[Event "World Rapid 2023"] [Site "Samarkand"] [Date "2023.12.26"] [Round "3.20"] [White "Holt, Conrad"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2540"] [BlackElo "2723"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D80"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/IIbUO3UV/6K4UsZlQ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 e6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bd3 Bg7 7. Nge2 O-O 8. O-O a5 9. Bd2 Re8 10. Rc1 c6 11. f3 b5 12. Qe1 Nbd7 13. Qf2 Nb6 14. a3 Nc4 15. Bxc4 bxc4 16. Na4 Rb8 17. Rfe1 h5 18. Bc3 Bh6 19. Ng3 h4 20. Nf1 h3 21. g3 Nh7 22. Nd2 Ng5 23. e4 dxe4 24. fxe4 f5! 25. d5 (25. exf5 Rf8 26. d5 Bxf5 27. Qd4 Nf7 $17) (25. e5 Ne4 $19) 25... fxe4 26. Qd4 Kh7! 27. d6 Rb5! (27... Bf5?! { throws away much of the advantage. } 28. Qa7+ Qd7 (28... Kg8 29. Qd4 Kh7 30. Qa7+ { forces repetition or the queen trade, as } 30... Bd7?? 31. Nc5 $18) 29. Qxd7+ Bxd7 30. Nc5 Bf5 31. Rcd1 Bg7 32. d7 Red8 $17) 28. Nc5 Bf5? (28... e3! 29. d7 (29. Rxe3 Rxe3 30. Qxe3 Qxd6 { with the point that the c5-knight is a major liability. } 31. Na4 (31. Bd4? Nf3+! 32. Qxf3 Qxd4+ 33. Kf1 Rxc5 $19) 31... Rf5 32. Qd4 Qxd4+ 33. Bxd4 Ne6 34. Bc3 Be3+ 35. Kh1 c5! { forces mate. }) 29... Bxd7 30. Qxd7+ Qxd7 31. Nxd7 Rf5!! (31... exd2? 32. Nf6+! Kg7 33. Nxe8+ Kg8 34. Bxd2 Nf3+ 35. Kf2 Nxd2 36. Rc2 Rf5+ 37. Ke2 Nf3 38. Nd6 Nd4+ 39. Kd1 Rd5) 32. Nxc4 (32. Rcd1 Bg7! (32... exd2?? 33. Rxe8 Nf3+ 34. Kh1 g5 35. g4 $18) 33. Re2 (33. Bxg7 Kxg7 $19) 33... Rd5 $19) (32. Kh1 exd2 33. Bxd2 $19) 32... Nf3+ $19) 29. g4! e3 (29... Rxc5 30. Qxc5 Bxg4 31. Qa7+ Qd7 32. Qxd7+ Bxd7 33. Bd4) 30. d7 exd2?? (30... Bxd7! 31. Qxd7+ (31. Nxd7 exd2 32. Nf6+ Qxf6! 33. Qxf6 Rxe1+ 34. Rxe1 dxe1=Q+ 35. Bxe1 Bg7! 36. Qxc6 (36. Qd8 Nf3+ 37. Kf2 Nxe1 38. Kxe1 Rxb2 39. Qh4+ Kg8 40. Qd8+) (36. Qf4 Be5! 37. Qxc4 Rxb2 38. Qxc6 Bxh2+ 39. Kh1 (39. Kf1?? Be5 $19) 39... Be5 40. Qd7+ Kh6 41. Qd5 Bf4 42. Qd8! Be5 43. Qd5) 36... Rxb2 37. Qd5 Rg2+ 38. Kf1 Rxg4) 31... Qxd7 32. Nxd7 exd2 33. Nf6+ Kg7 34. Nxe8+ Kg8 35. Bxd2 Nf3+ 36. Kf2 Nxd2) 31. dxe8=Q! (31. Rxe8?? dxc1=Q+ 32. Kf2 (32. Be1 Nf3+ $19) 32... Qc2+ 33. Re2 Rxc5! 34. Rxc2 Bxc2 { with the point that } 35. Qxc5 { loses to } 35... Ne4+ { but nothing else works, either. }) 31... Qxe8 { No better are the alternatives: } (31... Qxd4+ 32. Bxd4 Nf3+ 33. Kf2 dxe1=Q+ 34. Rxe1 $18) (31... dxe1=Q+ 32. Rxe1 Qxd4+ 33. Bxd4 Nf3+ 34. Kf2 $18) 32. Rxe8 { was played in the game, and wins, but did you find a more forcing alternative that avoided Black's last desperado? See Puzzle 6. } (32. Re7+!! { Black gets mated on h8 if he captures the rook, but } 32... Nf7 (32... Qxe7 33. Qh8#) 33. Rxf7+ Kg8 { is lost, assuming White finds } 34. Rg7+ { or } (34. Qh8+ Kxf7 35. Qh7+ Kf8 36. Qxh6+ Ke7 37. Qxd2 { is a more workmanlike win. }) 34... Kf8 (34... Kh8 35. Re7+ $18) 35. Qf6+ Qf7 36. Qxf7#) 32... dxc1=Q+ (32... Nf3+ 33. Kf2 Nxd4 34. Rd1! { wins. }) 33. Kf2 Qg1+! { Oh, come on, did you really anticipate this? } 34. Kxg1 Nf3+ 35. Kf2 Nxd4 36. Bxd4 Bg7! { Black is still lost, but creates maximum confusion, leaving the f5-bishop hanging but hitting the hanging d4-bishop and, by proxy, c5-knight. Only one move wins, and White found it: } 37. Re7! { and Black resigned after: } 37... Bxg4 38. Bxg7 g5 39. Bd4+ Kg6 40. Kg3 Bf5 41. Rg7+ Kh5 42. Rf7 Bg6 43. Rf8 Bb1 44. Kxh3 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0