Form and Object

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Dmitry Olegovich Jakovenko
Agon Grand Prix; fourth stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 24, 2017
Giuoco Piano C54

So Maxime Vachier-Lagrave did not succeed in conquering a chair for the next Candidates Tournament, in spite of his desire to fight for it till the very end. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. 0-0 d6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 0-0 9. h3 h6 10. Nbd2. For 10. b4 Ne7 11. Nbd2 Ng6 12. Nf1 c6 13. Bb3 Re8 14. Ra2 d5 15. Ng3 Be6 16. Rd2 Qc7 see Vachier-Lagrave – Giri, 2017 “Your Next Move” Grand Chess Tour Rapid, Leuven 2017. 10. ... Re8 11. b4 Ne7. The alternative 11. ... Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6 13. Nf1 Ne7 14. Ng3 Ng6 15. d4 Qd7 16. d5 Ree8 17. a5 c6 also seems to be okay for Black, Vachier-Lagrave – Carlsen, Grand Chess Tour Blitz Paris 2017, Paris 2017. 12. Qb3 Rf8 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 d5 15. exd5 Nexd5 16. b5 Be6 17. bxa6 bxa6 18. Ba3 Re8 19. Ne5. White seems to have seized the initiative, but Jakovenko defends strenuously his “uncomfortability”. 19. ... Nf4 20. Ndf3 Bxc4 21. Qxc4 Qd5 22. Qxd5 N6xd5 23. Nc6 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 a5 25. g3 Ng6 26. Nxa7 Rxa7 27. Re8+ Kh7 28. h4 Rb7 29. Nd2 Nc3 30. h5 Nh8 31. Nc4 Nxa4 32. Ne5. White desperately pushes for a win. On the other hand, if 32. Nxa5 Black might answer 32. ... Rb5 33. Re5 c5! with almost equality. 32. ... Nb6 33. Bc5 a4. Black’s passer more than compensates for the sad position in which the h8-Knight is placed. 34. d5!? When you should play for a draw it’s hard to play for a win. Stockfish gives 34. Nc6 Nd7 35. Ra8 Nxc5 36. dxc5 Rb5 37. Ne5 Rxc5 38. Nd7 Rxh5 39. Nf8+ with a draw by perpetual check. But it was obviously not enough for Vachier-Lagrave. 34. ... f6! 35. Nc6 Nd7 36. Bd4 Rb5

Objectively speaking, White has now nothing better than 37. Ra8 Rxd5 38. Rxa4 Rxh5 39. Ra7 Rd5 40. Rxc7 playing for a draw in an ending a Pawn down. Understandably, Vachier-Lagrave keeps looking for something more that he won’t find. 37. Nd8?? It looks like a broken dream. 37. Re7 was also not good, but not that bad: after 37. ... Rxd5 38. Bb2 Nb6! 39. Rxc7 (or 39. Bxf6 Rd7) 39. ... Rd7 Black successfully consolidates his plusses. 37. ... Rb8! 38. Bb2. White goes even deeper into his drama. 38. ... Rxb2 39. Ne6 a3 40. Re7 Nf7! Sic et simpliciter. 41. Rxf7 a2 42. Rxg7+ Kh8 43. Rxd7 a1=Q+ 44. Kg2 Qe1 0 : 1.