[Event "Round 10: Ian Nepomniachtchi - Teimour"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.06.18"] [White "Ian Nepomniachtchi"] [Black "Teimour Radjabov"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "Bajarani,Ulvi"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E05"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/GOhAdjoj/Vnt9LyaC"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 b5 { The novel fashion in the Catalan 4... Be7 variation. } 8. a4 Bb7 (8... b4 { is another option leading to a complex game. }) 9. axb5 a6 10. Nc3 (10. bxa6 { was played by Carlsen against Radjabov } 10... Nxa6 11. Qxc4 Bd5 12. Qc3 c5 13. Bf4 Ne4 14. Qc1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 { 1-0 (36) Carlsen,M (2864)-Radjabov,T (2753) Stavanger 2022. Now, there are several ways for Black to get equal chances: } 15... Nac5 (15... Nb4!? 16. Nc3 (16. Rxa8 Qxa8 $44) 16... Nxc3 17. bxc3 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Rc8 19. Qb2 Nd5 20. Bd2 Bf6 21. Rfd1 Qc7 22. Rdc1 e5 23. Nf5 Qc4 24. Qa2 Qe4+ 25. Kg1 Nxc3 26. Nh6+ gxh6 27. Bxc3 h5) (15... Nxf2!? 16. Rxf2 Bxg2 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Kxg2 Nc7 19. Rxa8 Qxa8+ 20. Rf3 Nd5 21. Be5 Rxf3 22. exf3 Qa7 $44) 16. Nc3 (16. Rxa8 Qxa8 17. f3 Nf6 18. Nc3 Nb3 19. Nxb3 Bxb3 $44) 16... Nxc3 17. Qxc3 Na4 18. Qd2 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Bf6 20. Be3 Nb6 21. Nf3 Rxa1 22. Rxa1 Nc4 23. Qxd8 Rxd8) 10... axb5 11. Rxa8 Bxa8 12. Nxb5 Bd5 13. Bf4 c5 14. dxc5 Qa5 15. Nc3 Qxc5 16. Be3 $146 { Another novelty in the position with good draw chances for Black. } (16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bd2 Nd7 18. Rc1 Rc8 { 1/2 (63) Vidit,S (2723)-Nakamura,H (2766) Chess.com INT 2022 }) (16. Ra1 Nc6!? (16... Nbd7 17. Be3 Qc8?! (17... Qc7 18. Ra7 Qb8 19. Nd2!? (19. Ng5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Rd8) 19... Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Nb6! 21. Rxe7 Nc8 22. Rxe6 (22. Rxf7 Rxf7 23. Nxc4 Nd6 $44) 22... fxe6 $44) 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Nd4 Bc5 20. Rd1 $14 { 1/2 (35) Banusz,T (2607)-Krassowizkij,J (2458) Austria 2021 }) 17. Be3 Qd6 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Bd2 Nb6 20. Ng5 g6 21. Bxc6 Qxc6 22. Ne4 Nd5) (16. e4 Bc6 (16... Bb7 17. b4 Qc8 18. b5 Nbd7 19. Rc1 { 0-1 (50) Dubov,D (2711)-Nakamura,H (2750) Chess.com INT 2022 } 19... Rd8) 17. Qe2 (17. Be3 Qa5 18. h3 (18. Nd4?! { 0-1 (40) Dubov,D (2702)-Nakamura,H (2766) Chess.com INT 2022 } 18... Ng4 19. Bf4 Bc5 $15) 18... Nbd7) 17... Rc8 (17... Bb7 18. Nd2 Nfd7 $132 (18... Ba6?! 19. Ra1 Nfd7 { 1/2 (36) Berggreen,A (2410)-Kitson,K (2263) ICCF corr 2004 } 20. e5 $14)) 18. Nd2 Nbd7 19. Rc1 Nb6 $132) (16. Rc1 Nc6!? (16... Rc8 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxb8 (18. Ng5 g6 19. Ne4 Qb4 20. Bd2 Qb5 21. Nc3 Nxc3 22. Bxc3 Nd7 23. Rd1 Nb6 24. Ra1 Bb4 25. Qd2 { 1/2 (25) Limley,G-Goehring,D freechess.de 2019 }) 18... Rxb8 19. Nd2 g6!? 20. Nxc4 Bg5 21. e3 Bf6 22. b3 Nc3 23. Bf3 $44 { 1/2 (23) Aberbach Peltzman,A (2265)-Cvak,R (2329) LSS email 2020 }) 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Be3!? (18. b3?! Nb4 19. Qd1 Na2 20. Rc2 Nb4 21. Rc1 Na2 22. Rc2 Nb4 23. Rc1 { 1/2 (23) Ding,L (2799)-Nakamura,H (2736) Chess.com INT 2021 }) 18... Qa5 (18... Qb4 19. b3 Ng4 20. Bd2 Qb6 21. e3 Nce5 22. Nxe5 Nxe5 23. bxc4 dxc4 $14 { White has two bishops, but Black can hold the game. }) 19. Nd4 Qb6 20. Nxc6 Qxc6 21. b3 Ng4 22. Bd4 Bf6 23. Rd1 (23. Bxf6? Qxf6) 23... Qe6 24. Bc5 cxb3 25. Qxb3 Be7 26. Bxe7 Qxe7 27. e3 Nf6 28. Bxd5 Nxd5 29. Rxd5 g6 $14 { It is almost impossible to convert an extra pawn to a decisive advantage. }) 16... Qa5 (16... Qc7 { is another option keeping an equality. } 17. Rd1 (17. Rc1 Rc8 18. Bf4 Qa7 $132) 17... Bb7 (17... Na6!? 18. Qa4 Nc5 19. Nxd5 Nxd5 20. Qxc4 Nxe3 21. fxe3 Qb6) 18. Bf4 Qb6 $132) 17. Bd2 { Nepomniachtchi desides not to trade the knight to the light-squared bishop immediately, but it gives the chance for Black to move the bishop away. } (17. Nxd5 Nxd5 { , however, doesn't give White a significant advantage. } 18. Bd4 (18. Bg5 Rc8 19. Bxe7 Nxe7 20. Rd1 g6 21. h4 Nd5 22. h5 c3 23. bxc3 Qxc3) 18... Qb5 19. Ne5 Bf6 20. Qe4 Rc8 $132) 17... Ba8 (17... Bb4!? { is another option. }) 18. Nd1 Qc5?! { The queen on the "c5"-square will be on the hanging position and interferes the "c"-file for the rook. } (18... Qa6! { is the best decision. } 19. Ne3 (19. Ne5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Rc8 21. Ne3 Nbd7 22. N5xc4 (22. Nxd7 Qc6+ 23. Kg1 Nxd7) 22... Ne5 23. b3 Nd5 24. Qe4 Nxe3+ 25. Nxe3 Qxe2 26. Qb7 Rf8) 19... Rc8 20. Rc1 Be4 21. Qd1 Nbd7) 19. Ne3 $14 { Now, Black should work hard to equalize the game. } 19... Rc8 20. Rc1 Bd5 21. Nxd5!? { Getting two bishops, removing the best defender of the "c4"-pawn. } (21. Bc3 { Maybe, it has been better for White to activate the dark-squared bishop with 21. Bc3 } 21... Nbd7 22. Bd4 $14) 21... Nxd5 (21... exd5 22. Bh3 $14) 22. Ne5 Nb6 23. Qe4?! { It is attractive to centralize a queen during the game as Nimzowitsch taught, but it is not the best decision in this current position. } (23. Bb7! { has been the critical choice for White to try to get a significant advantage. } 23... Qxe5 (23... Rc7? 24. Be4 f5 25. Be3 Qxe5 26. Bxb6 Rd7 27. Bg2 $16) (23... Rd8 24. Bf4 Bf6 25. Nxc4 Nxc4 26. Qxc4 Qxc4 27. Rxc4 Bxb2 28. Bc8 e5 29. Bg5 Re8 30. Kg2 $14 { White has some pressure due to the passive knight and the "f7"-pawn. }) 24. Bxc8 (24. Bf4 Qb5 25. Bxc8 Nxc8 { is the transposition. }) 24... Nxc8 25. Qxc4 (25. Bf4 Qb5 26. Qxc4 Qxc4 27. Rxc4 Nb6 28. Rc2 N8d7 $14 { Black has enough chances to draw the game. }) 25... Nb6 26. Bc3 (26. Qc7 N8d7 27. Qxe5 Nxe5 $14) 26... Nxc4 27. Bxe5 Nxe5 28. Rc8+ Bf8 29. Rxb8 Nc6 { Black has good chances to draw the game. }) 23... Bf6 24. Bc3 (24. Nxc4 Nxc4 25. b3 Nxd2 26. Rxc5 Rxc5 27. Qb4 Rc1+ 28. Bf1 Rxf1+ 29. Kg2 Na6 30. Qxd2 Ra1 31. Qd6 g6 32. b4 Rb1 33. Qxa6 Rxb4) (24. Bf4 Qd5! 25. Qxd5 exd5 $132) 24... N8d7 { After the trades, the position becomes completely equal. The rest moves confirm the evaluation. } 25. Bd4 Qd6 26. Nxd7 Bxd4 27. Nxb6 Qxb6 28. e3 Bxb2 29. Rxc4 Qa6 30. Rxc8+ Qxc8 31. Qb7 Qxb7 32. Bxb7 g6 33. Kg2 Kg7 34. Ba8 Ba1 35. Bb7 Bb2 36. Ba8 Ba1 37. Bb7 Bb2 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2