1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 h6$5 ({<strong style="color:black;">Not so often played. Theoreticians are still out on a proper assessment of this line, but this game might have an impact. White gets a ‘free’ attacking position with no risk. </strong> }) 7.Bxf6
Qxf6 8.Bxc4 c5 9.O-O cxd4 10.e5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qd8 11.Ne4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} O-O 12.Qe2{[#] <strong style="color:red;">There are other moves, but his plan seems to have become the principal line. White’s plan is simple: at some point retreat the Knight on e4 to g3 (later to h5) so as to make room for the Queen and then line up the Bishop on d3…and play the Queen to g4 at some point. Black had better have a good counter attack available, because White’s buildup is very scary!</strong>} Be7 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">The usual regrouping</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">An older example of what can go wrong with Black’s game is </strong> } 12...Nc6 13.a3 Be7 14.Bd3 g6 15.h4 Kg7 16.h5 g5 17.Ned2 Rh8
18.Nh2 b6 19.f4 gxf4 20.Rxf4 Bg5 21.Raf1 Bxf4 22.Rxf4 a5 23.Ng4
{1-0, Akopian,Vl 2694 – Ivanchuk,V 2741 , Astrakhan RUS 23/ 5/2010 FIDE GP}
)
13.Rfd1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A critical moment. The old discussion of ‘which Rook’ has also applied to this position. However, as Vitiugov is one of the best theoretically prepared players, it seems that he has already made up his mind and readers might well take note.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Some examples with the other Rook: </strong> }13.Rad1 Qc7 ( 13...Qa5 14.Ng3 Rd8 15.Qe4 Nd7 16.Nh5
Nf8 17.Qg4 g6 18.Rfe1 Bd7 19.Nxd4 Be8 20.Re4 Rac8 21.Bb3 Ba4
22.Bxa4 Qxa4 23.a3 Bg5 24.Nf4 Bxf4 25.Rxf4 Rd5 26.Rf1 Qa6 27.Nf3
Rcd8 28.h4 Qe2 29.Rxf7 Rd1 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 32.Kh2
Qc1 33.Nd4 h5 34.Nxe6+ Ke7 35.Qxg6 Rd1 36.Qf6+ Kd7 37.Nf4 {<strong style="color:black;">1-0, Sokolov,Ivan 2590 – Van Foreest,Lucas 2500 , Groningen NED 27/12/2018 University Challenge </strong> }
) 14.Bd3 ( 14.Ng3 Bd7 15.Rxd4 Bc6 16.Rg4 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nc6 18.Re1
Rad8 19.Qe3 Bg5 20.f4 Nxe5 21.Qxe5 Qxc4 22.Nh5 Qd4 23.Qxg7+ Qxg7
24.Nxg7 Rd4 25.Nh5 Kh7 26.h3 Bd8 27.f5 Rxg4+ 28.hxg4 exf5 29.gxf5
Rg8+ 30.Kf1 Rg5 31.Ng3 h5 32.Rd1 Bb6 33.Rd7 Kg7 34.Ne4 Rxf5 35.Kg2
Re5 36.f3 Kg6 37.Rxb7 f5 38.Nc3 Re1 39.Kg3 Rg1+ 40.Kh2 Rf1 41.Nd5
Bd4 42.Nf4+ Kh6 43.Rc7 h4 44.Rc6+ Kh7 45.Rc7+ Kg8 46.Ng6 Rf2+
47.Kh3 Rxf3+ 48.Kh2 h3 49.Ne7+ Kf8 50.Ng6+ Ke8 51.Rh7 f4 52.Nh4
Rd3 53.Nf5 Bc5 54.b4 Bxb4 55.Rxa7 Kf8 56.Ra4 Bc3 57.Ra3 Kg8 58.Ne7+
Kg7 59.Nd5 f3 60.Kxh3 Rxd5 61.Rxc3 Rf5 62.Rc1 {<strong style="color:black;">1/2-1/2, Nihal,Sarin 2572 – So,W 2776 , Douglas ENG 28/10/2018 chess.com IoM Masters</strong> }
) Nd7 15.Rc1 Qa5 16.g4 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.f4 Qa5 19.g5 Qd8
20.h4 Bd7 21.gxh6 g6 22.h5 Kh8 23.Kh2 Bc6 24.Rf3 Bd6 25.Qf2 Bc7
26.Kh3 Qe7 27.Ng5 e5 28.Rxc6 bxc6 29.Nxf7+ Rxf7 30.hxg6 Rf6 31.g7+
Kg8 32.Bc4+ Kh7 33.Qh4 e4 34.Rg3 Bxf4 35.g8=Q+ Rxg8 36.Bxg8+
Kh8 37.Rg7 Qf8 {<strong style="color:black;">0-1, Aronian,L 2794 – Caruana,F 2784 , Berlin GER 18/ 3/2018 FIDE Candidates 2018</strong> }
)
Qa5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Of course, the Queen does not feel very comfortable on d8, but the question is where should she be placed?</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A: I assume the idea of moving the King Rook to d1 is that if now </strong> } 13...Qc7 {<strong style="color:black;"> then </strong> } 14.Rac1 {<strong style="color:black;"> is embarrassing. </strong> } )
( {<strong style="color:black;">B: The natural </strong> } 13...Nc6 14.a3 Qc7 15.Ng3!{<strong style="color:black;">leaves Black in the same kind of predicament, not being able to prevent the White attack on the Kingside. </strong> } )
({<strong style="color:black;">C: Vitiugov suggested in his post game commentary </strong> } 13...Qb6 {<strong style="color:black;">but it has been played already and seems inadequte: </strong> } 14.Ng3 Rd8 15.Nh5 g6 {<strong style="color:black;"> as in Edouard Romain (FRA) 2670 – Pelletier,Y 2572 , Switzerland SUI 18/ 5/2014 TCh</strong> }
( 15...Nd7$5 ){<strong style="color:black;">And now </strong> } 16.Qd2!$16{<strong style="color:black;">is just as strong as in the game. </strong> } )
14.a3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Of course there are other ways to play for White, but this seems to be very strong!</strong>} Rd8 15.b4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 15.Ng3$5 Bd7 16.b4
Qb6 17.Rxd4 Be8 18.Rg4$16
{<strong style="color:black;"> Sokolov,Ivan 2590 – Van Foreest,Lucas 2500 , Groningen NED 29/12/2018 University Challenge</strong> }
)
Qb6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} ( 15...Qc7 16.Rac1 )
16.Ng3 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Following the plan mentioned above. White’s position plays itself.</strong>} ( 16.Bd3$5 ) a5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Could it be that Black has placed his hopes on this move, trying to distract White’s attention?</strong>}
( 16...Nd7 17.Rxd4!
( 17.Qe4 Qc6! 18.Qg4? Qxc4 ) ( 17.Bd3 Nf8 18.Nh5 Bd7 ) Nf8 18.Rg4$16 )
17.b5 a4$5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Trying to tie down the ‘target’ on a3</strong>}
( 17...Nd7 18.Rxd4 Nf8 19.Rg4 Bd7 20.a4$16 )
18.Nh5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The pressure builds</strong>} g6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 18...Nd7 19.Rxd4$16 ) 19.Qd2!!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White this move might be hard to find and is no doubt very beautiful, it ends the game. White now has an unstoppable attack.</strong>} gxh5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black has unpleasant choices.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Not capturing the piece allows White to simply build up pressure at no cost. A: </strong> } 19...Kh7 20.Qf4! Rf8 21.Nf6+
Bxf6 22.exf6 Nd7 23.Rxd4 Qd8? 24.Qxh6+! )
({<strong style="color:black;">B: </strong> } 19...Bf8 20.Nf6+ Kh8
21.Ng4 {<strong style="color:black;">and so on. Black has simply no play. </strong> } )
20.Qxh6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Notice all of Black’s pieces on the Queenside.</strong>} Nd7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 20...Bf8 21.Qxh5 Bg7 22.Ng5 Rd7 23.Rd3
Qc7 24.Bxe6 fxe6 25.Rf3!$18 )
21.Bd3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
f5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">A: </strong> } 21...Nf8 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Qxg5+
Kh8 24.Qxh5+ Kg7 25.Qg5+ Kh8 26.f4!{<strong style="color:black;"> And nothing stops Rf1-f3-g3</strong> } )
( 21...Bf8 22.Qh7# )
22.Qg6+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 22.exf6 Nxf6 ( 22...Bxf6 23.Ng5 ) 23.Ne5$18 )
Kf8{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 22...Kh8 23.Qf7!
Bf8 24.Ng5 Bg7 25.Qxh5+ Kg8 26.Qf7+ Kh8 27.Nxe6$18 )
23.Bc4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">White just keeps lining up his attacking pieces and Black can not do anything but wait for the axe to fall.</strong>}
Nc5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
24.Nxd4 Rxd4 ( 24...Bd7 25.Nxf5 ) 25.Rxd4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Qc7 ( 25...Ne4 26.Rad1 )
26.Re1 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">There are plenty of alternative ways to win: </strong> } 26.Rad1 Bd7 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Rxd7!{<strong style="color:black;">and so on. </strong> } )
Nb3 ( 26...Bd7 27.Rf4 )
27.Rf4{[#]<strong style="color:black;">This is beginning to be embarrassing! </strong> } Bc5 28.Rd1{<strong style="color:black;">Black resigns. Mate is inevitable. For example:</strong> }
({<strong style="color:black;">I hate to mention it, but there is also </strong> } 28.Rxf5+! exf5 29.Qf6+ Ke8 30.Rd1 Nd4 31.Rxd4
Bxd4 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qg7+ Kd8 34.Qf8+ Kd7 35.e6# )
b6 29.Rxf5+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
exf5 30.Rd8+ {[#]<strong style="color:black;"> </strong> }1-0
