[Event "Tata Steel Chess 2023 Challengers"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"] [Date "2023.01.16"] [Round "3.1"] [White "Mishra, Abhimanyu"] [Black "Ivic, Velimir"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2559"] [BlackElo "2585"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D11"] [Opening "Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Pin Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gbi5O625/jyBZzOcb"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 { From here, both players follow the main line through the tenth move. } 4... Bg4 5. Nc3 e6 6. h3 Bh5 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Nbd7 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Bd2 (10. g5 { White has fared slightly better with this alternative, which essentially forces a known ending. Interestingly, one top American player has navigated this position successfully on both the attacking and defending side. } 10... Ne4 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. h4 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Qa5 14. a3 Bxd2+ 15. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 f5 17. c5 Ke7 18. b4 Rad8 (18... a6 19. Bc4 b5 20. Be2 e5 21. a4 exd4 22. exd4 Rhd8 23. Kc3 Nf8 24. axb5 axb5 25. d5 cxd5 26. Bxb5 d4+ { Securing enough counterplay. ½- (48) ½ (48) Anton Guijarro,D (2693)-Niemann, H (2645) Warsaw POL 2021 }) 19. Kc3 e5 20. Bc4 exd4+ (20... Nf8 { Opening the e-file allows White to play towards the bishop's strengths with f2-f3. }) 21. exd4 Nf8 22. f3 exf3 23. Raf1 Kd7 24. Rxf3 Ne6 25. Re1 Nc7 26. Rh3 Rde8 27. Rxe8 Kxe8 28. a4 Kd7 29. b5 Ne6 30. Kb4 Nf4 31. Rh2 Kc7 32. a5 cxb5 33. Bxb5 a6 34. Ba4 Ne6 35. d5 Nxg5 36. d6+ Kd8?? (36... Kc8 $14) 37. c6! bxc6 38. Kc5 f4 39. Rb2 Ne6+ 40. Kxc6 Nd4+ 41. Kd5 Nb5 42. Bxb5 axb5 43. Kc6 Ke8 44. Kc7 Kf7 45. d7 { 1-0 (45) Niemann,H (2699)-Lenderman,A (2535) Saint Louis USA 2022 }) 10... Bb4 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Bd3 (12. Bg2 { The other most natural deployment for the bishop has not fared any better. } 12... Qe7 13. a3 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Ne4 15. Bb4 Qe6 16. a4 f5 17. Qe2 a5 18. Ba3 Kf7 19. Rg1 Rae8 20. Qf3 Ndf6 21. gxf5 Qxf5 22. Qxf5 gxf5 $17 { Black has earned a wonderfully static position for the knights. 0-1 (34) Steingrimsson,H (2543)-Nyback,T (2586) Warsaw POL 2013 }) (12. f3 { White's best practical chances were explored in the same event three years ago. Understanding the ineptitude of the bishop pair in many of the resulting structures, White can play for immediate transformations. } 12... Bd6 13. Qb3 Bg3+ 14. Kd1 b5 15. Rc1 Bd6 16. e4 dxe4? (16... O-O! 17. exd5 (17. e5? Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Bf4 Nc4 { Amazingly, Black has full compensation due to White's exposed king. }) 17... Nxd5 18. Nxd5 cxd5 19. Bxb5 $14 { Black hopes to argue that the open lines against the misplaced king provide compensation, but this still seems to offer White acceptable prospects. }) 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. fxe4 Rc8 19. e5 Be7 20. Bg2 Nb8 21. Be3?! (21. e6! Qxd4 22. exf7+ Kf8 23. Re1 Rd8 24. Rc2 $18 { With both kings weakened, clearly it is White's bishop pair and more actively placed rooks that dominate. }) 21... O-O 22. Kc2 c5 23. dxc5 Bxc5 24. Kb1 Bxe3 25. Qxe3 Qe7 26. Bd5! $16 { Probably the best use we've seen from this bishop in any of these variations. 1-0 (38) Eljanov,P (2650)-Smirnov,A (2604) Wijk aan Zee NED 2020 }) 12... Qe7 13. a3 (13. Qb3 { Dubov, a particularly adventurous and creative opening researcher, has tried to gambit the g-pawn with } 13... Nxg4 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Bxb4 Qh4 16. Qc2 Nxe3 17. Qc7 { and went to win after } 17... Qf4?? (17... Qxd4 18. Qd6 Ng2+ 19. Kf1 Qxd3+ 20. Kxg2 Qe4+ 21. Kg1 Qh4 { Presumably this position would be well known, as would the fact that White's apparent attack is insufficient. } 22. Re1+ Kd8 23. Re7 Qg5+ 24. Kf1 Qf5) 18. Rc1 (18. Bd6! Qxd4 19. Bb5 Rd8 20. Rc1 Qf6 21. fxe3 $18) 18... Qxc7 19. Rxc7 Nc4 20. b3 a5 21. Bc5 b6 22. bxc4 bxc5 23. cxd5 Kd8 24. d6 cxd4?? 25. Bb5 Nf6 26. Rxf7 $18 { 1-0 (32) Dubov,D (2614)-Ragger,M (2632) Dubai UAE 2014 }) 13... Bxc3 14. Bxc3 a5 15. Qe2 Ne4 16. Kf1 f5 { Black plays to the strengths of his position. The central knight cannot be easily dislodged, and neither White bishop has any prospects. It will take a lot of work for White to open the board in any meaningful way. } 17. Kg2 O-O 18. f3 Nd6 19. Be1 Rfe8 20. Bf2 a4 21. Rhe1 Nb6 22. Bg3 Nbc4 23. Bf4 { Both players have improved their positions. Black's knights stand on central outposts, and White's bishops are as central as they can be. The question is whether either side can make any progress. } 23... b5 24. g5?! (24. Qf2 { White should not be in a hurry to close down any part of the board. After pushing g4-g5, one idea is h3-h4-h5, but these moves restrict his queen as well. Why not optimize her first, for instance after over-protecting the b2-pawn with } 24... Qf7 25. Re2 Re6 26. Rae1 Rae8 27. Qh4) 24... Qf7 25. Qf2 Re6 26. Re2 Rae8 27. h4 R6e7 28. Rae1 Nb7 29. e4 { After closing down the flanks, White elects to open the center. Objectively, this should be fine. } 29... fxe4 30. fxe4 Rf8 31. Bxc4? (31. exd5! { White must Black force to play very precisely to even hold a perpetual check here. } 31... Rxe2 32. Rxe2 Nd8! (32... Qxd5+? 33. Be4) 33. dxc6 Nxc6 34. Be4 (34. Bg3?? Qd5+ 35. Be4 Rxf2+ $19) 34... Qd7 35. Bxc6 Qg4+) (31. Kg3 dxe4 32. Bxe4 Rxe4 33. Rxe4 Nbd6 34. R4e2 Nf5+ { Black has compensation for the exchange, and the initiative, but nothing concrete. }) 31... bxc4 32. Be5 Qe6 33. Qe3?? (33. Qg3! { The key difference is that, now, if Black attempts the same Nb7-c5 idea, the resulting rook endgame is drawn. } 33... Nc5? 34. dxc5 Qxe5 35. Qxe5 Rxe5 36. exd5 Rxd5 37. Re4) 33... Nc5! 34. Bxg7 (34. dxc5 { With queens still on the board, White's king is too vulnerable to tolerate this trade. } 34... Qxe5 35. Qc3 d4 36. Qxc4+ Kh7 $19) 34... Rxg7 35. dxc5 d4 36. Qh3 Qe5?! (36... Qe7! 37. Rd2 (37. Rf1? Rgf7) 37... d3 38. Qe3 Rgf7! 39. Qd4 Qe6 $19) 37. Qg3 (37. Rf1! { White's best chance to punish the inaccuracy was, surprisingly, to trade off the rooks and play for a perpetual. } 37... Rxf1 (37... Rgf7 38. Rxf7 Rxf7 39. Qg4 { Black should be fine with at least one set of rooks remaining. } 39... Kf8 $17) 38. Kxf1 Rf7+ 39. Rf2! Rxf2+ 40. Kxf2 Qxe4 41. Qc8+) 37... Qxc5 (37... Rf4! { Even more precise. } 38. Rf1 Rgf7 39. Rxf4 Rxf4 40. Rf2 Qxe4+ $19) 38. e5 Qd5+ 39. Kh2 d3 40. Rf2 Rxf2+ 41. Qxf2 Rf7 42. Qd2 Qf3 43. Qg2 Qf2 44. Qxf2 Rxf2+ 45. Kg3 Rxb2 46. Kf3 c3 47. Ke3 c2 48. Kd2 c1=Q+! { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1