[Event "Superbet Chess Classic Romania"] [Site "Bucharest, Romania"] [Date "2023.05.13"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2785"] [BlackElo "2794"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D04"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System"] [StudyName "Superbet Romania GCT"] [ChapterName "Firouzja, Alireza - Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/gLTaYxXi/KMioOkV6"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 c5 4. Be2 Nc6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 Bh5 7. dxc5 { Not the most popular choice in an already tame opening, but one employed by Spanish GM David Anton Guijarro more than once. Have Ding and Rapport cracked the blueprint to beating Nepo by eschewing more combative main lines in d4 games? } (7. b3 { is more popular, but not the choice of anybody noticeable. }) 7... e6 8. a3 Bxc5 9. b4 Bd6 10. Nbd2 { Firouzja sticks with Anton Guijarro's choice from 2021. } 10... Qe7 $146 { Previous games continued } (10... a5 11. b5 Ne5 12. Bb2 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Rc8 14. Be2 O-O 15. Rc1 Bb8 (15... Qe7 16. c4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 dxc4 18. Nxc4 Rfd8 { where White had a nice position but lost in the blitz game Anton Guijarro – Preotu, Chess.com, 2023. }) 16. c4 Qd6 17. f4 Ned7 18. cxd5 exd5 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Bg4 Rd8 21. Bxd7 Nxd7 22. Kh2 Nf8 23. Nf3 Qg6 24. Qd2 Bc7 25. Rc1 Ne6 26. Nd4 Nxd4 27. Bxd4 Bb6 28. a4 h5 29. Bxb6 Qxb6 30. Qd4 Qg6 31. Rc5 h4 32. Rxd5 Qg3+ 33. Kh1 Qe1+ { ½-½ (33) Anton Guijarro,D (2669)-Volokitin,A (2656) Terme Catez 2021 }) 11. Bb2 Rd8 12. c4 dxc4 13. Qa4 c3 14. Bxc3 O-O 15. Nc4 Ne4 16. Bb2 Ng5 17. Nxd6 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 Qxd6 20. Rfd1 { The position is equal. White's bishop is strong, but the damaged kingside pawns provide compensation for Black. } 20... Qc7 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. b5 Ne7 23. Qxa7 { A critical moment. Nepo correctly assessed that he should have compensation for the pawn, and did not waste time guarding it. Instead, he activates his pieces and plans to use his queen and knight tandem for good. } 23... Nf5 (23... Ng6! 24. Rc1 Qe7 25. Qc5 Qh4 26. Qc4 (26. Qb4 Qh5! (26... Qxh3?! 27. Qg4 { and White is much better in the endgame after a queen trade. }) 27. a4 Qxf3) 26... Rd1+ 27. Kg2 Rxc1 28. Qxc1 Qg5+ 29. Kh2 Qxb5) 24. Rc1 Qd7 25. Qc5 h6 26. a4 Ra8 (26... Nh4! { Black had to activate his pieces. } 27. Qh5 Ng6 { and White has no way to make progress, as natural "improving moves" like } 28. Bd4 { fall prey to } 28... Nf4! 29. exf4 Qxd4 $15) 27. Qb4 Qd3 28. a5 Qe2? (28... f6 { Black had to neutralize White's bishop first. }) 29. a6 Qxf3 30. Qg4! Qd5 (30... Qxg4+ 31. hxg4 Nd6 32. Be5! { and Black has to go down the piece after } 32... bxa6 33. Bxd6 axb5 { when White should be able to win with relative ease. }) 31. e4 { This was the whole idea to force a trade into a winning endgame. Two points. First, the f-pawn could have thwarted the bishop. Second, maybe it's clear why the engine consistently preferred the knight on g6 to f5. It stops mate here, but is within the reach of White's pawns. } 31... Qxb5 32. Ba1 (32. Rc2! { avoided the complications of the queen sac after } 32... Rxa6 33. exf5 $18) 32... Qxa6 33. exf5 Qxa1!? { Black's most complicated try! It shouldn't work, but it should at least test Firouzja. } 34. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 35. Kg2 exf5 36. Qxf5 Ra6 37. h4 g6 (37... Rg6+ 38. Kf1 Rf6 39. Qc8+ Kh7 40. Qxb7 Rf5 { is another attempt at a fortress. }) 38. Qc8+ Kg7 39. h5 g5 { now White's king has a path to enter the game, and White converts flawlessly. } 40. Qc4 Re6 41. Qc3+ Kh7 42. Qf3 Kg8 43. Qxb7 Kg7 44. Kg3 Kg8 45. Qd5 Kg7 46. Kg4 Ra6 47. Qc4 Rd6 48. Qc5 Re6 49. Qd4+ Kg8 50. Kf5 Ra6 51. Qc4 Rd6 52. Qc5 Rd3 53. Kf6 Rf3+ 54. Ke7 Rf4 55. Qc8+ Kg7 56. Qf8+ Kh7 57. Qxf7+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0