[Event "chess24.com"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2023.06.09"] [Round "17.3"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C58"] [WhiteElo "2775"] [BlackElo "2764"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "109"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 {\"It's just sometimes fun to pull these old variations out\" (Nakamura) Whatever works should not be fixed. A few years back, Nakamura picked up this line to win the most important final game at the USA championship.} Nd5 ({That game went} 8... Be7 9. Nc3 O-O 10. O-O Rb8 $146 {Black plans a future rook lift via b4, but White simply ignores this idea.} 11. h3 $1 {[%c_effect h3;square;h3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] An important prohylactic move, stopping any ideas connected with Bg4.} c5 (11... h6 12. Nf3 $16 {[%csl Re5] >e5}) 12. b3 Rb4 $6 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Consistent, but ineffective.} (12... Bb7 $14) 13. Re1 Bb7 14. Ba3 (14. Rxe5 Bd6 15. Re1 $16 {is probably good as well, but it gives Black more swindling chances.}) 14... Rf4 15. g3 Rd4 16. Nf3 Rxd3 $2 {[%c_effect d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} 17. cxd3 Qxd3 18. Nxe5 Qf5 19. g4 $1 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Qf4 20. d4 $18 {and White soon won the game and the championship in Nakamura,H (2701)-Friedel,J (2516) Saint Louis 2009 [Stohl, Igor]}) 9. Nf3 ({A recent top game witnessed some wild moments after:} 9. h4 Be7 10. Qf3 f5 11. Bxf5 Rf8 12. Qh5+ g6 13. Bxg6+ hxg6 14. Qxg6+ Kd7 15. d3 {Grischuk,A (2745)-Artemiev,V (2701) Krasnogorsk 2023}) 9... Bd6 10. O-O Nf4 {\"This did not completely surprise me\" (Nakamura).} ({But perhaps Caruana would follow the classics next time he faces this line and opt for} 10... O-O 11. Re1 Re8 12. Nc3 Rb8 13. a3 f5 14. b4 e4 15. Nxe4 fxe4 16. Rxe4 Rxe4 17. Bxe4 Nc3 18. Qe1 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Qf6 {with Black edge in Molner,M (2456) -Bojkov,D (2544) Los Angeles 2011 ;)}) 11. Nc3 Nxd3 12. cxd3 O-O 13. b3 Re8 14. Re1 c5 15. Ba3 Nc6 16. Ne4 Bf8 17. Rc1 {[#]} f5 $146 {Caruana might have messep up something when memorizing his line.} ({In the predecessor Black manage to defend after:} 17... Nb4 18. Bxb4 cxb4 19. Nc5 Qd5 20. d4 Bg4 21. h3 Bxf3 22. Qxf3 Qxf3 23. gxf3 exd4 24. Rxe8 Rxe8 25. Nd3 g6 {Sindarov,J (2587) -Matlakov,M (2691) Tashkent 2021}) 18. Nxc5 Qd5 ({\"I think Fabiano missed\"} 18... Qa5 19. Ng5 $3 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Brilliant;persistent;true] \"and White is completely winning.\" (Nakamura) For instance} Qxa3 20. Qh5 h6 21. Qxe8 hxg5 22. Qxc6) 19. Qc2 {Simple and effective. White is simply up two pawns. There is not enough compensation.} ({Also good was} 19. b4 $5 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} Qxa2 20. Qa4 Qd5 21. b5) 19... Rd8 ({Nothing changes} 19... Rb8 20. Qc4) ({Black cannot deviate from the queen swap with} 19... Kh8 {as after} 20. Qc4 Qd8 (20... Qd6 21. Ng5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}) 21. Bb2 {it is the black e5 pawn that would be embarrased.}) 20. Qc4 Qxc4 21. Rxc4 {White's pawn remain ugly, but are extra.} (21. dxc4 $2 {[%c_effect c4;square;c4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] would have lost one of them instead} e4) 21... Rd5 22. Rec1 Bd6 23. Bb2 Ne7 24. R4c2 Rb8 25. d4 {Bringing the pawns into motion soon repairs them.} exd4 ({As after} 25... e4 26. Ne5 {the knight cannot be tolerated for long and} Bxe5 27. dxe5 Rd8 28. d3 $1 {[%c_effect d3;square;d3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] keeps improving for White.}) 26. Nxd4 a5 27. Nf3 h6 {Now comes a beatiful a'la Capablanca maneuver.} 28. Na4 $3 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type;Brilliant;persistent;true]} ({Certainly there was also} 28. h3 Ng6 29. d4 {but the move in the game is way more effective.}) 28... Ba6 ({It is not the bishop that cannot avoid its trade as} 28... Bf4 29. Ba3 {leaves the black pieces too vulnerable.}) 29. Nc3 Rc5 30. Ba3 {The point. With the disappearence of the bishop pair Black does not even have a hint of a compensation.} Rc6 31. Bxd6 Rxd6 32. Na4 $1 {[%c_effect a4;square;a4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] And back to a better square $1} Nd5 33. Rc6 {Time to swap off a rook.} (33. Nc5 $5 {[%c_effect c5;square;c5;type;Interesting;persistent;true]}) 33... Rxc6 34. Rxc6 Nb4 35. Rd6 Bb7 ({Or} 35... Be2 36. Nd4 Bh5 37. Nc3 {and White consolidates.}) 36. Nc3 ({There was also} 36. Nd4 Nxa2 37. Nxf5 Nc1 38. Nd4 Re8 39. h3) 36... Re8 {Caruana does not want to give up after such a wonderful tournament, but he would be forced at the end.} ({Nothing changes} 36... Bxf3 37. gxf3) 37. h4 f4 (37... Bxf3 38. gxf3 Kf7 39. Kf1) 38. Rd4 Rf8 39. Ne5 Re8 40. Nc4 f3 {Last chance to create some threats.} 41. gxf3 {The simplest.} Bxf3 42. Kh2 Nc2 43. Rd3 Ba8 44. Kg3 Kh7 45. Ne3 {And once that Nakamura placed all his pieces on their optimal squares after} Nb4 46. Rd6 Nc6 47. Ncd5 Rf8 48. Nc7 Bb7 49. Ne6 Rf7 ({Or} 49... Rf6 50. f4) 50. f4 {White finally started to push the pawns.} Ba8 51. h5 Ra7 52. a3 Kg8 53. f5 Re7 54. Kf4 Ra7 55. d4 1-0