[Event "Norway Chess 2017: Nakamura - Giri"] [Date "2017.06.06"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D80"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense: Stockholm Variation"] [StudyName "Norway Chess 2017"] [ChapterName "Nakamura - Giri"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/HwXovdRZ/EetiNj6C"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/lovlas"] [UTCDate "2017.06.06"] [UTCTime "13:34:07"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 { The Grünfeld is very modern response to the Queens Pawn opening. At first look it seems like black gives up the entire centre after 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4. However, black will start adding pressure on the d4 pawn with Bg7 and c5. } 4. Bg5 { is a response you'll rarely see at the highest level in classical games these days. But this does not mean it is a poor choice. Already on move four white puts heavy pressure on the d5-pawn. } (4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 { is the most played line } 6... Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O { has been played in over 2000 games. }) 4... Ne4 { is the most popular response. Even though the knight seem to leave the defense of the d-pawn it still covers it indirectly as it threatens both the knight on c3 and the bishop on g5. } 5. Bh4 (5. Nxe4 { is another logical option which was played in Morozevich - Carlsen, 2011. } 5... dxe4 6. Qd2 Bg7 7. e3 c5 { This is very typical of the Grünfeld. Black starts throwing pieces against d4. } 8. d5 Nd7 9. Ne2 (9. d6?! Qb6 10. Bxe7 Qxb2 { The engine loves black here. Black will probably continue with Bf6 in the near future. Then the pawn on d6 might become a liability for white. } 11. Qxb2 Bxb2 12. Rb1 Bc3+ 13. Kd1 Bf6) 9... Ne5 10. Nc3 f5 11. Be2 Nf7 12. Bh4 O-O 13. f3 exf3 14. gxf3 Qd6 15. Bg3 e5 16. O-O-O Bd7 17. Kb1 a6 18. e4 f4 19. Bf2 Rab8 20. h4 b5 { Lead to very doubled edged play in Carlsen - Morozevich, 2011. }) 5... Nxc3 6. bxc3 dxc4 7. e3 (7. e4 { looks like the most natural move. However, this allows black to play b5 and defend his c4 pawn. } 7... b5 8. a4 c6) 7... Be6 (7... b5 8. a4 c6 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Qf3 { wins for white } { [%csl Ga8] }) 8. Qb1 b6 (8... Qd5 { is another option. } 9. Nf3 Nd7 10. Be2 Bf5 11. Qb2 Bg7 12. O-O Bd3 13. Bxd3 cxd3 14. Rfd1 Qe4 15. Qb1 c5 16. Rxd3 Rc8 17. a4 e6 18. Rd1 Qc6 19. Qb5 O-O 20. Rdb1 b6 { was played in Eljanov - Svidler, 2010. White is probably a bit better due to his solid centre and option to play a5 at a later stage. But its hard to find a clear way to proceed. }) 9. Nh3 { White wants to put his knight on f4 to put pressure on the bishop on e6 and the c4-pawn. The reason Nh3 is better than Ne2 will soon become clear. } 9... Bh6 { Nakamura surprisingly went into the tank here. This position is fairly well known and has been played a few times at the highest level, fex in Macieja - Navara, 2005. } 10. Bg5 { If the knight was on e2 this wouldnt be an option. } 10... Bxg5 { white would be clearly better after 10...Bg7 11.Nf4. } (10... Bg7 11. Nf4 { and black has problems defending his c4 pawn } 11... Bf5 12. e4 h6 13. Bh4 Qd6 14. Bg3 { gave white a clear advantage in Pashikian - Nechepurenko, 2006. }) 11. Nxg5 Qd5 (11... Bd5 { would run into } 12. e4 Bb7 (12... h6 13. Nf3 Bb7 14. Bxc4) 13. Bxc4 { white has a nice edge due to his control over the centre and active pieces. }) 12. Nxe6 Qxe6 13. Qb4 { is as far as I can tell a novelty. Previously only 13.Qb5+ has been played. } (13. Qb5+ c6 14. Qxc4 Qxc4 15. Bxc4 Nd7 16. a4 Rc8 17. Ke2 e6 18. h4 Ke7 19. Rhb1 Rc7 20. Bd3 c5 { white had a small endgame advantage in Shulman - Mikhalevski, 2006. But black managed to hold without too many issues. }) 13... Qd5 { discourages 14.Bxc4 as the g2 pawn would be left hanging. } 14. Qxc4 Qxc4 15. Bxc4 { White enjoys a nice edge due to his space advantage and bishop vs knight. But with correct play black should probably be able to hold. } 15... e6 16. Be2 Nd7 17. a4 Ke7 18. a5 { white grabs space on the queen side and tries to create a weakness. } 18... c6 19. Kd2 b5 20. Rab1 Rab8 21. Rb2 f5 22. Rhb1 { White starts adding pressure in the b-file. Later white could consider opening it with moves like a6 followed by c4. He could also add pressure on the c6 pawn with Bf3. } 22... Kd6 23. f3 e5 24. c4 exd4 (24... a6 { is another option. a6 looks like it stops everything but white still has ways to break through. } 25. d5 cxd5 26. cxb5 axb5 27. Rxb5 { it is clear that white is the one with winning chances here with a passed pawn on a5. }) 25. cxb5 cxb5 26. Bxb5 dxe3+ 27. Kxe3 Nf6 28. Bc4 Rxb2 (28... Rhe8+ 29. Kd4 Rbd8 { Keeping two rooks on the board might have been a better choice. Black can then proceed to cover the a7 pawn from the 7th rank. It is hard to see how white will make progress. }) 29. Rxb2 Re8+ 30. Kd4 Re7 31. Rb8 { blacks position is very difficult as his pieces have almost no squares. But its not easy to find a winning plan for white. } 31... Rd7 32. Rc8 { white continues to remove squares from blacks pieces. } 32... Rb7 33. a6 Rb4 (33... Rc7 34. Rxc7 Kxc7 35. Ke5 Nd7+ 36. Kf4 { should win for white. } { [%cal Gf4h6] }) (33... Rd7 34. Bb5 Re7 35. Rc6+ { picks up the knight on f6 }) 34. Kc3 Ra4 35. Kb3 Nd7 { protects the rook indirectly with the idea of Nb6 } 36. Bb5 Ra5 37. Kb4 Ra1 38. Rd8 { it might look like white is winning the knight on d7, but black survives by checking whites king to the c-file and then playing Rc7. } 38... Rb1+ 39. Ka5 Ra1+ 40. Kb4 (40. Ba4 Ke6 { saves the knight. } 41. Rxd7 Rxa4+ 42. Kxa4 Kxd7 { black will pick up the a6 pawn and win. } 43. Kb5 Kd6 44. Kb4 Kc6) 40... Rb1+ 41. Ka4 Ra1+ 42. Kb3 Rb1+ 43. Kc4 Rc1+ 44. Kd3 Rc7 45. Kd4 { and we are back to where we started 5 moves ago. } 45... Ke7 46. Ra8 Kd6 47. h4 Ke7?? { loses on the spot as black soon will find himself in zugzwang } 48. Bxd7! Rxd7+ 49. Ke5! Kf7 (49... Rc7 50. Rh8 Rc5+ 51. Kd4 Ra5 52. Rxh7+ Kd6 53. Rxa7 { is a technical win }) 50. Rb8 { now Rb7 is an unstoppable threat } { [%cal Gb8b7] } 50... Re7+ 51. Kd5 Kf6 52. Rb7 Re5+ 53. Kd4 Ra5 54. Rxa7 { is a technical win for white. White will simply play Ra8, put his king on a7 and go Rb8 Rb6 Kb7 followed by a7-a8. } 54... f4 55. Kc4 Ra2 56. Kc5 h5 57. Ra8 Rc2+ 58. Kb6 Rb2+ 59. Kc5 Rc2+ 60. Kb6 Rb2+ 61. Ka7 Rxg2 62. Rb8 Rf2 63. Rb6+ Kg7 64. Kb7 Rxf3 65. a7 Ra3 66. Ra6 Rb3+ 67. Kc6 { 1-0 } *