Thin Ice

Hikaru Nakamura – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
FIDE Grand Prix 2017; 4th stage; Palma de Mallorca, November 19, 2017
Sicilian Defence B30

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. 0-0 Nge7 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Ng6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Be2 0-0 9. Nc3. 9. c4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Bf6 seems to be fine for Black, Caruana – Radjabov, 7th Kings Tournament, Bucharest 2013. 9. ... Qc7 10. f4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 b6 12. Qd2 Bb7 13. Rad1 Bc6 14. a3 Bf6 15. g3 Rac8 16. e5 Be7 17. h4 Rfd8 18. h5 Nf8 19. Ba6 Rb8

20. Qd6! Well, don’t get too impressed. It’s just a funny way to exchange Queens. 20. ... Bxd6 21. exd6 Qc8 22. Bxc8 Rbxc8 23. a4 h6 24. Ra1 Ba8 25. a5 Rc6 26. Rfd1 b5? This seems Radjabov’s decisive mistake. Simply 26. ... bxa5 27. Rxa5 a6 (Stockfish) appeared to be tenable. 27. a6!! White temporarily sacrifices a Pawn, but puts a deadly mortgage on Black’s Queenside. 27. ... b4 28. Nb5 Rxc2 29. Rd2 Rdc8 30. Nc7 Rxd2 31. Bxd2 Bc6 32. Be3 Nh7 33. Bxa7 Nf6 34. Bc5 Ne4. 34. ... Nxh5 makes no difference at all because of 35. a7! Nxg3 36. Ra6! Be4 37. Rb6!+− similarly to the game. 35. Bxb4 Nxg3 36. a7 Ne2+ 37. Kh2 Nxf4. And now Nakamura arrives at a very elegant conclusion: 38. Ra6! (Δ Ra6xc6) 38. ... Be4 39. Rb6! Nxh5 40. Rb8 Rf8 41. Bd2 Nf6 42. b4 1 : 0.