[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.06.01"] [Round "4"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2766"] [BlackElo "2864"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "99"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,51,14,25,10,10,28,11,18,20,8,12,11,-42,-27,-8,-15,-18,-8,0,30,29,21, 10,27,24,85,56,60,48,48,48,73,74,74,76,72,79,7,-95,67,76,68,-18,28,16,6,0,-78, -54,94,-68,-68,-32]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bg5 {\"I simply had to play this plan, as it might be the only variation that might work (when playing for the win in the Armageddon).\" (So)} h6 6. Bh4 d6 7. c3 a6 8. a4 Ba7 9. Nbd2 Qe7 10. O-O g5 ({Their previous encounter in the line went } 10... Be6 11. b4 O-O 12. Re1 Bxc4 13. Nxc4 Qe6 14. b5 Ne7 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Rb1 axb5 17. axb5 Ng6 18. g3 Rfc8 19. Kg2 Nf8 {with the world champion eventually winning a lengthy game, So,W (2770)-Carlsen,M (2847) chess24.com INT 2021}) 11. Bg3 Nh7 ({In another top game Black did well after:} 11... Nd7 12. Kh1 Nf8 13. Ng1 h5 14. f3 Ng6 15. Bf2 Bxf2 16. Rxf2 f5 17. exf5 Bxf5 18. Nf1 Nf4 {Aronian, L (2785)-Nakamura,H (2750) Chess.com INT 2022}) 12. b4 Nf8 13. b5 Na5 {\"Somehow the knight is stuck [here].\" (So)} (13... Nd8 {\"was the best move according to the computer.\" (So)}) 14. Bd5 c6 $146 ({It did become clear that the players were aware of the email predecessor:} 14... h5 15. h4 g4 16. Ne1 Ng6 17. d4 Nxh4 18. bxa6 Ng6 19. Nc4 Nxc4 20. axb7 Bxb7 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Bd5 Nb2 23. Qc1 h4 24. Bh2 h3 25. g3 Qd7 {I guess one can only afford having a bishop like this in an online game, Tyulenko,Y (2453)-Herman,T (2365) ICCF email 2020}) 15. Ba2 Ng6 16. Rb1 {\"I was quite pleased with the opening, but somehow my bishop on g3 always gets trapped.\" (So)} (16. Kh1 $5 { to open some room for both his kingside pieces might have been more appropriate though.}) 16... axb5 ({On} 16... h5 {White planned} 17. b6 Bb8 18. h3 {\"and at the very least his bishop is dead.\" (So)}) 17. axb5 cxb5 18. Rxb5 {\"I figured I simply have to go for this type of position, cause otherwise Magnus knows all the maneuvers, all the piece placements, it's very hard to win.\" (So)} Nc6 19. Bd5 {Surprisingly, this is a concrete mistake.} ({But can anyone really go for} 19. Kh1 $5 {just inviting the black pawns to move forward with tempi} h5 20. h3 g4 21. Ng1 h4 {Still, somehow the position remains unclear after} 22. Bh2 Bxf2 23. Rxf2 Rxa2 24. hxg4) 19... h5 {Carlsen is still blitzing the moves and this prevents him from spotting a stronger continuation.} ({Stronger was} 19... g4 $1 20. Ne1 h5 {when White cannot save his bishop, for instance after} 21. h3 ({Therefore the bishop should be likely sacrificed with} 21. d4 h4 {but here too, White should not have enough compensation for the piece.}) 21... h4 22. Bh2 g3 {the pin decides.}) 20. h3 g4 21. hxg4 hxg4 22. Nh2 Nf4 $1 {A nice maneuver from the world champion. He is clearly in the driver's seat.} 23. d4 {Not optimal, according to the machines.} ({Instead} 23. Nc4 {would have maintained the balance as in the line} Nh5 ( 23... Kf8 $5) 24. Bxc6+ bxc6 {White has the killer blow} (24... Kf8 $1 { is still very unclear.}) 25. Nxd6+ Qxd6 26. Rxe5+ Kf8 27. Rxh5 $1 {as discussed in the studio.}) 23... Nh5 {A good move, but played after a good minute on the clock. Too much for an armageddon game $1} 24. Nb3 Nd8 { Apparently, this timid move is letting White off the hook.} ({Instead} 24... Qg5 {\"and Black is probably better, because the a7-bishop is always very strong in this line.\" (So)}) ({And even stronger is} 24... Nxg3 $1 25. fxg3 Qg5 $1 {as the pawn is too small of a price to pay for the huge attack after} 26. Bxf7+ Kd8) 25. Ra5 {Now it is anything but clear, and So even thought that he was better. He definitely was clockwise.} Nxg3 26. fxg3 Qg5 27. Re1 Nc6 ({ Better was the following regroupment} 27... Rh5 28. Nf1 Qh6 {although White is fine after say} 29. Ne3) 28. Bxc6+ bxc6 29. Qa1 {It is White who is getting close to the enemy pieces first.} Rb8 30. Rxa7 Rxb3 31. Qa2 ({The other idea was} 31. Rc7 O-O 32. Rxc6 exd4 33. cxd4 Bb7 {when Black has compensation for the pawn.}) 31... Rb7 $1 {\"He got lucky he had this.\" (So)} 32. Rxb7 Bxb7 33. Qa7 Bc8 34. Qc7 O-O $1 {Not very usual to see castling that late, but certainly an only-move.} 35. Nf1 exd4 36. cxd4 Qf6 ({Safer looked} 36... c5 37. Qxd6 cxd4 38. Qxd4 Rd8) 37. Rd1 c5 ({Carlsen is avoiding to fix pawns on the color of his own bishop with} 37... d5 $5 38. e5 Qh6 {although his position should be perfectly safe here.}) 38. dxc5 dxc5 39. Qxc5 {Finally, So won a pawn, but the reduced material and the relatively unsafe position of the white king should have been enough for the world champion to survive. Should have, as long as he had more time on the clock...} Be6 40. Ne3 Rc8 41. Qd6 Qg5 (41... Kg7 $5 {\"in order to trade queens\" should have been better according to So.}) 42. Qf4 Qc5 ({It was not too late for} 42... f6 $1 43. Nd5 Kg7) 43. e5 $1 { Now that the queen is separated from his queenside the attack is decisive.} Ra8 44. Qg5+ Kh7 ({Nothing changes} 44... Kf8 45. Kh2) 45. Kh2 $3 {A beautiful ambush $1 Rd1-h1 followed by Kh2-g1 mate is the main threat.} Rg8 46. Qh4+ Kg7 47. Nf5+ $1 {And a nice finishing touch that destroys the enemy defenses.} Bxf5 48. Qf6+ Kh7 49. Qxf5+ Kg7 50. Qf6+ {PLAY CHESS, NO WAR $1} 1-0