NEPOMNIACHTCHI vs KRAMNIK – ROUND 3 TATA STEEL MASTERS 2019

This game is from round 3 of the Tata Steel Masters 2018, fully annotated. It is between Ian Nepomniachtchi with White against Vladimir Kramnik with Black.

This game features a Ruy Lopez. To learn more about the Ruy Lopez, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Nepomniachtchi,Ian (2763) - Kramnik,Vladimir (2777)

81st Tata Steel Masters 2019 Wijk aan Zee (3), 14.01.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0–0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 C67: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence: 4 0–0 Nxe4 [10...Nf5 11.d5 Re8 12.Rxe8+ Qxe8 13.Nd2 d6 ½–½ Palac,M (2574)-Nielsen,P (2653)/Warsaw 2005/CBM 108] 

11.c3 Rxe1 [11...Nf5 12.Rxe8+ Qxe8 13.Bf4 d6 14.Nd2 Bd7 15.Bd3 g6 16.Ne4 Bg7 17.Qd2 Qe6 18.Ng5 Qd5 19.Be4 Qb5 20.Bd3 Qa5 21.Bc4 Rf8 22.a4 c6 23.Bd3 d5 24.Nf3 Re8 25.b4 Qd8 26.a5 Sargissian,G (2658)-Khamrakulov,I (2527)/Zafra 2007/CBM 117 ext/1–0 (47)] 

12.Qxe1 Ne8 [12...Nf5 13.Bf4 d6 14.Nd2 Be6 15.Bd3 Nh4 16.Ne4 Ng6 17.Bd2 d5 18.Nc5 Bc8 19.Qe3 b6 20.Nb3 Qd6 21.Qe8+ Nf8 22.Re1 Bb7 23.Qe3 Ne6 24.Qf3 Rd8 25.Qf5 Nf8 26.Bf4 Qc6 27.Nd2 Steinitz,W-Zukertort,J/USA 1886/MainBase/0–1 (39); 12...b6 13.Bf4 Qe7 14.Na3 Bb7 15.Qxe7 Bxe7 16.Bxd6 Bxd6 17.Nb5 Kf8 18.Nxd6 cxd6 19.f3 Rc8 20.Kf2 Bd5 21.Ba6 Re8 22.a4 Rb8 23.Bd3 Be6 24.Ke3 h6 25.Be4 d5 26.Bd3 Ke7 27.f4 Geller,J (2490)-Safin,S (2445)/Nishnij Tagil 2005/CBM 109 ext/1–0 (71); 12...Qe7 13.Qd1 b6 14.Bf4 Bb7 15.a4 Re8 16.a5 Qe1 17.Na3 Qxd1 18.Rxd1 bxa5 19.Ra1 Bc6 20.Bxd6 cxd6 21.Nc4 Rb8 22.Rxa5 d5 23.Ne3 Rxb2 24.Rxa7 h5 25.Rc7 g6 26.g3 Rb1 27.h4 Becerra Rivero,J (2535)-Garcia Vicente,N (2263)/Malaga 1999/CBM 068 ext/1–0 (40)] 

13.d5 b6 14.Bf4 Bb7 Black threatens to win material: Bb7xd5 

15.Qd2 h6 Covers g5 

16.c4 c6 17.Nc3 cxd5 18.cxd5 d6 Black has a cramped position.  

19.Re1 Nc7 20.Bc4 Bxc3 

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21.bxc3 White has the pair of bishops [Less advisable is 21.Qxc3 Bxd5 22.Bg3 Bxc4 23.Qxc4 Qd7³] 

21...Qf6 22.h3 Rc8 23.Re4 b5 24.Bb3 a5 25.a3 Qf5 Can d5 get defended? 

26.Rd4 Qb1+ 27.Bd1 b4 28.cxb4 [Inferior is 28.axb4 Nb5 29.bxa5 Nxd4 30.cxd4 Qa1³] 

28...Nb5 Black threatens to win material: Nb5xd4 

29.Qd3 White threatens to win material: Qd3xb1 

29...Qa1 Black threatens to win material: Qa1xd4 

30.Re4 [Instead of 30.Qxb5 Qxd4 31.Qxb7 Qxd1+ 32.Kh2 Rc3=] 

30...Bxd5 

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31.Re1 [31.Qxd5?! Nc3 32.Qf5 Qxd1+ 33.Kh2 Rf8=] 

31...Bc4 32.Qf5 White threatens to win material: Qf5xc8 

32...Rf8 33.Kh2 [¹33.bxa5 Qc3 34.Re3±] 

33...g6? Secures h5 [¹33...Qd4 is a viable option 34.Re4 Qd5 35.Qxd5 Bxd5²] 

34.Qe4+- d5 [34...Be6 35.Bxh6 Rb8 36.Bb3+-] 

35.Qe7 

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35...axb4?? leading to a quick end [¹35...Qd4 36.Bxh6 Ra8+-] 

36.Be5 [36.Be5 Qxe5+ 37.Qxe5 bxa3 38.Ba4+-]  1–0