[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/U8iG4eg5"] [Date "2022.06.29"] [Round "10.3"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2766"] [WhiteTeam "FID"] [BlackElo "2753"] [BlackTeam "Azerbaijan"] [Annotator "Aagaard"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E05"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/U8iG4eg5"] [Orientation "white"] { Nepomniachtchi is seeing all the players in pursuit struggling, so every half-point will get him closer to the finish line. Today's game will most likely turn out to have been prudent. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 b5 8. a4 Bb7 9. axb5 a6 { Radjabov also played this line against Carlsen and lost. It is a pawn down without real activity. There are some structural reasons why Black is only a bit worse, but from all the decent lines in the Catalan, it is hard to understand why anyone would choose this for anything else than surprise effect in the club championship. } 10. Nc3 axb5 11. Rxa8 Bxa8 12. Nxb5 Bd5 13. Bf4 c5 14. dxc5 Qa5 15. Nc3 Qxc5 16. Be3 Qa5 $14 17. Bd2 Ba8 18. Nd1 Qc5 19. Ne3 Rc8 20. Rc1 Bd5 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. Ne5 Nb6 23. Qe4 { Nepomniachtchi was most likely far away from seeing that he had a chance to play for a win here. } (23. Bb7!! Rc7?! { would be the natural move and now there is magic. } (23... Qxe5! { is therefore better. After } 24. Bxc8 Nxc8 25. Qxc4 $14 { Black will have some difficulties dealing with the distant passed pawn. }) 24. Be4 g6 (24... f5 25. Be3 Qxe5 26. Bxb6 Rd7 27. Bg2 Qb5 28. Be3 Nc6 29. Qxc4 Rd1+ 30. Bf1 $16) 25. b3 $16 { with the deep, hidden idea: } 25... cxb3 26. Qb2 Qd6 27. Rxc7 Qxc7 28. Ng4! { with a strong attack. As I'd said, Nepomniachtchi was far, far from seeing this. Now the game drifts towards a draw. }) 23... Bf6 24. Bc3 N8d7 25. Bd4 Qd6 26. Nxd7 Bxd4 27. Nxb6 Qxb6 28. e3 Bxb2 29. Rxc4 Qa6 30. Rxc8+ Qxc8 31. Qb7 Qxb7 32. Bxb7 g6 33. Kg2 Kg7 34. Ba8 Ba1 35. Bb7 Bb2 36. Ba8 Ba1 37. Bb7 Bb2 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2