw, ...1/2, Motylev,A - Abasov,N (Shamkir, 2014) }) (8... exd4 { Taking the pawn can be risky: } 9. e5 dxc3 10. bxc3 Nd5 11. Ne4 O-O (11... Ne7 12. Qh5 { looks devastating }) 12. Qxd5 c6 13. Qd3 cxb5? 14. Bg5 Qe8 15. Nf6+! gxf6 16. Bxf6 $18 { And Black's helpless. }) 9. dxe5 cxb5 10. exf6 Qxf6 11. O-O O-O 12. Qh5 { This move was tested only once - by Nepo in a blitz game against Aronian. } 12... Qc6 { was also Levon's choice, meanwhile } (12... d5! $146 { would have been the 'problem solving' move for Black. Now after } 13. exd5 (13. Qxd5 Bg4 { threatening ...-Be2 } { [%cal Gg4e2] } 14. e5 Qg6 15. Qxb7 Rac8 { with the idea of ...-Rc6 } { [%cal Gc8c6] } (15... Rad8) 16. Qe4 Bf5 $44 { looked really interesting! }) 13... Bf5 14. Nf3 Rfe8 { Black has excellent activity. }) 13. Re1! { Is the improvement over Nepo-Aronian game. } (13. Nf3 { was Ian's move. }) 13... Re8 (13... f5!? { looked really interesting for Black } 14. exf5 d6 15. f6!? { and now } 15... Bf5!! { is the only move for Black }) 14. Nf3 d5 { A bit late, but Radjabov still goes for ...-d5. } 15. exd5 { A bit surprising decision, especially, considering the fact that it was played after 21 minutes of thinking. } (15. Qxd5 { looked somehow more natural to me. } 15... Qxd5 (15... Be6 16. Qxc6 bxc6 17. Be3) 16. exd5 Rxe1+ 17. Nxe1 Bf5 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. fxe3 Rd8 20. a4!? { Maybe, this was the move Nakamura did not consider?! } 20... Rxd5 21. axb5 Rxb5 22. Rxa7 g5 23. b4 { and White is a full pawn up. }) 15... Rxe1+ 16. Nxe1 Qc4 { now, thanks to the activity Black has reasonable compensation for a pawn. } 17. h3 { Otherwise ...-Bg4 was coming } 17... Bd7 (17... Qe4 18. Bd2 Bd7 19. Qf3 Re8 $132) 18. Qf3 Re8 19. Be3 Bxe3 20. fxe3 Re5? { a tactical blunder } (20... h6! { would be a very timely move! }) 21. d6? { White misses the chance } (21. Rd1 { would lead to White's advantage as after } 21... Qxa2 (21... Rf5 22. Rd4! Qxa2 23. Qg3 { and again back rank is an issue for Black } 23... h6 24. Nd3 $16) 22. Nd3 Rxd5 23. e4 Rd6 24. Nc5 Rxd1+ 25. Qxd1 { Black has trouble with the backrank! } 25... Be8 26. Qd8 $18) 21... Qd5 { I'm surprised why Teimour didn't go for 21...-Bc6 } (21... Bc6 22. d7 Bxd7 23. Qxb7 Bc6 24. Rd1 { "Oh my Queen..." } { [%cal Gd1d8] } 24... Re8 (24... Bxb7?? 25. Rd8+ Re8 26. Rxe8#) 25. Qc7 h6 { looked quite okay for Black }) 22. Rd1 Qxf3 23. Nxf3 Rxe3 24. Rd5 f6 { Good move. Black not only opens f7-square for the King but also restricts the mobility of f3-Knight. } 25. Rc5 Re6 26. Rc7 Rxd6 27. Rxb7 a6 28. Nd4 { Many of us believed this endgame should end in a draw. Although, in the practical game not all 0.00 are easily drawable. White's still practically better, thanks to a more actively placed Rook. Also, d4-Knight is a well placed piece. } 28... h5 (28... g5 { was perhaps slightly more accurate, as it doesn't let White play h4. } 29. Kf2 h5 30. Ke3 h4 31. Ke4 Kf7 32. b3 Kg6 { with slightly improved version compared to the game as Black's pawns are more advanced on the kingside. }) 29. h4 g5 30. g3 Kf7 31. Kf2 Kg6 32. Ke3 Rd5 33. Ra7 Rd6 34. b3 Be6 35. Rc7 Rd5? { with 1 minute remaining on 5 moves, Radjabov loses control over the situation. Nearly any move with the Bishop was maintaining equality. } (35... Bd5) (35... Bh3) (35... Bf5?? { just not that... } 36. Rg7+ Kxg7 37. Nxf5+ $18) 36. Rc6 { Now both a6-pawn and the e6-Bishop are handing. } (36. Nxe6 Re5+ 37. Kd4 Rxe6 { leads to a drawish Rook endgame }) 36... Re5+ 37. Kf2 Bd7 38. Rxa6 { Now that White' is having extra material, they are one step closer to success. But the position is far from winning yet! } 38... gxh4 39. gxh4 Re4 40. Rd6 Bc8 41. Rd8 Bg4 42. Rd5 (42. b4!? { White couldn't move the Rook easily as in most cases ...-b4 is annoying. Hence, it would make a lot of sense for White to play b4!? }) (42. Nxb5 { doesn't seem to be good } 42... Re2+ 43. Kg3 Rxa2 { and Black has good chances to espace here }) 42... Bc8 (42... f5 43. Rxb5 f4 $132 { was an impressive resource for Black. Now they intend to play ...-Re3 } { [%cal Ge4e3] }) 43. Rc5 Bd7 44. Rc7 Be8 45. Nf3 Re6 { Black is preparing ...-Ra6 } { [%cal Ge6a6] } 46. Ra7 { White parries it. } 46... Re4 { Back to eyeing the h4-pawn. } 47. Ra8 Kf7 48. Rd8 Re7 49. Rd2 Re4 50. Rd5 Kg6 { The position hasn't changed much for the last 10 moves. } 51. a3 { Small change from White. } 51... Re7 { Black now prepares ...-Rc7 or ...-Ra7. } 52. Nd4 { Attacking the b5-pawn. } 52... Re4 { Back to e4 - targeting h4-pawn. } (52... Ra7 53. Nxb5 Bxb5 54. Rxb5 Rxa3 55. c4 { is a hopeless endgame for Black. }) 53. Nxb5 Rxh4 (53... Rf4+ { was engine's suggestion, but such moves are counter-intuitive, especially considering the fact that White can defend the h4-pawn after this. } 54. Kg3 Rg4+ 55. Kh3 Bc6 56. Rd4! Bg2+! (56... Bxb5? 57. Rxg4+ hxg4+ 58. Kxg4 { I'm not 100% sure, but I believe White should be able winning this endgame. }) 57. Kh2 Be4! 58. Nd6 Rxh4+ 59. Kg3 Rg4+ 60. Kf2 Rg2+ 61. Ke3 Ba8 { And Black's very active. }) 54. Nd4 Rh2+ 55. Kg3 Rd2 56. c4 Rd3+ 57. Kh4 Bf7 (57... Rc3!! { could have saved the day for Teimour! } 58. a4 Bxa4! 59. bxa4 Rxc4 60. a5 Ra4 { And surprisingly this endgame is theoretically drawish! } 61. Kg3 Ra3+ 62. Kh2 Ra2+ { and if White moves the King away from h/g files: } 63. Kg3 Ra3+ 64. Kf4 h4 { Black starts pushing the h-pawn. } 65. Nc2 Rc3 66. Ne3 h3 67. Nf1 Ra3 $10) 58. Rd8! Rd1 59. a4 Rh1+ 60. Kg3 h4+ 61. Kg2? { The King is too passive on g2. } 61... Rc1? { Wrong square! } (61... Rb1 { was the last moment in the game how Black could have turned the things. } 62. a5 Kg5 63. a6 (63. Kf2 Rb2+ { This is the check that Black desperately needed in the game, and this is the exact reason why 61...-Rc1 is losing and 61...-Rb1 saves the game for Black! } 64. Ke3 { Of course, the game is not finished yet and precision is still required by Black, but theoretically, this position is holdable. } 64... h3 65. Rh8 Bh5 66. Rg8+ Bg6 67. a6 Ra2 68. Nf3+ Kh6 69. Ra8 Kg7 70. a7 Bh5 71. Nh2 Rxh2 72. Rd8 Re2+ 73. Kf4 Rf2+ 74. Kg3 Bf3 75. Kxf2 h2 76. Rd1 (76. Rd5 Bxd5 77. cxd5 h1=Q 78. a8=Q Qh2+ 79. Ke3 Qg3+ 80. Kd4 Qxb3 { and this endgame should end in a draw. }) 76... h1=Q 77. Rxh1 Bxh1 { [%cal Gg7c7] }) 63... Ra1 64. Rd6 Kg4 { and now we see why Hikaru's 61.Kg2 was a mistake. } 65. Rxf6 h3+ 66. Kh2 Ra2+ 67. Kg1 Ra1+ 68. Kh2 (68. Rf1?? h2+ $19) 68... Ra2+ { and the game ends in a draw. }) 62. a5 { Now White's winning. } 62... Kh5 (62... Kg5 63. Kf2) 63. Kf2! { It's important to get the King away from g2-square. } (63. a6 Ra1 64. Rd6 Kg4 { leads to the aforementioned variation. }) 63... Kg4 64. Rf8! { Nakamura plays precisely. } (64. a6 Ra1 65. Rf8 Bh5 66. Rxf6 Ra2+ 67. Ke3 h3 { would still be a draw. }) 64... h3 65. Rxf7 h2 { It looks like Black pawn has almost promoted... But } 66. Rg7+ { and Black King has no good square to retreat... } 66... Kf4 67. Ne2+ Ke5 68. Ng3 { and now h2-pawn is no longer promoting... } 68... Rc2+ 69. Kf3 Rc3+ 70. Kg2 Rxb3 71. a6 Ra3 72. a7 Kd4 73. Nf5+ Kxc4 74. Rb7 Kc5 75. Ne7 { Important win for Hikaru after yesterday's defeat. Hard loss for my compatriot. Hope he recovers soon! } 1-0