[Event "85th Tata Steel Masters"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"] [Date "2023.01.29"] [Round "13.2"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Rapport, Richard"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2764"] [BlackElo "2740"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B60"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Dragon Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gbi5O625/85cUqVHV"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 g6!? { A rather unusual response to the Richter-Rauzer attack: playing the precise move it was designed to discourage. } 7. Bxf6 exf6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Bc4 Bg7 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. O-O O-O 12. Qd3 Rc8 13. Nd5 { Clearly, a downside to this position for Black is the inability to control the thematic d5-square. But, in return, Black has the bishop pair, an opportunity to break open the center with ...f6-f5, and generally flexible play. } 13... Re8 14. c3 Bd7 15. Bb5 Bc6 16. Bc4 Bd7 17. Rfe1! { Giri shows that he is up for the fight, electing to continue the game rather than be content with second place. Of course, it turns out that he would have still tied for first after repeating moves, but that would have been an odd thing to gamble on here. } 17... f5 18. Bb3 fxe4 19. Rxe4 Bf5 20. Rxe8+ Qxe8 21. Qd2 Be6 22. Rd1 Qd7 23. h3 b5 24. Qf4 Rc5 25. Ne3 Be5 26. Qe4 Kg7?! 27. f4 (27. Bxe6!? fxe6 28. Ng4! { A powerful knight, threatening to capture on e5 due to the pin, and also probing weaknesses around the kingside. } 28... Qc7 29. Qe3 { There is no good way to cover the h6-square. } 29... Kf7 30. Nh6+ Kf8 { But perhaps White does not have anything concrete here, explaining why White was not sold on this line. }) 27... Bf6 28. g4 h6 29. Bd5?! (29. Bxe6! fxe6 30. h4! { The point is now Black has no good options. } 30... Kf7 (30... Bxh4?? 31. Qd4+! Kf7 32. Qxc5 $18) 31. h5 gxh5 32. Qh7+ Bg7 33. g5 $16) 29... Bxd5 30. Nxd5 Rc4 31. Qf3 Qe6 32. f5 gxf5 33. Nf4 Qe5 34. Nh5+ Kg6?? { The most decisive move of the tournament. Superficially, this move looks best, if not forced, as the king steps in to help cover the f5-pawn. However... } 35. Rxd6! Kg5 (35... Qxd6?? 36. Qxf5#) 36. Rd5 Qe1+ 37. Kg2 Be7 38. Rxf5+ Kh4 39. Qg3+! { A lovely point: White still threatens mate with Rf5-h5 after the queen trade. Black resigns rather than play out: } 39... Qxg3+ 40. Nxg3 Rc5 41. b4! { The key point, as now the rook cannot leave the fifth rank, but capturing on f5 loses the bishop to a fork. } 1-0