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1.c4Nf62.Nc3e53.Nf3Nc64.g3Bb45.Nd5e46.Nh4d66...0-07.Bg2d6is the main line nowadays7.Bg2g5The computer does not like this for black but in 1993 they were still figuring things out7...0-08.Qa4!8.Nxf6+?Qxf69.Bxe4gxh410.Qa4Bd7!-+8...Bd78...Bc5?9.d4!Bxd410.Bxg5Bxb211.Rb1Rg812.Be3!?+-8...gxh49.Nxb4Bd710.Nxc6Bxc611.Qa5!?- Dubov,D (2699)-Firouzja,A (2702) FIDE World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk 2019 (2.1)9.Nxb4Nd410.Qd110.Qa5gxh410...gxh411.Nc2?11.d3was a much better option. White threatens dxe4 with a tempo against the knightBg411...h312.Bxe4Nxe413.dxe412.dxe4c513.f3!h314.Bf1Qa515.a3!?+-11...h3!?11...Nxc2+might be objectively better but white stays on top after12.Qxc2Qe712...Bf513.0-0!?to have h3 Bh113.d3!13.0-00-0-0∞11...Nc612.d312.Bxe4!Nxe413.Nxd4Qf614.Nf3It looks like black has an initiative for the sacrificed pawn due to white's weakened light squares but in fact things are not so simpleBc614...0-0-015.d314...Bg415.d315.0-0!
Fear is not a word in Topalov's dictionary!15...h615...0-0-016.d3Nc517.Bg515...Rg8!?16.d3Nc517.d4Bxf318.exf3Ne619.Be3white is a healthy pawn up16.d416.d3!?Ng517.Nxg5hxg518.e416...d516...0-0-017.d5Bd718.Qd417.c5?not necessary17.cxd5!?Bxd518.Bf417.Ne517...0-0-018.Ne5Rhg8
19.a4!activating the rook via the third rank and starting a counterattackh520.Ra3Qe620...h421.Rf321.b4f621...h422.b5Be823.Bf422.Nd322.Nxc6might have been simplerQxc623.Bf4h424.b5Qe625.c622...h423.Nf423.Bf4!?23...Qf524.b5Be825.Qd325.Qb3looks interesting to me with the idea a525.f3the computer thinks it would be strong to play this way but from a human perspective I don't think its necessaryNxg326.hxg3hxg326...Rxg3+27.Kh127.Qd3!+-25...Rd726.Qb3 preventing Rdg726.c6Rdg727.cxb7+Kb828.a5!?+-26.a526...Rg527.c6Rdg728.cxb7+28.Qb4!? any sacrifice on g3 will never be effective because of the f4-knight28.a528...Kxb729.Qf329.a5was more logical29...Qd7?!29...Bd7 black can do nothing but wait29...hxg330.fxg3Nxg331.hxg3Rxg3+32.Qxg3Rxg3+33.Rxg330.Nd3!?Bh531.Nc5+An interesting idea although there were other options to continueNxc532.dxc5Kb8?32...Bxf333.c6++-32...Qe7was more resilient33.Qd3!Bxe234.Qd4!Qe535.c6+Kb836.Qc5+-32...Qe633.Re3!33.Qxf6Rf534.Qd434.Qxh4!?Rg435.Qxh3:)34...Bxe235.Re1hxg336.Rxg3Rxg3+37.fxg3Qe838.Rxe238.Rxe2Qxe239.Qh8+Kb740.c6+Kb641.Qd4+!41.Qb8+Kc541...Ka542.Bd2++-1–0