[Event "FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024"] [Site "Toronto"] [Date "2024.04.07"] [Round "4"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2758"] [BlackElo "2727"] [Annotator "WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C67"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall"] [StudyName "2024 FIDE Candidates and Women's Candidates Annotations"] [ChapterName "Nepomniachtchi, Ian - Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/Mez4h4WA/mNe1CUQH"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Vidit repeats the Berlin from his second-round game against Nakamura. } 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 { Nepo steers the game into the Berlin endgame, a line filled with lots more intricacies than it appears to have at first sight. } 9... Bd7 10. h3 h6 { This line with ... Bc8-d7 and ... h7-h6 line has been very fashionable recently, and, from his game against Nakamura, it's clear Vidit likes new trends, even with the black pieces. } 11. g4 Ne7 12. Nh2!? { But this time it's Ian who springs the first novelty! 12. Kg2 and 12. Bf4 were tried before, but this move has the natural idea of connecting White's kingside majority with f2-f4. } 12... g5 { After a half-hour think, Black decides to fight White's f2-f4 idea directly, at the expense of ruining his own kingside structure and opening White's f1-rook. } (12... Nd5 13. Bd2 b5 { The engine prefers this way of continuing, making use of Black's own queenside majority and two bishops to create play. }) (12... c5!? 13. f4 Nc6 { also deserves serious consideration; Black develops his pieces and eyes a jump into d4, all while tagging the e5-pawn so that White can't further expand with f4-f5. }) 13. f4 { Ian opens the position and brings his pieces in with energy; it's clear that ... g7-g5 was not ideal with Black's undeveloped kingside and king on d8. } 13... gxf4 14. Bxf4 Be6 15. Ne4 b6?! { Simultaneously controlling the c5-square and preparing a cocoon for the king on b7. However it was strange that Vidit didn't choose } (15... Ng6 16. Bg3 Be7 { , when Black develops his pieces quickly and it's not even clear that the Black king should belong on b7. Black can bring both of his rooks into play with ideas like ... h6-h5 and ... a7-a5-a4. }) 16. Nf3 { The knight has done its job by making way for the f-pawn, so now returns to the action. } 16... c5 { Vidit seemed to not have a sense of danger with his slow, improving moves. Ian, meanwhile, makes use of these tempi to build up his kingside position and constrict Vidit's pieces. } 17. Nf6 Kc8 18. Kg2 Kb7 (18... Nd5 { It was time to get pieces out, but Vidit is still not concerned about his pieces yet. }) 19. Kg3 (19. Rfd1! { was the computer's suggestion, cutting of the access to d5. And if } 19... Ng6 { then } 20. Kg3 { and Black's activity is once again stymied. }) 19... a5 (19... Nd5! { was again better. If } 20. Rfd1 { then } 20... Nb4 21. c3 Nxa2 { and Black is fine. }) 20. a3 { This is quite natural, putting the white pawns on dark squares to minimize the effectiveness of Black's unopposed light-squared bishop on e6. However, } (20. a4! { would have put Vidit in a serious bind. Black's queenside expansion is quelled, and his kingside is strangled as well. It's not clear what Black should do with his rooks. For instance, if } 20... Nd5 { then simply } 21. Rad1 Nxf4 (21... Nb4 22. Rf2) 22. Kxf4 { and Black has no clear moves. }) 20... a4 { Opening the path for the rook to swing to b5 via a5. } 21. Rad1 Nc6 { The d5-square has been cut off, so Vidit now potentially eyes a route to c4 via a5. } 22. c3 { White places more pawns on dark squares, and he also is restricting the knight's movement from away c6. } 22... Be7 (22... Na5 { heading to c4 makes sense. Or }) (22... b5 { followed by ... b5-b4 to open up the queenside. Either of these moves looked more direct. }) 23. Nh4 { The knight is heading for f5, and, combined with the time crunch (Vidit had 32 mins left for 15 more moves with no increment until move 40), Vidit was feeling the heat. } 23... h5 { A good decision, challenging White's pawn mass and inducing a push forward so that the f5-square is no longer supported. } 24. g5 (24. gxh5?? Bxf6 25. exf6 Rxh5 { and }) (24. Nxh5?? Rxh5 25. gxh5 Rg8+ { would both spell disaster for White. }) 24... Ra5 { Black decides to pressure the b2-pawn with his rook, however this leaves his kingside vulnerable. In hindsight, it may have been better to leave the rook on the eighth rank and maybe even send the king forward via ... Kb7-a6-b5. } (24... Rad8 { controlling the squares on the d-file keeps a good position for Black. Black also reserves the flexibility of either ... b6-b5-b4 or ... Kb7-a6-b5. }) (24... Ka6 { is possible too, and }) (24... b5 { looked promising as well. }) 25. Rde1 { An instructive moment. While it may look counterintuitive to use the d-rook to support the pawn on e5, Ian's point was that the rook on f1 served a better purpose once the game opens up with g5-g6 at some point. On the other hand, the rook on d1 sits pretty but has no entry points on the d-file thanks to Black's minor pieces. } 25... Rb5 26. Bc1 { Nepo follows the principle of defending with your least valuable piece. He also puts the onus on Black to enter complications. } (26. Rf2 { is better according to the engine, but the position remains complicated. }) 26... Rb3? { The critical mistake of the game. Thus far it has been a back-and-forth affair, however this drops the rope. Black intended ... b6-b5-b4, but White's play on the kingside comes with tempo while Black's counterplay is too slow. } (26... c4! { The bishop had just returned to c1, so this was a natural way to attack the weak e5-pawn. White responds with } 27. g6! (27. Nf3?! { defends the pawn, but White loses his initiative. Notice how after this move White's pieces are all passively defending weaknesses. Black would take the upper hand after } 27... h4+ 28. Kg2 Rd8! { , when the rook enters the fray via d3, and White's position comes under serious fire. Note the pawn on h4 is untouchable due to the weak pawn on e5. }) 27... Nxe5 (27... fxg6 28. Nxg6 Rd8 { activating via d3 is entirely possible as well. }) (27... Rxe5? 28. Rxe5 Nxe5 29. g7 Bxf6 30. Rxf6 Rg8 31. Bh6 { is a similar, but losing, version for Black. Black exchanged his beautiful rook on b5 for its terrible counterpart on e1. }) 28. g7 Bxf6 29. Rxf6 (29. gxh8=Q? Bxh8 { is totally hopeless. The knight enters via d3 and White has too many weaknesses. }) 29... Rg8 30. Bh6 Nd3 31. Rb1 { Black has an extra pawn, but the passed pawn on g7 is a thorn. Luckily, Black has an easy solution: } 31... Rxg7+! 32. Bxg7 Rg5+ 33. Kh2 Rxg7 { Black has no risk in this position, and it is up to White to prove equality. }) 27. g6! { Good understanding by Nepo! Time is of the essence since the rook on b3 is temporarily out of the game, so he opens up the kingside where he is "a rook up." } 27... fxg6 28. Nxg6 { Vidit's clock at this point (18 min) also did not bode well for him. Now, the defensive task is almost impossible. } 28... Rd8 (28... h4+! 29. Kh2 Rd8 { would be more resilient, since White would like to eliminate the bishop on e7 as Nepo did in the game, but the inclusion of moves has pushed White's king back and Black now threatens ... Rd8-d3 to target the weak h3-pawn. }) 29. Nxe7 { The engine even suggests } (29. h4! { fixing the weakness on h5 and removing the pawn from the fire of the e6-bishop. }) 29... Nxe7 30. Nxh5 { Nepo chooses the direct approach and snags material. } 30... Rd3+ { Vidit decides to grab the pawn back. However, Black's rook is still on b3, and here it was a good moment to try to rescue it! } (30... b5! { may have provided more resistance. While White does retain an extra pawn after } 31. Nf4 Nf5+ 32. Kh2 Bc4 33. Rf2 b4 { at least Black is making noise on the queenside and the extra pair of rooks on the board compared to the game seriously complicates White's task. }) 31. Rf3 Rxf3+ 32. Kxf3 Bxh3 33. e6 { Black has restored material equality, but one look at the position tells you how misplaced and uncoordinated Black's pieces are. } (33. Kf4 { apparently was good too. }) 33... b5 { Finally Black's counterplay gets underway! } 34. Bg5 { Removing the blockader. } 34... Nd5 { With little time on the clock, Vidit couldn't find the right way. This move is fine, but a difficult decision awaits Black. } (34... Ng6! { instead would likely save the game according to the engine. Vidit likely rejected this due to } 35. Kg3 { where the Black bishop is trapped and } (35. e7 Bd7 36. e8=Q (36. Nf6 Bc6+) 36... Bxe8 37. Rxe8 Rxb2) 35... Bxe6 { is forced. After } 36. Rxe6 { Black is down a piece and the knight is attacked, but after } 36... Nf8 37. Re8 Nd7 { White still has the weakness on b2! } 38. Bc1 b4 39. Re3 bxa3 40. bxa3 Nb6! { and the knight enters the fray via c4. Black likely has enough play to make a draw, but it's easy to see why this was almost impossible for Black to find. }) 35. e7 Bd7 (35... Nxe7 36. Bxe7 { is hopeless since White will take control of the dark squares. }) 36. Rd1! { A strong practical try from Nepo. He wants to queen the pawn, not just win a piece for the pawn. } (36. Re5 { is met by } 36... c6! { and Black keeps it together. }) 36... Kc6? { Vidit falters under tremendous pressure. } (36... Be8! { is an incredible defensive resource. It looks illogical due to } 37. Ng7 { but this is exactly the point. Counterintuitively, Black provokes the knight to g7. The point is here after } 37... Bc6 38. Kg3 (38. e8=Q Nb6+ { and Black has enough counterplay with . .. b5-b4 followed by ... Nb6-c4 in the endgame. }) 38... Nxe7 39. Bxe7 Rxb2 { White has no time to take on c5 due to the threat of ... Rb2-g2+. }) (36... Bc6 { is less precise, but also keeps Black in the game. True, after } 37. Kg3 { , ... Nd5xe7 is no longer great since there is no skewer from g2. But Black can play } 37... Nb6 (37... Nxe7 38. Bxe7 Rxb2 (38... b4!! { miraculously might keep Black in it. }) 39. Bxc5 { and White's knight is on h5, not g7. }) 38. Ng7 Rxb2 39. Ne6! { The threat is Ne6-d8+, so Black sidesteps with } (39. e8=Q?? Bxe8 40. Nxe8 Rb3 { and Black wins, with White's queenside collapsing. }) 39... Ka7! { and the game goes on }) 37. Ke4! { This is the problem. Black's knight has to give way } 37... Be8?! { One last hope may have been } (37... Nxe7 38. Bxe7 Rxb2 { But here it's grim too after } 39. Nf4 { The problem is the dark squares, since White can probe with something like Rd1-d5, inducing ... c5-c4, after which White's bishops protects the remaining queenside pawns. }) (37... Nb6 { loses to } 38. Rxd7! Kxd7 39. Ng7 { and the pawn queens. }) (37... Rxb2 38. Rxd5 Re2+ 39. Kd3 Re1 40. Rxd7 Kxd7 41. Ng7 { doesn't work for Black. }) 38. Rxd5 Bxh5 (38... Bg6+ { doesn't change much. After } 39. Ke5 Bxh5 40. Bc1 b4 41. Ke6 Bg6 (41... Bg4+ 42. Kf6) (41... Be8 42. Rd8) 42. Kf6 { we reach the position in the game. }) 39. Bc1! { The coup' de grace from Nepo! White locks in the ugly rook on b3, whose dream of becoming a hero of the game fades away. } 39... Bg6+ (39... Be8 40. Rd8 Bd7 { In this version, Black does manage to give up the bishop for the pawn, but it's much too late since Black's counterplay with ... b5-b4 hasn't even started. } 41. e8=Q Bxe8 42. Rxe8 b4 43. Rb8! { is the simplest. }) 40. Ke5 b4 { One last gasp but Nepo is too quick. While the rook is still on b3, he rounds up the g6-bishop to queen his pawn. } 41. Kf6! Be8 (41... Kxd5 42. Kxg6 { the pawn queens } 42... bxa3 (42... bxc3 43. e8=Q cxb2 44. Bxb2 Rxb2 45. Qf7+ Ke4 46. Qf5+ { and White picks up the rook via Qf5-f6+ or Qf5-e5+, depending on Black's move. }) 43. e8=Q axb2 { Here White can even be cute with } 44. Kf7! { , since the mate threat on e6 forces } 44... Kc4 (44... Rb6 45. Bxb2) 45. Qe2+ Kxc3 46. Qd2+ Kc4 47. Bxb2 { with the white bishop alive, Black can safely resign. }) 42. Rd8 bxa3 (42... Bd7 43. Rxd7 Kxd7 44. Kf7) (42... Bh5 43. Rh8 { finally rounds up the bishop. }) 43. bxa3 (43. Rxe8 { wins too. }) 43... Bd7 (43... Bh5 44. Rh8) (43... Rxc3 44. Rxe8 Rxc1 45. Rd8 Re1 46. e8=Q+ Rxe8 47. Rxe8 Kd5 48. Kf5 Kd4 (48... Kc4 49. Ke4 Kb3 50. Kd3 c4+ 51. Kd2) (48... c4 49. Rd8+ Kc5 50. Ke4) 49. Rd8+ Kc3 50. Ke4 c4 51. Ke3 Kb2 52. Rb8+ Kc2 (52... Kxa3 53. Kd2) 53. Rc8 { and White will round up the pawns. }) 44. Kf7 { Rd8xd7 is inevitable. A great game from Nepo and a big boost for his chances at an unprecedented third Candidates victory! } (44. Rxc3 Rxd7 45. Rf3+ Ke6) 1-0