Twice Upon a Time

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Richárd Rapport
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, July 3, 2022
Sicilian Defence B66

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 Bd7 9. Nxc6 Bxc6 10. f3 h6 11. Bf4 d5 12. Qe1 Bb4 13. a3 Bxc3 14. Qxc3 0-0 15. Be5 (15. Rd2 Qe7 16. Be5 Rfd8 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Qxf6 gxf6 19. exd5 Rxd5 20. Rxd5 Bxd5 21. Bd3 f5 22. Kd2 Kf8 23. Ke3 Ke7 24. Rd1 Bc6 25. c4 a5 26. Bc2 a4 27. Rd4 e5 28. Rh4 f4+ 29. Ke2 Rg8 30. Kf2 Rd8 31. Ke2 Ra8 32. Kf2 Rd8 33. Ke2 ½ : ½ Mikenas – T. V. Petrosian, 24th USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1957)

15. ... Rc8. Back in the USSR: 15. ... Nd7 16. Bd6 Re8 17. e5 Rc8 18. Qe3 Bb5 19. Bxb5 axb5 20. Rd4 Qb6 21. Rd3 Qa6 22. Rhd1 Rc6 23. Rc3 Rec8 24. Rxc6 Qxc6 25. Rd2 b6 26. b3 f5 27. Kb2 Nc5 28. h3 Nb7 29. Bb4 Nc5 30. Qd4 Qe8 31. Re2 Qh5 32. Re3 Qg5 33. Re2? (⌓ 33. Qd2 Ra8 34. Bc3) 33. ... Qg3? (33. ... Qc1+! 34. Ka2 Na6! 35. Bc3 b4! 36. Bb2 Rxc2=) 34. Be1 Qg5 35. Bd2 Qg3? 36. Qb4 Qh2 37. Qxb5 Qg1 38. Be3 Qd1 39. Rd2 Qe1 40. Qe2 Qg3 41. Bd4 g5 42. a4 Kf7 43. Rd1 h5 44. a5 g4 45. hxg4 fxg4 46. axb6 gxf3 47. Rf1 Ke7 48. Rxf3 Qg4 49. Bxc5+ Rxc5 50. Qf2 Rb5 51. Rf7+ Ke8 52. Rf8+ 1 : 0 Keres – Aronin, 18th USSR Chess Championship, Moscow 1950. 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Qxf6 gxf6 18. exd5 Bxd5 19. Rd4

19. ... f5. Now, finally, something new — though not too exciting. Moons ago, Black ended up just ceding all ground after 19. ... Rc5 20. b4 Rc3 21. Kb2 Rfc8 22. Bd3 Kg7 23. Rd1 R8c7 24. Rd2 Rc8 25. a4 Kf8 26. a5 R8c7 27. Be2 Kg7 28. R4d3 R3c6 29. Bd1 f5 30. c3 Rc8 31. Bb3 Bxb3 32. Kxb3 Kf6 33. Rc2 e5 34. c4 Ke6 35. c5 e4 36. Re2 Ke5 37. Rde3 Rd8 38. fxe4 f4 39. Rh3 Rg6 40. Rh5+ Rg5 41. Rxh6 Rdg8 42. h4 Rxg2 43. Rh5+ Ke6 44. Rxg2 Rxg2 45. Rf5 Rg4 46. h5 Rh4 47. Kc3 f6 48. Kd4 f3 49. Rxf3 Rxh5 50. Rf5 Rh1 51. Rd5 Ke7 52. Kc3 Rc1+ 53. Kb3 Rb1+ 54. Ka3 Re1 55. Rd6 Re3+ 56. Ka4 Rxe4 57. Rb6 f5 58. Rxb7+ Ke6 59. Rb6+ Ke5 60. Rxa6 f4 61. Ra8 1 : 0 Kholmov – Mukhametov, Moscow4, Moscow 1991. 20. Bd3 Bc6. Black has no difficulty in defending White’s one and only threat (Bd3xf5). 21. Rd1 Kg7 22. Be2 Kf6 23. Rh4 Kg5 24. g3 Rfd8 25. Rhd4 Rxd4 26. Rxd4 e5 27. f4+ exf4 28. Rxf4 Be4 29. c3 Rd8 30. Bd1 Rd7 31. Bc2 Re7 32. Bd1 Rd7 33. Bc2 Re7 34. Bd1 ½ : ½.

And Nepomniachtchi did it again — thus going for the rematch against Magnus Carlsen. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.