Alexander Grischuk vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2019)

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Alexander Grischuk vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Grand Prix Riga (2019), Riga LAT, rd 3, Jul-19
Indian Game: West Indian Defense (E61) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jul-19-19		thegoodanarchist: This was an excellent fighting game, but AG somehow went wrong. Maybe the early h4 was not the best plan.

Jul-19-19		An Englishman: Good Afternoon: This transposed to a Benko Gambit where White had wasted a tempo with h4. Probably not the decisive mistake, but could not have made Grischuk's life easy.

Jul-19-19		Eyal: Both the anti-Grunfeld 3.h4 idea and the Benko-style reaction are already known from Topalov vs A Giri, 2016 . Grischuk's idea was to keep the pawn on b5 instead of helping Black's development with 6.bxa6 as in that game, and it looks like he did manage to get a better position than Topalov, but then was outplayed in later complications. There's a good analysis of the game by Jan Gustafsson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNY... (including an explanation of the logic behind 3.h4 - it certainly has its drawbacks, but it's not just a random/crazy move).

Jul-19-19		csmath: h4 is anti-Grunfeld. This is probably originated in Danube gambit and it is a newer idea. Even Carlsen used it. Playing this against MVL is not smart since he is a Grunfeld expert and his "open battle on the other wing with b5" idea is with clear intention to displace white plans. This confused Grischuk and in the following he lost himself in this gambit. Whenever he needed to find the right moves that were not obvious he could not while MVL played with typical MVL energy and aggression. Kudos to Frenchman.

Jul-19-19		csmath: I meant b5 is either from Danube gambit or perhaps borrowed from Benko. This game is typical of Frenchman - create uncomfortable complex battle even at the material expense where opponents has no easy moves. It did not work against Carlsen but it works against Grischuk. It showcases the class of MVL as a player and it shows MVL's confidence. He is one of the best around.

Jul-20-19		thegoodanarchist: Agree with <csmath> - and, I want to add, MVL is good enough to play MC in a WCC match

Jul-22-19		Ulhumbrus: 3 h4? moves a pawn in the opening and makes an attacking move hardly justified by any advantage. However Grischuk may have prepared this, and this suggests that it is not so easy for Black to make White's loss of tempo count. Vachier Lagrave does however find a way to make it count. He plays 3...c5! and now because of White's loss of tempo on h4 Black has taken over the advantages of the first move in a Reti opening reversed. He transposes into a Benko gambit with an extra move, plays with sufficient knowledge and skill ( and that means masterly knowledge and skill) in order to make his attacking prospects count, and prevails not at once or even quickly but only eventually. The White h pawn falls in the end. This suggests that the way for Black to make count the move 3 h4? does not have to be immediate or obvious and in that case it may appear to gain the advantage or win if Black does not find the best course.

Jul-23-19		paladintanks: Longlive the french resistance

Jul-28-19		Fusilli: <An Englishman: Good Afternoon: This transposed to a Benko Gambit where White had wasted a tempo with h4.> Exactly. I think what strong players do when faced with something like that is ask themselves: "In which opening would that move be a waste of time?" And then they try to steer the game in that direction. MVL was obviously quite successful at doing that here. The most famous example of failing to do this is, of course, Karpov vs Miles, 1980.

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 d 22 dpa done 1. - / + (-0.93): 44.Kh3 Rb4 45.Kg2 Rc3 46.Nh2 h5 47.a5 Rbxb3 48.Rxb3 Rxb3 49.Nf3 Ra3 50.Nxg5 Rxa5 51.Rd1 Ra4 52.Kf3 Be5 53.Rg1 Kf8 54.Ke3 Ke7 55.Nf3 Bf4+ 56.Kd3 Kf6 57.Rh1 Kg6 58.Nd4 Be5 59.Nc6 Ra3+ 60.Kc4 Bf6 61.Rg1+ Kf5 62.Rg3 2. - + (-1.53): 44.Kh1 Rc3 45.Nh2 Rh4 46.Kg2 Be5 47.Rh1 Rch3 48.a5 Rxh2+ 49.Rxh2 Rxh2+ 50.Kg1 Rh3 51.a6 Bd4 52.a7 Bxa7 53.Kg2 Rd3 54.Rxa7 Rxd5 55.f4 g4 56.b4 h5 57.Ra5 Rd2+ 58.Kg3 d5 59.b5 Rb2 60.Kh4 Rh2+ 61.Kg3 Rh3+ 62.Kg2 h4 63.b6 Rg3+ 64.Kh2 Rb3 65.Rxd5 Rb2+ 66.Kg1 Rxb6 67.Rg5+ Kh7 68.Rxg4 Rg6 69.Rg2 Rxg2+ 70.Kxg2 Kg6 71.Kh3 Kf5

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 21 dpa done 1. = / + (-0.59): 43.b4> Bc3 44.b5 g4 45.Rxc3 Rxc3 46.b6 Rfxf3 47.b7 Rb3 48.b8Q+ Rxb8 49.Rxb8+ Kg7 50.Rd8 Ra3 51.Rxd6 Rxa4 52.Kg3 f5 53.Rc6 Rd4 54.Re6 Rxd5 55.Kf4 Kf7 56.Rh6 Rb5 57.Kg5 Kg7 58.Re6 h6+ 59.Kf4 Rc5 60.Ra6 Rd5 61.Rc6 Ra5 62.Rd6 Rb5 63.Rc6 Rd5 64.Ra6 Rc5 65.Rd6 h5 66.Kg5 Kf7 67.Rh6 Rc2 68.Rf6+ Ke7 69.Rxf5

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 20 dpa done only 1. = / + (-0.46): 38.a5> Rg4+ 39.Kh3 Rf4 40.Rf1 Rc3+ 41.f3 Rb4 42.Rb1 Be5 43.Ra2 Bd4 44.Kg2 Rbxb3 45.Rxb3 Rxb3 46.Ne2 Ba7 47.a6 Kg7 48.Kg3 Re3 49.Kf4 Rd3 50.Rc2 Rxd5 51.Rc7 Rf5+ 52.Kg3

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 22 dpa done 1. - / + (-0.74): 37...Rg4+> 38.Kh1 Bd4 39.Ra2 Bc5 40.a5 Rd3 41.f3 Rb4 42.a6 Rxd5 43.f4 Ba7 44.Ne2 Rc5 45.Kg2 Kg7 46.Rd1 Rc6 47.Ra3 Rbb6 48.Nd4 Rxa6 49.Nxc6 Rxa3 50.Nxa7 Rxa7 51.Rxd6 Rb7 52.Rd3 h5 53.Kf3 Kf6 54.Rc3 Kf5 55.Rc5+ Ke6 56.Rc3 Rb5 57.Kg3 2. = / + (-0.50): 37...Rc2 38.a5 Rg4+ 39.Kf1 Bd4 40.Ne2 Ba7 41.Rc1 Rd2 42.Ra4 Rxa4 43.bxa4 Rxd5 44.a6 Ra5 45.Rc6 Rxa4 46.Nc3 Ra5 47.Rxd6 Kf8 48.Rc6 Ke8 49.Kg2 f5 50.Rc7 Bd4 51.Ne2 Be5 52.Rxh7 Rxa6 53.f4 Ra2 54.Kf3 Ra3+ 55.Kf2 Bf6 56.Rc7 3. = (-0.12): 37...Rc8 38.Nf3 Ra8 39.a5 Kf8 40.Nd2 Bc3 41.Nc4 Ra6 42.Rd1 h5 43.Rc1 Bf6 44.Rb1 Kg7 45.Ra2 g5 46.Rc2 Bd8 47.Ra2 h4 48.Kh3 Kf6 49.f3 Kf5 50.Kg2 Bf6 51.Re2

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 25 dpa done 1. = (-0.19): 36.Kg2> Rc3 37.Re1 Rg4+ 38.Kf1 Kf8 39.Re3 Rc1+ 40.Re1 Rc7 41.a5 Rb4 42.Nd2 Ra7 43.Nc4 Ra6 44.Rb1 Bc3 45.Rc1 Bd4 46.Rb1 Bc5 47.Ra4 Rxa4 48.bxa4 Ra7 49.Kg2 Ke7 50.Kg3 h5 51.Rb8 Kf6 52.Rd8 Ra6 53.Rd7 g5 54.f4 g4 55.Rb7 2. = / + (-0.43): 36.Re1 Bb2 37.Ra2 Rxb3 38.Kg2 Bf6 39.a5 Ra8 40.Nd2 Rd3 41.Rb1 Rxd5 42.a6 Rxa6 43.Rxa6 Rxd2 44.Kf3 Be5 45.Ke3 Rd4 46.Rab6 Rc4 47.R6b4 Rc3+ 48.Ke2 Rc2+ 49.Ke3 Kg7 50.f4 Bf6 51.Rd1 Rc7 52.Rd3 h5 53.Kf3 Rc5 54.Rb7 d5 55.Rb6 d4 56.Ke4 h4 57.Ra6

Aug-09-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 24 dpa done 1. = / + (-0.52): 35...Ra5> 36.Kg2 h5 37.Re1 Bc3 38.Rd1 Rc5 39.Rd3 Kg7 40.Kh3 Rf4 41.Ra2 Ba5 42.Re2 Bd8 43.Kg2 Rg4+ 44.Kh2 Ba5 45.Rd4 Bc3 46.Rd3 Bf6 47.Ra2 Bd8 48.Re2 Ba5 2. = / + (-0.45): 35...Rc8 36.Re1 Bb2 37.Ra2 Rxb3 38.Re3 Rxe3 39.fxe3 Bc1 40.e4 Be3 41.a5 Kf8 42.a6 Ra8 43.Ne1 Rb8 44.Ra3 Bd4 45.Nd3 Ba7 46.Kg3 Ke7 47.Kf4 h5 48.Kg5 Rb1 49.Rc3 Rg1+ 50.Kf4 Kd7 51.e5 h4 3. = / + (-0.36): 35...Bc3 36.Kg2 h5 37.Rd1 Rg4+ 38.Kh3 Ra5 39.Ra2 Kg7 40.Rd3 Bb4 41.Re2 Rc5 42.Nh2 Rf4 43.Nf1 Rc1 44.Ng3 Rg1 45.Kh2 Ra1 46.Kh3 Rb1 47.f3 Rg1 48.Ne4 h4 49.Rg2 Rh1+ 50.Rh2 Rxh2+ 51.Kxh2

Aug-10-19		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 <d 21 dpa only thou 1. = (-0.04): 22.Nb5> c3 23.Bxc3 Rxc3 24.fxe5 Nb2 25.Qd4 Rxb3 26.Qxb4 Rxb4 27.exd6 exd6 28.Nxd6 Rd8 29.Nb5 Rxe4 30.Bf3 Rxa4 31.Rxa4 Nxa4 32.Rc1 Nb2 33.d6 Be5 34.Rc6 Nd3 35.Be2 Nb4 36.Rc4 Nd5 37.Rc5 Bxd6 38.Rxd5 Bh2+ 39.Kxh2 Rxd5 40.Kg3 Kg7 41.Kf3 h6 42.Bc4 Rd1 43.Ke2 Rh1 44.Nd6 Rxh4 45.Bxf7 2. = / + (-0.53): 22.Nb1 c3 23.fxe5 Nb2 24.Qc2 cxd2 25.Qxb2 Qxe4 26.Qxd2 Rc2 27.Qd3 Rxe2 28.Qxe4 Rxe4 29.exd6 exd6 30.a5 Rxh4 31.Nd2 Rd4 32.Nf3 Rxd5 33.b4 Rb5 34.Rb1 Kf8 35.Kg2 Ke7 36.Rd3 Kd7 37.Rbd1 Ra6 38.Rh1 h5 39.Rh4 Bf6 40.Rc4 d5 41.Rd1 Rc6

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