Alireza Firouzja vs Hikaru Nakamura (2022)

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Alireza Firouzja vs Hikaru Nakamura
World Championship Candidates (2022), Madrid ESP, rd 3, Jun-19
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation (E32) · 1/2-1/2

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a

1

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by Stockfish 11 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 13.g4 Bb7 14.Bg2 Nbd7 15.O-O c5 16.g5 hxg5 17.Bxg5 cxd4 = +0.13 (35 ply) ⩱ -0.62 (35 ply)better is 20...Qd7 21.Bxf6 Nc2+ 22.Ke2 Qb5+ 23.Kd2 Qxf1 24.Qg4+ = 0.00 (43 ply) ⩲ +0.63 (35 ply)better is 23.b3 Qxe4+ 24.Qxe4 Nxe4 25.Be3 Nf6 26.Re1 Nd5 27.Bc1 a5 ⩲ +0.57 (28 ply)= 0.00 (27 ply)better is 26.Kc2 Nd5 27.Bd2 f5 28.g3 Kf7 29.h4 e5 30.Re1 Ke6 31.Bg5 ⩲ +0.57 (24 ply)= 0.00 (35 ply)better is 30...e5 31.Re1 Ke6 32.Kc2 b5 33.b3 Rh7 34.Bd2 f4 35.gxf4 = 0.00 (45 ply) ⩲ +0.55 (37 ply) after 31.Re1 Re8 32.g4 b5 33.Rd1 fxg4 34.fxg4 Rg8 35.Rd4 a5 33...Rg8 34.Rf1+ Ke8 35.Re1 Kf7 36.Re4 a5 37.Kc2 Rc8 = +0.31 (36 ply)better is 34.Rf1+ Kg6 35.Re1 Kf7 36.h5 b4 37.a4 Rg8 38.Rf1+ Kg7 ⩲ +1.10 (26 ply)better is 34...b4 35.Rf1+ Kg7 36.Re1 bxa3 37.bxa3 Rb8+ 38.Kc1 Rb3 ⩲ +0.52 (25 ply) ⩲ +1.08 (24 ply) 37.Rc1 Kf7 38.Rf1+ Ke8 39.Rh1 Rg8 40.a4 bxa4 41.Ka2 Kf7 ⩲ +1.18 (28 ply)= 0.00 (38 ply) 39.Ba5 Kf7 40.g5 Kg6 41.Bc3 Nf4 42.Kc2 Nd3 43.Bf6 Nc5 ⩲ +0.76 (39 ply)= 0.00 (55 ply)54.Kb2 Kh6 55.Kc1 Nd3+ 56.Kc2 Nf2 57.Kd2 Kg5 58.Kc2 Ng4 = 0.00 (58 ply)1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Jun-19-22		whiteshark: <Dear YouTube, Alireza Sacks a Piece Against Me!!> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgg... (~ 14m47s)

Jun-19-22		Ulhumbrus: In the position after 27 Bd2 according to Capablanca Black should have great difficulty drawing this position if he can do it at all because White has not only a bishop for a knight but a passed h pawn as well. However how is White to make this count? The game Capablanca vs J Corzo, 1901 suggests that White needs to bring his king into play. Nakamura's move 27...f5! keeps White's king out of e4. Now in order to get his king into play White's king will need access to c4 instead. Nakamura's 30th move 30...c4! blocks White's king from entering the game This suggests that if Firouza is to make his h pawn and bishop count he needs to play 29 b3! preventing the advance ...c4 creating a fortress against his king. All this suggests that Nakamura understood this endgame better than Firouzja understood this endgame.

Jun-19-22		ndg2: I think Alireza's best chance was to keep the rook with 36.Rc1 with the idea to play a4 next move.

Jun-19-22		whiteshark: All the following lines lead to one position click for larger view White to move 1) +1.63 (44 ply) 37.Rg1 Kf7 38.Rf1+ Ke8 39.Rh1 Rg8 40.Bd2 b4 41.g5 Kf7 42.Rh4 Rc8 43.Re4 c3 44.bxc3 Nxc3+ 45.Bxc3 Rxc3 46.axb4 axb4 <47.Rxb4 Kg6> 48.Rb5 Rc8 49.Kb2 Re8 50.Re5 Rf8 51.Kc2 Rf4 52.Kc3 Ra4 53.Kb3 Rh4 54.Rb5 Rf4 55.Kc3 Rg4 56.Kd3 Rg3+ 57.Kd4 Rg4+ 58.Ke3 Rh4 59.Ra5 Rg4 60.Kf3 Rg1 61.Re5 Rf1+ 62.Ke4 Rd1 63.Rc5 Re1+ 64.Kf3 Rf1+ 65.Ke2 Rg1 2) +1.63 (43 ply) 37.Rh1 Rg8 38.Bd2 b4 39.g5 Kf7 40.Rh4 Rc8 41.Re4 c3 42.bxc3 Nxc3+ 43.Bxc3 Rxc3 44.axb4 axb4 <45.Rxb4 Kg6> 46.Rb5 Rc8 47.Kb2 Re8 48.Re5 Rf8 49.Kc2 Rf4 50.Kc3 Ra4 51.Kb3 Rh4 52.Rb5 Rf4 53.Kc3 Rg4 54.Kd3 Rg3+ 55.Ke4 Rg4+ 56.Ke3 Rh4 57.Ra5 Rg4 58.Re5 Rh4 59.Kd3 Rg4 60.Rc5 Ra4 61.Rb5 Ra3+ 62.Kc2 Rg3 63.Re5 Ra3 64.Kb2 3) +1.63 (43 ply) 37.Rc1 Kf7 38.Rf1+ Ke8 39.Rh1 Rg8 40.Bd2 b4 41.g5 Kf7 42.Rh4 Rc8 43.Re4 c3 44.bxc3 Nxc3+ 45.Bxc3 Rxc3 46.axb4 axb4 <47.Rxb4 Kg6> 48.Rb5 Rc8 49.Kb2 Re8 50.Re5 Rf8 51.Kc2 Rf4 52.Kc3 Ra4 53.Kb3 Rh4 54.Rb5 Rf4 55.Kc3 Rg4 56.Kd3 Rg3+ 57.Kd4 Rg4+ 58.Ke3 Rh4 59.Ra5 Rg4 60.Kf3 Rg1 61.Re5 Rf1+ 62.Ke4 Rd1 63.Rc5 Re1+ 64.Kf4 Rf1+ 65.Ke3 Ra1 66.Rb5 Ra3+ 67.Kd2 Rh3 15.0 minute analysis by Stockfish 11 v064

Jun-20-22		spingo: The pgn from the official site includes the times for each move. click for larger view 42. bxc3 <[%emt 01:01:52]>. I am pretty sure that that means that Fridgy took a whole hour for his move. It is a simplified position but there was plenty to think about.

Jun-20-22		Fusilli: Amazing defense by Hikaru. The knight on d5 is a colossus. After 18.Qc1: click for larger view I was curious about 18...e5. Stockfish says: 1) =0.00 (42 ply) 19.Bh4 Rd6 20.Qg5+ Kh7 21.Qf5+ Kg8 2) =0.00 (42 ply) 19.d5 Nd4 20.Rd3 Qd6 21.Rh3 Nxe4 22.Bxd8 Rxd8 23.f3 Qxd5 24.fxe4 Qxe4+ 25.Kf2 Qf5+ 26.Ke1 click for larger view (The third option, 19.dxc5 is very bad and leads to -3.35) With Naka being such a precise calculator, I wonder what dissuaded him from playing this. Did he not consider 18...e5 seriously? Did he think he had winning chances with 18...Rxd4? Objectively, the engine evaluates all three top choices (18...Rxd4, 18...Nxe4, and 18...e5) as 0.00, but it looks like 18...e5 is the one that gets the draw quickly. With what Naka played, he had to be very precise, and suffer more, to get the draw.

Jun-20-22		fredthebear: Agadmator says: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ9...

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