Vidit-Pragg....f5 Against the Ruy!

Dear chess lovers, in the recent FIDE Candidates' Tournament 2024, Praggnanandhaa played the ....f5 variation against Vidit's Ruy Lopez. In the chessgames.com database, the first instance of this opening being played is a correspondence game from 1878 between Norris and Marriott.

A spectacular game, with Black having the sharper tactical eye.

In the 1949 USSR Championship, Bronstein defeated Kholmov by playing ......f5!

Earlier in the year, Bronstein had played this in a Prague-Moscow match.....

In the book "200 Open Games", 

Bronstein gives the following notes about this game:

"Where does the king feel safest at the height of the battle? This question can be heard almost daily. And we always reply with the same patter, as if even a fool did not know: in the corner of the board; castle as quickly as possible, to the right or left, only do not keep your king in the centre long.

If we allow for a second that the rules allow us to make two moves in succession, then I would have had a reliable move ready if White had castled on move 23. But it was my turn to move and I had to keep the blow I was preparing secret. 

But if.....And I quietly brought my bishop further away from its visble target, white's h-pawn.

"I see!", my opponent probably decided. "Black wants to increase the pressure on my f-pawn, so I must castle to protect it with my rook."

The rest of the game does not  require my commentary.

Only, what is interesting is this. The variation from move 23 t move 29 was quite easy to calculate: both sides' moves were forced. But I just cannot say which chess weapon it was that helped me to break the white king's resistance. Was it cunning, a combination or a forced manoeuvre?"

The next game was played between Smyslov and Bronstein in 1962. Smyslov was still a formidable, top-class chess player....

To beat Smyslov in 22 moves with the Black pieces! Quite an achievement.

And then, we come to the Vidit-Pragg game from the 2024 Candidates!

Now, I honestly admit not to know the qualitative difference between the ....f5 variations with or without ...a6. I believe the inclusion of ....a6 gives Black more choices, in terms of being able to kick away the white bishop.

I hope you have enjoyed these games.

Peace.