[Event "Fagernes GM"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2020.10.08"] [Round "6.5"] [White "Starostits, Ilmars"] [Black "Ranaldi, Lucas"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2464"] [WhiteTeam "Latvia"] [BlackElo "2334"] [BlackTeam "Norway"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B12"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/JoaBN"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/8GGJS2J4/IilRDc99"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 { Lucas scores well with the solid Caro-Kann - also a favourite of Offerspill player Jon Kristian Haarr, even though his style is not comparable to Lucas' in any way :-) } 3. e5 Bf5 (3... c5 { ..is a more direct, but also riskier way of playing. }) 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 { The thematic pawn break in this structure. } { [%cal Gb8c6] } 6. Be3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Ne7 { Black doesn't mind giving up the bishop pair in this position as development is more important. } { [%cal Ge7f5] } 8. O-O (8. Nxf5 Nxf5 { The position is pretty closed, so the bishop pair doesn't really bother Black much here. } { [%cal Yf5e3,Yb8c6] }) 8... Nbc6 9. Bb5 a6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 (10... Nxc6 11. Nxf5 exf5 { [%csl Rf5,Rf7,Rd5] }) 11. c4 Qd7 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Nxf5 exf5 $13 { A wrecked pawn structure is never a pretty sight, but Black has a very solid knight on d5 in return. } 14. Bd4 Rd8 15. Nc3 Bb4 16. e6!? { The Latvian grandmaster attempts to spice things up. } 16... fxe6 17. Nxd5 cxd5 18. Bxg7 Qxg7 19. Qa4+! { The point. White wins his piece back. } 19... Qd7 20. Qxb4 Qd6 (20... Rg8!? 21. Rac1 d4 22. Rfd1 $14) 21. Qd4 Kf7 { Black's king is a bit airy, but Luacs fights on brilliantly. } { [%csl Rf7] } (21... O-O!?) 22. Rae1 Rhg8 23. Re3 Rg4! 24. f4 Rdg8 25. g3 Rc8 26. Rfe1 Rg6 27. Rb3 Rgg8 28. Ree3 (28. Rbe3 $14 { White enjoys stable pressure against Black's slightly mechanic set-up, but Black is reasonably solid as long as he remains patient. }) 28... Rc6 29. Rb7+ Rc7 30. Qa7 Rxb7 31. Qxb7+ Kg6 32. Qa7 Rc8 (32... d4! 33. Rd3 Rd8 $10 { It's difficult to imagine White being able to make any progress while also keeping an eye out for the dangerous passed pawn on d4 - Black should be comfortable here. }) 33. Qd4 Rc1+ 34. Kg2 Rc8 { [%csl Gh8][%cal Rd4h8] } 35. Re5 Kf7 36. g4 { Action! White breaks in front of both kings. } 36... Rc4 37. Qa7+ Rc7 38. Qf2 fxg4 39. Qh4 Kg8 (39... Ke8 40. Qf6 Re7 $10 { A nice way of shielding the king from harm. } { [%cal Ye8d7] }) 40. Qh6! Rg7 41. Rxe6 $14 Qb8 42. Kg3 Qb5 43. Kh4 Qd7 44. Kg3 a5 45. Re5 Rg6 46. Qh4 Kf8 47. Qh5 $14 { White enjoys the safer king and better piece coordination, but Black is not withouth chances - as we shall see. } 47... Qa7 { [%cal Ya7g1] } 48. Kg2 Qb7 { [%csl Rb2] } 49. Qf5+ Kg7 50. Rxd5? { Allowing Black some counterplay. } 50... Qxb2+ 51. Kg3 Qc3+ 52. Qd3 Qxd3+ { Lucas decides that the rook and pawn endgame is his best bet. } (52... Qe1+ $13) 53. Rxd3 Rc6 54. Kxg4 Rc2 55. Ra3 Rc5 56. Re3 Kf6 57. Rb3 h5+ 58. Kf3 Kf5 59. a4 Ke6 60. Rb6+ Kd7 61. Rh6 Rc4 62. Rxh5 Rxa4 { A pawn extra is not always enough in rook and pawn endgames, as Lucas demonstrates. } 63. Re5 Ra1 64. Kg4 a4 65. Kf5 a3 66. Re3 a2 67. Ra3 Ke7 68. Ra7+ Ke8 69. h3 Rh1! { Securing a favourable exchange of pawns. The rest is easy technique for Lucas. } 70. Rxa2 Rxh3 71. Kg6 Ke7 72. Ra7+ Ke8 73. f5 Rg3+ 74. Kf6 Rf3 75. Ra8+ Kd7 76. Kg6 Ke7 77. Ra7+ Ke8 78. Ra1 Ke7 79. Rg1 Rf2 80. Re1+ Kf8 81. Re6 Rg2+ 82. Kf6 Rh2 83. Re3 Rh6+ 84. Kg5 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { The grandmaster has seen enough. Black would now follow up with a move like 84..Rb6. This defensive manouver is called the "sixth-rank defence". The following moves are aimed to demonstrate this. } 84... Rb6 85. f6 Rb1! { Black's point. The white king cannot escape the checks from the first rank. } { [%cal Gb1g1] } 86. Re7 Rg1+ 87. Kf5 Rf1+ 88. Kg6 Rg1+ 89. Kf5 Rf1+ 90. Ke6 Re1+ 91. Kd6 Rf1 $10 { [%csl Rf6][%cal Rf1f6] } 1/2-1/2