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Kirill Alekseenko vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
World Championship Candidates (2020/21), Yekaterinburg RUS, rd 5, Mar-22
Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation. English Attack (B80)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-22-20  ewan14: Wow ! wild game
Mar-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Here is a sample position:


click for larger view

Really a GG! This tournament is hard fought.

Mar-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Afternoon: All right, need some help here. Did White set a trap with 16.Rxg4 into which Black fell with 16...g6? Did Black set a trap with 16...g6 into which White fell with 17.Rxg6? Did White set a trap to lure Black into setting a trap which was actually a trap set by White, or did Black set a trap to lure White into setting a trap which was actually a trap set by Black? Try saying that three times fast.

Or did they set the exact same trap??

Cannot blame either player for heading to the safe harbor of the first available perpetual check. They must have felt even more confused than I do.

Mar-22-20  Eyal: The position after 16.Rxg4 has actually been reached a few months ago in Carlsen vs M Vachier-Lagrave, 2019 (with an extra move, since Bg5 & h6 were inserted there). In that game, MVL played ...Bf8? (which should be losing, but still went on to win); since then he analyzed the position in detail and knew - as he said in the post-game interview - that ...g6! is pretty much a forced draw. On the other hand, Alekseenko - and/or his second(s) - apparently did a crappy job, and he only realized during the game that there's nothing beyond a draw for White (judging by his combined 60-minute think over moves 17-18).
Mar-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: Thanks for the information, <Eyal>. Given that Black knew in advance 16...g6 leads to a draw, it would appear that he had always steered the game to a result favorable for him--at least a draw, with chances for White to lose.

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