[Event "ch-USA TB 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.19"] [Round "1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A28"] [WhiteElo "2800"] [BlackElo "2778"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2021.10.19"] {[%evp 0,91,18,-11,0,-38,-8,-15,-22,-14,-18,-1,0,-8,-3,-18,-17,-17,-5,-23,31, 41,39,44,50,31,34,20,14,12,48,42,43,-21,23,-8,-8,-20,-28,-18,-12,-20,6,-1,2, -37,-24,11,13,11,12,-34,-34,-37,-8,-32,31,50,50,39,96,88,100,100,79,93,81,77, 77,71,107,115,129,36,47,47,65,15,16,5,0,0,0,0,-27,-40,-58,-87,-94,-73,0,-189, -176,-213]} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bb4 5. d3 d6 6. a3 Bc5 7. b4 Bb6 8. Be3 O-O 9. Be2 Bxe3 10. fxe3 Ne7 11. O-O Ng6 12. Qd2 Re8 13. Rae1 a5 14. b5 c6 15. Bd1 h6 16. d4 $6 Qe7 $6 (16... cxb5 17. cxb5 Be6 $15) 17. Bc2 Bd7 18. d5 $6 (18. bxc6 bxc6 19. h3) 18... cxb5 19. cxb5 Rec8 {Black not only occupies the c-file; he can use it. White's pieces aren't equipped to take advantage of his extra space, which means that he's creating room for Black's pieces to infiltrate.} 20. Bd3 a4 $6 (20... Be8 {with the idea of ...Nd7-c5 was better.}) 21. Qb2 Qd8 22. Qb4 Qa5 $6 (22... Qc7) (22... Qb6 23. Nxa4 $2 Rxa4 $1 24. Qxa4 Ng4 $19) 23. Qxa5 Rxa5 24. Rc1 Raa8 25. Na2 (25. Nd2 {was better, heading for c4 ASAP.}) 25... Ng4 (25... Kf8) 26. Rfe1 Kf8 $6 (26... Rxc1 $142 27. Rxc1 Ra5) 27. Nb4 (27. Nd2 $142) 27... Ke8 $6 (27... Rxc1 $142 28. Rxc1 Rc8 29. Rxc8+ Bxc8 $15) 28. h3 Nf6 29. Nd2 Ke7 (29... Kd8 $142 30. Nc4 Ne8 31. Nb6 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 Ra5) 30. Nc4 Rc5 $2 31. Nb6 Ra5 32. Rxc5 dxc5 33. Nc6+ $3 {This should have won, but as in the last round of the (classical) tournament, things didn't break Caruana's way at the last hurdle.} bxc6 34. bxc6 $18 Bxc6 35. dxc6 Kd8 {The best practical try, but it shouldn't have been good enough.} 36. Nd5 $2 (36. Rb1 $1 Kc7 (36... Ne7 37. Nc4 Ra7 38. Nxe5 $18) 37. Nd5+ Kxc6 38. Rb6+ Kd7 39. Rb7+ Kc6 (39... Kd6 40. Nxf6 gxf6 41. Rxf7 $18) 40. Rxf7 $18) 36... Nxd5 37. exd5 Ne7 {White still has one chance to keep a (probably) decisive advantage, but it's not obvious.} 38. e4 $2 (38. Rf1 $3 f6 39. e4 Kc7 (39... Nc8 40. Rb1 Nd6 41. Rb8+ Kc7 42. Rg8 {and because White is taking with check on an open 7th rank, it makes all the difference in the world compared to the game.}) 40. Rb1 Ra7 41. Rb5 f5 42. Rxc5 fxe4 43. Bxe4 Nc8 $18 {White has excellent winning chances, but with Caruana so short on time Black may retain some hopes of a draw.}) 38... Nc8 $11 39. Rb1 Nd6 40. Kf2 $6 c4 $15 41. Bc2 f5 42. Ke3 $2 (42. exf5 Kc7 (42... Rxd5 43. Rd1) 43. Rd1 Rb5 {favors Black, but it's not fatal yet.}) 42... Kc7 $19 {Now Black is winning, as White's queenside pawns are all likely to perish.} (42... fxe4 43. Bxe4 Kc7 $19) 43. Rb4 fxe4 44. Bxe4 c3 $2 (44... Rc5 45. Rxa4 c3 46. Bc2 Rxd5 $19) 45. Bc2 $2 ( 45. Kd3 $1 Rc5 46. Kc2 $15) 45... Rxd5 {Black is completely winning on the board, and on the clock too as Caruana ran out of time before he could complete his next move.} 46. Rxa4 0-1 [Event "ch-USA TB 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.19"] [Round "2"] [White "Sevian, Samuel"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C28"] [WhiteElo "2654"] [BlackElo "2800"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "98"] [EventDate "2021.10.19"] {[%evp 0,98,15,17,17,11,21,14,7,-15,0,-22,-16,-16,15,-48,-49,-49,-35,-37,-29, -25,-20,-15,-12,-16,-7,-29,0,-3,8,9,-1,-4,49,-2,2,-5,10,0,0,0,0,0,0,-15,-20, -23,-17,-23,-17,-17,-26,-22,-38,-67,-86,-71,-80,-95,-83,-78,-76,-76,-64,-64, -64,-71,-61,-71,-60,-79,-76,-79,-76,-72,-72,-72,-72,-72,-72,-72,-72,-72,-58, -112,-40,-110,-110,-169,-169,-267,-267,-267,-307,-306,-374,-378,-364,-387,-392] } 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Na5 5. Nge2 Bc5 6. h3 d6 7. Ng3 Nxc4 8. dxc4 Be6 9. Qd3 O-O 10. b3 a5 11. O-O h6 12. Be3 Nd7 13. Nb5 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 Nc5 15. Rad1 b6 16. a4 Kh7 17. Rd2 Bd7 18. Nc3 Qg5 19. Qxg5 hxg5 20. Nd5 Rac8 21. f3 Be6 22. Nf5 Bxd5 23. Rxd5 g6 24. Ne3 f5 25. exf5 gxf5 26. Rd2 Kg6 27. g4 f4 28. Nd5 Rf7 29. Re1 Re8 30. Nc3 Rh8 31. Kg2 Nd7 32. Nb5 Nf6 33. Nc3 Rfh7 34. Rh1 Kf7 35. Re2 Ke6 36. Nb5 Kd7 37. Nc3 Kc6 38. Rd2 Kc5 39. Rdd1 Re7 40. Rhe1 Rhe8 41. Rd2 c6 42. Red1 e4 {Caruana has been outplaying Sevian, step by step, and with this breakthrough we can assess his position as winning. Winning, but not over - until Sevian's next move.} 43. Rxd6 $2 exf3+ 44. Kf2 Re2+ $1 45. Nxe2 fxe2 {And that's it. Black will have an extra piece, and White will have nothing to show for it.} 46. Rxc6+ Kxc6 47. Re1 Re3 48. Rxe2 Ne4+ 49. Ke1 Kc5 0-1 [Event "ch-USA TB 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.19"] [Round "3"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Sevian, Samuel"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A40"] [WhiteElo "2778"] [BlackElo "2654"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "2021.10.19"] {[%evp 0,65,15,24,68,57,58,37,42,45,58,36,61,40,53,30,39,-7,73,2,10,27,41,33, 80,48,43,88,83,44,110,123,114,132,120,117,134,134,96,106,175,121,121,208,233, 159,160,193,196,192,185,187,190,138,190,206,231,222,319,485,666,447,938,1022, 29993,29994,29995,29996]} 1. d4 g6 {In an absolute must-win situation with the black pieces, Sevian aims for the most imbalanced, anti-static opening possible.} 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 Nd7 5. e4 e5 6. Be2 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 h6 9. Bf1 f5 10. dxe5 dxe5 $2 11. b4 $1 $16 {/+- Black is already in serious trouble. His kingside play is far too slow, while White is already making progress on the queenside and the center is open.} Nc6 12. b5 Nd4 13. Ba3 Rf7 14. c5 $6 {Tempting, but not as strong as taking on f5.} (14. exf5 $18) 14... fxe4 $2 (14... Nf8 $1 $16) 15. Nxd4 exd4 16. Bc4 $1 $18 {Black is thoroughly lost.} Ne5 (16... dxc3 17. Bxf7+ Kxf7 18. Qd5+ Kf6 19. Rxe4 $18 {will lead to either mate or a massive material advantage for White.}) 17. Bxf7+ Nxf7 18. Nxe4 Be6 19. Bb2 Bc4 20. a4 a6 21. Nd2 $1 axb5 22. axb5 Rxa1 23. Bxa1 Bxb5 24. Nf3 d3 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Qa1+ Kg8 27. Nd4 {Threatening the bishop, but even more than that, threatening Ne6 (hitting the queen and intending Qg7#).} Bc4 28. Qc3 b5 29. cxb6 Nd6 30. Nc6 Qg5 31. b7 Bd5 {Might as well try.} 32. b8=Q+ Kf7 33. Qxc7+ {Mate with one queen or the other is coming to g7 in a move or two.} 1-0