[Event "86th Tata Steel Masters"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2024.01.18"] [Round "5.3"] [White "Ju, Wenjun"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2549"] [BlackElo "2759"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C01"] [Opening "French Defense: Exchange Variation"] [StudyName "2024 Tata Steel"] [ChapterName "Ju, Wenjun - Firouzja, Alireza"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/jonbbAZH/4QQsTduo"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. c4 Nf6 6. c5 Be7 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Nbd2 Re8 12. Bb5 Ne4 13. Qa4 Nxd2 14. Nxd2 Bg5 15. Bxc6 bxc6 16. Rae1 Bxe3 17. Rxe3 Rxe3 18. fxe3 Qe8 19. Re1 f5 20. Qa6 f4 21. Qf1 fxe3 22. Qd3 e2 23. Nf3 Qf7? (23... Qe4 24. Qxe4 dxe4 25. Ne5 a5 26. Nxc6 e3 27. d5 Be8 28. Nd4 Rd8 29. d6 cxd6 30. c6 Rc8 31. Nf5 Rc7 { is one way to keep the balance. }) (23... Bxf3 { is another: } 24. Qxf3 a5 25. Rxe2 Qf7 { is a far simpler one. }) 24. Ng5! Qg6 (24... Bg6 25. Qxe2 $16) 25. Qxg6 Bxg6 26. Rxe2 { We have reached an endgame with equal material, but the terribly damaged queenside pawns portend doom for Black. } 26... h6 27. Nf3 Be4 28. Ne5 a5 29. Nxc6 a4 30. Re3 Ra6 31. Nb4 Rg6 32. g3 h5 33. Ra3 (33. h4 Kf7 34. Kf2 { is more flexible, leaving both Re3-a3 and a2-a3 as options. }) 33... Kf8 34. Kf2 Rf6+ 35. Ke2 Rg6 36. h4?! (36. Kf2 Rf6+ 37. Kg1 Rg6 38. Re3 Re6 39. Nd3 Re8 40. Ne5 Kg8 41. h4 Rb8 42. b3 axb3) 36... Ke8 37. Re3 Kd7 38. a3 Re6 39. Kd2?! (39. b3 axb3 40. Rxb3 { does not hang any tactics, and White can keep pushing with the outside passer established. } 40... Re8! 41. Kd2 $16) 39... Rf6 40. Ke2 Rf8 41. b3 axb3 42. Rxb3 Bg2? (42... Ra8 { was presumably the point of dropping back to the eighth rank, since a6 was covered by White's knight, but now the a3-pawn is attacked and White's rook is saddled with the unfortunate task of defending from the side. }) 43. Re3!? (43. a4 Bf1+ (43... Ra8 44. Ra3 $18 { would allow White's rook to be far better situated. }) 44. Kd2 Bc4 45. Ra3 Rf2+ 46. Ke3 Rf6 47. a5 $18) 43... Be4 44. Na2 Rb8 45. Nc3 Rb2+ 46. Ke1 Rb3 47. Kf2 Bh1 48. Nd1 Rb8 49. Re5 g6 50. Re1 Be4 51. Nc3 Rf8+ 52. Kg1 Rf3?? (52... Kc6 53. Re3 (53. Nxe4 Re8! { is the point. }) 53... Rf6 54. a4 Rf8 { and the bishop is still untouchable, but } 55. Ne2 { is speculative at best: } 55... Kb7 56. Nf4 Rf6 $14) 53. Nxe4 dxe4 54. Kg2 Rxa3 55. Rxe4 { Now, the rook ending is won. } 55... Rd3 56. Kf2 c6 57. Kg2 { Black is in zugzwang! } 57... Rd1 (57... Kd8 58. Re6 Rxd4 59. Rxg6 $18) 58. Kf3 Rf1+ 59. Ke3 { The rook is free to leave the d-pawn's side, and White has done it! } 59... Rf7 60. Rf4 Rg7 61. Kd3 Ke6 62. Rf8 Ra7 63. Ke4 Ra1 64. Rd8 { There's no stopping the rook from entering the weak d6-square! } 1-0