[Event ""] [White "Carlsen,M"] [Black "Mamedyarov,S"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Havanur,Nagesh"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2021.09.26"] [WhiteElo "2855"] [BlackElo "2762"] [PlyCount "101"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {The Ruy Lopez or the Spanish Opening has a chequered history of 200 years with almost every great player having played it. } a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 {Dr. Tarrasch recommeded this Open Variation and Korchnoi was its greatest exponent in the second half of the 20th Century. In recent decades Mamedyarov has played it with varying success.} (5... Be7 { leads to the Closed Ruy Lopez.} )6. d4 b5 ({The Riga Variation} 6... exd4 7. Re1 d5 ({If} 7... f5 $2 8. Nxd4 Qh4 9. g3 Qf6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. f3 Bc5 12. c3 $18 )8. Nxd4 Bd6 9. Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10. Kh1 Qh4 11. Rxe4+ dxe4 12. Qd8+ Qxd8 13. Nxd8+ Kxd8 14. Kxh2 Be6 ({Not} 14... f5 $4 15. Bg5# )15. Be3 $16 {favours White. Black's e-pawn is weak. White's two minor pieces are stronger than Black's rook and two pawns.} )7. Bb3 {White is threatening 8.dxe5.} d5 { So this is forced.} ({If} 7... exd4 $2 8. Re1 d5 9. Nc3 $3 Be6 (9... dxc3 $4 10. Bxd5 Bb7 11. Bxe4 $18 )10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Rxe4 $16 )8. dxe5 ({The sober} 8. Nxe5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 c6 10. Be3 Be7 $11 {is also played.} )Be6 9. c3 { White prepares 10.Nbd2 and 11.Bc2 undermining the position of black's knight on e4.} (9. Qe2 {followed by Rd1 with pressure on the d-pawn is the Keres Variation.} )(9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 d4 {is deeply analysed by Tanmay Srinath in the Openings Encyclopaedia 2024.} ({The developing move} 10... Be7 {is fine, keeping the option of ...d5-d4 later.} ))Bc5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2 Nxf2 $5 {The Dilworth Variation. Black gives up two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn. } ({Korchnoi's recommendation} 11... Bf5 12. Nb3 Bg6 13. Nfd4 Bxd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 $1 15. cxd4 c5 16. f3 cxd4 17. Qxd4 (17. fxe4 Qb6 $1 ))(11... f5 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. Nfd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Qxd4 ({The historic line} 15. cxd4 f4 16. f3 Ng3 17. hxg3 fxg3 18. Qd3 Bf5 19. Qxf5 Rxf5 20. Bxf5 Qh4 21. Bh3 Qxd4+ 22. Kh1 Qxe5 23. Bd2 Qxb2 24. Bf4 d4 25. Bxg3 c5 26. Rae1 d3 27. Be5 Qxa2 $13 { 1/2 -1/2 (89 moves), Boleslavsky-Botvinnik, Sverdlovsk 1943} )c5 16. Qd1 f4 17. f3 Ng5 18. a3 )(11... Bxf2+ 12. Rxf2 Nxf2 13. Kxf2 f6 14. Nf1 $5 $146 { is deeply analysed by Tanmay Srnath in Opening Encyclopaedia 2024.} (14. exf6 Qxf6 {is better known.} ))12. Rxf2 f6 13. Nf1 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 fxe5 {In terms of material Black has a rook and two pawns as against White's two minor pieces. However, it takes time for White to mobilize his forces together.} 15. Kg1 Bg4 16. Ne3 Be6 17. b3 Kh8 {This is Mamedyarov's novelty. If White succeeds in opening b3-g8 diagonal with c3-c4 advance, both Black bishop and the king would be vulnerable. The move takes the monarch to relative safety and makes the bishop free to move.} ({The main line is} 17... d4 18. cxd4 Nxd4 (18... exd4 $2 19. Qd3 g6 20. Bb2 dxe3 $4 21. Qxe3 $18 {There is no way of Black meeting 22.Qc3 with a king hunt.} )19. Nxd4 (19. Qd3 g6 {analysed by Robert Ris is no longer played.} )Qxd4 20. Rb1 Rad8 21. Qe2 Bf5 22. Bb2 Qb6 23. Bxf5 Rxf5 24. h3 Rf7 {1/2 -1/2...33 moves, Firouzja-Abdusattorov, Tata Steel 2024} )18. Ba3 Rf4 19. Bc5 $2 {An inaccuracy. Carlsen is concerned to neutralise Black's d5-d4 advance. However, it allows the Black queen and rook to move to active positions.} ({Subsequently a proper line was found.} 19. Qd2 $1 b4 20. Bb2 Qd6 21. c4 dxc4 ({Not} 21... d4 $2 22. Nd5 Bxd5 23. cxd5 Qxd5 24. Re1 Raf8 25. Qd3 $18 {Black cannot defend both pawns on e5 and h7 at the same time.} )22. Qxd6 cxd6 23. bxc4 Bxc4 24. g3 Rxf3 25. Nxc4 Raf8 $11 )d4 $2 {Returning the compliment. Mamedyarov rushes headlong into attack.} ({After} 19... Qf6 $1 20. Nd2 {(meeting the advance ...d5-d4 with Ne4)} (20. Nxd5 $2 Bxd5 21. Qxd5 $4 Rd8 $19 {The queen is trapped.} )e4 21. Rc1 Rd8 22. Bb1 b4 23. cxb4 d4 $13 {great complications follow and everything is unclear.} )20. cxd4 $2 {This looks obvious. But it's a big mistake that eases pressure on Black's position.} (20. g3 $1 Rf7 21. cxd4 exd4 22. Qd3 Qg8 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Qxd4 $18 {with 25. Qh4 and 26.Bd4 in the offing. Black is tied hand and foot.} )exd4 21. Qd3 $2 {This move still allows Black to defend h7 with the bishop.} ({Even now} 21. g3 $1 {is preferable. After} Rf7 22. Qd3 Qg8 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Qxd4 Rd7 25. Qh4 Rad8 26. Rf1 {Black is under pressure.} )Bg8 22. Nf5 {White has all pieces in play. However, the Black pawn on d4 is a thorn in his flesh.} Qd5 23. Ba3 Re8 24. Rd1 Rfe4 ({The suggestion of Robert Ris} 24... Rg4 $5 {also important. It may be met by} 25. Ng3 Ne5 26. Nxe5 Qxe5 $11 )25. Ng3 ({If} 25. N5xd4 $6 Nxd4 26. Nxd4 Re1+ 27. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 28. Kf2 Ra1 29. Bf8 Qf7+ )Re3 26. Qd2 R3e6 27. Bb2 Rd8 28. Nxd4 {At last White has eliminated the pawn on d4.} Qc5 29. Ne4 ({Unpinning the queen and threatening 30.Nf5} 29. Qf2 $1 {unpinning the queen and threatening 30.Nf5} )Qe7 30. Qe3 Nxd4 31. Rxd4 Rxd4 32. Qxd4 c5 33. Qc3 c4 $2 {Mamedyarov seeks counterplay on the queenside to deflect Carlsen's forces massed for an attack on the king. Sadly, it turns out to be inadequate.} ({He misses the paradoxical} 33... h5 $1 34. Ng3 (34. Qf3 Bh7 $1 35. Qxh5 Kg8 $1 $11 )h4 35. Nf1 c4 36. bxc4 Re1 37. Qd2 Bxc4 38. Qh6+ Kg8 39. Qh7+ Kf8 40. Qh8+ Kf7 41. Qh5+ Kg8 $11 )34. bxc4 bxc4 35. h3 $2 {Playing safe towards time control and preparing Kh2 as and when required.} ({If} 35. Qxc4 $2 Rb6 36. Qd4 Rb4 37. Qc3 Bxa2 $11 {The point of Mamedyarov's pawn sacrifice on c4.} )({Magnus also overlooks} 35. Ng3 $1 { (with the idea of 36.Nf5)} h5 36. Kf1 Bh7 37. Nf5 Qf6 (37... Bxf5 38. Bxf5 Qf6 39. Qf3 $18 )38. Qxf6 gxf6 39. Bc3 $18 {Black is tied hand and foot. Hiis pawns are isolated and weak. So White would be able to win.} )h6 $2 { One can hardly blame Mamedyarov for making this simple move.} ({He still had} 35... h5 $1 36. Qxc4 (36. Qf3 Bh7 37. Qxh5 Kg8 38. Qd5 Kh8 39. Qh5 Kg8 $11 { is an echo of the previous line in analysis.} )Bh7 37. Ng3 Bxc2 38. Qxc2 Qa7+ 39. Kh2 Re1 40. Qc8+ Kh7 $11 )36. Qxc4 $2 {This obvious move alows Black chances. But then Carlsen was racing towards time control.} ({It was not easy to see} 36. Ng3 $1 Bh7 37. Qxc4 Bxc2 38. Qc8+ $1 (38. Qxc2 $2 Re1+ 39. Kh2 Qa7 $1 40. Qc8+ Kh7 $11 {is similar to the previous line that we have seen before.} )Qe8 {Forced. Now the queen cannot reach a7 to give a check.} 39. Qxc2 Re1+ 40. Kh2 $18 {There is no way of meeting the threat of 41.Nf5. If} Qe3 $2 41. Bxg7+ $1 Kxg7 42. Nf5+ {wins.} )Rb6 37. Qc3 Bxa2 $2 (37... Rb7 $1 38. Ba3 $16 {was the lesser evil.} (38. Ng3 $2 {is met by} Rc7 $11 {and White has no opportunity of playing Nf5.} ))38. Ng3 Bg8 39. Nf5 Qf6 40. Qxf6 (40. Nxg7 $1 $18 {was even more decisive.} )gxf6 41. Bd4 Rc6 42. Be4 Re6 43. Bd5 Re8 44. Bc6 $2 {An inaccuracy.} ({He had an immediate win with} 44. Bxf6+ $1 Kh7 45. Nd6 $1 Re1+ 46. Kf2 $18 {Black loses more material in preventing 47. Be4+} )Re6 $4 {A terrible blunder. Now the rook is caught in the crossfire of White's minor pieces.} (44... Rf8 45. Nd6 ({Better than} 45. Nxh6 Be6 46. Ng4 Kg7 )Be6 46. Ne8 $16 {prolongs resistance, although the outcome may not be in doubt.} )45. Bd7 Re1+ 46. Kf2 Rd1 47. Ke2 Bb3 48. Bxf6+ Kh7 49. Nd4 Kg6 50. Be5 Kf7 51. Be6+ $1 1-0