[Event "45th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024"] [Site "Budapest"] [Date "2024.09.14"] [Round "04"] [White "Ivanchuk, Vasyl"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2635"] [BlackElo "2752"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E32"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/y8ExkpJx/U3TZhGWx"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:58] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:46] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:31:24] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:11] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:52] } 3... Bb4 { [%clk 1:31:36] } 4. Qc2 { [%clk 1:32:14] } 4... O-O { [%clk 1:32:00] } 5. a3 { [%clk 1:32:35] } 5... Bxc3+ { [%clk 1:32:26] } 6. Qxc3 { [%clk 1:33:03] } 6... d5 { [%clk 1:32:44] } 7. Nf3 { [%clk 1:33:28] } 7... dxc4 { [%clk 1:32:47] } 8. Qxc4 { [%clk 1:33:53] } 8... b6 { [%clk 1:33:13] } 9. Bg5 { [%clk 1:34:18] } 9... Ba6 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 10. Qa4 { [%clk 1:31:51] } 10... Qd7 { [%clk 1:16:03] } 11. Qc2 { [%clk 1:32:05] } 11... c5 { [%clk 1:16:28] } 12. dxc5 { [%clk 1:26:09] } 12... Rc8 { [%clk 1:16:44] } 13. Rd1 { [%clk 1:22:44] } (13. Bxf6 { was played by So, among many others. } 13... gxf6 14. Rd1 Qe7 15. Qe4 Qxc5 16. e3 Bxf1 17. Kxf1 Nc6 18. g3 Ne5 19. Kg2 Qc6 20. Qxc6 Rxc6 21. Nxe5 fxe5 22. Rd2 { with an equal position and an eventual draw in So – Nakamura, Bilbao, 2016. }) 13... Qe7 { [%clk 1:12:07] } 14. Qa4!? { [%clk 1:02:08] } (14. e4 { has been seen in the vast majority of games, including once by So last year: } 14... Bxf1 15. Kxf1 h6 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. e5 Qe7 18. Qe4 Nc6 19. cxb6 axb6 20. g3 b5 21. Nd4 Nxd4 22. Rxd4 Ra4 23. Rxa4 bxa4 { with an eventual draw in So – Caruana, St. Louis, 2023. }) 14... bxc5 $146 { [%clk 1:05:45] } (14... Qxc5 { was tried in the one previous game in the database: } 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. e3 Bxf1 17. Rxf1 Nc6 18. Ke2 Na5 19. Rc1 Qf5 20. g4 Qd5 21. Nd4 Qe4 22. h3 Rc5?? (22... Qd5 $14) 23. b4 Rc4 (23... Rxc1 24. Rxc1 Nb7 25. Qd7 $18) 24. Qd7 e5 25. f3 Rxd4 26. Qc8+! Rd8 27. Qxd8+ Rxd8 28. fxe4 Nb3 29. Rc2 a5 30. Rxf6 { and Black resigned in Torres Rosas – Ruiz, Charlotte, 2021. }) 15. h4 { [%clk 0:44:36] } 15... c4 { The alternative was: } { [%clk 0:59:41] } (15... h6 { when } 16. Rh3 { was still playable! Likely the game just transposes after } (16. g4!? { was also very interesting. } 16... Bb7! (16... hxg5?! 17. hxg5 Nh7 18. Qf4 $14 { is White's path to an advantage. } (18. Qe4 Nf8 { is equal, as } 19. Qxa8?? Nc6 $19 { is a thematic trap in these variations. })) 17. Bg2 $13) 16... c4 { . } (16... hxg5?? 17. hxg5 { and now the threat of Qa4-h4 necessitates } 17... c4 { when White is better after } 18. gxf6 Qxf6 19. g4 $16)) 16. Rh3!? { A logical idea considering Black's bishop's placement on the f1-a6 diagonal. But } { [%clk 0:38:07] } (16. e3 { was also logical! } 16... h6 (16... Qb7 { is more solid: } 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Rd2 Bb5 19. Qd1 Nd7 $10) 17. Be2 hxg5 { leads to chaos: } (17... Bb7 18. Bxc4 Bc6 19. Bb5 $14) 18. hxg5 Ne4 19. Rd4! f5 20. gxf6 Nxf6 21. Rdh4 Qc5 22. g4 $13) 16... h6 { [%clk 0:49:52] } 17. Qc2!? { White's bishop remains invincible on the g5-square, but as Black completes development it's hard to not pity White's king and undeveloped light-squared bishop. } { [%clk 0:27:17] } (17. Bd2 { was best: } 17... Ne4 18. g4 { is consistent expansion. } 18... Nc5 19. Qc2 Nc6 20. g5 h5 21. g6 f6 22. Be3 Nb3 23. Nd4 Ncxd4 24. Bxd4 Rd8 25. e3 $10) (17. Bxf6 { allows Black to equalize. } 17... Qxf6 18. Nd4 Rd8 19. Rf3 Qxh4 20. g3 Qe4 21. Re3 Qb7 22. Rd2 Rc8 23. Qb4 Nc6 $15) 17... Nbd7 { [%clk 0:44:08] } 18. Nd4?! { [%clk 0:27:35] } (18. g4! { was White's best shot. } 18... Bb7 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. g5 Ng4 21. Rg3 h5 22. g6 f5 23. Ng5 Qc5 24. e4! { is the sort of energy that White needs to keep his pieces active. Play could continue, e.g. } 24... Bxe4 25. Nxe4 fxe4 26. Bh3 Rf8 27. Bxg4 hxg4 28. Re3 Rab8 $15 { with lots of chances for compensation from Black's weak pawns. }) 18... Bb7 { [%clk 0:42:33] } 19. Bd2 { [%clk 0:26:15] } 19... a5 { [%clk 0:31:30] } 20. f3 { [%clk 0:26:08] } 20... Qc5 { [%clk 0:23:49] } 21. Be3 { [%clk 0:23:37] } 21... c3 { [%clk 0:23:02] } 22. Qxc3 { [%clk 0:23:36] } 22... Qxc3+!? { [%clk 0:22:04] } (22... Qf8! 23. Qd3 (23. Qb3 Rab8 24. Qa2 a4 25. Kf2 Bd5 26. Qb1 Bc4 27. Rc1 Nd5! 28. Bd2 Qd6 $17) 23... Ba6 24. Qb1 Rab8 $17) 23. bxc3 { [%clk 0:24:05] } 23... Rxc3 { [%clk 0:21:03] } 24. Bc1 { So's choice to trade queens was a bit conservative. Black's position is still for choice, but the queen trade definitely lowers the risk. } { [%clk 0:24:31] } 24... Ba6 { [%clk 0:21:07] } 25. e4 { [%clk 0:13:02] } 25... Bxf1 { [%clk 0:18:54] } 26. Kxf1 { [%clk 0:13:30] } 26... Rac8 { [%clk 0:19:03] } 27. Bb2 { [%clk 0:13:42] } 27... R3c5 { [%clk 0:17:36] } 28. g4 { [%clk 0:09:37] } 28... Nb6 { [%clk 0:14:37] } (28... Rb8!? 29. Rh2 Ne5 30. Ba1 Nc4 { was a bit more testing, going after the a-pawn. } 31. Re2 Nxa3 32. Ra2 Nc4 33. Ke2 Ne5 { Apparently, White has compensation here after } 34. Rc2 Rxc2+ 35. Nxc2 Nc6 36. Rd6 Nb4 { but this is far from obvious. }) 29. Rh2 { [%clk 0:09:21] } 29... Nc4 { [%clk 0:11:21] } 30. Ke1 { [%clk 0:09:34] } 30... Nxb2 { [%clk 0:10:20] } (30... Nd7!? { is a sharp idea, aiming to re-route to the e5-square and create complications. White can play } 31. Nxe6 { when } 31... Nde5 32. Bxe5 Nxe5 33. Nxc5 Nxf3+ 34. Ke2 Nxh2 35. Rd5 Nxg4 36. e5 Re8 37. Nd3 a4 { is probably not enough } 38. Ra5 f6 39. Rxa4 Nxe5 40. Re4 Kf7 { peters out to a draw. }) 31. Rxb2 { [%clk 0:10:01] } 31... Rc3 { So continues to grind the modest advantage, rather than play for something more ambitious. } { [%clk 0:10:44] } 32. a4 { [%clk 0:06:44] } 32... Ra3 { [%clk 0:09:23] } 33. Rb6 { [%clk 0:03:58] } 33... Rd8 { [%clk 0:06:37] } (33... Rcc3!? 34. Rb5 Rxa4 35. g5 Nh5 { when White must play } 36. g6 fxg6 37. Nxe6 { forcing } 37... Rc8 { when White is in time with } 38. Rd7 Ra2 39. Rbb7 $10) 34. Rb5 { [%clk 0:02:49] } 34... g6 { [%clk 0:03:52] } (34... Nxg4!? 35. fxg4 Rxa4 36. Ne2 Rxd1+ 37. Kxd1 Rxe4 38. Rxa5 g6 { is, oddly enough, the engine's choice. I suppose Black is not losing this by any means. But "make sure you can't lose" didn't seem to be Black's goal from the previous position. }) 35. Nb3 { [%clk 0:01:45] } 35... Rc8 { [%clk 0:03:56] } 36. Ke2 { [%clk 0:01:23] } 36... Rc4 { [%clk 0:02:23] } 37. Rd8+ { [%clk 0:00:50] } 37... Kg7 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 38. g5 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 38... Nxe4! { [%clk 0:01:04] } 39. gxh6+ { [%clk 0:00:35] } 39... Kxh6 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 40. fxe4 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 40... Rxe4+ { [%clk 0:01:43] } 41. Kf2 { [%clk 0:25:50] } 41... Rexa4 { [%clk 0:27:42] } 42. Nd4 { [%clk 0:26:06] } 42... Ra2+ { [%clk 0:24:43] } 43. Kg3 { [%clk 0:24:29] } 43... R4a3+? { [%clk 0:19:35] } (43... R2a3+! 44. Nf3 Rb4 $10 (44... Kg7 45. Rd7 Rb4 { was just as good. })) 44. Nf3 { [%clk 0:24:35] } 44... Re2? { With 43. ... R2a3+ instead of 43. ... R4a3+, Black would have had ... Ra4-b4. Without this resource, Black's defensive task is much more difficult. } { [%clk 0:19:53] } (44... Kg7 { was Black's best chance. } 45. Rd7 Kf6! 46. Rbb7 e5 { when now } 47. Rxf7+ Ke6 { at least forces White to find } 48. Rg7! Re2 (48... Kf6? 49. Rbe7 $18) 49. Rxg6+ Kd5 50. Rd7+ Kc4 51. Rg4+ Kc5 52. Rg5 Kc6 { when Black is still fighting! Only } 53. Rh7 { keeps an objective advantage. }) 45. Rb7 { It's over. If Black pushes the f-pawn, Rh8+ is mate. Otherwise, White grabs the f-pawn, inches toward mate, and defends the f3-knight to boot. } { [%clk 0:21:25] } 45... Re5 { [%clk 0:09:44] } 46. Rxf7 { [%clk 0:19:42] } 46... g5 { [%clk 0:10:12] } 47. h5 { [%clk 0:14:40] } 47... Kxh5 { [%clk 0:10:39] } 48. Rf6 { When Black resigned, as 48. ... Rxf3+ was the only move that avoided mate-in-one, but the three disconnected pawns would not compensate for the rook here. } { [%clk 0:15:02] } 1-0