[Event "Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-grand-chess-tour-finals--semifinals/classical-game-1/o91IjzK9/KgzEKrjJ"] [Date "2025.09.26"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Praggnanandhaa R"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2785"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "25059530"] [BlackElo "2738"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "623539"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D30"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined"] [StudyName "Grand Chess Tour Finals"] [ChapterName "Praggnanandhaa R - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/zgASARMb/wTIHCbLD"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:44] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:30:23] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:11] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:47] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:35] } 4. g3 { [%clk 1:31:12] } 4... Bd6 { [%clk 1:31:20] } 5. Bg2 { [%clk 1:28:36] } 5... O-O { [%clk 1:30:55] } 6. O-O { [%clk 1:24:29] } 6... Nbd7 { [%clk 1:30:18] } 7. Qd3 { [%clk 1:18:44] } 7... b6 { [%clk 1:21:33] } 8. cxd5 { [%clk 1:17:16] } 8... exd5 { [%clk 1:21:21] } 9. Nc3 { [%clk 1:15:01] } 9... Bb7 { [%clk 1:09:05] } 10. Nh4 { [%clk 1:13:03] } 10... g6 { [%clk 1:02:28] } 11. Bg5 { [%clk 1:02:16] } 11... Be7 { [%clk 1:02:34] } 12. Rac1 { [%clk 0:59:25] } 12... Re8 { [%clk 0:51:20] } 13. Nf3 { [%clk 0:44:58] } 13... Ne4 { [%clk 0:47:40] } 14. Bf4 { [%clk 0:37:28] } 14... c5 { [%clk 0:44:56] } 15. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:34:13] } 15... Rc8 { [%clk 0:39:18] } 16. Qb1 { [%clk 0:31:09] } 16... Bf6 { [%clk 0:34:30] } 17. Nxe4 { [%clk 0:23:48] } 17... dxe4 { [%clk 0:30:02] } 18. Nd2 { [%clk 0:24:08] } 18... cxd4 { [%clk 0:29:09] } 19. Nxe4 { [%clk 0:21:07] } 19... Rxc1 { [%clk 0:26:17] } 20. Rxc1 { [%clk 0:21:30] } 20... Bxe4 { [%clk 0:26:12] } 21. Bxe4 { [%clk 0:21:54] } 21... Nc5 { [%clk 0:26:24] } 22. Bf3 { [%clk 0:21:55] } 22... d3 { [%clk 0:18:09] } 23. Rd1 { [%clk 0:18:19] } 23... a5 { [%clk 0:18:33] } 24. exd3 { [%clk 0:13:00] } 24... Bd4 { [%clk 0:18:55] } 25. Kg2 { [%clk 0:11:57] } 25... Qf6 { [%clk 0:17:24] } 26. Qc2 { [%clk 0:08:44] } 26... Bxb2 { [%clk 0:16:42] } 27. Bg5 { [%clk 0:08:20] } 27... Qxg5 { [%clk 0:15:22] } 28. Qxb2 { [%clk 0:08:47] } 28... Qd8 { [%clk 0:12:11] } 29. Qb5 { [%clk 0:06:49] } 29... Kg7 { [%clk 0:10:32] } 30. h4 { [%clk 0:05:06] } 30... h5 { [%clk 0:10:26] } 31. Qc4 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 31... Qd6 { [%clk 0:07:49] } 32. d4 { [%clk 0:02:29] } 32... Ne4 { [%clk 0:06:50] } 33. a4 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 33... Nf6 { [%clk 0:05:55] } 34. d5 { [%clk 0:01:37] } 34... Rd8 { [%clk 0:04:51] } 35. Qc6 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 35... Ng4 { [%clk 0:03:38] } 36. Re1 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 36... Qb4 { [%clk 0:02:41] } 37. Re4 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 37... Qd2 { [%clk 0:02:42] } 38. Re2 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 38... Qd4 { [%clk 0:03:04] } 39. Rc2 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 39... Ne5 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 40. Qc3 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 40... Nxf3 { [%clk 0:03:00] } 41. Kxf3 { [%clk 0:28:37] } 41... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:32:59] } 42. Qxd4+ { [%clk 0:28:43] } 42... Rxd4 { [%clk 0:33:25] } 43. Rc6?! { Not the right way to go after the pawn. } { [%clk 0:25:56] } (43. Rb2! { makes it so Black cannot defend without giving up the pressure on the a-pawn. }) 43... Rb4 { [%clk 0:31:53] } 44. Kg2 { [%clk 0:17:22] } 44... Kf8 { [%clk 0:30:13] } 45. f3 { [%clk 0:16:15] } 45... Ke7 { [%clk 0:28:38] } 46. Kh3 { [%clk 0:16:31] } 46... f6 { [%clk 0:26:09] } 47. Kg2 { [%clk 0:08:05] } 47... g5 { Black has nicely worked his initiative so far. } { [%clk 0:24:35] } 48. Kh3 { Other moves are also no good. } { [%clk 0:08:23] } (48. hxg5 fxg5 49. f4 Kd7 50. Rh6 g4 51. Kf2 (51. Rxh5 Rxa4 52. Rg5 Ra2+ $19) 51... Rxa4 52. Rxb6 Ra2+ 53. Kg1 (53. Ke3 Rg2 $19) 53... Ra3 54. Kg2 Rc3 $19) 48... gxh4 { [%clk 0:19:01] } 49. g4 { [%clk 0:07:06] } (49. gxh4 { is also objectively lost, but forces Black to be precise: } 49... Kd7 50. Rxf6 Kc7 51. Rf5 Rxa4 52. Rxh5 Rd4! $17 { and not } { [%cal Rh5h7,Gd4d7] } (52... Rc4? 53. Rh7+ Kc6 54. h5 $10 { when White has counterplay and can hold a draw. })) 49... hxg4+ { [%clk 0:19:02] } 50. fxg4 { [%clk 0:07:31] } 50... Kf7 { [%clk 0:14:20] } 51. Rd6 { [%clk 0:07:51] } 51... Ke7 { [%clk 0:13:16] } 52. Rc6 { [%clk 0:08:16] } 52... Rxa4?? { The wrong time to take the pawn! } { [%clk 0:12:45] } (52... Rb2 { was the right approach: } 53. Kxh4 Rb3 $19 { with a makeshift mating net! }) 53. Rxb6 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 53... Rb4 { [%clk 0:13:07] } 54. Ra6 { [%clk 0:07:56] } 54... a4 { [%clk 0:13:31] } 55. Ra5?? { White had to find } { [%clk 0:07:58] } (55. Ra7+! Kd8 { Or } (55... Ke6 56. Ra6+ { repeats. }) 56. Rf7! a3 (56... Rf4 57. Kxh4 { holds now that Black's } 57... f5 { can be met by } 58. Kg5! $10) 57. Rxf6 a2 (57... Ra4 58. Rf1 a2 59. Ra1 $10) 58. Ra6 Rb2 59. g5 $10 { with enough counterplay. }) 55... Rb3+?? { [%clk 0:13:30] } (55... Rf4! { Covering the f-pawn was the way to go. After } 56. Ra6 { or } (56. Kxh4 f5 $19 { was the other point, and now }) 56... Kd7 { Black's king is free to go after the rook without conceding the f6-pawn and giving White a passed g-pawn. Play could continue: } 57. Ra5 Kc6 58. Ra6+ Kb5 59. Ra8 Kb4 $19) 56. Kxh4 $10 { Now, the position is drawn. } { [%clk 0:07:50] } 56... a3 { [%clk 0:13:55] } 57. Ra6 { [%clk 0:04:57] } 57... Rf3 { [%clk 0:13:07] } 58. g5 { [%clk 0:04:39] } 58... fxg5+ { [%clk 0:13:27] } 59. Kxg5 { [%clk 0:04:56] } 59... Kd7 { [%clk 0:13:48] } 60. Kg4 { [%clk 0:05:22] } 60... Rb3 { [%clk 0:14:14] } 61. Kf4 { [%clk 0:05:45] } 61... Kc7 { [%clk 0:14:32] } 62. Ke4 { [%clk 0:05:27] } 62... Kb7 { [%clk 0:14:58] } 63. Ra4 { [%clk 0:05:50] } 63... Rh3 { [%clk 0:13:33] } 64. Kd5 { [%clk 0:06:04] } 64... Rh5+ { [%clk 0:13:40] } 65. Kd6 { [%clk 0:06:24] } 65... Rh6+ { [%clk 0:14:05] } 66. Kc5 { [%clk 0:06:21] } 66... Ra6 { [%clk 0:14:29] } 67. Rb4+ { [%clk 0:06:46] } 67... Kc7 { [%clk 0:14:55] } 68. Rb1 { [%clk 0:07:12] } 68... Rc6+ { [%clk 0:15:19] } 69. Kd4 { [%clk 0:07:30] } 69... Rb6 { [%clk 0:15:46] } 70. Ra1 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 70... a2 { [%clk 0:16:10] } 71. Rxa2 { [%clk 0:08:23] } 71... Rc6 { [%clk 0:16:27] } 72. Ra3 { [%clk 0:08:45] } 72... Kd6 { [%clk 0:16:53] } 73. Rc3 { [%clk 0:09:13] } 73... Rxc3 { [%clk 0:17:17] } 74. Kxc3 { [%clk 0:09:41] } 74... Ke5 { [%clk 0:17:14] } 1/2-1/2