Sunday, June 19, 2022

After all, yesterday is another day

Hikaru Nakamura – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 18, 2022
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Nbd2 Nd4 6. Nxd4 Bxd4 7. c3 Bb6 8. d4 c6 9. dxe5 cxb5 10. exf6 Qxf6 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Qh5 Qc6 13. Re1. It’s no one’s fault if the only theory worth mentioning is an extemporaneous one: 13. Nf3 d6 14. Re1 f6?! 15. Be3 a6? 16. Bxb6 Qxb6 17. Qd5+ Rf7 18. Rad1 Bg4 19. Qxd6 Qa5 20. Qd5 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Re8 22. f4 g6 23. e5 Qb6 24. Rd4 fxe5 25. Rxe5 Rf8 26. Re7 Kg7 27. Qe5+ Qf6 28. Rdd7 Rxe7 29. Rxe7+ Kh6 30. Qc7 Rh8 31. h3 Qf5 32. Kh2 Qc2 33. Qc5 1 : 0 Nepomniachtchi – Aronian, 5th Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, November 11, 2020, round of 16 match game 7 (time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move). 13. ... Re8 14. Nf3 d5 (14. ... Rxe4? 15. Bd2! d5 16. Ng5 Qg6 17. Nxe4! Qxh5 18. Ng3+−) 15. exd5 Rxe1+ 16. Nxe1 Qc4 17. h3 Bd7 18. Qf3 Re8 19. Be3 Bxe3 20. fxe3 Re5 21. d6


21. ... Qd5. Also interesting is 21. ... Bc6! 22. d7! Bxd7 23. Qxb7 Bc6 24. Rd1 Re8 leaving Black with enough compensation for the Pawn and a dynamically balanced game. 22. Rd1 Qxf3 23. Nxf3 Rxe3 24. Rd5 f6 25. Rc5 Re6 26. Rc7 Rxd6 27. Rxb7 a6 28. Nd4 h5 29. h4 g5 30. g3 Kf7 31. Kf2 Kg6 32. Ke3 Rd5 33. Ra7 Rd6 34. b3 Be6 35. Rc7


35. ... Rd5? It seems that this is Black’s crucial mistake, albeit not his losing move in a strict sense. Correct was 35. ... Bh3! 36. Ra7 Bf1 with a hard nut to crack. 36. Rc6! Clearly not 36. Nxe6? on account of 36. ... Re5+ simplifying into a drawish Rook endgame. 36. ... Re5+ 37. Kf2 Bd7 38. Rxa6 gxh4 39. gxh4 Re4 40. Rd6 Bc8 41. Rd8 Bg4 42. Rd5


42. ... Bc8. 42. ... f5 43. Rd6+ Kf7 44. Nxb5 f4 45. Rd2 is another nightmare for Black, but still yet not his worst nightmare. 43. Rc5 Bd7 44. Rc7 Be8 45. Nf3 Re6 46. Ra7 Re4 47. Ra8 Kf7 48. Rd8 Re7 49. Rd2 Re4 50. Rd5 Kg6 51. a3 Re7 52. Nd4 Re4 53. Nxb5 Rxh4 54. Nd4 Rh2+ 55. Kg3 Rd2 56. c4 Rd3+ 57. Kh4


57. ... Bf7? 57. ... Rc3! was Black’s best chance of salvation, e.g. if 58. a4 then 58. ... Bxa4! 59. bxa4 Rxc4 with good drawing prospects. 58. Rd8 Rd1 59. a4 Rh1+ 60. Kg3 h4+ 61. Kg2 Rc1 62. a5 Kh5 63. Kf2 Kg4 64. Rf8 h3 65. Rxf7 h2 66. Rg7+ Kf4 67. Ne2+ Ke5 68. Ng3 Rc2+ 69. Kf3 Rc3+ 70. Kg2 Rxb3 71. a6 Ra3 72. a7 Kd4 73. Nf5+ Kxc4 74. Rb7 Kc5 75. Ne7 1 : 0.

The day after a defeat, Nakamura gave proof of his character. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.
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3 comments:

  1. TamarindJune 19, 2022 at 12:59 AM

    Here's what GM Rafael Leitão writes after 42. Rc5: "This endgame is very complex, and an entire article could be written about it. I apologize for not being able to show all the lines here. Some of the computer suggestions need at least a few hours before I can understand them!" -- see https://www.chess.com/news/view/2022-fide-candidates-tournament-round-2

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  2. TamarindJune 19, 2022 at 1:02 AM

    GM Max Warmerdam tweeted, "Does anyone understand the Nakamura-Radjabov endgame?" -- see https://twitter.com/max_warmerdam/status/1538234000078249985

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  3. SturmtruppenJune 19, 2022 at 12:30 PM

    GM Karsten Müller attached a question mark to 61...Rc1? as "Here the rook is misplaced as ...Rc2+ is not available" and gives 61...Rb1!! as "the only drawing defense", for after 62.a5 Kg5 63.Kf2 Rb2+ "makes all the difference". For his extensive analysis see https://de.chessbase.com/post/kandidatenturnier-runde-2-nakamura-meldet-sich-mit-sieg-zurueck

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