[Event "Tata Steel Chess 2023 Masters"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"] [Date "2023.01.20"] [Round "6.1"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Keymer, Vincent"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2760"] [BlackElo "2696"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C88"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed, Anti-Marshall"] [StudyName "Tata Steel 2023"] [ChapterName "So, Wesley - Keymer, Vincent"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/gbi5O625/mOYDuVYH"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 b4 9. a5 Rb8 (9... d6 { This would be the more familiar choice. } 10. d3 Be6 11. Nbd2 Bxb3 12. Nxb3 Re8) 10. d4 Nxd4 11. Nxd4 exd4 12. e5 Ne8 13. Qxd4 Rb5 { So invites this energetic pawn-grab. } 14. Bc4 c5 { Black's point: the a-pawn will fall. } 15. Qd3 Rxa5 16. Rxa5 Qxa5 17. Nd2 Qc7 18. Nf3 h6 19. Bf4 { In return for the pawn, White has quickly developed and organized his remaining forces. Black? Not so much. } 19... Qc6 20. Bd5 Qb5 21. Qf5 Bb7 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. Rd1 Nc7 (23... d6! { It is in Black's interest to trade as much as possible. On first glance, this loses material, but a subtle intermezzo preserves equality. } 24. exd6 Nxd6 25. Bxd6 { White risks being worse if he does not capture this newly activated knight. } 25... Rd8! (25... Bxd6) 26. Qxc5 Qb8! 27. Kf1 Bxd6 { White regains the pawn, but Black regains the piece, and has nothing to worry about. }) 24. Rxd7 Rd8 (24... Qc8 { Turning the tables on who is pinning who: White has more problems to solve now. } 25. h3 g6 26. Qd3 c4 27. Qd2 Rd8) 25. h4 g6 26. Qd3 Qc8 27. Rxd8+ Qxd8 28. Qxd8+ Bxd8 29. Bxh6 a5 30. b3 Nb5 31. Bc1 { Black should be able to hold, but it is a shame he had to return a second pawn to reach this position. } 31... Na3 (31... c4 32. bxc4 Na3 33. c5 Nxc2 { The computer says this is drawn, but practically speaking, you have to like the side with the connected passed pawns. } 34. Kf1 a4 35. Ke2 b3 36. Kd3 Be7 37. Kc4 Kf8 38. c6 Ke8 39. g3) 32. c4! { White does not want to be suffocated under pressure on this pawn, nor wait for Black to prepare ...c5-c4 and play for the passed a-pawn. } 32... a4 33. g3 { An astute, patient move. The pawn can be recovered with ease, so why defend it now? } 33... Nb1? (33... axb3 34. Nd2 Bc7 35. Bb2 { Black has been stopped in his tracks. Now, only } 35... f6! 36. exf6 Bd8 37. Kg2 Kf7 { Keeps him in the game, otherwise his "bad" bishop would be of no service. }) 34. bxa4 b3?? (34... Nc3 35. Kf1 Nxa4 36. Nd2 $14) 35. Kf1 Ba5 36. Bb2 Nc3 37. Nd2 Nxa4 38. Nxb3 Bb4 39. Bc1 { White has too many pawns and Black has no play on the queenside. The rest is simple. } 39... Nb6 40. Nd2 Bxd2 41. Bxd2 Nxc4 42. Bc3 Kf8 43. Ke2 Ke7 44. Kd3 Nb6 45. Ke4 Ke6 46. g4 Na4 47. Ba1 c4 48. Bd4 c3 49. Kd3 Kd5 50. h5 c2 51. Kxc2 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0