Dizzy with Success

Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov – Hikaru Nakamura
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 27, 2022
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. 0-0 d5 7. Nbd2 dxe4 8. dxe4 a5 9. Qc2 Qe7 10. a4 Na7 11. Be2 Nc6 12. Nb3

12. ... Ba7? In his YouTube commentary on the game, Nakamura called this a big mistake, saying he should have played 12. ... Bb6 so as to be able to reply to 13. Bb5 with 13. ... Nd8. 13. Bb5 Bg4!? Now 13. ... Nd8 14. Nxa5 Bxf2+ 15. Rxf2 Rxa5 16. b4 Ra8 17. a5 leaves White “much better with the two Bishops”, says Nakamura. Hence Black decides to give up a Pawn hoping for a Kingside attack which, however, will not come to nothing. 14. Bxc6 Bxf3 15. gxf3. And not 15. Bxb7? by reason of 15. ... Ng4 16. gxf3 Qh4 17. fxg4 Qxg4+ with perpetual check. 15. ... bxc6 16. Nxa5 Qe6 17. Qe2

17. ... Nh5. Because Black’s attack does not work, it might have been better to recover the Pawn by 17. ... Bxf2+ 18. Rxf2 Rxa5 19. b4 Raa8 20. Be3 leaving White with a pure positional advantage. 18. b4 Kh8 19. Kh1 h6 20. Rg1 f5 21. Rg2 fxe4 22. Qxe4 Rf6 23. Be3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qd5 25. Qg4 Qxf3 26. Qxf3 Rxf3 27. Re2 c5 28. Nc6 cxb4 29. cxb4 Rf6 30. b5 Rd6 31. a5 Nf6 32. a6 Nd7 33. a7 Kg8 34. Rc2 Kf7 35. Nb4 c5 36. bxc6 Nb6 37. e4 Nc8 38. Rca2 Ke6 39. Ra6 Rd4 40. Nd5 Kd6

41. Nb6 1 : 0.

And yet the show goes on. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.