[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/57ZZtKAI"] [Date "2022.06.19"] [Round "3.4"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2793"] [WhiteTeam "France"] [BlackElo "2760"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [Annotator "Aagaard"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E32"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/57ZZtKAI"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,106,27,27,27,10,13,13,26,-10,6,-10,-5,3,4,13,-3,-9,-3,-17,-14,-40,-42, -23,12,6,13,-28,-37,-29,-28,-69,-33,-64,-44,-44,-34,-66,-9,11,11,6,6,6,6,7,7, -7,-2,-2,0,0,8,8,7,7,9,9,13,-5,11,9,37,38,38,39,39,41,48,44,49,61,73,51,65,79, 79,79,86,19,37,20,20,20,20,10,18,60,59,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0] Nakamura has played this variation many times and so far held all the games against his colleagues. It is the most solid corner of his repertoire. Firouzja comes with an interesting idea, but does not manage to rattle Nakamura, who finds all the right moves. But low on time in the endgame, Black gets into some problems, which he had to solve with great accuracy to draw the game. Definitely the best effort of the day. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d5 7. Bg5 dxc4 8. Qxc4 b6 9. Rd1 Ba6 10. Qa4 h6 11. Bh4 Qe7 12. Nf3 Rd8 13. Qc2 { A rare move, the start of Firouzja's preparation. Nakamura thought for a while and chose the most principled continuation. } 13... c5 14. e4 $146 { This logical move is the real novelty. } 14... Bxf1 15. Rxf1 g5! { [#] Black has to win the piece. } 16. Nxg5 { And White has to give it. } 16... hxg5 17. Bxg5 Nc6 18. Qc1 Rxd4 (18... e5!? 19. d5!? (19. Bh4 Rd6 { and White has to seek the perpetual check. }) 19... Nd4 20. Rd3 Rd6 21. Rg3 Kf8 22. Bh4 { and Black would have to find } 22... Qb7! 23. Qh6+ Ke8 24. Bxf6 Qa6! { to make the draw. One continuation is } 25. Rg8+ Kd7 26. Qh5 Rxf6 27. Rxa8 Rf4 28. Qh3+ Nf5 29. f3 Qd3 { and Black has the necessary counterplay. }) 19. Rxd4 Nxd4 20. Qf4 { [#] } 20... Nc2+ (20... Qd7! 21. Bxf6 Nc2+ 22. Ke2 Qb5+ 23. Kd2 Qxf1 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. Qg7+ Ke8 26. Qg8+ Kd7 27. Qxf7+ Kc6 28. Qxe6+ Kb5 { and White should look for a draw soon. }) 21. Kd1 Qd7+ 22. Kxc2 Qa4+ 23. Kb1 Qxe4+ 24. Qxe4 Nxe4 25. Bf4 { [#] } 25... Nf6 { The endgame is objectively drawn, although having the bishop and the distant passed pawn gives White a right to push. As we shall see, Black has to defend, and a few inaccuracies brought him into "the zone of one mistake", where he had to show accurate defense to avoid losing. } (25... c4! { was more accurate. Black will have to have a more difficult defense now. }) 26. h4 Nd5 27. Bd2 f5 28. g3 Kf7 29. f3 Rh8 30. Bg5 c4 (30... e5! 31. g4 f4! { was more accurate. }) 31. g4! $14 b5 32. Rd1 fxg4 33. fxg4 a5 34. h5 Rg8 35. Rf1+ Ke8 36. h6 { [#] The engine goes off the charts here. White is 0.93 better at depth 45, for example. This does not mean he is winning, but that Black is almost losing. Here the almost becomes the final conclusion. Nakamura finds the only moves and makes the draw. A great achievement by the streaming star. } 36... Rf8!! 37. Rxf8+ (37. Rh1 Rg8 38. Bc1 Kf7 39. Rf1+ Kg6 40. Re1 Re8 41. Re5 Re7 $14 { and it is unpleasant, but not enough. }) 37... Kxf8 38. Bd8 a4! 39. g5 Kf7 40. h7 Kg7 41. g6 c3! { Just in time. The pawn can be recaptured with check, otherwise Black would be lost. } 42. bxc3 (42. Bh4 e5! { also draws. } 43. Bg3 Nf4 { and the draw is near. }) 42... Nxc3+ 43. Kc2 Nd5 44. Bg5 e5! 45. Kd2 Kh8! (45... Nf4? { would lose to } 46. Bf6+! { . }) 46. Ke1 (46. Ke2 Nf4+ { with a draw. } 47. Bxf4?? exf4 48. Kf3 b4 { would of course lose. }) 46... b4! { Creating a passed pawn for counterplay. } (46... e4? 47. Bc1 { and White wins. }) 47. axb4 a3 48. Bc1 Nxb4 49. Kd2 Nd5 50. Bxa3 Nf4 51. Bb2 Nxg6 52. Bxe5+ Nxe5 53. Kc3 Kxh7 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2