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Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Grand Prix Jerusalem (2019), Jerusalem ISR, rd 3, Dec-17
Gruenfeld Defense: Russian. Byrne (Simagin) Variation (D97)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

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

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-19-19  goodevans: <21...Bxe5> was a dubious sacrifice but by that stage MVL's alternative was to try to defend a really very difficult position.

The point of the sac was to open up white's K to attack and indeed after <22.fxe5 Nxh4+ 23.Kg1 Nxg2> if white recaptures <24.Kxg2> then after <24...Qc6+> there would be little white could do to avoid such an attack.

Maybe MVL overlooked <24.Ne4> (or at least underestimated its strength). Not only does this initiate a fearsome attack but now the N on g2 has nowhere to go and can be picked off when convenient.

There's some irony that having denuded white's K of its pawn cover it's black's own K that is in the more precarious position.

Dec-19-19  SChesshevsky: <21...Bxe5 was a dubious sacrifice...> By the game video MVL knew he was out prepared. He chose the seemingly less played 7...Nc6 line but by about move 13 it was he who was down around 25 minutes compared to opponents time.

By move 21, MVL probably felt he was also getting outplayed. So maybe 21...Bxe5 wasn't total desperation but it likely had some hand in the choice.

Nepo, confident and seemingly not missing a lot on the board, also didn't make things easy.

Dec-19-19  SymphonicKnight: 24.Ne4! was indeed a great find, and took patience. Tough loss for MVL, but it wasn't always an easy position to win. Very nice.
Dec-21-19  Everett: A game worthy of Karpov. Always loved seeing the Grunfeld crushed.
Dec-21-19  Everett: Meanwhile, 14..b5 looks bad. Black only has play on the Q-side, and destroys it all by completely abandoning c5. Weird
Dec-21-19  Atking: Thinking too much is some times wrong。Is 14...Nd5 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. Bg2 Rfd8 18. Rc1 Rd7 19. Rc5 Rad8 20. Bh3 Re7 really bad for Black?
Dec-21-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: According to Barden in the Guardian, White shunned the normal 8.Be2,e5; 9.d5,Nd4; 10.Nxd4,exd4; 11.Qxd4,c6 with 8.Be3 just for the sake of a change of pace and making Black think. Funny how these psychological considerations come into play when carbon-based life forms tackle this game.
Dec-21-19  areknames: <Is 14...Nd5 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. Bg2 Rfd8 18. Rc1 Rd7 19. Rc5 Rad8 20. Bh3 Re7 really bad for Black?> I don't think so but in your line I like the more aggressive 17.h5 rather than 17.Bg2
Dec-21-19  areknames: <14..b5 looks bad. Black only has play on the Q-side, and destroys it all by completely abandoning c5. Weird> 14...h5 sealing the K-side looks reasonable.

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