[Event "Altibox Norway Chess"] [Site "?"] [Date "2020.10.13"] [Round "16.2"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B15"] [WhiteElo "2828"] [BlackElo "2728"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "97"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 {Caruana does not mind repeating the Fantasy Variation from the first game..} g6 ({But Firouzja objects, since Black was suffering in their first game after:} 3... dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c3 Nd7 7. Bd3 Ngf6 8. O-O Bd6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nc2 Bh5 11. Ne3 O-O 12. Nf5 Qc7 13. Qc2 {Caruana,F (2828)-Firouzja,A (2728) Altibox Norway Chess 2020}) 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e5 {A popular reply against the similar Black set-up in the Sicilian defense.} ({ The other popular plan is to keep the flexibility of the pawn structure with:} 5. Be3 Na6 6. Qd2 Nc7 7. O-O-O h5 8. Nge2 Nh6 9. h3 h4 10. Nf4 Ng8 11. Kb1 Kf8 12. Bd3 Nf6 13. Nce2 Nh5 14. Nxh5 Rxh5 15. e5 Rh8 16. g4 hxg3 17. Nxg3 c5 18. dxc5 Bxe5 19. f4 Bf6 20. f5 {with initiative for White in Xiong,J (2709) -Jobava,B (2603) Lichess.org INT 2020}) 5... c5 ({More interesting seems Jobava's treatment of the position:} 5... Nh6 6. f4 Nf5 7. Nf3 h5 8. Bd3 Na6 9. a3 Nc7 10. Ne2 b6 11. O-O Ba6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. c3 Nc7 14. Bd2 Ne6 {Murzin,V (2465)-Jobava,B (2603) Lichess.org 2020}) 6. f4 cxd4 7. Qxd4 Be6 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. Bb5 Nh6 10. Bxc6+ {N Caruana quickly blitzed this logical novelty. This is also a common idea against the Sicilian, successfully applied by Adams. The only difference is that in the Sicilian White swaps the knight in order to support his d4 pawn. Here Caruana stabilizes the central situation and looks for a successful blockade.} (10. Qa4 Qb6 11. Nd4 O-O 12. Be3 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Qc7 14. Bd3 Rfd8 {1/2-1/2 (13) Rosen,W (2194)-Herbrechtsmeier,C (2264) Berlin 2017} ) 10... bxc6 11. Qc5 {An important move in White's plan. The pressure against the c6 pawn forces Firouzja to take an important decision.} ({It would be optimal to block the c-pawn with the knight. However,} 11. Na4 {allows Black a chance to question White's strategy with} Bg4 12. O-O O-O 13. Nc5 Nf5 14. Qc3 d4 {followed by Qd8-d5 and the blockade would not be timely.}) 11... Bd7 { Alas, that is not what the position requires.} ({Stronger was} 11... Qb6 12. Na4 Qa6 $1 {at least disturbing the white king for a while. After} 13. b3 Bg4 { nothing is clear yet. Black intends to meet} 14. Ba3 {with} O-O $1) 12. Be3 e6 {Blocking his own bishop.} ({The immediate} 12... Nf5 13. Bf2 h5 {is also clearly better for White as the black pieces are passive and will be soon chased away from their good spots.}) 13. Na4 Nf5 14. Bf2 h5 15. Qc3 {Caruana's opening choice was a success. The blockade on the dark squares means that the black bishop pair will not see the light. White is better on both flanks.} c5 { The best practical chance. The bishop gets some air at least.} ({Firouzja will soon run out of good moves after} 15... O-O 16. Nc5) 16. Nxc5 O-O ({Perhaps} 16... Rc8 {was a tad better, although White is clearly on top after} 17. Qd2 Bb5 18. Nb3) 17. O-O Bb5 18. Rfe1 Qe7 {Next, Caruana consolidates his advantage.} 19. a4 Bc6 20. b4 Rfc8 21. Qd2 Be8 22. c3 a5 23. h3 Bf8 ({In case of} 23... h4 {White can win the h4 pawn with} 24. Reb1 {intending Qd2-e1.} ({ Or he may chose instead} 24. Nd4 Nxd4 25. Bxd4 {in both cases with a clearly won position.})) 24. Kh2 ({For the time being Caruana refrains from} 24. g4 hxg4 25. hxg4 Nh6 26. Nh2 {possibily fearing} d4 $5) 24... Qc7 25. g4 Ng7 26. Rg1 ({It also made sense to plug-in the hole with} 26. Bd4 $5 {which keeps the black bishop out of the contest for ever.}) 26... axb4 27. cxb4 d4 {One more pawn sacrifice. The bishop is finally out on the long diagonal.} 28. Bxd4 ({ The immediate} 28. Ne4 $5 Qb7 29. Nf6+ Kh8 30. f5 {would do too.}) 28... Rd8 ({ Objectively, best was} 28... Bxc5 29. Bxc5 Bxa4 30. Ng5 {although Firouzja should not survive here either.}) 29. Ne4 Bc6 30. Rac1 ({Also pleasant was the direct attempt} 30. Nf6+ Kh8 31. f5 Ne8 32. Nxe8 Rxe8 33. Ng5 Rad8 34. fxg6 fxg6 35. gxh5 {with a winning attack.}) 30... Qb7 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. f5 $1 { The start of the decisive attack.} ({Besides the opening of the diagonal, the inclusion of the second knight would have created mating threats as well} 32. Ng5 $1 {The threat is Rxc6!} Bxa4 {Then White simply trades the defenders:} 33. Qg2 Rab8 34. Bb6 Qxg2+ 35. Rxg2 Rd7 36. Rc7 {and wins.}) 32... Ne8 ({Or} 32... exf5 33. Qh6#) 33. fxg6 ({The other mating attack is} 33. gxh5 Bxf3 34. hxg6 Nxf6 35. exf6 Qb8+ 36. Rg3) 33... Bxf3 34. gxh5 fxg6 ({Nothing helps} 34... Nxf6 35. exf6 e5 36. g7+ Bxg7 37. Rxg7) 35. hxg6 Bg7 36. Qf4 {The road towards the black king is opened and Firouzja has to part with loads of material:} Rxd4 37. Qxd4 Bh6 38. Qh4 Qg7 39. Rcf1 Be2 40. Rf2 Bd3 41. Ng4 Bxg6 42. Nxh6 Qxe5+ 43. Rg3 Qh5 44. Qxh5 Bxh5 45. Rf8+ Kh7 46. Nf7 Bxf7 47. Rxf7+ Kh6 48. Rf8 Kh7 49. Rgg8 1-0