Firouzja and Vitiugov in turbulent draw, Vidit maintains sole lead

by Tanmay Srinath
2/16/2020 – When two sides play a perfect game of chess, the game more often than not ends up a draw. Today, while all the five games ended up as draws, three of them didn't follow the stated script. Alireza Firouzja exhibited passion and imagination, confusing Nikita Vitiugov with a speculative knight sacrifice to gain a decisive advantage, but made two inexplicable moves to gift the latter a draw. Duda was seriously worse after nine moves, but his opponent Anton failed to find the most incisive continuation, continuing his roller-coaster ride in the tournament. Harikrishna played the forgotten Sozin Attack, and had to soon defend for a while to see out the game to a draw. Markus Ragger was tortured by the exchange down by David Navara for a while before concluding the game in peace, and Nils Grandelius signed a rather tame draw with the tournament leader Vidit, who retains sole lead. | Photo: Official site
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.

A day of draws

Has there been a pact with the Gods — wins in odd rounds and draws in even? Well, the players don't seem to think so, even if the results reflect the following statistic — three wins in rounds one and three, and five draws in rounds two and four. Well, this tournament has had games that have made us feel as if chess is so abstract that it is completely impossible to predict what is happening and what can happen! The Russian Roulette tendency of the games has been really exciting for the fans, but the players are definitely ageing at the speed of light! Before another philosophical outburst happens, I will quickly redirect the readers to the following position:

 
Firouzja - Vitiugov, Analysis
Position after 26.Bd6

Black to play - what is the only move to diffuse White's initiative?

Firouzja - Vitiugov ½-½

Ivan Sokolov, former coach of the Iranian national team, had remarked previously that Firouzja reminded him of a young Anand. Well, I don't disagree, but Firouzja also reminds me of a young Tal in the 21st century, with his amazing imagination, zest for the game, and penchant for sacrificial play. Today he played a crazily complex battle in a 6.d3 Ruy Lopez against Vitiugov, in what was clearly the game of the round. But the end must have left a bitter taste for the young phenom. Let's have a look at one of the most complex games played in this tournament

 
Firouzja - Vitiugov, Round 4
Position after 10...Bb7

The game began with the 6.d3 Ruy Lopez. Since we have a lot to discuss I wanted to start from here. 10...♝b7 is not a move you make on general grounds, as with White's centre this move has more of a restrictive nature (e4-d3-c3). Black is hard-pressed to find counterplay against the e-pawn. However, Vitiugov has two concrete reasons for his decision — one is the fact that sooner or later White will try to play d4 to conquer space, which will be dissuaded by the ♝b7, and the other is to play for the d5 break.

 
Position after 14...c5

A very complex decision in front of you now. Which is better :15.♘e3 as played by Firouzja, or inserting 15.axb5 axb5 before going 16.♘e3?

 
Position after 17...axb5

Firouzja played the natural 18.♕f3?! in the game, which is an inaccuracy. White had to go 18.exd5! if he wanted to play for an advantage — see the notes to the game to understand why.

 
Position after 22.Qg3

Another question: Is 22...♚h8 as played in the game Black's best defence?

 
Position after 28.Nf6

Firouzja threw the dice with 28.♘f6!?, and luckily for him Nikita tried to call his bluff with 28...gxf6?, losing all his advantage. Instead, the counter-attack 28...♛b6 gives Black a large advantage.

 
Position after 35...Bf3

After Nikita panicked and blundered, the players reached this position. White to play his 36th move. Here Firouzja went astray, but what is the best way for White to win?

 
Position after 36...Bf8

Okay, you've got the point now — how do you finish Black off? Is 37.♔f2 the only winning move in the position?

The notes to the game should not only give you an idea of what happened in this game, but also focuses on how to convert an advantage and understanding the Ruy Lopez.

 
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This one, despite the result, was a great game by Alireza, right up to the point he blundered away his win. 1.e4 No experiments! Alireza sticks to 1. e4, and given his extensive knowledge in the Ruy Lopez this is no surprise. e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 Alireza's weapon of choice for this tournament. He seems to be getting a small edge out of the opening. b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 8.Bd2!? was Magnus' choice against Vitiugov in Wijk Ann Zee. 0-0 9.h3 h6 10.Re1 Re8 11.a3 Bf8 12.Nc3 Rb8 13.Ba2 Ne7 14.Nh4 g5 15.Nf3 and Magnus took only 15 more moves to bring home a win in Carlsen, M (2872)-Vitiugov,N (2747) Wijk aan Zee 2020 8...0-0 Why does White play these d3 systems? Why not the Italian directly? Well for starters in the Guico Piano Black's bishop is more actively placed on c5. Secondly White just wants to get a game these days, as at the top either the Marshall or the Berlin just holds comfortably for Black. 9.h3 In my view the best move - White plays this like a standard closed Ruy Lopez and doesn't commit to anything just yet. 9.a4!? is another option - b4 10.a5 Rb8 11.Nbd2 Be6 12.Nc4!?∞ with a complex middlegame. 9...h6 10.a4 Bb7!? Generally it is good not to put the bishop here if White has the small center with e4-d3-c3, as opposed to the e4-d4-c3 that one generally has in the Closed Ruy Lopez. However, there is a very deep point by Nikita here - White's only chance of playing for an advantage seems to lie in eventually playing d4, so the the bishop can potentially be activated when White does so. Also, Black can himself harbour hopes of d5, when the b7 bishop will be best placed on that square. 11.Re1 Re8 12.Nbd2 Bf8 13.Nf1 This move is typical of the Ruy Lopez, yet the machines don't like, which is strange, but understandable since it allows Black to push forward with c5 and b4. 13.Nh2!? Nb8! 13...Na5 14.Ba2! c5!? principled. another interesting move is 14...b4 but after 15.Ng4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 d5 17.cxb4 Bxb4 18.Re3 White seems slightly better to me, as it is not clear what Black should do in the next few moves. 15.Ng4 Nxg4 16.Qxg4 d5 17.Bxd5! White is lower on space here, so it makes sense to make this exchange. Bxd5 18.exd5 Qxd5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Ne4 White has the better placed pieces, and Black seems over-extended to me. 14.axb5 axb5 15.Rxa8 Bxa8 16.Ng4 Nbd7 16...c5? 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Re3± 17.Qf3 13...Na5 14.Bc2 14.Ba2!? c5 15.Ne3 c4 16.dxc4 bxc4 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Bxc4 Qc7 19.Bd3 d5! 14...c5 15.Ne3 This is almost an innacuracy, but luckily for Alireza Black doesn't take advantage of this! Inserting 15.axb5! axb5 is important before going 16.Ne3 as here b4 16...Qd7 17.Nh2 with play similar to the game, with the important difference being that here d5 is not so good - 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Neg4 f6 20.Nf3 with a more compact structure for White and major holes for Black. 17.cxb4 cxb4 allows the important nuance 18.Ba4! activating the bishop. Black's best option seems to be Re6!? 19.Bd2 d5 20.exd5 Nxd5 21.Ng4 but even after best play White is slightly better- Black has two weaknesses to White's one, and the knight on a5 is out of play. 15...Qd7 Not bad at all, but Black had better options. Comparing to the earlier variation, 15...b4! is possible here as the presence of the pawns on a4 and a6 only benifits Black! 16.Bd2 16.cxb4 cxb4∞ This is the difference - here Ba4 is impossible! 16...d5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Qe2 Rad8 with very good play for Black. 16.Nh2! Now we can see why it was important to close the a-file for Black, as White forcefully transposes to the lines in 15.axb5! d5 17.axb5 axb5 18.Qf3?! This is a serious innacuracy by Alireza. I can see how the move is very natural and almost demands to be played because it is so tempting, but White misses a real chance of getting an edge. 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Neg4 with a clear plus for White - Black is over-extended and White is very compactly placed - he can try for d4 once he prepares it, and once the knight returns to f3 Black is force to play f6, which weakens the light squares around the king. 18...c4!? Again, Nikita chooses the best human-like move. I can't fault the idea, but Black had another interesting option if he wants to try for more than a draw. 18...d4! needs a lot of adaptability to play, as suddenly the character of the position changes with a definitive change in the pawn structure - now White will aim his forces towards the Black king while Black will look to defend that wing and simultaneously counter-attack in the center with c4 or the queenside through the open a-file. However, here White's attack doesn't seem to be working due to a number of reasons, and after 19.Nf5 Qe6 20.Qg3 Kh7 21.Nf3 Nc6 22.Bd2 Nd7 while White might have a psychological advantage of having the initiative against the enemy king, Black is completely fine, and it seems that the position is one of dynamic balance. 19.Nhg4 Alireza just fails to see the best idea here for White. Perhaps this pattern of taking on d5 is something he has had some bad experiences with and chooses to block out, but on concrete analysis of the position he will figure out that this is the best option for White here. 19.Nxd5! Nxd5 20.exd5 Bxd5 21.Qg3! Removing the queen from attack with tempo. h5 22.dxc4! Now taking on c4 makes sense - after Nxc4 23.Rxa8 Bxa8! Forced. 23...Rxa8? 24.b3 Nb6 25.Be3± with initiative - White will soon win the e5 pawn. 24.Rd1 White seems to have a small advantage, due to the weakness of the Black king and the e5 pawn. 19...Nxg4! After giving his opponent one chance to get a better position, Nikita doesn't give a second one! 20.Nxg4 dxe4 21.dxe4 Qe6 Black is not much better here, but he should have a small advantage due to the difference between the light squared bishops and the greater amount of space he controls on the queenside. 22.Qg3 Kh8 Can't call this an innacuracy as this is the safest way to play, but a player mostly free of dogma would have found the best move here. You should be a very confident man to play 22...h5‼ here, but once you calculate a few variations you realise that White's attack is not such a big threat - 23.Nh6+! Kh7 24.Nf5 g6! Okay, bravery, bravery and bravery required to play this move, but isn't this logical enough? 25.Be3! Nb3! Now this idea in my view is most difficult to see in advance, but once the knight gets to c5 White has less than nothing. 25...gxf5?? is an obvious mistake, and provides White a target that he doesn't deserve to get! 26.exf5 Qf6? 27.Bg5+- is curtains. 26.Rxa8 Rxa8 27.Qh4 Nc5! 28.Rd1 Bc6! and Black is ever so slightly better, due to the control of the a-file and potential queenside attacking chances, while White's kingside attack is hampered by the pawn on e4, which restricts the bishop on c2, and the lack of a clear target. 23.f4?! I guess this is what Alireza had planned after Qf3. However, this is a significant inaccuracy. 23.f3!? f6 24.Be3 Nb3 25.Rxa8 Rxa8∞ is a better version of the plan with Be3 and f3 for Black - here he gets the a-file, and should be the one pressing. 23.Be3! is best - developing the last piece and connecting the rooks. After Nb3! 24.Rxa8 Bxa8 25.f3!? Bc6! 26.Rd1 Nc5 White is not better, but neither is he worse here, and the game is on. 23...exf4! 24.Bxf4 Nb3! 25.Rad1 Rad8?! Now it's Vitiugov's turn to spoil his best chance! This move is natural, but Black had a better option here, one that gives him a small but nagging edge. Nikita most probably saw 25...Ra2! but must have been spooked after 26.Bd6! However, Black has an amazing move here, and the only one to not only play for an advantage, but also to stay in the game - Be7‼ which is a beautiful creepy move that I suspect Nikita must have missed in his calculations. The point here is that if White captures on e7, Black recaptures with the queen and doesn't lose a tempo to Rd6, which is the all important part here! 26...Rxb2?? 27.Bxf8 Rxf8 28.Rd6+- the point being that Qe7 29.Nxh6‼ is crushing! There is a high chance Nikita saw all this, and perhaps this explains why he went for Rad8 in the game. 27.Bxe7! Seems to be White's only way to equalise chances. 27.e5?! Rxb2! 28.Re2 Nc1! Hard to see from a distance, but once you reach this position the move makes sense. 29.Rf2 Nd3 30.Bxd3 Rxf2 31.Qxf2 cxd3 32.Bxe7 Qxe7 33.Rxd3 h5! and Black is irritatingly better in this endgame - the bishop is a monster on the long diagonal and White's king needs more shelter than black, who also has the better pawn structure and pressure on the e5 pawn. 27...Qxe7 28.Rd6! This is still a legitimate idea, but the difference here is that it is Black to move! Now Rxb2! 29.Qf4 Rxc2! 30.Rxh6+! 30.Nxh6? Bxe4!-+ is a role reversal - now Black's attack will decide! 30...gxh6! 31.Qxh6+ Kg8 32.Nf6+ Qxf6‼ The point 33.Qxf6 Re6 34.Qf4 Bc6 This is a position where White might find a perpetual, but the kind of position where only Black can play for a win, owing to the superior firepower he possesses. This is Black's best chance in the situation, and I would take Black here 10 times out of 10! 26.e5!? 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Be3= is definitely equal, but Alireza is trying to play for more! 26...Nc5! 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Nf6!? White's idea, but Black had a beautiful counter that Vitiugov failed to spot. gxf6? It makes sense to search for candidates whenever one is faced with a hanging piece, and here I am surprised that Nikita chooses to simply take the piece, when he had a brilliant chance to take over the initiative! A 2750 GM like Nikita would have no trouble spotting 28...Qb6! which gives a large advantage to black, but why didn't he play it? This is a useful question to ask when one needs to improve his/her calculation. My guess in this position - he was worried about 29.Be3! which is clearly White's only move to stay in the game. However, a simple calculation sequence should have convinced him otherwise - 29.Bxh6!? Ne4+! 30.Be3 Nxg3 31.Bxb6 Rd2! 29...gxf6! Now it makes sense to take on f6, as after 30.Rf1 Black has the neat 30.Qh4? fxe5! 31.Bxh6? Doesn't work. Bxh6-+ and White's best option is resigns! 30...f5! 31.Rxf5 Qg6 where he is simply a piece up. 29.Qh4! Rd3?? A sudden blackout? Did Nikita simply miss that Bxh6 and exf6 is possible? My guess (only a guess) is that he was in acute time trouble. 29...Kg8! Forces Alireza to look for a draw, which is concluded by 30.Qg3+ 30.Bxh6 Bxh6 31.Qxh6 Rd3! now is accurate, giving Black a decisive advantage. The point is that 32.exf6 is impossible Qxe1+ 33.Kh2 Qg3+ 34.Kg1 Qxg2# is mate. 30...Kh8 31.Qh4 Kg8= What is the difficulty in spotting this variation? 30.Bxh6! Bxh6 31.exf6! Thanks to this move White is winning. Qxe1+ 32.Qxe1+- White is clearly winning here, and this makes the result all the more baffling. Ne4 33.Qh4 Kh7 34.Qh5 Nd6 35.g4 Bf3 All the preceding moves have been the best. The position is completely winning for white, but that is true only with an engine on. Turn off the engine and see if you can find a winning sequence of moves - it is incredibly hard. That is why I will not criticize Firouzja too much, but not converting this position shows how much improvement still needs to be done. Was it time trouble that prevented him from winning? Maybe so, but this is a World Rapid Silver Medallist we are talking about here - he is an incredible speed player. So what is it that Alireza missed? 36.Qe5?! This doesn't throw away the win, but makes it harder to achieve. So what is the most human way to finish the game? Well, for starters 36.h4! seems decisive to me - what piece can Black move here? Let us say that he waits here - Be2 Now Alireza's idea of 36...Bd1 is suggested by the engine, but then the rest is simple enough - 37.Bxd1 Rxd1+ 38.Kf2 Rd2+ 39.Ke1 Rxb2 40.g5+- and this should be easy enough to convert, now that it is move 40! 37.Qe5! is winning, as it is a double attack! Bxg4 38.Qxd6 Bf5 39.Qe5 Bg6 40.h5+- is curtains. 36.Bb1!? is a subtler way of doing things, but this too wins easily - after Bd1 37.Kf2 b4 38.cxb4 Ne4+ 39.Kg1 Nd6 40.b3! Bxb3 41.g5+- Black should resign. 36...Bf8! Credit to Nikita for finding the best defense. Now Alireza throws away the win in one move. 37.Kf2?? This is inexplicable! How did a player with an intution as strong as Alireza simply miss Ne4? Just a bad day in the office would be my guess. I don't know how simple it is to play 37.Qe3! here, but it shouldn't be all that hard - White is using the simple principle of double attack. After Be4 38.Bxd3 cxd3 Alireza would have to play one last accurate move, which is the most natural one in the position - 39.h4! but now he is clearly winning, as Black has no way of eventually allowing zugzwang. Bh6 40.g5 Bf8 41.h5+- is a demolition - White will slowly create a passer with b3 and c4, and Black's overloaded pieces can't take the brunt. While Qe3! might be difficult to calculate, 37.Bxd3+ cxd3 38.Qd4! is definitely not hard at all - White makes two natural and fast moves before the time control. Black has nothing better than Be2 and now Alireza would have had a minute (worst case) to find 39.Kf2 which is easy enough to find for a player of his standard, and after Kg8 but now White makes move 40 with any decent move, like 40.g5+- and he can take his time here to win, as the endgame is dead lost for Black. 37...Ne4+!= Now White is no longer winning, and he has to be careful not to over-press. Credit to Vitiugov for lasting this long, and his doggedness is rewarded with a half point. 38.Kf1 Kg8! 39.Qxb5 The guess here is that Alireza missed that after 39.Bxd3 cxd3 40.Qf4 b4 41.c4 b3= Black holds an elementary fortress draw, and White has to be careful not to lose. 39...Rd5! 40.Qb8 Rd2! Hats off to Nikita - he has played with machine like precision just before the time control, and now Alireza decides to allow the draw. 41.Bxe4 Bxe4 42.h4 Bd3+ 43.Kg1 Be4 43...Re2!? is Black trying to play for a win, but Alireza should hold this after 44.Qb5! Bd6 45.Qg5+ Kf8 46.Kh1 44.Kf1 Bd3+ 45.Kg1 A turbulent draw, but one of the most fighting games in the new decade! ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Firouzja,A2726Vitiugov,N2731½–½2020C92Prague Festival Masters 20204.3

Caissa is rewarding Vitiugov after the sad end to his World Cup | Photo: Petr Vrabec

A lot to take away for Firouzja | Photo: Vladimir Jagr

Anton - Duda ½-½

After his first round stunner, Duda has boiled off, making three successive draws. Today, he could have been in serious pressure had Anton found the best 10th move:

 
Anton - Duda, Round 4
Position after 9...Nd7

White's best move please. Note that the natural 10.♘d4?!, played by Anton in the game, allows Black to slowly equalize.

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4 Bg7 Duda gets into trouble right out of the opening. 5...Nxc3! 6.dxc3 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 h5! seems to equalise for Black after 8.Bf4 c6 9.e4 9.a4!? f6 10.e4 e5 11.Be3 a5= 9...Bh6! 10.Bxh6 Rxh6 11.Kc2 Nd7∞ but more tests are required and the analysis can definitely be improved. 6.e4 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 Bg4 9.Kc2 Nd7 10.Nd4?! 10.h5! is the best here, and after a6!? 10...Bxh5?! 11.Nd4! Bg4 12.f3 Be6 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Bc4 e5 15.Be3± 11.h6! Be5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.f4 Nd7 14.Be3± white has the bishop pair in open position, and the better king. 10...e5! 11.Nb5 Kd8! 12.f3 An interesting try here is 12.h5!? Be6 12...Bxh5 13.f3+- 12...gxh5 13.f3 Be6 14.Rxh5± 13.Be3 c6 14.Na3 a5 15.Bc4 Ke7 16.Bxe6 Kxe6 17.Nc4 b5 18.Nd2 a4 19.Nf3 Bf6 20.Rad1 with a small plus for White. 12...Be6 13.h5 a6 14.Na3 b5 15.Nb1 c6 16.Be3 Kc7 17.a4 Rhb8 18.Nd2 Bf8 19.Nb3 Nb6 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.Rh8 Rd8 24.Nc1 Be7 25.Rxd8 Bxd8 26.Nd3 Nd7 27.Nc5 Nxc5 28.Bxc5 Kd7 29.b4 Bh4 30.Bd3 Bg3 ½–½
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Anton Guijarro,D2697Duda,J2755½–½2020A16Prague Festival Masters 20204.4

Four great positions, two points — Anton would surely want to start converting those | Photo: Peter Vrabec

Ragger - Navara ½-½

One's heart goes out for David Navara. He fought like a man possessed, but Markus Ragger wasn't perturbed and managed to hold the draw. A few critical positions.

 
Ragger - Navara, Round 4
Position after 12...Nxd7

White's only chance for an advantage lies in 13.d4!. Instead, 13.♘g3 by Ragger allowed Navara to equalize slowly.

 
Position after 20...d5

Here Black is forced to give up an exchange after 21.g4!?, but Navara soon had excellent compensation.

 
Position after 33...Bd4

Can White strive for activity in such a position?

 
Position after 48.Ree3

Ragger soon built a fortress, and the draw was signed.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.0-0 0-0 6.c3 d6 7.Re1 h6 8.h3 a5 9.Nbd2 a4 9...Be6! Cleanest way to equalise. 10.Bb5 Qb8 11.Nf1 Qa7 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Nxe3 Ne7 14.a4 Ng6= 10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Nf1 Ne7 12.Bxd7 Nxd7 13.Ng3 13.d4! Only chance for an edge. exd4 14.cxd4 Bb6 15.Qc2 d5 16.e5 with a small plus for White. 13...f5 14.d4 Bb6 15.exf5 Nxf5 16.Nxf5 Rxf5 17.Be3 exd4 18.Bxd4 c5 18...Bxd4! Is the best way for Black to equalise completely. 19.Qxd4 Rf7 20.Re3 Qf6 21.Qd2 Raf8 22.Rae1 Qg6= with equal chances. 19.Be3 Qf6 20.Nd2 20.c4!? is an interesting try for an advantage. Bc7 21.Re2 Qf7 22.Rc1 d5 23.cxd5 Rxd5 24.Qc2 b6∞ with an unclear position and mutual chances. 20.Qd3!? Another move that could be better than the game. Bc7 21.Rad1 Qf7 22.Nh4 Rh5 23.Ng6 d5 with counterplay for Black. 20...d5! Navara's exchange sacrifice is 100 percent correct. 21.g4 Re5 22.Nf3 d4 23.Nxe5 Nxe5 24.f4 dxe3 25.fxe5 Qxe5 26.Qe2 c4 27.Kh1?! 27.Qxc4+ Kh8 28.Kh1= is the cleanest way to get a decent game. 27...Kh8! 28.Qxc4 Re8 29.Qe2 a3! 30.bxa3 Ba5 31.Rf1 Bxc3 32.Rad1 Qe4+ 33.Kg1 Bd4 34.Rfe1 34.Rf3!? is the machine's way of posing problems. The point is that Black has run out of useful moves, and a waiting move like Kh7 is met with 35.g5! hxg5 36.Rg3 Qe5 37.Rg4 Ba7 38.h4! with enough counterplay for equality. 34...Bc5 35.Rc1 35.Rf1 Bxa3 36.Rf3 Bb4! 35...b6! 36.a4 Rf8 36...Qxa4! 37.Kh1 Rf8 gives White a lot to think about, but I think it should be equal with precise play. 37.Rxc5! Rf2 38.Rc8+ Kh7 39.Qxf2 exf2+ 40.Kxf2 Qf4+ 41.Kg2 Qd2+ 42.Kf1 Qd3+ 43.Kg2 Qd5+ 44.Kg3 Qd6+ 45.Kg2 Qd2+ 46.Kf1 Qxa2 47.Rc3! Qxa4 48.Ree3= Fortress. Qa2 49.Ke1 b5 50.Rb3 Qa1+ 51.Kd2 Qd4+ 52.Kc2 b4 53.Rf3 Qc4+ 54.Kb2 Qe2+ 55.Kb1 Qd1+ 56.Kb2 Qd2+ 57.Kb1 Kg6 58.Rbd3 Qe2 59.Rd6+ Kg5 60.Rd5+ Kg6 Interesting draw! ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ragger,M2670Navara,D2717½–½2020C54Prague Festival Masters 20204.1

One of the most uncompromising players on the circuit — David Navara | Photo: Petr Vrabec

Harikrishna - Shankland ½-½

Fischer's beloved Sozin Attack was resurrected in this game, but apart from this nothing much happened: two players struggling for form signed a quiet draw.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4!? e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Bb3 0-0 9.f4 9.a4 Nbd7 10.f3 10.Ba2!?N 10...Qc7 11.Be3 Nc5 12.Ba2 b6 13.Qe1 Bb7 14.Rd1∞ Kuosmanen,K (2228)-Fagerstrom,M (2281) ICCF email 2018 9...Nc6 9...b5! 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7 12.Be3 Nxe5! 12...Bb7 13.Qh5 g6? 14.Qh3! Nc5 15.Rxf7‼ Rxf7 16.Nxe6 Qb6 17.Nxc5 Bxc5 18.Bxf7+ Kh8 19.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 20.Kh1+- 1-0 (54) Mikaelyan,A (2454) -Hovhannisyan,R (2650) Riga 2019 13.Qh5 Nbc6 14.Nxc6 Nxc6 1/2-1/2 (46) Gao,R (2528)-Debashis,D (2489) Al Ain 2015 10.Kh1 10.Be3! is White's only try for an advantage. Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b5 12.e5! dxe5 13.fxe5 Nd7 14.Ne4 Bb7 15.Nd6 Bxd6 16.exd6 Qg5 17.Qe2 Kh8 18.a4!? with a small plus for White. 10...Nxd4 11.Qxd4 b5 12.f5 b4 13.Qxb4 d5 14.Qd4 dxe4 15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.fxe6 Bxe6 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.Nxe4 Bxb2 21.Rab1 Rd4 22.Rfe1= Ba3 23.c3 Ra4 24.g3 Rc8 25.Kg2 Rc6 26.Re2 Bd6 27.Rb7 Be5 28.Rb4 Rxb4 29.cxb4 Bd4 30.Nc5 Bc3 31.Rxe6 Rxe6 32.Nxe6 Bxb4 33.Nc7 a5 34.Kf3 Kf7 35.Ke4 Bd6 36.Nb5 Bb8 37.a4 h5 38.Na3 Ke6 39.Nc4 Bc7 40.h3 Bxg3 41.Nxa5 g5 42.Nc6 g4 43.Nd4+ Kd6 44.hxg4 hxg4 45.Nf5+ Kc5 46.Nxg3 Kb4 47.Kf4 Kxa4 48.Kxg4 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Harikrishna,P2713Shankland,S2683½–½2020B88Prague Festival Masters 20204.2

Hari's A-game has been missing this tournament and so is Shankland's | Photo: Vladimir Jagr

Grandelius - Vidit ½-½

Vidit came excellently prepared with black, and Grandelius couldn't really find any advantage.

Vidit maintains his sole lead with 3.0/4 | Photo: Petr Vrabec

Standings after Round 4

Rk.NameRtg.Nt.Pts.n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TBPerf.
1
Vidit,S
2721
5.0
9
1
0
1
½
½
½
1
0
½
3.50
2749
2
Firouzja,A
2726
5.0
9
0
1
½
½
½
1
½
½
½
3.50
2748
3
Duda,J
2755
5.0
9
1
0
½
½
½
½
½
1
½
3.00
2745
4
Shankland,S
2683
5.0
9
0
½
½
½
1
½
½
½
1
3.00
2753
5
Anton Guijarro,D
2697
5.0
9
½
½
½
½
0
½
½
1
1
2.50
2751
6
Vitiugov,N
2731
4.5
9
½
½
½
0
1
½
½
½
½
3.00
2705
7
Harikrishna,P
2713
4.5
9
½
0
½
½
½
½
½
1
½
2.50
2707
8
Ragger,M
2670
4.0
9
0
½
½
½
½
½
½
½
½
3.00
2668
9
Navara,D
2717
4.0
9
1
½
0
½
0
½
0
½
1
2.50
2663
10
Grandelius,N
2659
3.0
9
½
½
½
0
0
½
½
½
0
2.50
2588
TBs: Koya, Wins, Direct encounter

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3 a6 7.Bg2 Nf6 8.0-0 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Bf4 d6 11.Qd2 h6 12.Rad1 e5 13.Be3 Bb4 B47: Sicilian: Taimanov: 5 Nc3 Qc7 6 f4, 6 g3 and 6 Be2. 14.a3 14.Nb5!? axb5 15.Qxb4 14...Bxc3! 15.Qxc3 Qxc3 White has an edge. 16.bxc3 Be6 17.Rxd6 Rc8
18.Bb6N 18.Bd2 seems wilder. Ke7 19.Rb6 Rhd8 20.Rxb7+ Kf8 21.Be3 Predecessor: 18.Rb1 Rxc3 19.Rxb7 0-0 20.Ra7 Ng4 21.Bd2 Rxa3 22.Bf1 Rc8 23.Bd3 Ra1+ 24.Kg2 1-0 (60) Rocco,F (2157)-Wadsworth,M (2418) Torquay 2019 18...0-0 19.Ba5 Rc4! 20.Rb6 Nxe4 21.Re1 Nxc3 22.Bxb7 Na4 23.Rxa6 Nc5 The position is equal. 24.Ra7 Nxb7 25.Rxb7 Rxc2 26.Rxe5 Ra2 27.Kg2 Re8
aiming for ...Bh3+! 28.Bc7 Rxa3 29.Rb8 Rxb8 30.Bxb8=       Endgame KRB-KRB g5 31.h3 Rd3 32.Re1 h5 33.Ba7 Kg7 34.Kh2 Kg6 35.Be3 g4 36.h4 Bd5 Accuracy: White = 90%, Black = 95%. ½–½
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  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grandelius,N2659Harikrishna,P2713½–½2020B47Prague Festival Masters 20201.1
Firouzja,A2726Ragger,M2670½–½2020C84Prague Festival Masters 20201.2
Vitiugov,N2731Anton Guijarro,D26971–02020B31Prague Festival Masters 20201.3
Vidit,S2721Shankland,S26831–02020E46Prague Festival Masters 20201.4
Navara,D2717Duda,J27550–12020B90Prague Festival Masters 20201.5
Shankland,S2683Navara,D2717½–½2020E06Prague Festival Masters 20202.1
Grandelius,N2659Firouzja,A2726½–½2020C67Prague Festival Masters 20202.2
Anton Guijarro,D2697Vidit,S2721½–½2020D38Prague Festival Masters 20202.3
Harikrishna,P2713Duda,J2755½–½2020A40Prague Festival Masters 20202.4
Ragger,M2670Vitiugov,N2731½–½2020C11Prague Festival Masters 20202.5
Firouzja,A2726Harikrishna,P27131–02020C84Prague Festival Masters 20203.1
Navara,D2717Anton Guijarro,D26970–12020D35Prague Festival Masters 20203.2
Duda,J2755Shankland,S2683½–½2020B90Prague Festival Masters 20203.3
Vitiugov,N2731Grandelius,N2659½–½2020A48Prague Festival Masters 20203.4
Vidit,S2721Ragger,M26701–02020D85Prague Festival Masters 20203.5
Ragger,M2670Navara,D2717½–½2020C50Prague Festival Masters 20204.1
Harikrishna,P2713Shankland,S2683½–½2020B90Prague Festival Masters 20204.2
Firouzja,A2726Vitiugov,N2731½–½2020C84Prague Festival Masters 20204.3
Anton Guijarro,D2697Duda,J2755½–½2020A05Prague Festival Masters 20204.4
Grandelius,N2659Vidit,S2721½–½2020C65Prague Festival Masters 20204.5
Shankland,S2683Anton Guijarro,D2697½–½2020A45Prague Festival Masters 20205.1
Navara,D2717Grandelius,N26591–02020A33Prague Festival Masters 20205.2
Vitiugov,N2731Harikrishna,P2713½–½2020D02Prague Festival Masters 20205.3
Duda,J2755Ragger,M2670½–½2020C68Prague Festival Masters 20205.4
Vidit,S2721Firouzja,A27261–02020D10Prague Festival Masters 20205.5
Harikrishna,P2713Anton Guijarro,D2697½–½2020E01Prague Festival Masters 20206.1
Ragger,M2670Shankland,S2683½–½2020C55Prague Festival Masters 20206.2
Grandelius,N2659Duda,J2755½–½2020B51Prague Festival Masters 20206.3
Firouzja,A2726Navara,D2717½–½2020C50Prague Festival Masters 20206.4
Vitiugov,N2731Vidit,S2721½–½2020A45Prague Festival Masters 20206.5
Shankland,S2683Grandelius,N26591–02020D86Prague Festival Masters 20207.1
Anton Guijarro,D2697Ragger,M2670½–½2020A50Prague Festival Masters 20207.2
Navara,D2717Vitiugov,N2731½–½2020A20Prague Festival Masters 20207.3
Duda,J2755Firouzja,A27260–12020A11Prague Festival Masters 20207.4
Vidit,S2721Harikrishna,P2713½–½2020D37Prague Festival Masters 20207.5
Harikrishna,P2713Ragger,M2670½–½2020C84Prague Festival Masters 20208.1
Grandelius,N2659Anton Guijarro,D26970–12020B31Prague Festival Masters 20208.2
Firouzja,A2726Shankland,S2683½–½2020C50Prague Festival Masters 20208.3
Vitiugov,N2731Duda,J2755½–½2020D02Prague Festival Masters 20208.4
Vidit,S2721Navara,D27170–12020E12Prague Festival Masters 20208.5
Navara,D2717Harikrishna,P27130–12020D25Prague Festival Masters 20209.1
Ragger,M2670Grandelius,N2659½–½2020B52Prague Festival Masters 20209.2
Anton Guijarro,D2697Firouzja,A2726½–½2020E92Prague Festival Masters 20209.3
Shankland,S2683Vitiugov,N27311–02020A10Prague Festival Masters 20209.4
Duda,J2755Vidit,S27211–02020D38Prague Festival Masters 20209.5

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Tanmay Srinath has been writing for ChessBase India since quite some time now. His tournament reports and depth of analysis have been widely appreciated. Pursuing a full-fledged career in engineering Tanmay doesn't get enough time to pursue chess, but he loves to follow top-level encounters and analyzes those games with his Fat Fritz engine. We hope you find his analysis useful in your games.

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