TCEC Cup 4 Round of 32 Game 56 – chess22k-Stockfish

Game	Cup 4, Round of 32, Game 56
Result	0-1
ECO	E64
Links	TCEC archive Lichess

In this game, Stockfish playing as black performs a double exchange sacrifice for a strong attacking initiative.

Game overview

                                                                                       ♛     ♚  ♟  ♞ ♟♝     ♕ ♞♟♟   ♟        ♝        ♘  ♘♙  ♙♙  ♜♙ ♙ ♖ ♗  ♖♔

Position after 14... Rxe2

1.c4 d6 2. g3 g6

End of book.

3. d4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bg2 c5 7. d5 e6 8. O-O Re8

This is where black effectively offers the first exchange. See below.

9. dxe6 Bxe6

Taking with the rook would avoid giving up the exchange at the cost of a pawn. For example: 9... Rxe6 10. Ng5 Re7 (protecting g7) 11. Nge4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 h6 13. Nxc5. Taking with the f-pawn would also be no good, but for much more complex reasons. White would be able to pressure the d6-pawn to win a pawn or more.

10. Ng5 Bxc4

Here black concretely offers the exchange for better development and two strong central pawns. Note that avoiding the exchange offer with 10... Nc6 11. Nxe6 Rxe6 12. Rb1 would give white easier play and black would have to deal with the weak d6 pawn.

11. Bxb7 Nbd7 12. Bxa8 Qxa8 13. Qxd6 h6 14. Nf3 Rxe2 (diagram)

Black sacrifices another exchange. Before accepting, white has to play 15. Qf4 threatening the bishop on c4 and preventing Qxf3 by black. Overzealous capture would give black a decisive attack, for example: 15. Nxe2 Qxf3 16. Nc3 Bxf1 17. Kxf1 Ng4.

                                                                                             ♛    ♚  ♟    ♟        ♕♟    ♟ ♞♞ ♟           ♙♘  ♝♙♙ ♙      ♔ ♖    ♖

Position after 28... Nf5

15. Qf4 Bd5 16. Nxe2 Bxf3 17. Nc3(N)

Novelty in the Lichess masters database. In the masters game, 17... Rc2 was played, instead, keeping the rook. However, at this level, keeping the initiative and the a8-h1 diagonal in control was more important.

17... Ng4 18. h3 Be5 19. Qa4 Bd4 20. Be3 Bc6 21. Qa6 Nge5 22. Bxd4 Nf3+

The intermezzo move allows rerouting the knight to d4 with a check, and then bringing another knight on e5 for attack. Black needs to keep the initiative being 2 exchanges down.

23. Kh1 Nxd4+ 24. f3 Ne5 25. Kg2 Bxf3+ 26. Kh2 Qb8 27. b3 h5

Threatening h4 to open up the b8-h2 diagonal for attack.

28. Qf6 Nf5 (diagram) 29. Ne2

White gives material back to avoid the mating threat: 29... Ng4+ and 30... Qxg3#

                                                                                                                 ♟    ♟             ♞  ♙     ♙♟    ♝♚  ♙      ♟♔     ♖

Position after 48. Rd1

29... Bxe2 30. Rxf5 gxf5 31. Qg5+ Kf8 32. Qh6+ Ke7 33. Qe3 Bf3

After the checks are over and the pieces are protected, black has two pieces in a central position for the rook.

34. Re1 Be4 35. Qxc5+ Ke6 36. Rc1 f4 37. Qc8+

White forces the queens off to enter a losing endgame. However, keeping the queens on board would not have been helpful. For example: 37. gxf4 Nf3+ 38. Kg3 h4+ 39. Kf2 Qxf4 and white has couple checks, after which white is getting mated.

37... Qxc8 38. Rxc8 Nf3+ 39. Kg2 Ng5+ 40. Kh2 f3 41. Rc1 Bd3 42. a4 Ke5 43. b4 Kd4 44. b5 f2 45. Kg2 Ke3 46. b6 axb6 47. g4 h4 48. Rd1 1-0. (diagram)

The game was adjudicated as black win as per the TCEC win rule. White is facing a forced mate in 6. An example line: 48... Be4+ 49. Kf1 Nf3 50. Kg2 Ne1+ 51. Kh2 f1=Q 52. Rd3+ Nxd3 53. a5 Qh1#

Analysis

Analysis by Jozarov