[Event "Sinquefield Cup (playoff)"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2022.09.12"] [Round "12.1"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2778"] [WhiteTeam "France"] [BlackElo "2792"] [BlackTeam "FID"] [Annotator "John Watson"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A15"] [Opening "English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/uMvPaU6p/jFCMVU4Y"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,67,19,-18,0,-27,-26,-39,-10,-30,-30,-30,-32,-32,-7,-17,-14,15,15,9,-8, -8,14,25,25,25,25,30,48,48,33,52,45,52,271,271,271,281,273,273,273,278,326,326, 483,491,496,497,517,287,308,250,272,270,280,249,257,242,278,271,299,284,315, 280,327,327,339,332,336,343] } 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 e5 3. Bg2 c6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 d5 6. cxd5 Qxd5 7. e3 (7. Nc2 { was played in Firouzja-Mamedyarov in round 6, a crazy game that started Firouzja's ascent to first place. }) 7... Na6!? { Eyeing d3 by threatening ...Nb4 or ...Nc5. This game might cast 7...Na6 into doubt, although the last word hasn't been spoken. } (7... Qe5 { has a solid reputation. }) 8. d3 (8. Nc3 { is the obvious move. One Blitz game featuring Nepomniachtchi as Black went } 8... Qe5 9. O-O Be7?! (9... Bg4!? { and }) (9... h5!? { are interesting alternatives }) 10. d3 exd3?? 11. Qxd3?? (11. Nxc6! $18 { - it's a Blitz game,of course }) 11... O-O 12. h3 Rd8 13. Qe2 Bc5 14. Nb3 Bb6 { Iturrizaga Bonelli-Nepomniachtchi, Chess.com 2021 }) 8... Bb4+ (8... Bg4? { is a blunder due to } 9. dxe4!) 9. Nc3 Bxc3+ (9... Nc5 10. O-O! Bxc3 11. dxe4 Ncxe4 12. bxc3 O-O (12... c5 13. Nb5 Qe5 14. Bb2 $16) 13. Qc2! c5 14. Nb3 (14. c4! { with the idea } 14... Qe5?! 15. Ne2 Qxa1 16. Bb2) 14... Bf5 { Gelfand -Inarkiev, Nazran 2017 }) 10. bxc3 Nc5 (10... O-O) 11. c4!? (11. dxe4! Ncxe4 12. Qc2 c5 13. c4 { looks to favor White. Rapid development by } 13... Qe5!? (13... Qd8 14. Nc6!? bxc6 15. Bxe4 O-O 16. Bg2 Be6 17. O-O Rb8!?) 14. Nb3 Bf5 15. Bb2 Qe7 { might run into } 16. O-O! { , since } 16... Nxg3 17. e4! Nxf1 18. exf5 Ne3 19. fxe3 Qxe3+ 20. Kh1 O-O-O 21. Rf1 { must favor White's bishops. }) 11... Qe5? (11... Qh5! 12. Qxh5 (12. dxe4 Qxd1+ 13. Kxd1 Nfxe4) 12... Nxd3+ 13. Ke2 Nxh5 14. Bxe4 Nxc1+ 15. Raxc1 Bd7) 12. dxe4 Ncxe4 13. O-O c5 (13... O-O 14. Qc2! Re8 15. Bb2 $16) 14. Nb3 O-O 15. f3 Nd6 16. e4 (16. Qd3) 16... Qe7?? { A terrible mistake. } (16... Nxc4 17. f4 { is no fun, but at least survives for a while: } 17... Qc3 18. e5 Bg4 (18... Ng4 19. Qe1! Qxe1 20. Rxe1 $16) 19. Qe1! Qxe1 20. Rxe1 Nd7 21. h3 Be6 22. g4 Ncb6 23. Na5 $16) 17. e5! Nxc4 (17... Qxe5 18. Bf4 { wins the knight on d6. }) 18. exf6 Qxf6 19. Qd5 Be6 20. Qxc5 h6 21. f4 Rad8 22. f5 b6 23. Qc7 Rc8 24. Qf4 Bd7 25. Qd4 Qxd4+ 26. Nxd4 Rfd8 27. Bf4 Ba4 28. Nf3 Bc2 29. g4 Nb2 30. Ne5 Ba4 31. Rac1 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 f6 33. Ng6 Nd3 34. Rc7 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0