[Event "FIDE Candidates 2022"] [Site "Madrid ESP"] [Date "2022.06.27"] [Round "9.1"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Rapport, Richard"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2764"] [BlackElo "2793"] [Annotator "Speelman,Jonathan"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C65"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/E5069VUJ/kfHwi0ta"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. O-O Nd4 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. c3 Bb6 8. Na3 c6 9. Ba4 d6 { There are several games by Nakamura as Black in this variation. } 10. Bb3 (10. Nc4 Bc7 11. Bb3 Be6 12. f4 exf4 13. Bxf4 d5 14. Bxc7 Qxc7 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Qf3 O-O 17. d4 Rae8 18. Rae1 f6 19. Nd2 Bf7 20. Ne4 Kh8 21. Qg3 Qd7 22. Nd6 Rxe1 23. Rxe1 Bg8 24. c4 Ne7 25. c5 b6 26. Bc2 Qd8 27. b4 a5 28. cxb6 axb4 29. b7 Qd7 30. b8=Q Rxb8 31. Nf7+ Bxf7 32. Qxb8+ Ng8 33. Qxb4 Bxa2 34. Be4 h6 35. h3 Ne7 36. Bb1 Be6 37. Ba2 Bxa2 38. Rxe7 Qf5 39. Qb8+ Kh7 40. Qg3 Qg6 41. Qxg6+ Kxg6 42. Kf2 Bd5 43. g4 h5 44. gxh5+ Kh6 45. Kg3 Bh1 46. Kh4 Bd5 47. Re8 Kh7 48. Kg4 Bh1 49. Kf5 Bg2 50. h4 Bh3+ 51. Kf4 Bg2 52. Rc8 Bh1 53. Kf5 Bg2 54. Rd8 Bh3+ 55. Ke4 Bg2+ 56. Kf4 Bh3 57. Kf3 Bf1 58. Rd6 Bc4 59. Kg4 Bd5 60. Rd8 Be6+ 61. Kf4 Bd5 62. Kf5 Bf3 63. h6 { 1-0 (63) Svidler,P (2694) -Nakamura,H (2736) chess.com INT 2021 }) 10... Qe7 (10... a5 11. Nc4 Bc7 12. a4 Be6 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 g5 15. Bg3 h5 16. f3 h4 17. Be1 g4 18. Bd2 d5 19. exd5 cxd5 20. Ne3 g3 21. h3 Nh5 22. Ng4 f5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5 24. Re1 Qd6 25. Qe2 Bf4 26. Qxe6+ Qxe6 27. Rxe6+ Kd7 28. Bxf4 Nxf4 29. Re5 Rhf8 30. d4 Rae8 31. Rd1 Rxe5 32. dxe5 Ke6 33. Kf1 Kxe5 34. Re1+ Kf6 35. Bc2 d4 36. cxd4 Rd8 37. Re5 Rxd4 38. Re8 Rd2 { 0-1 (38) So,W (2770)-Nakamura,H (2736) chess.com INT 2020 }) (10... h6 11. Nc4 Bc7 12. Qe2 O-O 13. f4 exf4 14. Bxf4 d5 15. Bxc7 Qxc7 16. Ne3 dxe4 17. d4 Qe7 18. Rf4 a5 19. a4 c5 20. Raf1 cxd4 21. cxd4 Ra6 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Be6 24. Rxe4 Qd7 25. Bxe6 Rxe6 26. Rxe6 fxe6 27. Rxf8+ Kxf8 28. Qc4 b6 29. b3 Qd6 30. Qc8+ Kf7 31. Qb7+ Kf8 32. Qc8+ Kf7 33. Qb7+ Kf8 34. Qf3+ Kg8 35. Qa8+ Kf7 36. Qb7+ { 1/2-1/2 (36) So,W (2770)-Nakamura,H (2736) chess.com INT 2020 }) 11. Nc4 Bg4 (11... Bc7 12. f4 Be6 { isn't disliked by my engine. }) 12. Qe1 Bc5 13. Kh1 a5 14. f4 a4 15. Bc2 b5 { Forcing matters because otherwise he will be clearly worde. } 16. fxe5 dxe5 17. Nxe5! Qxe5 18. d4 Bxd4 19. cxd4 Qxd4 20. Be3?! (20. Bd2 Qxb2 21. Rc1 Qe5 (21... O-O 22. Bc3 Qa3 (22... Qxa2 23. Bxf6 Bh5! 24. Qg3 Bg6 25. Ba1 $18) 23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. Qh4 $18) 22. Bc3 Qe7 23. Bd3 { v hard move to foresee in order to control c5 } (23. Bb1 { looks more natural to me than Bd3 } 23... O-O 24. Rxf6 gxf6 25. Qg3 f5 26. h3 { at least ± })) 20... Qxb2 21. Qf2 Be6! 22. Bd4 Qb4 23. Bc5 Qc3 24. Rac1 Rd8 (24... Ng4 25. Qg1 Nxh2 26. Bb1 $18) 25. Bb1 Qe5 26. Qh4 Bc4?? { A horrible move even if after White's reply an engine would have been OK } (26... h6 { maintains the queen on f5. White would now like to sacrifice the exchange but if } 27. Rf5? (27. h3 Rd2 (27... Qg5) 28. Qe1 Qg5) 27... Bxf5 28. exf5 Qxc5!) 27. Rf5 Qb2 28. Rg1 (28. Re1 { was apparently stronger but Black now had to find the totally counterintuitive Rd2 when he's apparently all right. }) 28... Be6 (28... Rd2!) 29. Qg3 Nd7 30. Bd6 Qd4 31. Rff1 h5 32. e5 Qg4 33. Qe3 h4 34. h3 Qh5 { With absolutely no counterplay and the blockade shot to pieces, Black is totally lost in human terms and engines agree too. } 35. Be4 Qh6 36. Qf3 f6 37. Bxc6 Kf7 38. Bxb5 Qh5 39. Qe4 Nxe5 { A desperate shot hoping for Bxe5 Rd5 though that should lose too } 40. Be2 (40. Bxe5 Rd5 41. Bxf6! gxf6 42. Bc4 Re5 (42... Rg8 43. Re1 Qe5 44. Qf3) 43. Qb7+ Kg6 44. Qe7!) 40... Qg5 41. Bxe5 { Black has nothing tangible for the peice so Rapport resigned. } 1-0