[Event "Skilling Open Prelim"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.11.24"] [Round "11.4"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C24"] [WhiteElo "2862"] [BlackElo "2736"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventDate "2020.11.22"] {[%evp 0,69,28,18,39,27,27,-6,7,9,12,12,25,37,48,40,51,51,60,77,37,79,71,59,74, 76,-3,-10,11,-1,2,7,6,7,7,7,27,-51,-39,-39,-45,-45,-26,-26,-26,-35,-40,-33,-31, -26,-20,-58,-21,-22,-39,-47,0,0,0,0,0,-25,-14,0,-14,-25,-18,-31,-25,-21,-38, -21]} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 (6. c3 { is the principal alternative, but it means that White isn't bringing a knight to c3 - that's the point of the check.}) 6... Bxd2+ 7. Nbxd2 (7. Qxd2 {is also standard, intending a quick Qg5.}) 7... Qc7 (7... a5) 8. O-O dxe4 (8... O-O { has been much more common.}) 9. Ng5 O-O 10. Ndxe4 Nd5 11. d4 ({The crude} 11. Qh5 {is also good.} h6 12. Nf3 $14 ({Those of you who like drawing lines - you never know when they might come in handy, to clinch a prize or even a norm - should note that White can effect this with} 12. Bxd5 cxd5 13. Nf6+ gxf6 (13... Kh8 $2 14. Nxd5 $18) 14. Qxh6 fxg5 15. Qxg5+ Kh7 16. Qh5+ Kg7 17. Qg5+ $11)) 11... h6 12. Nf3 Bg4 13. dxe5 (13. h3 $1 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Nd7 15. Rad1 exd4 16. Rxd4 $14) 13... Nd7 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Qxe5 16. Rfe1 (16. c3) 16... Rae8 $1 ( 16... Qxb2 $5 {is possible but very risky, especially with a short time control and Black already behind on the clock.}) 17. c3 N5f6 18. Rad1 $2 { Not losing, but a serious error. I'm sure Carlsen saw the first bit of Nakamura's combination, but not the second. (This was clear in the live stream, where Carlsen's dismay and even anger at himself was evident.)} (18. Nxf6+ Qxf6 19. Qxf6 Nxf6 20. Kf1 {leaves White with at most a minuscule edge, while}) (18. Ng3 $5 {is a more dynamic approach, though also equal if Black bites:} Qxe1+ 19. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 20. Kh2 g6 $11) 18... Nxe4 19. Rxd7 Ng5 $1 {This isn't hard to see, and there's little chance that Carlsen missed this.} 20. Qe3 $1 { Carlsen's intended resource, which gives White an advantage against almost every move...} (20. Rxe5 $2 Nxf3+ 21. gxf3 Rxe5 22. Rxb7 a5 $17 {/-+ gives Black excellent winning chances.}) 20... Nf3+ $3 {A beautiful and unusual tactical shot. Black wins the exchange, but after the dust settles White retains some compensation.} 21. gxf3 Qg5+ 22. Qxg5 Rxe1+ 23. Kg2 hxg5 24. Rxb7 a5 $17 {This is a better version, from White's point of view, of the variation given in the note to move 20. Black has difficulties with his a-, c-, and f-pawns, so winning is not a mere "matter of technique" (in the hackneyed sense of being a position that one can win on auto-pilot using ideas one has long since mastered).} 25. a4 $6 (25. Bc4) 25... g6 26. Bc4 Kg7 27. Rc7 Re5 $2 (27... Rc1 $1 28. Rxc6 Rc2 {was the right way to maintain (and even grow) the advantage. The point is that after} 29. b4 axb4 30. cxb4 Rd8 31. Bd5 Rb2 $19 { Black will either win the b-pawn or bring the second rook to the second rank; either way, White is lost. White could have played better in this variation, but Black would enjoy a serious, possibly winning advantage in any case.}) 28. Rxc6 $11 {Now Black's advantage is gone, and the game quickly finishes in a repetition.} Rb8 29. Rc7 Rxb2 30. Bxf7 Re1 31. Bc4+ Kh8 32. Rc8+ Kg7 33. Rc7+ Kh8 34. Rc8+ Kg7 35. Rc7+ 1/2-1/2