[Event "Tata Steel Masters"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2021.01.29"] [Round "11"] [White "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2749"] [BlackElo "2823"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "122"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O h6 7. Re1 O-O 8. Nbd2 Bb6 ({A modern tabiya was tested in a recent game:} 8... a5 9. Nf1 Be6 10. Bb5 Ne7 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 Bb6 13. h3 d5 14. e5 Ne4 {Aronian,L (2781)-Grischuk,A (2777) Online 2020}) 9. a4 a5 10. Bb5 $146 {A novelty that was played after 20 minutes on the clock. Firouzja's move aims to clear the center from the c6-defender in order to seize it with d3-d4.} ({An earlier game saw White executing a pretty idea after} 10. Nf1 Ne7 11. Ng3 Ng6 12. h3 c6 13. Bb3 d5 14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nh5 Re8 16. Qd2 Bf5 17. Nxg7 $1 {Chigaev,M (2588)-Nakamura,H (2736) Chess.com 2020}) 10... Ng4 $1 {An important intermediate move by Caruana that wins a tempo.} 11. Re2 Ne7 12. d4 Ng6 13. Nf1 d5 $1 {At least equalizing.} 14. exd5 exd4 15. h3 Nf6 16. Nxd4 Nxd5 17. Re1 Ndf4 {"I had a very promising position, and also Alireza had like 15 minutes less than me so I was extremely optimistic" (Caruana). Indeed, Black managed to bring his knights closer to the opponent's king much faster. Plus, his bishop on b6 is way more valuable than its counterpart on b5.} 18. Be3 c6 {The first moment when Black could have grabbed the g2-pawn, starting a huge attack. Caruana sensed the importance of the situation and tried hard to find the follow-up.} ( 18... Nxg2 {"I couldn't quite make it work, but I really wanted to play it. Every part of me wanted to take on g2. I assumed that it's not worse for Black or anything, and maybe it's very strong, but I didn't quite see how to follow up and I thought: I shouldn't sac a piece without actually seeing the follow-up" (Caruana). After} 19. Kxg2 Nh4+ {White has only one defense:} ({Here } 19... Qh4 $2 20. Qf3 {does not make sense for Black.}) 20. Kh1 $1 ({Rather than} 20. Kg1 {which indeed leads to a decisive attack for Black after} Qd5 21. f3 Bxd4 22. Bxd4 Qg5+ 23. Kf2 Qg2+ 24. Ke3 {The exposed king cannot survive:} Bf5 {is one way to reach it.} ({Or even easier with} 24... c5 25. Bxc5 Qg5+ { regaining the material and attacking decisively.})) 20... Qd5+ 21. f3 Bxh3 22. Nh2 Bg2+ 23. Kg1 Bh3) 19. Bc4 {Now surprisingly the situation changes in Black's favor.} ({More accurate is} 19. Be2 $1) 19... Bc7 ({The second time would be a charm:} 19... Nxg2 $3 {might have won since after:} 20. Kxg2 Qh4 $1 {From this side this time! White cannot adequately defend the h3-pawn, and this means he will be slowly finished on the kingside. The concrete problem is that here} 21. Qf3 {allows a fork after} ({And if} 21. Nf3 Qxh3+ 22. Kg1 Rd8 23. Qe2 Bc7 {and the black pieces keep coming towards the enemy king:} 24. Rad1 Bg4 {with a win.}) 21... Ne5) 20. Ng3 {Now Firouzja stabilizes his kingside. It is important to mention that he sped up at this part of the game.} Nd5 ({ The third possibility for a sacrifice would have led to complications, which might have objectively ended in dynamical equality:} 20... Nxg2 $5 21. Kxg2 Qh4 {Now an excellent defensive idea is} 22. Bf1 $1 Bxh3+ 23. Kg1 Bxg3 {with another important intermediate move:} 24. Nf3 $1 ({But not} 24. fxg3 Qxg3+ 25. Kh1 Bxf1 {when Black is winning.}) 24... Qg4 25. Bxh3 Qxh3 26. fxg3 Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 {and objectively it should be about equal.}) 21. Bd2 Qd6 {Now it is also equal, but the time spent in the opening from both opponents will soon start to tell.} 22. Bb3 Bd7 23. Nf3 Rfe8 24. Qc2 Ngf4 25. Rad1 Rxe1+ 26. Rxe1 Qf6 27. Nd4 {Time for Firouzja to look for the f5-spot.} Rd8 28. Re4 Qg6 {Caruana called this a mistake, but is it really?} ({The computer slightly prefers Black after} 28... c5 $5 29. Ndf5 ({Or else the black bishop will seize the long diagonal:} 29. Nf3 Bc6) 29... b6) 29. Bxd5 Nxd5 30. Ngf5 $1 {Apparently missed by Caruana.} Qf6 ({Of course, not} 30... Bxf5 31. Nxf5 Qxf5 32. Re8+) 31. Rg4 {Caruana's time pressure prevents him from finding the best defense.} g6 ({The stone-cold} 31... Kh8 $3 {would have stopped the attack for good as the pawn is immune:} 32. Rxg7 $2 c5 33. Bxh6 cxd4 {wins for Black.}) 32. Nxh6+ Kf8 $1 {The best defense now by Caruana.} ({Worse is} 32... Kg7 33. Bg5 Qd6 34. Rg3 (34. Bf4)) 33. Re4 $1 {Best play by the 17-year-old.} ({Otherwise Black could have survived by creating concrete threats in the line} 33. Bg5 Qd6 34. Bxd8 (34. Rg3 Re8 $1) 34... Qh2+ 35. Kf1 Qh1+ 36. Ke2 Bxg4+ 37. Nxg4 Bxd8 { and White cannot keep his extra pawn.}) 33... Nf4 34. Ng4 Bxg4 35. hxg4 Kg7 36. Bxf4 {White forces matters in time-trouble.} ({Safer seems} 36. Nf3 $1 { kicking the enemy knight back after g2-g3 with close to a won position.}) 36... Bxf4 37. Nf5+ gxf5 38. Rxf4 Qg5 39. Rxf5 ({Beware of} 39. Qxf5 $4 Rd1+ 40. Kh2 Qh4#) ({However:} 39. g3 fxg4 40. Qe4 {might have been a good alternative.}) 39... Qxg4 40. Rf3 Qh5 41. c4 {The time control has been reached, and Firouzja is up a solid pawn and has good pieces. It all seems a matter of technique now. } ({"Most practical was Rd3 instead of c4, trade off rooks" (Caruana).} 41. Rd3 $1) 41... Rd4 {Now the American GM gets some initiative.} 42. Qc3 Qe5 43. Rd3 { Firouzja wants to swap off the rooks rather than the queens.} ({As the drawing tendencies in rook endgames are notorious:} 43. g3 Rd1+ 44. Kg2 Qxc3 45. Rxc3) 43... c5 $1 {But Caruana wants something in return.} 44. Rg3+ ({A passer would do:} 44. Rxd4 cxd4 {and Black should survive here.}) 44... Kf8 45. Qxa5 { The second pawn goes down, but for a moment the queen has abandoned her king, and this gives Black a chance to create nasty threats.} Rd1+ 46. Kh2 Qh5+ 47. Rh3 Qe5+ 48. g3 {It seems over, but Caruana has calculated everything carefully.} Qf5 $3 {"I was lucky to have ...Qf5. It was a miracle" (Caruana). Black sacrifices a third pawn with check! But it is far more important to stick to the vital pawn on f2, the pawn that stands on the road of his major pieces and the white king.} 49. Qa8+ Ke7 ({Do not get mated:} 49... Kg7 $4 50. Qh8+ Kg6 51. Qh6#) 50. Qxb7+ Rd7 51. Qh1 $5 {A last attempt to avoid the draw.} ({Or} 51. Qg2 Rd2 52. Kg1 Qb1+ 53. Kh2 Qf5 {with repetition.}) 51... Qxf2+ 52. Qg2 Rd2 53. Qxf2 Rxf2+ 54. Kg1 Rxb2 55. Rh5 Ra2 {But the notoriously drawish rook endgame appears on the board, and Caruana holds.} 56. Rxc5 Rxa4 57. Kg2 Kd6 58. Rd5+ Ke6 59. Rd4 Ke5 60. Rf4 f5 61. Kh3 Ra3 1/2-1/2