They advertise that MVL is going to be playing in a Bridgeport tournament next month. His recent battle of the two knights against the two bishops was played at the “rapid" time limit, game/25 with ten second increments, we can’t expect players to find the best endgame moves under those circumstances. I don’t have the latest endgame table base, but the critical positions look like a draws. Let’s start after 30.Bd1, the White king is on g2, the bishops are on b2 and d1 and pawns are on a2, a3, f2, g3, and h2. Black, on the move, has the king on g7, horses on e7 and c6 and pawns on a7, b7, f6, g6, and h7.
GM Maxime Vachier-LaGarde(2760)-GM Jorden Van Foreest(2678)
7/23/22
GCT Zagreb 2022
31.a4 The computer thinks the best strategy is to get that double-pawn dead weight moving, which also allows the bishop to go to a3 in some variations. Instead, MVL plays to keep the Black knight from d3. 31...N7c6 The computer thinks that 31...Nd3 is nothing to worry about after 32. Bc3 Nc6 33. a5 Kf7 34. g4 Nc5 35. f3 b5 36. axb6 axb6 37. h4 Ne7 38. Kg3 Nd5 39. Bd2 +1.14 Stockfish 32.Bc3 Kf7 33.a5 Ke7 34.Bb3 Nd7 +0.82 Stockfish
31...Nd5 32.Bd4 b6 33.f4 Nc6 34.Bb2 Kf7 35.Bf3 Nce7 36.Kf2 Ke6 37.Ke2 Nf5 +.54 according to Stockfish is the objective evaluation but the position is much harder to play than that. With time running low the prancing knights are all over the center squares just waiting for White to miss some tactic.
32.f4 White should still be trying to push the front a-pawn into action. 32. a4 Kg6 33. Bd1 N7c6 34. Bc3 g4 35. h3 f5 36. hxg4 Nxg4 37. Bb3 Nf6 38. f3 b6 39. Bc4 +1.30 Stockfish
33...Nd7 34.Kf3 Nc5 35.Bd1 Kf7 36.a4 f5 37.Ba3 b6 38.a5 Ke6 39.axb6 axb6 40.Ke3 Kd5 41.Bc2 b5 42.h3 Stockfish thinks White is ahead by 0.85 but the long analysis doesn't really show a winning plan. The technical difficulty is that White can be left with the wrong bishop for either rook pawn!
34.Bd3 Kf7 35.Kf3 f5 36.Bc4+ Kg6 37.Be6 Nd8 38.Bb3 Nc8 39.Ke3 Nc6 40.a4 Kh5 41.Be6 N8e7 42.Kf3 Kh4 43.Kg2 Kg4 44.Bc1 Nb4 Stockfish thinks White is winning by 1.27 but the anaysis goes on for another twenty moves and the knights always seem to dance out of trouble. Can a human find those moves? I don't know. Maybe the best human strategy was to exchange a bishop for a knight way back with 31.Be5. That would reduce the opponent's dangerous knight tactics at the cost of possible bishop pressure. Time pressure tends to favor a pair of knights.
35.a4 f5 36.Bc4 Nc8 37.Ke3 Nb6 38.Bb3 Kh5 39.Kf3 Kg6 40.Bc3 Nd7 41.a5 Nf6 42.Ke3 Ng4+ 43.Kd3 Nf2+ If 43...Nh2 White makes progress by 44. Kc4 Ng4 45. Kb5 h5 46. Bd5 Nf6 47. Bxf6 Kxf6 48. a6 Nb8 49. axb7 Ke7 50. Kc5 Kd7 51. Bg2 Kc7 52. Kd5 Kxb7 53. Ke5+ Kc7 54. Kxf5 +1.00 Stockfish 44.Kc4 Ne4 45.Be1 Kf6 46.Ba4 Ke6 47.a6 Nd6+ 48.Kd3 b5 49.Bb3+ Kd7 50.Bd5 Nb8 51.Kd4 Nxa6 52.Bg8 h6 53.Kd5 Nc7+ 54.Ke5 Nc8 55.h4 Ne7 56.Bf7 a5 57.h5 b4 58.Bf2 a4 59.Bc5 Na6 60.Be6+ Kd8 61.Bb6+ Ke8 62.Kf6 b3 63.axb3 a3 64.Bd4 Nc7 65.Bc4 Kd7 66.Be5 Nc6 67.Ba1 Ne7 68.Kg7 Ned5 69.Kxh6 Nxf4 70.Kg5 Nxh5 71.Kxh5 Kd6 At last White has developed a winning position, no more blasted rook pawns, +1.46 according to Stockfish.
37.Ke3 Nd6 38.Bd5 Ne7 39.Bb3 Nc6 40.Bc3 Ne4 41.Be1 Nc5 +.99 Stockfish but again a winning path is not obvious
37...Nb6 38.Bb3 Na5 39.Bc2 Nd5 40.Bd3 Nb6 41.Bd4 Nc6 42.Bxb6 axb6 43.Ke3 Kf6 44.Bc4 Ke7 45.Bg8 h6 46.Kd3 Kd6 47.Kc4 Ne7 48.Bf7 Kc6 +.49 Stockfish The pawn on f4 is weak. 49.Bh5 Kd6 50.Kb5 Kc7 51.Be2 Nd5 52.Bd3 Ne7 53.Bb1 Nc6 54.Kc4 Ne7 55.Kd4 Kd6 56.Bc2 Nc6+ 57.Kc4 Ne7 58.Kb5 Kc7
38.Bb3 Ne4 39.Ke3 Nc5 40.Bd1 Ne4 41.h3 Ne7 42.Be5 Nc6 43.a3 Ng5 44.Bc3 Ne4 +.51 according to Stockfish but really looking very difficult to win.
39.Be6 Ne4 40.h4 Nd3 41.Be5 Nec5 42.Bc4 Ne1+ 43.Kf2 Nc2 44.Bb8 a6 45.Ba7 Ne4+ 46.Kg2 Nb4 47.Be6 Kf6 +.11 Stockfish Black is holding.
40.Kf2 Ne4+ 41.Ke3 Nc5 42.Bd1 Ne4 43.h3 Ne7 44.Be5 Nc6 45.Bc2 Nb4 46.Bb3 Nc6 47.a3 Ng5 48.Bb2 Ne4 +0.79 Stockfish
41.h3 Nc5 42.Bd1 b6 43.Ba3 Kf7 44.Bf3 Ne7 45.a5 Ke6 46.axb6 axb6 47.Kd4 Kd6 48.Kc4 Ng6 49.Kb5 Kc7 50.Bc1 Ne6 51.Be3 Nexf4 52.Bxb6+ Kb8 53.Bd1 Nxh3 54.Bc2 Ng5 55.Bxf5 Ne7 56.Bg4 Nd5 57.Bd4 Kb7 58.a4 Ne6 59.Be5 Ndc7+ 60.Kc4 Kb6 61.Bg3 Ka6 62.Be2 Kb7 63.Bd3 h6 64.Bf1 Ka6 65.Be2 Kb7 66.Bf3+ Ka6 67.Kb4 Nd4 68.Be4 Nde6 69.Bg2 Kb6 70.a5+ Ka6 71.Bf2 h5 72.Bf1+ Kb7 73.Kc4 Ka6 74.Be1 Ka7 75.Bg3 Ka6 Stockfish has it as +.62 but it looks like a critical position to be analyzed. White to move; king on c4, bishops on f1 and g3, pawn on a5. Black king on a6, horses on c7 and e6, and a pawn on h5. The black pawn prevents a stalemate defense, but if the dark square bishop should be exchanged sometime then it is a wrong rook pawn for the bishop draw. I let Stockfish loose on this. 76.Kb4+ Kb7 77.Bg2+ Ka7 78.Bf2+ Ka6 79.Be3 h4 80.Ka4 Nf8 81.Bf1+ Kb7 82.Bh3 Nfe6 83.Bg2+ Kc8 84.Kb3 Nd8 85.Kb4 Nb7 86.Bh3+ Kb8 87.Bg1 Nd5+ 88.Kb5 Nc7+ 89.Ka4 Nd6 90.Bf2 Kb7 91.Bg2+ Kb8 92.Bxh4 A pawn has finally been captured to reach the next important position. If this can't be won, then the game has probably been a draw most of the time since move 31. The White king is on a4, the bishops are on g2 and h4, and the last pawn on the board is on a5. Black to move has the king on b8 and the horses on c7 and d6. 92...Kc8 93.Bh3+ Kb7 94.Bf1 Kc8 95.Kb4 Kd7 96.Bh3+ Kc6 97.Bg2+ Kd7 98.Bf2 Na6+ 99.Kb3 Nb5 100.Bf1 Kc6 101.Bg1 Nac7 102.Ka4 Kd7 103.Bg2 Nd6 104.Kb3 Kc8 105.Bh3+ Kb7 106.Bh2 Kc6 107.Bg2+ Kd7 108.Kc3 Ndb5+ 109.Kc4 Nd6+ 110.Kd4 Ne6+ 111.Kc3 Nc7 112.Bh3+ Kc6 113.Kb3 Nd5 114.Bg2 Nb5 115.Bg1 Stockfish still evaluates this apparent draw as +0.65
41...Nf6 0.00/32 42.Bxf6 Stockfish prefers 42. Be6 Ng4+ 43. Kd3 Nxh2 44. Bd7 h5 45. Be8+ Kh6 46. Bf6 Ng4 47. Bg5+ Kg7 48. Bxh5 Nf6 49. Bf3 Nd7 50. Bd1 Nc5+ 51. Kc4 Ne4 52. Bh4 Kf7 = 42...Kxf6 43.Kf3 Ke7 44.Kg3 a5 45.Kh4 Kf6 46.Kg3 Nb4 47.Bg8
42.Bxc6 +0.31/34 42...bxc6 43.Bd4 Nxa4 44.Bxa7 Kh5 45.Kd3 Kh4 46.Kc4 Kh3 47.Kd4 Kxh2 47...c5+ 48. Ke5 Kg4 49. h3+ Kf3 50. Kxf5 c4 51. Bd4 c3 52. Bxc3 Nxc3 53. a3 Ne2 54. Kg5 Nxf4 55. Kh6 Nxh3 56. Kxh7 Ke4 = Stockfish 48.Ke5 Nc3 49.Kxf5 Nxa2
43...a6 44.Bc3 Kh5 45.Kf3 Kh4 46.Kg2 Kg4 47.Be5 Nb4 48.h3+ Kh5 49.Bd4 Kg6 50.Kg3 Nd3 51.Be3 b5 52.axb5 axb5 53.Kh4 Nb4 54.Kg3 Nd5 Stockfish thinks Black is winning now with the good knight to the tune of +0.32
44.Kf3 -0.13/34 44...Kh4 46...a6 45. Bc3 Kh4 46. Kg2 Kg4 47. Be5 Nb4 48. h3+ Kh5 49. Bd4 Kg6 50. Kg3 Nd3 51. Be3 b5 52. axb5 axb5 53. Kh4 Nb4 -0.32 Stockfish 45.Kg2 Nb4 46.Bd4 a6 47.h3 b5 48.Be3 Nd3 49.axb5 axb5 50.Kh2 Kh5 51.Kg3 Kg6 52.Kf3 Kf7 53.Ke2 Nb4 54.Bd2 Nc6 55.Bc3 Ke6 56.Kd3 Kd5 57.Bf6 h5 58.Bc3 Nd8 59.Bd2 Ne6
45.Bc3 -2.17/30 45...Ne7 45... Kh3 46. Bg7 Kxh2 47. Bh6 a6 48. Kd3 b5 49. Kd2 Kh3 50. Kc2 Kh4 51. Kd3 Kh5 52. axb5 axb5 53. Bg5 Kg4 -10.82 Stockfish 46.Bd2 Nd5+ 47.Kf2 Nxf4 48.b4 Nd3+ 49.Ke2 Ne5 50.Be1 a6 51.Ke3 Ng6 52.Kf2 Nf4 53.Bc3 b5 54.axb5 axb5 55.Bd2 Nh3+ 56.Ke2 f4 57.Bc1 f3+ 58.Ke3 Ng5 59.Kf2 Ne4+ 60.Kf1
46.Kd4 Yes, this position is winning for Black. I can only guess that the agreed draw had something to do with a time scramble. ½-½
