[Event "Chessable Sunway Sitges"] [Site "Sitges, Spain"] [Date "2023.12.16"] [Round "5.3"] [White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"] [Black "Pranav Anand"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2745"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2509"] [BlackTeam "India"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C84"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed, Martinez Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/u9vHrp1t/yXzwLde8"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 { The trendy approach to these positions, eschewing decades of theory with 6. Re1. } 6... b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Bb7 (9... Na5 { is the more popular way to play. } 10. Bc2 c5 11. Re1 (11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 Nc4 13. a4 Nb6 14. b3 Bd7 15. Be3 bxa4 16. bxa4 Nc4 17. Bc1 Rfb8 18. Qe2 Na5 19. Nbd2 Be8 20. Ra2 Nd7 21. Re1 Nb6 { led to a win after 22. Nf1 in Firouzja – Alekseenko, Chess.com, 2023, but a more precise continuation was } 22. c4 $146) 11... Re8 12. d4 Nd7 13. d5 Bf8 14. Nbd2 g6 15. Nf1 Bg7 16. g4 c4 17. Ng3 Nb7 18. Be3 Ndc5 19. b4 cxb3 20. axb3 Bd7 21. b4 { with a strong position that White converted in 47 moves in Alekseev – Kovalev, Tallinn, 2018. }) 10. Nbd2 (10. Re1 Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng5 d5 14. exd5 Bxd5 15. Ne3 Bxb3 16. Qxb3 Rf8 17. Nf5 Bd6 18. d4 h6 19. Nf3 { when White went on to win convincingly in Saric – Carlsen, Chess.com, 2023. }) 10... Na5 11. Bc2 c5 12. Re1 Re8 13. Nf1 h6 14. Ng3 Bf8 15. d4 cxd4 16. cxd4 exd4 17. Nxd4 { We are still in known territory, and we haven't even left Magnus's repertoire yet! } 17... Qc7 (17... Rc8 { was unsuccessful for Carlsen earlier this year, although he was better out of the opening: } 18. b3 Nc6 19. Bb2 Nxd4 20. Bxd4 g6 21. b4 Bg7 22. Bb3 Nxe4 23. Nxe4 Rxe4 24. Rxe4 Bxe4 25. Qd2 Qg5 26. Qxg5 hxg5 27. Rd1 $17 { before White came back to win in Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen, Chess.com, 2023. }) (17... g6 18. Bf4 Rc8 19. b3 Nc6 20. Nxc6 Bxc6 21. Qd2 d5 22. e5 Ne4 23. Bxe4 dxe4 24. Qxd8 Rcxd8 25. Rac1 Ba8 26. Nxe4 Bxe4 27. Rxe4 g5 { was equal, but White went on to win in only ten more moves in Predke –Eliseev, Moscow, 2016. }) 18. Bd2 $146 (18. Bf4 { was tried two years ago, but went nowhere after } 18... Nc4 19. Ndf5 Nxb2 20. Qc1 Nc4 21. Bxh6 gxh6 22. Nxh6+ Bxh6 23. Qxh6 Re6 24. Nf5 Ne8 25. Qg5+ Kf8 { when White was fighting to hold on for a draw in Robson – Burke, St. Louis, 2021. }) 18... Nc4 19. Bc3 b4!? (19... d5! { would pose some serious problems for White. The threat of ... b5-b4 now highlights White's dark-squared bishop's total lack of squares, while the expansion in the center should favor Black. } 20. Ndf5 (20. exd5?! Rxe1+ 21. Qxe1 (21. Bxe1 Nxb2 22. Qf3 Bxd5 $17) 21... Re8 22. Qf1 b4! 23. Be1 Bxd5 $17) (20. Ngf5? b4 $19) 20... Qc6 { Now, Black must be careful to not play } (20... b4?? 21. Nxh6+ Kh7 22. Bxf6 { and White is winning, e.g.: } 22... gxf6 23. exd5+ $18) 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Nh5 Qd8 { when White still has problems with the loose b- and e-pawns, but should gain enough counterplay with: } 23. e5! Rxe5 24. Rxe5 Nxe5 25. Qd4 $13) 20. Bxb4 Nxb2 21. Qf3 Nc4 22. Rac1 a5 { Compared to 19. ...d5!, White's bishops should be happy with their increased breathing room (not to mention the c-rook). } 23. Bb3?! { Instead, after the simple } (23. Bc3! { , White retains an advantage. The problem with the bishop earlier was that it was tied down to the b2-pawn, and under threat of ...b5-b4. With both of those factors removed from the equation, the bishop is well-placed here. } 23... Ne5 24. Qe3 Nc4 (24... Qd7 25. f4 $16 { With the knight not outposted on e5, the dark-squared bishop retains reach towards Black's kingside. So, why part with such a promising bishop pair. The light-squared bishop might relocate to b3, but might stay put after e4-e5, too. }) 25. Qf4 { is good for White, so there is no threat of repetition. }) 23... axb4 24. Bxc4 Rac8 25. Qb3 Nxe4 26. Nxe4 Bxe4 27. Be6!? { This is worse than taking on f7, but White must play for a win, which means taking on greater risk to keep things complicated. } (27. Bxf7+ Qxf7 28. Qxf7+ Kxf7 29. Rxc8 Rxc8 30. Rxe4 d5 31. Re2 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Rc4 33. Nf3 { is also about equal. }) 27... Qxc1! 28. Bxf7+ Kh7? { Black has calculated his way to equality, but apparently he could be fighting for a win here after } (28... Kh8! { Apparently, king placement makes a difference. } 29. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 30. Kh2 d5 31. Qg3 (31. Bxe8?? Bd6+ { still wins. }) 31... Rc3 32. f3 Rd8 33. Qg4 (33. Nb5 { Also here, the king's placement on h8 is crucial to Black's win. } 33... Bd3! 34. Nxc3 bxc3 35. f4 c2 { With the king on h7, White can take the d3-bishop with check, which is why Black was not able to sac the Exchange on c3 in the game. }) 33... Bd6+ 34. g3 Be5 35. fxe4 Bxd4 36. exd5 Be5! $19) 29. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 30. Kh2 d5! { Black finds a very important resource. } 31. Qg3 (31. Bxe8? Bd6+) (31. Bxd5? Bd6+) 31... Rc3 32. f3 Rd8 33. Nb5?! (33. Qg4! Bd6+ 34. g3 Be5 35. fxe4 Bxd4 36. exd5 { holds equality. But note that, if the king were on h8, Black could play . ..Bd4-e5 without fear of 37. Qf5+, and thus Black would be winning! }) 33... Bf5 (33... Bd3 { does not work here due to } 34. Nxc3 bxc3 35. f4! { when } 35... c2 36. Qxd3+ $18 { once again, Black would be winning with the king on h8! }) 34. Qe1?? (34. Qh4! { was the only move. } 34... g5 35. Qe1 d4 36. Qe5 Rc5 37. Qf6! Rd7 38. Bb3 Bg7 (38... d3?? 39. Qxf8 $18)) 34... Rcc8?! (34... d4! 35. Nxc3 (35. Qe5 Rc5 { and the queen has no more annoying moves, as the f6-square is still defended. }) 35... bxc3) 35. Be6 Bxe6 36. Qxe6 Kh8 37. f4! Bc5 38. f5 d4 39. f6 d3 40. fxg7+ Kxg7 41. Qe5+ Kg8 42. Qe6+ Kg7 43. Qe5+ Kg8 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2