"Ruy Lopez Showdown: Erigaisi Outplays Praggnanandhaa in Critical Endgame"

In this game from the WR Chess Masters Cup 2024, we have a battle between Erigaisi Arjun (White) and Praggnanandhaa R (Black), where Erigaisi emerges victorious. Let's break down the game phase by phase:
Opening Phase:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 - Erigaisi opts for the Ruy-Lopez, a classic and highly theoretical opening, putting early pressure on Black's e5 pawn.
3... a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3 Na5 - Praggnanandhaa responds with a sharp variation of the Ruy Lopez, the Chigorin Defense.
6. O-O d6 7. Re1 Nxb3 8. axb3 - White calmly castles, while Black trades on b3 to disturb White’s pawn structure.
8... g5 - An aggressive pawn push from Black aiming to attack White’s kingside, signaling a sharp game ahead.
9. d3 g4 10. Nfd2 Qf6 - Praggnanandhaa builds up kingside pressure with pawn advances and queen placement.
Middle Game:
11. Nc3 c6 12. Nf1 Ne7 - Both players continue developing their pieces. Praggnanandhaa plays cautiously, moving the knight to support a pawn storm on the kingside.
13. Be3 Bg7 14. Qd2 Rb8 15. Red1 Qg6 - Arjun sets up to contest the center with solid moves. Black positions his pieces for a kingside attack, but White remains flexible.
16. d4 O-O 17. dxe5 Bxe5 18. Bf4 h5 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Qd6 - White targets the weak e5 pawn, and an exchange of queens ensues.
20... Qxd6 21. Rxd6 Be6 22. Rxa6 Ra8 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 - The position simplifies as material is traded off, but White gains a slight advantage with the better pawn structure and the more active rook.
Endgame:
24. f3 gxf3 25. gxf3 Kg7 26. Kf2 Ra1 27. Rd1 Rxd1 28. Nxd1 f5 - White’s king becomes active, and Black continues to push pawns to generate counterplay. The f3 pawn is strong for White, and Black must play accurately.
29. exf5 Bxf5 30. Nde3 Bg6 31. Ng3 Kf6 - White uses the knight pair actively, pushing Black into a defensive position.
32. h4 Nc8 33. Ke2 Nd6 34. Kd2 Nb7 - White’s king begins to dominate the center, putting Black on the back foot.
35. Kc3 Nc5 36. Kb4 Ne6 37. c3 Ke7 38. Ne4 Bxe4 39. fxe4 Kd6 40. Nf5+ Kc7 - White continues to push Black’s pieces back with excellent coordination of the knight and king.
Critical Phase:
41. Ng3 Nf4 42. Ka5 Ng2 43. Nf5 Ne1 44. c4 bxc4 45. bxc4 Nf3 - The tension builds as White prepares a breakthrough on the queenside, gaining an outside passed pawn.
46. c5 Nd2 47. Ng3 Kb7 48. b4 Nb3+ 49. Ka4 Nd4 - White steadily advances the queenside pawns. Black struggles to stop White’s plan.
50. Nxh5 Nf3 51. Nf6 Nxh4 52. b5 Nf3 53. b6 Ng5 54. Ka5 Ne6 55. Kb4 Ng5 56. Kc4 Ka6 57. Kd3 Ne6 58. Nd7 Kb7 - White makes significant progress on both sides of the board with well-coordinated play.
59. Kc4 Ng5 60. Nxe5 Nxe4 61. Nf7 Nd2+ 62. Kb4 Kc8 - White’s knights dominate the board, and Black has no adequate defense left.
63. Ne5 Kb7 64. Nc4 Ne4 65. Na5+ Ka6 66. Nxc6 Nf6 67. Ka4 Ne4 68. Nb4+ Kb7 69. Kb5 Nc3+ 70. Ka5 1-0 - White secures victory by pushing the b-pawn and outmaneuvering Black's pieces.
Key Moments:
49. Ka4 and the b4 push were critical for White, creating a powerful passed pawn on the queenside.
54. Ka5 and 56. Kc4 showed Arjun’s excellent endgame technique, gradually increasing pressure and not allowing Black to counterattack.
Erigaisi played a fine game, gaining an edge after Black’s aggressive kingside attack failed to materialize into something decisive. The endgame was especially well-handled, with precise knight maneuvers leading to victory.