[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2023.08.23"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Abasov, Nijat"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B45"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2646"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "117"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [TimeControl "60"] {[%evp 19,117,0,0,-19,0,46,100,97,136,131,133,141,136,126,122,136,135,133,123, 141,127,103,107,107,107,108,107,100,102,106,131,133,127,130,144,151,185,185, 185,185,185,185,185,185,185,185,185,160,165,165,177,177,185,185,185,185,185, 185,203,199,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203,203, 203,203,203,203,203,203,203,196,196,196,196,196,196,193,199,200,475,466,29959, 29959,7703,7695,7687,7052] This Sicilian Match is one of the most fascinating I have seen, from the very start it boiled down to tactics here and that "WHO CARES ABOUT CASTLING", IT'S NO LONGER PART OF THE PLAN. Thus, Super GM Fabiano Caruana needed to do his best to level up the match score. Let's find out.} 1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:04]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:09][%CAl Yg1f3, Yf3d4,Yd4b5,Yb5c7][%mdl 32]} e6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 3. d4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} cxd4 { [%emt 0:00:06]} 4. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:26]} 5. Nc3 {[%emt 0: 00:19]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 6. Bf4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Bb4 {[%emt 0:02:44]} 7. Ndb5 {[%emt 0:00:13]} Nxe4 {[%emt 0:05:52] THE ASSIGNMENT: Super GM Abasov also wants to close the match if he wins this game but it's going to be tough when the sleeping giant is awake.} 8. Qf3 {[%emt 0:00:18]} d5 {[%emt 0:04:58]} 9. Nc7+ {[%emt 0:00:20]} Kf8 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 10. O-O-O {[%emt 0:00:05]} Bxc3 $1 {[%emt 0:06:37]} 11. bxc3 {[%emt 0:00:29] [#] B45: Sicilian Four Knights.} Qe7 $1 {[%emt 0:00:16]} 12. c4 $14 {[%emt 0:00:15][%CAl Yc4d5] And now cxd5! would win.} Qf6 {[%emt 0:05:19]} 13. c3 $16 {[%emt 0:00:59] [#] White is better.} g5 $146 {[%emt 0:04:25][%CAl Yg5f4]} ({Predecessor:} 13... Qe7 14. Kb2 g5 15. Bg3 Nxg3 16. Qxg3 Rb8 17. cxd5 exd5 18. Bb5 Be6 19. Nxe6+ Qxe6 20. Bxc6 Rc8 21. Bxd5 Qe2+ 22. Ka1 Qe7 23. Rhe1 Qf6 24. Qe5 {1-0 Yu,S (1692)-Schulz,A (1886) Wch U14 Girls 2007 (7)}) 14. Bd6+ {[%emt 0:20:30]} (14. Nxa8 $2 gxf4 15. cxd5 exd5 $19) (14. cxd5 $6 Qxf4+ 15. Qxf4 gxf4 $11) 14... Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:18] [%CAl Ye4d6]} 15. Qxf6+ {[%emt 0:02:17]} Kxf6 {[%emt 0:00:24]} 16. Nxa8 { [%emt 0:02:26][%CAl Yc4d5]} Nxd6 {[%emt 0:00:09][%CAl Ye4d6,Yd6f5,Yf5e3][%mdl 32] Excellent horsemanship.} 17. cxd5 {[%emt 0:05:07]} exd5 {[%emt 0:00:21] [%CAl Ye6d5,Yd5d4,Yd4c3][%mdl 32]} 18. f3 {[%emt 0:05:02] Against Ne4} ({ Don't do} 18. Rxd5 Ne4 $16) 18... Nf5 {[%emt 0:13:55]} 19. Nc7 {[%emt 0:02:17]} ({Much worse is} 19. Rxd5 $6 Be6 20. Nc7 Bxd5 21. Nxd5+ Kg7 $11) 19... d4 { [%emt 0:01:25]} 20. Bb5 {[%emt 0:09:18]} Ne3 {[%emt 0:07:42] [#]} 21. Rd2 { [%emt 0:09:37]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:03:17] White must now prevent ...Rc8.} 22. Re1 { [%emt 0:01:37] Rxe3 would be deadly.} ({Inferior is} 22. cxd4 Rc8 23. Re1 Rxc7 24. Rxe3 Ne7+ 25. Rc2 Rxc2+ 26. Kxc2 Bxb5 $19) 22... Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:25]} 23. Rxe3 {[%emt 0:00:05][%mdl 64] Pin} (23. cxd4 $2 Rxc7 24. Rxe3 Ne7+ 25. Rc2 Rxc2+ 26. Kxc2 Bxb5 $19) 23... Rxc7 {[%emt 0:01:35]} 24. Re4 {[%emt 0:01:13]} dxc3 {[%emt 0:09:50]} 25. Rd6+ {[%emt 0:00:29]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:55]} 26. Re3 { [%emt 0:08:57] White is more active.} a6 {[%emt 0:00:40]} 27. Ba4 {[%emt 0:02: 54]} Be6 {[%emt 0:08:32]} 28. Bxc6 {[%emt 0:01:32]} bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 29. Rxc3 {[%emt 0:10:27]} Bxa2 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 30. Rcxc6 $18 {[%emt 0:01:03][%mdl 4096] Endgame KRR-KRB} Re7 {[%emt 0:00:35]} 31. Rxa6 {[%emt 0:00:49]} Re2 { [%emt 0:01:01]} 32. Rd2 {[%emt 0:00:28]} Re1+ {[%emt 0:00:04]} 33. Kb2 { [%emt 0:00:53]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 34. Ra1 {[%emt 0:00:19]} Re5 {[%emt 0:02: 34]} 35. Kc3 {[%emt 0:03:07]} h6 {[%emt 0:03:06]} 36. Kd4 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Rb5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 37. Ke3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Rb3+ {[%emt 0:01:01]} 38. Kf2 { [%emt 0:00:05]} Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 39. Ra5 {[%emt 0:01:25]} Rh4 {[%emt 0:01: 50]} 40. h3 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 41. Kg3 {[%emt 0:31:31]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:30:41]} 42. Re2 {[%emt 0:05:55]} Bf5 {[%emt 0:01:33]} 43. Ree5 { [%emt 0:00:55]} Bg6 {[%emt 0:02:11]} 44. Reb5 {[%emt 0:01:03]} Rc4 {[%emt 0:00: 27]} 45. Rb6+ {[%emt 0:01:03]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 46. Rab5 {[%emt 0:00:21]} Rc2 {[%emt 0:02:43]} 47. Rb2 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Rc4 {[%emt 0:03:49]} 48. R2b4 { [%emt 0:00:08]} Rc5 {[%emt 0:02:18]} 49. R6b5 {[%emt 0:01:27]} Rc2 {[%emt 0:00: 58]} 50. Rd5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Ra2 {[%emt 0:05:49]} 51. h4 {[%emt 0:01:52]} gxh4+ {[%emt 0:00:05]} 52. Rxh4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} h5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 53. Rb4 { [%emt 0:02:18]} Rc2 {[%emt 0:00:55]} 54. f4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00: 00]} 55. Rg5 {[%emt 0:00:00] Strongly threatening Rb6+.} Rc6 {[%emt 0:00:00] Inhibits Rb6.} (55... Rc1 56. Re5 Kg7) 56. Kh4 {[%emt 0:00:00][%CAl Yf4f5] Threatens to win with f5!} Re6 {[%emt 0:00:00] [#]} (56... Ke6 $18 57. Ra5 Bd3 58. Kxh5 Kf6) 57. f5 $1 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Bxf5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 58. Rf4 $1 { [%emt 0:00:00]} Re5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 59. Rxh5 {[%emt 0:00:00] Nothing can compare "THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE TO WIN", this is what Super GM Caruana has shown us. He is not finished yet, the next match is going to be another cracker indeed.} 1-0