Still Another Day

Ernesto Kazbekovich Inarkiev – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Grand Prix 2017; 4th stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 24, 2017
Grünfeld Defence D84

With today’s draw against Ernesto Kazbekovich Inarkiev, French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave has delayed his final audition for the Candidates until tomorrow, when he will have to play all out for the win. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 0-0 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxc7 Na6 9. Bxa6 Qxg2 10. Qf3 Qxf3 11. Nxf3 bxa6 12. Rc1 f6 13. Rg1 Rf7 14. b3 Bd7!? Vachier-Lagrave changes his way. 14. ... Bf8 15. Nd2 Bb7 16. Ke2 Re8 17. f3 e5!? proved to be quite unclear (but substantially balanced) in Giri – Vachier-Lagrave, 2017 “Your Next Move” Grand Chess Tour Blitz, Leuven 2017, whilst for 14. ... Bb7 15. Ke2 Bf8 16. Ba5 e6 see 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) – Giri, 4th Norway Chess 2016, Stavanger 2016. 15. Ba5 e6 16. Nd2 Rc8 17. Rxc8+ Bxc8 18. Ne4 Bf8 19. Ke2 Bb7 20. f3 Kg7 21. Rc1 g5 22. Nc5 Bxc5 23. dxc5 Bc6 24. Rd1 Bb5+ 25. Kf2 Rd7. Certainly Vachier-Lagrave was not unfamiliar with what having Bishops of opposite colour would have meant. 26. Rxd7+ Bxd7 27. Bc7 e5 28. Bb8 Kg6 29. Bxa7 Kf5

30. Kg3. If 30. e4+ Black’s answer would equally have been 30. ... Ke6 (and certainly not 30. ... Kf4?? 31. c6! ~ 32. Be3 mate). 30. ... h5 31. e4+ Ke6 32. h4 gxh4+ 33. Kxh4 f5 34. Kxh5 fxe4 35. fxe4 Bc6 36. Kg4 Bxe4 37. Kg3 Bb1 38. a3 Bc2 39. b4 Ba4 40. Kf3 Kd5 41. Ke3 ½ : ½.