[Event "Prague International Chess Festival"] [Site "Prague"] [Date "2023.06.23"] [Round "3.5"] [White "Robson, Ray"] [Black "Gelfand, Boris"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2689"] [BlackElo "2668"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/uLSpcB2H/FQtzZbNk"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Bb7 9. Nd6+ { Robson chooses an incredibly rare continuation (played just once at master level out of almost 200 games from this position in the database). } 9... Bxd6 10. exd6 c5 11. c4 Nb4 12. a3 Nc6 13. Be3 Qf6 14. Qd2 Rb8! $146 { Who can know whether this was preparation or intuition from Gelfand, but sacrificing the c-pawn is better than interposing the knight. } (14... Nd4?! { was the "stem game" for this variation. } 15. Bxd4 cxd4 16. O-O-O e5 17. f4 e4 18. Qxd4 Qxf4+ 19. Kb1 O-O 20. Be2 (20. c5! Bc6 21. b4 $16 { is the computer's fearless suggestion. }) 20... f5 21. g3 Qh6 22. h4 a5 23. Rhf1 a4 24. c5 Bc6 25. Rf4 { when White had a promising position. Black nevertheless won in 39 moves in Durarbayli – Abasov, Baku, 2022. }) 15. Bxc5 Qe5+ 16. Be3 Ba6 { This is the idea: by not playing ... Nc6-d4, White is unable to push b2-b4 to deal with the weak b-pawn, and has more coordination problems. That said, the position is still favorable. A pawn is a pawn. } 17. Rb1 (17. O-O-O { is the computer's suggestion, but it's always easier to move somebody else's king onto a half-open file... }) 17... Rb3 18. Bd3 O-O!? (18... f5! { was the most promsiing try. Black's king is about as safe as a Sicilian king can be in the center, and now White ought to play } 19. f4 (19. Bc2? { fails now, as there is no good discovery after Black plays the simple } 19... Rxb2 20. Rxb2 Qxb2 $15 { regaining the pawn and keeping an initiative due to White's weak queenside pawns. }) 19... Qa5 { when White's pieces will be a bit jumbled: } 20. Ke2 Kf7 21. Rhc1 Rhb8 22. Qxa5 Nxa5 23. Bd4 $14 { when Black has at least some compensation due to the activity of all of his pieces against multiple flimsy White pawns. }) 19. Bc2! Rfb8 (19... Rbb8 { would be capitulation. } 20. b3 { allows White to consolidate. Now Black's pieces make no sense, and White is up a solid pawn with the bishop pair and all the attacking chances. }) (19... Rxb2?? 20. Rxb2 Qxb2 21. Bxh7+ $18) 20. Bxb3 Rxb3 21. Rc1 { White must preserve the c-pawn as to keep the light-squared bishop at bay. } 21... Rxb2 22. Qc3 Qxc3+ 23. Rxc3 f6 24. O-O { With no fully open files, Black can make at least some argument that the Exchange is not going to be felt so severely. Additionally, the weakened c- and a- pawns provide Black with hope for activity. Still, this is objectively better for White. } 24... Kf7 25. h3 h5 26. f4 Kg6 27. Rf2 Rb1+ 28. Kh2 h4 29. Bc1 Kf5 30. Rb2 Rxb2 31. Bxb2 Kxf4 { A wise practical decision from Robson: the "rook pair" is often redundant, especially on a closed board, so it's worth the f-pawn to swap off a pair of castles. Now, White's remaining rook is the best piece on the board, and likely will make its presence felt. } 32. g3+ Kf5 33. gxh4 Kg6 34. Bc1 e5 35. c5 { Finally, the c- and d-pawns connect. Without a rook, Black only has one piece that can attack the base on c5, while White has several pieces to defend it. Structurally, White's position has improved drastically. } 35... Be2 36. Rb3 Kf7 37. Rb7 Ke6 38. Rc7 Bh5 39. Rc8 Kd5 (39... Bf7 { stops Rc8-g8, but after } 40. Rh8 f5 41. h5 Kf6 42. h6 $18 { , White's rook mobilizes and the h3-pawn is now a dangerous passer. }) 40. Rg8 g6 41. Rg7 Kxc5 42. Rxd7 Kd5 43. Be3 Ke6 44. Rb7 Kxd6 45. Bxa7 { Excellent play from Robson has led to him simplifying into a position that should be much easier to win. } 45... f5 46. a4 f4 47. Bb6 Ke6 48. a5 Be2 49. Bc7 Kd5 50. Rb6 Kc5 51. a6 Bd3 52. Kg1 e4 53. a7 { It's never about the outside passer, in the end, is it? Well, at least, it's not about the first of White's three (!!) rook-pawns, in this case. The knight will be too far out of play to stop White from picking up one of Black's pawns, and the rest is a "matter of technique." } 53... Nxa7 54. Rxg6 e3 55. Rg5+ Kc4 56. Bxf4 e2 57. Kf2 Nc6 58. h5 Nd4 59. Bd2 Be4 60. Ke3 { A fine technical game against one of the all-time technical greats. } 1-0