📘 20...Raf8?! 21.Be3+/- prevents Bc5, defends f2, and threatens to take e5.
Black should have changed the move order and started with 20...Bc5.
Black should have changed the move order and started with 20...Bc5.
📘 5.Qa4 is one of the anti-grunfeld lines in this position. Main alternatives are 5.d4 to transpose to Grunfeld, and 5.e4 Nxc3 6.dxc3 which is another anti-grunfeld line and a favorite of Ulf Andersson who loves strategic endgames!
📘 Critical moments of a game are the moments, inwhich the difference between the first and second best choices are substantial. In this position white continued with:
27.Nf3? Rbd8+ 28.Ke1 Nd3!+ 29.c×d3 Q×c3+ with a double-edged position.
He should have played 27.f.g7!e.d4?? (Kg8 was also losing 28.Bf1!+- with the idea of Bc4+) 28.g8=Q+! A move that Alireza may have missed
28... R×g8 29.Rf1+ Kg7 30.h6+ and mate follows.
27.Nf3? Rbd8+ 28.Ke1 Nd3!+ 29.c×d3 Q×c3+ with a double-edged position.
He should have played 27.f.g7!e.d4?? (Kg8 was also losing 28.Bf1!+- with the idea of Bc4+) 28.g8=Q+! A move that Alireza may have missed
28... R×g8 29.Rf1+ Kg7 30.h6+ and mate follows.
9...Qc7 has been played with the idea of transfering the queen to its typical square in Maroczy bind, a5.
The more common variation is 9...0-0 and now:
A)10.0-0 Rc8! 11.b3 d5! which is a creative idea from Ivanchuk and we had covered it in our strategy multiple choice at unitychess channel few weeks ago.
B) 10.Be3 Rc8 11.b3 a6 planning b5.
The more common variation is 9...0-0 and now:
A)10.0-0 Rc8! 11.b3 d5! which is a creative idea from Ivanchuk and we had covered it in our strategy multiple choice at unitychess channel few weeks ago.
B) 10.Be3 Rc8 11.b3 a6 planning b5.
📘10.Qe2
By playing Qe2 white is trying to deviate from the common 10.b3.
10...Nc6 11.Be3 0-0
And white can hardly claim any advantage here.
By playing Qe2 white is trying to deviate from the common 10.b3.
10...Nc6 11.Be3 0-0
And white can hardly claim any advantage here.
📘13...a5
Black is starting a minority attack on the queenside while c6 pawn has covered the d5 outpost. These are the consequences of taking on c6 in the Maroczy bind!
Black is starting a minority attack on the queenside while c6 pawn has covered the d5 outpost. These are the consequences of taking on c6 in the Maroczy bind!
📘62.b5? cxb5 63.cxb5 Nd7
By an interception black wins the a pawn and the game. White should have played 62.Rb7 to prevent his rook from being cut off by Nd7 and then he could push the b pawn.
By an interception black wins the a pawn and the game. White should have played 62.Rb7 to prevent his rook from being cut off by Nd7 and then he could push the b pawn.
📘10.Nd3 is a fasionable move in top level. From d3 the knight controls the key c5 and f4 squares and overprotects e5. Darini had played this position with another move order of black against Zaur Mammadov and continued with f4 and Bh5.
The alternative is 10.Bh5 that Anand played it against Giri in 2015. After Bh5 the pressure over f7 prevents black from castling on the queenside in the next few moves.
The alternative is 10.Bh5 that Anand played it against Giri in 2015. After Bh5 the pressure over f7 prevents black from castling on the queenside in the next few moves.