[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