Sharjah R3: Nakamura vence a Rapport

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix I"] [Site "Sharjah"] [Date "2017.02.20"] [Round "3"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, M."] [Black "Mamedyarov, S."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C77"] [WhiteElo "2796"] [BlackElo "2766"] [Annotator "Alex Yermolinsky"] [PlyCount "101"] [EventDate "2017.02.18"] [EventCountry "UAE"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 { Here we are, in Karjakin's preparation for the World Championship match. Carlsen was never in trouble, but it served a practical purpose of extending the match to the tie-breaks.} O-O 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 {Following the main line.} ({White can also change the pawn structure with} 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. b4 Nc6 13. Bd2 d5 14. Re1) (11. d4 Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Re8 13. Ra1 Nc4 14. Re1 { was seen in Game 2 of the New York match.}) 11... Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Nc6 13. Bg5 Nd7 (13... Ng4 {was played twice against Bacrot, first by Inarkiev , then by Fressinet. Neither one exprienced any particular problem equalizing. I guess, the absense of bishops makes Black's task easier.}) 14. Be3 Nf6 15. Bg5 Nd7 16. Be3 Nf6 17. Qb1 d5 18. exd5 {After teasing the audience with a prospect of short draw by repetition, MVL shows his intention to fight by introducing a new move. Objectively speaking it is not so good.} Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Qxd5 20. c4 $5 {This is the idea behind the center-surrendering trade on d5. MVL puts his hopes on active play on the Q-side.} bxc4 21. dxc4 Qe6 {Mamedyarov correctly decides to keep the Q-side action to minimum, planning his counterplay in the center and, possibly, K-side.} (21... Qxc4 {is not so good, because White easily gets his pawn back with interest:} 22. Rc2 Qe6 23. Qc1 Na7 24. Rxc7 Nb5 25. Rc6) 22. Qe4 ({The right way to hold the balance (yes, Virginia, it is time for White to do so) was to be found in} 22. Rd2 $1 Rad8 23. Qc2 f5 24. Rd5 $1 Rxd5 (24... e4 25. Nd4 Nxd4 26. Bxd4 Rxd5 27. cxd5 Qxd5 28. Qxc7 Qxd4 29. Qxe7 $11) 25. cxd5 Qxd5 26. Rc1 Rd8 {and now both} 27. Qxf5 ({and} 27. h3 { are good enough.})) 22... Rad8 $1 ({White could only dream of} 22... f5 23. Qd5 ) 23. g4 {This is not an attacking move, but rather a last-ditch attempt to stop Black's e- and f- pawns from advancing on White's minor pieces.} (23. Rd2 f5 24. Qc2 Rxd2 25. Nxd2 (25. Bxd2 e4) 25... f4) 23... h5 {Mamedyarov had other interesting choices.} (23... g6 24. g5 a5 25. b5 Nd4 {was one of them, but here after} 26. Bxd4 exd4 27. Qxe6 fxe6 28. Ne5 Bxg5 29. Rd1 {White would easily hold a light-square blockade.}) ({I'm surprised he didn't go for} 23... f5 24. gxf5 Rxf5 25. Kh1 Rdf8 26. Nd2 Bg5 {Such aggressive play would be right up Shakh's alley.}) 24. g5 Qg4+ 25. Qxg4 hxg4 26. Nh4 $1 {The knight looks ugly there, but the fight is on for the f5-square, and White needs all hands on deck.} (26. Nd2 Rd3 27. Kg2 f5 28. gxf6 gxf6 {followed by f6-f5 is a free ride for Black.}) 26... g6 ({In case of} 26... Nd4 27. Kg2 Ne6 {White would have} 28. Re1 {at least temporarily maintaining the balance.}) 27. Kh1 e4 ({ I looked at} 27... Nd4 28. Rg1 Nf5 29. Rxg4 Nxe3 30. fxe3 Rd3 {but there White survives:} 31. Re4 Bxg5 32. Nf3 Bxe3 33. Nxe5 f5 34. Nxd3 fxe4 35. Ne5) 28. Rg1 Ne5 29. Bf4 Nxc4 30. Rxg4 {It's understandable Maxim wanted to resolve the situation on the K-side.} ({Probably} 30. Bxc7 {was stronger, but Black would have kept the pressure on after} Rd3 31. Rxg4 Rc8 32. Bg3 Nd2) 30... c5 $1 { Timely strike to break up White's stronghold on the Q-side while his pieces are all tangled up elsewhere.} 31. bxc5 Bxc5 32. Rc2 Rd4 33. Rg3 Re8 34. Kg2 { A sad admission that Nh4 won't be returning to play any time soon.} Bf8 35. Rgc3 {A good practical choice.} ({It's very hard for White to avoid losing the a-pawn anyway:} 35. a4 Ne5) 35... Nxa3 36. Ra2 Rd3 37. Rc6 a5 {For all intents and purposes White is busted. Knowing that full well, Maxim plays his last chance out.} 38. Nxg6 $5 fxg6 39. Rxg6+ {Such twists in the plot are design to leave the opponent confused and disoriented.} Kh7 $6 {The very first move is somewhat inaccurate. Why invite the future g5-g6 with check when White's rook is not well placed on g6 anyway?} ({The sample line,} 39... Kh8 40. h4 Rf3 41. Bc7 Bb4 42. h5 Nc4 43. Re2 Rf5 44. Rh6+ Kg7 45. Rg6+ Kf7 {proves the point.}) 40. Rc6 Bb4 41. h4 Nb5 42. h5 Nc3 $2 {Shakh swings wildly and totally misses the mark.} ({The knight was badly needed on the K-side to help dealing with White's advancing pawns.} 42... Nd4 43. Rc7+ (43. Ra6 Ne6 44. g6+ Kg8) 43... Kg8 44. h6 Nf5 {would be "job well done".}) 43. Rc2 Nd5 44. g6+ Kg8 45. Bg5 Rf3 46. h6 {Now the situation looks very threatening, and Shakh has no choice but allow a draw.} Nf4+ 47. Bxf4 Rxf4 48. Rc8 Rxc8 49. Rxc8+ Rf8 50. Rc7 Rf6 51. Rc8+ {A somewhat lucky escape from MVL, who at the end of the day was able to protect his leading position.} 1/2-1/2