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Dommaraju Gukesh vs Ian Nepomniachtchi
Tata Steel Masters (2024), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 5, Jan-18
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense (D40)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Oh! It's Gukesh against Nepo. White is winning!
Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: How did Nepo...


click for larger view

...get to this position?

Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: BTW, I really like Tata and its precursors and equivalents.
Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Someone might have a game collection of ♘♘ v ♗♗.
Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Earlier, I think Nepo made a mistake.


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There was the possibility of 34. Ne6!, with picking up the B on g6.

Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: 47. Qd8+ and Black can resign.
Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Morning: White's 35th move looks like a nice tactical shot. Current position, after 48.e4; to my five remaining brain cells, Black's Bishop looks trapped.
Jan-18-24  whiteshark: one last attempt...
Jan-18-24  goodevans: <offramp: How did Nepo... [diagram] ...get to this position?>

Your second diagram is the point where Nepo blundered with 34...Bb4?.

I guess he either didn't anticipate Gukesh sac'ing a N for 2Ps or didn't calculate it properly. Nepo, having already sac'd a P, now had a piece for 3Ps but crucially after 35.Nxc6 Rcxc6 36.Rxd5 his Q was attacked and that was defending the B that he'd just unwisely plumped on b4.

Blocking with 36....Bc5 or 36...Rc5 wouldn't work and giving back the piece was the best option. That put him 3 Ps down although he could win one back immediately. Why he spurned the opportunity to also nab White e-pawn is a mystery which brings us more-or-less to your first diagram.

Jan-18-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: Nepo did not make 34…Bb4 hastily -3 min 3 sec- but missed that the bishop was not adequately guarded after 35 Nxc6! Rcxc6 36 Rxd5

The queen cannot keep guarding the bishop. Nepo thought for 9 min 47 sec, an eternity for him, and found the best move 36…h5, but Gukesh in turn found 37 Qf4 after which there was no hope.

Jan-19-24  cormier: depth=35 | Stockfish 16
+2.55 35. Nxc6 Rcxc6 36. Rxd5 h5 37. Qf4 Qxd5 38. Rxd5 Bd6 39. Rxd6 Rxd6 40. Nc3 Rac6 41. Kh2 Rd2 42. e4 Rb2 43. Qe3 Rd6 44. Nd5 Rxa2 45. f3 Kh7 46. Qc1 Rd8 47. b4 Rda8 48. Kg3 Ra1 49. Qc7 R8a7 50. Qb8 R1a3 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch, Main Line
Jan-19-24  cormier: depth=35 | Stockfish 16
+0.35 34... Ra8 35. Ne6 Rca7 36. Nf4 Be4 37. Nh5 Bg6 38. Ng3 Re8 39. h4 Kh8 40. Nf5 Bf8 41. Rd4 Re6 42. h5 Bh7 43. Rc1 Re5 44. Nh4 Re6 45. Rf4 Qd2 46. Qd1 Qa5 47. Nf5 Ba3 48. Rc3 Bb4 49. Rc2 Bd6 50. Rxc6 Bxf4 51. Rc8+ Bg8

+0.50 34... Bd6 35. Nf5 Bf8 36. Qf3 Rc8 37. Rc2 Re8 38. g4 Re5 39. Nc3 Qc5 40. Qf4 Re8 41. Rd4 Qa7 42. Kg2 Bh7 43. Rdd2 Rd8 44. Qf3 Bg6 45. Rd4 Qa8 46. e4

+0.57 34... h5 35. Qg3 Bb4 36. Re2 Rd7 37. Ne6 Qb5 38. Nf4 Rd6 39. Qf3 Rf6 40. Rb2 Ba3 41. Rbd2 Bb4 42. Rd4 Bd6 43. Nc3 Qb7 44. Qe2 Be5 45. Ra4 Rxa4 46. Nxa4 Bxf4 47. exf4 Qb4 48. Qe3 Rxf4 49. Qd2 Qxd2 50. Rxd2 Rb4 51. Nc3 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch, Main Line

Jan-19-24  cormier: depth=37 | Stockfish 16
+0.60 28. Nfe2 Qb4 29. a3 Qa5 30. Rcc2 Re8 31. Qf3 Rad8 32. Nc1 Be5 33. Nd3 Bd6 34. Ne2 Qa7 35. Ndf4 Rb8 36. Rc1 Qa5 37. Rdc2 Qa6 38. Nd4 c5 39. Nde2 Re5 40. Rd2 Qa5 41. b4 cxb4 42. axb4 Qxb4 43. Nc3 Qa3 44. Qd1 Rb2 45. Rxb2 Qxb2 46. Nfxd5
Jan-19-24  cormier: depth=38 | Stockfish 16
+0.36 27... d4 28. Qxa5 Rxa5 29. exd4 Bg5 30. g3 Bxh3 31. a3 Be6 32. Nd1 Bxf4 33. gxf4 Ra6 34. Rc3 g6 35. Ne3 h5 36. Kh2 Kg7 37. Kg3 Kf6 38. Rdc2 Rd8 39. Rxc6 Rxc6 40. Rxc6 Rxd4 41. Rc5 Kg7 42. Rb5 f6 43. f5 h4+ 44. Kh2 Bd7 45. Rb7 Kh6 46. fxg6 Kxg6 47. Rb4
Jan-20-24  Saniyat24: move of the month...35.Nxc6...!

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