Le Masque de Fer

Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
7th Chess World Cup; tie-break game 2 (25+10); Tbilisi, September 17, 2017
English Opening A34

No doubt, the character and temper of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will have to be taken seriously by the screenwriters of the next World Chess saga. 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb4 6. Bc4 Nd3+ 7. Ke2 Nf4+ 8. Kf1 Ne6 9. h4 Nd4 10. d3 e6. In the first of their two classical games followed 10. ... Nbc6 11. Nb5 Be6!? 12. Bf4 Nxb5 13. Bxb5 Qb6 14. Ba4 Qa6 15. Rc1 b5 16. Bb3 Bxb3 17. Qxb3 e6 18. Be3 Na5 19. Qc3 b4 20. Qc2 Nb7 21. Qc4 Qxc4 22. Rxc4 Be7 23. Ke2 0-0 24. Nd2 Rfc8 25. Nb3 a5 26. a4 bxa3 27. bxa3 a4 28. Nd2 Nd6 29. Rxc5 Rcb8 30. Rb1 Rxb1 31. Nxb1 Bxh4 32. Rc6 Be7 33. Bc5 Nb5! 34. Ke3 Kf8 35. Bxe7+ Kxe7 36. Rb6 Nd6 37. Nc3 h5 38. f4 f6 39. Nb5 Nxb5 40. Rxb5 h4 41. Rb7+ ½ : ½ Svidler – Vachier-Lagrave, 7th Chess World Cup, Tbilisi 2017, match game 1. 11. Bf4 a6! This is surely an improvement on 11. ... Bd6 12. e5 Be7 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 [Diermair – Paravyan, 14th Aeroflot Open (B-group), Moscow 2016] and now 14. Qg4 Kf8 15. Nb5 should ensure White the initiative. 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Ne2 Nc6 14. a3 Bd6 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Qd2 Bd7 17. f4. Somewhat committal, but otherwise, what else could Svidler have done? 17. ... e5! 18. f5 g6! Unlike his opponent, Vachier-Lagrave seems to have studied very carefully the subtleties of the opening. 19. Ng3. The immediate 19. Qh6 might be a little better, after which Stockfish considers 19. ... Qf8 – but I guess it should not be excluded that Black might have castled Queenside (as in the game). 19. ... Ne7 20. Qh6 0-0-0 21. h5

21. ... Kc7! A simple and economical way for defending the Queen. Black’s position appears already easier and more comfortable. 22. Bxf7 gxf5 23. Qxd6+? This hasty move significantly worsens White’s situation. After 23. Rc1+ Bc6 24. Qxd6+ Rxd6 Black stands somewhat better, but the game is not yet over. Now the White King remains too troubled and constipated in his own harmless realm. 23. ... Kxd6 24. exf5 Nxf5 25. Ne4+ Ke7 26. Bb3 Ne3+ 27. Ke2 Bc6 28. Rac1 Rhf8 29. Rh3 Nxg2. Black is totally winning, so Svidler tries a last desperate Exchange sacrifice: 30. Rxc6 bxc6 31. Rg3 Nf4+ 32. Ke1 Rb8! 33. Rg7+ Kd8 34. Bf7. White was just looking for a way to resign. 34. ... Rb7 0 : 1.