[Event "Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2023"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.05.08"] [Round "3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E73"] [WhiteElo "2764"] [BlackElo "2742"] [Annotator "Rafael"] [PlyCount "45"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] {[%evp 0,45,24,23,24,1,35,2,2,0,11,13,12,5,27,25,50,50,50,57,57,50,55,40,39,43,43,47,63,65,43,40,92,85,114,122,177,177,177,177,173,173,220,152,281,241,322,294]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4 {As elite grandmasters show us in every tournament, it's possible to play anything in the opening these days, you just have to be well prepared. I guess I'm making this sound easier than it really is. The idea of this move is not so complex: White wants to play h5 at some point. This is mainly targeted against the Grunfeld Defence. I hope the reader is not offended by this spoiler, but it's curious that this pawn never managed to fulfill its destiny and stayed on h4 for the remainder of the game.} Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O {Vachier-Lagrave accepts to play a King's Indian. Can this be considered Caruana's first victory in this game, or am I exaggerating $2} (4... d5 5. h5 $1 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Here it is: the real point of the daring advance on move three.}) 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 $1 {[%c_effect e2;square;e2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The best way to make sense of the pawn on h4. Vachier-Lagrave himself has some experience on the white side of this position.} c5 (6... h5 {is logical, stopping the pawn once and for all. But then White can try to place either a knight or a bishop on the g5-square. There's a lot of theory on this position.}) (6... e5 {This was played by Carlsen.} 7. dxe5 $6 {[%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] A strange choice, since 7.d5 is much more natural.} (7. d5) 7... dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. h5 c6 {Vachier-Lagrave-Carlsen, Carlsen Inv Prelim (rapid) 2020.}) 7. d5 b5 $5 {[%c_effect b5;square;b5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Black chooses an improved version of the Benko Gambit.} (7... e6 {Vachier-Lagrave has played this move before.} 8. h5 exd5 9. exd5 Re8 10. h6 Bh8 11. Bg5 Qb6 {with a complicated game in Grischuk-Vachier-Lagrave, Paris (rapid) 2019.}) 8. cxb5 a6 {As I was about to make fun of one more failed attempt of playing the Benko Gambit, I suddenly found out that I had played this position with Black myself. The past always comes back to haunt us. To be fair, I managed to get a pretty good position against a strong opponent.} 9. a4 (9. b6 $6 {[%c_effect b6;square;b6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] The problem with the Benko Gambit is that it loses a pawn. Enough said.} Qxb6 10. Nh3 h5 $1 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 11. Ng5 Nbd7 12. O-O Ne5 13. Na4 Qc7 14. Bf4 Nh7 {I remember that I liked my position at this point. Vescovi-Leitao, Sao Paulo 2007.}) 9... axb5 10. Bxb5 Ba6 11. Bxa6 (11. Bd2 {Vachier-Lagrave used this move to beat Svidler in 2021.} Bxb5 12. axb5 Nbd7 13. Nf3 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 Qb6 15. O-O Rb8 16. Qa6 Ne8 {Black has a good position since the knight is going to c7 and the b5-pawn is about to be lost, but somehow White won the game in Vachier-Lagrave-Svidler, St. Louis 2021.}) 11... Nxa6 12. Nf3 {Here we have a much better version for Black of the traditional gambit, since the pawn on h4 leaves some weaknesses on White's position. Honestly, if this position is not playable for Black, then I have bad news for Benko Gambit lovers. The question is: what's the best way for Black to explore the lead in initiative and the weakened g4-square to fight for compensation $2} Qd7 {A novelty. Vachier-Lagrave aims his queen at the kingside, but his piece's only got a one-way ticket for its journey.} (12... Ng4 $6 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] is obviously premature, as it allows the advance of the pawn.} 13. h5 $1 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}) (12... e6 $6 {[%c_effect e6;square;e6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} 13. dxe6 $1 {[%c_effect e6;square;e6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} fxe6 14. O-O d5 15. Bg5 {leads to a clear advantage for White.}) (12... h5 13. O-O Ng4 {was played in Boyer-Bailet, Vaujany op 2021.}) (12... Nb4 {is natural, but the queen probably will go to d7 anyway after} 13. O-O) 13. O-O Qg4 $6 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} (13... Nb4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is more accurate, leaving all options open. Black can play with c5-c4, Qg4, or Ng4. The compensation for the pawn seems quite decent.}) 14. Re1 Nb4 15. Bg5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] A very strong move by Caruana. It's the only move that gives White a clear edge, and it was probably missed by Black.} (15. e5 $6 {[%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] is premature.} dxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxh4) 15... Nh5 $2 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This is based on a miscalculation. The initiative is not strong enough to compensate for the missing pawns.} (15... h6 {This is the critical try, but White has the advantage after some precise moves.} 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 (16... exf6 {is not as bad as it looks if Black manages to play f6-f5 one day, but White is in control after} 17. Nb5) 17. e5 $1 {[%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} dxe5 18. Re4 $1 {[%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} (18. Nxe5 {is not so convincing after} Qxh4) 18... Qf5 19. Qe2 Rfd8 20. Rd1 {followed by 21.Nxe5 with a clear advantage.}) 16. Bxe7 Nf4 17. g3 Rfe8 (17... Nbd3 {is an interesting attempt, but it's refuted after} 18. Ng5 $1 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} (18. Bxf8 $4 {[%c_effect f8;square;f8;type;Blunder;persistent;true] loses to} Qh3 $1 {[%c_effect h3;square;h3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 19. gxf4 Nxf4 {with inevitable mate.}) 18... Qxd1 19. Raxd1 Nxb2 20. Bxf8 {and White will be ahead after both players capture all the hanging pieces.}) 18. Bxd6 Nfd3 19. Re3 $1 {[%c_effect e3;square;e3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Nxb2 20. Qb3 N2d3 21. e5 {Black is left with a miserable position, but his agony will soon be over.} f5 {A desperate attempt to complicate the game.} (21... c4 22. Qd1 {with two pawns up and an easy win for White.}) 22. Nh2 Qh3 $6 {[%c_effect h3;square;h3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} (22... Qd4 {is better. Caruana could choose to repeat moves with 23.Nf3 and play something else later, or play 23.Rd1.} 23. Rd1 (23. Nf3) 23... c4 24. Qxb4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} Qxe3 25. fxe3 Nxb4 26. Bxb4 Bxe5 27. Kf2 {with an easily winning endgame.}) 23. Ne2 {Black's pieces are hanging, the queen is out of the game, and he is two pawns down. The game is over.} 1-0