NAKAMURA vs GRISCHUK – SINQUEFIELD CUP 2018 ROUND 3

For the second day in a row Central European time meant that I was already asleep when the only decisive game of the day finished. Just like round 2, this was also 6.5 hours – although 89 moves compared to Carlsen’s 88 mover. Grischuk leveraged his space advantage to win three pawns, creating a won end game.

Today’s game features a Two Knights Defense that includes some Q&A style annotations.

While playing through the game, scroll slowly so that when you get to the questions you can put some time on the clock (ten to fifteen minutes) and try and find the solution.

Nakamura,Hikaru (2777) - Grischuk,Alexander (2766)

6th Sinquefield Cup GCT 2018 Saint Louis (3), 20.08.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.0–0 0–0 6.c3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Bg4 9.Nbd2 Nb6 10.Bb5 Bd6 11.h3 Bh5 12.Ne4 C55: Two Knights: 4 d3, 4 d4 exd4 5 e5 and Max Lange Attack 
12...Re8 13.Bg5 f6 Threatens to win with ...Bxf3. 
14.Be3 The position is equal. 
14...a6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Ng3 Bf7 

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17.c4N Hoping for c5. [17.d4 Nc4 18.dxe5 Bxe5 19.Nxe5 Rxe5 1/2–1/2 (43) Carlsen,M (2855)-Aronian,L (2792) Leuven 2016] 
17...Bb4 18.Re2 Bf8 19.b3 c5 20.Qe1 a5 21.Rd1 a4 22.Nd2 Qd7 23.Nb1 axb3 24.axb3 Bg6 25.f3 

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25...Rad8 
What would have been wrong with 25...Bxd3 instead of the move that was played?

00000

[Don't go for 25...Bxd3? 26.Red2+-] 
26.Qf2 Qc6 27.Red2 Nd7 28.Nc3 h6 29.Kh1 Kh8 30.Nb5 Bh7 31.Ra2 f5! 32.Bc1 Nf6 33.Nc3 Qb7 34.Rb2 g5 35.Rb1 Qc6 36.Bb2 Kg8 37.Nf1 Nh5 38.Nd5 Qd6 39.Ng3 c6 40.Nc3? 

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Can you find an improvement for White instead of 40.Nc3?

00000 

[40.Nxh5µ cxd5 41.g4] 
Find the move that punishes White's error.

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40...Nf4!–+ 41.Qf1 Nxd3 42.Nce2 Qe6 43.Bc3 Rd6 44.Rd2 Red8 45.Rbd1 Bg6 46.Nc1 Nxc1 47.Rxd6 Bxd6 [Resist 47...Rxd6 48.Rxc1 e4 49.fxe4–+] 
48.Rxc1 Rb8 49.Ra1 [49.Qe2 was necessary.] 
49...Rxb3 50.Ra8+ Rb8 51.Ra6 Bf8 52.Qe2 Bg7 [¹52...e4 ...Rb3 is the strong threat. 53.Kg1 e3] 
53.Ra7 

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Can you see the immediate threat posed by White?

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And now Rxg7+! would win. 
53...Re8 54.h4 [54.Nf1 is a better defense.] 
54...gxh4 55.Nf1 f4 56.Nd2 Re7 57.Rxe7 Qxe7 58.Ne4 Bf7 59.Kh2 

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Black has a powerful continuation here. What is it?

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59...h3! 60.gxh3 Qe6 61.Qg2 Kh7 62.Qc2 White wants to mate with Nf6+. 
62...Kh8 63.Qb2 

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63...Kh7 
What would have been wrong with 63...Qxc4 in this position?

00000

[Don't play 63...Qxc4 64.Bxe5 Bxe5 65.Qxe5+ Kh7 66.Qxf4=] 
64.Qc2! 
What is White's unpleasant threat?

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White threatens Nf6+ and mate. 
64...Qg6 65.Qe2 Be6 66.Qf1 Bf5 67.Qe2 Qh5 68.Nf2 [¹68.Qf1] 
68...Qh4 69.Ne4 [¹69.Kg1] 
69...Qxh3+ 70.Kg1 Qh5 Black is clearly winning. 
71.Be1 [¹71.Nd2 Qg6+ 72.Kh1] 
71...Bxe4 72.Qxe4+ Qg6+ 73.Kh2 Qxe4 74.fxe4 Endgame KB-KB 
74...Kg6 75.Kh3 Kh5 76.Bh4 f3 77.Bf2 Bf6 78.Be1 Bg5 79.Bf2 Be7 80.Be1 Bd8 81.Bg3 Kg5 82.Bxe5 Bf6 83.Bd6 f2 84.Kg2 Bd4 85.Kf1 Kg4 86.Ke2 h5 87.Kf1 h4 88.Bh2 h3 89.Ke2 

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Blacks next move caused White to resign immediately. What was it?

00000

89...Be3!  0–1