[Event "Tata Steel-A 85th "] [White "Carlsen,Magnus"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa,Rameshbabu"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Praggnanandhaa,Rameshbabu"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2023.01.28"] [WhiteElo "2859"] [BlackElo "2684"] [PlyCount "134"] {This was the penultimate game, after starting with +2 in the tournament, I lost last 3 games out of 4. I was not in a great form, but as always, was excited to play Magnus!} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. e3 e6 5. d4 d5 6. a3 (6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 {Magnus played this twice against me in online rapid games.} )dxc4 7. Bxc4 a6 8. Bd3 {This was played by Ding Liren in the final round of the Candidates' against Hikaru Nakamura.} cxd4 {Hikaru opted for b5 here. I decided to release the tension in the centre.} (8... b5 { 1-0 (58) Ding, L (2806) -Nakamura,H (2760) Madrid 2022 CBM 209 [Giri,Anish]} )9. exd4 g6 {This idea was recently shown by Anish in World Rapid.} 10. Bg5 Bg7 11. Be4 $146 (11. Ne4 h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. O-O O-O 15. Be4 Bd7 $11 {Black was fine and soon the game ended in a draw. 1/2-1/2 (27) Nepomniachtchi,I (2766) -Giri,A (2708) Almaty 2022} )Ne7 12. h4 h6 (12... O-O $5 {The computer shows, this is possible. But it's very difficult practically to play this move.} )13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Qd2 Nd5 $6 ({After some moves in the game I realised, I should have gone for} 14... h5 $1 15. O-O-O Kf8 $1 16. Ne5 Kg7 {Black is fine here.} )15. h5 g5 16. Ne5 Bg7 17. Bxd5 (17. O-O { Keeping the bishop on c8 closed. After} Nf6 18. Bc2 Nxh5 19. Rfe1 O-O 20. Rad1 $16 {White is better due to a huge development advantage.} )exd5 18. O-O Be6 19. Rae1 O-O 20. Re3 {Keeping the option of f4} Bf5 $6 (20... Rc8 $1 21. f4 {I was worried about this move during the game.} gxf4 22. Rxf4 Bf6 $1 {An important move.} 23. Rg3+ Bg5 24. Nf3 f6 $1 {Black stabilizes the kingside in time.} )21. Qd1 $1 {Improving the queen's position} Re8 $2 22. Rfe1 $2 { Magnus rarely misses such a chance. I was very lucky at this moment.} (22. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 23. Rf3 $1 {Somehow I missed this move.} ({During the game I only saw} 23. Qf3 $2 Qd7 24. g4 Bxd4 $13 )Ke6 24. Re1+ Be4 25. Qb3 $18 )Be6 23. Na4 b6 24. Rb3 (24. Qb3 $1 $16 {This is better as the rook on is already good on e3.} )Qc7 $1 25. Nxb6 $6 {I was plesantly surprised to see this move.} (25. Rxb6 Bd7 $1 26. Nxd7 Qxd7 27. Rxe8+ Rxe8 28. Nc5 Qf5 29. Rxa6 g4 $132 {with some practical counterplay although White should be better.} )Rab8 26. Na4 Rxb3 27. Qxb3 Bxe5 $1 28. dxe5 (28. Rxe5 Qc1+ 29. Kh2 Qf4+ $11 )Qa5 $5 (28... d4 $5 29. Qb4 d3 30. Nc5 Bf5 $13 )29. Qd1 Bg4 $1 { provoking f3 and weakening the g1-a7 diagonal.} 30. f3 Bd7 31. Nc3 Qc5+ 32. Kh2 $5 {The best try here.} (32. Kh1 d4 33. Re4 dxc3 34. Qxd7 cxb2 35. Qxe8+ Kg7 36. Re1 Qc1 $11 )d4 ({Black is also fine after} 32... Bc6 )33. Re4 dxc3 34. Qxd7 c2 {The real fun starts here !! !} ({I had foreseen} 34... Rxe5 { when I went for Qa5-Bg4.} 35. b4 Qd5 36. Qxd5 Rxd5 37. Rc4 Rd3 38. a4 {I thought there is still some pressure for black.} )35. Qxe8+ Kg7 36. b4 $1 (36. Re1 Qf2 37. Qa4 Qxe1 38. Qxc2 Qh4+ $11 )Qc3 37. f4 $1 (37. e6 Qc7+ 38. g3 c1=Q 39. exf7 Qxf7 40. Re7 Qc2+ $11 )c1=Q 38. f5 Qc7 $1 (38... Qc4 { is another move that saves Black. I saw it during the game, but preferred Qc7.} 39. Rxc4 Qxc4 40. f6+ Kh7 41. Qd7 Qf4+ $11 )39. f6+ Kh7 40. Qf8 Qxe5+ $1 41. Rxe5 Qf4+ 42. Kg1 (42. g3 Qf2+ 43. Kh3 Qf1+ 44. Kg4 Qd1+ $1 $11 {Very important to save the game.} (44... Qc4+ 45. Kf3 )45. Kh3 (45. Kf5 $4 Qf3# )Qh1+ )Qc1+ 43. Kf2 Qf4+ 44. Ke2 Qxe5+ 45. Kd3 Qxf6 {Till here everything was forced.} 46. Qe8 {Magnus still continues to play for win.} Qf1+ 47. Kd4 Kg7 48. Qe5+ Kg8 49. Qb8+ Kg7 50. Qg3 Qd1+ 51. Kc5 Qxh5 {Here I have nothing to play on the queenside. So I decided to capture the pawn and tried to create my own passed pawn on the kingside.} 52. Qe5+ Kg8 53. a4 Qd1 54. a5 Qg1+ 55. Qd4 Qxg2 56. b5 g4 $1 {56...axb5 holds as well. But I saw this g4 direct way} 57. bxa6 g3 58. a7 Qa8 59. Kd6 $1 {This is still a draw. But I was very impressed with the way Magnus continues to play with the idea of Ke5-Kf4-Kg3-Kh2! going all the way to stop the Black pawn with the king.} (59. Qg4+ Kh7 60. Qxg3 Qxa7+ 61. Kb5 Qb7+ $11 {I was expecting that the game would end like this.} )g2 (59... Qd8+ $5 60. Ke5 Qxa5+ 61. Kf4 g2 62. Kf3 (62. Kg3 $6 Qc3+ $1 63. Qxc3 g1=Q+ 64. Kh3 Qxa7 65. Qg3+ {Still White holds.} )Qa2 $11 {Should also be a draw.} )60. Ke5 {Trying to get the king to h2} Qf3 { I felt this was the safest for Black to prevent the White king's walk!} 61. Qd8+ Kh7 62. a8=Q Qc3+ 63. Qd4 {I was hoping to get four queens on the board. But it looked risky for white. So it's understandable that Magnus played Qd4.} (63. Kd6 g1=Q 64. Qd5 $5 {Four queens! The computer says, this is still possible to keep the game going.} )Qxd4+ 64. Kxd4 g1=Q+ 65. Kd3 Qd1+ 66. Ke3 Qe1+ 67. Kd3 Qd1+ {I was very happy to save such a difficult position! also managed to stop my losing streak!} 1/2-1/2