GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda - GM Anish Giri

Superbet Rapid 2023, (1)
E60: King's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 A very popular Anti-Grünfeld system. The normal 3...d5 is scoring well for White, so much so that Black players are avoiding the Grünfeld and instead opting to play a Sämisch King's Indian or a hybrid KID/Benoni set-up, as we see in this game. 3...e6 4.e4 c5 5.d5 d6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.Ne2 Nbd7 8.O-O Ne5 9.Nec3 exd5 10.cxd5 Nxd3 11.Qxd3 Black may well have the bishop-pair, but right now there's a major problem of how to develop the light-squared bishop with White's formidable d5-g2 pawn chain effectively locking it out of the game. 11...O-O 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bf2 Nh5 15.Nd2 Nf4 16.Qc2 b5!? It was either this typical Benoni pawn sacrifice or see White putting the "Big Clamp" on the queenside with a4 and then swinging the knight into c4. 17.Nxb5 Rb8 18.a4 a6 19.Nc3 Rxb2 This speculative sacrifice was the whole raison d'être for Giri's provocative queenside play - but while it looks stunning, it only works if White panics, which Duda doesn't. 20.Qxb2 Bxc3 Worse was 20...Ne2+?! 21.Kh1 Bxc3 22.Qb3 Bxa1 23.Rxa1 and Black will just have wasted a move as the knight will have to sheepishly retreat back to f4. 21.Qa2 Of course, losing on the spot was 21.Qxc3?? Ne2+ forking king and queen. 21...Bxa1 22.Qxa1 The problem for Giri, is that while the b2 tactic has solved the problem of a Big Clamp on the queenside, long-term Duda could well exploit the dark-square weakness down the long a1-h8 diagonal to launch a kingside attack. 22...a5 23.Be3 Ba6 24.Rb1 Bd3 25.Rb7 Ba6 Hindsight is always 20/20 in chess, but the alternative looked more promising, with 25...Ne2+!? 26.Kf2 c4 27.Bb6 (There's no time for 27.Ra7?? g4! 28.g3 c3 and Black is already close to winning.) 27...Qa8 28.Rc7 Rc8! 29.Rxc8+ Qxc8 30.Qf6 c3 31.Nb3 Qb8! Forcing the endgame with the trade of queens, where now 32.Qd8+ Qxd8 33.Bxd8 c2 34.Bxa5! Bc4 35.Bd2 Bxb3 36.Kxe2 Bxa4 and a draw with the opposite-colour bishops. 26.Rb3 Nd3 27.Nf1 Nb4?! The game begins to swing out of control for Giri at this point - he simply had to go proactive and play 27...f5! 28.Ng3 f4 29.Nh5 Rf7 30.Bd2 Kh7 just offering a little bolthole for the king on g6, in case of a Nf6+ trick, and a complex position with chances for both sides - but likely one where each side's threats will cancel the others out, ending in a draw. 28.Ng3 Bc8 29.Nh5! The knight swinging into h5 forces a concession from Black with ..f6, and a further weakness for White to exploit. 29...f6 30.Bd2 Nc2 If not this resource, then White will play Bc3 with no way to defend the f6 weakness. 31.Qb2 Nd4 32.Rb6 Qe8 Giri has found an imaginative way to stay in the game - and it almost succeeds! 33.Ng3 Qxa4 34.Bc3? The critical move to find, and recommended by the engine, is a touch of prophylaxis with 34.Kf2!, because if 34…Qd1 there then comes 35.Bxa5! and White is on top. There is a subtle difference with what comes in the game, as we'll soon see. 34...Rd8? For whatever reason, Giri has a panic attack over the d6-pawn, missing that, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't really all that important, as after 34...Qd1+! 35.Kf2 the subtle difference is that 35...a4! and White can't snatch on d6 with 36.Rxd6? because of 36...a3! 37.Qxa3 Qc2+ 38.Kg1 Nb5 39.Qxc5 Qc1+ 40.Nf1 Nxd6 with a big material plus advantage. 35.Ne2 f5 The only way to save the game again, was the move that was screaming out to be played, namely 35...Qd1+! 36.Kf2 Nxe2 37.Qxe2 Qxe2+ 38.Kxe2 a4 39.Bxf6 Rd7 40.Rb8 Kf7! When in doubt, head for the R+P endgame that invariably ends in a draw! 41.Rxc8 Kxf6 42.Rf8+! Ke7 (The king is forced back, as 42...Ke5?? 43.Ke3 and Black has walked himself into a self-mate!) 43.Ra8 Rb7 44.Rxa4 Rb2+ 45.Kd3 Rxg2 46.Kc4 g4 and the game is fizzling out to a draw. 36.Bxd4 cxd4 37.Qxd4! This time with the queens off, the endgame is close to winning for White, as Black can't get his bishop into the game quickly enough due to the d6 weakness. 37...Qxd4+ 38.Nxd4 fxe4 39.fxe4 Kf7? The engine offers up the last chance to save the game - but in Giri's defence, it does involve a few moves you just wouldn't consider with the time constraints by this stage, such as 39...a4!? 40.Nb5 Kf8 41.Nxd6 a3! 42.Nxc8 Rxc8 43.Ra6 Re8! 44.Rxa3 Rxe4 and a technically drawn R+P endgame. You just don't see such finesses with little to no time left on your clock. 40.Kf2 a4 Too little too late now, as White's king secures the all-important e4-pawn. 41.Ke3 a3 42.Rb3 Bd7 43.Rxa3 Rb8 44.Ra7 Ke8 Not 44...Ke7? 45.Nf5+! with an easier win. 45.Kd2 Rb2+ 46.Nc2 h5 47.Kc3 Rb1 48.Ne3 Rc1+ If Black goes for the kingside pawns with 48...Rh1 49.Nc4! wins, as 49...Rc1+ 50.Kd4 Rd1+ 51.Ke3 Black runs out of checks and will either lose the d6-pawn or the bishop. 49.Kd4 Kd8 (see diagram) 50.e5! The crucial breakthrough, as Duda's king comes in to force a winning R+P ending. 50...dxe5+ 51.Kxe5 Re1 52.Kd6 Rxe3 53.Rxd7+ Ke8 54.Rg7 g4 55.Rg5 Re2 56.Re5+! 1-0