[Event "Grand Chess Tour | Sinquefield Cup 2023"] [Site "St Louis"] [Date "2023.11.27"] [Round "6.2"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [WhiteTeam "FRA"] [BlackElo "2795"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C58"] [Opening "Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line"] [StudyName "Sinquefield Cup"] [ChapterName "Firouzja, Alireza - Caruana, Fabiano"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gIvXpdsS/kIKfGIDJ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 Nd5 9. h4 h6 10. Qh5 Qf6 11. Ne4 Qe6 12. b3 g6 13. Qe2 f5 14. Nec3 Bg7 { Firouzja has succeeded with } (14... Nf4 { as Black before. at least in blitz. } 15. Qf1 e4 16. Be2 Bg7 17. Bb2 Nd3+?! 18. cxd3 exd3 19. Kd1 dxe2+ 20. Qxe2 Qxe2+ 21. Kxe2 Ba6+ 22. Kd1 O-O-O 23. Na4 Bxb2 24. Nxb2 Rd4 25. Kc2 Rhd8 26. h5 $14 { although his 86-move win earlier this year had little to do with the opening in Nepomniachtchi – Firouzja, Chess.com, 2023. }) 15. Bb2 $146 { Previously tried was } (15. Nxd5 Qxd5? (15... cxd5! { is an unexplored alternative that seems to favor Black and was presumably Caruana's idea in choosing 14. ... Bg7. } 16. Bb5+ (16. Bb2 O-O 17. O-O Nc6 $17 { is such a dominant space advantage for Black. }) 16... Nc6 17. Bb2 O-O 18. Na3 Nb4 19. O-O-O $13) 16. f3 Be6 17. Bb2 O-O 18. Nc3 Qd6 19. O-O-O Rae8 20. Qe3 c5 21. Ba3 Rc8 22. g4 $16 { with a nice attack in Poetsch – Eichler, Schwarzach, 2017. }) 15... O-O 16. Na3 e4 17. Bc4 Nxc4 18. Qxc4 Rb8 19. O-O-O Rb4 20. Qe2 a5 21. Rhe1?! (21. Nxd5! cxd5 22. Bxg7! Kxg7 23. d3! Qe5 24. Qd2!? { A series of surprising trades that leave White's king apparently vulnerable, but Black's pieces are ill-equipped to invade. Instead, if Black's queen drifts towards White's king, the black king itself will feel drafty. } 24... Qa1+ 25. Nb1 Qxa2 26. Qc3+ d4 27. Qc7+ Kg8 28. h5 g5 29. Qc6) 21... a4 22. g3 axb3 23. axb3 Qd6 24. f3 Qc5 25. Nab1 Re8 26. fxe4 (26. Ba3 { is easy to dismiss as being too materialistic, but } 26... Qa5 27. Nxd5 cxd5 28. Bxb4 Qxb4 29. d4! { is a nice way to neutralize Black's bishop pair with one astute move. }) 26... fxe4 27. Ba3 Qa5 28. Bxb4 Nxb4 29. d4?! (29. Qc4+! Kh7 (29... Be6 30. Qxe4 Kh7 31. Re3 $16) 30. Re3 Re5 { could lead to an incredible mess: } 31. h5 gxh5 32. d4 exd3 33. Rxe5 Bxe5 34. cxd3 Bf5 35. Rd2 { with the computer insisting this is equal (obviously). }) 29... e3! { Black commits to an incredibly tactical shootout and emerges on top. } 30. Kb2 h5 { Black threatens ...Bc8-g4 to win back material, and there's nothing to do about it, as the rook cannot vacate the d-file and concede the d4-pawn to Black's dark-squared monster. } 31. Na3 Bg4 32. Qc4+ Kh7 33. Qf7 Rf8 (33... Qd8 $17) 34. Qe7 Bxd1 35. Rxd1 Rf2? (35... c5! 36. Nc4 Qa6 37. Qxc5 e2 38. Rc1 (38. Nxe2? Qa2+ $19) 38... Rf3 $17) 36. Ne4?? (36. Nc4! Rxc2+ 37. Kb1 Qf5 38. Nxe3! Qf2 39. Qxb4! (39. Nxc2?? Qxc2+ 40. Ka1 Qxc3+ 41. Kb1 Qc2+ 42. Ka1 Qa2#) 39... Rb2+ 40. Ka1?! { and Black has no forced win. }) 36... Rxc2+ 37. Kb1 (37. Nxc2 Qa2+ 38. Kc3 Nd5+ 39. Kc4 Qxc2+ 40. Nc3 Qxc3#) 37... Rf2! 38. Ng5+ (38. Nxf2 Qxa3 $17) 38... Kh8 39. Qe8+ Rf8 40. Qxg6 Qf5+ 41. Qxf5 Rxf5 42. Re1 Bxd4 43. Nc2 Bc3 44. Nxe3 (44. Rxe3 Rf1+ $19) 44... Rxg5 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1