[Event "Sharjah Masters 2024"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.05.21"] [Round "08"] [White "Sevian, Samuel"] [Black "Safarli, Eltaj"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2698"] [BlackElo "2594"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C42"] [Opening "Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack"] [StudyName "Sharjah Masters 2024"] [ChapterName "Sevian, Samuel - Safarli, Eltaj"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/vSAhwKYu/DJoOGPTw"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 1... e5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 3. Nxe5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 3... d6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 4. Nf3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 4... Nxe4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 5. Nc3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 5... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 6. dxc3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 6... Be7 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 7. Be3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 7... O-O { [%clk 0:00:00] } 8. Qd2 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 8... Nd7 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 9. O-O-O { [%clk 0:00:00] } 9... Nf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 10. h4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 10... c6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 11. Bd3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 11... d5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 12. Kb1 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 12... Re8 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 13. Ng5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 13... h6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 14. f3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 14... c5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 15. g4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 15... c4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 16. Bf1 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 16... b5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 17. Nh3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 17... b4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 18. g5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 18... Nh5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 19. gxh6 { Aronian's 2018 game with Anand continued instead with } { [%clk 0:00:00] } (19. Nf4 Ng3?! (19... Nxf4! 20. Bxf4 Qb6 21. Be3 Qa5 (21... Bxg5 22. hxg5 Qxe3 23. Qxe3 Rxe3 24. gxh6 Be6 25. hxg7 Kxg7 26. cxb4 Rb8 27. c3 a5 28. a3 Kf6 $10) 22. Qxd5 Qxd5 23. Rxd5 Be6 24. Bxc4! bxc3 (24... Bxd5? 25. Bxd5 Rad8 26. Bc6 Rf8 27. cxb4 Bxb4 28. Bxa7 $18) 25. b3 $10) 20. Rg1 hxg5 21. hxg5 Nxf1 22. Rdxf1 Bf5 23. Qh2 (23. Nh5 $16) 23... Bxg5 24. Bd4 b3 25. Nh5 bxc2+ 26. Ka1 Bg6?? (26... Re6! 27. Nxg7 Ra6! 28. Bc5! $10) 27. Nxg7 Be3 28. Rh1 { and Black resigned in Aronian – Anand, Saint Louis, 2018 (blitz). }) 19... Bf5?! { [%clk 0:00:00] } (19... bxc3 { is better, and was seen in 2020: } 20. Qxc3 Bf6 21. Bd4 Bxd4 22. Qxd4 Qf6 23. Qxf6 gxf6 24. b3 Kh7 25. Nf2 Be6 26. Rd4 Rab8 27. Rg1 a5 28. Kc1 Rec8 29. Kd2 a4 30. bxc4 dxc4 31. Ne4 Rd8 32. Nd6 Rb2 33. a3 Ra2 34. f4 { with a draw agreed in Rangel Garcia – Gagliardi, Virgilio, 2020. }) 20. Ng5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } (20. cxb4 { is the way to play for an advantage. } 20... Bf6 21. Ng5 Bg6 22. f4 gxh6 23. f5! Bxf5 24. Nf3 { as to meet } 24... Be4 { with } 25. Rg1+ Kh7 26. Bh3 $16) 20... gxh6? { [%clk 0:00:00] } (20... bxc3! 21. Qxc3 Bf6 22. Bd4 Rb8 23. Rg1 Qb6!? $15 { and Black is the one with a lasting attack. }) 21. Ne4! { There is no longer time for Black to capture on c3, play ... Be7-f6, or attack White's queenside in any meaningful way. } { [%clk 0:00:00] } 21... Bg6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } (21... dxe4?? 22. Qg2+ { picks up Black's queen. }) 22. Qxd5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 22... Qxd5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 23. Rxd5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 23... Nf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 24. Bxc4 { Not forced, but very practical. With two pawns for the Exchange, White is better after Black captures the rook. } { [%clk 0:00:00] } 24... bxc3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } (24... Nxd5 25. Bxd5 Rad8 26. Bc6 { might be stronger than 26. c4, which is also good. } 26... f5 (26... Rf8 27. Bxh6 { is the point. }) 27. Bxe8 Rxe8 28. h5! (28. Nd2 Bxh4 { is what White wants to avoid. }) 28... Bh7 29. Nd2 bxc3 30. bxc3 Bf6 31. Bd4 $16) 25. Nxf6+ { [%clk 0:00:00] } 25... Bxf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 26. Bxh6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 26... Rac8 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 27. Bb3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 27... Re5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 28. Rd6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 28... Rf5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } (28... Be7?? { or any other bishop move, is met by } 29. Rxg6+) 29. h5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 29... Bxh5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 30. Rxf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 30... Rxf6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 31. Rxh5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 31... Rxf3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 32. bxc3 { White has a winning material advantage, and converts promptly. } { [%clk 0:00:00] } 32... Rcxc3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 33. Kb2 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 33... Rh3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 34. Rg5+ { [%clk 0:00:00] } 34... Kh7 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 35. Bf8 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 35... Rcg3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 36. Ra5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 36... Kg6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 37. Bd6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 37... Rf3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 38. Rxa7 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 38... f5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 39. a4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 39... f4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 40. a5 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 40... Rf1 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 41. Bc4 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 41... Rf2 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 42. a6 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 42... f3 { [%clk 0:00:00] } 43. Rb7 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:00:00] } 1-0