[Event "Grand Chess Tour: Sinquefield Cup 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.08.22"] [Round "04"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2751"] [BlackElo "2767"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A06"] [Opening "Zukertort Opening"] [StudyName "2024 Sinquefield Cup"] [ChapterName "So, Wesley - Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/kueFp0uL/l2vUP9eM"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 { [%clk 2:00:57] } 1... d5 { [%clk 2:00:34] } 2. e3 { [%clk 2:01:20] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 2:00:27] } 3. c4 { [%clk 2:01:43] } 3... e6 { [%clk 2:00:50] } 4. b3 { [%clk 2:02:04] } 4... Be7 { [%clk 2:00:45] } 5. Bb2 { [%clk 2:02:18] } 5... O-O { [%clk 2:00:42] } 6. Nc3 { [%clk 2:02:41] } 6... c5 { [%clk 1:59:59] } 7. cxd5 { [%clk 2:03:06] } 7... exd5 { [%clk 2:00:24] } 8. d4 { [%clk 2:02:21] } 8... Ne4 { [%clk 2:00:40] } 9. dxc5 { [%clk 1:51:57] } 9... Bf6 { [%clk 2:00:20] } 10. Nd4 { [%clk 1:50:44] } 10... Qa5 { [%clk 2:00:45] } 11. Rc1 { [%clk 1:45:48] } 11... Nc6 { [%clk 2:00:58] } 12. Be2 { [%clk 1:36:17] } 12... Nxc5 { [%clk 2:00:52] } 13. Nxc6 { [%clk 1:36:22] } 13... bxc6 { [%clk 2:01:20] } 14. O-O { [%clk 1:36:45] } 14... Ne4 { [%clk 2:01:32] } 15. Qc2 { [%clk 1:36:45] } 15... Nxc3 { [%clk 2:01:51] } 16. Bxc3 { [%clk 1:37:10] } 16... Bxc3 { [%clk 2:02:17] } 17. Qxc3 { [%clk 1:37:35] } 17... Qxa2 { [%clk 2:02:41] } 18. Rc2 { [%clk 1:37:06] } 18... Qa3 { [%clk 2:03:06] } 19. Ra1 { [%clk 1:37:32] } 19... Qe7 { [%clk 2:03:07] } 20. Qxc6 { [%clk 1:37:54] } 20... Be6 { [%clk 2:03:32] } 21. Qc5 { [%clk 1:34:17] } 21... Qxc5 { [%clk 2:02:36] } 22. Rxc5 { [%clk 1:32:15] } 22... Rfc8 { [%clk 2:03:01] } 23. Rca5 { [%clk 1:28:44] } 23... Rab8 { [%clk 2:00:19] } 24. Bd1 { Now, Black elects to sacrifice a pawn to reach what should be a drawn endgame. } { [%clk 1:27:09] } 24... d4 { [%clk 1:59:43] } 25. exd4 { [%clk 1:27:33] } 25... Bxb3 { This is objectively fine, and Black's logic is clear: remove the "outside" passer, as the d-pawn should do less damage. However, } { [%clk 2:00:05] } (25... Rd8 { deserved serious consideration. After } 26. Rxa7 Rxd4 27. Rc7 g6 28. Rc3 Rdb4 { , the outside pawn is firmly blockaded. }) 26. Rxa7 { [%clk 1:27:24] } 26... Bxd1 { Another move that makes perfect sense, as few things are more drawish than four-rook endgames. That said, } { [%clk 1:59:36] } (26... Bd5 { was interesting! The centrally located bishop is a better blockader than a rook, and guards the f7-square to boot. } 27. R1a5 Rd8 28. h4 g6 { is, once again, a stubborn defensive front. }) 27. Rxd1 { [%clk 1:27:49] } 27... Rc2 { [%clk 1:59:36] } 28. g3 { [%clk 1:27:43] } 28... g6 { [%clk 1:59:40] } 29. Rd3 { [%clk 1:27:09] } 29... Rcb2 { [%clk 1:57:43] } 30. Kg2 { [%clk 1:24:39] } 30... R8b3?! { This might have been Black's biggest conceptual error. Threats of Rd3-f3 are likely to force a trade of one set of rooks, so the question was where this trade would cause the fewest issues for Black. } { [%clk 1:57:40] } (30... h5! 31. Rf3 R8b7 { leads to a more sturdy defense. } 32. Rxb7 Rxb7 33. Rd3 Kg7 34. Kf3 (34. d5?! Kf6 35. Kf3 Ke5 $10) 34... Kf6 35. Ke4 Ke6 { when Black's rook is well-placed to bother White's pawns along the second rank now that the king is ready to take a more active role. } (35... Rb2 36. d5 Ke7! 37. Rf3 Rd2 $10)) 31. Rf3! { Trading off the attacking rook now gives White's king a very useful tempo towards the center! Black would certainly have preferred } { [%clk 1:24:17] } (31. Rxb3?! { when } 31... Rxb3 { covers the third rank, forcing White to take the long road with } 32. Kf1 Rb4 33. Rd7 (33. d5 Rb5 34. d6 Rd5 35. d7 Kf8 $10) 33... Kf8 34. Ke2 Rb2+ { when Black has nothing to fear, e.g. } 35. Ke3 Rb3+ 36. Ke4 Rb2 $10) 31... Rxf3 { [%clk 1:57:48] } (31... Rb7 { was still playable, and after } 32. Rxb7 Rxb7 33. Rd3 Kg7 34. Kf3 Kf6 { we reach a similar position, albeit after } 35. h4 h5 { at least White has used the extra turn (compared to 30. ... h5) to play } 36. Kf4 { when there are fewer issues on the second-rank. } 36... Rb2 37. f3 Rb4 38. Ke4 { and White maintains roughly the same amount of winning chances as So achieved in the game after 31. ... Rxf3. }) 32. Kxf3 { [%clk 1:24:42] } 32... Kg7 { [%clk 1:58:09] } 33. g4 { White threatens g4-g5, with a dreaded "one pawn fixing three" configuration that leaves White with multiple "waiting moves" while Black's structure would be fixed. } { [%clk 1:23:21] } 33... h6?! { This unnecessary move was played in about a minute. Which would make it one of Nepomniachtchi's longest thinks of the game (he started with two hours and, thanks to a 30-second increment per move, currently boasts one hour, 57 minutes, and 32 seconds). Here are other moves that address g4-g5 in some form or another: } { [%clk 1:57:32] } (33... Rd2? 34. Ke3 Rd1 35. g5 { did not stop White from achieving his aim. }) (33... Rb4 { , however, seems very logical! } 34. Ke3 Rb3+ { and any move allows Black's rook to activate against whichever pawn is left behind. } 35. Kf4 Rb2 36. Ke3 (36. Kg3 Rb3+ 37. f3 g5! { is a nice idea. }) 36... Rb3+ $10) (33... h5!? { might not "stop" g4-g5, but } 34. g5 (34. gxh5 { might be better, but } 34... gxh5 35. Ra5 Rb3+ 36. Ke4 Rb2 37. Rf5 Kg6 38. Rf3 f6! $10 { keeps White contained. }) 34... Rb3+ 35. Ke4 Rh3 { is very active, considering Black now has a passed h-pawn. That's why }) 34. Re7!? { [%clk 1:20:48] } 34... Rd2 { [%clk 1:55:38] } 35. Ke3 { [%clk 1:21:05] } 35... Rd1 { [%clk 1:56:06] } 36. Re4 { [%clk 1:21:12] } 36... Kf6?! { [%clk 1:54:29] } (36... Kf8 37. h4 f6 { was better. }) 37. h4 { [%clk 1:20:21] } 37... Ra1 { [%clk 1:52:47] } 38. Kd3 { [%clk 1:06:31] } 38... Ra2? { [%clk 1:44:04] } (38... h5 { has to be tried. As before, } 39. g5+?! { is not a victory for White, as } 39... Kf5 40. f3 Ra3+ 41. Ke2 { allows Black to pick apart White's kingside pawns, this time beginning with } 41... f6! $10) 39. f3 { [%clk 0:53:35] } 39... Ra3+ { [%clk 1:41:34] } 40. Kc4 { [%clk 0:52:43] } 40... Rxf3 { Black's king is cut off by a file and White's king is in perfect position. } { [%clk 1:41:57] } 41. d5! { The only win. "King cut off by a file" wins with a pawn on the fifth rank, and the extra pawns on the kingside do not affect that fact here. } { [%clk 0:53:05] } 41... Ra3 { [%clk 1:40:42] } 42. Re8 { [%clk 0:44:45] } 42... Ra1 { [%clk 1:37:35] } 43. d6 { [%clk 0:44:35] } 43... Rd1 { [%clk 1:37:58] } 44. Kc5 { [%clk 0:45:02] } 44... h5 { [%clk 1:38:25] } 45. g5+ { [%clk 0:41:36] } 45... Kf5 { [%clk 1:38:33] } 46. Re2 { [%clk 0:42:01] } 46... Kf4 { [%clk 1:37:00] } 47. Kc6 { [%clk 0:41:38] } 47... Kf3 { [%clk 1:36:06] } 48. Rc2 { [%clk 0:39:39] } 48... Rd4 { [%clk 1:36:23] } 49. d7 { [%clk 0:40:01] } 49... Kg3 { [%clk 1:36:49] } 50. Rc5 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:40:19] } 1-0