[Event "Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz 2023"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.11.14"] [Round "08"] [White "Robson, Ray"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2596"] [BlackElo "2789"] [TimeControl "600+5"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D87"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Spassky Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/xvsLbn0g/vUnF1SMm"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 0:25:13] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 0:25:19] } 2. c4 { [%clk 0:25:16] } 2... g6 { [%clk 0:25:27] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 0:25:13] } 3... d5 { [%clk 0:25:36] } 4. cxd5 { [%clk 0:25:05] } 4... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:25:33] } 5. e4 { [%clk 0:25:04] } 5... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:25:40] } 6. bxc3 { [%clk 0:25:12] } 6... Bg7 { [%clk 0:25:49] } 7. Bc4 { [%clk 0:24:31] } 7... c5 { [%clk 0:25:57] } 8. Ne2 { [%clk 0:24:24] } 8... O-O { [%clk 0:26:04] } 9. O-O { [%clk 0:24:14] } 9... Nc6 { [%clk 0:26:12] } 10. Be3 { [%clk 0:24:14] } 10... Bg4 { [%clk 0:26:21] } 11. f3 { [%clk 0:24:08] } 11... Bd7 { [%clk 0:26:29] } 12. Rb1 { [%clk 0:21:06] } 12... Rc8 { [%clk 0:26:18] } 13. Qd2 { [%clk 0:20:06] } 13... e6 { [%clk 0:24:12] } 14. h4 { [%clk 0:16:22] } 14... cxd4 { [%clk 0:23:05] } 15. cxd4 { [%clk 0:16:27] } 15... Qa5 { [%clk 0:23:14] } 16. Qb2 { [%clk 0:11:15] } 16... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:22:17] } 17. Rfc1 { [%clk 0:10:00] } 17... Bf6 { [%clk 0:20:19] } 18. Bf2 { [%clk 0:05:45] } 18... b6 { [%clk 0:19:27] } 19. Be1 { Suddenly, Black's queen is close to being trapped. Between a4 and h5, one move loses and the other holds. } { [%clk 0:04:46] } 19... Qh5?? { [%clk 0:19:30] } (19... Qa4! { The only square for the queen. It is less active here, but it doesn't lose a piece. And after } 20. e5 Be7! { Black now controls the a3-square after this counterintuitive retreat! } 21. Bb5) 20. g4 { [%clk 0:04:20] } 20... Qh6 { [%clk 0:18:55] } (20... Nxd4 21. gxh5 Nxf3+ 22. Kf2 Bxb2 23. Rxb2 { also would not save the piece. }) 21. g5 { [%clk 0:04:26] } 21... Bxg5 { [%clk 0:19:03] } 22. hxg5 { [%clk 0:04:35] } 22... Qxg5+ { [%clk 0:19:12] } 23. Bg3 { [%clk 0:03:57] } 23... b5 { Robson has 4 minutes remaining to Nepo's 16. But, a piece is a piece. } { [%clk 0:15:56] } 24. Bb3 { [%clk 0:03:05] } 24... a5 { [%clk 0:12:34] } 25. Kf2 { [%clk 0:02:47] } 25... Be8 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 26. a3 { [%clk 0:01:59] } 26... b4 { [%clk 0:09:58] } 27. a4 { [%clk 0:01:48] } 27... h5 { [%clk 0:09:50] } 28. Rc5 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 28... Qf6 { [%clk 0:09:35] } 29. Rbc1 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 29... h4 { [%clk 0:09:29] } 30. Bf4 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 30... Qh8 { [%clk 0:08:08] } 31. Rh1 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 31... h3 { [%clk 0:07:00] } 32. Qc1 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 32... e5 { [%clk 0:06:40] } 33. dxe5 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 33... Rd3 { [%clk 0:06:49] } 34. Bd5 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 34... Qh5 { [%clk 0:06:44] } 35. Ng1 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 35... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:06:01] } 36. Rxh3 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 36... Rc3 { [%clk 0:03:48] } 37. Rxc8 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 37... Nd3+ { [%clk 0:03:48] } 38. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 38... Nxf4 { [%clk 0:03:32] } 39. Rxe8+ { [%clk 0:00:20] } 39... Kh7 { [%clk 0:03:40] } 40. Qxf4 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:00:27] } 1-0