[Event "Lindores Abbey Rapid Challenge Final"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2020.06.01"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nakamura, GM Hikaru"]
[Black "Dubov, GM Daniil"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Jan Gustaffson Peter Leko Tania Sachdev"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p2bppp/n1pp1n2/p7/P1BNPB2/2N5/1PP2PPP/R2QR1K1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[SourceVersionDate "2020.06.01"]

{[#]} 1... Nc5 {Peter suggests Daniil does not mind this position that is
better for White because he knows how to handle this position and is offering
for white to "come and get me". Tania asks Peter about the plans here. Peter
responds, "White would love to play Qd2 and Rad1 to build up on the d6
weakness, but also when do I play h3 to be ready for ... Nh5 Bh2. Another way
may be Nb3 to exchange the powerful knight on c5, and Nb3 opens the door to
the d6 weakness, and I don't really see Black's counterplay. Hikaru chooses
the latter plan.} 2. Nb3 Ne6 {Daniil decides he likes his knight. Jan was
wondering if ... N(?)xe4 was an option, but he said, "I guess not.".} (2...
Ncxe4 3. Nxe4 Nxe4 4. Rxe4 d5 5. Rd4) 3. Bg3 g6 {A prohylactic move that
somewhat releases the black king from it's tomb, but after Hikaru's next move
it is exploited as loosening the f6 knight's position and tieing down the B on
e7  Braden (so, for example, it cannot easily go to b4 as Peter mentions after
Raxd1)} 4. e5 {Peter said this move was somewhat surprising given we have been
discussing the weakness on d6, yet now we exchange a better pawn for it. (Of
course this gives white's pieces more room as is the aim of so many pawn
levers, even when they are pawn sacrifices. Braden) Hikaru could have played
for h3 to make way for the B on h2, but decides that this is the moment to
'play concrete'. The justification might be that after de Bxe5 Qxd1 Raxd1 the
a5 pawn is a significant weakness and if the B reaches c7 the pawn may fall
"and" the B on c8 will have trouble developing as on d7 it is under pressure
from the d1 rook (Bxf6 may win the B. Black appears to be taking far too much
time with his responses with Hikaru over 13 minutes and Daniil now just above
6, but then it was found there was something wrong with software
communications issues, so they stopped the game at this point to be continued
again shortly after. Braden).} dxe5 5. Bxe5 Qxd1 (5... Qb6) 6. Raxd1 Rd8 7. Nd4
{Hikaru does not let up on the pressure, and does not mind exchanging these
knights and heading into an endgame, which might favor Hikaru's experience vs.
the youngster. Braden} Ne8 $5 {Black allows the weakness on e6 in exchange for
some badly needed development. Leko} (7... Nd5) 8. Nxe6 Bxe6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10.
Ne2 {To reroute the knight to either d4 or f4 to put pressure on the e6
weakness. Leko} Bf6 {Some part of Daniil's decision making must certainly
relate to his time pressure, with about 4 mins. left to Hikaru's 12.} 11. Bxf6
Rxd1 {Peter said that apparently Daniil feels that there defense will now be
easier with the knight covering the invasion square d7 and ... Kf7-e7 coming.}
12. Rxd1 Nxf6 13. Nf4 Kf7 {Daniil may have had time to decide that ...e5 makes
the White knight more dangerous after Ne6-c5. Braden} 14. f3 {Provides a
pathway for the White king and takes away potentially dangerous square from
the black knight. Braden (Notice the now the move black would like to play ...
Ke7 is prevented as Re1 picks up the e pawn. Leko)} e5 {It may have been safer,
but certainly less active for black to play for ... Re8-e7 since after the
pawn push the e5 pawn separates itself from the reach of the Black king and
becomes a target. Braden Leko} 15. Nd3 Re8 (15... e4 16. Nc5 exf3 17. Nxb7) 16.
Re1 e4 $6 {A defensive pawn sac that does not pay off (hoping for some kind of
rook endgame Leko) as the White knight also now more easily makes its way to
the dangerous square c5. If it were not for this latter point with the knight,
this sac might lead to a drawish 3 vs 2 on the kingside. Braden} 17. Nc5 {
This appears to be the move Daniil missed, and now White's knight appears to
be a monster in hitting both weaknesses at a time when Black can hardly afford
exchanging rooks. Braden} b5 {Daniil chooses to let the pawn go in hopes of
significant counterplay with his remaining rook kept without exchanging it.
Even though both are nearly the best in the world at Blitz, all of this
turmoil has left Daniil near 1 minute with Hikaru still having 12 to further
reduce the odds Daniil can come back from the precipice.} (17... exf3 18. Rxe8
Nxe8 19. Nxb7 Ke7 (19... Ke6 20. Nxa5 Kd5 21. gxf3 c5 22. Kg2 (22. Kf2 c4 23.
Ke3 Kc5 24. Nb7+ Kc6 (24... Kb4 25. Kd4 c3 26. b3) 25. Nd8+) 22... c4)) 18.
Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Rxe4 Rd8 {The pawn ending is probably lost so you will probably
have to play ... Rb8 or ... Rd8. ... and Daniil is still in the game. Jan} (
19... Rxe4 20. fxe4 bxa4 21. Kf2 Kf6 22. Ke3 Ke5 23. c3 h6 24. Kd3 Kd6 25. Kd4
c5+ 26. Kc4 Kc6 27. e5) 20. axb5 {Hikaru apparently felt like Black would
otherwise just play ... ba and ... Rb8 with Black being okay. Peter} cxb5 21.
Kf2 {This is the move the commentators expected, and Leko had suggested 21. ...
Rd2+ 22. Rd2 Rd4 and 23. ... Rb4 as a possible finesse, but Gustaffson was not
impressed with this maneuver.} Rd2+ 22. Re2 Rd1 23. Ke3 {Peter suggested c3 to
prevent ... Ke6 and to possible activate the king on g3 (which I do not like
as it is slower for movement of kingside pawns and ... Rg1 or ... Rh1 may tie
down the White king at some point Braden), but it seems to me that this "must"
happen in any case when White activates their king and to keep its path
flexible, ready to go on either side of the board. Braden} Ke6 24. c3 {A safe
move to prevent the pawn arrangement ... b4, ... a4-a3 from occurring. Leko
Braden} Rh1 25. g3 {Hikaru prefers the g3, f4 plan over h3 in which the latter
plan would allow black to possible restrict the kingside pawns with moves like
... h5-h4 and provide possible invasion on the dark squares on the kingside.
Braden} Kd5 26. f4 {I like it! This looks like textbook stuff. I learned from
John Nunn's book in what's called Practical Chess or something in which we
should build pawn chains and we should push our candidate (most likely pawn to
make a queen) first.} h5 27. Kd3 $1 {To allow from Re5-g5 (Leko), a dangerous
maneuver especially now that Black has played ... h5. (Braden) With Hikaru's
Kd3 the Black king is now "cut on the d file and this is very suddenly looking
very dangerous for Black. (Leko)} a4 {Fixing White's (queenside) pawns. Leko}
28. Rf2 (28. h4 {followed by Re5+ and Rg5 when Black would be winning after
Rxg6. Tania Sachdev and Jan} Rd1+) 28... Rd1+ {In my opinion desparation in
time trouble and a worse position. There must be a better move. Braden} 29. Kc2
Rg1 30. f5 gxf5 31. Rxf5+ Kc4 32. Rf4+ Kc5 33. Rh4 Kd5 34. Rxh5+ Kc4 35. Rh4+
Kc5 36. Rd4 Rg2+ 37. Rd2 Rg1 38. h4 {Black was hoping to keep the position as
passive as possible, but Hikaru comes up with a creative endgame sac to
improve his position.} Rxg3 39. Rh2 {At first I thought Black could exchange
pawns on the Queenside and make a draw, but probably he cannot. Leko} b4 40.
cxb4+ Kxb4 41. h5 a3 42. Rh4+ $3 {42. ba Rxa3 then I am in time to bring back
my king (for a draw). Notice Peter naturally sees this position well from the
Black side and is identify with either the defending side, his countryman, or
both.)} Kc5 43. b4+ $1 {Notice how many times Hikaru has to "win it". Braden} (
43. bxa3 Rxa3 44. h6 Ra8 45. h7 Rh8 46. Kd3 Kd5 47. Rh6 Ke5 48. Kc4 Kf5 49. Kd5
Kg5 50. Rh3 Kg6) 43... Kb5 44. h6 Rg2+ 45. Kb1 Ka4 {Tania and Jan suggested
that if 45. ... Rg8 46. h7 Rh8 47. Ka1! (to be more precise) was the proper
temp move to win since 47. Ka2 does not allow White to put Black in Zugzwang.
Since now with Black's 45. ... Ka4 46. h7 Kb3 47. Rh3+ and then queens is
winning, Daniil must be hoping for 46. h7 Rg1+ 47. Kc2 Rg2+ 48. Kb1 etc., or
hoping for 47. ... a2 48. h8=Q a1=Q leaves white with the ability to "start"
the checks which usually lead to checkmate/winning in such positions. For
example, 49. Qa8+ Kb5 50. Qd5+ Kb6 51. Ra6+ etc..} 46. h7 Rg1+ 47. Kc2 Rg2+ 48.
Kd3 {Resigns :: Hikaru says no perpetual here (b1-c2-b1-c1).} 1-0