[Event "15th London Classic Elite"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2025.11.30"]
[Round "5.5"]
[White "Abdusattorov, Nodirbek"]
[Black "Theodorou, Nikolas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Mark Crowther"]
[ECO "A22"]
[WhiteElo "2750"]
[BlackElo "2656"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[GameId "2250574668864165"]
[EventDate "2025.11.26"]

1. c4 {White changes things up after playing mostly 1.e4} Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. e3 Bb4 4. Nge2 O-O 5. Qb3 a5 6. a3 {A22: English Opening: 1...e5 2 Nc3 Nf6.} Bxc3 7. Nxc3 {White was very happy with the outcome of the opening.} d6 8. Be2 {White is slightly better.} Nc6 9. d3 Re8 10. O-O e4 $146 ({Predecessor:} 10... Bd7 11. Bd2 Qb8 12. Rae1 Qa7 13. Qc2 Be6 14. f4 Ne7 15. Kh1 c6 16. e4 exf4 17. Bxf4 {1-0 Zvjaginsev,V (2598)-Tikhonov,V (2238) Chigorin Memorial 29th St Petersburg 2022 (4)}) 11. Qc2 exd3 12. Bxd3 Ne5 13. Be2 Ng6 14. b3 Bg4 {Black is worse out of the opening and needs to generate some play, he's trying to provoke white's pawns forward so he can attack them.} 15. f3 {[%cal Bf2f3,Bf3f4,Bf4f5][%mdl 32]} Be6 16. e4 {[%eval 71,21] [%wdl 224,775,1]} (16. Re1 $142 {[%eval 108,22] [%wdl 584,416,0]}) (16. Rd1) 16... c6 $16 {[%cal Bc7c6,Bc6c5][%mdl 32]} 17. f4 (17. a4 d5 {Helps black.}) 17... Bd7 {[%eval 113,23] [%wdl 634,366,0]} (17... Bg4 $1 $14 {[%eval 64,21] [%wdl 172,827,1]} 18. Bxg4 (18. Bd3 d5) 18... Nxg4 19. h3 Nf6) 18. f5 Ne5 {[%cal Od6d5]} 19. Bg5 b5 {[%cal Bb7b5,Bb5b4][%mdl 32] Black now gets good play.} 20. Rad1 $6 {[%eval -24,20] [%wdl 5,959,36]} (20. Bxf6 $16 {[%eval 91,23] [%wdl 403,597,0]} Qxf6 21. cxb5) 20... b4 $1 $11 21. Na4 c5 $1 22. Rxd6 {Black is fully equal now.} Qe7 23. Rfd1 Bxa4 24. bxa4 Red8 {[%eval 10,24] [%wdl 12,984,4]} (24... h6 $15 {[%eval -39,24] [%wdl 1,952,47]} 25. Bxf6 gxf6) 25. R6d5 $36 {[%mdl 2048]} h6 26. Bh4 (26. Bxf6 {simplifies} Qxf6 27. Qd2 Re8 28. Qe3 $11) 26... Nxd5 $2 {[%eval 59,25] [%wdl 101,899,0] A misjudgement that makes white a bit better again.} (26... Re8 $11 {[%eval -10,26] [%wdl 4,985,11]}) (26... Qc7 {was Abdusattorov's suggestion, he thought black was having all the fun.}) 27. Bxe7 $14 Nxe7 28. Rxd8+ $1 Rxd8 29. axb4 axb4 30. a5 {Abdusattorov pointed out this was absolutely forced otherwise he'd be much worse.} N7c6 {[%cal Oc6d4]} 31. Qa2 Nd4 {[%eval 157,18] [%wdl 964,36,0] [#]} (31... f6 $142 {[%eval 85,31] [%wdl 298,702,0]}) (31... Kf8 {is recommended by the engines for some reason.}) 32. Bd1 $1 $16 {Now black goes really wrong and is lost in just a couple of moves. Theodorou said he underestimated this move, now he has now active plan.} Nb5 $6 {[%eval 264,23] [%wdl 1000,0,0] This shocking move is a good practical try, but sadly for black white has a fairly safe move available.} (32... Ndc6 $16 {[%eval 156,27] [%wdl 963,37,0] was probably a little too sad.} 33. Bb3 g6) 33. Bb3 $1 (33. cxb5 Rxd1+ 34. Kf2 c4 35. b6 b3 36. Qe2 Rd8 37. b7 c3 38. Qd1 Rxd1 39. b8=Q+ Kh7 40. Qxb3) 33... Nc3 {[%eval 422,22] [%wdl 1000,0,0]} (33... Nd4 {[%eval 178,23] [%wdl 989,11,0]} 34. a6) 34. Qf2 $1 $18 Nd3 35. Qd2 Rd4 $1 {Again a good practical try.} (35... Nxe4 36. Qe3 Nc3 37. Bc2) 36. Kf1 {[%eval 228,20] [%wdl 999,1,0]} (36. a6 $142 {[%eval 408,21] [%wdl 1000,0,0]} Nc1 (36... Ne5 37. Qf2 Ng4 38. Qf3 Rd6 39. Qxg4) 37. Qxd4 (37. Qxc1 $2 Ne2+ 38. Kf1 Nxc1 $19) 37... N3e2+ (37... cxd4 $2 38. a7 $18) 38. Kh1 Nxd4 (38... cxd4 $2 39. a7 $18) 39. a7) (36. Qe3) 36... Ne5 37. Qf4 {[%eval 122,23] [%wdl 778,222,0] Not the most accurate.} ({Better is} 37. Qe1 $18 {[%eval 225,24] [%wdl 999,1,0]}) 37... f6 $16 {[%cal Og8h7] [#]} 38. Qe3 $2 {[%eval 0,26] [%wdl 3,994,3] Astonishingly without seeming to do a lot wrong white has lost all of his winning advantage.} (38. Qc1 $1 $16 {[%eval 115,33] [%wdl 707,293,0]}) 38... Rxe4 (38... Kh7 $5 {is more accurate.}) 39. Qf2 (39. Qxc5 $2 Rf4+ $19) 39... Nd3 $2 {[%eval 443,24] [%wdl 1000,0,0][%mdl 8192] A final error.} (39... Re2 $11 {[%eval 24,28] [%wdl 12,987,1]} 40. Qxe2 (40. Qxc5 $2 Nd3 $19 {[%mdl 64] Decoy}) 40... Nxe2 41. Kxe2 Nc6) 40. Qd2 $18 Rf4+ $2 {[%eval 700,18] [%wdl 1000,0,0] [#]} (40... Rd4 {[%eval 380,20] [%wdl 1000,0,0]} 41. a6 Rd7) 41. Qxf4 $3 {[%mdl 512]} Nxf4 42. a6 {This must have been what black overlooked.} Nfe2 43. a7 Nd4 44. a8=Q+ Kh7 45. Ba4 b3 {[%cal Ob3b2] White must now prevent ...b2!.} 46. Be8 {[%csl Gf5][%cal Re8g6]} Nxf5 47. Bf7 {[%csl Gf7][%cal Ra8g8]} Ne3+ 48. Kf2 1-0

[Event "15th London Classic Elite"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2025.12.01"]
[Round "6.5"]
[White "Shankland, Sam"]
[Black "Abdusattorov, Nodirbek"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Mark Crowther"]
[ECO "C45"]
[WhiteElo "2649"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[GameId "2250574671195034"]
[EventDate "2025.11.26"]

{[%evp 0,72,24,23,22,7,21,3,10,11,1,6,16,23,15,9,12,-7,18,22,21,32767,24,23,39,58,37,24,4,11,62,61,72,65,73,52,75,55,83,30,20,60,16,43,18,61,48,56,50,54,55,45,57,57,57,47,-122,32767,32767,-197,-234,-198,32767,-403,-269,-247,-374,-366,-321,-770,-856,-839,-836,-29997,-29998]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb4+ 6. c3 Be7 7. f4 {C45: Scotch Game.} d6 8. Bd3 Nh6 9. O-O {White is slightly better.} O-O 10. N1d2 {[%cal Bb1d2,Bd2f3,Bf3d4,Bd4e6][%mdl 32]} f5 11. Nf3 Kh8 12. exf5 $146 ({Predecessor:} 12. Bd2 fxe4 13. Bxe4 Bf5 14. Qc2 Qd7 15. Rae1 Rae8 16. Bxf5 Nxf5 17. Qd3 a6 18. Nc5 Qc8 19. Ne6 Ne5 20. fxe5 Qxe6 21. exd6 {½-½ Salgado Lopez,I (2644)-McShane,L (2640) Wch Rapid Riadh 2017 (2)}) 12... Bxf5 13. Bxf5 Nxf5 14. g4 Nh6 {[%eval 91,22] [%wdl 399,601,0]} (14... Nh4 $1 $11 {[%eval 12,24] [%wdl 18,976,6] remains equal.}) 15. Nfd4 Qd7 {Repels Ne6} 16. f5 {and Bxh6 should not be overlooked} Ne5 $1 17. h3 Nhf7 18. Bf4 g6 (18... Ng5 19. Bxg5 Bxg5 20. Ne6 Be3+ 21. Kh2 $16) 19. Kh2 {[%eval 6,22] [%wdl 14,978,8]} (19. Qe2 $14 {[%eval 42,20] [%wdl 66,932,2]}) 19... Bf6 20. Ne6 (20. Nd2) 20... Rg8 21. Qe2 gxf5 22. gxf5 Rae8 {[%cal Oe5g6]} 23. Rad1 Qe7 {[%eval 16,21] [%wdl 18,978,4]} (23... Ng6 $15 {[%eval -32,24] [%wdl 2,958,40] deserves consideration.} 24. Bg3 (24. fxg6 Rxg6 25. Nbc5 Qc8 $15) (24. Nbc5 Qc8 $15) 24... Nh4) 24. Nbd4 $11 Ng5 {[%cal Rg5e6]} 25. Bxg5 (25. Qh5 {might well have avoided all the trouble that happened in the game.}) 25... Bxg5 26. Nb5 {[%csl Ba7,Bc7]} (26. Qh5 {is more complex.} b5 27. Rde1 Bh4 28. Re4) 26... Bh4 {...Bg3+ is the strong threat.} 27. Rd4 $2 {[%eval -376,20] [%wdl 0,0,1000][%mdl 8192] The losing move, the problem is that this rook is unstable here and so doesn't defend white's king.} (27. Nexc7 $2 Ng4+ 28. Qxg4 Rxg4 $19) (27. Nbxc7 $2 Bg3+ 28. Kh1 Qh4 $19) (27. Rg1 $11 {[%eval 0,23] [%wdl 5,989,6] and White stays safe.}) 27... Bg3+ 28. Kh1 c5 $1 29. Re4 {[%cal Ob5c7] [#]} d5 $1 30. Ra4 {[%eval -534,16] [%wdl 0,0,1000] [#]} (30. Rxe5 $2 {is the move that white would like to play but} Qh4 $19 {wins out of hand.}) (30. Ref4 {[%eval -285,18] [%wdl 0,0,1000]} Bxf4 31. Rxf4) 30... d4 $1 $19 {[%mdl 512] (  ...Qh4)} 31. Qe4 (31. Qg2 Qh4) 31... Qd7 32. c4 {[%eval -734,20] [%wdl 0,0,1000]} (32. Rg1 $142 {[%eval -448,19] [%wdl 0,0,1000]} Rxe6 (32... Qxb5 $2 33. Ra3 $19) 33. cxd4) 32... Rxe6 33. fxe6 Qxe6 34. Rf5 Qh6 35. Qg2 Bf4 36. Qf1 Qc6+ 0-1

