[Event "World Championship"] [Site "Dubai"] [Date "2021.12.05"] [Round "8"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C43"] [WhiteElo "2856"] [BlackElo "2782"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2021.11.27"] [EventCountry "UAE"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 (3. Nxe5 {was played in game 4.}) 3... Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 (6. Nc3 {is all the rage at the moment.}) 6... Bxd7 7. Nd2 {A very modest move, reflecting Carlsen's safety-first approach. This doesn't only make sense of the match situation, which gives the champion good reason to be satisfied with draws, but is a concession to the fatigue he has admitted feeling since the marathon sixth game.} (7. O-O {is by far and away the main move.}) 7... Nxd2 8. Bxd2 Bd6 (8... Qe7+ $142 {was simple and good, and probably better.}) 9. O-O h5 $5 $146 {This seems to have been inspiration at the board. Nepomniachtchi spent about 17 minutes on this, in part comparing this with similar lines where White has played Nc3 instead of Nd2.} (9... O-O $6 10. Qh5 f5 11. Bg5 Qe8 12. Qf3 c6 13. Rfe1 $16 {looks very good for White, but}) (9... Qh4 $14 {seems playable for Black.} 10. g3 $1 Qg4 (10... Qxd4 $2 11. Bc3 $18) 11. Re1+ Kf8 {and White is a little better after the queen trade or after the more speculative} 12. Be2) 10. Qe1+ {After 40 minutes! Carlsen looked at other, more aggressive options, but his "brain was fried" and he went for something safer. The point of the move is to continue with Bb4 if Black avoids ...Qe7.} (10. Re1+ Kf8 11. Qf3 Bg4 $1 12. Qe3 Qe8 13. Qg5 Qd8 { is fine for Black.}) (10. c4 dxc4 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. Bxc4 Qh4 13. Qf3 $1 Bxh2+ $8 14. Kf1 Qf6 $8 15. Bb4+ Bd6 16. Qxb7 $14) (10. Qf3 Be6 11. g3 h4 12. Rfe1 Qf6 13. Qxf6 gxf6 14. c4 $1 $14) 10... Kf8 $6 (10... Qe7 $142 $11 {"and it's probably going to be a draw, and I would be fine with that." (Carlsen)}) 11. Bb4 Qe7 {Ok, but then why not 10...Qe7? Allowing the bishop swap favors White.} 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Qd2 $14 Re8 (13... g6 {is also possible, trying to develop the h8-rook conventionally.}) 14. Rae1 Rh6 {Black would like to get the rook into the game via the fast lane, but the looseness of the h-pawn will make it difficult for Black to achieve ...Rh6-e6.} (14... h4 $142 15. Re5 g6 16. Rfe1 Kg7 17. c3 f6 18. R5e3 Rxe3 19. Rxe3 Re8 {is extremely likely to result in a draw.}) 15. Qg5 c6 $6 (15... Qb4) 16. Rxe8+ Bxe8 17. Re1 Qf6 18. Qe3 (18. Qg3 $142) 18... Bd7 19. h3 $1 h4 (19... g5 $5) ({If} 19... Qd6 {, suggested by Nepo and intending...Re6. White can try to prevent this, using a resource made possible by 19.h3:} 20. Qg5 Qf6 21. Qg3 Qd6 22. Re5 Re6 $2 {would be good if the pawn were back on h2, but not now.} 23. Rxh5 Re1+ 24. Kh2 $18 {(Caruana)} ( {If} 24. Bf1 {, which would have been forced if the pawn were still on h2, then } Qxg3 25. fxg3 Rc1 26. c3 Rc2 $17 {and White is in serious trouble.})) 20. c4 $5 dxc4 (20... g5 $5) 21. Bxc4 b5 $4 {A remarkably simple oversight. Nepo saw Carlsen's next move, but missed something that was very obvious two moves into the line.} (21... Kg8 {was better, and good enough for equality. One (overly long) possible variation:} 22. Qe7 Be6 $1 23. Qxf6 Rxf6 24. Bxe6 fxe6 (24... Rxe6 $6 {also draws, but as White has all the chances in the resulting pawn ending Black would be crazy to go for it.}) 25. Re4 Rh6 26. Kf1 Kf7 27. Re3 Rh5 28. Rb3 b6 29. Ra3 a5 30. Rc3 Rb5 31. b3 a4 $1 32. bxa4 Rb4 33. Rxc6 Rxa4 34. Rxb6 Rxa2 $11 {is completely drawn despite White's extra pawn.}) 22. Qa3+ Kg8 ( 22... Qd6 23. Qxa7 g5 (23... bxc4 $4 24. Qa8+ {is mate in at most two more moves.}) 24. Bd3 $18 {A pawn up with a better position, White is almost certainly headed for a win here.}) 23. Qxa7 Qd8 $2 (23... bxc4 $2 24. Qxd7 $18 {was what Nepo "forgot". A non-fatigued Nepomniachtchi is unlikely to miss that even in a blitz game, and in normal classical games sees it 100 times out of 100. But with the stress of a world championship match - and the fatigue from game 6 - it becomes possible.}) (23... Bxh3 $142 {was the last best hope for Black.} 24. Qxf7+ $1 (24. Re8+ Kh7 25. Bxf7 $2 Rg6 $1 {leaves White scrambling for a draw.} 26. Rh8+ $1 {The only move not to lose.} Kxh8 27. Qb8+ Kh7 28. Qg8+ Kh6 29. Bxg6 Qxg6 30. Qh8+ Kg5 31. gxh3 Kf4+ 32. Kf1 $1 Qd3+ 33. Kg2 Qg6+ 34. Kf1 $11) 24... Qxf7 25. Re8+ Kh7 26. Bxf7 $18) 24. Bb3 Rd6 $6 { The rest is the proverbial matter of technique. Carlsen was tired, but did a nice job, making sure first and foremost not to do anything that could give Black a chance. The win is inevitable, and as long as it stays inevitable it doesn't matter if the technical stage takes 25 or 30 moves rather than 20.} ( 24... Rh5 {is trickier, when the most human way to put out any fires is} 25. Rd1 Rg5 26. Rd3 $18) 25. Re4 Be6 26. Bxe6 Rxe6 27. Rxe6 fxe6 28. Qc5 {Hitting c6, but preparing b3 and a4. Even though White is only one pawn ahead, his positional advantage is so great that Black's position is hopeless.} Qa5 29. Qxc6 Qe1+ (29... Qxa2 30. Qxb5) 30. Kh2 Qxf2 31. Qxe6+ Kh7 32. Qe4+ Kg8 33. b3 Qxa2 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Qxb5 Qf2 36. Qe5 Qb2 37. Qe4+ Kg8 38. Qd3 Qf2 39. Qc3 Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Kh7 41. Qd3+ g6 42. Qd1 Qe3+ 43. Kh1 g5 44. d5 g4 45. hxg4 h3 46. Qf3 1-0