[Event "FIDE World Cup 2025"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-cup-2025--quarterfinals/tiebreak-1-rapid-2/9NX48UPu/eM9d6Ykn"] [Date "2025.11.19"] [Round "53.2"] [White "Erigaisi Arjun"] [Black "Wei, Yi"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2769"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteTeam "India"] [WhiteFideId "35009192"] [BlackElo "2752"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackTeam "China"] [BlackFideId "8603405"] [TimeControl ": 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the gamewith an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C43"] [Opening "Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Variation"] [StudyName "2025 World Cup"] [ChapterName "Erigaisi Arjun - Wei, Yi"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/TDcaHygI/CQ2E2GO3"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] { After two draws in the classical portion and a draw in the first tiebreak game, GM Wei Yi won as Black to eliminate the second-seeded player and clinch a spot in the semifinals. } 1. e4 { [%clk 0:15:19] } 1... e5 { [%clk 0:15:10] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:15:27] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 0:15:19] } 3. d4 { This is considered a viable alternative to 3. Nxe5 in the Petroff, but Wei Yi came well-prepared. } { [%clk 0:15:36] } 3... Nxe4 { [%clk 0:15:25] } 4. Bd3 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 4... d5 { [%clk 0:15:32] } 5. Nxe5 { [%clk 0:15:51] } 5... Nd7 { [%clk 0:15:40] } 6. Nc3!? { More energetic than trading on d7, which is the main line. } { [%clk 0:15:58] } 6... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:15:48] } 7. bxc3 { [%clk 0:16:05] } 7... Bd6 { [%clk 0:15:56] } 8. O-O { [%clk 0:16:10] } 8... O-O { [%clk 0:15:55] } 9. Re1 { [%clk 0:16:18] } 9... c5 { [%clk 0:15:52] } 10. Nxd7!? { This has led to draws in 18 of the 19 games from this position. } { [%clk 0:16:24] } (10. Qf3 { offers White better chances, but } 10... c4 11. Bf5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Bc5 $14 { is still quite solid. }) 10... Qxd7 { [%clk 0:15:59] } 11. Qh5 { [%clk 0:16:01] } 11... g6 { [%clk 0:15:41] } 12. Qf3 { [%clk 0:16:08] } 12... c4 { [%clk 0:15:37] } 13. Bh6 { [%clk 0:15:55] } 13... Rd8 { [%clk 0:15:00] } 14. Be2 { [%clk 0:15:59] } 14... Qf5 { [%clk 0:15:01] } 15. g4 { [%clk 0:16:05] } 15... Qxf3 { [%clk 0:14:47] } 16. Bxf3 { [%clk 0:16:13] } 16... Be6 { [%clk 0:14:55] } 17. a4 { [%clk 0:16:19] } 17... Bf8 { The first new move. } { [%clk 0:13:35] } (17... Bc7 { was tried previously. }) 18. Bg5 { [%clk 0:16:26] } 18... Rd7 { [%clk 0:13:40] } 19. h4 { [%clk 0:16:31] } 19... Kg7 { [%clk 0:12:24] } 20. Kg2?! { [%clk 0:15:42] } (20. Bf4 { was better, keeping Black's bishop from activating unopposed, as now } 20... Bd6 21. Be5+ Bxe5 $14 22. Rxe5 $14 { clarifies the good-bishop-versus-bad-bishop situation. }) 20... Bd6! $10 { [%clk 0:12:09] } 21. Rab1 { [%clk 0:15:16] } 21... b6 { [%clk 0:11:40] } 22. Rb5 { [%clk 0:14:09] } 22... Bc7 { [%clk 0:11:25] } 23. Bc1 { [%clk 0:14:06] } 23... h6 { [%clk 0:10:59] } 24. Bd1 { [%clk 0:13:19] } 24... Re8 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 25. f4 { [%clk 0:11:58] } 25... Rdd8 $15 { Black has shown superior understanding of the structural changes over the last few moves, preparing ... a7-a6, pushing back White's rook, playing ... Be6-d7, and going after the errant a-pawn. } { [%clk 0:08:47] } 26. Rb1 { [%clk 0:08:42] } 26... Bd7 { [%clk 0:08:34] } 27. Rxe8 { [%clk 0:08:50] } 27... Rxe8 { [%clk 0:08:00] } 28. Ra1 { [%clk 0:08:58] } (28. a5 { was also an interesting try. }) 28... Bd8 { [%clk 0:06:47] } 29. g5 { [%clk 0:06:33] } 29... hxg5 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 30. hxg5 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 30... Bf5 { [%clk 0:06:31] } 31. Bf3 { [%clk 0:06:20] } 31... Bxc2?! { [%clk 0:04:42] } (31... Be4! { was probably better, as Black would still have the less-restricted bishop after the trade, not to mention the dominant rook. }) 32. Bxd5 { [%clk 0:06:28] } 32... Bd3 { [%clk 0:04:31] } 33. Ra2 { [%clk 0:05:15] } 33... Bc7 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 34. Kf2 { [%clk 0:04:23] } 34... f6 { [%clk 0:03:06] } 35. gxf6+ { [%clk 0:03:35] } 35... Kxf6 { [%clk 0:03:15] } 36. Be3 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 36... Rh8 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 37. Bg2 { [%clk 0:01:27] } 37... Rh4 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 38. d5 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 38... Bxf4 { [%clk 0:02:53] } 39. a5 { [%clk 0:00:54] } 39... Bxe3+ { [%clk 0:02:29] } 40. Kxe3 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 40... b5 { The position has remained mostly level, although Black's game has still been a smidge easier to play. } { [%clk 0:02:35] } 41. Rf2+?? { They say one check never hurts anybody. But, here, it comes with a crucial loss of time. } { [%clk 0:00:41] } (41. Rb2 { was necessary, provoking } 41... a6 { when } 42. d6! Bf5 43. Rd2 $10 { comes, with the idea of d6-d7 and Rd2-d6-xa6. }) 41... Bf5 { Black's bishop was forced to go to the diagonal where it wanted to be in the first place. } { [%clk 0:02:40] } 42. Rb2 { [%clk 0:00:29] } 42... a6 { [%clk 0:02:43] } 43. d6 { [%clk 0:00:34] } (43. Rd2 Ke7! 44. d6+ Kd7 $19 { and White's rook is never infiltrating the sixth rank. }) 43... Ke6 { [%clk 0:02:03] } 44. Rd2 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 44... Bd3 { [%clk 0:02:08] } (44... Kd7! $19) 45. Rf2 { [%clk 0:00:36] } 45... Bf5 { [%clk 0:00:48] } 46. Rd2 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 46... Rh7?! { [%clk 0:00:39] } (46... Kd7!) 47. Bc6?? { [%clk 0:00:24] } (47. Rd5 { was the only interesting try. Now, } 47... Kd7 48. Kd4 Rh2 49. Bf3 Rf2 50. Bh1 Rd2+ { Otherwise, Kd4-c5-b6-xa6 could be an issue. } 51. Kc5 Rxd5+ 52. Bxd5 { and White has survived the worst of it. Black can't play Kc5-b6 because of ... b5-b4, so neither side can make much progress. } 52... Kc8 { Black stops Bd5-b7, and } 53. Bc6 g5 54. Kd4 { gets back into position, when White retains some drawing chances. }) 47... Rh3+ $19 { Now, Black wins with relative ease. } { [%clk 0:00:38] } 48. Bf3 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 48... Bd3 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 49. Kf4 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 49... Kxd6 { [%clk 0:00:42] } 50. Bb7 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 50... b4 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 51. cxb4 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 51... c3 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 52. Rd1 { [%clk 0:00:29] } 52... c2 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 53. Rc1 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 53... Bf5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 54. Bf3 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 54... Rh4+ { [%clk 0:00:21] } 55. Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 55... Rxb4 { [%clk 0:00:29] } 56. Be2 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 56... Rb1 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 57. Kd2 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 57... Rxc1 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 58. Kxc1 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 58... Kc5 { [%clk 0:00:36] } 59. Bxa6 { [%clk 0:00:54] } 59... Kb4 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 60. Kd2 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 60... Kxa5 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 61. Bc4 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 61... Kb4 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 62. Bg8 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 62... g5 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 63. Bd5 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 63... g4 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 64. Bg2 { [%clk 0:00:51] } 64... g3 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 65. Bf3 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 65... Kb3 { [%clk 0:00:56] } 66. Kc1 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 66... Kc3 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 67. Bg2 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 67... Kd3 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 68. Bf1+ { [%clk 0:01:21] } 68... Ke3 { [%clk 0:01:11] } 69. Bg2 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 69... Kf2 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 70. Bd5 { [%clk 0:01:37] } 70... g2 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 71. Bxg2 { [%clk 0:01:44] } 71... Kxg2 { [%clk 0:01:34] } 72. Kd2 { [%clk 0:01:53] } 72... Kf3 { [%clk 0:01:43] } 73. Kc1 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 73... Ke3 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 74. Kb2 { [%clk 0:02:10] } 74... Kd2 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 75. Ka2 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 75... Kc3 { [%clk 0:02:07] } 76. Ka3 { [%clk 0:02:27] } 76... c1=Q+ { [%clk 0:02:13] } 77. Ka4 { [%clk 0:02:36] } 77... Qb2 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 78. Ka5 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 78... Qb7 { [%clk 0:02:26] } 79. Ka4 { [%clk 0:02:53] } 79... Qa6# { [%clk 0:02:21] } 0-1