Tata Steel 2020, Rd 1: Firouzja and Van Foreest Score As Carlsen vs Giri Fails To Excite

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[Event “82nd Tata Steel, Masters”]
[Site “Wijk aan Zee NED”]
[Date “2020.01.11”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Firouzja,Alireza”]
[Black “Kovalev,Vl”]
[Result “1-0”]
[BlackElo “2660”]
[ECO “C92”]
[EventDate “2020.01.10”]
[WhiteElo “2723”]

{ Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 h6 13.Bc2 exd4 14.cxd4 Nb4 15.Bb1 c5 16.d5 c4 { ? This is not a very common move, here, …Nd7 is normally chosen. My database has 8 examples of …c5-c4, with a 75% score for White. This game is not about to improve Black’s showing. } 17.Nd4 { ! One of the drawbacks of …c5-c4, is that it presents White with the d4-square. Firouzja wastes no time in taking the opportunity to occupy this nice central square with his knight. } 17…Nd7 { ? This is mis-timed. It is inappropriate for Black to be undertaking maneouvers. First he has to look to his Queenside, …Qb6 was more in context. } ( 17…Qb6 { Defending a pawn with the Queen is very often frowned upon, but the piece is not badly placed on b6. } 18.N2f3 { Multi-purposed. First, the move develops the knight; second, it covers the Nd4, which had been under attack from the black Queen; and third, it releases the dark-squared bishop, which will now head to e3. } 18…bxa4 { With the White knight gone from d2 and therefore unable to capture on c4, it is a good time to make this capture. Black now has the prospect of the b-file. } 19.Rxa4 Nd7 { A much better situation in which to begin this knight’s journey towards the d3-square, via c5. } 20.Be3 { Giving the black Queen something to think about. } 20…Nc5 { Continueing his plan and blocking potential discoveries along the g1-a7 diagonal. } 21.Nd2 { Daring Black to capture the rook. } 21…a5 { Wise — this knight has to be looked after. } ( { Taking the rook would be unwise:- } 21…Nxa4 { ? Black may have won a rook, but what was that rook doing? When we look at the bigger picture, Black’s knight (which was on its way to the lovely d3-square) is probably worth more. } 22.Qxa4 { A recapture, yes, but the white Queen does more on a4 than the rook did. The threat is now Nc2. Black would have to save his Queen and his knight would fall. Things can easily go very badly should Black play something like …a5 to defend the knight. Then, White would opt for the devastating Ne6 instead, with the knight going to c7 after the Queen moves. This, of course, would be utterly winning. This explains Black’s 21…a5 instead. } 22…Nxd5 { Probably the only thing left for this once promising piece (…Nd3, Nxc4). } 23.exd5 Bxd5 24.Nxc4 Qb7 { And things are not going well for Black now. } ) 22.Ra3 { With the better stance and more flexible position. Black even has to be wary of Bxh6 and the Ra3 swinging over to the Kingside. This could be very potent when combined with Qh5 and Nf5. } ) 18.axb5 { ! The best way to go, resulting in the profit of a pawn. } 18…axb5 19.Rxa8 Bxa8 20.Nxb5 { Picking up a pawn without any apparent trade offs. Given that Black elected to go down this route, he must really have disliked all other alternatives at move 17. That says quite a lot about his opening play up to this point to be frank, it has clearly gone wrong. } 20…Qb8 21.Na3 Nd3 22.Re3 { This is a very useful move, with the rook able to swing to either wing from here. } 22…Nxc1 23.Qxc1 g6 24.Naxc4 { Eating up a second pawn, with a very dominant stance. All that remains now, is to see if White can convert his advantage. } 24…Bg7 25.Ra3 Qc7 26.b4 { A nice move to play, throwing a potential advancing passed pawn into the mix too. } 26…Bb7 27.Bd3 { White could also have continued with b5, b6, Ra7. } 27…Rb8 28.Qd1 { Heading to a4. } 28…Bc8 { Not really putting up very much resistance, but in honesty, it is not easy to see how Black should organise things, White’s position is huge. } 29.Qa4 Ne5 30.Nxe5 Qc1+ { This looks rather more dramatic than it is. In honesty, it is no better than the straight recapture on e5. } 31.Bf1 Bxe5 32.Nc4 { This is fine but there was also Qe8+ followed by Ra7. } 32…Bd4 { ? presenting a second invitation to play Qe8+ and this one is snapped up by White, with decisive effect. } 33.Qe8+ { The beginning of the end. } 33…Kg7 34.Rf3 f6 35.Qe7+ Kg8 36.Qd8+ { And Vladislav Kovalev resigned here. Next comes Qc7+ and the Rb8 falls. A very nice, rather comfortable looking, game by Alireza Firouzja! } 1-0
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