[Event "FIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 2024"] [Site "Toronto"] [Date "2024.04.10"] [Round "6"] [White "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2727"] [BlackElo "2760"] [Annotator "IM Robert Shlyakhtenko"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B57"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation, Anti-Sozin Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/Mez4h4WA/zo2dWjLc"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by IM Robert Shlyakhtenko } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8. Bf4 Qd8 { An unusual-looking move, but in the computer age, anything is possible. While Black has lost significant time, his argument is that none of White's minor pieces are well-placed. } (8... Ne5 9. Be2 Bd7 { is the traditional way to handle this position. }) 9. Qd2 a6 10. a3 { Necessary, since ... b5-b4 was threatened. } 10... b5 11. Be2 Bb7? { Firouzja played this instantly, but it's a serious mistake. Most likely he confused something in his preparation. } (11... Be7! 12. O-O-O Ne5 { was better, with a complex position. Black does not fear } 13. Bxe5?! dxe5 14. Qg5 { in view of } 14... Qc7 15. Qxg7 Rg8 16. Qh6 Bb7! 17. Bf3 Bc6 { , followed by ... a6-a5, and Black does not feel the missing pawn at all. }) 12. O-O-O { Suddenly there are problems with the d6-pawn. The key point is that, after } 12... Qb6 { Black is moving his queen for the third time in the opening. Unsurprisingly, his position is already bad. } (12... Ne5 { allows } 13. Nxb5! Nxe4 (13... axb5? 14. Bxe5 dxe5 15. Bxb5+ Ke7 16. Qb4+ { and White wins. }) 14. Qd4 axb5 15. Bxe5 { and White is much better, thanks to } 15... Bc6 16. Bxb5!) 13. g4! { Continuing energetic play. } (13. Bxd6? { allows Black to catch up in development. } 13... O-O-O 14. Qf4 Bxd6 15. Rxd6 Rxd6 16. Qxd6 Qxf2) 13... Qxf2?! { Trying to complicate the game, but now the position is objectively not holdable. } (13... Be7? { now fails to } 14. g5 Nd7 15. Bxd6 $18) (13... Rd8 { was relatively best, although after } 14. Be3 Qc7 15. g5 Nd7 16. f4 { White's attack is very strong. }) 14. e5! Nd7 { The only move to avoid immediate defeat. } (14... Nxe5 { loses to } 15. Bxb5+) (14... dxe5 { also results in loss of material: } 15. Be3 Qg2 (15... Qh4 16. Bg5 Qf2 17. Bxf6 $18) 16. Rdg1 Qh3 17. Rg3 Qh4 18. Bg5 { and Black's queen is trapped. }) 15. exd6 Qb6 16. Be3 Qd8 17. Rhf1 { Aiming at the weak f7-square. } 17... Nce5 18. Qd4! { Preventing 18. ... g6 on account of 19. Nc5. } 18... Rc8 19. Qa7! { Black's queenside falls apart. Firouzja's only potential saving grace was Vidit's usual time pressure, but Vidit deals with the conversion phase admirably. } 19... Bc6 20. Qxa6 Ra8 21. Ba7! g6 22. Bxb5 Bh6+ 23. Kb1 Bxb5 24. Nxb5 O-O 25. Nc7 Nxg4 26. Nxa8 Qxa8 27. Qe2 { Escaping the pin. White is up material in a position with a safe king and no weaknesses; there is nothing that Black can even try. } 27... Qxa7 28. Qxg4 Bg7 29. Qc4! { Preventing ... Rf8-c8 while threatening his own invasion on c7. } 29... Qb7 30. Qc7 Qb5 31. Rf4 Qe2 32. Rd2 Qe5 33. Rfd4 Nf6 34. Qc5 Nd5 35. Ka2 Qf6 36. c3 Bh6 37. Rxd5 { Simplifying and winning. } 37... exd5 38. Rxd5 Bf4 39. d7 Rd8 40. Nd4 { Black resigned. } (40... Be3 41. Re5 Bxd4 42. Re8+ Kg7 43. Qf8# { is the final point. }) 1-0