Biel 04: King March!

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.23"] [Round "4"] [White "Navara, D."] [Black "Wojtaszek, R."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2724"] [BlackElo "2733"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "95"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. h3 {Not the most common move, but certainly one that is gaining momentum. It was used by Navara this year already, against Wesley So in their match in Prague.} Be7 9. g4 $5 {Usually this move is done to hinder d5, but d5 is fully playable here!} (9. f4 exf4 10. Bxf4 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. O-O-O Nce5 {with a complex position, Navara-So, 2015.}) 9... d5 {definitely the test of fire.} (9... O-O 10. g5 Nfd7 11. h4 {is more or less White's idea: now he controls d5 and starts attacking on the kingside.}) 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Bg2 Nxe3 12. Qxd8+ Bxd8 13. fxe3 {White has some pressure on the queenside with his powerful bishop on g2, but his king is a bit exposed and Black does have the pair of bishops.} Bh4+ (13... Nc6 14. Nc5 $14 {runs into White's plan.} Bh4+ 15. Ke2 Bc4+ 16. Nd3 $1 $14 {White follows up with b3 and a very nice position.}) 14. Kf1 Nc6 { Black has to play this sooner or later.} 15. Nc5 Bc4+ 16. Kg1 O-O-O (16... Bg5 17. Kf2 (17. Re1 O-O-O 18. b3 {transposes back into the game.}) 17... Bh4+ 18. Kg1 (18. Kf3 O-O {seems to risky for White.}) 18... Bg5 $11) 17. b3 Bg5 18. Re1 Bh4 19. Rb1 $1 {Beautiful! The rook is very slightly better placed on b1 as when White takes on c4 it will be hitting b7.} Bg5 20. Kf2 Bh4+ 21. Kf3 {White is fearless, and I guess it is easier to do so when you have prepared the whole thing, but it is still impressive. How do we know it was all prep? well, he spent less than 30 seconds per move up to this point!} e4+ {Played aftre a long think, and still the computer recommendation.} (21... Bd5+ 22. Nxd5 Rxd5 23. Ne4 $14 {White's powerful knight on e4 gives him a small advantage.}) ( 21... Rd2 22. N5e4 Bd5 23. Nxd5 Rxd5 $16) 22. Kf4 {played instantly, of course. } (22. N5xe4 Ne5+ 23. Kf4 Ng6+ {is a draw by perpetual.}) 22... g5+ (22... Rd6 $5 {was looked at in depth in the post-mortem. You will be able to find Danny King's comments on this move later on.}) 23. Kf5 {Black seems to be on the verge of mating his opponent, but no such thing is available.} Rhe8 (23... Be6+ 24. Nxe6 $8 fxe6+ 25. Kxe4 $8 Rd2 $1 26. Bf3 {should give Black enough counterplay to claim equality. Perhaps this is the correct continuation.}) 24. Rhd1 Re5+ 25. Kf6 Rg8 (25... Rxc5 26. Rxd8+ Nxd8 27. bxc4 Rxc4 28. Nxe4 Rc6+ 29. Ke7 Rc7+ 30. Kf8 Rxc2 31. Nd6+ Kc7 32. Be4 {favors White, slightly.}) 26. bxc4 {The first move that Navara realy thought about, though it was kind of forced.} Rg6+ 27. Kxf7 Re7+ 28. Kf8 Rf6+ $6 {Perhaps the truly first inaccurate move from Wojtaszek.} (28... Reg7 $1 {Was the way to equalize. The silicon beast claims that there is a draw by perpetual.}) 29. Kg8 Rg6+ 30. Kh8 $1 {Fearless!} Rf6 31. Rf1 {White is not interested in repeating moves when he is up so much time on his opponent.} Bf2 32. Rxf2 Rxf2 33. Rf1 {There is no checkmate.} Rxg2 $2 (33... Re8+ $1 34. Kxh7 Rxg2 35. N3xe4 Re7+ 36. Kg6 b6 { prevents the game continuation.}) 34. Rf8+ Kc7 35. Nd5+ $2 (35. N5xe4 $1 {Was a hard move to spot, but very strong. Black's king is the one that comes under fire, suddenly!}) 35... Kd6 36. Nxe7 Kxc5 37. Rf5+ Kxc4 38. Nxc6 bxc6 39. Rxg5 {A complex endgame, in which either side can easily go wrong.} Rg3 $2 (39... Rxc2 40. Kxh7 Kd3 41. Rh5 Kxe3 42. g5 Rc5 {will probably end up in a drawn queen endgame.}) 40. h4 h6 $2 (40... Rxe3 41. Kxh7 Rg3 42. h5 e3 43. h6 Kc3 44. Kg6 e2 45. h7 e1=Q 46. h8=Q+ {is only a little better for White, close to a draw.}) 41. Rg6 Rxe3 42. Kg7 {Black is in serious trouble now. The two passed pawns are too strong.} Rg3 43. Kxh6 e3 44. Kg5 $2 (44. g5 $1 $18) 44... Kd5 $2 {Black had to be active in the endgame!} (44... Kc3 45. h5 e2 46. Re6 Kd2 47. h6 e1=Q 48. Rxe1 Kxe1 49. h7 Rh3 50. Kg6 Ke2 51. Kg7 Kf3 $11) 45. Kf4 Rh3 $6 { making it easy for White.} (45... e2 46. c4+ Kxc4 47. Re6 Rh3 48. Rxe2 Rxh4 49. Rc2+ Kd5 50. Kf5 {looks very bad for Black.}) 46. h5 c5 47. Rg5+ Kd4 48. Re5 { Re4+ cannot be stopped.} 1-0

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.23"] [Round "4"] [White "Adams, Mi"] [Black "Eljanov, P."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D10"] [WhiteElo "2740"] [BlackElo "2723"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r5k1/4B1pp/2b1p2b/3qNp2/p1pP3P/2P1PP2/6P1/R3Q1K1 b - - 0 38"] [PlyCount "25"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 38... Be8 39. Rb1 (39. Bc5 $14) 39... a3 40. e4 Qa5 41. exf5 (41. Nxc4 $13) 41... a2 42. Ra1 exf5 43. Nxc4 (43. Bb4 $15) 43... Qb5 44. Nd6 (44. Qe6+ Bf7 45. Qxf7+ Kxf7 46. Nd6+ Kxe7 47. Nxb5 Bc1 {is ugly for White. The endgame is very bad:} 48. Rxc1 a1=Q 49. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 50. Kf2 Ra2+ 51. Kg3 Kd7 $17) 44... Qd5 $1 {Suddnely White's pieces are in horrible positions. He is, surprisingly, lost. The threat is Bf4.} 45. Qe2 (45. Nxe8 Rxe8 {and White has no good answer to Kf7.}) 45... Bf4 46. Nxe8 Rxe8 47. Rxa2 Kf7 {White is simply losing a piece. } 48. Ra7 Bb8 49. Qa2 Qxa2 50. Rxa2 Bg3 $1 {More precise than taking the bishop right away. A nice finishing touch.} 0-1