[Event "Tata Steel Masters"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.01.16"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Firouzja, Alireza"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D53"]
[WhiteElo "2862"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[Annotator "chess.com,thechesscorner"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2021.??.??"]
{[%evp 0,79,22,18,25,22,22,23,23,22,24,26,28,27,18,23,18,18,18,18,19,19,18,17,
25,30,23,23,26,32,34,35,44,44,41,46,51,42,29,29,29,29,34,34,34,34,34,0,0,0,0,0,
0,0,-16,0,0,-52,-35,-50,-47,-108,-104,-118,-102,-111,-70,-70,-70,-113,-78,-94,
261,271,257,282,29989,29990,29991,29992,29993,29994]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3
d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 Be7 {The QGD specialists Kramnik and Short
often used this line, which means it cannot be bad for Black.} 7. cxd5 ({
It was great to see the return at least in online games of two living chess
legends in the following game last year:} 7. e3 O-O 8. Bd3 c5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10.
Bxe7 Nxe7 11. O-O b6 12. Be4 Rb8 13. Rc1 Ba6 14. Re1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Nc5 {
when Black did not have any problems out of the opening in Lautier,J (2658)
-Kramnik,V (2753) Chess.com 2020}) 7... Nxd5 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. e4 {Now after the
knight trade...} (9. Rc1 $5) 9... Nxc3 10. bxc3 O-O {...the position is
similar to the Neo-Tarrasch Defense. It should be noted though that Carlsen
has a lot of remarkable wins in this pawn structure (although he typically
gets it from the Grunfeld Defense.)} 11. Bd3 c5 12. O-O cxd4 13. cxd4 b6 14. a4
{N A logical novelty. White frees himself of the isolated pawn and creates a
weakness for the opponent instead.} ({An earlier game saw White trading way
too many pieces after} 14. Rc1 Nf6 15. Qe2 Bb7 16. Rfd1 Rac8 17. h3 Rfd8 18.
Rxc8 Rxc8 19. e5 Nd5 20. Qe4 g6 21. Qg4 Kg7 22. Nh4 Qg5 23. Qxg5 hxg5 {
Obolentseva,A (2324)-Girya,O (2456) Moscow 2019}) 14... Bb7 15. a5 bxa5 16.
Rxa5 Nf6 17. Re1 Rfd8 18. Qa1 {The world champion puts pressure on the
queenside, but in reality he is waiting for a good moment to strike in the
center.} Qc7 $1 {A cool move by Firouzja. The pawn is not in danger.} 19. h3 ({
After} 19. Rxa7 Rxa7 20. Qxa7 {Black would regain it with a draw after} Ra8 21.
Qc5 Qxc5 22. dxc5 Rc8) 19... a6 20. Rc5 {Before doing anything concrete in the
center, Carlsen tries a couple of other ideas.} ({The breakthrough is already
possible:} 20. d5 exd5 21. e5 Ne4 22. Nd4 {with compensation for the pawn, but
the world champion waits for a better moment.}) 20... Qf4 21. Re5 {Intending
to trap the queen with g2-g3.} Nd7 22. Ra5 Nf6 {Not much progress here. Then
it is time for the standard break:} 23. d5 $1 exd5 24. e5 {The point behind
the sacrifice. Diagonals and files are opened for the white pieces, as well as
a fabulous outpost in the center.} Ne4 {This diagonal should be locked.} 25.
Qd4 {That is the difference with the similar line from above. Carlsen wants to
gain a few tempi chasing the enemy queen backwards.} Rdc8 {So far, Firouzja
has defended well and now he threatens to swap a pair of rooks with Rc8-c1.}
26. Raa1 ({Instead, White could have set a trap with} 26. Bf1 {since then} Rc1
$2 {drops material due to} ({However, Black can repeat the moves with} 26...
Qf5 27. Bd3 Qf4) 27. g3) 26... a5 27. Rab1 Bc6 {Firouzja wants to keep his
extra pawn.} ({However, a more cautious player, like Peter Leko or Tigran
Petrosian, might have chosen the relieving} 27... Ba6 $5 {Black gives back the
pawn but successfully dries the game after} 28. Bxa6 Rxa6 29. Qxd5 Nc3 (29...
Ng5 $5 {in order to swap the knights also makes perfect sense.}) 30. Qd7 Qc4
31. Rb7 Qe6 {with a likely draw.}) 28. e6 $1 {Carlsen is not shy to sacrifice
a second pawn in return for another fabulous outpost and more initiative!} fxe6
29. Ne5 Qf6 30. f3 ({Apparently, White did not sacrifice a couple of pawns
only to chicken out and go into defense after} 30. Bxe4 dxe4 31. Nxc6 Rxc6 32.
Qxe4 Rca6 33. Ra1) 30... Ng5 31. Rb6 {Pushing the black pieces even further.}
Be8 32. Qe3 $1 {The most dangerous move for the second player.} ({The more
forcing option} 32. f4 Ne4 33. f5 {allows Black a chance to trade the queens
with} ({Once again} 33. Bxe4 dxe4 34. Qxe4 a4 {makes little sense for White.})
33... Qe7 $1 34. fxe6 ({Or} 34. Rxe6 Qa7 $1 ({But beware of the trap} 34... Qc5
$2 35. Rxe4 $1 dxe4 36. Rxe8+ $1)) 34... Qc5 {and Black is safe.}) 32... a4 {
If you do not know what to do, why not promote a new queen?} ({Instead:} 32...
Nf7 {is not solidifying the position. It only helps White after} 33. Ng4 Qc3
34. Rxe6) (32... Qe7 $1 33. f4 Ne4 34. Bxe4 dxe4 35. Kh2 a4 36. Qxe4 a3) 33.
Ng4 Qd8 $1 {As expected, the machine is not impressed by White's play so far
and promises a large advantage for the second player. Until Carlsen captures
the pawn:} ({Instead:} 33... Qe7 {would have forced Black into gloomy defense
with} 34. h4 Nf7 35. Rxe6 {As:} Qxh4 $4 {loses on the spot:} ({Therefore, the
ugly} 35... Qf8 {should be played, but White is definitely happier here.}) 36.
Rxe8+ Rxe8 37. Qxe8+ Rxe8 38. Rxe8#) 34. Rxe6 $1 {Then all is re-evaluated...}
({Now} 34. h4 {is not possible due to} d4 35. Qf4 Nh3+ 36. gxh3 Qxb6) 34...
Nxe6 (34... a3 35. f4 Nxe6 36. Qxe6+ Kh8 37. Nxh6 Bh5 $1 38. Re5 Rc1+ 39. Kh2
Qf8 40. Rf5 Qe8 {stockfish evaluates this complicated position as 0.0} 41. Qxd5
Rd8 42. Qa5 Ra8 (42... Rxd3 43. Rxh5 g6 44. Rh4) 43. Qd5) 35. Qxe6+ Bf7 $4 {
An automatic defense and a human instinct to bring more defenders around the
king that loses on the spot!} ({The only defense is} 35... Kh8 $1 {The point
is that after} 36. Nxh6 {Black is not forced to take and has a chance to
organize his defenders with} Bh5 $3 37. Ng4 ({Or else the pin saves the day
after} 37. Re5 Rc1+ 38. Kh2 Qc7 $1 39. f4 Rc6 $1) 37... Qf8 {It seems as White
has nothing better than} 38. Re5 {when Black even has a choice to go for the
risky double-edged position with} Rc1+ ({Or he can practically force a draw
instead with} 38... Qf7 39. Rxh5+ Qxh5 40. Ne5 Re8 {when White has a choice of
perpetual checks but nothing more:} 41. Ng6+ ({Or} 41. Nf7+ Kg8 42. Nh6+ Kh8
43. Nf7+) 41... Kh7 42. Nf4+ Kh8) 39. Kf2 Qf7 {and anything can still happen.})
36. Nxh6+ $1 {Of course!} gxh6 37. Qxh6 {The light-squared bishop stands on
the road of the black pieces and, therefore, he cannot survive.} Qc7 {After
this, mate is inevitable.} ({More resilient is} 37... Rc7 38. Re5 $1 Be8 39.
Rg5+ Qxg5 40. Qxg5+ Kf8 {Although here too White should win, for instance after
} 41. Qf4+ Rf7 42. Qd6+ Re7 43. Qf6+ Rf7 44. Qh8+ Ke7 45. Qe5+ Kf8 46. Qxd5) (
37... a3 38. Bh7+ Kh8 39. Bg6+ Kg8 40. Qh7+ Kf8 41. Qxf7#) (37... Ra7 38. Bh7+
Kh8 39. Bf5+ Kg8 40. f4 $1 Re7 (40... a3 41. Bh7+ Kh8 42. Bg6+ Kg8 43. Qh7+ Kf8
44. Bxf7 Qb6+ 45. Kh2 $18) 41. Bh7+ Kh8 42. Bd3+ Kg8 43. Re5 Rxe5 (43... Bg6
44. Qxg6+ Rg7 45. Qe6+) 44. Bh7+ Kh8 45. Bg6+ Kg8 46. Qh7+ Kf8 47. Qxf7#) 38.
Qh7+ Kf8 39. Qh8+ Bg8 40. Qh6+ {And Firouzja resigned, not waiting for the
mate.} (40. Qh6+ Kf7 (40... Qg7 41. Qd6+ Kf7 42. Qe7#) 41. Bg6+ Kf6 42. Bh5+
Kf5 43. g4#) 1-0