[Event "Djerba Masters"] [Site "Djerba"] [Date "2024.02.22"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Divya Deshmukh"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2675"] [BlackElo "2427"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B30"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/x8kOwuem/A24RFdtl"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. O-O Bd7 5. Re1 a6 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Rc8 9. c4 g6 10. Nc3 Bg7 11. Be3 Nf6 12. f3 O-O 13. Qd2 Re8 14. b3 Qa5 15. Rab1 e6 16. Red1 Kh8?! 17. Kh1 Red8 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. b4 Qc7 20. Bf4 Nh5 21. Bg5!? { Hans elects to keep a moderate advantage rather than complicate the game by chasing a potentially favorable material imbalance: } (21. Bxd6! Rxd6 (21... Bxc3?? { would be the right idea, except } 22. Qxc3+ $18 { comes with check. }) 22. Qxd6! Qxd6 23. Rxd6 Bxc3 { netted two pieces for the rook and pawn, but after } 24. Rd3 Be5 25. Rbd1 { , the promise of trading off the redundant rook — mixed with the relative lack of coordination between Black's minor pieces and the promise of creating a queenside passer — give White serious winning chances. Black absolutely must keep rooks on, even at the expense of passivity, with: } 25... Bc7 { when } 26. Ra3 Rb8 27. Rxa6 Rxb4 { is a key position. Perhaps White did not like how Black's rook is only temporarily sidelined after } 28. Rxc6?! { but } (28. Ra7! { was the finesse move, creating weaknesses on the kingside as well and promising serious winning chances. }) 28... Rb7 { , when the bishop will move and the isolated pawns might have trouble advancing against three pieces. }) 21... f6!? (21... Bf6! { was better than creating weaknesses. With a more closed center and a king closer to the action, such weakening moves can be played in a Sicilian. But here, White has significant prospects now. } 22. f4 (22. Bxf6+ Nxf6 23. a3) 22... Bxg5 23. fxg5 e5! { is a nice move, where even White's pressure on the f-file is offset by } 24. Rf1 Nf4 { a strong black knight, the grip on the d4-square promising ... Nf4-e6-d4, and the fact that Black can grip the dark squares without even conceding the pivotal d5-square to White's knight or queen. }) 22. Be3 { White's bishop has created a weakness, and now remains on the board as to disoucrage ... e6-e5 ideas, as ... Nh5-f4 is no longer a threat. } 22... f5 23. Rdc1 d5 { Such dynamic play is necessary and absolutely correct from Black. If she does nothing, her pieces are too passive to survive having less space and more targets. } 24. cxd5 fxe4?! (24... exd5 { was more prudent, as was even recapturing with the c-pawn, which transposes anyways after } 25. exd5 cxd5 26. Nxd5 Qb7 { when Black has solved all of her problems both in terms of space and weak pawns, and it only cost her one pawn. If White can reach an endgame, the threat of creating an outside passer gives winning chances, but until then, Black is in the game. Of course, White can already start making advantageous trades with } 27. Rxc8 Qxc8! (27... Rxc8? 28. Nb6 Re8 29. Bc5 { , with the threat of Qd2-d7, makes White's job even easier. }) 28. Rb3 $16 { , with more pieces coming off the board shortly, since Black's knight is running out of safe squares. Perhaps this is why Black did not like her chances here, and chose a more practical, albeit risky, move. }) 25. Nxe4! (25. fxe4?! exd5 26. exd5 cxd5 27. Nxd5 { would allow Black to transpose to the above variation. }) 25... exd5 (25... Rxd5 26. Qe2 $16 { and Black has absolutely not solved either her weak-pawn problem or her coordination problem for her heavy pieces. }) 26. Nc5! { Black is still saddled with multiple weak pawns. The threat is stronger than the execution, so Hans was right to continue probing Black's weaknesses rather than "cashing in" for a measley pawn. } 26... d4 27. Bg5 Rd5 28. Re1 Be5 29. Nxa6 Qd6 30. g4 { A nifty resource in reserve. Active defense! } 30... Bf4 (30... Nf4?? 31. Rxe5 $18 { was the point. }) 31. Bxf4 Nxf4 32. Nc5 Rf8 33. a4 h5 { White is much better, but Black has played admirably. She has not traded too many pieces, has improved her knight, and is beginning to open up lines against White's king. All of this is necessary to slow down White's a-pawn. } 34. Ne4 Qd7 35. Rg1 Re5 36. Rbd1? (36. gxh5! { is the type of move absolutely nobody wants to play, no matter how many times engines show us that it is often the proper way to diffuse counterplay. } 36... Rxh5 37. Rg4! { is a great resource, using the newfound control of the g4-square to interfere with Black's queen's activity while attacking the knight. Now, either the g- or d- pawn falls unless Black plays the ugly } 37... Rhf5 38. Rbg1 $18 { when Black's attack has vanished! }) 36... Qd5! { Suddenly, Black is alive. Now, the threat of capturing on g4 is real, with or without a knight on e4, and White's pieces are huddled in defensive mode while all of Black's have centralized. Remarkably energetic play from the young IM! } 37. Rde1 { Of course, defense is still not easy. The engine's top choices are two highly improbable pawn pushes on the kingside, defying the logic of "don't push pawns on the side of the board where you're under pressure," but I suppose the engine is challenging the notion that Black is truly under pressure here if the g-file remains closed! } 37... Kg7 (37... g5! 38. gxh5 Nh3 { and Black has tricks with } 39. Rg3 Rxf3! 40. Rxf3 Rxe4 41. Rxe4 Qxe4 42. Qg2 Nf4! { and White must "bail out" to a queen-and-pawn endgame with no home of avoiding perpetual checks: } 43. Rxf4 Qxf4) (37... h4! { is less tactical and the more human of the two options. White can try to improve with } 38. a5 { but now that the g-file is actually closed, Black is in time for } 38... Kg7 39. a6 { and the a-pawn is not making progress, since it is not easy to get a white rook behind it without conceding the e4-square. For instance: } 39... h3 40. a7 g5! 41. Rgf1 (41. Ra1?? Rxe4! $19) 41... Ng2 42. Ra1 Ne3 { creates a wonderful mess that the engine insists gives Black enough counterplay to hold. This is not easy to evaluate, but it is clear that Black's pawn was useful on h3, and that White's rook needed to be shut out. }) 38. gxh5! Nxh5 39. Ng5?! (39. Qf2 $16) 39... Rxe1?! (39... Rff5 { looks like it stops White in his tracks! }) 40. Rxe1 Nf4 41. h4 { Black's defensive task is still not easy. She must mix active counterplay against White's exposed king with prophylaxis against his active pieces. } 41... Rf5?? { This move misses White's threat: } (41... Kg8 $16) 42. Re4! { The knight and d-pawn are both hanging. } 42... Qd6? { was played, and Black resigned before White could even capture on f4. } (42... d3 { was Black's last trick: } 43. b5 (43. Rxf4? Rxf4 44. Qxf4 d2 { keeps drawing chances alive. }) 43... c5 44. b6 $18) (42... Nh5 43. Rxd4) 1-0