[Event "Tata Steel Chess Masters"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/tata-steel-chess-2026--masters/round-4/TU7qC17C/Ay87teqm"] [Date "2026.01.17"] [Round "4.2"] [White "Aravindh, Chithambaram VR."] [Black "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2700"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "5072786"] [BlackElo "2725"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "2093596"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A34"] [Opening "English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Rubinstein Variation"] [StudyName "Tata Steel 2026"] [ChapterName "Aravindh, Chithambaram VR. - Niemann, Hans Moke"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/9wSwLYbF/Ap1kVTUJ"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 { [%clk 1:58:06] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:58:43] } 2. g3 { [%clk 1:57:50] } 2... c5 { [%clk 1:57:25] } 3. Bg2 { [%clk 1:57:21] } 3... Nc6 { [%clk 1:57:10] } 4. c4 { [%clk 1:55:23] } 4... d5 { A principled line in the Symmetrical English, punching first in the center. } { [%clk 1:56:33] } 5. cxd5 { [%clk 1:45:58] } 5... Nxd5 { [%clk 1:55:56] } 6. Nc3 { [%clk 1:45:50] } 6... Nc7 { [%clk 1:55:23] } 7. O-O { [%clk 1:45:44] } 7... e5 { Black grips the dark squares in the center, while e2-e4 blunts the g2-bishop. So, White is forced to continue in a hypermodern style. } { [%clk 1:54:50] } 8. a3 { [%clk 1:45:37] } 8... Rb8 { [%clk 1:54:10] } 9. d3 { [%clk 1:44:39] } 9... Be7 { [%clk 1:51:49] } 10. Nd2 { [%clk 1:44:30] } 10... Bd7 { [%clk 1:45:48] } (10... Be6 $146 { is the engine's choice, not fearing } 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. Qa4 { due to } 12... Nb5! $10 { with ... f7-f6 to reinforce the e5-pawn coming, followed by castling. The weak light squares around White's king compensate for Black's inferior structure on the queenside. }) 11. Nc4 { [%clk 1:43:35] } 11... f6 { [%clk 1:45:05] } 12. f4 { [%clk 1:40:30] } 12... b5 { The players have each spent around 20 minutes by now, but we're still in theory! This position has been reached seven times, mostly in the 2010s, with Black enjoying a positive score. } { [%clk 1:42:58] } 13. Ne3 { [%clk 1:40:19] } 13... O-O { [%clk 1:40:44] } (13... exf4 { has been tried in five of the previous seven games. }) 14. f5?! { The first new move of the game turns out to be an error. Relieving the tension in the center favors Black, whose centralized pieces are ready to improve before White can make anything of the slow, kingside expansion. } { [%clk 1:39:42] } (14. Bd2 { and }) (14. Ned5 { have both been tried previously. }) 14... Nd4 { [%clk 1:36:03] } 15. g4 { [%clk 1:38:48] } 15... Kh8 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 16. Bd2 { [%clk 1:15:39] } 16... Be8 { [%clk 1:27:03] } 17. Ne4 { [%clk 1:15:02] } 17... Bf7 { [%clk 1:25:34] } 18. Bc3?! { [%clk 1:07:13] } 18... b4 { [%clk 1:16:40] } 19. axb4 { [%clk 1:03:29] } 19... cxb4 { [%clk 1:16:29] } 20. Bd2 { [%clk 1:03:22] } 20... Bb3 { Black's previous handful of moves prove to be remarkably coherent. Niemann grabs a ton of space on the queenside. } { [%clk 1:15:49] } 21. Qe1 { [%clk 1:03:13] } 21... Ncb5 { The knight often belongs behind an advanced pawn, making use of the carved-out space. } { [%clk 1:15:28] } 22. Rc1 { [%clk 0:52:11] } 22... Bg8 { [%clk 1:13:44] } 23. Rd1 { [%clk 0:44:45] } 23... a5 { [%clk 1:05:49] } 24. Kh1 { [%clk 0:41:43] } 24... Nb3 { [%clk 1:02:48] } 25. Nc4 { [%clk 0:40:13] } 25... Nxd2 { [%clk 1:01:43] } 26. Rxd2 { [%clk 0:39:47] } 26... b3 { Fixing the weak b2-pawn. The bishop pair is well-equipped to play with the two-on-one queenside advantage in an endgame. } { [%clk 0:51:55] } 27. Qg3 { [%clk 0:35:56] } 27... a4 { [%clk 0:45:07] } 28. g5 { [%clk 0:35:33] } 28... a3 { But why wait for the endgame? } { [%clk 0:43:46] } 29. e3 { [%clk 0:25:35] } (29. bxa3 Nxa3 30. gxf6 gxf6! $17 { goes nowhere for White, as Black enjoys counterplay along the g-file. }) 29... fxg5 { [%clk 0:34:03] } 30. Nxe5 { [%clk 0:22:56] } 30... Rb6 { The point of ... fxg5. } { [%clk 0:33:22] } 31. bxa3 { [%clk 0:20:33] } 31... Nxa3 { [%clk 0:33:07] } 32. Rb2 { [%clk 0:20:26] } 32... Qe8 { [%clk 0:27:36] } 33. d4 { Taking stock, White has central connected passers and pieces drifting towards Black's cornered king. But none of this matters. Rooks make bad blockaders, and the advanced b-pawn is more urgent than anything White has cobbled together. } { [%clk 0:13:38] } 33... Nc4! { [%clk 0:26:57] } 34. Rbb1 { [%clk 0:13:34] } (34. Nxc4 Bxc4 { [%cal Gf8f5] } 35. Rff2 Qc8 $17 { The f-pawn will fall shortly. }) 34... b2 { [%clk 0:22:55] } 35. Rf2 { [%clk 0:12:58] } 35... Qc8 { [%clk 0:15:35] } 36. Rc2 { [%clk 0:10:08] } (36. Nxc4 { is well-met by } 36... Qxc4! { when } 37. Rfxb2?? { fails due to } 37... Rxb2 38. Rxb2 Qc1+ $19) 36... Nxe5! { A great sac from Hans! } { [%clk 0:13:58] } 37. Rxc8 { [%clk 0:09:20] } 37... Rxc8 { [%clk 0:13:54] } 38. Nc5 { [%clk 0:08:01] } (38. dxe5 Rc1+ $19) 38... Bxc5 { [%clk 0:11:52] } 39. Be4 { [%clk 0:03:05] } (39. dxc5 Rxc5 $19 { [%cal Gc5c1] }) 39... Nc4 { [%clk 0:06:57] } 40. dxc5 { [%clk 0:33:28] } 40... Rxc5 { [%clk 0:37:21] } 41. Qf2 { [%clk 0:33:25] } 41... Nd6 $19 { Black only has two pieces and a pawn for the queen. But the pawn is mighty on the b2-square, and White's pieces are ill-equipped to continue blockading it. } { [%clk 0:35:12] } 42. Bc2 { [%clk 0:31:22] } 42... Bd5+ { [%clk 0:34:09] } 43. Kg1 { [%clk 0:31:45] } 43... Ne4 { [%clk 0:33:10] } 44. Qe2 { [%clk 0:31:36] } (44. Qg2 Nc3 $19) 44... Nc3 { [%clk 0:23:42] } 45. Qd3 { [%clk 0:31:33] } 45... Nxb1 { [%clk 0:18:35] } 46. f6 { [%clk 0:31:56] } 46... Rxc2! { Removing the last glimmer of counterplay. } { [%clk 0:18:58] } 47. Qxd5 { [%clk 0:32:14] } (47. Qxc2 Nc3 $19) 47... gxf6 { [%clk 0:17:35] } 48. Qd8+ { [%clk 0:32:36] } 48... Kg7 { [%clk 0:18:01] } 49. Qe7+ { [%clk 0:32:57] } 49... Kg6 { [%clk 0:16:15] } 50. Qe8+ { [%clk 0:33:16] } 50... Kf5 { [%clk 0:15:57] } 51. Qd7+ { [%clk 0:32:59] } 51... Ke4 { [%clk 0:16:11] } 52. Qd4+ { [%clk 0:32:16] } 52... Kf3! { [%clk 0:16:26] } (52... Kf5 53. Qd5+ $10 { would indeed allow a perpetual. }) 53. Qd1+ { [%clk 0:32:40] } (53. Qd5+ Kxe3 $19 { and the checks run out. }) 53... Kxe3 { [%clk 0:15:58] } 54. Qxc2?! { [%clk 0:32:58] } 54... Nd2! { [%clk 0:16:02] } 55. Qc5+ { [%clk 0:33:08] } 55... Ke2 { and White resigned. } { [%clk 0:16:10] } 0-1