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Hikaru Nakamura – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 22, 2022
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 0-0 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 Re8 14. Ra2 Bf8 (14. ... Na5 15. cxd5 Qxd5 16. Rb2 c6 17. Ne5 Bxa3 18. Bf3 Qd6 19. Rbe2 Bxc1 20. Qxc1 Be6 21. Be4 Rad8 22. Qb1 g6 23. f4 c5 24. f5 cxd4 25. fxe6 Rxe6 26. Nxf7 Kxf7 27. Bd5 Qxd5 28. Rxe6 dxc3 29. R6e5 Qd4+ 30. Kh1 b6 31. Qa2+ Kg7 32. Re7+ Kh6 33. Qf7 Nc4 34. Qxh7+ Kg5 35. R7e6 Qd3 36. h4+ Kf4 37. Qh6+ 1 : 0 Nakamura – Akobian, 60th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2016) 15. cxd5 Qxd5 16. c4 Qe4. It’s hard to guess why Nepomniachtchi took such a risk. 16. ... Qd6 as well as 16. ... Qd7 look much sounder. 17. Bf1

17. ... Qg4. The engines give 17. ... Qb1! 18. Rxe8 Rxe8 19. Rb2 Qa1 20. Rxb7 Be4 21. Rxc7 Bd6 22. Rd7 Bxa3 23. Nd2 Qxc1! 24. Qxc1 Bxc1 25. Nxe4 Rxe4 26. d5 Re7! with a draw in sight, but Nepomniachtchi wants to defend his gamble to the end. 18. h3 Rxe1 19. Qxe1 Qe4 20. Re2 Qd3 21. Rb2 Qe4. Clearly not 21. ... Qxa3?? because of 22. Rb5+− (Nakamura). 22. Re2 Qd3

23. Re3 Qb1 24. d5 Ne7

25. Nd2. Nakamura regretted afterwards that he didn’t play 25. Nd4 here, which “I think it’s much better if not winning” (probably in view of 25. ... Qb6 26. Qd2±). 25. ... Qa1 26. Nb3 Qf6 27. Bd2 Ng6 28. Na5. Completely demoralised, Nakamura let his residual advantage slip. He himself later suggested 28. Bc3 Qd8 29. g3 as his best way to keep White’s chances alive. 28. ... b6 29. Nc6 Bd7 30. Bc3 Qd6 31. Bb4 Qf6 32. Bc3 Qd6 33. Bb4 Qf6 34. Bc3 ½ : ½.

So far both Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi have been showing in great form. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.