[Event "Superbet Chess Classic Romania"] [Site "Bucharest, Romania"] [Date "2023.05.15"] [Round "9.2"] [White "Rapport, Richard"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2745"] [BlackElo "2764"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A28"] [Opening "English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gLTaYxXi/6vdZt8ZG"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bc5 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. d4 Bb4 7. dxe5 Nxe4 8. Qf3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ba5 10. Bf4 { Rapport is following a line that has been employed multiple times by Nepomniachtchi. It's very possible he has looked at this in some detail recently. } 10... O-O 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb2 Rb8 13. Qe3 b5 { Caruana chooses a line that has been played six times, including by Aronian and Xiong, but that has produced six wins for the players with the white pieces. } 14. c5 b4 15. c4 b3 (15... Bb7 16. h4 b3 17. a3 f6 18. Rh3 fxe5 19. Bxe5 d6 20. cxd6 cxd6 21. Bd4 Qxe3 22. Bxe3 Be4 23. Bd3 Bxg2 24. Rg3 Bf3 25. Rdg1 g6 26. h5 Bxh5 27. Rg5 Bb6 28. Rxh5 Bxe3 29. fxe3 Rf2+ 30. Kc3 Rf3 31. Rb5 Re8 32. Re1 Rexe3 33. Rxe3 Rxe3 34. Rxb3 h5 35. Kd4 Rg3 36. Kd5 h4 37. Kxd6 h3 38. c5 h2 39. Bc4+ Kg7 40. Rb7+ Kh6 41. Bg8 Rd3+ 42. Ke5 Kg5 43. Rh7 Rd2 44. c6 { 1-0 (44) Nepomniachtchi,I (2784)-Xiong,J (2709) Chess.com INT 2020 }) 16. a3 Bb7 17. Qd4 Qe6 18. Bg3 f6 19. Qxd7 (19. f3 { It's hard to imagine that White could win from this position, but here at least Rapport could push a slight edge. The game move is equivalent to a draw offer. }) 19... Qxd7 20. Rxd7 Rbd8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Kxb3 Rd1 23. f3 fxe5 24. Kc2 Ra1 25. Bxe5 Re1 26. Bg3 Ra1 27. Kb2 Rd1 28. Kc2 Ra1 29. Be5 Re1 30. Bg3 Ra1 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2