[Event "Round 6: Ian Nepomniachtchi - Jan-Krzysztof Duda"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.06.18"] [White "Ian Nepomniachtchi"] [Black "Jan-Krzysztof Duda"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Abasov"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A07"] [Opening "King's Indian Attack: Keres Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/450dtcgH/XVg7UbhN"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3!? { Novelty in the Candidates tournament 2022. Previously, Ian tested only 1.e4 in his games again Fabi and Firouzja. } 1... d5 2. g3 Bg4 { was played after 7 minutes of thinking. I believe this was the first mini-win in the opening stage of the game for Nepo. } (2... Nf6 { is the most played move in this position } 3. Bg2 c5 4. O-O e6 { and now White may decide which setup they want to enter. It's often either the King's Indian Attack with d3/Nbd2/e4; or the reversed-Benoni after c4-d4, e3. Also White can keep playing Catalan-type positions with d4. }) (2... Nd7!? { became quite a trendy variation after Alekseenko's win over Sergey Karjakin in Grand Swiss 2019. } 3. d4 Nb6!? $132 { fighting the c4 move. }) 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O Nd7 5. h3 Bh5 6. d4!? (6. d3 { is the old main move } 6... Ngf6 7. Nbd2 { followed by e4. }) 6... Ngf6 7. c4 c6 8. cxd5 exd5 { So far players follow one of the main lines in Reti. In this position, White has the dilemma of 3-4 different moves. } 9. Ne5 (9. Nc3) (9. Nh4!? Bg6 10. Nc3 Be7 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Qd3 { is one of the possible lines for White, but after } 12... O-O { I don't see much of trouble for Black. }) (9. Qb3 { is the most played move here } 9... Qb6 10. Qe3+!? Be7 11. Nh4 Bg6 12. Nc3 (12. f4? Be4 $17) 12... Qd8 13. Nxg6 (13. f4 { doesn't give White much after } 13... Bc2! 14. Qd2 (14. g4 Nb6 $36) 14... Be4 15. Bxe4 dxe4) 13... hxg6 14. Qd3 { transposes to above mentioned line }) 9... Nxe5 (9... Ne4 { is perhaps the most precise for the equality. } 10. Bxe4 (10. Nd2 f5!? $146 11. Nxe4 fxe4) 10... dxe4 11. Nc3 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Bb4 (12... Qxd1?! 13. Rxd1 Be7 14. Rd4 O-O 15. Rd7 { looked good for White in the game: Alonso Rosell,A - Narciso Dublan,M (Barcelona, 2020) }) 13. Nxe4 Qxd1 14. Rxd1 Bxe2 15. Rd4 Be7 16. Bg5!? Bf3 17. Bxe7 Kxe7 (17... Bxe4 18. Bf6! gxf6 19. Rxe4 $16) 18. Nd6 Rhd8 { looks to be equal } 19. g4 g6 20. Kh2 Bd5) 10. dxe5 Ne4 (10... Nd7 11. Nc3 Nxe5 12. g4 Bg6 13. f4 Bc5+ 14. e3 (14. Kh2?? Nxg4+ 15. hxg4 Qh4+ 16. Bh3 Bf2 $19 { and Black wins the game }) 14... Nc4 15. f5 O-O 16. fxg6 hxg6 { has to be better for White, but it's far from clear! }) 11. Nd2 (11. Bxe4 dxe4 12. Nc3 { See comments on 9...-Ne4 above. }) 11... Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Bc5 13. Rc1 Qe7 14. Kh2 { White's preparing to march the kingside pawns. } (14. Kh1!? { was perhaps slightly more precise for White. } 14... O-O 15. g4 Bg6 16. f4 { and in case Black plays just the way as in the game } 16... h6?? { White wins the game on the spot } (16... f5 17. Qb3 fxg4? (17... Kh8 18. Rxc5 Qxc5 19. Bb4 $14) 18. hxg4 Be4 (18... Qh4+ 19. Qh3 $18) 19. Be1 $18) 17. f5! Bh7 18. f6 $18 { the difference between Kh2 and Kh1 is that, the pawn on e5 does not hang with a check. }) 14... O-O 15. g4 Bg6 (15... Qxe5+ { loses to } 16. f4 $18 { and both the Queen and the Bishop is hanging. }) 16. f4 h6 $146 (16... f5 17. Qb3 Rad8 { happened in the game Svidler,P - Karjakin,S (Wijk aan Zee, 2018) and the eight-time Russian Chess Champion didn't go here the deep } 18. a4! { with the idea of going for Qc3-Bb6, a5-Bc7, a6! } (18. gxf5 Bxf5 19. e4 Be6) 18... a6 19. Ba5 Rc8 20. gxf5 Bxf5 21. e4 $18) 17. Qe1!? { I like this move. By intending to play e4 at a certain point, White also keeps an option of bringing the Queen to g3. } 17... Rfe8 (17... a6 { I just want to show the readers a possible strategical idea here for. P.S. ...-a6 is done only to 'pass' the move to White. } 18. f5! Bh7 19. e4! { White temporarily sacrifices a pawn } 19... Qxe5+ 20. Bf4 Qd4 { c5 Bishop needed to be defended. } 21. exd5 cxd5 22. Be5 Qe3 23. Qxe3 Bxe3 24. Rcd1 $16 { and the position of h7-Bishop is somewhat sad. }) 18. Qg3 (18. h4) 18... Bh7 19. h4 Rad8 (19... Bd4 20. b4 (20. g5 h5)) 20. g5 hxg5 21. hxg5 Bb4 22. Bxb4 Qxb4 23. f5 Qxb2 24. e6 { is the most human, although meanwhile } (24. Rc3! { was winning the game on the spot } 24... d4 25. e6!! { White still does Nepo's move in the game, but before that makes sure to sacrifice the Rook on c3. } 25... dxc3 (25... Qxc3 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. Qc7+ { followed by f6. } 27... Kg8 (27... Re7 28. Qxd8 $18 { g6 or f6 are unstoppable. }) 28. f6 $18) (25... fxe6 26. f6! { The main threat in the position is not to play f7, but Qc7! } 26... Rd7 (26... Qxc3 27. Qc7! $18) 27. g6 $18 Qxc3 28. f7+ Kf8 29. fxe8=R+ Kxe8 30. Qb8+ Rd8 31. Rf8+ Kxf8 32. Qxd8#) 26. exf7+ Kh8 (26... Kxf7 27. Qc7+ Re7 (27... Kg8 28. f6 $18) 28. Qxd8 Rxe2 29. g6+ Bxg6 30. fxg6+ Kxg6 31. Qd3+ Kh6 32. Qh3+ Kg6 33. Qg4+ Kh6 34. Rf3 $18) 27. fxe8=Q+ Rxe8 28. g6 Rxe2 29. Rd1! (29. gxh7?? { misses the win } 29... c2 30. f6 Rxg2+! 31. Qxg2 Qe5+! { with eternal checks }) 29... Rd2 30. Qh3! $18) (24. g6 fxg6 25. fxg6 Bxg6 26. Qxg6 Qxe5+ 27. Kg1 { is still better for White, but not smooth enough. }) 24... fxe6 25. g6 { White wins the poor h7-Bishop. Black gets 3 pawns for it. } 25... exf5 26. gxh7+ Kh8? { DJK plays intuitive chess. Whilst } (26... Kxh7 { could possibly save the day for him. The idea is, Black wants to collect as much pawns as possible before offering the Queen trades with ... -Qe5, then, White won't have enough material to win the game! } 27. Rb1 (27. Qh3+ Kg8 28. Rb1 Qe5+ 29. Kh1 Rd6 30. Rxf5 Qxe2 31. Rh5 Qxh5 32. Qxh5 Rh6 33. Qxh6 gxh6 34. Rxb7 a5 35. Ra7 Re2 36. Rxa5 Kf7 { and the endgame should be drawn. }) 27... Qe5 28. Rxb7 Qxg3+ 29. Kxg3 Rxe2 30. Bh3 Kh6 31. Bxf5 Rxa2) 27. Rb1 Qf6 (27... Qxe2 28. Rxb7 Re7 29. Rxe7 Qxe7 30. Rxf5 Rd6 { was still a better practical chance for Black. }) 28. Rxb7 Rxe2? { loses on the spot } (28... Re5) 29. Rxf5 Qh6+ (29... Qxf5 { leads to checkmate in 1. } 30. Qxg7#) 30. Kg1 Rxa2 31. Rbf7 { White wants to play Rg5 with the next move and put pressure on g7-pawn. The immediate } (31. Rg5?? { is bad in a view of } 31... Ra1+ 32. Bf1 Rf8! $19) 31... Ra1+ 32. Bf1 d4 33. Rg5 Qd6 34. Qf2! Qa3 { tying to offer the Queen trades with ...-Qe3 } 35. Rg3! { Covers the e3-square and next, White's ready to capture the g7-pawn. Quite an impressive performance by Ian. So far he plays the best chance in the tournament alongside Fabi. Let's see what brings the second leg of the event! } (35. Rfxg7?? Qe3) 1-0