[Event "Grenke Chess Open 2024"] [Site "Karlsruhe, Germany"] [Date "2024.04.01"] [Round "8.21"] [White "Santos Latasa, Jaime"] [Black "Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2628"] [BlackElo "2357"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A29"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line, with Nb6"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/b0uX2KYO/ui7A1JjL"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 f5 10. Rc1 Be6 11. e4 f4 12. Ne2 Bg4 13. gxf4 exf4 14. d4 Qe8 15. h3 Bh5 { A curious position. White manages to dominate the center, but Black enjoys space on the kingside and a half-open file against White's king. White should play towards the center, where they are strongest. } 16. b4?! { Playing on the opposite flank is odd, relying on a forcing line after } (16. d5!) 16... Nxb4 17. Qb3+ Kh8 { when the position might make sense after } 18. d5 (18. Rxc7 Bd6 { but only if White is prepared to rely on the power of the dark-squared bishop and sac the Exchange with } 19. Rc5! $14) 18... c5! { Black now enjoys dominance on both flanks, while White's central pawns are immobile despite being passed, and as a result just get on the way of White's own pieces. } 19. a3 Na6 20. Be5 c4!? { Perhaps unnecessary dynamics. This allows White to cover the e5-square. } (20... Bf6 21. Bxf6 Rxf6 22. e5 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 (23. exf6 Bxe2 $17) 23... Qxe5 $17) 21. Qc3 Bf6 22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23. e5 Rf8 { Now, } (23... Bxf3 24. Bxf3 $14 { does not give Black an advantage, as the e-pawn is no longer hanging! }) 24. Qd4? (24. Ned4! { Occupying the center had to be White's highest priority. } 24... Nxd5 25. Qxc4 Nb6 26. Qb3 $14 { and White should be happy with the opening of the center and strong knight. } { [%cal Gd4e6] }) 24... Nc7! { White's pawns now prove to be a weakness, hence why White's proper strategy was to trade the weak d5-pawn for Black's c4-pawn. } 25. Nc3 Rd8 26. Rfd1 Ncxd5 27. Nxd5 Rxd5 28. Qc3 Bxf3 29. Bxf3 Rxe5 { Black is up three pawns! } 30. Rd4 Qe7 31. Rcd1 Qf6 32. Kh2 Ree8 33. Qa5 Rd8 34. Rxd8 Rxd8 35. Qe5?! (35. Rxd8+ Qxd8 36. Bxb7 Qe7 37. Bf3 $17 { is a position where Black is still up two pawns, but the unopposed bishop is strong on the open board, and the engine is giving an evaluation of closer to -1. }) 35... Rf8 36. Qa5 c3! { Now, Black's pawns should be decisive. } 37. Rc1 (37. Qxa7? c2 38. Rc1 Qb2 39. Rxc2 Qxc2 40. Qxb6 Rb8 $19) 37... Qd4 38. Kg2 Rc8 39. Bxb7 Qc5 40. Qxc5 Rxc5 { The dangerous c-pawn is perfectly safe on the dark square, so White is in dire straits still. } 41. Kf3 Nc4 42. Kxf4 Nxa3 43. Be4 c2 44. Ke3 Rb5 45. Kd2 Rb1 { Black's concrete plan, relying on the outside passer. } 46. h4 g6 47. f4 Kg7 48. f5 gxf5 49. Bxf5 h6 50. h5 Kf6 51. Bd3 Ke5 52. Rf1 Rxf1 53. Bxf1 Kd4 54. Bh3 Ke4 55. Bf1 Kf4 56. Bd3 Kg5 57. Bg6 Nc4+ { Black has to give up a second pawn, but is still winning, as she will get the h5-pawn back and should be able to split White's pieces from there. } 58. Kxc2 Ne5 59. Be8 Ng4 60. Kd3 Nf6 { The knight's tour is complete! } 61. Bf7 Nxh5 62. Kc4 Nf4 63. Kb5 Ng6 64. Ka6 h5 65. Kxa7 h4 66. Be6 Ne7 67. Bh3 { With fantastic conversion technique up to this point, Black makes one inaccuracy. As a result, White's king is just fast enough to recover! } 67... Kf4 (67... Nd5! 68. Kb7 Kf4 69. Kc6 Kg3 { This illustrates why White's king is so much slower in this line, as it cannot take on d5. } 70. Be6 Ne3! { and now it cannot come to d5! } 71. Kc5 Ng4 72. Kd4 h3 73. Bd5 Kf2 74. Be6 h2 75. Bd5 Ne3 76. Bh1 Nf5+ 77. Ke5 Kg1 78. Bc6 Ne3 79. Kf4 Ng2+ $19) 68. Kb6! Nd5+ 69. Kc5 Kg3 70. Bc8 Ne3 { In the line with 67. ... Nd5!, White's king was importantly on c6 instead of c5. That makes all the difference. } 71. Kd4 Ng4 72. Kd3! { This clinches the draw. } 72... h3 73. Ke2 h2 74. Bb7 Nf2 75. Bc6 Nh3 76. Bh1 Nf4+ 77. Ke3 Ng2+ 78. Ke2 Nf4+ 79. Ke3 Nh3 80. Ke2 Nf2 81. Bc6 h1=Q 82. Bxh1 Nxh1 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { An objectively great result for Begim, although surely still a disappointing one after such a fantastic game. } 1/2-1/2