The Will To Win! - Christiansen vs Wojtaszek | Fide World Cup 2019

The Will To Win! - Christiansen vs Wojtaszek | Fide World Cup 2019
Opening: Sicilian Najdorf



1. e4 c5 {the Sicilian Defense} 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 {
the Najdorf} 6. Bg5 {is the main line and the most analyzed line in chess
history. With an aggressive setup, White will pressure the center with the
constant threat of breaking the position with e5. After Bg5, e6 is the main
continuation} Nbd7 {is the second most played move} 7. Qe2 {the idea is to
castle long. Why the Queen to e2? There is no black bishop in Fianchetto so,
creating the battery is useless.} h6 8. Bh4 {Now g5 is too risky.} g6 9. f4 e5
10. fxe5 dxe5 11. O-O-O {good move. No need to move the Knight. In fact} Qc7 (
11... exd4 {is a blunder} 12. e5 {with the Black King still in center it's
already plus 2} dxc3 {makes the position even worse for Black} 13. exf6+ Be7
14. bxc3 {and Black can't castle} O-O 15. fxe7) 12. Nb3 {and now the most
played move, the classical b5 push} b5 {Believe it or not this is one of the
critical moments of the game. What to play as white? Qf3 is a sensible move.
Adds pressure against the Knight on f6 and clears the way for the light square
bishop. Let's explore a bit this idea because this is exactly what Wojtaszek
was expecting. He played this same position as Black in 2013 winning a long
game against the strong grand master Kurnosov, 2650. (Christiansen has
something completely different in mind)} 13. Rxd7 {sacrifices the exchange.
This is not a new idea: I have 25 games in database and white scores better
than black. Black must recapture with the Knight} (13. Qf3 Bg7 14. Bd3 O-O {
the game is almost equal, white will try to move the king to b1 and to push
with g4. And as we said even if the game is equal I have 4 games in database
with 1 draw and 3 victories for the Black players. Let's go back to our game.})
13... Nxd7 14. Nd5 {with tempo} Qb8 15. Na5 {there are many threats: the
knight jump to c6 and the Queen that can move to f3 or d3. From f3 watching f6
and from d3, indirectly attacking d8 with checkmating ideas} Bc5 {an
inaccurancy. Better Bb7 or Bg7} 16. Qd2 {targeting d8 and also preventing
short castle} g5 {is a novelty and a good move. Bb7 was played before.} 17. Bg3
Qd6 18. Be2 O-O 19. Rf1 {natural and strong} f6 20. h4 {another good move.
White must play on the kingside} Kg7 21. hxg5 {now difficult to say with what
pawn is better to recapture. I would suggest to recapture as usual with the
h-pawn} fxg5 {in fact seems to favor white} 22. Rxf8 Nxf8 {is a mistake. Black
should recapture with the Queen} 23. b4 Ba7 24. Qc3 {Black is in great danger.
the worst threat is Bxe5 with check winning the queen} Ng6 25. Nc6 Bb8 {with}
26. Nxe5 {Christiansen takes the lead. Black must capture. Both the king and
the queen are under x-rays attacks} (26. Bh5 {is also strong} Bb7 27. Nxb8 Rxb8
(27... Qxb8 28. Ne7 Nxe7 29. Bxe5+) 28. Bxg6 Kxg6 29. Bxe5) 26... Nxe5 27. Qxc8
Ra7 {unpins the bishop} 28. Bf2 Rf7 29. Bc5 Rf8 {What to play? Christiansen
already won game one} 30. Qb7+ (30. Qxf8+ Kxf8 31. Bxd6+ Bxd6 {is already
enough to win the game or at least to draw it. White is a pawn up}) 30... Rf7
31. Qc8 (31. Qa8 {is also good} Qd8 (31... Qg6 32. Qxb8 Qxe4 33. Ne3 Nd7 34.
Qd6 Nxc5 35. Qxc5 {white is winning}) 32. Qxa6) 31... Rf8 32. Qh3 Qc6 33. Bxf8+
{white regains the quality and is a pawn up} Kxf8 34. Kb1 {a strange move.
Qf5+ looks easier and stronger} Kg7 35. Bd3 {what happens with} Ba7 (35... Nxd3
36. cxd3 {only improves white's position. Black is forced to stop the central
passed pawns} Be5 37. Qe3 {white is much better}) 36. Qf5 Bd4 37. a3 Qd6 {
there isn't a clear counterplan for Black} 38. Be2 {good idea} Qc6 {Two moves
to reach move 40. Christiansen with 1 minute on the clock repeats the moves}
39. Bd3 Qd6 40. Be2 Qc6 {reaches move 40} 41. Bh5 {move 41 and plenty of time
to try to win the game} Qd6 42. Qc8 {there are many attacking ideas. If Black
defends with the best move} Nc4 {but it's a mistake. Here comes} (42... Qf8 {
whote will exchange the queens} 43. Qxf8+ Kxf8 44. c3 Bf2 45. Be2 Kf7 46. Nc7 {
white can't lose this endgame. But Wojtaszek needs to win and he tries
something active}) 43. Nc7 {and Wojtaszek resigns. Let's make a couple of
moves. The Knight fork is in the cards. If} Kh7 (43... Nb6 44. Ne8+ Kh8 45.
Nxd6+ Nxc8 46. Nxc8 {a piece up. Wojtaszek did well to resign.}) (43... Nd2+
44. Ka2 {Black can't give check anymore} Qe7 45. Ne6+ {going back to Nc7. IF})
44. Bf7 1-0

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FIDE Master and Professional Photographer
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