[Event "Grenke Chess Classic 3rd"] [Site "Baden-Baden"] [Date "2015.02.04"] [Round "3"] [White "Naiditsch, Arkadij"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Szabo,Krisztian"] [ECO "B06"] [WhiteElo "2706"] [BlackElo "2865"] [PlyCount "121"] [GameId "284556654548"] [EventDate "2015.02.02"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "GER"] [EventCategory "20"] [SourceTitle "CBM 165"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2015.03.11"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2015.03.11"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be3 a6 5. a4 Nf6 6. h3 O-O 7. g4 {An ambitious move. White has gained some space and he would like to restrict Black's pieces as much as possible.} ({Nevertheless} 7. Nf3 {is more popular.}) 7... e5 8. d5 c6 9. Nge2 cxd5 10. exd5 Bxg4 $6 {A creative reply, Black sacrifices a piece for two ?s, but objectively this is not so good.} (10... Ne8 {was more solid, and Black tries to play for ...f5.}) 11. hxg4 Nxg4 12. Qd2 Nd7 13. Ne4 f5 {Black activates his central ?s. On the other hand White is also active, his pieces are powerful.} 14. Bg5 $1 Qb6 15. Bh3 $1 {Another strong intermediate move. White doesn't escape with his e4 ?, he also attacks his opponent's ?.} Ndf6 (15... Qxb2 {could have been met by} 16. O-O $1 {. Finally White has finished his development and now he is threatening ?fb1 trapping the ?.}) (15... fxe4 16. Bxg4 Qxf2+ 17. Kd1) 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Nc3 $2 {A mistake, which allows some counterplay for Black.} ({The simply} 17. b3 $16) ({or} 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. c3 $16 {was better for White.}) 17... Qxb2 $1 {The right move. Black captures the ?, and now he has some threats on the c-file.} 18. Rb1 (18. O-O $2 {is not working, because of} Rac8 {and Black is very strong on the c-file.}) 18... Qa3 19. Rxb7 Rf7 $6 {An inaccuracy.} (19... Rab8 $1 {was the correct reply to control the b-file,} 20. Rxg7+ (20. Rxb8 Rxb8 21. Bg2 e4 $132 {with strong counterplay.}) 20... Kxg7 21. Bxf5 gxf5 22. Bxf6+ Kxf6 $1 ({Of course not} 22... Rxf6 $2 23. Qg5+ Rg6 24. Qe7+ $18 {and White wins.}) 23. Rxh7 f4 24. Qd3 Qc1+ 25. Ke2 Rf7 26. Rxf7+ Kxf7 27. Qf5+ $11 {and a draw with perpetual check.}) 20. Rb3 Qc5 ({In he event of} 20... Qa1+ 21. Rb1 Qa3 22. Bg2 $16 {White is solid, his position is better.}) 21. Qe3 Qc7 22. Qb6 $1 {White forces the exchange of ?s, because the endgame is better for him.} e4 23. Qc6 {White closes the c-file, and he attacks the a8 ?. On the other hand this is not the best move.} (23. a5 $142 $16 {was more accurate.}) 23... Rc8 24. O-O (24. Qxc7 Rfxc7) 24... Qxc6 25. dxc6 Rxc6 {Now Black has three ?s for the piece, but the pair of ?s and the weak a6 ? give an important target to White.} 26. Rfb1 (26. Rd1 $5 {was also possible.}) 26... h6 27. Bxf6 Bxf6 28. Nxe4 $1 {A trade of advantages. The endgame after 28...fxe4 29.?e6 is practically very difficult for Black, so Carlsen decides to give up the ? again. Moreover he will win the c2 ?.} Be5 (28... fxe4 $6 29. Be6 Kf8 30. Bxf7 Kxf7 31. Rb6 Rxc2 32. Rxd6 $16 {followed by ?bb6 and White is better.}) 29. Nd2 (29. Rb6 $5 {was an interesting alternative.}) 29... Rxc2 30. Nf3 Ra2 31. Bg2 $6 {A dubious move, White should take Black's ?.} (31. Nxe5 $1 dxe5 32. Rb6 Rxa4 33. Rxg6+ Kh7 34. Rbb6 $16 {and White has a good winning chance.}) 31... Bf6 $1 {The correct move. Black saves his ?, which is very important for him.} 32. Nh2 Kg7 33. Bd5 Re7 34. Rb4 Rd2 $1 35. Bc4 a5 $1 36. Rb7 Rd4 37. Rxe7+ Bxe7 38. Bb5 h5 {With the amount of black pawns he has enough to compensate for the piece. However the most important aspect is that White has no real targets: the a5-pawn can be easily defended by the bishop.} 39. Nf3 Rf4 40. Kg2 h4 41. Rd1 Rg4+ {These type of checks are useful, because White has to decide about his ?.} 42. Kf1 ({In the event of} 42. Kh3 Rf4 43. Kg2 (43. Rd3 $6 g5) 43... Rg4+ {is only a repetition of moves.}) 42... h3 {This is a really attractive move to push the passed ?, but on the other hand the h3-pawn could become a target.} (42... Kf6 43. Rd3) 43. Rd3 $1 {White prepares for ?h2.} Bf6 $1 {A good move, Carlsen doesn't want to protect the d6 ?. Black's idea should basically always be to play g5-g4 and connect the ?s.} ({The immediate} 43... g5 44. Nh2 (44. Rd5 $5) 44... Rf4 $1 (44... Rh4 45. Rf3 $1 $16 {followed by ?d7 and Black loses a ?.}) 45. Rxh3 g4 46. Rc3 Bh4 47. Rc4 $1 Rxf2+ 48. Kg1 {followed by ?xg4.}) 44. Nh2 ({Or} 44. Rxd6 Rf4 45. Rd3 g5 {followed by g4. I think the position should be a draw.}) 44... Rh4 45. Kg1 {White prepares for a nice plan. First he needs to free the ? from h2. Then ?f3 or ?f1, followed by ?h2.} ({Objectively} 45. Rxd6 $1 {was the best, but in a practical game, this is very difficult.} Be5 46. Rd7+ Kf6 47. Kg1 Rb4 48. Rh7 $1 Rb1+ 49. Nf1 $14) 45... Bd4 46. Rf3 {White avoids the g5-g4 at the moment.} Kf6 47. Nf1 Be5 ({The reckless} 47... g5 $6 {could have been met by} 48. Bd7 $1) (47... d5 $5 {was also a possibility.}) 48. Ne3 {White prepares for ?c4 to win the a5 ?, because his a4 will be a strong passed ?.} Kg5 $6 {This move is a little bit strange. The ? prevents his g-?, so probably the black ? has to go back to f6.} ({Black had to play} 48... h2+ $1 49. Kh1 Rd4 {Black prepares for ...?d2.} 50. Kg2 Kg5 51. Rh3 d5 $11 {and of course Black still has a serious fight for equality, but objectively the position should probably be very close to equal.}) 49. Kh1 $1 {A very deep and calm move by Naiditsch. White is threatening ?c4, and he has avoided ...?g4+.} ({The immediate} 49. Nc4 $2 {allows} Rg4+ 50. Kh1 Kh4 $1 $11 {defending the h3 ?. The position should be around equal.}) 49... Kf6 $6 ({Probably the best practical chance would have been} 49... Rf4 $142 50. Rxf4 (50. Rg3+ Kh4 51. Rxg6 Rxf2 $11) (50. Rxh3 Rxf2 {and I think Black should be able to save the game.}) 50... Kxf4 51. Be8 g5 52. Bd7 Kf3 53. Bxf5 Kxf2 54. Nc4 Bc3 55. Nxd6 Bb4 {and Black has also a good chance for to reach the draw.}) 50. Nc4 {This is a slightly risky move, because White allows the quick g5-g4, but this is the only chance to win the a5 ?, otherwise White can't improve his position.} g5 {Of course Black doesn't have anything better than to try and create counterplay on the kingside as quickly as possible.} 51. Nxa5 g4 52. Rd3 f4 53. Nc4 Rh7 (53... g3 $2 {is not working, as} 54. fxg3 fxg3 55. Nxe5 g2+ 56. Kh2 Kxe5 57. Bd7 {and White will win all the black ?s, moreover the a-? is the correct colour to win with.}) 54. Nxe5 (54. Nxd6 $5 {was also strong.}) 54... dxe5 55. a5 Rc7 {The rook must be activated.} 56. Ra3 Rc1+ {Of course Black has to create some counterchance; the passive ...?a7 loses without creating difficulties for White.} 57. Kh2 Rc2 58. a6 $1 {Well calculated! Black's four connected passed ?s are not so dangerous as White's one passed ? on the a-file! Of course the b5 ? is the most important one for this.} Rxf2+ 59. Kh1 g3 60. a7 {The ? from b5 covers the f1 square.} Rd2 (60... Rb2 61. Ra1 $18) 61. Ra1 {and Black resigned, because he can't stop White from playing a8?. A great victory by Naiditsch!} (61. Ra1 Rh2+ 62. Kg1 Rg2+ 63. Kf1 Rf2+ 64. Ke1 h2 65. a8=Q $18) 1-0