[Event "1-st Archibald Chess Professional - 2019"] [Site "Sochi"] [Date "2019.05.12"] [Round "1.11"] [White "Stupak, Kirill"] [Black "Azimov, Ilyas"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2551"] [BlackElo "2223"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A45"] [Opening "Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack"] [StudyName "alexcolovic's Study"] [ChapterName "Stupak, Kirill - Azimov, Ilyas"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/MmCjedXj/hFamnJsP"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/alexcolovic"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. O-O e6 6. c4 { The fianchetto is played against everything nowadays, even the Slav. With his move-order, waiting for the bishop to come out to f5, White avoided the gambit lines where Black takes on c4. Stupak plays this line regularly and one can actually prepare this line by just studying his games! } 6... Nbd7 (6... dxc4?! { is dubious now as White has } 7. Nbd2 { when defending the pawn by } 7... b5 { is met by } 8. Ne5 Qb6 9. a4 { with a winning position as Black's queenside collapses and White has the idea of e4 and d5 in addition to that. }) 7. Nc3 { Once the knight appears on c3 Black can start considering the capture on c4. } (7. Qb3 Qb6 8. c5 { was possible. }) 7... h6 { Securing the bishop against the threat of Nh4 (since White's last move covered the e4-square). } (7... dxc4 { is possible and has been played by strong players. }) 8. Qb3 Qb6 (8... Qc8?! { was what I played in a similar position at the Dresden Olympiad, but I was under pressure after the typical reaction of } 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Nh4! { with e4 ideas becoming very dangerous for Black. }) 9. c5 { Stupak has faced all Black's options here. } 9... Qxb3 (9... Qa6 10. Re1 (10. Bf4 b6 (10... Be7 11. Rfe1?! { 11 Rfc1! was better, discouraging ...b6 } 11... b6! { 0-1 (47) Stupak,K (2530)-Biriukov,O (2339) Pardubice 2011 }) 11. cxb6 axb6 12. Ne5 { 1/2-1/2 (30) Stupak,K (2537)-Teclaf,P (2170) Gora Sw Anny 2016 }) 10... b6 (10... Be7? 11. Bf1! b5 12. a4 $16 { 1-0 (28) Stupak,K (2545)-Diakonova,E (2112) St Petersburg 2014 }) 11. cxb6 axb6 12. Nd2 Be7 13. e4 dxe4 14. Ndxe4 $13 { 0-1 (60) Stupak,K (2551)-Sandalakis,A (2406) Kavala 2015 }) (9... Qc7 10. Bf4 Qc8 { Black spend several moves to force the closing of the centre and even though this gives him some security White still has the initiative. } 11. Nd2 g5 (11... Be7 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nc4 O-O (13... Nd5 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15. Bxd6 $16 { 0-1 (68) Stupak,K (2520)-Lenderman,A (2614) St Petersburg 2012 }) 14. Bd6 { 1-0 (49) Stupak,K (2527)-Podolchenko,E (2516) Minsk 2011 }) 12. Bd6 Bxd6 13. cxd6 O-O?! (13... Qb8 14. e4 dxe4 15. Ndxe4 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bxe4 17. Bxe4 $13) 14. f3! c5 15. e4 $36 { 1-0 (34) Stupak,K (2588) -Rodshtein,M (2699) Katowice 2017 }) 10. axb3 { Now the game is rather forced - not what you'd expect from a closed endgame! But White wants to push b4-b5 and put a knight on a5 so Black must be vigilant to stop it. } 10... a6 { The only defence against b4-b5 is ...a6 and the removal of the undefended rook on a8. } 11. b4 { Threatening b5. } 11... Rc8 12. Nd2 Be7 (12... Bc2!? { trying to prevent the Nb3-a5 transfer. } 13. f3 Be7 14. e4 O-O 15. e5 Ne8 16. f4 { and White has a comfortable space advantage, though Black is extremely solid without weaknesses. }) 13. Nb3 Bd8?! { White still wasn't threatening Na5 (in view of .. .b6). } (13... O-O 14. Na5 b6! { leads to unclear play } 15. Nb7 Rb8 16. Nd6 Bxd6 17. cxd6 c5!? 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Be3 $13) 14. Bf4! Bc7? { It looks logical to exchange the dark-squared bishops, but this allows White to push b5. This mistake shows that Black wasn't really prepared for this game (or this line). } (14... O-O { is better, but Black is under pressure } 15. f3!? (15. Bd6 Re8 16. f4 { is another plan Stupak played in 3 games, but I don't like the weakening of the e4-square: 1-0 (36) Stupak,K (2588)-Mastrovasilis,D (2582) Katowice POL 2017 }) 15... Re8 16. e4 Bg6 17. Bd6 Bc7 18. e5 $16 { 1-0 (38) Stupak,K (2513)-Purushothaman,T (2241) Mumbai 2012 }) 15. Bxc7 Rxc7 16. b5! { Black must have missed this. } 16... Nb8 17. b6! { Coupled with a knight on a5 this will render the knight on b8 without moves forever, since the rook on the seventh must defend the pawn on b7 and the Nb8 cannot step on d7 because of it. } 17... Re7 18. f3 (18. Na5! { followed by f3 and e4 looked more precise as it prevents Black's ...e5. }) 18... e5 { Otherwise Black has no counterplay. } 19. e4 dxe4 20. fxe4 exd4 21. Nd5? { Misevaluating the ensuing position and letting the Nb8 escape. } (21. exf5 dxc3 22. Na5! cxb2 23. Rae1! { was the way to keep the advantage - the b2-pawn is easily controlled while Black will lose the b7-pawn. }) 21... cxd5 22. exf5? (22. Rxf5 dxe4 23. Nxd4 O-O { is around equal. }) 22... Nc6 { Black is out of the woods now and according to the engine is even better! } 23. Rfd1 Kd7 24. Nxd4 Nxd4 25. Rxd4 Kc6 { Black is absolutely safe now and controls the d-file. Yet he somehow managed to lose later on. } 1-0