[Event "Norway Chess 2022"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.06.03"] [Round "7"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D50"] [WhiteElo "2864"] [BlackElo "2761"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,67,30,30,27,6,6,6,6,19,44,46,30,45,49,10,16,19,19,19,19,8,27,-20,4,18, 26,0,3,3,3,3,3,3,8,1,1,1,4,26,22,17,69,69,90,86,93,88,102,78,89,89,92,92,100, 92,122,122,243,253,263,254,297,297,320,337,344,344,379,379]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5 {A quick look at the database reveals that Carlsen has a lot of experience in this line, whereas Giri is playing it for the first time.} 7. Bg5 ({Most likely, the Dutch GM's decision was based on the fact that the world champion was mainly seeking an advantage in the endgame after} 7. e4 Nc6 ({Or also after} 7... dxe4 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Be6 10. Nxe6+ fxe6 11. Bc4 Ke7 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Be3 Rc8 14. Bb3 Nc5 15. Bxc5+ Rxc5 16. Rfe1 g6 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 e5 {Carlsen,M (2862) -So,W (2770) chess24.com INT 2020}) 8. Bb5 dxe4 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Ng5 Be6 11. Bf4 Bb4 12. O-O-O+ Ke7 13. a3 Bxc3 14. Bd6+ Ke8 15. bxc3 h6 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bxc6+ bxc6 18. Rd4 {and the world champion's notable technique helped him win both these games, Carlsen,M (2863)-Ding,L (2791) chess24.com INT 2020}) 7... Be7 8. e3 O-O 9. Be2 {A solid, developing move.} ({A more aggressive solution is:} 9. Rd1 { when the decisive game of the latest World Cup saw} Nc6 ({A more recent effort by Black saw} 9... Be6 10. Bd3 h6 11. Bh4 Nc6 12. Qa4 Qb6 13. Rd2 Rfd8 14. O-O Rac8 15. h3 Kf8 16. Bb1 Na5 17. Qb5 Nc4 18. Qxb6 axb6 19. Re2 Nxb2 20. Rxb2 Rxc3 21. Rxb6 Bc8 {with a slight edge for White in Praggnanandhaa,R (2642) -Ding,L (2806) chess24.com INT 2022}) 10. Qa4 Be6 11. Bb5 Qb6 {and we shall see, this game has a lot of similarities with today's encounter after} 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. Rxd5 Bxb2 15. Ke2 Bf6 16. Rhd1 Rac8 17. Bc4 Qb4 18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. Bxb3 Nb8 20. g4 $1 h6 21. h4 g6 22. g5 hxg5 23. hxg5 Be7 24. Re5 Nc6 25. Rd7 Bd8 26. Rb5 Na5 27. Bd5 Rc7 28. Bxf7+ Kg7 29. Rxc7 Bxc7 30. Bd5 { 1-0 (30) Duda,J (2738)-Karjakin,S (2757) Chess.com 2021}) 9... Nc6 {Now, after a few obvious and logical moves, a critical position will arise.} 10. Qd3 h6 11. Bh4 Be6 12. O-O Qb6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nxd5 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 Qxb2 16. Bc4 { On the surface, it seems as Black has solved all his opening problems. He got rid of the potential weakness, the isolani, traded a few pieces and even kept the opposite-colored bishops on the board. But speaking of those, they are actually a problem for the second player here. Mainly because Carlsen is ready to build serious pressure along the light-squares when Giri would have little to show in return on this particular color complex.} Qxa1 $146 {And this over-the-board novelty by Giri would hardly attract any followers...} ({ The predecessor was also very, very unpleasant for Black after:} 16... Rad8 17. Qf5 Qxa1 18. Rxa1 Bxa1 19. g4 Rd6 20. Qb1 Ne5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. Qxb7 { Gharibyan,M (2460)-Kantor,G (2527) Tornelo INT 2021}) ({But the machine is optimistic about his chances and suggests instead} 16... Qa3 17. Rad1 Na5 { Black's position is held on tactical nuances, for example} 18. Bd3 g6 19. Bxg6 {does not work due to} Rad8 $1 20. Qf5 fxg6 21. Qxg6+ Bg7 {and a perpetual is the maximum White can get.}) 17. Rxa1 Bxa1 18. g4 $1 {An excellent move, just as in the game Duda-Karjakin from above. Carlsen opens air for his king, while bringing in another attacker of the light squares. It quickly becomes evident that Giri's problems on the light squares got even more serious, now that there is no black queen to look for a relief trade.} Rae8 ({White can attack either side of the board, as the beautiful line} 18... g6 19. g5 Rad8 ({ Nothing changes} 19... hxg5 20. Nxg5 Rad8 21. Qf3 {and White should soon make it to the enemy king.}) 20. Qe4 Kg7 21. Qb1 $1 {demonstrates. White's attack is crushing, say} Bc3 22. Qb3 Ba1 23. Bxf7 Rxf7 24. gxh6+ Kf8 25. Ng5 $1) ({ And after} 18... Rad8 19. Qf5 Rd6 {White can continue his attack with either the direct} 20. g5 ({Or prepare it a bit more with} 20. Kg2)) 19. h4 {The most consistent continuation.} ({Also interesting was} 19. g5 hxg5 20. Nxg5 Re5 21. Qg2) 19... Re7 20. g5 hxg5 21. Nxg5 {But here the most obvious move is not the most optimal. Apparently, the world champion felt that there was something even better, but at the end chose the safer option.} ({Carlsen would have won spectacularly instead with the fantastic} 21. Qf5 $3 {the threat of a knight inclusion in the attack is too strong} gxh4 $2 ({Therefore, Black should try} 21... Ne5 {but after} 22. Nxg5 g6 23. Qf6 Rd7 24. Bb3 $1 {White is completely dominating and can soon get to the enemy king, say} ({Or the more complicate machine move} 24. Bb5 $1) 24... b5 25. Kg2 a5 26. h5 $1 gxh5 27. Bc2) ({ Also bad for Black is} 21... Bf6 $2 22. Bd3 {winning at once.}) 22. Ng5 { loses at once.}) 21... Bf6 $1 {Giri immediately takes his chance to swap an important attacker.} 22. Qf5 Bxg5 23. hxg5 Re5 {But here it is the Dutch GM's turn to go in the wrong direction.} ({Stronger was} 23... Ne5 $1 24. Bb3 Rd8 25. g6 Kf8 26. gxf7 Nxf7 27. e4 Rd6 {and since the knight is more useful in covering the light squares, Black has decent chances to survive.}) 24. Qf4 Rc5 ({It was not too late for} 24... Re7 $1 25. g6 Ne5 26. gxf7+ Nxf7 27. Qf5 Rd8 28. e4 Rd6 29. e5 Rc6) 25. g6 $1 Ne5 26. gxf7+ Nxf7 27. Be6 (27. Bb3 $1 { would have been even better.}) 27... Rh5 {After this, it is curatins.} ({ The last chance was to trasfer the rook for both the defense and the counterattack along the sixth rank with} 27... Rc6 28. Bd5 Rf6 {even at the expense of the queenside pawns, Black should look for active play on the opposite wing, for instance} 29. Qa4 Rd8 30. e4 Kh7 31. Qxa7 Ne5 32. Qxb7 Rdf8) 28. Qc7 {Giri loses both his pawns and remains pinned until the bitter end.} g5 29. Qxb7 Rh6 30. Bb3 g4 31. Qxa7 Kg7 32. e4 Rh5 33. Qc7 Kf6 34. a4 {PLAY CHESS, NO WAR $1} 1-0