[Event "Djerba Masters"]
[Site "Djerba"]
[Date "2024.02.24"]
[White "Niemann, Hans Moke"]
[Black "Maurizzi, Marc`Andria"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2675"]
[BlackElo "2597"]
[Annotator "Lang, JJ"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "B10"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense"]
[Source "https://lichess.org/study/x8kOwuem/5DbE4qj8"]
[Orientation "white"]
1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Nf6 6. Nfd2 g5 7. a4 h5 8. Nc3 h4 9. h3 Nh5 10. Nf3 f6 11. e5 Nd7 12. a5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 fxe5 14. Bxg5 Bf5 15. Ra4 O-O-O+ 16. Kc1 Nf4 17. Bxf4 exf4 18. Be2 e6 19. Ne4 Rd5 20. Bf3 Be7 21. Nd2 Rd7 22. Re1 Rg8 23. Nb3 a6 24. Kb1 Rf8 25. Re2 Kc7 26. Rc4 Bd6 27. Nd4 Kb8?! (27... Rf6 { Defending the pawn looks awkward, but is fine. } 28. Nxc6?! { does not work here: } 28... bxc6 29. Rxc6+ Kd8 30. Rxa6 $17 { nets three pawns for the
piece, but they're not far advanced, and a bishop pair is not to be
underestimated. }) (27... Re7?? 28. Nxc6 bxc6 29. Rxc6+ { is what Black wanted
to avoid with his prophylactic king move. } 29... Kd7 30. Rd2 $18) 28. Nxe6 Rf6?! (28... Rff7! 29. Nd4 Rde7 { is a more stubborn defense. The bishop pair is
more obvious compensation for the pawn without rooks on the board. }) 29. Nd4 Bg6? { Clearly, if White sacrifices on c6 now, Black's pieces will be in
disarray. That said, "vibes" are not always enough to justify a knight sac,
even for a more intuitive tactician like Niemann. But the cold, impartial
engine is able to see the slow, yet inevitable, idea through to its conclusion: } 30. Bg4? (30. Nxc6+!! bxc6 31. Rxc6 Rc7 (31... Ka7 32. Rd2! Be8 (32... Bf5 33. Rb6! Re6 (33... Be5 34. Rxd7+ Bxd7 35. Rb7+ { is the point. }) 34. Rd4 Re1+ 35. Ka2 Re6 36. c4! { and Black is powerless to stop c4-c5. }) 33. Rd4 Be5 34. Rc8! { is one of the hidden ideas. }) 32. Rxa6 { when White now threatens
mate, not to mention the pressure remaining on the dark-squared bishop. } 32... Ra7 33. Rb6+ Kc7 34. b4 { With the point that the pawns are much faster here than
in previous lines. }) 30... Rd8 31. Nf3 Bc7 32. Ra4!? (32. b4 Bf7 33. Rd4 Rfd6 34. Rxd6 Bxd6 35. c3 c5 { is the type of liquidation White attempted to eschew
with his 32. Ra4?!, and indeed } 36. bxc5 Bxc5 37. Nxh4 Bc4! { nabs a pawn at
the cost of losing any meaningful chance of mobilizing his queenside. Black's
bishop pair, in contrast, is quite powerful here. }) 32... Bf7 (32... Rd1+ 33. Ka2 Rc1 { was more testing: } 34. Kb3 c5 $13) 33. b3 Rd5 (33... Bd5 { keeps
White's pieces tied up. }) 34. Nxh4 Rxa5 35. Rxa5 Bxa5 36. Nf3 Bc3 37. h4 Rd6 38. Kc1 Rd5?! (38... Bd5 { Again, aiming to trade down into an
opposite-colored bishops endgame is Black's most chance at achieving an
objectively drawn position. But, with more pieces on the board and Black vying
for an outside passer to rival White's, it is still a "three results" game
despite White's advantage. }) 39. Re4 Ra5 40. Kd1 Ra1+? (40... Rd5+ $16 41. Ke2 (41. Kc1 Ra5 { is a draw offer. }) 41... Bg6 42. Rc4 Bg7 43. h5 Bh7 44. Ne1 Re5+ 45. Kd1 Re4 { and White is still pushing, the trade of rooks should help
Black's minor pieces shine. } 46. Rxe4 Bxe4 47. Nd3! $16) 41. Ke2 $18 Ra2 42. Rxf4 Bxb3 (42... Rxc2+ { amounts to the same position: } 43. Kd3 Bxb3 { is
refuted by } 44. Be6! { although Black still has some tricks, such as } 44... Ba1 45. Bxb3 Rc3+ 46. Kd2 Rxb3 { but the point is Black lost too much time in regaining
the piece, and will likely have to sac the bishop for only one pawn. } 47. h5 $18) 43. Kd3 Rxc2 44. Be6! Ba1 { As above, this is Black's best chance. } 45. Bxb3 Rc3+ 46. Kd2 Rxb3 47. h5 Rb2+ 48. Ke3 Rb3+ 49. Ke2 Rb2+ 50. Nd2 Ra2 51. Kd1!? { This preserves the win, but is imprecise. Instead: } (51. h6! { is fine, as allowing } 51... Bc3 { is easily met either by } 52. Kd3 { breaking the pin
with tempo on Black's bishop, as } (52. Rf8+ { is also winning. } 52... Ka7 53. Rd8 $18) 52... Bxd2 53. Rf8+ Ka7 54. h7 $18) 51... a5 52. h6 a4 53. g4! (53. h7 { is less efficient, since the goal is to keep an advanced passed pawn after
Black sacrifices his bishop. } 53... a3 54. Rf8+ Ka7 55. h8=Q Bxh8 56. Rxh8 Ra1+ 57. Kc2 b5 { is still drawn. }) 53... a3 (53... Be5 54. Rf5! { is a great point,
dominating Black's bishop and running it out of squares on the longest
diagonal! } 54... Bd4 (54... Bc3 55. Nb1) 55. g5 Ra1+ 56. Ke2 Rh1 57. Rf4! Bb2) 54. g5 Bc3 (54... Be5 55. Re4! (55. Rf5?? { loses now that Black's pawn is more
of a menace: } 55... Rxd2+ 56. Kxd2 a2 $19) 55... Bc3 56. Nb1 $18) 55. Ne4?! (55. Nb1) 55... Be5 56. g6?? (56. Rf5 $18) (56. Rf8+ Ka7 (56... Kc7 57. Ra8 { makes
White's defensive task easier, hence the engine's preference for retreating to
the a-file after every back rank check. }) 57. Rf5! { With the idea of luring
Black's rook off the a-file and catching the a-pawn with check at the right
moment. }) 56... Ra1+! { There is no time to capture the rook! } (56... Bxf4?? 57. g7 Ra1+ 58. Ke2 a2 59. g8=Q+ $18) 57. Ke2?? { But without Kc2-b3 as a
defense, White is now lost! } (57. Kc2 a2 58. Rf8+ Ka7 { and now White must
find } 59. Kb3! { in order to not lose, giving Black time to scoop the loose
pawns with } 59... Rg1 60. Kxa2 Rxg6) 57... a2 58. g7 Rg1 59. Ng3 (59. Rf8+ $19 Ka7 { makes no difference. } 60. g8=Q Rxg8 61. Rxg8 a1=Q $19) 59... a1=Q 60. g8=Q+ Ka7 { Both sides have queened, but White is out of checks and his own
king is caught in a mating net. What an unfortunate, but fascinating, turn of
events! } 61. Qc4 Qd1+ 62. Ke3 Re1+ 63. Ne2 Rxe2+ { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1