[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Site "Yekaterinburg"] [Round "3.1"] [Annotator "Stephen Gordon"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2020.03.19"] [WhiteElo "2805"] [BlackElo "2842"] [PlyCount "115"] {Massive match up and it didn't disappoint. The start of this tournament has been something else. The two pre-tournament favourites meet in round 3, with one having played excellent chess in the first couple, and the other playing two games that are best forgotten. How do you react to two losses at the start of the biggest tournament of your life? Like this...} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 {This may have been a small surprise for Caruana, as Ding has been very sucessful in the lines beginning with 4.e3. In any case it become apparent very quickly that Caruana had a deep idea in the mainline variation.} dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 Bb4 8. Nxc4 (8. e4 { is worth being aware of if you haven't seen this opening variation before.} Bxe4 9. fxe4 Nxe4 10. Bd2 Qxd4 11. Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12. Qe2 Bxd2+ 13. Kxd2 Qd5+ 14. Kc3 {is a position that has been reached many times. Probably the current view is that Black should be alright here, with some accuracy of course.} )0-0 9. Kf2 e5 $5 {Incredible novelty from Caruana. The idea with 8.Nxc4 and 9.Kf2 is relatively recent but obviously all top players are aware that it is now considered the main try for an advantage in this line. The ideas behind Caruana's novelty are quite difficult to explain due to there being some very concrete, forcing lines in mind. The overall general idea is to open the position up as much as possible before White has a chance to get organised.} 10. Nxe5 ({It was the opinion of Magnus Carlsen that the safer option would have been the pawn capture} 10. dxe5 Nfd7 11. e4 Be6 {is very likely to have been Black's idea. Further investigation required here.} )Bc2 11. Qd2 (11. Qxc2 Qxd4+ 12. e3 Qxe5 {isn't terrible for White, but Black really should have no problems from here.} )c5 12. d5 {The most principled move. Ding began to spend a lot of time around this point, but his body language suggested he was relatively unphased by the early surprise.} (12. e3 {was a valid alternative, although somehow it doesn't feel in the spirit of the position. Still, Black probably has work to do to demonstrate compensation for the pawn.} )Bb3 (12... Be4 $5 {was another playable move that must have been considered by Caruana's team, but I imagine it would have been rejected due to the following, quite natural follow-up for White:} 13. Qd1 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Bxd5 15. e4 {This is exactly the sort of thing White would be hoping for. Optically it looks as though Black has a lead in development and as such should have some chances for initiative. The problem is that White's pawn structure is really very effective in keeping the black pieces at bay, and once the pieces are developed, the two bishops and central majority should lead to some tangible advantage for White.} )13. e4 Re8 14. Qf4 c4 {Fabi gives the second pawn. Something that really needed to be done to open up the position, specifically dark-squared diagonals.} 15. Nxc4 (15. Bxc4 {could be met with} Bd6 {which is pretty unpleasant to deal with} 16. Qe3 {pretty much has to be played. Black's compensation looks dangerous after} (16. Bxb3 $4 Qb6+ 17. Qe3 (17. Be3 Qxb3 )Bc5 $19 )Nbd7 17. Nxd7 Nxd7 18. Qe2 Bc5+ 19. Kf1 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Qh4 {Another scenario that's difficult for White to handle.} )Nbd7 {Fabi looked to be still in preparation at this point, having more time on his clock than he started with. Black's compensation is very interesting, but also quite unclear. White still has problems completing development - one of the main issues being that the placement of the white queen on f4 isn't ideal, and in many lines it can be chased around at quite a cost. Still, the central pawn block is a big asset and Fabi has a job to do to justify Black's approach.} 16. Be3 $1 Nf8 {again played quickly. Ding might have in some way been quite encouraged that Fabi continues to respond quickly - although it's very annoying when your opponent is doing this. It at least gives you an indication that you are very likely playing some good chess, remaining in your opponent's engine-assisted preparation.} (16... Bxc4 17. Bxc4 Ne5 (17... Nb6 18. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 19. Kf1 )18. Be2 Bd6 (18... Neg4+ 19. fxg4 Bxc3 20. bxc3 Rxe4 21. Qg3 )19. Qf5 Nc4 (19... Nfg4+ )(19... Neg4+ )20. Bxc4 Re5 21. Qh3 Rh5 22. Qxh5 Nxh5 )17. Bd4 $1 {Very precise.} (17. Kg1 Rc8 $1 (17... Ng6 18. Qg3 )18. Nd2 Bxd5 {gets one of the pawns back and it's clear that Black has at least full compensation with that white rook still locked in on h1.} )Ng6 (17... Ne6 $4 18. Bxf6 )(17... Rc8 $5 {may have been a valid alternative. A sample line runs} 18. Ne3 Ng6 19. Qg3 (19. Bxf6 gxf6 {is offering Black excellent dark-squared compensation.} )Bxc3 20. bxc3 Rxe4 {may have offered Black practical compensation - albeit quite different to the dark-squared compensation Fabi achieved in the game.} )18. Qf5 {Totally natural, but not best according to the engine.} (18. Qd2 {wouldn't have been ideal} Nxe4+ $1 (18... Rxe4 19. Bxf6 Bc5+ 20. Ne3 $3 {Is the engine's find. Without this move Black would be in business, however here the position is just lost.} )19. fxe4 Rxe4 {gives Black very dangerous compensation.} )(18. Bxf6 gxf6 {again gives Black excellent compensation.} )(18. Qc1 {is indicated as best by the engine. Actually indicating a winning advantage for White - which is strange given that Caruana was definitely representing that he was still in prep after 16...Nf8. My guess is that either Caruana felt this line was a risk worth taking - because finding all of these moves for White is close to impossible for a human player, or that he possibly ran out of prep after 15...Nbd7. All speculation, but I doubt any players would be interested to take on a position that the engine indicates as +2 for the opponent...} )Bxc4 19. Bxc4 Qc7 20. Be2 Bc5 21. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 22. Kf1 {It's clear at this stage that Black does have compensation for the two pawns. White's back rank coordination is all over the place, but a big thing in White's favour is that the structure is so compact. As such, Black must make something with the initiative from here. If White is given time to get a grip on the dark squares and sort out the rooks, then there won't be any compensation to speak of.} h6 $2 {The first misstep from Fabi. This costs time and it's not so clear what the reason for it is.} (22... Re5 {is probably an improvement. Black gets some counterplay going in the following sample line:} 23. Qh3 Qb4 24. Rb1 Nf4 25. Qg3 N6h5 26. Qf2 f5 )23. Rd1 Qb6 24. Rd2 Qe3 25. Rc2 {Getting this rook to c2 has really helped White consolidate.} a6 26. Qh3 {and now Ding starts to reposition the queen - f2 being the destination. At this point it felt as though Black's counterplay was too slow.} b5 27. Qg3 b4 28. Nd1 Qb3 29. Rd2 Qxa4 30. Qf2 {Caruana gets a pawn back but the coordination for White has massively improved, and most importantly, the big centre is still intact. White still has a small issue with the h1-rook, but with everything else being so well positioned, it's pretty much insignificant.} Qd7 31. g3 Qh3+ 32. Kg1 a5 33. Qd4 Nh5 {What else? With this Black is announcing that he is planning to sacrifice a knight to try to open up the king, which is very unlikely to be effective - but the knights sat on g6 and f6 are dead wood here anyway.} 34. Nf2 Qd7 35. f4 Nhxf4 36. gxf4 Nxf4 37. Kf1 Qd6 38. Rg1 {Ding finally gets the h1-rook into play with a threat of mate. It's all one-way traffic from now until the end.} f6 39. Bb5 Re7 40. b3 Rf8 41. Rc2 Ne6 42. Qe3 Ng5 43. h4 Nf7 44. Rc6 Qb8 45. Qc5 Qd8 46. Rxf6 Kh8 47. Rf5 Rc7 48. Bc6 a4 49. bxa4 b3 50. Rg3 b2 51. Rb3 Nd6 52. Rxf8+ Qxf8 53. Rxb2 Qf4 54. Rb8+ Kh7 55. Qc2 Re7 56. e5+ Nf5 57. Qe4 Qc1+ 58. Kg2 1-0