[Event "FIDE Candidates 2026"] [White "Bluebaum,Matthias"] [Black "Caruana,Fabiano"] [Site "Agios Georgios Pegeia"] [Round "12.3"] [Annotator "TA"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2026.04.12"] [WhiteElo "2698"] [BlackElo "2795"] [PlyCount "104"] [TimeControl "60"] {[%evp 9,104,23,28,14,33,27,20,22,32,15,33,36,37,37,18,13,13,10,12,12,7,0,0,0,3,-1,8,1,19,4,33,11,18,21,26,1,6,10,8,8,8,9,20,35,27,27,25,24,25,35,25,19,30,33,32,29,25,28,56,53,65,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,14,14,14,8,8,13,49,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. d4 {[%emt 0:0:3]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 2. c4 {[%emt 0:0:4]} e6 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 3. Nf3 {[%emt 0:0:5]} d5 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 4. Nc3 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Nbd7 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 5. cxd5 {[%emt 0:0:11]} exd5 {[%emt 0:0:6]} 6. Qc2 {[%emt 0:0:3] D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation.} Bb4 {[%emt 0:1:9]} 7. Bf4 {[%emt 0:0:13]} O-O {[%emt 0:2:25]} 8. e3 {[%emt 0:0:13]} Nh5 {[%emt 0:4:19][%cal Bf6h5,Bh5g7,Bg7f5,Bf5d6][%mdl 32]} 9. Bg5 {[%emt 0:1:21][%cal Bf4g5,Bg5h4,Bh4g3][%mdl 32]} f6 $146 {[%emt 0:0:17]} ({Predecessor:} 9... Ndf6 10. Bh4 h6 11. Bd3 Qe7 12. Ne5 g5 13. Bg3 c5 14. Qe2 Kg7 15. O-O Nxg3 16. hxg3 {½-½ Hansen,J (2317)-Perry,W (2268) W-Cup22 sf06 email 2019} )10. Bh4 {[%emt 0:2:25]} Nb6 {[%emt 0:0:10]} 11. Be2 {[%emt 0:7:46]} g6 {[%emt 0:0:51]} 12. Nd2 {[%emt 0:2:13]} Ng7 {[%emt 0:0:10]} 13. Bg3 {[%emt 0:5:53]} c6 {[%emt 0:5:0]} 14. h3 {[%emt 0:1:28]} Nf5 {[%emt 0:2:50] White must now prevent ...Nxg3.} 15. Bh2 {[%emt 0:1:22]} Bd6 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 16. O-O {[%emt 0:3:53]} Bxh2+ {[%emt 0:5:2]} 17. Kxh2 {[%emt 0:0:14]} Nd6 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 18. b4 {[%emt 0:10:7]} Bf5 {[%emt 0:12:28]} 19. Qb3 {[%emt 0:0:30]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:4:17]} 20. b5 {[%emt 0:8:16]} cxb5 {[%emt 0:11:18]} 21. Nxb5 {[%emt 0:0:44]} Nxb5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 22. Bxb5 {[%emt 0:0:46]} Rf7 {[%emt 0:5:26]} 23. Rfc1 {[%emt 0:15:31]} Rc7 {[%emt 0:0:45]} 24. Rxc7+ {[%emt 0:5:34]} Qxc7+ {[%emt 0:0:17]} 25. Kg1 {[%emt 0:0:4]} Rc8 {[%emt 0:7:24]} 26. Qb4 {[%emt 0:1:57]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:20:6]} 27. Nb3 {[%emt 0:1:32]} Nc4 {[%emt 0:1:39]} 28. Rc1 {[%emt 0:7:42]} Qe7 {[%emt 0:1:14]} 29. Qa4 {[%emt 0:4:19]} Nd6 {[%emt 0:5:15]} 30. Rxc8 {[%emt 0:1:15]} Bxc8 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 31. Be2 {[%emt 0:3:1]} b6 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 32. Bf3 {[%emt 0:1:11]} Qb7 $1 {[%emt 0:5:40]} 33. Nc1 {[%emt 0:7:35]} Bf5 {[%emt 0:0:12]} 34. Ne2 {[%emt 0:3:40]} Be4 {[%emt 0:0:20]} 35. Nc3 {[%emt 0:2:38]} ({White should try} 35. Bxe4 $14 Nxe4 36. h4 )Bxf3 $11 {[%emt 0:5:16]} 36. gxf3 {[%emt 0:0:2][%mdl 4096] Endgame KQN-KQN} Nf5 {[%emt 0:0:33]} 37. Qb3 {[%emt 0:2:33]} Ne7 {[%emt 0:0:34]} 38. e4 {[%emt 0:2:0]} Qd7 {[%emt 0:3:38]} 39. Kg2 {[%emt 0:0:35]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:3:48]} 40. a4 {[%emt 0:0:0]} g5 {[%emt 0:0:0][%cal Bg6g5,Bg5g4][%mdl 32]} 41. Qc2 {[%emt 0:9:48]} f5 {[%emt 0:10:11]} 42. Qb3 {[%emt 0:1:48]} fxe4 {[%emt 0:13:50]} 43. fxe4 {[%emt 0:0:27]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 44. Nxd5+ {[%emt 0:3:23]} Nxd5 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 45. exd5 {[%emt 0:0:4] KQ-KQ. White is a pawn up.} g4 {[%emt 0:4:1]} 46. Qc4 {[%emt 0:4:46]} (46. h4 $14 {feels stronger.} )gxh3+ {[%emt 0:0:7] The position is equal.} 47. Kh2 {[%emt 0:3:23]} Qf5 {[%emt 0:0:58]} 48. Qc6+ {[%emt 0:3:3]} Kg5 {[%emt 0:0:18]} 49. d6 {[%emt 0:1:41]} Qxf2+ {[%emt 0:0:20]} 50. Kxh3 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Qe3+ {[%emt 0:3:44]} 51. Kg2 {[%emt 0:0:39]} Qd2+ {[%emt 0:0:4]} 52. Kg3 {[%emt 0:0:32]} Qd3+ {[%emt 0:0:21] Weighted Error Value: White=0.05 (flawless) /Black=0.04 (flawless) Mistake: White=2 --- Inaccurate: --- Black=3 OK: White=11 Black=10 Best: White=1 --- Strong: --- Black=1} 1/2-1/2