[Event "Round 3: Niemann, Hans Moke - Vidit, Sa"] [Site "North Richland Hills, Texas"] [Date "2024.22.06"] [Round "25.1"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2611"] [BlackElo "2657"] [Annotator "IM Doug Root and WIM Alexey Root"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D32"] [Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation"] [StudyName "Super GM Match"] [ChapterName "Niemann, Hans Moke - Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/b9DRAreq/o6ld8wMm"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. d4 d5 { The opening transforms into a Tarrasch. } 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 cxd4 8. exd4 (8. Nxd4 { Taking on d4 with the knight is considered less drawish. Since Niemann led the round by a score of five games to three, he was probably happy to draw this game and be just one more draw away from match victory. }) 8... Bd6 9. O-O O-O 10. h3 h6 11. Re1 Bf5 12. Ne5 Rc8 13. Bf4 Nb4 { Threatening ... Nb4-c2 winning an Exchange. } 14. Rc1 a6 15. Be2 Re8 16. a3 Nc6 17. Bf3 Be6 18. Nxc6 Rxc6 19. Be5 Be7 20. Qb3 Rb6 21. Qc2 Rc6 22. Qd3 Qd7 23. Rcd1 Rec8 { With an eventual threat of ... Be7xa3 as the b2-pawn is overworked, defending both the a-pawn and the knight on c3. } 24. Qd2 b5 25. Rc1 Nh7 26. Be2 Ng5 27. Qe3 b4 28. axb4 Bxb4 29. Bd3 Bxc3 30. Rxc3 Rxc3 (30... Bf5 { trades the light-squared bishops, which is favorable for Black. With the text, the a6-pawn is hanging and requires time to defend it. }) 31. bxc3 a5 32. h4 Nh7 33. Qg3 f6 34. Bf4 Kh8 35. Bc2 { White defends the c3-pawn directly. Previously, with Black's king on a light square, the pawn was indirectly defended. } 35... Bf5? { Black opens the e-file for the rook, which now has a deadly threat of Re1-e7. } 36. Bd6 Be6 37. Qg6 Bg8 38. Re7 { Black must give up their queen for a rook or be mated, so Gujrathi resigned. } 1-0