Biel 08: Navara, Wojtaszek lead

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.28"] [Round "8"] [White "Rapport, R."] [Black "Navara, D."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D47"] [WhiteElo "2671"] [BlackElo "2724"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O O-O {A well known position in which White has basically tried everything under the sun.} 10. Ne2 {This move hasn't been played in a while, but it is still valid.} a6 11. a4 Bb7 12. axb5 $6 {It's not clear to me why White releases the pressure on the queenside and allows Black to take on b5 with the c-pawn, liberating the bishop on b7.} cxb5 13. Ng3 {White is prepared against e5. Black could first play 13...g6 to defend f5, but Navara evaluates that as unnecessary.} e5 (13... g6 14. Bd2 $15) 14. Bb1 (14. Nf5 Bb8 (14... Bc7 $5) 15. dxe5 Nxe5 {and Black has a more comfortable position.}) 14... Re8 15. Ba2 {White targets the soft f7 pawn. However with Black's superior development (compare the power of Black's two bishops and White's two bishops, not just the one on a2), it is clear that Black is to be prefered.} h6 $6 {This move looks natural, to stop Ng5, but it was perhaps a good time to bring some other pieces into the game.} (15... exd4 16. Nxd4 Ne5 {and the knight lands on e5 immediately, unlike the long route it takes in the game to achieve some activity.}) 16. Bd2 Bc7 17. Nh4 Nf8 18. Nhf5 Ne6 19. dxe5 (19. Bc3 $1) 19... Bxe5 20. f4 $2 {A very ambitious pawn sacrifice (?) but it is completely unclear what Rapport actually gets for his pawn.} Bxb2 (20... Bc7 21. Bc3 $16 { is not even an option.}) 21. Rb1 Ba3 22. Bc3 Qxd1 23. Rbxd1 {There is plenty of pressure on the kingside, but Navara has a good way of beating back the attack.} Ne4 24. Bxg7 $2 (24. Nxe4 Bxe4 25. Nd6 Bxd6 26. Rxd6 {White is just down a pawn, but at least he has some fighting chance.}) 24... Nxg3 25. hxg3 Be4 {White isn't losing a piece, but he is losing the game.} 26. Bb2 Bxb2 27. Nd6 Bc6 28. f5 Ng5 29. Nxe8 Bxe8 {The smoke has basically cleared. Black has a completely won position: two pieces for a rook with two passed pawns on the queenside that are very dangerous. Navara mops up nicely.} 30. Rd6 Kh7 31. f6 Be5 32. Rd5 Bxg3 33. Rfd1 Kg6 34. Rf1 Kh7 35. Rfd1 Bc7 36. Bb1+ Kg8 37. Kf2 Nh7 38. Rc5 Bb6 39. Rcd5 Nxf6 40. Rd6 Ng4+ 0-1

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.28"] [Round "8"] [White "Vachier Lagrave, M."] [Black "Adams, Mi"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C89"] [WhiteElo "2731"] [BlackElo "2740"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d3 Bd6 13. Re1 Bf5 14. Qf3 Qh4 15. g3 Qh3 16. Be3 Bxd3 17. Nd2 Qf5 18. Bd4 Rae8 {Adams has played the Marshall his entire life. This Rae8 move is a slight divergence from Rfe8, which was the game between Caruana-Aronian in Zurich last year. Caruana annotated that game in detail, you can find that in the Megabase 2015.} (18... Rfe8 19. a4) 19. Kg2 (19. a4 {would have been the "equivalent" of the other line. It probably would just transpose.}) 19... h6 20. a4 Qxf3+ 21. Kxf3 Re6 22. axb5 axb5 {The position has a symmetrical pawn structure, but White is slightly better. He has control over the a-file, Black has some problems with the pressure generated by the b3 bishop, and he doesn't have any clear targets.} 23. Kg2 Rfe8 24. Rxe6 Rxe6 25. c4 $5 {Semewhat counterintuitive, but the point is that the activity given to the White knight with this break is worth the trade of a couple of pawns.} bxc4 26. Nxc4 Be4+ $6 (26... Bc7 $1 27. Ne3 $5 Be5 $1 {and Black is close to equalizing.} (27... Nxe3+ 28. Bxe3 {is slightly annoying, with Ra7 coming next.})) 27. f3 Bd3 28. Nxd6 Rxd6 29. Kf2 {The pair of bishops is a nice advantage to have. Material is reduced, yes, but White is clearly better here. Black's pieces cannot compete with the power of that bishop on d4.} Rd7 30. Ra3 Nc7 31. Be3 Nd5 32. Bc5 f6 33. Ba4 Bb5 34. Bc2 Nc7 35. Bg6 $6 Na6 (35... Rd2+ {was a nice time to get some activity. For example:} 36. Ke1 (36. Ke3 Re2+ 37. Kd4 Re5 {does not look right at all.}) 36... Re2+ 37. Kd1 Na6 {but White is still a bit better.}) 36. Re3 Rd8 37. Be7 Rc8 (37... Rd2+ 38. Ke1 Rxh2 39. Bc5 {doesn't get Black mated, but it is still unpleasant.} Rh1+ 40. Kf2 Rh2+ 41. Kg1 Re2 42. Rxe2 Bxe2 43. Bd6 {and even though Black is up a pawn, he is completely paralyzed. He cannot even take on f3 here because Bd3 traps the knight! That being said, Black might have had no choice but to go for this line.}) 38. b4 c5 $2 {A blunder.} (38... Nc7 39. Bd6 Nd5 40. Ra3 $16) 39. Bf5 $1 Rc6 (39... Rc7 40. Bd6 Rc6 41. Re8+ Kf7 42. Rf8# {is not an option.}) 40. Bd7 $1 cxb4 41. Bxc6 Bxc6 42. Re6 {Black will lose the b4 pawn next move and the resulting endgame is lost. Arguably Black could keep on playing, but MVL would definitely convert this.} 1-0