Chessbase India
Back in May 2024, Brandon Jacobson was banned in chess.com for beating Daniel Naroditsky in a blitz match using a crazy opening 1. a4 followed by 2. Ra3 effectively sacrificing the exchange in the opening.
I'm not sure how this case was handled but later, Magnus Carlsen himself used the same opening in his online blitz games with some success. Fast forward to December 2024. In the World Rapid Tournament against one of the best speed chess player on the planet, Hikaru Nakamura, Jacobson played 1. a4! Let's see the game.
The game begins 1. a4 e5 2. e4 surely 2. Ra3 is too much in a rapid game but still playing 1. a4 against Hikaru Nakamura is very gutsy.
After 2...Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5 Nxd5 5. exd5 0-0 the computer says the position is equal but without computer analysis the position looks ugly for White. Black can play d6 then f5 with good central control.
The game continued 6. c3 Be7 7. Bc4 d6 8. Ne2 Nd7 9. d4 White has to fight for the center.
Black replied with 9....c5 10. 0-0 Qc7 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. a5 Bg4 13. f3 Bd7 14. Be3 b5 15. Ba2 Rac8 16. Qd2 Rfe8 17. b4 Na6 18. Rfc1 Qb7 19. c4 bxc4 20. Bxc4 Nc4 21. a6 Qb8 22. Nc3 Na8 23. Na4 Nb6 24. Bf1 Red8 25. b5 f5 26. Nc3 Bf6 27. Na4 Rxc1 28. Qxc1 Rc8 29. Qd2 Bd8 30. Qf2
At this point White has the initiative and has pressure on Black's Queen side.
The game continued 30.... Nxa4 31. Rxa4 Rc7 32. Rb7 f4
In the above position Black moved f4 to remove the White Bishop from the g1-a7 diagonal and lessen the pressure but it only took Brandon a few seconds to find 33. Bxa7! sacrificing the Bishop. After 33....Rxa7 34. b6 Ra8 35. b7 Ra7 Black's position is miserable.
The game continued 36. Qc2 g6 37. Bd3 Kf7 38. Kf1 Ba5 39. Rb1 Bd8 40. Qb3 Ba5 Black can only repeat moves. 41. Rc1 Bd2 42. Rc6! offering an exchange sacrifice while targetting d6. 42....Be3 43. Qb4 Bc5
White moved 44. Qa5 (too bad White missed the excellent 44. Rxc5! dxc5 45. Qb6 threatening d6 and Qc7) .
In this position Black can return the sacrifice by 44. ...Rxb7 45. axb7 Qxb7 46. Qc7 Qxc7 47. Rxc7 Ke8 which is better than the text move, 44. ...Ke7
There follows 45. Qc7 Ra8 (45. ...Qxc7 46.Rxc7 Bb6 47. Rxd7 Kxd7 48. e8=Q) 46. Qxb8 Rxb8 47. Rxc5 and Black resigned.
Aside from missing 44. Rxc5, it was a sensational game by Brandon Jacobson proving that he is a legitimate good player.