[Event "Chess Olympiad"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "2016.09.05"]
[Round "4.20"]
[White "David Smerdon"]
[Black "Magnus Carlsen"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B22"]
[WhiteElo "2531"]
[BlackElo "2857"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2016.09.02"]
1. e4 c5 {The Sicilian Defense.} 2. c3 {The Alapin variation (Anti-Sicilian)}
d5 ({Other move is:} 2... Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3) 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3
e6 {GM Carlsen plays solidly, aware about the tricks of white's strategy.} 6.
Na3 {If you are a beginner or 1200 player normally you abide by the rules: 1.
Play 1. e4 or d4 2. Develop pieces 3. Castle. But at GM Level, as long as the
king is safe, their basis of play is based on opening theory and practice or
experience.} Qd8 ({If} 6... cxd4 7. Nb5) 7. Nc4 {GM Smerdon must chose
agressive lines. GM Carlsen is super dangerous on quiet positions.} (7. Nc2 {
Other move is:}) 7... Be7 8. Be3 cxd4 9. Qxd4 {Exchanging queen's would
lesssen complications.} O-O 10. O-O-O {This is an invitation for a tactical
fight.} Nd5 11. Qg4 Nxe3 {Some say bishop is better than knight, "Don't
exchange it with knight". I have to correct you about this myth. It defends
always on position like this game. Knights are better than bishop.} 12. fxe3
Qc7 13. Bd3 Nd7 14. Qf4 {Again, the main reason to exchange queens due to
black's queenside is undeveloped.} Qc5 15. b4 {Wow!! This is going to be
interesting. GM Smerdon is no longer scared of the World Champ. This is my
comfort zone, and I am ready to fight...} Qc6 16. Nd4 Qxg2 {Black has to be
precise here, because the more black capture pawns, the more white develops
since the g-file is opened, there are many possibilities of attack soonest at
black's kingside.} 17. Rhg1 Qh3 18. Rg3 Qh4 {Now, black wants to exchange
queens, shall white have to exchange queens? ANALYZE IT...} 19. Qxh4 Bxh4 20.
Rh3 Bg5 21. Rg1 {Whoa!! white's forces are directing towards the black king.
GM Smerdon may be enjoying this position and the crowd, looks like the World
Champ is having uneasy position. Playing the World Champ is like "David and
Goliath" but not this time.} h6 22. Rxg5 {Yes, drawing GM Carlsen is always a
win-win thing.} hxg5 23. Bh7+ Kh8 24. Bd3+ Kg8 25. Bh7+ Kh8 26. Bd3+ {
Perpetual Check. Fantastic game by GM David Smerdon. Playing board 1 in Chess
Olympiad is not easy task. But it gets the job done spectacularly. Kodus!!
Mate...} 1/2-1/2