[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.05.31"] [Round "11"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D78"] [WhiteElo "2864"] [BlackElo "2751"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "112"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,92,48,23,14,-4,21,21,4,6,6,-1,11,11,3,1,-12,-18,3,11,11,2,-4,2,2,-6, -1,-27,-6,-36,-38,-32,-36,-26,-26,-6,-6,-7,-8,-8,-14,-20,-6,-30,-30,-15,-4,-23, 0,0,0,0,1,8,8,8,9,9,9,6,18,18,18,18,18,15,40,33,34,43,55,46,84,82,100,92,81,83, 112,107,109,109,109,128,128,128,133,39,110,122,102,100,118,113,159]} 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 c6 7. Nc3 {Perhaps a line that the world champion had prepared for his previous world championship match $2} dxc4 8. e4 Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 e5 {In the spirit of the Slav defense.} ({ Black held his own after} 10... Na6 11. e5 Nd5 12. Qe2 Nac7 13. h4 h5 14. a4 Qd7 15. Rd1 Rad8 16. Qxc4 Ne6 17. Nxd5 cxd5 18. Qb3 f5 19. a5 f4 {in the recent game Matlakov,M (2688)-Antipov,M (2596) Cheboksary 2021}) 11. dxe5 Nfd7 12. e6 {The only way to play for an advantage.} fxe6 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Bg2 Na6 15. Qe2 $146 {White comes first with a novelty, but the forcing play continues a bit.} ({The predecessor did not yield anything for White after} 15. f4 Nb6 16. a4 Rad8 17. Qe2 Bd4 18. Bxd4 Rxd4 19. a5 Nc8 20. Rfd1 Rfd8 21. Rxd4 Rxd4 22. Ra4 Qc5 {Abdala,H (2180)-Tugsavul,U (2365) ICCF email 2008}) 15... Nb4 { Best, the knight is heading to the d3-square.} ({There is no way to defend the pawn, for example} 15... b5 16. a4 Bxc3 17. axb5) 16. Qxc4 {Thanks to a little trick, Carlsen restores the material balance.} Nc2 17. Nd5 cxd5 $1 {So far Mamedayrov's play is perfect.} ({The more the symmetry is broken, the better the bishops become, therefore} 17... exd5 18. Qxc2 dxe4 19. Qb3+ {is simply bad for Black.}) 18. Qxc2 d4 19. Bd2 Rac8 20. Qb3 Nc5 21. Qa3 {Carlsen got what he wanted from the opening: a hefty bishop pair, and a somewhat better pawn structure. However, Mamedyarov too, cannot complain. His pieces are active and the d4-passer is getting perky.} Qd7 22. Rac1 {Before opening his light-squared bishop, White wants to have the rook out too.} ({The immediate} 22. e5 {can be met with} Qa4 (22... Bxe5 23. Rfe1 Bg7 24. Rac1 {is a bit better for White.}) 23. Qxa4 Nxa4 24. Bb4 Rf7 {and it is about equal.}) 22... b6 23. e5 $1 {Without this bishop, White cannot claim anything.} Bxe5 {More pieces on the board mean more trouble.} ({It was not too late for} 23... Qa4 $1 24. Qxa4 Nxa4 25. Bb4 Nc5 {as the e5-pawn is hanging, White needs to spend a tempo on} 26. f4 {but that allows} Nd3 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Ba3 Bf8 {and it is again equal.}) 24. Rfe1 Bg7 25. b4 Na4 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. Qb3 {Now the light squares are very, very sensitive and Mamedyarov needs to be extra cautious.} Nc3 $1 {Careful play $1} ({Black correctly avoids} 27... Re8 28. Rxe6 Rxe6 29. Bd5 Kf7 30. Bxe6+ Qxe6 31. Qxa4 {with a serious edge for the first player.}) ({ And he certainly needs not to allow} 27... Kf7 $2 28. Rxe6 $1) 28. Rxe6 Kh8 29. Kh2 Re8 {Trading some more.} (29... Rf8 30. f4 {is more difficult to defend.}) 30. Rxe8+ Qxe8 31. Qc4 {A few more pieces have been traded, but Mamedyarov's problems remained. The bishops dominate the board and the only one to risk losing is Black.} h6 {The king needs air.} (31... h5 $5) ({The other way to defend was to swap a pair of queenside pawns at once with} 31... b5 32. Qc7 Nxa2 33. Qxa7 Nc3) 32. a3 a5 33. bxa5 bxa5 34. Bf1 $1 {The bishop is needed for the kingside attack as quick as possible.} ({Carlsen avoids} 34. f4 a4 35. Bf3 Qf8) 34... Qf8 ({Here} 34... a4 {is not solving the problems as} 35. Kg1 Qf8 36. Bf4 {defends the pawn indirectly and} Qxa3 $2 {loses the game at once due to} 37. Qf7 Kh7 38. Bd3) 35. Kg2 Ne4 $1 {Mamedyarov trades the last pair of queenside pawns, while defending his kingside.} ({Again, there is no} 35... Qxa3 $2 {this time due to} 36. Qe6 g5 37. Bc4 ({Or the immediate} 37. h4 $1) 37... Qf8 38. h4 $1) 36. Be1 Qxa3 37. Bd3 ({This time} 37. Qe6 {is not yielding White anything due to} Nf6 $1) 37... Nd6 38. Qa6 Nf5 ({Or} 38... Kh7 39. Bxa5) 39. h4 h5 40. Bxa5 Kh7 {Many players would have agreed to a draw at this point, but not the world champion. He keeps grinding further, assisted by the arising time-trouble.} 41. Qb5 Qf8 42. Qd5 Qd6 43. Qf3 Qe5 {Missing a chance to force a draw at once.} ({The forcing line} 43... Qa3 $1 {and whenever the Ba5 retreats, Black's next move is the same} 44. Bb6 Ne3+ $1 { that forces the swap of the bishop pair, and draw becomes inevitable, say} 45. fxe3 Qxd3 46. exd4 Qc2+ 47. Qf2 Qc6+ 48. d5 Qxd5+ {and there is nothing to play for.}) 44. Bd8 Qe6 45. Qb7 Nd6 ({Safer was not to allow the pin at all with} 45... Nh6 46. Qb5 Nf5 {and it is passive and unpleasant for Black, but White does not seem to make progress.}) 46. Qc6 $1 {A very nasty pin in the time trouble.} Qb3 {And Mamedyarov succumbs to the pressure.} ({However, even with plenty of time on the clock, it is obviously too difficult to play under a pin with} 46... Be5 $1 47. Bc7 Kg7 {as} 48. f4 {seems crushing. However, there is} Bxf4 $1 49. gxf4 Qg4+ 50. Kf2 Qxf4+ 51. Qf3 Ne4+ $1 52. Bxe4 Qxc7 { and that would be a draw.}) ({Even a semi-waiting move like} 46... Bh8 $1 { would have likely held.}) 47. Bxg6+ $1 {Once again, Carlsen's grinding net him the decisive advantage.} Kxg6 48. Qxd6+ Kh7 49. Qd7 Kg6 50. Qc6+ Kf7 51. Qc5 Qb7+ 52. f3 Ke8 53. Bc7 Qb2+ 54. Kh3 d3 55. Qxh5+ Kd7 56. Qf7+ Kc6 {PLAY CHESS, NO WAR.} 1-0