[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/IWtJHdWw"] [Date "2022.06.17"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2753"] [WhiteTeam "Azerbaijan"] [BlackElo "2793"] [BlackTeam "France"] [Annotator "Aagaard"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D37"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights, Vienna Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/IWtJHdWw"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,51,30,30,28,13,13,13,18,18,42,20,53,52,50,50,50,50,50,46,39,39,33,46, 37,40,40,40,49,25,26,39,23,42,29,29,81,78,75,75,96,16,30,33,51,33,33,8,8,0,0,0, 0,30] Firouzja shows his intentions of playing for a win in all games. As for Radjabov, it appears he does not share those intentions. Still, the Russian got a winning position through his opponent's poor time management, but he did not play with the accuracy and intensity needed to convert the advantage. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5!? { This is one of the most recent trends. The oldest game in my database is from 1990, but it is really from 2018 this line has been developed. Firouzja's intention is clear. He aims for a dynamic unbalanced position with the chances to outplay his opponent. In the game he took a lot of risks, maybe more than was reasonable. But he mainly got into trouble for allocating his time quite poorly. } 6. e5 Nd5 7. Nxb5 Nb6 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Be2 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. Nc3 Rb8 12. a3 Na5 13. Qc2 Nd5 { To me } (13... Bb7 14. Rad1 { looks more natural. After } 14... Qd7 15. Ng5 Bxg5 16. Bxg5 h6 17. Be3 Rfd8 { Black does not really look worse to me. }) 14. Rad1 { [#] } 14... Ba6!? $146 (14... Bb7 15. Bd2 (15. Nd2?? Nxe3 16. fxe3 Bg5 { was already lost in Sviridova - Nutakki, Internet 2021. }) 15... Nb6 { looks critical. }) (14... Bd7 { was played in Gunina - Pichot, Internet 2022. }) 15. Bd2 (15. Ne4! { looks a bit more challenging. }) 15... Nb3 16. Ne4 Nxd2 17. Rxd2 Nf4!? { Sharp. } 18. Bxc4 Rxb2! 19. Qxb2 Bxc4 20. Rc1 (20. Rb1! { , when the rook is in the open file and not hanging after a later . ..Bxa3. } 20... Bd5 21. Qc2 Qa8 (21... Bxa3? 22. Nfg5 { would be deeply unpleasant for Black. }) 22. Nfg5 Ng6 23. f3!? { Keeping control of the light squares. White is apparently a bit better. }) 20... Bd5!? (20... Nd3 { was fine too. } 21. Qc3 Nxc1 22. Qxc4 Qd5 { with exchanges and equality. }) 21. Re1! Qa8 22. Qc2 Bxa3 23. Nfg5 Ng6 24. h4 Bb4 25. h5 { Firouzja spent 21 minutes on move 21, 37 on move 22, 23 on move 24 and here only three minutes. } 25... Bxd2? { Correct was } (25... Bxe4! 26. Nxe4 Nh4 27. h6 Rd8! { , where Black will fight for equality with success. True, this is hard to evaluate, but the alternative is clearly rubbish. }) 26. Qxd2 h6 { Forced. } (26... Nh4 27. h6 { with dead and destruction on the dark squares. }) 27. hxg6 hxg5 28. gxf7+ Kxf7 29. Nxg5+ Ke8 30. f3?! { I don't like this move, although there is nothing much wrong with it. But it does throw away a tempo for security. In other words, Radjabov is making sure he does not lose. } (30. Rc1! { was much stronger. Then after 30... Qb7, comes 31.f3. And other moves can be met in other ways, e.g., } 30... Bxg2? 31. Qd3 { is instantly over. }) 30... Kd7! { Getting the king out of the fire. } 31. Ne4? { Allowing Black to simplify the position. } (31. Ra1! { would have kept the pressure on. The position is balancing between holdable and not. }) 31... Bxe4 32. Rxe4 Qd5 { White remains better, but it is within what is manageable. } 33. Qb4 Rg8 34. Qa4+ Qc6! { Firouzja is happy to force the ending. The pawn does not matter. } 35. Qxa7 Ra8 36. Qc5 Qxc5 { True to style Radjabov plays a lot when there is no danger of a decisive result. Whether he is pretending to play, or simply enjoys the safety of no risk (of winning or losing), that is for others to judge. } 37. dxc5 Kc6 38. Rg4 Kxc5 39. Rxg7 Kd5 40. Rxc7 Kxe5 41. Rf7 Kd6 42. Kf2 e5 43. g4 Ke6 44. Rf5 Ra3 45. Rf8 Ke7 46. Rb8 Kf7 47. Rc8 Ke7 48. Rc2 Kf6 49. Re2 Rb3 50. Re3 Rb2+ 51. Kg3 Rc2 52. Ra3 Rb2 53. Ra6+ Kf7 54. Rh6 Rb3 55. Kf2 Ra3 56. Rb6 Ke7 57. Ke2 Rc3 58. Kf2 Ra3 59. Rb2 Kf6 60. Re2 Rb3 61. Re3 Rb2+ 62. Kg3 Rc2 63. Rb3 Ra2 64. Rb6+ Kf7 65. g5 Ra4 66. Rf6+ Ke7 67. Rh6 Kf7 68. Rh4 Ra5 69. Kg4 Ra4+ 70. Kh5 Ra3 71. f4 exf4 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2