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Hikaru Nakamura vs Wesley So
Your Next Move (Rapid) (2018) (rapid), Leuven BEL, rd 7, Jun-14
Indian Game: General (A45)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35435 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-14-18  gregory2188: Great calculations!
He’s on fire!
Jun-14-18  patzer2: The chessgames.com Opening Explorer indicates the computer pick 4. Nf3 is far more popular than 4. dxc5, even though White has a better winning percentage with 4. dxc5.

After 4. dxc5 e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 the Opening Explorer indicates the second player has fully equalized.

After 6...Bd7 =, as played in this game, Black won the only other game in our OE where it was previously played in E Danielian vs J S Christiansen, 2014.

P.S.: After seeing how easily Black equalized and then secured an advantage in this game after 4. dxc5 e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 Bd7 =, my preference is the popular move 4. Nf3.

Jun-14-18  patzer2: Clarification: The OE indicates Black is fully equal after 6...Nc6 =.
Jun-15-18  patzer2: Clicking on the computer annotated score tab above reveals 7. Qb3? was the initial error, which gave Black a strong advantage after 7...axb4 ∓ (-1.29 @ 29 ply, Stockfish 9).

Instead, our Stockfish 9 application recommends 7. Nd2 = (+0.15 @ 31 ply).

I requested a full move analysis of 7. Nd2 application, with the following result:

<+0.15 (31 ply) 7.Nd2 axb4 8.cxb4 b6 9.cxb6 Qxb6 10.a3 Ba4 11.Qc1 Nc6 12.b5 Na7 13.Bc7 Qb7 14.b6 Nc8 15.Rb1 Be7 16.Be5 Nd6 17.Qc7 Qxc7 18.bxc7 O-O 19.Rb6 Nf5 20.Ra6 Bxa3 21.Ngf3 Nd7 22.Bf4 Bb4 23.Rxa8 Rxa8 24.Bd3 Nc5>

Surprisngly, 7. Nd2 does not show up as having been tested in our Opening Explorer.

Of course that may be because only two games exist in the OE with 6...Bd7. In both games after 6...Bd7, White's reply is inferior. In the case of this game the mistake was 7. Qb3?, and in E Danielian vs J S Christiansen, 2014 the mistake was 7. Na3?, potentially allowing 7...axb4 ∓ (-0.91 @ 21 ply, Stockfish 9 analysis of move 7...? after 7. Na3?).

So, it seems 4. dxc5 is alive and well for White and needs more testing in this line with 7. Nd2 =.

Jun-15-18  patzer2: An analysis of this game at https://www.chess.com/news/view/so-... concludes <Somehow Nakamura must have been confused in the opening, a London System, because it was basically his seventh move that sealed his fate. It's rare thing to see him looking at a technically lost position so early in the game...

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 c5 4. dxc5 e6 5. b4 a5 6. c3 Bd7!?A rare move which confuses Nakamura. 7. Qb3? This natural move is really bad in this position. (7. Nd2 axb4 8. cxb4 b6 9. cxb6 Qxb6 10. a3 Ba4 11. Qb1 Nbd7with compensation.)>

Jun-24-18  iking: 14... Ke7.. the material are even but look at white's devt ...

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