[Event "Wijk aan Zee"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2021.01.26"] [Round "9.4"] [White "Wojtaszek, Radoslaw"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E94"] [WhiteElo "2705"] [BlackElo "2823"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "78"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 {Already a surprise. Caruana plays the KID very, very rarely.} 3. d4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 ({One comparison to what happened in the game later. The standard way of pressurizing the white center and in particular the d4-pawn, is} 6... Bg4 7. Be3 Nfd7 {Then, however, White is well defended and tournament practice promises White the advantage. One recent example is} 8. O-O Nc6 9. d5 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Na5 11. Be2 Bxc3 12. bxc3 e5 13. dxe6 fxe6 {Giri,A (2763)-Anton Guijarro,D (2703) Chess.com 2020}) 7. O-O Bg4 {This is what the American wanted to try, a relatively fresh line.} 8. Be3 ({Last year Firouzja got a better position as White with the help of} 8. dxe5 Bxf3 9. exf6 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Bxf6 11. Bh6 Re8 12. Rad1 Nc6 13. Nd5 Bh8 14. b3 { Firouzja,A (2728)-Paravyan,D (2653) Online 2020}) 8... Bxf3 $5 {The main point behind Black's idea. He wins a few tempi chasing the enemy bishops back.} 9. Bxf3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Qd2 ({In the ideal case, White would love to fianchetto his light-squared bishop, then prepare f2-f4, and slowly squeeze the knights. There does not seem to be enough time for this, though. The lines} 12. g3 Nd7 13. Rc1 ({Or} 13. Bg2 Bxc3 14. bxc3 {and the knights are not worse than the bishop in this static position.}) 13... Bxc3 $1 14. Rxc3 Nc5 {reveal a problem with the e4-pawn.}) 12... Nd7 13. Rad1 Bxc3 $1 {N An important novelty which softens the e4-pawn, just as in the line from above.} ( {An email game went} 13... Nc5 14. Rfe1 a5 15. b3 Bxc3 16. Qxc3 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Rxe4 18. Bh6 Re5 19. Rxe5 Nxe5 20. f4 Qh4 21. fxe5 Qxh6 22. exd6 cxd6 23. Rxd6 Re8 24. h3 Qh4 25. Qd4 {1/2-1/2 (25) Sirota,A (2384)-Salceanu,V (2512) ICCF email 2000}) 14. Qxc3 Qf6 15. Qc1 ({White drops the pawn at once in case of the queen swap:} 15. Qxf6 Nxf6) ({However,} 15. Qc2 {seemed more natural. To this Black likely planned} Nc5 16. a3 a5 {locking the queenside.}) 15... Nc5 16. Qb1 {The queen ended defending the pawn anyway.} ({The capture} 16. Bxc5 $2 dxc5 {would be a positional resignation.}) ({Perhaps at first Wojtaszek intended to force a draw with} 16. Bg5 Qg7 17. Bh6 Qf6 18. Bg5 {but then realized that Black is not forced to do that and may chose instead} Qh8 $5 19. Rfe1 Ne5 {with multiple fork threats.}) 16... Qe6 {Aggressive play by Caruana.} ({The play for the blockade is still there, but Black wants more now.} 16... a5 $5) 17. Rfe1 ({Perhaps it is better to sacrifice the central pawn with either} 17. b3 Nxe4 18. Qc2) ({Or with the computer-like} 17. b4 Nxe4 18. Rc1 {getting some air for the bishops.}) 17... Qxc4 {Black has won a pawn, but the bishop pair cannot be underestimated.} 18. b3 Qc3 $1 {The queen is best located on the long diagonal.} 19. Bd2 ({With his previous move, Caruana obstructed the bishop in getting to the long diagonal with} 19. Bc1 {as this can be met with} Nd4 20. Bg4 f5 21. Bb2 Qc2) 19... Qf6 20. Bc1 h5 {And this is an aggressive blockade. By advancing the h-pawn, Black first secures the strong e5-outpost for his knight and can later push his kingside pawns even farther.} ({The other way to build a solid blockade is} 20... Nd4 21. Bg4 Nce6 22. Bb2 c5 { but this allowed both white bishops a chance to seize good diagonals.}) 21. Bb2 Ne5 22. Be2 h4 {Threatening h4-h3 immediately or after the preliminary Qf6-f4.} ({Not the immediate} 22... Qf4 23. f3 h4 24. Bc1 Qf6 25. f4) 23. Qc1 ({There is no time for} 23. Bc1 h3) 23... g5 24. Bb5 {Wojtaszek is trying to provoke some pawn pushes in order to get some objects to attack.} ({However, the aggressive} 24. b4 $1 {might have been more to the point. In that case, White might have feared the piece sacrifice after} Nxe4 (24... Ne6 {should be played. }) 25. f3 Ng3 $5 {But then the maneuver} 26. hxg3 hxg3 27. Bc4 Qh6 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Rxe5 dxe5 30. Qe3 $1 {saves White from the mating attack:} Qh2+ 31. Kf1 Qh1+ 32. Qg1) 24... Re7 {But Caruana rejects even that.} (24... c6 25. Bc4 {at least exposes the d6-pawn, and White can start mounting pressure against it.}) 25. Re3 Qg6 {It all goes very smoothly for Black. He slowly brings everybody into the attack.} 26. Be2 Rae8 27. Qc2 Ne6 28. f3 {And this might make things even worse for Wojtaszek.} ({The other pawn advance would be better:} 28. h3 {Intending to meet} Nf4 {with} 29. Bxe5 dxe5 30. Bg4 $1) 28... Nf4 29. Bf1 c6 {Only now does he push the pawn, once that White can no longer attack.} 30. Qf2 Re6 $1 {The rook lift is the last preparation before the final storm. Wojtaszek was also short of time, and it is even more unpleasant for him psychologically not to force anything.} ({It is too early for} 30... d5 31. exd5 Nxd5 32. Rxe5 Rxe5 33. Bxe5 Rxe5 34. Qxa7) (30... a6 $5) 31. Rc3 d5 { Now he can!} 32. g3 {This loses immediately, but it is really hard to provide White good advice.} ({No time for} 32. Qxa7 h3 {with total collapse.}) 32... hxg3 33. hxg3 dxe4 $3 {Nicely calculated. All the black pieces now make perfect sense.} ({The other good way to attack is} 33... g4 $1 34. gxf4 Nxf3+ 35. Kg2 Qxe4 {And there is no escape from the deadly discovered check as} 36. Kg3 {loses to} Qh7 $1 37. Rxf3 gxf3 38. Bd3 f5) 34. gxf4 (34. fxe4 Nh5 { would prolong the agony but would hardly save the game.}) 34... gxf4+ 35. Qg2 exf3 $1 {The point behind the sacrifice. White can get mated in the endgame too.} 36. Qxg6+ Rxg6+ 37. Kh1 ({Alas, the king cannot escape on the other side: } 37. Kf2 Rg3 38. Bd3 Ng4+ 39. Kf1 Nh2+ 40. Kf2 Rg2# {A study-like mate!}) 37... f2 ({It is never too late to spoil a brilliant game as we know:} 37... Kg7 $2 38. Rxf3 $1) 38. Bh3 ({One more mate is happening after} 38. Rh3 Rg1+ 39. Kh2 Ng4#) ({Whereas} 38. Be2 f3 $1 {is just hopeless.}) 38... Nc4 $1 { A nice final touch.} 39. Rxc4 Re1+ 0-1