My blitz game against Hikaru Nakamura Aug 2020- Scandinavian

 got the privilege to play in a Hikaru arena and got faced with GM Hikaru Nakamura himself in a blitz 3 minutes for each player.

needless to say, I lost but this is quite an instructive loss I think.

[White "thechesscorner64"][Black "Hikaru"][WhiteElo "2402"][BlackElo "3218"]

[Result "0-1"][ECO "B01"][Date "2020.08.22"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 c5

here Hikaru surprised me with 4..c5. The best answer is 5 Nc3 to develop a piece followed by Bf4. I played 5c4 and 6 d5 which is ok.

 5. c4 Qd8 6. d5 g6 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. Be2 Bg7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nbd7 11. O-O O-O 12. Bf4

we reached the following position with Black to play.

Here Nakamura uncorked 12..Ne8!An excellent idea ! Black plans to relocate knight from e8 to d6. from there, Black will play Ra8-b8 and a6-b5 creating pressure on my queenside pawn. This move opens the diagonal h8-a1 for the bishop on g7. 

I suggest to replay the moves in the app below.

[#] 12. Bf4 Ne8! An excellent idea ! Black plans to relocate knight from e8 to d6. from there, Black will play Ra8-b8 and a6-b5 creating pressure on my queenside pawn. This move opens the diagonal h8-a1 for the bishop on g7. 13. Qd2 ( 13. Rc1 Nd6 14. b3 a6 15. Re1 b5 16. Ne4 ) 13...  Nd6 14. b3 14...  Re8 15. Bh6?! exchanging the bishops but Black continues with the expansion on the queeside ( 15. Rac1 a6 16. Ne4! the knight on d6 needs to be challenged and this attacks c5 as well 16... Ne5 17. Qe2 b6 18. g4!? ) 15...  Bxh6 ( 15... Bh8 16. Rfe1 ) 16. Qxh6 16...  a6 17. Bg4 17...  Nf6

We reached the following position after 17..Nf6, White to play 

it was time to start white's counterplay on the kingside with f4-f5, starting with 18 f4! instead I played 18 Rfe1 and Black started to put further pressure

18..b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Rad1 b4 21. Na4 Black to play

Hikaru played 21..c4 and I cannot capture the pawn as I need to protect the knight on a4. I had to play 22Qf4! attacking b4 if he pushes the c pawn further. Instead I played 22 Re3 and 22.c3 give Black a large advantage which Black converted without trouble.

Here's the replay from 21 Na4

[#] 21. Na4 c4! 22. Re3? ( 22. Qf4! To attack b4 22... c3 ( 22... Ra5 23. Bf3 Qb8 24. Rd4 Qa7 ( 24... Nf5 25. Qxb8 Rxb8 26. Rxc4 ) 25. g4 ) 23. Qxb4 ) 22...  c3! [#] this passed pawn give Black a decisive advantage 23. Rf3 Ra5 24. Qf4 ( 24. Rfd3 Nb5 25. Qf4 Qd6 ) 24...  Rxd5 25. Rxd5 Nxd5 26. Qd4 e6 27. Nc5 Nf5 28. Bxf5 exf5 29. Rd3 ( 29. Qc4 Re1+ 30. Kh2 Qc7+ ) 29...  c2! ( 29... c2 30. Rd1 cxd1=Q+ 31. Qxd1 Qd6 32. Na4 Qe5 33. Qd2 ) 0-1

Final position after 31..c2!