[Event "Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-grand-chess-tour-finals--semifinals/rapid-game-1/vtsVfB0h/hliRIrjK"] [Date "2025.09.26"] [Round "3.1"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa R"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2738"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "623539"] [BlackElo "2785"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "25059530"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B12"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Tal Variation"] [StudyName "Grand Chess Tour Finals"] [ChapterName "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime - Praggnanandhaa R"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/zgASARMb/s9iszO9D"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 0:25:18] } 1... c6 { [%clk 0:24:59] } 2. d4 { [%clk 0:25:26] } 2... d5 { [%clk 0:25:07] } 3. e5 { [%clk 0:25:34] } 3... Bf5 { [%clk 0:25:14] } 4. h4 { [%clk 0:25:42] } 4... h6 { [%clk 0:25:21] } 5. Bd3 { [%clk 0:25:42] } 5... Bxd3 { [%clk 0:25:19] } 6. Qxd3 { [%clk 0:25:50] } 6... e6 { [%clk 0:25:25] } 7. h5 { [%clk 0:25:58] } 7... c5 { [%clk 0:25:18] } 8. c3 { [%clk 0:26:07] } 8... Nc6 { [%clk 0:25:25] } 9. Ne2 { [%clk 0:25:43] } 9... Rc8 { [%clk 0:24:59] } 10. a3 { [%clk 0:24:37] } 10... Qa5 { [%clk 0:24:26] } 11. O-O { [%clk 0:23:51] } 11... Nge7 { [%clk 0:20:31] } 12. Nd2 { [%clk 0:20:00] } 12... Qa6 { [%clk 0:20:27] } 13. Qxa6 { [%clk 0:19:54] } 13... bxa6 { [%clk 0:20:36] } 14. b4 { [%clk 0:20:02] } 14... cxd4 { [%clk 0:20:10] } 15. cxd4 { [%clk 0:20:11] } 15... Rc7 { [%clk 0:15:40] } 16. Bb2 { [%clk 0:18:20] } 16... Nc8 { [%clk 0:15:35] } 17. Rac1 { [%clk 0:18:27] } 17... Nb6 { [%clk 0:15:25] } 18. Nf4 { [%clk 0:16:55] } 18... Be7 { [%clk 0:14:55] } 19. Nd3 { [%clk 0:17:04] } 19... O-O?! { It's hard to believe this can be such a bad move. But White plays essentially a perfect game, so we have to nitpick to see what went wrong. } { [%clk 0:13:34] } (19... Na4!? { or starting with }) (19... Kd7!? $14 { and ... Nb6-a4, to follow, would be a way to break the pin on the c6-knight, activate the kingside rook, and hope for activity. }) 20. Rc2 { [%clk 0:16:30] } 20... Rfc8 { [%clk 0:13:13] } 21. Rfc1 { [%clk 0:16:38] } 21... Bd8 { Black is having to spend so many tempi just untangling. } { [%clk 0:11:41] } 22. Kf1 { [%clk 0:15:14] } 22... Kf8?! { [%clk 0:11:02] } (22... a5!? 23. b5 Ne7 24. Rxc7 Bxc7 25. Nb3 a4 26. Na5 $16) 23. g4 { [%clk 0:14:44] } 23... a5 { [%clk 0:09:42] } 24. b5 { [%clk 0:14:26] } 24... Nb8 { [%clk 0:09:50] } 25. Rxc7 { [%clk 0:14:20] } 25... Rxc7 { [%clk 0:09:59] } 26. Rxc7 { [%clk 0:14:06] } 26... Bxc7 { [%clk 0:10:08] } 27. Nc5 $16 { White has achieved positional domination, and Black can't do much. } { [%clk 0:14:14] } 27... Bd8 { [%clk 0:07:57] } 28. a4 { [%clk 0:10:35] } 28... N8d7 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 29. Ke2 { [%clk 0:08:46] } 29... Ke8 { [%clk 0:06:10] } 30. f4 { [%clk 0:08:30] } 30... Be7 { [%clk 0:03:49] } 31. Ndb3 { [%clk 0:08:36] } 31... Nc4 { [%clk 0:03:51] } 32. Bc3 { [%clk 0:07:38] } 32... Ndb6 { [%clk 0:03:59] } 33. f5 { [%clk 0:07:27] } 33... Bxc5 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 34. Nxc5 { [%clk 0:07:18] } 34... Ke7 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 35. Be1 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 35... exf5 { [%clk 0:02:04] } 36. gxf5 { [%clk 0:05:18] } 36... Nb2? { While this accelerates things, the alternative with, e.g., } { [%clk 0:02:13] } (36... f6 { allows } 37. e6 Nd6 38. Bxa5 Nxf5 39. Kd3! Nd6 40. Bb4 $18 { when White has to work for it a bit more, but still has a winning position. }) 37. Bxa5 { [%clk 0:04:58] } 37... N2xa4 { [%clk 0:02:20] } 38. Bb4 { [%clk 0:04:44] } 38... Ke8 { [%clk 0:02:26] } 39. Nxa4 { [%clk 0:03:32] } 39... Nxa4 { [%clk 0:02:35] } 40. e6 $18 { White's win is much simpler than in the 36. ... f6 line now. } { [%clk 0:03:41] } 40... Nb6 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 41. Bc5 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 41... Nc8 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 42. Kf3 { [%clk 0:03:08] } 42... Nb6 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 43. Kf4 { [%clk 0:03:03] } 43... f6 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 44. Ke3 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 44... Nc8 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 45. Kd3 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 45... Nb6 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 46. Kc3 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 46... Nc4 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 47. Bxa7 { [%clk 0:02:22] } 47... Nd6 { [%clk 0:00:18] } 48. b6 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 48... Kd8 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 49. Bb8 { [%clk 0:02:29] } 49... Nxf5 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 50. b7 { [%clk 0:02:38] } 50... Ne7 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 51. Bd6 { [%clk 0:02:45] } 51... Nc6 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 52. Kd3 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 52... Ke8 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 53. Ke3 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:02:49] } 1-0