[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Date "2022.07.01"] [Round "12.3"] [White "Duda, Jan-Krzysztof"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2750"] [WhiteTeam "Poland"] [BlackElo "2793"] [BlackTeam "France"] [Annotator "Aagaard"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D46"] [Opening "Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense"] [StudyName "2022 FIDE Candidates - Annotated by GM Jacob Aagaard"] [ChapterName "Duda, Jan-Krzysztof - Firouzja, Alireza"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/VoMMcXcP"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,80,25,23,37,0,6,6,6,6,50,36,43,22,31,27,26,20,22,28,34,22,7,21,25,-20, -21,-47,-37,-19,-31,-38,12,-37,-21,-30,-5,-4,-36,19,19,19,-33,-41,-28,-28,109, 106,115,119,97,97,122,155,149,136,104,91,112,79,118,79,107,103,117,92,112,100, 77,70,93,72,71,77,80,-27,-32,-50,0,-39,-10,-19,-15] Both Duda and Firouzja have disappointed in this tournament. It seems fitting that they draw the game today, and after not knowing how to play the position with an exchange sacrifice accurately. It's worth knowing that exchange sacrifices are often well-supported by having opposite colored bishops.. and less so by having a glaring hole in your king's position... } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. a3 a5 12. e4 e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. h3 Ba6 { [#] } 16. Be3 { This is a rare line, which the cool kids have long since abandoned. Duda played it after 14 minutes. I am not sure if this is because he was somewhat unfamiliar with the details of this variation (there are a lot of different lines in the Semi-Slav for Black to try), or because he wanted to get Firouzja out of the opening. I tend to think it is a mixture. Without deep knowledge, he steers away from the main line and tries to get an original game, with success. } (16. Rd1 { or 16. Rab1 are the main moves. }) 16... b4 17. Bxa6 bxc3 18. Bc4 cxb2 19. Rad1 Qe7! (19... Qc7? { would blunder a piece to } 20. f4!) (19... Qb8 20. f4 Bc7 21. e5 Nd5 22. Bd4 $14 { , White has actually made something out of the opening. }) 20. Bc5 Qc7 21. Bxf8 Rxf8 22. g3 { [#] } 22... g5? $146 { With both Duda and Firouzja you often see a lack of depth in their opening knowledge. Duda simply has a weakness there compared to the other players in the field. Firouzja switches around so much that he has not been able to develop a foundational knowledge for his openings. In this position, this pawn thrust is wrong, as Black should never be able to use the open g-file, while White has the firepower to do so. } (22... c5 { has been played nine times and all the games have ended in a draw. } 23. f4 Bd4+ 24. Kh2 Qb7 25. Rfe1 Rb8 26. Ba2 g6 27. e5 Nd5 28. Rd3 a4 29. Qd2 Qc6 30. Qc2 Qb7 31. Qd2 Qc6 32. Qc2 { ½-½ Dubov - Shirov, Moscow 2013, was the first of them. In the final position Black is perhaps more comfortable. }) 23. f4 gxf4 24. gxf4 Bxf4?! { This looks incredibly risky. } (24... Bd4+ { is the natural move. } 25. Kh2 (25. Rxd4? Qb6 { and Black wins back the exchange. }) 25... c5 26. e5 Ne8 27. Rd2 $16 { is still good for White, who will continue with Qe4 and Bd3, getting the smallest soldier to look after the b-pawn and creating threats on the kingside. }) 25. Qxb2 Nh5 (25... Be5 26. Qg2+ Kh8 27. Qf3 { would also see the game entering into a conversion phase. }) 26. Rd3 (26. Rf3 { was slightly more accurate. }) 26... Qe7 27. Rf2? (27. Kh1! { Black would have to play passively. } 27... Be5 (27... Ng3+ 28. Rxg3+ Bxg3 29. Rg1 Qxe4+ 30. Qg2 { White would win a piece. }) 28. Qf2 Kh8 29. Rf3 f6 30. Rg1 { White is in total control and should win. }) 27... Be5 28. Qe2 { [#] } 28... Nf6? { Both players have made some tactical miscalculation here. It is hard to guess what are the basis of strong player's blunders, as it is rarely something deep, but instead a simple mistake that any player could have made. Regardless, I shall try: } (28... Nf4! { would have equalized. } 29. Rxf4 (29. Qg4+ Kh8 { is also OK for Black. } 30. Rg3? Ng6! { where Black wins is an important point. }) 29... Bxf4 30. Qg4+ Bg5! { would be my guess. And if now 31.h4? then 31...Kh8! and Black is even better. Instead White should play almost anything else. For example: } 31. Rd7 Qc5+ 32. Kg2 Kh8! 33. Rxf7 Rxf7 34. Bxf7 { with a draw. } 34... Qc2+ { would be the quickest way. There is a well-known phenomenon, where the players believe each other. It happens even on this high level. }) 29. Kh1 { White is back to a winning game. Accuracy would now win the game, but easier said than done! } 29... Kh8 30. Rg2 Rb8 31. Ba2 Ne8 32. Qe3 Nd6 33. Rd1 Qf6 34. Rf2 Qg6 35. Rg1?! (35. Rg2 Qxe4 36. Qxe4 Nxe4 37. Bxf7 { was stronger. White is still winning, although it will take a lot of play. A key thing to understand is that the exchange of rooks would remove all counterplay and give White the freedom to attack Black's two flank pawns. This is the principle of two weaknesses in action. }) 35... Qxe4+ 36. Qxe4 Nxe4 37. Rxf7? { Duda decides to throw in the towel. } (37. Rfg2 Rf8 38. Rd1 $16 { would have preserved a lot of the advantage. But it is a difficult position to win in practice. }) 37... Ng3+ 38. Kg2 Rb2+ 39. Rf2 Rxf2+ 40. Kxf2 Bd4+ 41. Kxg3 Bxg1 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2