[Event "Sinquefield Cup"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/uMvPaU6p/8w8VqsuU"] [Date "2022.09.03"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2688"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2757"] [BlackTeam "Azerbaijan"] [Annotator "Watson,John"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A28"] [Opening "English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/uMvPaU6p/8w8VqsuU"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bc5 { This leads to a tactical game, whereas } (4... Bb4 { is the traditional positional move. }) 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. d4 Bb4 7. dxe5 Nxe4 8. Qf3 { This has taken over in practice. In the old days } (8. Qd4 { was more common, but it is now considered harmless. }) 8... Nxc3 (8... f5!? { in a couple of games this year. It would have been interesting to see Niemann's response to that idea. }) 9. bxc3 Ba5 { The most common move, keeping pressure on c3. } (9... Bc5 { , }) (9... Be7 { , and even }) (9... Bf8 { have been played as well. }) 10. Bf4 { This has taken over as White's main choice, although the calm } (10. Be2 { has scored decently. }) 10... O-O 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb2 Rb8 13. Qe3 b6? { A novelty, but not a very good one. White is about to gain attacking chances by Bd3, so Black should counterattack with } (13... b5! { , which has been played in quite a few games over the past few years. Then critical is } 14. c5 (14. cxb5 a6!) 14... b4 15. c4 b3! 16. a3! (16. axb3 Bb4!) 16... Bb7 17. Qd4 Qe6 $14 (17... Bc6 18. h4 f6 19. exf6 Qxf6 20. Qxf6 Rxf6 21. Be3 $14 Rbf8 22. Rh2!? (22. h5) 22... Rxf2+!? (22... h5) 23. Bxf2 Rxf2+ 24. Kxb3 Bd2 25. Bd3 Bf4 26. Rhh1 $14 { Esipenko,A (2682)-Sarana,A (2654) Lichess.org 2020 }) (17... f6!?) 18. Qxd7?? (18. Bd3 $14 f6!?) 18... Bxg2! 19. Bxg2 (19. Qxe6 fxe6 20. Bxg2 Rxf4 $19) 19... Qxc4 20. Qd3 Qxf4 $19) 14. Bd3 Qe6 (14... Bb7 { tempts the response } 15. Bg5?! (15. Bc2! $16) 15... f6! (15... Qe6 16. Qg3! { with a killing attack }) 16. exf6 (16. Qh3 h6 17. Qf5 fxg5 18. Qh7+ Kf7 19. Qg6+) 16... Bxc3+! 17. Kxc3 Qa3+ 18. Kd2 Qb4+! 19. Kc2 Qa4+ 20. Kb2 Qb4+) 15. Qg3!? { Niemann spent 25 minutes here. The queen move is natural-looking, but it's better to attack with } (15. h4) (15. Qe4 g6 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Rhe1 { with White advantage in both cases. }) 15... Re8 (15... b5!? 16. c5 Re8) 16. Rhe1 b5!? (16... g6) 17. c5? { Too slow. } (17. cxb5 Ba6!? 18. a4 c6 19. Qh3! Qxh3 20. gxh3 cxb5 21. e6! dxe6 22. Bxb8 Rxb8 { wins material, although this is still not easy and perhaps holdable for Black. }) 17... b4! 18. c4 b3! 19. axb3 (19. a3 Bxe1 20. Rxe1 d6 $19 { eliminates White's attack. }) 19... Bxe1 20. Rxe1 a5? { The move that turns the game around. } (20... d6! $15) (20... d5) 21. Bd2 (21. Qh4! h6 22. Bd2 $16) 21... Ba6?! (21... Qe7 $16) 22. Qh4 g6 23. Qd4 Rb7 24. Bxa5 (24. Kc2 Reb8 25. Rb1 { was also strong. }) 24... Reb8 25. b4 Rxb4+ { Forced. Otherwise Black is behind materially and positionally. } 26. Bxb4 Rxb4+ 27. Kc3 Rb8 28. Be4 Qe8 29. Bd5?! (29. Rd1 Bb7 30. Bxb7 Rxb7 31. c6! dxc6 32. Qd8 $18) 29... Bb7 30. Rb1 Ba8?? (30... Bxd5! 31. Rxb8 Qxb8 32. cxd5 Qb5 { gets Black back in the game. }) 31. Rxb8 Qxb8 32. Bxa8 Qxa8 33. Qxd7 Qa1+ { Black gets some checks, but no perpetual, so this is hopeless. } 34. Kb4 Qxe5 35. Kb5 h5 36. Kc6 Qxh2 37. Qd8+ Kh7 38. Qf6 Qxg2+ 39. Kxc7 Qe4 40. Qxf7+ Kh6 41. Qd5 Qe7+ 42. Kb6 Qf6+ 43. c6 Qxf2+ 44. Kb7 Qb2+ 45. Qb5 Qg2 46. Kb8 h4 47. c7 Qg3 48. Kb7 Qf3+ 49. Qd5 Qb3+ { 1-0 White wins. } (50. Kc6 Qa4+ 51. Kd6 Qa3+ 52. Qc5 Qg3+ 53. Ke7 { and White queens soon. }) 1-0