Game of the week

Nisipeanu-Nakamura FIDE World Cup 2019 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia

1.Nf3(A) Nf6 2.d4(B) e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3(C) Be7 5.g3 0–0 6.Bg2 dxc4 7.Ne5 Qd6(D) 8.0–0(E) Qa6(F) 9.a4 Nc6 10.Nb5(G) Nxe5 11.dxe5 Rd8 12.exf6!(H) Rxd1 13.Rxd1 Bd6(I) 14.Bf4(J) e5?(K) 15.Nxd6 cxd6?(L) 16.Bxe5 Qa5(M) 17.Rxd6(N) Bg4 18.Bc3 Qc7 19.Rad1 g6 20.Bxb7(O) Rf8 21.Bf3 Bxf3 22.exf3(P) h5 23.Kg2 Re8 24.h4 Qc8 25.a5 a6 26.Rd7 Qa8 27.R1d6 Rc8 28.Bd4 c3(Q) 29.bxc3 Re8 30.Bb6(R) 1–0

A) Starting with the Reti Opening which can morph into others by transposition. B) The Queen’s Pawn Game now. C) The Queen’s Gambit Declined appears. D) Black takes his foe out of the usual lines that start with 7...c5 and 7...Nc6. E) 8.Nxc4 is commonly-played here, but White opts to gain time by castling instead. F) This whole queen maneuver seems a bit off-balance. G) Aiming at the fork on c7. H) A novelty creating a mixed-piece game which gives Black maximum problems to solve. I) Forced to protect c7 and the back rank. J) Black’s bishop is pinned; ...BxB allows Rd8 mate. K) Played to free his queen’s bishop, but White now established a big edge. Instead Black could have drawn by 14...Qa5 15.Bd2 Qb6 16.Be3 Qa5 17.Bd2, etc. White declining to draw would lead to a Black advantage. L) This second slip puts White in the driver’s seat. Though visually unappealing, 15...exf4 16.Ne8 Qa5 17.Rd8 gxf6 18.gxf4 Kf8 could give Black sufficient chances. M) 16...dxe5?? 17.Rd8 mate. N) White’s two bishops on an open board combined with the rooks will be too much to handle. O) Once again, a mate threat allows a material grab: 20...Qxb7 21.Rd8+ , etc. P) Note how White has no vulnerable targets and Black must await a slow execution. Q) A meaningless self-sacrifice in the face of the inevitable. An unstoppable pile-up by the rooks on the a-pawn will be decisive. R) Black had had enough and resigned here. One of many sequences to illustrate the problems is: 30...Rc8 31.Ra7 Qb8 32.Rdd7 Rf8 33.Bc5 Rc8 34.Bb4 and the Rook breaks in at f7.