[Event "FIDE Candidates 2020"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Date "2021.04.24"] [Round "12.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B45"] [WhiteElo "2820"] [BlackElo "2776"] [PlyCount "90"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] {[%evp 0,28,25,18,47,44,81,27,31,47,47,38,36,68,31,34,30,22,51,34,47,51,48,41, 26,44,44,26,19,33,74]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. a3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Be2 d6 {[#]} 9. Qd3 $146 (9. Qd2 a6 10. O-O-O Na5 11. Kb1 Qc7 12. g4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. Rhg1 d5 15. exd5 Rd8 16. Bg5 exd5 17. Rge1 Be6 {1-0 (28) Demchenko,A (2629)-Kovalenko,I (2657) Minsk 2017}) 9... Bd7 {The position is equal.} 10. f4 e5 11. Nxc6 (11. Nb3 $5 exf4 12. Bxf4 Ne5 13. Qd2 ( 13. Qg3 $4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Bh4 $1) 13... Bc6 14. O-O-O Ng6 15. Bxd6 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Bxe4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 $11) 11... bxc6 12. O-O exf4 13. Bxf4 (13. Rxf4 Be6 14. Kh1 Nd7 15. Rff1 Ne5) 13... Be6 14. Qg3 Nd7 15. Rad1 Re8 $1 16. Kh1 (16. b4 $5 { not allowing Qb8 directly was more precise} Qb6+ 17. Kh1 Ne5 18. Na4 $1 { solves the problem for White. the knight on c3 is the problem in the position} Qb8 19. Nc5 $1 {the key idea. knight on c5 is much better than on c3. white is a bit better} Bf6 20. Nd3 (20. Bh6 $4 dxc5 21. Rxf6 Ng6 $1) (20. Nxe6 Rxe6 21. Qb3 $14) 20... Kh8 21. Bxe5 Bxe5 22. Nxe5 dxe5 23. Bg4 $14) (16. Bxd6 Qb6+ 17. Kh1 Bxd6 18. Rxd6 Qxb2 $11 19. e5 Nc5) 16... Qb8 (16... Qb6 17. b4 $5 Ne5 18. Na4 Qb8 19. Nc5 $1 {same position as 16.b4!?}) 17. b4 {[%CAl Rf4d6]} (17. b3 { is more complex.} Ne5 18. Bh5 g6 19. Ne2 Kh8 20. Bf3) 17... Ne5 (17... a5 18. b5) 18. b5 Rc8 {the black pieces Ra8,Qb8,Rc8 are far from the kingside, could create chances with White.} (18... cxb5 19. Bxb5 Rc8 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Bf6 22. Ba4 {[%CAl Ga4b3]} Rc4 23. Bb3 Rxe4 24. Rdd1) 19. bxc6 $6 (19. h3 cxb5 20. Nxb5) (19. a4 Bf8) 19... Rxc6 20. Nd5 (20. Nb5 $5 Rxc2 (20... Bf8 21. Nd4 $1) 21. Nd4 Rc5 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Nxe6 fxe6 24. h4 $11) 20... Qf8 $1 {a very precise move. White has a tough choice to play for a win. Most likely the position is equal and Caruana searched for a way and ended up playing c3} ( 20... Bxd5 $2 21. exd5 Rxc2 (21... Rb6 22. Be3) 22. Bxe5 $1 dxe5 23. Bd3 Rc5 24. Qh3 $1 (24. Bxh7+ Kxh7 25. Rxf7 Bf6) 24... g6 25. Rxf7 $1 {rook sac, as the rook on a8 is not defending the position} Kxf7 26. Qxh7+ Ke8 27. Bxg6+ Kd8 28. d6 $1 Bxd6 29. Bf5 Qc7 30. Qg8+ Ke7 31. Qg7+ Kd8 (31... Ke8 32. Bg6+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Kd7 34. Qxa8 $18) 32. Qf8#) (20... Bf8 21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. Bg4 Bxg4 23. Qxg4 Qc8 $15) 21. c3 {there are many alternatives but Black's position is very solid. Scheveningen system is very flexible.} (21. c4 $5 Nxc4 22. Bxc4 Rxc4 23. Nxe7+ Qxe7 24. Bxd6 Qd8 25. Be5 Qf8 $11) (21. Bd3 Bxd5 22. exd5 Rc7) (21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Rxd6 $2 (22. Bg5 Qc7 23. Bf6 Ng6 $1) 22... Qxd6 23. Bxe5 Qf8) (21. Bh5 Rxc2 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Qxe5 Bd6 $11) (21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. Qxe5 Rxc2 23. Bg4 Rc6 $1 $11 {Carlsen}) 21... Rac8 22. Rc1 Ng6 23. Bd2 $6 (23. Bg4 Nxf4 (23... Bh4 24. Qh3) 24. Qxf4 Qe8) 23... Bh4 $1 $15 {Black has better chances} 24. Qe3 Rc5 25. c4 h6 $1 26. Qb3 Bg5 27. Bxg5 hxg5 28. Qg3 Qd8 (28... Bxd5 29. exd5 Qe7 30. Rfe1 Ne5) 29. Rcd1 Bxd5 30. exd5 Nf4 $17 {the black knight > white bishop here} 31. Qf2 {Black should prevent g3.} R8c7 32. Rd4 (32. g3 Nxe2 33. Qxe2 Re7) 32... Qe8 33. Bf3 Rxc4 34. Rxc4 Rxc4 35. Qxa7 Ra4 36. Qf2 $2 ({Better is} 36. Qc7 $1 $15 Rxa3 37. h4) 36... Rxa3 $19 37. h4 Qe5 {Black is winning here, all his pieces are more active} 38. hxg5 Qxg5 39. Re1 Ra8 {Hoping for ...Nd3!} ( 39... g6 40. Re8+ Kh7 41. Qb2) 40. Be4 (40. Rf1) 40... Ra2 $2 (40... f5 $1 { the winning idea} 41. g3 Nh5) (40... g6 41. Rf1 (41. g3 Nh5) 41... Qh5+ 42. Kg1 Ne2+) 41. Rb1 $5 {Threatening mate with Rb8+. this is a last ditch try by White in a lost position} Ra8 $1 {Giri notes he was mistaken and covers back rank} ({Weaker is} 41... Rxf2 42. Rb8+ Qd8 43. Rxd8#) ({Wrong is} 41... Qh5+ $2 42. Kg1 $18 Ne2+ 43. Qxe2 Qxe2 44. Rb8#) (41... Qh6+ 42. Kg1 Ra8) 42. Re1 $1 f5 $1 $19 {Giri finds the winning idea, Kf7 followed by Rh8+} 43. Bb1 Kf7 { ( -> ...Rh8+)} 44. Re3 Rh8+ 45. Kg1 {[#]} Nxg2 $1 {[%mdl 512] nice tactics to conclude the game} 0-1