Chaotic Dynamics

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Wesley So

2nd World Fischerandom Chess Championship Group A; match game 2; time control: 25 minutes for the first 30 moves, plus 5 minutes for the rest of the game, plus 5 seconds per move starting from move 31; Reykjavík, October 26, 2022

nrkrbbqn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NRKRBBQN w DBdb - 0 1

Position #362

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Rxd5 3. Bc4 Rd6 4. f3 Ng6 5. Bg3 e5 6. a3 Bc6 7. Nf2 Nb6 8. Ba2 Bd5 9. Bxd5 Rxd5 10. Ne4 0-0-0 11. Nb3 h5 12. Nc3 R5d7 13. a4 h4 14. Bf2 f6 15. Ra1! White renounces the possibility of castling a-side as he needs the Rook on the a-file for attacking purposes.
15. ... Nf4 16. Bxb6 cxb6! Black cedes a Pawn to keep the a-file closed.
17. a5 Bb4 18. axb6 a6 19. Ra4 Bxc3 20. Qc5+ Kb8 21. bxc3

21. ... Nd3+!? Black sacrifices a second Pawn in order to strip away all vestiges of the White King.
22. cxd3 Qxb3 23. Rxh4

23. ... Rxd3? A countersense that invalidates Black’s previous moves. Consistent was 23. ... Qa2! 24. Rc4 (or 24. Rb4 Rc8=) 24. ... Qa1+ with a draw by perpetual check.
24. Rc4! With the fatal threat of 25. Qc7+ Ka8 26. Qc8+ followed by mate.
24. ... R3d7 25. d4!

25. ... Qb5? The exchange of Queens must have appeared to So as the lesser evil, but alas for him, the ensuing Rook ending is hopeless for Black. Other moves, however, wouldn’t necessarily be better: 25. ... exd4? 26. Rd2! (Δ Rd2-b2) 26. ... dxc3 27. Qc7+!! Rxc7 28. Rxd8+ followed by mate. The best, probably, would be 25. ... Qa2, but then after 26. 0-0!! (h-side castling) White comes out with a Pawn ahead and much the better game.
26. Qxb5 axb5 27. Rc5 exd4 28. Rxd4 Rxd4 29. cxd4 Rd6 (29. ... Rxd4 30. Rc7!+−)
30. Rxb5 Rxd4 31. Rh5 Kc8 32. Rh8+ Kd7 33. Rh7 Rc4+ 34. Kd2 Kc6 35. Rxg7 Kxb6 36. Rg6 Ka5 37. Rxf6 b5 38. Rf8 b4 39. Rb8 Ka4 40. g4 b3 41. h4 Rf4 42. Ra8+ Kb5 43. Ke3 Rb4 44. Ra1 Kc5 45. h5 Kd5 46. h6 Ke6 47. h7 Rb8 48. Rb1 1 : 0.