Today we will talk about Alireza Firouzja, the 16 years old Iranian Grandmaster and chess prodigy that Last month surpassed the 2700 Elo rating barrier. In today's video we will watch togehter his game in round 1 of the Fide World Cup. His opponent is Pashikian , armenian chess champion with a rating of 2599. Let's get started 1. Nf3 {the Reti} d5 2. e3 {In my database I found that Nakamura played 5
games this year with this setup. They are all rapid and blitz games and they
are 5 victories.} Nf6 3. c4 e6 {and} 4. Nc3 {the funny thing is that Nakamura
also played a lot of games from the Black side of this position. He was able
to draw many of them but never to win. After Nc3 Naka, with the black pieces,
likes Be7, I prefer Bd6 and Pashikian continues with c5} c5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. d4
Nc6 7. Bb5 {pinning the Knight} cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bd7 {defending c6.} 9. O-O Bd6 {
what to do now? Black has an isolated d-pawn. Exchangin pieces, long term will
favor white. But not now on c6, or the isolated pawn disappears. Bd2 makes no
sense because this dark square bishop stands well on b2 controlling the long
diagonal. b3 then is a good move but Firouzja plays the most played move Nf3.
But what about e4?} 10. Nf3 (10. e4 dxe4 (10... Nxe4 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. Qxd5 O-O
13. Bxc6 Nxc3 14. Qf3 {White has the bishop pair. If Black wants one bishop,
he must ruin a bit his pawn structure} bxc6 15. Qxc3 {an equal position where
white, more or less, maintains the initial advantage}) 11. Bg5 O-O {is the
best idea} (11... Qc7 {played in the only game I have in database is a mistake}
12. Bxc6 Bxh2+ 13. Kh1 Bxc6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Nxe4 Be5 17. f4 {
with a pawn less White is winning}) 12. Nxe4 Be7) 10... Be6 11. b3 O-O 12. Bb2
Rc8 13. Rc1 Ne5 {is a novelty, before Bg4 was played in the only game I have
in database. Both are good moves. The game is equal} 14. Nd4 {good move:
blocks the isolated pawn} a6 15. Be2 Bb8 16. Na4 {a move with pros and cons.
It clears the c-file for the rook and the long diagonal for the bishop but the
Knight on a4 is not well placed} Qd6 17. f4 Ned7 (17... Ng6 {is a bit better
because white can't play} 18. Bd3 {and now} (18. f5 Qxh2+) 18... b5 19. Nc3
Rfe8 {Black is perfectly fine}) 18. Bf3 b5 19. Nc3 Nc5 20. Nce2 Bd7 {this move
is now an inaccurancy. The bishop was protecting d5 that in a couple of moves
will go under fire} 21. Ng3 Rfe8 22. Ndf5 {What to do? The Queen is under
attack and is protecting d5. But moving away the queen is not an option. Let's
watch what happens after} Bxf5 (22... Qe6 23. Bd4 Nce4 24. Nxg7 Kxg7 25. Bxe4 {
removes one of the defenders of f6} Rxc1 {because the queen is watching the
bishop from far} 26. Qxc1 dxe4 27. Nh5+ Kf8 28. Nxf6 Rc8 29. Qe1 {and the
maneuver h4-h7 is winning. It's plus 9. So removing the Knight is the best idea
}) 23. Nxf5 {ttacking and protecting} Qe6 24. g4 {keeps the position richer
than} (24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Qxd5) 24... Bd6 25. Nxd6 Qxd6 {two bishops vs two
knights and Black with the isolated pawn and only two minor pieces on the
board. White is better} 26. g5 Nfe4 {Let's notice that if there was no Nc5,
white can play a nice simple tactics...... But b4 now doesn't get the job done}
27. Be5 (27. b4 {the Knight moves to} Na4 {targeting the unprotected bishop}
28. Rxc8 Rxc8 29. Bxe4 Nxb2 30. Qxd5 {now of course if Black exchanges the
queen, white with a pawn up is better but after , there is still a lot to do
to win the game}) 27... Qd8 28. Bg4 Ra8 29. Qd4 {attacking g7 is white's idea.
Another idea is ( For Stockfish, exchanging the rook on e5 is the best defense)
} (29. b4 Ne6 30. Rc6 {with the chance to double the heavy pieces on the
c-file. Let's goback to our game}) 29... f6 (29... Rxe5 30. fxe5 Qxg5 31. Rf4
h5 32. Qxd5 Rf8 33. b4 Ne6 {but white remains better}) 30. gxf6 {a little
improvement is} (30. Rxc5 fxe5 31. Qxd5+ Qxd5 32. Rxd5 exf4 33. exf4 {White is
better}) 30... gxf6 31. Rxc5 Nxc5 {is a terrible blunder} (31... fxe5 32. Qxd5+
Qxd5 33. Rxd5 exf4 34. exf4 {a playable but difficult position to hold for
Black}) 32. Bxf6 Qd6 33. Be5 Qg6 34. f5 Qf7 {how to win the game now? Firouzja
continues with} 35. Bf3 {good move} (35. Kh1 {is another good and safe move
but there is a fantastic idea that white can play}) (35. Bh5 {a strong
deflection} Qe7 (35... Qxh5 36. Qxd5+ Ne6 37. Rf2 Rad8 38. Rg2+ Kf8 39. Bd6+
Rxd6 40. Qxd6+ Re7 41. fxe6 {it's already a forced checkmate}) 36. Qg4+ Kf8 37.
f6 Qd7 38. Bd6+ Qxd6 39. Qg7#) 35... Ne4 36. Bxe4 dxe4 37. Kh1 Re6 38. Qd5 {
this is winning and Black resigns. Let's make a nother couple of moves} (38.
Rg1+ {doesn't work} Rg6 39. fxg6 Qf3+ 40. Rg2 Qf1+ 41. Rg1 Qf3+ {draw by
perpetual check}) 38... Rae8 39. Rg1+ Rg6 (39... Kf8 40. Bd6+ Rxd6 41. Qxd6+
Re7 42. f6) 40. Qxf7+ Kxf7 41. fxg6+ hxg6 {white is a piece up.} 1-0
Photos by:
Lennart Ootes
FIDE Master and Professional Photographer
You can follow him here:
@LennartOotes
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