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Pentala Harikrishna vs Arjun Erigaisi
Tata Steel Masters (2025), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 1, Jan-18
Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation (B58)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-19-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: It's like a cat having fun with an injured mouse.
Jan-19-25  cormier: Stockfish 17 depth=46
+0.78 17. Nd5 Rd8 18. Nf6+ Bxf6 19. Qxf6 Qe6 20. Qxe6 Bxe6 21. Rhd1 Rxd2 22. Rxd2 Rc8 23. b3 a6 24. Kb2 Kf8 25. Rd4 Bf5 26. g3 h5 27. c3 Ke7 28. Bf4 Re8 29. Rb4 b5 30. Rd4
Jan-19-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: Erigaisi could have tried to have some activity on the Q side with 22...b5

for example

23.a3 Qe5 24.g3 a5


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Jan-19-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Fusilli: <Open Defence> Reasonable. It looks like if white plays Rd5, black responds with Qf6 and the b5-pawn is at the moment untouchable because of the Qf2 (deadly?) incursion.

If white had an extra move, Rb1 would free up c1 for the rook, which would then be ideally placed to support a passed c-pawn, but as it happens, black moves too! (And he will insert b4, I suppose.)

Jan-19-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: this loss dropped Erigaisi out of the 2800 bracket (-7.4)
Jan-20-25  Mayankk: Hi <Open Defence>, Thanks for the line. I know the machines may think this is drawish, but to the practical eye, White still retains all his strengths. e4 is coming, and after Nd5, the Knight has a very strong outpost. Exchange of the minors will only play into White's hands. And both a4 and b4 pawns look weak.

I think most elite GMs will take this position with glee and be able to patiently maneuver it into a win. If this is what Black intended to achieve when he played 15 ... Qe8 instead of 15 ... Qxd6, I can only call it poor decision making.

Jan-20-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: <Mayankk: Hi <Open Defence>, Thanks for the line. I know the machines may think this is drawish, > I felt the Q side activity would have given Black practical chances

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