Reflecting on the 2020-2021 Candidates – Part 2

by Joshua Doknjas
5/10/2021 – The Candidates Tournament 2020/2021 brought a wealth of interesting games and interesting novelties. After all, the players had more than one year to prepare for seven games. In his two-part reflection on the Candidates the Canadian FM Joshua Doknjas takes a close look at the most important theoretical developments in the Candidates and discusses various strategies of preparation. | Photo: Tournament winner Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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The two clear leaders going into the second half of the 2020-21 FIDE Candidates Tournament were Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who each had 4.5/7 points (+2). Caruana had 3.5/7 and immediately put himself in striking distance of first place by using a powerful new opening idea against MVL in Round 8. Giri also started with 3.5/7 and was in contention for first place after he began an impressive winning streak in Round 9. The second part of this Candidates reflection focuses on three main topics: Caruana’s deep Najdorf preparation against MVL, Giri’s remarkable performance in the second half, and Nepomniachtchi’s pragmatic play throughout the event.

Fireworks in the Poisoned Pawn Najdorf

Carlsen remarked before Round 8 that MVL’s two games with Black against Caruana and Ding Liren in Rounds 8 and 9 respectively would be extremely critical for his chances of winning the event. Naturally, the matchup between Caruana and MVL was also extremely important for Caruana’s tournament situation because a win would put him in shared second place. Caruana decided to unleash a shocking piece sacrifice on move 18 in the Poisoned Pawn Najdorf. MVL found one of the better defensive tries and nearly calculated his way out of trouble, but unfortunately faltered in the endgame and was forced to defend tediously for the rest of the game.

 
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This game was played in Round 8, when Caruana had 3.5/7 while MVL and Nepomniachtchi were leading with 4.5/7. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 This position was surprisingly only seen twice in the Candidates and both games featured MVL with the Black pieces. 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 MVL remains faithful to his favorite Poisoned Pawn Variation, despite facing severe difficulties in recent games. 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 Caruana deviates from the surprising 10.Be2!? which he used against MVL a few months prior and heads straight for the theoretical main line. 10.Be2!? doesn't look like a very dangerous move compared to 10.f5 and 10.e5, but the arising positions are filled with sacrifices and sharp play. In his game with Caruana from Tata Steel 2021, MVL immediately ran into trouble. Nc6?! A very risky decision. 10...Nbd7 is the main line, and after 11.0-0 Black should be prepared to enter the complications with either Qc5 or 11...Be7 12.e5! dxe5 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4 f5∞ 12.Kh1 Be7 13.f5 e5 14.Ne6! fxe6 15.fxe6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 There was also an interesting option in 13.Ne4!? based on the following variation: dxe5 14.fxe5 h6 15.Bh4 Bb4 (wins the exchange, but Black's lack of development creates problems in the endgame) 16.Rxb4 Qxb4 17.Qxb4 Nxb4 18.0-0 0-0 19.Be7 Nxc2 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 21.Bh5 Ra7 22.Nd6 and Black faces an unpleasant defence. 13...exd5? 13...cxd5 had to be played, but White's initiative will persist in the middlegame. One sample line is 14.0-0 h6 15.Bh4 dxe5 16.fxe5 Bc5+ 17.Kh1 Qe3 18.Qa5 0-0 19.Bh5 with some pressure on Black's position. 14.e6! f6 14...fxe6 15.f5! Opens up the files in front of Black's king. exf5 15...e5 16.0-0 16.0-0 Five of Black's pieces are stuck on their starting positions. 14...Bxe6 15.f5! Bxf5 16.0-0 Followed by Rb7 to prevent Black from developing the kingside. 15.Bh5+ Kd8 16.Bh4 d4 17.Bf2 Qc3 18.f5+- with a crushing position in 1-0 (37) Caruana,F (2823)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2784) Wijk aan Zee 2021 10...h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nfd7 12...g5 and 12...Nd5 are the other options. 13.Ne4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.c3!? A very rare choice, but an extremely venomous one, as we will see in the lines below. 16.Be2 is the main choice by far. MVL would likely have continued along the same path as he did a couple years ago: Bc5 17.Bg3 Qd5 18.c4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Qa5+ 20.Rd2 0-0 21.Bd6 f5! Returning some material by sacrificing the exchange is the most reliable approach for Black. 22.Bxf8 Nxf8 23.Nd6 Nbd7 24.0-0 Qc5 25.Qd4 a5 with a fine position in 0-1 (47) Giri,A (2779)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2775) Paris (rapid) 2019 16...Bc5 16...f5? is certainly not a move that Black would feel confident playing against a well-prepared opponent. Indeed, White obtains an advantage after 17.Nxe6! Qxe4 17...Qxe6?? 18.Nd6+ 17...fxe4? also loses to 18.Bc4 because the king is stuck on e8. 18.Nc7+ Kf7 19.Qxe4 fxe4 20.Nxa8± The endgame is very unpleasant for Black with so many pieces on the back rank. 16...Be7 17.Bg3!? After analyzing both 17.Bg3 and 17.Bxe7, I think 17.Bg3 is much more dangerous for Black to face in a practical game. 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.Nf3 Qc7 19.Be2 Nf6 and now the direct 20.Nd6 simply leads to a pleasant endgame for Black after Rd8 21.Nf5+ Kf8 22.Rxd8+ Qxd8 23.Qc5+ Kg8 24.Qxc8 Nbd7 17...Qa5 18.Nd6+ Bxd6 19.Bxd6 Qg5! 19...Nf6? runs into a nice trap: 20.Bb5+‼ axb5 21.Nf5! Rg8 22.Bb4 and Black's king has nowhere to run. 20.Qf3! Ne5 20...Nf6 21.Be2 e5 22.0-0! exd4 23.cxd4∞ leads to another bizarre position, but one that is certainly very difficult to play with Black. 21.Qe4 Nbc6 22.Nxc6 Nxc6 23.Be2∞ with an incredibly unclear position. Some possible continuations are f5 23...Qg6 24.Qe3 f6 25.Qc5 Qe4 26.Rd2 24.h4! Qf6 25.Qc4 Kf7 26.g4 17.Bg3 Qd5 18.Bc4‼N This prepared sacrifice by Rustam Kasimdzhanov must have been extremely unpleasant to face over the board. The engine's top choice of 18.Bd6 exchanges Black's queen for a knight and rook, but is less challenging than Caruana's move. Bxd6 19.Nb5 Qxd1+ 20.Kxd1 axb5 21.Nxd6+ Ke7 22.Nf5+ Kf8 23.Ng3 23.Nd6 Ke7= 23...Nc6 should be roughly balanced. The temporary lack of coordination in the Black pieces cannot be exploited easily. Play may continue 24.Bxb5 Nde5 25.Re1 Kg8 Followed by .. .Kh7 and activating the h8-rook. 18...Qxc4 19.Bd6 Nf6! MVL finds the best defence in the position, which Caruana believed to be a very challenging move for Black to play. 19...f5 20.Nxc5 Nxc5? 20...Kf7! should be okay for Black, but it is extremely difficult to play like this. 21.Nxf5 Kf7 22.Nxg7! Kxg7 23.Rd4+- 19...Bxd4 20.Rxd4 Qb3 21.Qg3 Qb1+ The computer evaluates many lines here as 0.00, but I am sure Caruana had prepared the most unpleasant one for MVL to face. 21...g5 22.0-0 Nc6 23.Qf3! Rh7 24.Rdd1∞ and despite the extra piece and three pawns, it is not at all clear how Black intends to untangle his pieces. 22.Kf2 Qc2+ 23.Ke3 g5 24.Ba3 The weak dark-squares around Black's king seem to provide White with a crushing attack, but Black can hang on: Nc6 25.Qc7 f5 26.Nd6+ Kf8 27.Nxc8+ Kg8 28.Rxd7 Qxc3+ 29.Kf2 Qc2+= should end in a perpetual. 20.Nxc5 Carlsen remarked on the live commentary for Chess24 that falling into such a brilliant piece of preparation (where the opponent is fully prepared and playing instantly) is probably the worst feeling to have in a game. Nd5 21.Qe5 Rg8 21...Qxc3+? 22.Kf2 Qb2+ would actually help White because the e1-square is opened for the h1-rook. For example, 23.Kg3 Rg8 or 23...Nf6 24.Rhf1 also looks crushing. 24.Rhe1+- threatening Qxd5. 22.Ndxe6 fxe6 23.Nxe6 Qxc3+ Entering an endgame seems to relieve Black's difficulties, but White still retains some initiative. 23...Nf6! looks impossible at first sight, but is in fact perfectly playable based on the following variation: 24.Nxg7+ 24.Ng5+ Be6 25.Qxe6+ 25.Nxe6?? Kf7 26.Nd8+ Kg6! 25...Qxe6+ 26.Nxe6 Kf7 27.Nc7 Ra7 and Black has nothing to worry about. 24...Kf7 25.Rf1 Qxf1+! 26.Kxf1 Nc6 Followed by taking on g7 with a material advantage. 24.Qxc3 Nxc3 25.Nc7+ Kf7 26.Rd3 Ne4? Caruana mentioned after the game that 26...Ra7! would be heading towards a draw. 27.Rxc3 Kg6! 28.Nd5 28.0-0 Kh7 29.Nd5 Nc6 30.Bc5 b6= 28...Nc6 29.Bc5 Re8+! 30.Kf2 b6 27.0-0+ Kg6 28.Nxa8 Nc6 29.Nb6 Rd8 30.Nxc8 Rxc8 31.Ba3 31.Re1! deserved attention, trying to put pressure on Black's queenside in the following lines: Nf6 or 31...Nxd6 32.Rxd6+ Kh7 33.Rd7 32.Rb1! b5 33.Rc1 Ne7 34.Rxc8 Nxc8 35.Bb4+- 31...Rc7 32.Rf4 Nf6 33.Bb2 Ne7 34.Bxf6 gxf6 35.h4? As seen in a few moves from now, this advance leads to the exchange of h-pawns which gives Black much better drawing chances. 35.h3! Or Kg5 35...Nf5 36.Kh2 Followed by Rd5 and then Rd6. 36.Rdf3 f5 37.Rd4 Followed by Rg3+ and Rd6+ 35...h5 36.Rg3+ Kf7 37.Rg5 Rc1+ 38.Kh2 Ng6 39.Rf2 Nxh4 40.Rxh5 Ng6 41.Rh7+ Ke6 42.Rxb7 Ne5 43.Rb6+ Rc6 44.Rxc6+ Nxc6 45.Kg3 Karsten Müller analyzed this endgame in detail here: https://en.chessbase.com/post/ a-difficult-endgame-fabiano-caruana-vs-maxime-vachier-lagrave Kf7 46.Rc2 Nb4 47.Rd2 Nc6 48.Kf4 Kg6 49.Rd6 Ne5 50.Rxa6 Nf7 51.Ke4 Nh6 52.Ra5 Nf7 53.Ra3 Nd6+ 54.Kf4 Nf5 55.Rd3 Nh6 56.Rg3+ Kf7 57.Ke4 Ng8 58.Kf5 Ne7+ 59.Kf4 Nd5+ 60.Kg4 Kg6 61.Kf3+ Kf7 62.Ke4 Ne7 63.Kf4 Nd5+ 64.Kf5 Ne7+ 65.Ke4 Ng8 66.Rh3 Kg6 67.Ra3 Kf7 68.Kf4 Nh6 69.Rg3 Ng8 70.Kg4 Ne7 71.Kh5 Nd5 72.Rf3 Ke6 73.g4 Ke5 74.Kg6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2842Vachier-Lagrave,M27671–02021B97FIDE Candidates 20208

Fabiano Caruana came up with a stunning novelty in a heavily analysed line | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Giri’s Winning Streak

Between Rounds 9 and 12, Giri scored an impressive 3.5/4 to nearly catch Nepomniachtchi in the lead. Nepomniachtchi was also quite successful in these rounds, winning games against Kirill Alekseenko and Wang Hao.

Standings after Round 12

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Despite Giri’s winning streak, it became clear after Round 12 that he may need to increase his +3 score and play for +5(!) by beating both Grischuk and Alekseenko in the final two rounds to surpass Nepomniachtchi, as sharing first was not an option.

Anish Giri | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Due to Nepomniachtchi’s first round victory over Giri (see the start of my previous article), Nepomniachtchi would have a better tiebreak in the event of shared first place with Giri. To show how unusual Giri’s tournament situation was, Caruana won the Candidates in 2018 with +4 (but could have drawn the final game and won with +3). Karjakin won in 2016 with +3 (but also could have drawn the final game and won with +2). Unfortunately for Giri, he lost to Grischuk in Round 13 after trying to unbalance the game with an unusual Queen’s Indian setup. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi held off MVL’s last attempt at fighting for tournament victory, which meant that he had won the tournament with a round to spare.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Let’s take a look at Giri’s three wins between Rounds 9 to 12 and see how he was able to obtain unbalanced, fighting positions right out of the opening.

 
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This game was played in Round 9, when Giri had 4/8 and needed to start winning to have any hope of catching Nepomniachtchi (who had 5/8 points). 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Nc3!? Playing for a win by heading for an unbalanced pawn structure and a complicated middlegame, where the game will not simplify quickly. The main line 11.Qc1 may not be the best attempt at playing for a win, in view of a very solid setup that Black has at his disposal. Nbd7 12.Nc3 Qe7 13.Re1 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bxf4 15.Qxf4 c6 White may be able to hope for some slight pressure here, but practice hasn't really supported this. For example, 16.a5 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bg2 Rfd8 19.Red1 Ng6 20.Qa4 Nf8! 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Qa3 Rd6 23.Bh3 Ne6 and Black was fine in ½-½ (42) Gajewski,G (2623)-Leko,P (2666) Germany 2019 11...Bxf4 12.gxf4 a5 12...Bxf3 13.Bxf3 c6 14.a5! with some long-term weaknesses on Black's queenside. 13.e3 Na6 13...Bxf3 still seems a bit too early in view of 14.Bxf3 c6 15.b4! although Black is very solid after axb4 16.Qxb4 Ra7 White can try to play for a small edge by putting pressure on the b7-pawn. 13...Nbd7 I imagine that Giri intended to play in similar fashion to the game with 14.Ne5 14.Kh1 Ra6! 15.Rg1 Rb6 16.Qe2 Ne4 leads to a complicated middlegame, but one that should be fine for Black. See ½-½ (56) Aronian,L (2767)-So,W (2780) Saint Louis 2018 14...Bxg2 15.Kxg2 and White can play for slight, long-term pressure in the following lines: c6 15...Ra6 16.Rfd1 Rb6 17.Nd3 Followed by transferring the knight to the kingside. 16.Rg1 White can play h3 and Kh2 next with some clear similarities to the main game. 14.Ne5! Instead of allowing ...Bxf3, Giri forces the exchange of light-squared bishops. 14.Rac1 Bxf3! 15.Bxf3 c6 16.Kh1 Nb4 Although ideas of creating kingside pressure still exist for White, I think it is preferable to have a knight on e5 rather than the bishop on f3. 14...Bxg2 15.Kxg2 c6 15...Nb4 16.Rac1 c6 is a very natural and solid approach for Black. Giri had definitely prepared some ideas in this pawn structure and knew how to create long-term difficulties for his opponent. For example, 17.Qe2 Qe7 18.h3 Followed by fighting for the g-file and gradually making progress on the kingside. Although Black's position is extremely solid, perhaps the most important thing is that the position will remain complicated for a while and not quickly fizzle out to a draw. 16.h3! Qb6 17.Qe2 c5? A direct attempt at equalizing the game, which demonstrates the strength of Giri's preparation. The point is that Black cannot equalize directly and should have agreed to White's terms of playing a slow, maneuvering, and complicated game. 17...Nb4 18.Rg1 Followed by Kh2 and White has ideas of doubling rooks on the g-file and pushing the h-pawn. Again, Black has an extremely solid setup, but the game will remain tense throughout the middlegame. 18.Rfd1 The forcing 18.Qb5 leads to an endgame where White has an extra pawn. Qxb5 19.axb5 cxd4 20.bxa6 dxc3 21.axb7 Rab8 22.bxc3 Rxb7 23.Rxa5 Ne4 with reasonable drawing chances. Giri prefers to create long-term, strategic problems for his opponent. 18...cxd4 18...Rfd8 19.Qb5 Qc7 20.Rac1 is very pleasant for White, but perhaps this should have been preferred by Black instead of opening the d-file. 19.Rxd4 Rad8 20.Rxd8 Qxd8 20...Rxd8 21.Qb5 Qc7 22.Nc4 picks up the a5-pawn. 21.Rd1 Qa8 22.Kg1 Nb4 23.Qb5! Pressuring Black's queenside pawns. Nbd5 24.Nxd5 Nxd5 25.Rc1 h6 25...Rd8 also deserved attention, preventing White's queen from invading on d7. 26.Qd7 Nf6 27.Qd6 g6? There were still fighting chances for Black with 27...Qe8! 28.b3 b5 Creating some threats on the queenside. 27...Nd5 28.f5! Rd8 29.Nd7 would also have been problematic for Black. 28.b3 h5 29.Kh2 Kg7 30.Qd4 Rd8 31.Qb2 Qb8 32.b4? 32.Qc3+- would have picked up the a5-pawn and kept everything under control. 32...axb4 33.Rc4?! Consistent with Giri's previous move, but there is a very unexpected opportunity for counterplay here which was missed by both players. b3? 33...Rd1! Targeting White's unprotected back rank. 34.Rxb4 34.Qxb4 Qd8 35.Qxb7 Ng4+! 36.Nxg4 hxg4 Threatening ...Qh4. And if 37.Rc7 then Qf6 Followed by targeting the f2-pawn. 34...Qd6 35.Rxb7 Qd5 Leading to a draw by perpetual. 36.Rxf7+ Kh6 37.Rxf6 37.Qb7 Rh1+ 38.Kg3 Rg1+ 39.Kh4?? 39.Kh2 Rh1+= 39...Qxe5! 40.fxe5 g5# 37...Rh1+ 38.Kg3 Rxh3+ 39.Kxh3 Qh1+ 40.Kg3 h4+ 41.Kg4 Qg2+ 42.Kxh4 Qh2+= 34.Rb4 Qa7? The absolute last chance for Black was again based on activating the major pieces. 34...Qd6! Intending ...Qd1 or ...Qd2 next. However, White will have an extra a-pawn on the queenside, which makes it unlikely that the resulting endgames can be saved. 35.Rxb3 Qxa4 36.Rxb7 Qe8 37.Ra7 Rd5 38.Qb7 Ne4 39.Nxf7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Giri,A2763Wang Hao27621–02021E05FIDE Candidates 20209
 
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This game was played in Round 11, when Nepomniachtchi had just increased his score to +3 (6.5/10), while Giri had +1 (5.5/10), so he needed to play for a win again in this game. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bxc6!? Similarly to the previous game between Giri and Wang Hao, Giri plays for an unbalanced pawn structure and avoids well-known theoretical pathways. In the previous round (Round 10), Caruana tried to put pressure on Ding Liren by entering one of the most critical main lines. 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.a5 d6 10.d3 Be6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.c3 Rb8 13.Nbd2 Rb5 14.d4 bxc3 15.bxc3 exd4 16.cxd4 Qc8!? A rare idea, found by Ding Liren over the board. 17.Ba3 Nxa5 18.Qc2 c5 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxc5 Nc6 21.Ne4?! Nxe4 22.Rxe4 Rd8 and Black was already doing quite well in ½-½ (40) Caruana,F (2842)-Ding Liren (2805) Yekaterinburg RUS 2021 6...dxc6 7.d3 Bd6 7...Nd7 was seen in a very impressive blitz game between Carlsen and Ding. 8.Nbd2 Giri probably intended to deviate early from the Carlsen - Ding game. For example, 8.c3!? makes a lot of sense to play for central control. 8...0-0 9.a4 a5 10.b3 f6 11.Nh4 Nc5 12.Nf5 Ne6 13.Nc4 b6 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Ne3 g6 16.Bb2 c5 17.Qd2 Bb7 18.Rae1 Rad8 19.f3 and now Ding Liren begins an extremely unexpected plan. Kf7! 20.Qf2 Ke8 21.Qh4 Kd7! The king is transferred to the queenside, after which it will be possible for Black to push the kingside pawns forward. 22.f4 Nxf4 23.Rxf4 exf4 24.Ng4 g5 25.Qh6 Qe6 26.Nxf6+ Kc8 27.Qxg5 f3! 28.Rf1 Rg8 29.Nxg8 Rxg8 30.Qe5 Rxg2+ 31.Kh1 Qg6 32.h4 Bc6 33.Qf4 Rxc2 34.Rg1 Rg2 35.Qe3 Qg3 0-1 (35) Carlsen,M (2870)-Ding,L (2801) Kolkata (blitz) 2019 7...Qd6!? is another possibility to quickly develop the queenside. The game can become sharp after 8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Ng5 0-0-0!?∞ which would have been welcomed by Giri considering the importance of winning this game. 8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Nb3 Qe7 9...a5 is a transposition to a line from the Anti-Berlin. I discussed this in Opening Repertoire: The Ruy Lopez through the following move order: 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Nbd2 Be6 8.Nb3 a5. 10.Qe1! Fighting for control of the a5-square. a4 11.Na5 Qb8 12.b4! Bg4 12...0-0 is better, with a complicated middlegame ahead. 13.Nh4 0-0 14.Nc4 Be6 15.Nxd6 cxd6 16.f4 and White developed a powerful initiative in 1-0 (31) Dominguez Perez,L (2763)-Aronian,L (2765) Saint Louis (blitz) 2019 9...c5 10.Na5 Qc8 11.Ng5 Bg4 12.f3 Bh5 13.Qe1 Followed by f4 offers White good play. 10.Na5 0-0-0!? Giri was not expecting this double-edged idea, perhaps because he was more concerned about quieter choices from Ding. The current position most likely appealed to Giri, who needed a complicated position with fighting chances. 10...Rb8 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 0-0 12...g5 is not so effective because Black's king cannot castle on the queenside. 13.Bg3 Nd7 14.d4 13.c3 provides good chances for a slight edge. White will focus on playing in the centre, while it's not so clear what Black intends to do. 11.Qe2 11.a3 Starting with a queenside expansion looks very natural. Bg4 12.b4 Some sample lines are: Rhg8 or 12...Nd7 13.h3 Bh5 14.Qe2 13.Qe2! Now is a good moment to get out of the g4-d1 pin. g5 14.Qe3 Kb8 15.Rb1 11...Bg4 12.c3 As pointed out by Giri, the two ways White could expand on the queenside are c3, b4, and a4, or a3, b4, and c4. 12.a3 was another way of playing. 12...c5!? Ignoring the queenside was also an option for Black. For example, 12...Rhg8 13.b4 Nh5∞ 13.a3 c6 Giri was surprised and impressed by this 12...c5 and 13...c6 idea from Ding. It does look strange to spend two moves building up a defence on the queenside in such a sharp position, but it works out well because Giri doesn't find the most dangerous offensive plan. 14.b4 Bc7 15.Nb3?! Putting pressure on the c5-pawn, but this plan can be somewhat ignored by Black. Playing for a direct a4 and b5 was a more effective approach. 15.Nc4! Nd7 15...cxb4 16.axb4 is also dangerous for Black due to the weak queenside dark squares. 16.a4 f5 16...cxb4? With the knight on c4, the b4-pawn cannot be taken in view of 17.cxb4 Qxb4 18.Ba3 17.h3! The immediate 17.b5 is very tempting. However, first getting rid of the g4-bishop may be stronger. Bxf3 18.Qxf3 f4 18...fxe4 19.dxe4 cxb4 20.cxb4 Qxb4 21.Qe2 The open files on the queenside make Black's position very difficult to play. 19.b5! axb5 20.axb5 cxb5 21.Na3 g5 22.Nxb5 leads to a double-edged position which should be favorable for White. The centre and queenside can be opened with d4 next. 15...Nd7 16.h3 Bh5 17.Be3?! Consistent with White's plan from move 15. Now Ding creates play along the f-file. f5! The c5-pawn must be sacrificed, otherwise: 17...cxb4? 18.axb4 Followed by c4 and b5 to open up the queenside. 18.Bxc5 18.exf5 runs into c4! and the pawn cannot be taken because of ...e4. 18...Qf7 19.Rab1 g5?! The simplest for Black was 19...fxe4! 20.Qxe4 20.dxe4 Nxc5 21.Nxc5 Rhf8 20...Nf6 21.Qf5+ Qd7 22.Qxd7+ Rxd7 with a very pleasant endgame. 20.exf5 g4? Overambitious play by Ding, who may have believed that he was developing a crushing kingside attack. The less rushed 20...Qxf5 would have been a much stronger way of creating kingside play. For example, 21.Qe4 Qf6 22.Nfd2 Bg6 23.Qe2 g4! 24.hxg4 h5 The open files in front of White's king provide Black with excellent attacking prospects. 21.Ng5 Qxf5 22.h4 Suddenly White is doing perfectly fine on the kingside and can switch over to attacking Black's queenside. At this point, it is clear that Ding must have made a major oversight in his calculations from move 19. b6 23.Ne4! White also retains a significant advantage after the natural 23.Be3, but Giri decides that there is no reason to retreat. 23.d4? Nb8! keeps everything under control of the queenside. 23...bxc5 24.bxc5 Nf6 24...Nb8 25.Qb2 Kd7 26.Nbd2 Also looks awful for Black due to White's active knights and Black's poorly placed minor pieces. 25.Nd6+! Leaving Black with no defenders on the queenside. Bxd6 26.cxd6 Rxd6 27.d4! c5 28.Nxc5 Re8 29.Qc4 1–0
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Giri,A2763Ding Liren28051–02021C85FIDE Candidates 202011
 
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This game was played in Round 12, when Nepomniachtchi was leading with +3 (7/ 11), Giri was on +2 (6.5/11), while Caruana had +1 (6/11). Therefore, Caruana needed to play for a win and Giri would also be looking to create some chances. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 In the second half of the tournament, Giri played the Sveshnikov against Nepomniachtchi and MVL instead of his usual Berlin or Najdorf. For this game, Giri prepared the Four Knights Sicilian, which avoids Caruana's two favorite lines against the 2...Nc6 Sicilian: the Rossolimo and the 7.Nd5 Sveshnikov. 2...Nc6 3.d4 3.Bb5 has been Caruana's preferred weapon for many years. 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 was heavily debated in the 2018 World Championship match between Carlsen and Caruana. Before the match, 7.Nd5 was significantly less popular than the mainline with 7.Bg5. Giri defended this line himself against MVL in Round 10. Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.c4 9.a4 was seen twice in the 2018 World Championship match. 9...Be7 10.c5!? Probably a surprise for Giri, as most players play the modern 9.a4 these days. Na6 11.cxd6 Bxd6 12.Bc4 0-0 13.0-0 Nc7 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Qf3 and MVL managed to put Giri under some pressure in ½-½ (40) Vachier Lagrave,M (2767)-Giri,A (2763) Yekaterinburg RUS 2021 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.a3 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 is arguably the critical test of the Four Knights Sicilian. Most experts on the Black side continue with Qc7 9.f4 Qb6 10.c4 Bb4+ 11.Ke2 f5 Trying to fight for an advantage here as White, while unprepared, is not an easy task. Therefore, Caruana's choice of 6.a3 makes a lot of sense to sidestep these forcing variations and avoid his opponent's preparation early on. 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 is a Sveshnikov, but White has been forced to play the main line (7. Bg5) and wasn't given the option to play Caruana's 7.Nd5! 6...Be7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Be2 d6 Setting up a Scheveningen Sicilian pawn structure, which is objectively stronger than the direct 8...d5 and ensures that the middlegame will be much more complicated. 9.Qd3!? Putting the queen on d3 looks very strange, but it is a recent trend in these pawn structures. For example, 6. Qd3!? has been used recently against the Najdorf by Carlsen, as well as Jorden van Foreest on his way to winning the Tata Steel Masters 2021 tournament. See 1-0 (47) Van Foreest,J (2671)-Grandelius,N (2663) Wijk aan Zee 2021. Bd7 10.f4 e5! 10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.0-0-0 could be unpleasant for Black because of White's space advantage. Giri decides to change the central pawn structure immediately. 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 exf4 12...Qc7!? Also deserved attention. The idea is to delay ...exf4 so that White's queen cannot easily move to g3. 13.Bxf4 Be6 14.Qg3! One of the points behind developing the queen to d3 is shown with this move. The queen can quickly transfer to g3, where it puts pressure on Black's kingside and d6-pawn. Nd7 15.Rad1 Re8 15...Qb6+? 16.Be3 Qxb2? loses to 17.Bd4 16.Kh1 Qb8! Preparing ...Ne5 with tempo. 17.b4?! Caruana decides to expand on the queenside and weaken Black's control over the d5-square, but this also creates some weaknesses in White's position. Preferable was 17.b3! Ne5 18.Bh5! A very strong idea, preparing to reroute the knight to the more active d4-square. g6 19.Ne2 Kh8 20.Bf3 Qc7 21.Nd4 and White should have much better chances compared to the game. 17...Ne5 18.b5 18.Bh5?! with the same idea as the 17.b3! variation doesn't work out because of a5 exploiting White's weakened queenside. 18...Rc8 19.bxc6 Rxc6 20.Nd5 Qf8! Protecting the e7-bishop and preparing to activate the a8-rook. Black has a very comfortable position and Caruana starts to make some inaccuracies over the next few moves. The tournament situation must have significantly impacted Caruana's play because it is very discouraging to defend an unpleasant position while also needing to play for a win. 21.c3 Rac8 22.Rc1 22.Bxe5 should have been played, but White has very few winning chances after dxe5 23.Qxe5 Bxa3 22...Ng6 23.Bd2?! Bh4 24.Qe3 Rc5 25.c4 h6! 26.Qb3 Bg5 A few inaccuracies by Caruana and strong positional play by Giri has provided Black with a clear advantage. 27.Bxg5 hxg5 28.Qg3 Qd8 29.Rcd1 Bxd5 30.exd5 Nf4 31.Qf2 R8c7 32.Rd4 Qe8 33.Bf3 Rxc4 34.Rxc4 Rxc4 35.Qxa7 Ra4 36.Qf2? There was one last opportunity for White here with 36.Qc7 Rxa3 37.h4! Getting out of back rank problems. 37.Qxd6? loses to Rxf3! 38.gxf3 Qe2 37...Ng6 37...Rxf3? 38.gxf3 Qe2 39.Qc8+ Kh7 40.Qf5+= 38.hxg5 Ra4! 39.g3 and Black still has an excellent position, but at least there are more chances for White to survive here. 36...Rxa3 37.h4 Qe5 38.hxg5 Qxg5 39.Re1 Ra8 40.Be4 Ra2 An oversight right before the time control, as Giri had missed Caruana's 41st move. Giri was able to admit his mistake, bring the rook back to a8, and win the game easily. 41.Rb1 Ra8! 42.Re1 f5 43.Bb1 Kf7 44.Re3 Rh8+ 45.Kg1 Nxg2 Unfortunately for Giri, Nepomniachtchi managed to win against Wang Hao in the same round (Round 12), so Giri remained half a point behind. In Round 13, Giri lost to Grischuk after trying to unbalance the game by playing an unusual Queen’s Indian Defense. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi drew his game with MVL, which meant that he had secured first place before the final round. 0–1
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Caruana,F2842Giri,A27630–12021B40FIDE Candidates 202012

Nepomniachtchi’s Pragmatic Preparation

Nepomniachtchi’s Candidates preparation was much different from the approaches we have seen so far. He did not have the chance to unleash any major opening discoveries, like Giri or Caruana, but was instead on the receiving end of preparation several times (see the previous article). Two of his main strengths throughout the event were responding precisely to his opponent’s preparation and taking advantage of opportunities as they arose.

The first two games analyzed below (Nepomniachtchi – Wang Hao from Round 5 and Nepomniachtchi – Ding Liren from Round 6) contain several clear similarities: Nepomniachtchi finds a small opening idea with the White pieces, obtains a slight edge, and puts his opponent under pressure by playing quickly and confidently.

In the second half of the tournament, Nepomniachtchi played very pragmatically, drawing quickly with the White pieces against two of his main rivals: Giri (Round 8) and Caruana (Round 11). He also seized the opportunities given to him by winning Round 10 against Alekseenko and Round 12 against Wang Hao. His game with Wang Hao is the one win that we will not analyze, in which Nepomniachtchi surprisingly played the Petroff with Black and managed to exploit his opponent’s mistakes in a balanced endgame.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bf5 7.0-0 Be7 In recent years, the ...Bf5 setup has overtaken the older classical lines with 6...Nc6 7.0-0 Be7. 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nbd2 9.c4 leads to a slightly more unbalanced pawn structure after Nc6 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 but like many lines in the Petroff, Black is very solid here too. 9...Nd6 10.Nf1 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 c6 12.Bf4 Na6 13.h4!? A small opening idea to put some slight pressure on Black's kingside. 13.Ne3 Nc7 14.Re2 Ne6 15.Bxd6 Bxd6 16.g3 Qd7 17.Rae1 Rae8 gave Black a solid position in ½-½ (31) Anand, V (2767)-Yu,Y (2738) Stavanger 2019 13...Nc7 14.Ng5 Bxg5 14...g6! 15.Ne3 Qd7 15...h6 16.Nf3 h5 is also a very solid setup for Black. 16.h5 Nce8 Now is the right moment for Black to exchange the e7-bishop for White's knight: 16...Bxg5! 17.Bxg5 f5! 18.Bf4 Ne6 19.Be5 Nf7 The knights serve a very useful defensive purpose in keeping the dark squares protected around Black's king. 17.Nf3 Ng7 18.Ne5 The weak kingside dark squares provided White with a comfortable advantage in ½-½ (45) So,W (2770)-Duda,J (2743) chess24.com INT 2021 15.Bxg5 f6 16.Bf4 Qd7 17.Ng3 Rae8 17...g6!? 18.h5 Kf7! was an interesting defensive setup. The idea is to restrict White's knight by keeping the f5-square under control. 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Nf5 Qd7 20.Qh3 Kh8 21.h5! Black hasn't done anything wrong so far, but Nepomniachtchi has managed to find a very active square for his knight and create some pressure on the kingside. Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Re8 23.Rxe8+ 23.Kf1 immediately or on the next move made a lot of sense to improve White's position before taking further action. 23...Nxe8 24.g4!? Defending the knight on f5 creates the threat of Qa3 next with a double attack on the f8-square and a7-pawn. 24.Kf1 24...a6 25.b3 Qe6 26.Ne3 Nd6 27.h6! The pawn on h6 could turn into a weakness if Black has time to target it with ...Nf7. However, as we will see in the game, the h6-pawn severely cramps Black's kingside and makes the h7-pawn a potential weakness. g6 28.c4 Nepomniachtchi has played very directly over the past few moves, trying to pose his opponent with concrete problems which require accurate calculation. dxc4 29.bxc4 Kg8 29...Nf7! 30.c5 The idea is to meet 30.Qh2?! with Qd6 30...Qxa2 Intending ...Qa1+ and ...Qxd4 is fine for Black. Then, the queen can cover the back rank with ... Qd8 if necessary. 29...Nxc4?? loses due to the h6-pawn and Black's misplaced king on h8. 30.Nxc4 Qxc4 31.Qh2!+- Kg8 32.Qb8+ Kf7 33.Qxb7+ Ke6 34.Qxh7 30.Qh2! Kf7 31.c5 Nb5 32.Qb8 Qd7?? The losing mistake, allowing White to make use of his h-pawn advance. 32...Nxd4! 33.Qxb7+ Qe7 34.Qxa6 Qe4 and White's exposed king should provide Black without enough counterplay to draw. 32...Qe7 33.Qh8 Ke6 was a much better version of what occurs in the game because the d7-square is available for Black's king. 33.Qh8 Ke6 34.f4+- Nxd4 35.Qg8+ Qf7 36.Qc8+ Qd7 37.Qg8+ Qf7 38.Qd8 Qd7 39.f5+! gxf5 40.gxf5+ Nxf5 41.Qxd7+ Kxd7 42.Nxf5 Ke6 43.Ne3 1–0
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Nepomniachtchi,I2774Wang Hao27621–02020C42FIDE Candidates 20205
 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 Ding Liren's Marshall was heavily targeted in the Candidates. He scored only 1/5 (3 losses) against the Ruy Lopez. 6.d3 A similar d3 Ruy Lopez pawn structure was reached in the following game. 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 Later, Ding Liren switched to 9...d5! which is more in the spirit of the Marshall Gambit. 10.a3 Qd7 11.Nc3 Rfe8 12.Bd2 Nd8 13.Nd5! Nxd5 14.exd5 The change in pawn structure restricts Black's minor pieces and provides White with a space advantage. c5 15.a4 f5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Bxa8 18.c4± 1-0 (37) Vachier Lagrave,M (2767)-Ding,L (2805) Yekaterinburg 2020 6...b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 0-0 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 Be6 11.b4 Bxa2 12.Rxa2 Nc6 13.Bg5 One of the critical main lines of the 6.d3 Ruy Lopez. Qd7!? This line, which allows White to obtain the d5-outpost for his knight, had been played by Ding a couple of times before. 13...Ng4 14.Bd2 Nf6 15.Re1 Qd7 is a more common way of playing. 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 a5! Putting some pressure on the queenside and not worrying about the doubled kingside pawns after Nxf6+. 15...Bd8 16.a4 and White is the first one to create play on the queenside. 16.Rb2! A small new idea, comparable to 13.h4!? from the previous game (Nepomniachtchi - Wang Hao) in the sense that White plays for a risk-free slight advantage and tries to build up the pressure on his opponent. At the end of 2019, MVL tried a more direct attempt at an opening edge. 16.c4 Ne7 17.Qb3 17.Nxf6+ gxf6 18.Rc2 bxc4 19.dxc4 axb4 20.axb4 Ra4! 21.b5 Qe6 The weakened kingside pawn structure is compensated by Black's queenside play. 17...bxc4 18.Nxe7+ Bxe7 19.dxc4 axb4 20.axb4 Qc6 21.Re1 Rxa2 22.Qxa2 Ra8 and Black quickly achieved an excellent position in ½-½ (90) Vachier Lagrave,M (2780)-Ding,L (2801) London 2019 16...axb4 17.axb4 Bd8 17...Ne7 18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.Nh4! The open a-file should not provide Black with enough counterplay for the weakened kingside. 18.c4 Nd4 18...Ne7 19.Ne3 Followed by activating the queen and f1-rook (e.g., Qc2 and Rd1) with a slight edge. 19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Qc2 Re8 20...c6 21.Nf4 White can try to create some slight pressure by improving his position on the kingside (g3, h4, and Kg2), but Black is quite solid. 21.g3 bxc4 22.Qxc4 c6 23.Nf4 Bg5 24.Ne2 d5 25.exd5 cxd5 26.Qb3 h5! An excellent idea to fight for counterplay in an otherwise unpleasant position. 27.b5 h4 28.b6 h3? A typical idea to cramp White's kingside, but it is met by a very strong idea from Nepomniachtchi. 28...Rab8! was much stronger. The critical line runs 29.b7 Re7 30.Rfb1 Qg4 31.Qxd5 Rxe2 32.Rxe2 Qxe2 33.Qxg5 Qxd3 holds for Black after 34.Qc1 or 34.Rc1 Qa6 34...Qf5 29.Kh1! Preparing Ng1, when the light-squared weaknesses will be under control and the h3-pawn can be targeted easily. Reb8 30.Rfb1 Bd8 31.Qb5 31.b7 Ra7 32.Ng1! was pointed out by Nepomniachtchi as the simplest way to win the game. 31...Qg4 32.Qxd5 32.Qe8+! Kh7 33.Qxf7 Rxb6 34.Rxb6 Bxb6 35.Ng1+- White is completely winning. 32...Ra5 33.Qc6? In view of the opportunity Black has on the next move, 33.f3! was much stronger. 33...Rc5? Missing the final chance (and a brilliant one) for counterplay. 33...Rxb6! 34.Rxb6 Qxe2 34...Bxb6? 35.Ng1+- 35.Rb8 Re5‼ 36.Rxd8+ Kh7 37.Rg1 37.Rh8+ Kxh8 38.Qc8+ Kh7 39.Qxh3+ Kg6= 37...Qxf2 38.Qa8?? Re1 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Qc6+ f6 and White runs out of checks. 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Ng1 Rxb6 36.Qxd8 Rxb2 37.Rxb2 Rc1 38.Qh4+ Qxh4 39.gxh4 Rd1 40.f3 1–0
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Nepomniachtchi,I2774Ding Liren28051–02020C77FIDE Candidates 20206
 
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This game was played in Round 10, when Nepomniachtchi had just drawn his first two games in the second half to maintain a +2 score (5.5/9). However, Giri, Caruana, and MVL were close behind with +1 (5/9), so Nepomniachtchi was certainly looking to increase his lead with the White pieces against the lowest rated player in the tournament. 1.c4 Nepomniachtchi avoids his usual 1.e4 and aims for a position where his opponent may be less prepared. Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 In the final round of the tournament, Alekseenko demonstrated an excellent understanding of a different type of Catalan position against Giri. 4.d4 Bb4+ 5.Nd2 0-0 6.Ngf3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2 Nbd7 10.Qc2 Rc8 11.Rad1 c5 12.Qb1 Qe7 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.cxd5 Bxd5 Alekseenko reacted very well to Giri's opening and has already equalized comfortably. 15.Ne5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qb7+ 17.Kg1 b5! 18.Nef3 Red8 19.a3 Bxd2 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Nxd2 Kg7 22.Nf3 Ne4 0-1 (56) Giri,A (2763) -Alekseenko,K (2698) Yekaterinburg RUS 2021 4...dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Qc2 Prophylactics against ...b5 is the critical try for an edge. In fact, the main problem for Black throughout this game is his undeveloped queenside, which should have been addressed immediately on move 8. c5 8.Nc3 Be7?! A natural move, but one that puts Black under severe positional pressure right from the opening. 8...Qc7! The queenside must be developed first. 9.0-0 b6 9...b5 10.a4 Provoking a weakness on Black's queenside. b4 11.Nd1 10.d4 Bb7 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Rfd1 0-0 14.e4 A recent game with Esipenko playing as Black showed a good way to continue. Qc7 15.Rac1 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Rad8 17.Qe2 17.f4!? e5 18.Nd5 Qxc2 19.Nxc2 exf4 20.gxf4 Nc5 21.Nce3 1-0 (51) Giri,A (2779)-Karjakin,S (2748) Riga (rapid) 2019 17...Qb8 18.Rc2 The forcing 18.e5 Bxg2 19.exf6 Ba8 20.fxg7 Rfe8 leads to a fine position for Black. 18...b5 19.Nb3?! Ne5 20.Nc5 Bc8 21.Rcd2 Qc7 and Black had a very comfortable position in 0-1 (42) Donchenko,A (2668)-Esipenko,A (2677) Wijk aan Zee 2021 9.0-0 0-0 10.d4 10.Rd1!? discourages 10...b5 and may have been even stronger than Nepomniachtchi's choice. e5 10...b5? 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.Bxa8 and Black doesn't have nearly enough compensation for the exchange. 11.a4± Followed by a5 puts Black under a lot of queenside pressure. 10...cxd4?! Opening up the g2-a8 diagonal for White's light-squared bishop. 10...b5! 11.Ne5 11.Ng5 Ra7 12.dxc5 Bxc5 leads to a slightly worse position for Black, but nothing too drastic. 11...Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.Be3 Be6! 14...c4 15.Rad1± Followed by doubling the rooks would be incredibly unpleasant to face. 15.Bxc5 Qc7 16.b4 a5 should lead to some simplifications and provide Black with reasonable drawing chances. 11.Nxd4± Qc7 12.Rd1 Rd8 13.Be3 Nb6 Preparing ...e5 to develop the queenside pieces, but it doesn't work out for Black. 14.Rac1 e5 15.Nf5 Bxf5 15...Bf8 runs into a powerful blow on the kingside. 16.Nxg7! Kxg7 16...Bxg7 loses tactically to 17.Ne4 Rxd1+ 18.Qxd1 Qe7 19.Bxb6+- 17.Qb3 Threatening the b6-knight, as well as Nd5 followed by Nxf6 with an overwhelming attack. Nc4 18.Rxd8 Nxe3 19.Rxf8 Kxf8 20.fxe3+- 16.Qxf5 Nc4 17.Bg5 Rxd1+ 18.Nxd1 Rd8 19.Bxf6 Removing Black's most important kingside defender. Bxf6 20.Be4+- Black cannot prevent the decisive queen invasion to h7. Qa5 21.Nc3 Kf8 22.Nd5 b5 23.Qxh7 Rxd5 24.Bxd5 Qd2 25.Rxc4 bxc4 26.e4 Qxb2 27.Qh8+ Ke7 28.Qc8 Qb6 29.Qxc4 Qb5 30.Qc7+ Qd7 31.Qc5+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nepomniachtchi,I2774Alekseenko,K26981–02021A13FIDE Candidates 202010

Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Kirill Alekseenko | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Different Approaches to Preparation

In the first part of my Candidates reflection, we looked closely at deep, original preparation. Our discussion continued at the start of this article, where Caruana used an impressive piece of home analysis against MVL’s Najdorf. At first, it seemed that MVL had managed to successfully navigate through the complications, but he faltered after the exchange of queens and wasn’t able to defend the difficult endgame.

Besides deep preparation, we examined two other approaches to opening preparation which were both driven by the tournament situation. Giri required many wins in the second half to surpass Nepomniachtchi, so he prepared lines to unbalance the position and get fighting chances right out of the opening. Importantly, the opening positions that Giri got between Rounds 9 and 12 avoided theoretical pathways, had strategically complicated pawn structures, and were unlikely to fizzle out or simplify into an equal position.

Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi needed a modest plus score in the second half, which led to him playing very pragmatically. He made quick draws with White against Giri and Caruana, and took his chances when they arose against Alekseenko and Wang Hao. Although his results were good in the second half, I believe that Nepomniachtchi’s play in the first half of the event was a much better demonstration of his strengths. As we saw in the previous article, he responded very well to deep preparation by Giri and Caruana, even managing to overtake the initiative and win against Giri in Round 1.

Nepomniachtchi’s wins from Rounds 5 and 6 against Wang Hao and Ding Liren show exactly the type of positions he excels in. In both games, a small opening idea provided him with a risk-free slight advantage and the opportunity to use his speed and calculation abilities to build up the pressure on his opponent. There was no brilliant piece of deep preparation in any of his wins, but he succeeded in getting comfortable positions out of the opening that were well-suited for his strengths.

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Joshua Doknjas is a FIDE Master from Canada and the author of two books on the Sicilian Najdorf and Ruy Lopez. He enjoys teaching, following, and writing about chess. Joshua is especially interested in the role of engines during opening preparation and understanding how AI has influenced modern chess.

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