New Leader! - Wesley So vs Firouzja | Tata Steel Chess 2020

Opening: Queen's Gambit Accepted
Title: New Leader! - Wesley So vs Firouzja | Tata Steel Chess 2020

The Tata Steel Masters 2020 is a 13 rounds single round robin tournament which takes place from 11 - 26 January in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
Time control : 100 minutes for 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for 20 moves abd 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from move 1.

Players: Anand, Artemiev, Carlsen, Caruana, Dubov, Duda, Firouzja, Giri, Kovalev, Wesley So, Van Foreest,
Vitiugov, Xiong, Yu Yangyi
Hello Chess Friends and Welcome to the Channel. We are back to the Tata Steel with the most important game of round 4. A game between two players in top shape. Wesley So with the white pieces against Alireza Firouzja, that is leading the tournament, with the black pieces. Let's get started
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 {the Queen's Gambit Accepted, an opening that Firouzja
already played in round 2 against Duda and the game ended in a draw. But with
a complex game and some winning chances for Black} 3. Nf3 Nf6 {and now} 4. e3 {
that is the main line. The bishop will recapture on c4. b5 is playable but for
Black, in the long run, only focusing on protecting this pawn doesn't score
well. There are many other good moves that Black can play: a6 for a future b5
push with tempo, Bg4 pinning the Knight, c5 against the white center and
finally the main continuation that is e6} e6 5. Bxc4 {and we notice that the
bishop is not on the right diagonal} c5 {attacking the center with white that
will not capture, or Black will exchange the queens with advantage} 6. O-O a6 {
controlling b5 and Wesley plays a sideline that Stockfish likes much} 7. b3
cxd4 8. Nxd4 Be7 9. Bb2 {this was the point of b3. I have 43 games in database.
So and Firouzja already played this position last year. Wesley with white
pieces drew against Mamedyarov and Firouzja with Black won against Esipenko.}
O-O {Now Wesley improves his play with Bishop back to e2.} 10. Be2 {preventing
b5 with tempo. Against Mamedyarov he played Nd2} Bd7 {and only now} 11. Nd2 Nc6
{and at this point Wesley deviates from the Esipenko-Firouzja.} 12. Rc1 {
instead of Nc4. They are both good moves.} Rc8 13. N4f3 {preventing the
exchange of Knights. This is a novelty and the game is now original, with a
slight advantage for white} b5 14. a3 Qb6 15. Rc2 {In this position a good
move is surely Rfd8, but Firouzja played another interesting idea} e5 {this
pawn sacrifice is a good move} 16. Bd3 (16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bxa3 {with a
two vs one on the queenside}) 16... Rfd8 17. Qe2 {out of the d-file and
clearing the way for the second rook} Bg4 {not a mistake, but maybe the bishop
is more useful on e6} 18. Rfc1 Na7 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Rxc8+ Nxc8 {now with} 21.
h3 {forcing Black to lose the bishop pair if he doesn't want to lose the e5
pawn} Bxf3 22. Qxf3 Qd8 23. Qe2 Qd5 24. Bc2 Nd6 {centralizes the knight} 25.
Qd3 Qxd3 26. Bxd3 {even with the bishop pair, there is only a small advantage
for white} Nd7 27. g4 g6 {the pawns on the light squares} 28. Ne4 Nxe4 29. Bxe4
Nc5 30. Bc2 e4 {is an inaccurancy. f6 looks safe} 31. b4 {attacking the
defender of the pawn} Nd3 32. Bc3 Kf8 33. Kf1 f5 {Firouzja is short on time. 8
minutes to play the last 7 moves. Wesley So has 35 minutes on the clock} 34.
Ke2 {there is another option that is probably better. But this sort of waiting
move is useful, forcing Firouzja to think and spend even more time. Let's
watch the variation} (34. gxf5 gxf5 35. Bb3 Bh4 36. Be6 Bxf2 {and not Nx that
loses on the spot after Be1} 37. Bxf5 Bxe3 38. Bxh7 Nf4 39. h4 {and then Bxe4})
34... Bd8 35. Bxd3 exd3+ 36. Kxd3 Kf7 37. e4 fxg4 38. hxg4 {there is an
advantage for white. Now h5 is the sturdiest defense. Instead here comes} g5 {
that is a mistake. Without threats, the white King can invade} 39. Kd4 Bb6+ {
wins a pawn, but the problem is the queenside} 40. Kd5 Bxf2 41. Kc6 Ke6 42. Kb7
{Firouzja continues with} Kd7 {what happens if instead Black plays} (42... h5 {
this move doesn't solve any problem} 43. gxh5 {and g4 is not possible yet} Kf7
(43... g4 44. h6 Kf7 45. h7) 44. h6 Kg6 45. e5 g4 46. e6 Bh4 47. Kxa6 Kxh6 48.
Kxb5 Kg6 49. Kc6 Kf5 50. Kd7 g3 51. e7 g2 52. Bd4 {and it's game over}) 43.
Kxa6 Kc6 44. e5 Be3 45. e6 Bc1 46. a4 {is the strongest move} bxa4 47. Be5 {
Nothing can stop the pawn promotion that also comes with check.} *
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