1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3d54.cxd5exd55.Bg5Bb46.e3h67.Bh4g58.Bg3Ne49.a3Bxc3+10.bxc3h511.f3Nxg312.hxg3Nd7NUntil now, the players were following Yu – Dubov, Lindores, 2020:12...Qd613.g4h414.Bd3Nc615.Nh3Qg3+16.Kf1Rg817.Qb3Qd618.c4dxc419.Bxc4Qe720.Nf2±13.Bd3Nf614.e4dxe415.fxe4Qe716.Nf3...16.e5Bg417.Qa4+c618.Nh3!?Bxh319.gxh3Nd520.O-Ois a messy position typical for this variation. Black is not able to exploit White's airy king, but it's hard to make suggestions for either side.h421.Be4Qe622.Bf5⩲16....Nxe417.Bxe4...Clarification slightly favors Black here. White could have applied more pressure by keeping pieces on, but of course that introduced more losing chances as well.17.O-O!?Nxg318.Re1Be619.Qa4+(19.d5?!Qc5+20.Nd4Qxd5∞)Kf820.Qb5g421.Ng5Rh622.Re5∞17....Qxe4+18.Kf2Be619.Re1Qd520.Re5Qd621.Qa4+Qd722.Qxd7+Kxd723.Rxg5...White has regained his pawn and the position is dynamically balanced.23....f624.Rg7+Kd625.Rh1b526.Nd2Bd5Black's bishop dominates the enemy knight for the moment, but a careful rerouting keeps White pressing with a slight edge.27.Rh4Rae828.Nf1a529.Ne3Be630.Rf4Ref831.d5!?...Playing at least partially off his opponent's time pressure, White forces Black to make a decision.31....Bc8!?From now on, White is more clearly playing for a win. Necessary was31...Bxd5!32.Nf5+(32.Rd4c6is no problem.)(32.Nxd5Kxd533.Rxc7Rc8!=keeps Black's pieces active enough to maintain the balance.)Kc5!33.Rxc7+Kb6!when White has nothing better than34.Re7Re8=keeping the balance.32.c4bxc433.Nxc4+Kxd534.Rxc7...White is better for two reasons. First, the c4-knight is superior to the c8-bishop. Second, the bishop's location on the c8-square prevents Black from activating a rook with ... Rf8-c8 as in some of the variations after 31. ... Bxd5! above.34....Ke635.Nxa5Bd736.Rd4Ra837.Nc4Be838.Rd6+Kf5Both players are down to two minutes to play the next two moves.39.Rc5+...There's no way White was going to find the stunning39.g4+!!with the point thathxg440.Rc5+Kg641.Ne5+Kg7(41...Kh642.Rxf6+Kg743.Nxg4is a mating net!)42.Rc7+Kh643.Nxg4+Kg544.Rg7+Kf445.Rd5preparing g2-g3+!39.Rg7was also a way to keep Black's king dancing.39....Kg640.Ne5+Kh641.Rxf6+Kg7White would love to play Ne5-g4 followed by Rc5-g5+ and Rf6-h6 mate. That's why 39. g4+ and even 40. g4 were such strong moves.42.Rf3Rf843.Nc4Bg644.Rxf8Rxf8+45.Ke3...The players have safely made it to the time control, but Black should be happy. The lone a-pawn is a difficult pawn to promote.45....Rf146.Ne5Be847.Nd3Ra148.Ra5Rb149.Nf4Rb3+50.Kf2Kf651.Ra8Bf752.a4Rb453.a5...What else? But now Black solves the problem of the weak h-pawn:53....h4!54.a6Rb2+55.Ke3Rb3+?!55...hxg3!This holds:56.a7(56.Nh5+is an idea we're going to see a number of times. Here, it does not work because ofBxh557.a7Ra258.Rf8+Bf759.a8=QRxa860.Rxa8because of the miraculousBd5!=nabbing the g-pawn!)Ra257.Kd4Ra558.Ke3and the knight is perfectly placed on the f4-square.Ra3+=56.Kd4hxg3?Bafflingly, with White's king on d4, this no longer holds, but with the rook on the third-rank, White still had a draw with56...Rxg3!Now, this is the proper recapture.57.Nh5+Is White's idea, deflecting the bishop withBxh558.a7Ra359.Rf8+but nowKg5!60.a8=QRxa861.Rxa8Kf4actually holds!62.Rg8Bg4=57.Nd3?...Now White is the one playing from behind on the clock, since he should be able to draw this on the increment if he gives up on finding a win.57.Nh5+!Now this wins.Bxh558.a7Ra359.Rf8+Kg5(59...Bf760.a8=QRxa861.Rxa8Bd5is not viable with the king on d4. In other words, the choice on move 55 to push White's king to d4 is the reason Black lost a saving resource!62.Kxd5+−)60.a8=QRxa861.Rxa8+−and Black's king cannot get to the g-pawn in time.57....Ra358.Nb4Bh5!The only move. Black's point is that58...Kg7?59.Ra7!Kf660.Rb7+−and White's rook has repositioned from its unfortunate position in the way of its own pawn to the much more preferable position guarding the a7-square from the side.59.Rf8+...59.a7?Kg7gets the king to its preferred defensive position: there is no Ra8-h8-h7+ idea naymore.59....Kg760.Rc8Be2??60...Ra4!was necessary.61.Rc7+(61.Ke5Bf3!)Kh662.Kc5Be2now holds, as63.a7Bf3draws.61.Rc7+Kh662.a7Ra462...Bf363.gxf3g264.Rc1wins, but only because Black cannot take the knight with check, or do something similarly disruptive.63.Ke3Bf164.Rc6+Kg565.Na6...White wins.65....Ra3+66.Kd2Ra2+67.Kc3Ra3+One last trick:68.Kd4...68.Kb2??is the "intuitive" square to stop the checks, but Black hasRxa6!!69.Rxa6Bxg2!with a draw!68....Ra4+69.Ke5...Instead, White illustrates that it's the c7-square, not the b2-square, that provides sanctuary!69....Ra5+70.Kd6Rxa671.Rxa6Bxg272.Rc61-0 White wins.1-0