1.e4c52.Nf3e63.Nc3Nc64.g3Qb6!?A rare move takes the players out of book early on.5.Bg2d66.d3Nf67.O-OBe78.Kh1Rb8Black intends ... b7-b5 after moving the queen back to the c7-square, arguing that the threat of the queen on the g1-a7 diagonal, provoking Kg1-h1, makes ideas of ... h7-h5 more pressing.9.Nd2h510.h3Qc711.f4b512.a4...White asks the first question of the game by challenging Black's control of the b5-square.12....b4!?Black allows Nc3-b5, with Nd2-c4 likely to follow. This gives White a slight advantage objectively, but practically leads to massive complications that were perhaps unnecessary.12...a6Black did not want to give White's rook the a-file by allowing a trade of b-pawns. But after13.axb5axb5, Black threatens ... b5-b4 without Nc3-b5 being possible.14.f5White switches to the kingside, as now Nc3-e2 helps re-route the knight to the right part of the board.b415.Ne2exf5!?Black can play for ... d6-d5 now that White's e2-knight is neither covering the d5-square nor ready to have played Ng3xf5.16.exf5d5⩱Black's control of the center more than compensates for White's control of the a-file.13.Nb5Qd714.e5dxe515.Nc4a6White's 15. Nc4 was played instantly, but Black took four minutes to reply. Some of this might have been double-checking, but it's also possible that this intermezzo was not what Black had expected with 12. ... b4.16.fxe5axb517.axb5Rxb518.exf6gxf6Necessary. Now, White manages to actually use the a-file!18...Bxf6??19.Rxf6!gxf620.Qf3+−The double attack on the f6-pawn and the c6-knight means White infiltrates completely.19.Ra8Kf8!?The human move, removing the check from future Bg2xc6 ideas while preparing the pin-breaking ... Kf8-g7.19...Qb7Apparently, the best defense was walking into the pin! The engine gives a fantastical variation that it is hard to believe ends in equality, and is practically unhelpful for us:20.Rxc8+Qxc821.Rxf6Na522.Qf1Rf823.Ne5c424.Nxf7c325.b3Nc626.Bh6Rg820.Bg5!...White begins a furious attack.20....f5!?A testing defense.20...Nd8!?This was better, although21.Rxf6!keeps an advantage:Kg722.Qf3Bb723.Qf4e524.Qh4Qd425.Bh6+±Also unacceptable was20...fxg5?21.Qf3Nd8The only way to defend the f7-pawn and the c6-knight , but it allows22.Ne5+−when the queen cannot defend the c8-bishop and the f7-pawn.21.Bxc6?...White errs after 17 minutes of furious calculation.21.Qf3!despite the hanging g5-bishop, this was still the best move. The idea has to do with the hanging b5-rook leaving Black's queen overloaded after, e.g.,Bxg522.Qxc6when the b5-rook and c8-bishop are both hit, meaning thatKg7or(22...Qxc623.Bxc6leaves Black unable to defend the b5-rook, andKg7fails to24.Rxc8!(24.Bxb5??Bb7+-+)Rxc825.Bxb5+−)23.Rxc8!+−21....Qxc6+White has lost the motif of hitting the b5-rook, and Black is now able to untangle.22.Qf3Qd7Threatening ... Kf8-g7 and ... Bc8-b7 with counterplay.23.Ne5Qc724.Rfa1?!...White is not interested in struggling for a draw in a pawn-down endgame, and goes "all-in" on the attack:24.Qc6was best, forcing a queen trade withQxc6+25.Nxc6whenBxg526.Rxc8+Kg727.Rxh8Kxh8⩱leaves White pawn-down and fighting for a draw.24....Kg7!Black's king is not exactly safe on the g-file, but it's safer here than on the back rank! As it turns out, the king is also just safe enough!25.Rxc8...White deflects the h8-rook in order to play Qf3xh5.25....Rxc825...Qxc8??26.Bxe7was the point26.Qxh5Qxe527.Bxe7...27.Qh6+Kg828.Bxe7Qh8-+made use of the same ideas.27....Kg8!The king returns the back rank, allowing ... Qe5-h8! to solve the defensive issues.28.Qh4Qh8!29.Qg5+Qg730.Qh4Qh7The queen maneuvers to the g6-square.31.Qg5+Qg632.Qh4Kg7!With the queen safely guarding against Qh4-g5+, the king returns to the g7-square and Black prepares ... Rc8-h8!33.Bd6Rb7A necessary defensive move, preparing to meet Bd6-e5+ with ... f7-f6 as the seventh rank is covered.33...Rb6??34.Be5+f635.Ra7++−34.Kg2Qh635.Qc4Qe336.Qa6...Black's rooks lack squares to defend each other due to White's dark-squared dominance. Can you see how Black solves this issue without returning the Exchange?36....Qe2+Black wrestles control of the f3-square by force.37.Kg1Qf338.Be5+Kg639.Rf1Qd5Black has finally shut out the last of White's attacking chances and is purely up an Exchange.40.Bf4c4Now, the rooks come to life.41.Re1cxd342.Re5Qc643.Qxd3Rd744.Qe2Qc4-+45.h4Qd4+46.Kh2Qc447.Qf2Qxc248.Re2b349.Kh3Qd150.g4fxg4+51.Kg3Rc252.h5+Kh753.Rxc2bxc2White resigned.0-1