GM Andrey Esipenko - GM Gukesh D

WR Chess Masters, (7)

Catalan/Bogo-Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ Meeting the Catalan with the Bogo-Indian treatment, named after the Russian-born German master Efim Bogoljubow, who was an early 20th-century title challenger. 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.b3 b6 10.Nc3 Ba6 11.e4 dxc4 12.Rfe1 e5 A new and sharp response, as introduced in the game Panjwani-Lee, Charolette 2022.13.Ne2! And the best and most principled Catalan reply.13...Ng4N But this is new. - and worrying, as you always have to be wary when these ever-inventive and free-spirited Indian teenage rising stars hit you with a novelty. The aforementioned game went 13...cxb3 14.axb3 Bxe2 15.Rxe2 Qc7 16.Bc3 and White had an obvious big advantage.14.bxc4 The engine option, but there was a lot of merit in keeping with the stem game plan of 14.Bc3 and it is not so obvious to see what Black has here - but no doubt Gukesh had something that he'd deep-crunched at home on his computer and looking to lure his opponent into.14...exd4 15.Nexd4 Nde5 16.Nxe5 White now has nothing after this trade on e5. Better was possibly 16.Bc3 (again) or better the engine punt of 16.Bf4 as after16...Nxf3+ 17.Nxf3 Bc5 18.Re2 f6 White was a little "something", according to our Silicon Overlords - but still, with two active bishops on the board, Black isn't exactly out of the game! 16...Nxe5 17.Bc3 Bc5 18.Rad1 Qc7 The dust is beginning to settle, and as it does, Gukesh has clearly solved his problems and emerged with the slightly better pawn structure and better-placed pieces. 19.f4 This is where it all just starts to go a little off the tracks for Esipenko, with his tempting pawn sacrifice. The engine prefers instead19.Nb3 Ba3 20.c5!? and the game is finely balanced with equal chances.19...Nxc4 20.Kh1 Rad8 21.Nf5 This is what Esipenko had to have envisioned with his pawn sac - but looks can often be deceptive! 21...f6 22.Rxd8 More to the point looked like the obvious pin with 22.Bf1! 22...Qxd8 23.Qe2? Now it has definatly all gone "Pete Tong" for Esipenko! Again the pin with 23.Bf1 would have kept the game in the "balanced" margin with some sharp play expected, one example being: 23...g6 (Also equally double-edged was 23...b5!? 24.g4!?) 24.Bxc4+ Bxc4 25.Bxf6! Rxf6 (If 25...Qxf6 26.Qxc4+ Kh8 27.Nh4 g5 28.Nf5 and White has more chances with the f5 knight outpost and no resource of a ...Qd2 as in the main variation.) 26.Qxc4+ Kh8 27.Nh4 g5 28.Nf5 gxf4 29.gxf4 Qd2! and Black is doing OK. 23...g6! With one very accurate move, suddenly Esipenko begins to realise just how flawed his plan was with 23.Qe2. 24.Nh6+ Worse was 24.Nh4 Bd4 25.Rd1 c5 26.Nf3 as now Black comes over the top with 26...Ne3! winning material. 24...Kg7 25.Ng4 White's pieces now lack unity and co-ordination. 25...Bd4 26.Rd1 c5 What's not to like here for Gukesh with his two bishops dominating the board? 27.Qf3 h5 28.Nf2 Ne3 The very human and principled knight invasion move. Mr Engine instead opts for 28...Ne5 29.fxe5 fxe5 30.Bxd4 exd4 31.Qa3 Be2 and no hopes for White as Black reclaims the material and then some with the passed d- and c-pawns running down the board. 29.Rd2 Qc7! [see diagram] The pawn sacrifice exposes the lack of coordination of White's pieces and also his vulnerable back-rank. 30.Bxd4 cxd4 31.Rxd4 Qc3! Forcing White's hand by exchanging off his only active piece - and a vital one that protected his back-rank. 32.Rd7+ Rf7 33.Rxf7+ Kxf7 The material may well be equal, but the activity of Gukesh's pieces soon proves decisive. 34.h4 More resilient was 34.h3 controlling the g4-square, but Black simplify down with 34...Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Qe2 to a winning endgame with the queens traded and White's a-pawn being quickly picked off. 34...Bc4 35.Bh3 f5! The final nail in Esipenko's coffin, as his pieces are now all blockaded in on the kingside. 36.Kh2 Qd2 0-1