Javokhir Sindarov Smashes the English in 23 Moves

Hi everyone, it's Jerry. I have a sharp game to share with you from the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss. On the white end, Sam Sevian playing against Javakir Sindarov. Alright, 23 move game out of the English opening, g6, e4, there's a gap on d4, black pinpoints it straight away with e5. This is the Dorian defense, Nf3, Bg7, and white now plays d4 while there's still time to do so. Otherwise, Nc6 is there and what great contribution is that d-pawn really going to make? So it's d4 right now, pawn exchange for development, Nc3 is played. If the knight is kicked, it has the option to go in the center and there's even an option to play to c5 if challenged. Alright, it's Nc3, castles, and from here Be3 is played. If the knight is challenged at this point, there's no longer Ne4 but there is Re8, throwing the pawn in a pin. So it's Be3, prep work for d5 break, and from here Qd2 is played. This brings us to an original position. A popular move here is Be2, preparing to meet Re8 with Bf3, not only defending the pawn but fighting against this d5 break. Okay, what we see here is Qd2. If we revisit this move I've touched on briefly a couple times now, e5, e5 in this position there's no Re8, nor is there Ne4. The only move in response to e5 would be to fall back to e8. There is quite a sharp align from here. This is an option for white with the idea to now play with this h-pawn advance. It says it's not best to take the pawn here, prefers d6, saying you take me, my knight is helped, my rook is helped, the computer wants to play in gambit fashion with e6, and then carry on with this break, already engaging with a somewhat flimsy kingside structure. We do not see this path after c6, no e5, no Bb2, it's Qd2, Re8, e4 defended, d5 break is in there, bxd, cxd, opposite sides castles game, Nc6, knight exchange, Bd4, very powerful piece, eyeing indirectly b2, bishop prepared to offset it, Rb8, cxd, pop quiz, what's your move? Pause the video if you'd like. Okay, rather than this capture, it's saying top is Bd3, there's an issue with cxd, c5. Did you see this one coming? This was my main takeaway from this miniature, this one key middle game moment, baby move, sparks an overwhelming attack towards the white king. What's happening here? The bishop is being kicked from this all-important main diagonal. White's response as bishop captures pawn, black then follows with Qa5, gaining a valuable tempo, making contact with a few points in white's camp, time, an especially important factor in these opposite sides castles games. Now, if white declines the offer of a pawn, playing to e3, Qa5 is still very strong, says even better, Qb6, contact with b2, in that position, the white queen is overloaded, there is a threat to take the bishop with checkmate to follow on b2. Okay, white's response as bishop captures pawn, Qa5, from here, Bd6 is played, hitting the rook. If the bishop returns to the main diagonal, try to tame this piece, Bf5 is strong, this is winning for black. The line I tested out here is one that challenges the light square bishop. Here's the thing, it's expendable. After Rook e to c8, this is overwhelming. Major pieces all playing a role. The knight ready to jump at some point, unleashing the bishop. If the bishop is captured here, queen captures a2s there, knight is pinned, multiple threats here, Qa1 with Rb2 to follow, queen is dead. And also do not forget about this little idea, relocating the dark square bishop to this diagonal, deflecting the queen from b2, mate nearby. Okay, if the bishop is not captured here, if white makes a pawn move, both of them get crushed as you might expect. I'll touch on b3, as ugly as it looks, Qa3 check is there. White's only move is to block with the queen, Bh6 is there, completely crushing. All white has are these silly blocks. You just take whatever is in its way, the white queen will soon fall. Finally, if a3 is played, this is how powerful black's attack is, you don't need the queen. Queen takes a3 is there, pawn takes queen, Rb1 is checkmate, knight pinned. Okay, how it's playing out here, after Qa5, Bd6, from here Bf5 is played. It says top Rb7, and that's winning. Okay, black plays it, keeps his foot on the gas, continues to develop Bf5. White's response is g4, says white is completely lost after this. There is a very narrow path to keep this equal for white. Let me show you what this looks like. You would have to find a string of about 7 only moves. This is what it looks like in the end. It is not at all an attractive endgame position, so this endgame right here, not fun for white. You're going to be losing this pawn in this position as well. The a-pawn, and black has perfect coordination with the bishop on e6. Good luck finding all of those only moves to enter this terrible ending for white. How it's playing out here, after Bf5, we see g4, and Rb to c8. Pawn captures bishop, another pop quiz, what is your move? Pause the video if you'd like. Okay, knight captures d5, four attackers on c3, bishop just sort of staring off into space. It seems very active, but this is the main focus right here. The main diagonal, c3, ready to collapse. White includes a capture on g6 first, and now continues with Bh3. If you take the knight here, you get crushed. There's rook captures knight check. And if you take the rook, it's a checkmate in 2 on b2. If you move the king, queen takes queen, and the queen captures bishop to follow. And if the king goes to b1, you can take the queen. And if you regain the queen, it's a checkmate in 2. So, don't even think about, at this point right here, taking the knight. It's Bh3, and black simply crashes through on c3. Knight takes knight, bishop captures rook, rook captures bishop, and from here, Qd3 is played. There's a discovered check nearby, Nd4, ready to win the queen. So the queen goes to d3. If the knight is captured, you still get crushed. Rook captures pawn is there. These three pieces are enough. This is leading to checkmate. What do you try here? If queen takes rook, got that mate in 2 on b2. If the king steps over, queen b5 check is there. Queen b2, rook c1 check is there. With queen captures queen next. And if king a1, we would have a double checkmate. So, this right here, after rook captures bishop, knight is poisoned. The play is with Qd3. You can already take the rook. This is winning, but this is also winning. Queen captures a2 follows. Bishop c7. And after move 23, knight captures rook, white resigns. This was also winning. You could take the bishop and allow the fancy fork, follow up with some line like this, landing a check on e2 and then taking the rook, but unnecessary to even allow those checks. This is simplest. Again, after knight captures rook, white resigns. If the game continued from here, just look at the position. Black is up a piece now. A knight, a bishop, and a pin. And if you take the knight with the king, you're going to lose the rook. And if you take the knight with either major, we have checkmate on b2. So, very nice game here. Again, key middle game moment. My takeaway here, after cxd, c5, top move, a winning idea here. Beautiful follow-up attack there on the dark squares. Anyhow, your thoughts with this one. Feel free as usual to leave any feedback to this video in the comment section below. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe took a thing or two away. That's all for now. Take care. Bye.