Click on the moves below to start playing the game:

[pgn_compat]
[Event “Saint Louis Rapid 2018”]
[Site “Saint Louis USA”]
[Date “2018.08.12”]
[Round “5.4”]
[White “Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar”]
[Black “Nakamura, Hikaru”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “A06”]
[WhiteElo “2801”]
[BlackElo “2777”]
[Annotator “Waldemar Moes,Better Your Chess!”]
[PlyCount “59”]
[EventDate “2018.08.11”]

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. b3 c5 6. Bb2 O-O 7. Rc1 dxc4 8. bxc4
b6 9. g3 Bb7 10. Bg2 Nc6 11. O-O Rc8 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. Rfd1 Qb8 14. d4 cxd4 15.
exd4 Rfe8 {Diagram [#]} 16. d5 $5 {Mamedyarov is playing with fire.} exd5 17.
Nxd5 {The most enterprising but also the more risky recapture.} (17. cxd5 {was
more cautious:} Ba3 18. Qd2 Bxb2 19. Qxb2 Na5 $11) 17… Nxd5 18. cxd5 Bg5 {
The position is very complicated, because as so ofgen in chess attacks can –
and should be – answered with counterattacks to maintain the balance.} 19.
Qxe8+ {Mamedyarov is not easily satisfied, and this is of course a hallmark of
a very strong player. He is taking risks however but probabl reckoned that for
a rapid game that is OK.} (19. Be5 {Counterattack!} Nxe5 20. Nxg5 Rxc1 (20…
Nc4 $4 21. Qd3 $18) 21. Rxc1 h6 22. Nh3 (22. Nf3 $2 Bxd5 $17) 22… Qd6 $11)
19… Rxe8 20. dxc6 $1 {Mamedyarov’s decision here is a fine mix of intuition
and calculation. This move feels like the principled continuation as it tries
to push the rampant passed pawn forward as quickly as possible and involve the
rooks and the bishops as quickly and agressively as he can.} ({Also possible
was the slightly more “deviating”:} 20. Nxg5 {with many complications f.i:} Ne7
21. d6 Bxg2 {In this case I would say that White does not like this kind of
exchange of the light squared bishops. It seems to take the punch out of his
setup.} 22. Kxg2 Qb7+ 23. Kg1 Nc6 24. d7 Rd8 $17 {but with the d-pawn firmly
blockaded Black seems to have the better of it.}) 20… Bxc1 {OK, let’s take
stock here for a moment. Currently White is down a queen for a bishop. Has he
miscalculated?} 21. Be5 $3 {Wow, that looks like a brilliant shot. But wait,
isn’t White giving up even more material?} (21. cxb7 $4 Bxb2 $19) (21. Rxc1 $2
Ba6 22. c7 Qc8 $19) 21… Rxe5 $2 {Here Nakamura forsakes his chance to try
and punish Mamedyarov’s risky play. But of course it was very difficult to
foresee everything to the end.} (21… Qa8 $1 {would have ensured Black the
better position:} 22. cxb7 (22. Rxc1 $4 Bxc6 $19) 22… Qxb7 23. Rxc1 Qa6 $17 {
and with the dangerous passed d-pawn gone, Black can start playing for the win.
}) 22. Nxe5 {White has regained some material, both of Black’s bishops are
hanging and Black is weak on the bank rank. White is back on track! But to
foresee this is really amazing.} Ba6 $1 {Nakamura defends well. with this move
he avoids a few pitfalls and keeps control of the promotion square.} ({For one,
it turns out that Black cannot take twice on e5, since after:} 22… Qxe5 $4
23. Rd8+ Qe8 24. Rxe8# {he is bank rank mated!}) ({Of course not:} 22… Bc8 $4
23. Rd8#) ({But is was easy to go wrong with:} 22… Ba8 $2 23. Rd7 $1 {and
the threat of c7 and Rd8 is unstoppable f.i:} Bg5 {similar to the game.} (23…
Bxc6 24. Nxc6) 24. c7 Qc8 25. Bxa8 {This is the difference, on a8 the bishop
is a target!} Qxa8 26. Nc6 $18 {Beautiful, it all works like a charm!}) 23. Rd7
{Again the threat is c7 winning.} Bg5 24. c7 Qc8 {Now there is no Bxa8, so
Black barely holds the draw! Note by the way that nominally White is down a
rook for a queen! It is the presence of the passed pawn on the 7th rank and
the coordination of the White pieces that makes everything possible.} 25. Bd5 {
Still it ain’t over yet, now an assault on the light squares is initiated.} Bf6
{This move strikes me as funny, since Black is not threatening Bxe5 because of
Rd8+ etc.} 26. Bxf7+ ({But it does defend against White’s main threat of:} 26.
Rxf7 $4 Bxe5 27. Rd7+ Kf8 28. Rd8+ Ke7 29. Rxc8 Bxc8 $19) ({Of course not:} 26.
Nxf7 $4 Qxd7 $19) 26… Kf8 (26… Kh8 $4 27. Be6 $18 {and with the added
threat of Ne5-f7check-d6 White would be winning after all.}) 27. Be6 {It
remains scary!} Ke8 {The king helps in the defense of the d8 square. This
means that Bxe5 has now become a real threat. White must now repeat moves and
make a draw.} 28. Bf7+ (28. Rd8+ $6 Qxd8 29. cxd8=Q+ Kxd8 30. f4 $15) 28… Kf8
29. Be6 Ke8 30. Bf7+ 1/2-1/2

[/pgn_compat]