As Life Goes By

Hikaru Nakamura – Alireza Firouzja
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 29, 2022
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bc4 Be6 9. Nd5 Rc8 10. Nxf6+ gxf6?!

An ugly move which can be reminiscent of Bobby Fischer’s 11. ... g7xf6 against Gligorić at the Candidates Tournament 1959 — a move so ugly that made two Soviet giants raise their eyebrows. As Fischer himself wrote in “My 60 Memorable Games” (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1969, p. 80), “Petrosian and Tal both happened to stroll by the board at this instant. Petrosian made a wry face which looked to me like ‘Can Black do this and live?’”. Back to Firouzja, it was better for him to follow the beaten track: 10. ... Qxf6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 (11. ... Qxe6 12. 0-0 Be7 13. Nd2 d5 14. exd5 Qxd5 15. Qg4 0-0 16. Bh6 Bf6 17. Ne4 Qe6 18. Qxe6 fxe6 19. Be3 Nb4 20. c3 Nd5 21. Rfe1 Rc6 22. a4 Rfc8 23. g3 Be7 24. Kg2 Nf6 25. Ng5 Rd8 26. Nf3 Rd5 27. Rac1 e4 28. Nd4 Rcd6 29. h3 Kf7 30. Nb3 Rc6 31. Nd2 h6 32. Re2 b5 33. axb5 axb5 34. Nb3 e5 35. Ra1 b4 36. cxb4 Bxb4 37. Ra7+ Rd7 38. Rxd7+ Nxd7 39. Nc1 Nf6 40. Na2 Bd6 41. Nc3 ½ : ½ Vachier-Lagrave – Morozevich, 42nd Biel International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2009) 12. 0-0 Qg6 13. Nd2 Be7 14. c4 0-0 15. Rc1 Rc7 16. f3 Bg5 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Rc3 a5 19. Rf2 Rfc8 20. g3 Nd4 21. Kg2 Qd8 22. f4 exf4 23. Rxf4 Nc6 24. a4 Ne5 25. Qe2 Qe8 26. b3 g5 27. Rf2 g4 28. Qe3 Qh5 29. Rc1 Ng6 30. Rcf1 Qe5 31. Qh6 Rg7 32. h3 gxh3+ 33. Qxh3 Rf8 34. Rxf8+ Nxf8 35. Qh4 Ng6 36. Qh3 Nf8 37. Qh4 Rf7 38. Rxf7 Kxf7 39. Nf3 Qb2+ ½ : ½ M. Adams – Bologan, 18th Turkish Chess League, Konya 2012. 11. Bb3 Ne7?! In his YouTube commentary, Nakamura suggested 11. ... Na5 as an improvement for Black, though even then after 12. Bd5 Nc4 13. 0-0 Nxb2 14. Qb1 Nc4 15. exd5 Nc4 16. Qxb7 f5 17. Qxa6 with ideas such as Ra1-b1 and Be3-g5 “White should be better”. 12. 0-0 Bxb3 13. axb3 d5 14. exd5 Qxd5 15. Qe2. The modest 15. c3 has also its merits, aiming for a favourable endgame. 15. ... Nf5 16. Rfd1 Qc6 17. c4 Bg7 18. Rd5 0-0 19. Rad1 Rfe8

20. h3 b5 21. c5 (⌓ 21. Bc5!) 21. ... Bf8 (⌓ 21. ... a5!) 22. b4

22. ... Nd4. Black goes in for the gain of the Exchange, which, however, will leave White a free hand in carrying out his Kingside attack. 23. Nxd4 Qxd5 24. Nf5 Qe4 25. Qh5. Threatens Rd1-d7. 25. ... Red8 26. Ra1! Rc6 27. Bh6 Kh8 28. Ra3 Qxb4 29. Bxf8 Rxf8 30. Qh6 Rg8 31. Rg3 Rxg3 32. fxg3 1 : 0.

Once again Nakamura bounced back, looking for a second act in his American life. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.