[Event "Bundesliga Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2020.09.18"] [Round "4"] [White "L'Ami, Erwin"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Erwin l'Ami"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2620"] [BlackElo "2835"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "97"] [GameId "381298352547"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] {[%evp 0,97,25,13,30,0,-5,14,23,21,27,22,2,25,43,48,38,5,29,24,54,-2,-5,3,-18,-31,-3,-62,2,-6,137,100,166,136,131,-27,98,15,37,53,47,46,167,199,534,575,586,595,602,632,643,436,456,278,294,252,620,606,658,492,646,693,731,249,243,265,228,250,251,246,268,261,267,259,262,262,292,286,294,302,307,280,308,288,280,297,319,339,412,412,402,408,412,424,430,597,601,467,636,609]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 h6 {This came as a slight surprise, but I had assumed beforehand Fabiano would try to mix up the game, one way or another, so in that sense a move like this was to be expected. I had seen some months ago that Leela mentions this move as 'playable' but had not analysed it seriously.} 5. Bf4 Bb4 ({The most ambitious move in the position, fitting Caruana's intentions.} 5... Bd6 6. Bxd6 Qxd6 7. e3 {gives White a small advantage and a very easy game.}) 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bd2 O-O 8. g3 ({At this point I was already looking at the move} 8. g4 {but felt that} c5 $1 {would be a very effective rejoinder.}) ({Because of the speed with which my opponent was playing, I decided against} 8. e4 {which is obviously the critical move. After} Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ba5 {followed by c7-c5, the position is not to clear.}) 8... Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ba5 10. g4 ({With the exchange on c3 the centre has somewhat stabilized, which made me think this move could be justified. I could have played} 10. Bg2 c5 11. O-O {, but it is unlikely I would have been analysing this game for NIC-magazine in that case.}) 10... c5 ({The most natural move, and I was surprised to see both} 10... e5 $5 11. Nxe5 c5 {when Black has excellent compensation, and -even stronger-}) (10... Nc6 $1 {with the idea of going e6-e5 next, regardless of what White does. This would have cast some serious doubt on my 10th move.}) 11. Rg1 Nc6 ({After the game Caruana mentioned} 11... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nc6 {when} 13. g5 hxg5 14. Rxg5 e5 $1 {was his point. Indeed, after} 15. dxe5 Be6 {Black has excellent compensation for the pawn.}) 12. dxc5 {I was very happy with this move. Obviously, the idea is not to win a pawn, but rather to prevent Black from opening the centre with cxd4. That makes the likelihood of a flank attack succeeding more likely.} e5 13. Qc2 ({I spend some time on the line} 13. g5 e4 14. gxh6 exf3 15. Rxg7+ Kh8 16. Qc2 f5 17. O-O-O Qf6 {but didn't see a follow-up. An engine check reveals there probably isn't any. The text move prepares castling queenside and makes a future g4-g5 push gain in strength.}) 13... Re8 ({Only now does Black get in serious trouble. A very elegant solution is} 13... e4 $1 14. Qxe4 Re8 15. Qc2 Qd5 {when Black has sacrificed another pawn to gain time. Here} 16. Be3 Rxe3 17. fxe3 Qxc5 18. Kf2 Bb6 19. Nd4 Bd7 {is a nice sample line, in which Black has great compensation. White should instead play 16.Nd4 with a three result game.}) 14. g5 ({The logical follow-up, but not the best move in the position.} 14. O-O-O $1 {is very strong, and now} e4 15. g5 $1 exf3 (15... h5 16. g6 $1 {is an important point, as} exf3 17. gxf7+ {followed by Qg6+ is winning.}) 16. gxh6 f5 17. Rxg7+ Kh8 18. Bg5 {is winning.}) 14... g6 (14... hxg5 $1 15. Nxg5 e4 16. O-O-O Qd5 {would have given excellent chances of putting up a successful defence. The endgame after 17.Qb3 Qxb3 18.axb3 f6! is not clear, and} 17. Rg3 Qxc5 18. Bg2 Bc7 19. Bxe4 Bxg3 20. hxg3 {is even less clear.}) 15. gxh6 e4 16. Ng5 Bf5 17. O-O-O {While I liked the course that the game was taking at this point, it was by no means clear to me my position was that great. Objectively I am already winning here, but the position is still messy of course, especially in a practical game.} Qf6 (17... e3 18. Bxe3 $1 Bxc2 19. Rxd8 Raxd8 20. Kxc2 {is an exchange sacrifice I was very eager to make. The three extra pawns make it completely winning for White.}) 18. Bh3 {An important one! White is happy to exchange the strong bishop on f5. 18...Bxh3 19.Nxh3 is followed up by Nh3-g5 back, with huge threats.} e3 19. Bxf5 exd2+ 20. Rxd2 Re5 ({This move completely caught me by surprise! I had been looking forward to} 20... Qxf5 21. Qxf5 gxf5 22. h7+ Kg7 23. Rd7 Re7 24. Ne4+ $1 Kh8 25. Nf6 {and wins. While this is good enough, much prettier is 23.h8Q+ Rxh8 24.Nh7+!! Kxh7 25.Rd3 and mate on h3 is unstoppable.}) 21. Nxf7 $1 ({Not} 21. e4 Rxc5 {and Black starts taking over the show on the queenside.}) 21... Qxf7 (21... Rxf5 22. Nd6 $1 {is very strong, because after} Rg5 23. Rxg5 Qxg5 24. Qb3+ {the king doesn't have a good square.}) 22. Bxg6 Qxf2 ({Afterwards, we discussed} 22... Qf6 23. Rd6 Qxf2 24. Bf7+ Kh8 25. Qg6 {which should also win. In fact 23.Qb3+ Kh8 (or 23...Kf8 24.h7!) 24.Qxb7! wins on the spot.}) 23. Bf7+ $1 {The only move, but a sufficient one! The g-file is decisively opened.} Kh8 ({There is nothing else.} 23... Kxf7 24. Qh7+ {is mate in a few moves, and}) ({after} 23... Kf8 {I had planned} 24. Rg8+ Ke7 25. h7 {.}) 24. Qg6 Rg5 25. Rxg5 (25. Qxg5 Qxf7 26. Rd7 {would have shortened the game considerably.}) 25... Bxc3 26. Kc2 {I thought this would clinch things. After the bishop moves, Bg8 will lead to mate on h7.} Ne7 {An unpleasant surprise, I am obviously still completely winning but being low on time made this move very unpleasant.} 27. Qe4 Bf6 28. Re5 ({And here} 28. e3 Qf1 29. Bc4 Qa1 30. Bd3 $1 {would have finished things instantly.}) 28... Rf8 29. e3 Qf1 30. Bc4 Qa1 31. Rxe7 Qc3+ {Another uncomfortable moment, I had miscalculated that after} 32. Kd1 Qa1+ 33. Kc2 Qc3+ 34. Kd1 Qa1+ 35. Ke2 Bxe7 {I can't recapture on e7, because of the mating threat on f1. Fortunately, the endgame that I am forced to liquidate into is still completely winning.} 36. Qd4+ Qxd4 37. exd4 Rf4 38. Bd5 {If b7 falls, the c- and d-pawns will easily decide.} Bf6 39. Ke3 Rh4 40. Rd3 {With move 40 reached, I got up from the board with a deep sense of relief. I had obviously not wrapped the game up in perfect fashion, but was still completely winning. Furthermore, the endgame is easy to convert.} Rh3+ 41. Kd2 Rxh2+ 42. Kc3 Kh7 ({I proudly told Fabiano after the game about the line} 42... Rh5 43. Kc4 b5+ 44. Kxb5 $1 Rxd5 45. Kc6 Rxd4 ({or} 45... Rd8 46. d5 {and the passed pawns decide.}) 46. Rxd4 Bxd4 47. Kd6 {and White wins the endgame. Fabiano then mentioned he didn't play 42...Rh5 because of 43.Rf3, which is indeed winning instantly...}) 43. Bxb7 Rxa2 44. Kb3 Ra1 45. c6 Bd8 46. d5 {Unstoppable, the last thing to make sure of is that Black can't sacrifice his bishop for both the passed pawns.} Ba5 47. d6 Rc1 48. Rd5 Bd8 49. Rd4 {There is no stopping Rc4 followed by c6-c7. Black resigned.} 1-0