[Event "Sparkassen A-Open"] [Site "Dortmund, Germany"] [Date "2023.06.24"] [Round "1"] [White "Abrahamyan, Tatev"] [Black "Wagner, Dennis"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2282"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2598"] [BlackTeam "Germany"] [Annotator "WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B30"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, with d6"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/GHa9RCw7/ra6JPj3k"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,114,25,16,58,58,65,66,55,40,36,33,57,30,30,2,12,20,9,-2,48,27,44,29, 32,32,19,23,32,23,39,40,-9,-13,-3,-39,-24,-32,-31,-13,-38,-37,-54,-79,26,-2, -23,-48,-44,-62,-54,-57,-51,-48,-28,-36,-42,-42,-56,-47,-49,-39,-49,-49,-35, -64,-45,-45,-62,-64,-82,-102,-99,-62,-76,-43,-14,0,0,0,0,-56,-85,-85,-89,-73, -83,-94,-39,-59,-64,-64,-68,-67,-67,-61,-64,-57,-57,-57,-39,-36,-66,-65,-78, -56,-19,-18,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0] } 1. e4 { Tatev's main opening is 1. e4 as well. Our girls love to play exciting chess! } 1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 { I also play this move from time to time. I especially like it for fast time control games. It is easy to remember; however, not every time White fights for an advantage. } 3... e5 (3... g6 { Another interesting option and huge theoretical line; the idea is to make White push d2-d4 sooner rather than later; however it takes to a different structure, and Wagner did not want that, it seems. } 4. Bc4 (4. d4) 4... Bg7 5. O-O d6 6. d3 Nf6 { Now Black's pawn structure is more flexible, and the dark-squared bishop is placed better, so White's light-squared bishop is not as good here without Black's commitment to ... e7-e5, even though it is totally playable. }) 4. Bc4 Be7 (4... d6 5. d3 Be7 { would transpose to the game. }) 5. d3 d6 6. O-O Nf6 7. Ng5 O-O 8. f4 Bg4 9. Qe1 { This is still a theoretical position. } 9... exf4 { precise move order. If } (9... Nd4?! 10. fxe5 dxe5 (10... Nxc2 11. Qh4 Nxa1 (11... dxe5 12. Rxf6 $18) 12. exf6 $18) 11. Qh4! { then White suddenly has many threats, and there is no good way to defend as Black. } { [%cal Rf1f6] } 11... h5 { only move which immeadiately loses; however huge weakness for black } (11... h6 12. Nxf7 Rxf7 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. Qxg4 $18) 12. a4 Nxc2 (12... b6 13. h3 Be6 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Bg5) 13. h3 Bd7 14. Rxf6 gxf6 (14... Bxf6 15. Qxh5) 15. Nf3 $18) 10. Bxf4 Nd4 11. Qd2 (11. Qh4 { Now this move does not work as well because the rook on f1 is blocked. }) 11... h6 12. Nf3 Nxf3+ 13. gxf3 Bh3 14. Rf2 (14. Rfd1 { looks more logical because White can play Kg1-h1 and Rd1-g1 next, where the rook is placed slightly better. }) 14... Kh7 15. Kh1 { A bit slow, considering Black's plan. } (15. Be3 { With the idea of f3-f4! It was important to push the f-pawn and create a game before Black get out their pieces to good squares. Also, this move avoids Black's idea of playing ... Nf6-h5 followed by ... Be7-g5, exchanging off their bad bishop. }) 15... Nh5 16. Bg3?! { Too slow, now Black has enough time to activate their pieces. } (16. Be3?! Bh4 { Now the rook clearly feels misplaced. } { [%csl Rf2] } 17. Re2 f5) (16. Nd5 Nxf4 { It is way harder to evaluate this line. } (16... Bh4 17. Re2 g5 18. Be3 Rg8 { looks dangerous for White, however, nothing concrete is happening yet so } 19. d4 $13 { means that White gets to start their own plans. }) 17. Qxf4 Bg5 18. Qg3 Bh4 19. Qxh3 { and surprisingly White is fine. } 19... Bxf2 20. Rf1 Bd4 (20... Qh4 21. Qg2 Bd4 22. c3 Bf6 23. f4 g6 24. Rf3 $13 { Again enough compensation, however, it is hard to blame White for not playing 16. Nd5 because it is tough to evaluate the position. }) 21. c3 Bf6 22. Qf5+ Kh8 23. a4 { The knight on d5 is placed perfectly and gives enough compensation for the Exchange sacrifice. } { [%csl Rd5] }) 16... Bf6 17. f4 Bd4 18. Rf3 f5 { So far, Black is doing everything right and has a better postion. } 19. Ne2 Bxb2 (19... Bf6 { was an option; so the rook on a1 will not get any play. } 20. c3 Qd7 21. Ng1 Bg4 22. Rff1 $17) 20. Rb1 Bg4 21. Rff1 Bf6 22. Rxb7 Qc8 23. Rb3 Rb8 { So Black made a logical move and tried to eliminate White's active rook. However, it appeared to be slow; the position was more dynamic than it seemed to be. } (23... a5 24. a4 (24. Bd5 a4 25. Rb6 fxe4 26. Bxe4+ Kh8! { Not easy lines to calculate, especially with mutual time trouble approaching. }) 24... Qe8 25. Bb5 Qg6 $17) 24. Ng1! { And Tatev finds the move to get back to the game! } 24... Nxg3+ (24... Rb6 { would be better to keep the pressure: the g3-bishop is not going anywhere anytime soon. }) 25. hxg3 Re8 26. Bd5 Qa6 { [%cal Ra6f1] } 27. Kg2 { Protecting the f1-rook. Tatev knows everything should be brought into the game, even the king! } 27... Rb6 28. Nf3 fxe4 29. Bxe4+ Kh8 30. Rfb1 (30. c4 { would be good; protecting the a2-pawn and stopping Black from playing ... c5-c4 at the same time. }) 30... c4 31. Rxb6 axb6 32. Bd5 (32. a4 { was a good alternative as well. }) 32... Qxa2 { I saw these moves being played with only a few seconds on the clock, and it was impressive how both players managed to be so precise. } 33. Rb5 c3 34. Qf2 Qa1 35. Rxb6 Qd1 36. Be4 { The only move. } (36. Ng1 Qd2 37. Rb4 (37. Rb1 Bd4 $19) 37... Re1 38. Nf3 Bh3+ $19) 36... d5 37. Bg6 { This is the whole idea! } 37... Rd8 (37... Re2 { is not working because of } 38. Rb8+ $18) 38. Ne5 Bxe5 39. fxe5 Qd2 40. e6 (40. Kg1 { was more precise, avoiding ... Rd8-f8. } 40... Qd1+ 41. Kg2 Qd2) 40... Rf8 41. Qxd2 cxd2 42. e7 Rg8 43. Rb1 d4 44. e8=Q Rxe8 45. Bxe8 d1=Q 46. Rxd1 Bxd1 47. Ba4 g5 48. Kf2 h5 49. Ke1 Bf3 50. Bd7 Kg7 51. Kd2 Kf6 52. c3 dxc3+ 53. Kxc3 h4 54. gxh4 gxh4 55. Kd4 Bg2 56. Ke3 h3 57. Bxh3 Bxh3 { And the game ended in a draw. I watched it while they were playing and was impressed by the many right decisions they both made during a huge time scramble. } 1/2-1/2