[Event "Grand Chess Tour: Sinquefield Cup 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.08.22"] [Round "04"] [White "Gukesh D"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2766"] [BlackElo "2751"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C67"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense"] [StudyName "2024 Sinquefield Cup"] [ChapterName "Gukesh D - Firouzja, Alireza"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/kueFp0uL/0O3alGvT"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 2:00:56] } 1... e5 { [%clk 2:00:50] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 2:01:19] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 2:01:17] } 3. Bb5 { [%clk 2:01:44] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 2:01:41] } 4. O-O { Who's afraid of the Berlin endgame? Not these two! } { [%clk 2:02:05] } 4... Nxe4 { [%clk 2:02:06] } 5. d4 { [%clk 2:02:31] } 5... Nd6 { [%clk 2:02:31] } 6. Bxc6 { [%clk 2:02:56] } 6... dxc6 { [%clk 2:02:57] } 7. dxe5 { [%clk 2:03:22] } 7... Nf5 { [%clk 2:03:19] } 8. Qxd8+ { [%clk 2:03:48] } 8... Kxd8 { [%clk 2:03:43] } 9. Nc3 { [%clk 2:04:14] } 9... Ke8 { [%clk 1:59:10] } 10. h3 { [%clk 2:04:24] } 10... Ne7 { [%clk 1:56:20] } (10... h5 { is more common now. }) 11. Rd1 { [%clk 1:38:26] } 11... Ng6 { [%clk 1:47:05] } 12. b3 { [%clk 1:38:16] } 12... Be7 { [%clk 1:41:52] } 13. Bb2 { [%clk 1:33:09] } 13... h5 { Not unheard of, but certainly not a common position. } { [%clk 1:41:24] } 14. Re1 { [%clk 1:28:23] } 14... h4 { [%clk 1:37:37] } 15. Ne4 { [%clk 1:24:58] } 15... Kf8 { [%clk 1:35:38] } 16. Rad1 { [%clk 1:23:15] } 16... Rb8 { [%clk 1:26:51] } 17. Nf6 { Flashy, but of course Black does not have to take: } { [%clk 1:10:42] } 17... Nf4 { [%clk 1:13:33] } (17... gxf6?? 18. exf6 Bd6 19. Ba3! { is the witty idea. } 19... Bxh3 { stops mate, but } 20. Rxd6! { regains the material with a dominant position. } 20... Kg8 21. Rd4 Bf5 22. Red1 $16) 18. Nd7+ { [%clk 0:57:14] } 18... Bxd7 { [%clk 1:13:13] } 19. Rxd7 { [%clk 0:57:38] } 19... Ke8 { [%clk 0:33:42] } 20. Rdd1 { White has eliminated Black's bishop pair, but after } { [%clk 0:55:15] } 20... c5 { it's not like White's e5-pawn is such a nuisance or threat, so Black's doubled c-pawns hardly constitute a weakness in comparison. } { [%clk 0:32:06] } 21. Nd2 { [%clk 0:47:26] } 21... Kd7 { [%clk 0:27:23] } 22. Nc4+ { [%clk 0:42:43] } 22... Ke6 { [%clk 0:15:21] } 23. Rd6+ { Another witty move! } { [%clk 0:37:37] } 23... cxd6 { [%clk 0:14:15] } 24. exd6+ { [%clk 0:38:05] } 24... Kd5 { [%clk 0:14:27] } 25. Re5+ { [%clk 0:19:48] } (25. dxe7 { makes sense now, since ... f7-f6 does not come with tempo on the rook yet. } 25... f6 26. Bc1 Ng6 27. f4 Rbe8 28. Ne3+ Kc6 29. Nf5 Rh7 30. Re6+ Kd7 31. Rd6+ Kc7 32. Re6 $10 { is likely the best White can ask for here. }) 25... Kc6 { [%clk 0:14:35] } 26. Rxe7 { [%clk 0:20:14] } (26. dxe7?! f6 $17 { gives Black more time to consolidate. }) 26... f6 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 27. Rxg7 { [%clk 0:19:15] } 27... Rhg8 { [%clk 0:09:38] } 28. Rc7+ { [%clk 0:18:24] } 28... Kd5 { [%clk 0:10:03] } 29. Kf1?! { [%clk 0:14:34] } (29. Bxf6! b5 30. Ne3+ Kxd6 31. Rxa7 { was best, with three pawns for the Exchange. Black likely feared either } 31... Nxh3+ { regaining a pawn, or } (31... Ra8 { trying to snap off a pair of rooks. But } 32. Rb7 Rxa2 33. Bxh4 Nxh3+ 34. Kh2 Nf4 35. Rh7 { and the imbalanced endgame rages on. }) 32. Kf1 Nf4 33. Ra6+ Kd7 34. Be5 $16) 29... b5 { [%clk 0:09:23] } 30. Ne3+ { [%clk 0:14:56] } 30... Kxd6 { [%clk 0:09:49] } 31. Rh7 { [%clk 0:14:07] } 31... Rbf8 { [%clk 0:06:56] } 32. Rxh4 { [%clk 0:13:21] } 32... Nd5 { [%clk 0:06:00] } 33. Nxd5 { [%clk 0:11:55] } 33... Kxd5 { [%clk 0:06:27] } 34. c4+ { [%clk 0:11:40] } 34... bxc4 { [%clk 0:06:55] } 35. Rxc4 { [%clk 0:12:05] } 35... f5 { [%clk 0:06:49] } 36. h4 { [%clk 0:09:30] } 36... Rg4 { [%clk 0:03:49] } 37. h5 { White's two extra pawns more than make up for the Exchange. } { [%clk 0:07:31] } 37... f4 { [%clk 0:02:49] } 38. h6 { [%clk 0:06:29] } 38... Rh4 { [%clk 0:03:12] } 39. g3?! { White took four of his six remaining minutes here. Did he miss } { [%clk 0:02:30] } (39. Rxc5+! Kxc5 40. Ba3+ Kd5 41. Bxf8 $16 { covering the h6-pawn? Or did he decide that parting with the rooks was not worth it. }) 39... Rh2?! { [%clk 0:02:59] } (39... Rh1+ 40. Kg2 fxg3! { was the ticket: } 41. fxg3 Rff1 42. Rh4 Rhg1+ 43. Kh3 Rf3 $10) 40. Bg7 { [%clk 0:02:38] } 40... Rf7 { [%clk 0:01:22] } 41. gxf4 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 41... Rf5 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 42. Ke2 { White's pawns are far from coordinated on the kingside, but there are three of them! Black is in dire straights, and only has a minute and change to formulate a defense. } { [%clk 0:02:15] } 42... a6 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 43. Ra4 { [%clk 0:01:58] } 43... Rh3 { [%clk 0:00:54] } 44. f3 { [%clk 0:01:22] } (44. Rxa6? Rxf4 { would equalize. }) 44... Rh1 { [%clk 0:01:11] } 45. Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 45... Re1+ { [%clk 0:00:38] } 46. Kf2 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 46... Rh1 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 47. Re4 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 47... Kd6 { [%clk 0:01:14] } 48. Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 48... Re1+ { [%clk 0:01:02] } 49. Kd2 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 49... Rh1 { [%clk 0:01:28] } 50. Ra4 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 50... Kd5 { [%clk 0:01:48] } 51. Rxa6?! { White is unable to evaluate the winning plan properly, and settles for liquidation. } { [%clk 0:00:51] } (51. Ke3 Re1+ 52. Kf2 Rh1 53. Kg3 Rg1+ 54. Kh4! { This is where the king is safest! } 54... Rh1+ 55. Kg4 { Note that, if Black's king were already on e6, this would not come with tempo. But if Black ever played ... Kd5-e6, the a6-pawn would fall with check! } 55... Rfh5 56. Rxa6 { only now, with the f-pawn not under fire. } 56... R1h4+ 57. Kg3 Rh2 58. Ra8 R2h3+ 59. Kf2 Rh2+ 60. Ke3 Rh1 61. Rf8 $18) 51... Rxf4 { The game stalls out to a draw from here. } { [%clk 0:02:12] } 52. Ke3 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 52... Rf7 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 53. Rg6 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 53... Rh3 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 54. Bf6 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 54... Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 55. Bh4+ { [%clk 0:00:36] } 55... Kf5 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 56. Rg5+ { [%clk 0:00:44] } 56... Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 57. Rg4+ { [%clk 0:01:12] } 57... Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:51] } 58. Rg6+ { [%clk 0:01:25] } 58... Kf5 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 59. Rg7 { [%clk 0:01:55] } 59... Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 60. Rxf7 { [%clk 0:01:51] } 60... Kxf7 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 61. Bg5 { [%clk 0:02:19] } 61... Rh2 { [%clk 0:01:18] } 62. h7 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 62... Rxh7 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 63. Kd3 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 63... Rh3 { [%clk 0:01:32] } 64. Be3 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 64... Rxf3 { [%clk 0:01:42] } 65. Ke4 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 65... Rh3 { [%clk 0:01:33] } 66. Bxc5 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 66... Ke6 { [%clk 0:02:00] } 67. Kd4 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 67... Rh4+ { [%clk 0:02:13] } 68. Kc3 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 68... Kd5 { [%clk 0:02:39] } 69. Ba7 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 69... Kc6 { [%clk 0:02:45] } 70. a4 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 70... Rxa4 { [%clk 0:02:48] } 71. bxa4 { [%clk 0:03:15] } 71... Kb7 { [%clk 0:03:14] } 72. a5 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 72... Kxa7 { [%clk 0:03:41] } 73. a6 { [%clk 0:04:09] } 73... Kxa6 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { [%clk 0:04:09] } 1/2-1/2