Les Plaisirs et les Jours

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Candidates Tournament 2020; Yekaterinburg, March 25, 2020
French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. h4 Qc7 8. h5. Nepomniachtchi’s round 3 game went instead 8. Nf3 b6 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. Be2 Ba4 11. 0-0 Nd7 12. Be3 h6 13. Ra2 Nf5 14. Bf4 Qc6 15. Rb2 a6 16. dxc5 Qxc5 17. Rb4 b5 18. Bd3 Ne7 19. Bd2 Nc6 20. Qe2 Nxb4 21. axb4 Qc7 22. Re1 Nb8 23. Nd4 Nc6 24. Qg4 Nxd4 25. cxd4 g6 26. h5 gxh5 27. Qxh5 0-0-0 28. f4 Kb8 29. c3 Bb3 30. f5 Bc4 31. Bc2 Rdg8 32. Kf2 a5 33. bxa5 Qxa5 34. Qxf7 Qa2 35. Qxe6 Qxc2 36. Qb6+ Kc8 37. Qc6+ Kb8 38. Qb6+ Kc8 39. Qc6+ Kb8 40. Qb6+ ½ : ½ Alekseenko – Nepomniachtchi, Candidates Tournament 2020, Yekaterinburg, March 19, 2020. 8. ... h6 9. Rb1 b6 10. Qg4 Rg8. If nothing else, 10. ... Kf8 can save a valuable tempo: 11. Bd3 (11. Rh3 Ba6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Ne2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qxc2 15. Rb2 Qe4 16. Qxe4 dxe4 17. Nc3 Rc8 18. Bd2 Rc4 19. Nxe4 Rxd4 20. Nd6 Nc5 21. Ke2 Rd5 22. f4 f6 23. Bc3 f5 24. Bb4 g5 25. hxg6 Nxg6 26. g3 Nd3 27. Rc2 Ndxf4+ 28. gxf4 Nxf4+ 29. Kf3 Nxh3 30. Rc7 a5 31. Be1 Ng5+ 32. Kf4 Rd3 0 : 1 Leinier Domínguez – So, 4th Champions Showdown Blitz, Saint Louis 2017, match game 8) 11. ... Ba6 12. Bd2 Bxd3 13. cxd3 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qc2 15. Rc1 Qxd3 16. Rh3 Qe4+ 17. Qxe4 dxe4 18. Ne2 Ke8 19. Nc3 Nbc6 20. Nxe4 Kd7 21. Nd6 f6 22. Rhc3 fxe5 23. dxe5 Nxe5 24. Rc7+ Kxd6 25. Bb4+ Kd5 26. Rd1+ Ke4 27. f3+ Kf5 28. Bxe7 Rhc8 29. g4+ Kf4 30. Bd6 Rxc7 31. Bxc7 Rc8 32. Rd7 Ke3 33. Bxe5 Rc1+ 34. Rd1 Rxd1+ 35. Kxd1 Kxf3 36. Bxg7 Kxg4 37. Bxh6 Kxh5 38. Bf4 Kg4 39. Bb8 Kf5 40. Bxa7 Ke4 41. Bxb6 ½ : ½ Leinier Domínguez – So, 4th Champions Showdown Blitz, Saint Louis 2017, match game 6. 11. Bb5+ Kf8!? Black’s novelty is quite consistent with his previous move, as 11. ... Bd7?! 12. Bd3! just doesn’t look too appealing: 12. ... Nf5 13. Qf4 Nc6?? 15. Bxf5 exf5 16. e6+− Bartel – Jaroch, Atlas Stacja Nowa Gdynia — Polish Rapid Chess Championship, Zgierz 2017. 12. Bd3 Ba6 13. dxc5 Bxd3 14. cxd3 Nd7 15. d4 bxc5 16. Qd1 Qa5 17. Bd2 Rb8. 17. ... Qxa3 18. Ne2 Qa6 19. 0-0 Qc8 20. Bc1 leaves White with good compensation for the Pawn. 18. Ne2 c4. This and the next move do not appear to be strategically successful. 19. 0-0 Rb6 20. Qc2! Rh8. Grabbing the Pawn with 20. ... Qxa3 just doesn’t make too much difference, because after 21. Bc1 White’s Bishop sooner or later will go to a3 anyway with dominating power. 21. a4! White’s got a very favourable version of a thematic anti-Winawer set-up, as now he is ready to proceed most effectively with Bd2-c1-a3. 21. ... Ke8 22. Rb4! Nc6. This rather invites the following Exchange sacrifice:

23. f4! Ne7. If 23. ... Nxb4 then 24. cxb4 Qa6 25. b5 followed by f4-f5 (or vice versa: 25. f5 followed by b4-b5) with crushing effect. 24. Rfb1 f5 25. Rb5 Qa6 26. Bc1 Kf7 27. Ba3 Rhb8

28. Bxe7! Dismantling Black’s defence. 28. ... Kxe7 29. g4! Rxb5 30. axb5 Rxb5 31. gxf5 Rxb1+ 32. Qxb1 exf5 33. Ng3 Qb6 34. Nxf5+ Kf8 35. Qa1 Qe6 36. Ng3 Qg4 37. Kg2 Qxf4 38. Qxa7 Ke7 39. Qa3+ Kd8 40. Qd6 g5 41. hxg6 h5 42. g7 1 : 0.

With today’s win, Vachier-Lagrave reassured everyone that he’s not where he is by mistake. Photo © Lennart Ootes.