The team of young talents from Uzbekistan, who sensationally won gold at the Chennai Olympiad in 2022, continue to develop apace. The strongest, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, is in the world top 10, and Javokhir Sindarov is at no. 25. They tied for first at the strong UzChess Cup, held in Tashkent in June, competing against elite players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Arjun Erigaisi and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. The latter also tied for first and won the playoff, though he was on the losing side of the most spectacular game of the event (perhaps the most beautiful of the year so far).
R. Praggnanandhaa-Richard Rapport
UzChess Masters 2025
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 f3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nc3 O-O 6 Nge2 a6 7 Be3 Nbd7 8 Qd2 b5 9 h4 Wisely declining the pawn sacrifice. After 9 cxb5 axb5 10 Nxb5 c6 11 Nc3 e5, the centre will soon be detonated by d6-d5, and practice shows that Black’s lead in development provides excellent compensation. h5 10 O-O-O e5 11 d5 Nb6 12 Bxb6 cxb6 13 cxb5 axb5 14 Kb1 b4 15 Nb5
The first big moment. If White can collect the b4 pawn and consolidate with Ne2-c3, the game will be strategically won. Rapport’s solution is an ingenious long-term piece sacrifice. Nxd5!! 16 exd5 16 Qxd5 Be6 is awful for White, e.g. 17 Qxd6 Bxa2+ 18 Kc2 Qc8+ 19 Kd2 Rd8 wins the queen. Bf5+ 17 Ka1 Ra4 Coolly defending the b4-pawn. The preceding sacrifice on d5 serves to dissuades White from the b2-b3 jab, due to the latent influence of the Bg7. For example, 18 b3 Ra5 19 Qxb4 Rxb5 20 Qxb5 Qc7! (20…e4+ 21 Nd4 is premature) 21 Qc4 Qe7 and the combined ideas of Rf8-c8 and e5-e4+ mean that Black stands well, despite being down a whole rook. 18 Nc1 Qd7 19 Bc4 Rc8 20 Qe2 e4! 21 Bb3 Defusing the attack with 21 fxe4 Bg4 22 Qd3 Bxd1 23 Rxd1 looks sensible, but there is a flaw. After 21 fxe4 b3!! the Ra4 creates havoc across the rank. One beautiful finish that could arise is 22 Bxb3 Rxe4 23 Qf1 Rb4 24 Na3 Qa7 25 Nb1 (to duck …Qa7xa3) Rc2! 26 Nc3 Qa3! with mate soon to follow on the long diagonal. exf3 22 gxf3 Ra5 23 Bc4 23 Nd4 was the lesser evil, though 23…Rxc1+ 24 Rxc1 Bxd4 25 Qd2 Bc5. Black retains excellent chances with a minimal material deficit.
23…Bc2!! Sacrifices on an empty square are easy to overlook. If 24 Qxc2 Qxb5! 25 Bxb5 Rxc2 26 Nd3 (else Rxb2 is catastrophic) Rxb5 wins. 24 Rd2 Ba4 25 Nd4 Rac5 26 Nc6 26 b3 b5! is no better. Bxc6 27 Nb3 Rxc4 28 Qxc4 Bb5 29 Qe4 29 Qxb4 Rc4 30 Qa3 Ra4 traps the queen. Bc4 30 Rc2 b5 31 Nc1 Re8 32 Qf4 Qa7 33 Rxc4 Or 33 Kb1 Bxa2+ 34 Nxa2 b3 is decisive. bxc4 34 Qxc4 b3 35 Rd1 No better was 35 Qxb3 Rb8 or 35 Nxb3 Qf2 36 Rb1 Re2. bxa2 36 Qxa2 Qf2 37 Qb3 Re3 White resigns as f3 and h4 soon drop.
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