[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2023.08.23"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa, R."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C48"] [WhiteElo "2835"] [BlackElo "2690"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "2021.07.30"] [EventType "k.o."] {[%evp 0,60,19,29,30,31,16,16,9,4,22,10,26,21,18,15,15,15,43,25,23,-3,6,-5,-5,-1,-8,-55,-36,-25,-23,-32,-29,-48,-26,-22,-28,-33,-20,-15,-8,-22,0,-15,-12,-9,0,3,5,7,5,0,-4,-4,0,-6,0,-5,-2,-9,-6,-5,2] The most important thing to know about this game is that Carlsen apparently suffered from food poisoning. So, since he's not in a must-win situation, making a quick and easy draw makes excellent sense. And that's what he does.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4 {Not the move to play if White is ambitious.} exd4 6. e5 dxc3 7. exf6 Qxf6 8. dxc3 Bc5 9. Qe2+ Qe6 10. Bf4 Qxe2+ 11. Kxe2 c6 12. Bd3 d5 13. c4 dxc4 14. Bxc4 Bf5 15. Rhd1 {The game's one brief moment of drama, at least for the spectators, at least for a moment.} O-O (15... Bxc2 {A free pawn? No, just a cute way of trading pieces.} 16. Rdc1 Bg6 (16... Be4 17. f3) 17. Bxf7+ Kxf7 18. Rxc5 Rhe8+ 19. Be3 $11 {is just as drawish as it was before 15...Bxc2.}) 16. Bd3 Be6 17. Kf1 Rfe8 18. b3 Rad8 19. Re1 h6 20. Rad1 Kf8 21. f3 Bb4 22. Re4 Bc5 23. Rde1 {If you thought Pragg's 16...Be6, avoiding the trade of bishops, was an indication that he was playing for more than a draw, his next move will set things straight.} Bd5 24. Rxe8+ Rxe8 25. Bf5 Rxe1+ 26. Kxe1 Ke7 27. c4 Be6 28. Bxe6 Kxe6 29. h3 h5 30. Ke2 g6 {All the pawns (except for Black's a-pawn, which can move to a6 at any time) are on light squares, giving the bishops nothing to do. Move 30 has been reached (draw offers aren't allowed before that), so the players can give up the pretense of a real game and call it a day.} 1/2-1/2 [Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2023.08.23"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Abasov, Nijat"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B45"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2632"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "117"] [EventDate "2021.07.30"] [EventType "k.o."] {[%evp 0,117,31,18,46,40,40,34,29,37,37,37,39,21,25,-9,-9,-9,14,36,36,-78,0,-80,0,0,93,93,56,108,108,100,102,102,102,102,102,115,91,94,80,88,73,84,101,86,101,101,86,92,101,101,101,98,94,111,146,150,209,207,207,198,198,198,208,214,214,213,215,203,203,196,210,208,207,203,202,204,206,211,223,220,224,200,215,215,229,230,231,231,232,232,232,232,232,232,232,236,231,241,247,243,257,257,255,256,257,245,258,255,259,252,251,251,361,361,368,374,374,371]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bf4 (6. Ndb5 Bb4 (6... d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 {transposes to a Sveshnikov. The point of this move order is that Black has avoided the Rossolimo (2...Nc6 3.Bb5), and perhaps a second point is that if Black is a time-trouble addict he can rejoice in coming one move closer to the time control through this move order (relative to the 2...Nc6 move order), as White has made an extra move with his bishop and Black an extra move with the e-pawn.}) 7. Bf4 {is the usual way to reach the game position after White's 7th move.} (7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 d5 {is a solid line where White enjoys a slight edge but the positions are drawish.})) (6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Qc7 9. f4 {is generally considered the most principled approach for White.}) 6... Bb4 (6... d6 {is possible, inviting (but not necessitating) another transposition to the Sveshnikov after} 7. Ndb5 e5 8. Bg5 {.}) 7. Ndb5 {Now it's crazy time.} Nxe4 8. Qf3 d5 9. Nc7+ Kf8 10. O-O-O {This has been played in more games, in total, than 10.Nxa8, but it seems to be less common at the elite level.} (10. Nxa8 e5 11. Bd2 Nd4 12. Qd1 Qh4 13. g3 Qf6 14. Nxe4 Nf3+ 15. Qxf3 (15. Ke2 Nd4+ 16. Ke1 Nf3+ $11 {is also possible, but obviously unacceptable for Caruana in a must-win game.}) 15... Qxf3 16. Bxb4+ Kg8 17. Nd6 Qxh1 18. O-O-O Be6 19. Nc7 Qxh2 20. Nxd5 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Qxf2 {This is all still well-established theory - for over the board chess; it's not one of those weird lines that only correspondence players bother with. White has three moves here that maintain triple-zero equality: 22.Rxe5, 22.Rd1, and 22.Bc4 - and all three moves have been tried. Despite the equality, all three results are not only possible, but have happened, even at the GM level.}) 10... Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qe7 {After a few minutes' thought, Abasov chooses a playable move, but not one of the more common (and engine-recommended) moves.} (11... e5 {is one of Black's best choices, when play goes} 12. Nxd5 $1 (12. Nxa8 $2 Qa5 $19) 12... f5 $1 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Bc4 Be6 15. Bb3 $1 Rd8 $1 16. c4 $11 g6 17. g4 Kg7 18. gxf5 Bxf5 19. Kb2 b5 20. cxb5 Qxb5 21. a4 Qa5 22. Rhg1 Rhf8 23. Qh5 Kh8 24. Qh6 Rb8 25. h4 Rfd8 26. f3 Nd6 27. Bg5 Rf8 28. Bf6+ Rxf6 29. Nxf6 Rxb3+ 30. cxb3 Nc4+ 31. Ka2 Nb4+ 32. Ka1 Nc2+ 33. Ka2 Nb4+ {½-½ Dotzer,L (2245)-Kharitonov,M (1930) Wch U12 Batumi 2022 (7)}) (11... g5 {is another popular (relatively speaking - this whole line is a backwater) try:} 12. Qxe4 (12. Bg3 Rb8 {is also possible and unclear. Two possibilities:} 13. Nxd5 (13. Bb5 f5 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Nxd5 Rb7 16. Nb4 Qa5 $11) 13... exd5 14. Qxe4 dxe4 15. Rxd8+ Nxd8 16. Bxb8 Nc6 17. Bd6+ Kg7 $11) 12... Qxc7 13. Bxc7 dxe4 14. Bb5 f6 $11 {White has enough for the pawn, but not more.}) 12. c4 {Played immediately. Now Abasov definitely goes awry.} Qf6 $2 {Following in the footsteps of a game from...1902!} (12... Nb4 $1 13. cxd5 $1 (13. Nxa8 $2 Nxa2+ 14. Kb2 Nec3 15. Nc7 Qb4+ 16. Ka1 Bd7 $19) 13... Nxa2+ 14. Kb2 Nac3 15. Rd4 $1 e5 16. d6 Qf6 17. Rxe4 Nxe4 18. Bc1 $1 Qxf3 19. gxf3 Nxf2 20. Rg1 Rb8 {The position has stabilized, but it's still weird. White would love to play 21.Be3, attacking the knight and threatening 22.Bxa7, but 21...Nd1+ would win on the spot.} 21. Bb5 $1 (21. Bc4 h6 22. Be3 (22. Bd2 $142 $11 {/?}) 22... Nh3 23. Re1 Be6 24. Nxe6+ fxe6 25. Bxe6 Nf4 26. Bb3 b6 27. Bd2 g5 28. Rxe5 Kg7 $11) 21... a6 $1 22. Bc4 b5 23. Bb3 Nh3 24. Re1 g5 25. Rxe5 Kg7 26. Be3 Rd8 27. Ba7 Rb7 28. Bc5 Kf6 29. Re7 Rxc7 30. dxc7 Rd7 31. Rxd7 Bxd7 32. Bd6 Nf4 33. c4 bxc4 34. Bxc4 Bc8 $11 {If Abasov had prepared this beforehand and managed to remember at the board, well, all Caruana could do in that case would be to tip his metaphorical hat to him. But remembering all this, in the context of remembering thousands of other lines, dozens or hundreds of which were also possible before the game, is basically impossible - this is too minor a line.}) 13. c3 $18 g5 (13... Rb8 14. cxd5 Nxc3 15. dxc6 Nxd1 16. Bd6+ Kg8 17. Qxf6 gxf6 18. Ne8 $2 ({White should keep it simple:} 18. Kxd1 bxc6 19. Ne8 $18 {should win comfortably.}) 18... Nxf2 19. Bxb8 Nxh1 20. Bxa7 $4 (20. Nd6 bxc6 21. Nxc8 $18 {Maybe White missed that after} Kg7 {he'd have} 22. Ba6 {? Without this, he'd be lost, but here he's winning.}) 20... bxc6 $11 21. g3 h5 22. Bg2 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Rh6 24. Bxc6 Rg6 25. Bf2 e5 26. a4 f5 27. Bb5 {½-½ Loman,R-Brody,M DSB Kongress-13 Hauptturnier A Hannover 1902 (6)}) 14. Bd6+ Kg7 15. Qxf6+ Kxf6 16. Nxa8 Nxd6 17. cxd5 exd5 18. f3 {So far, everything has gone perfectly for Caruana, and he has achieved a winning advantage. Abasov fights well, though, and for a long time the win was uncertain.} Nf5 19. Nc7 d4 20. Bb5 $2 $16 (20. cxd4 Nfxd4 21. Bd3 $18) 20... Ne3 21. Rd2 Bd7 22. Re1 Rc8 23. Rxe3 $1 Rxc7 24. Re4 dxc3 (24... Bf5 $142 25. Bxc6 $1 Rxc6 26. Rexd4 Rxc3+ 27. Kb2 $16) 25. Rd6+ Kg7 (25... Be6 26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Rc4 $18) 26. Re3 $6 (26. Rd5 $1 h6 27. Rc5 $18) 26... a6 27. Ba4 Be6 28. Bxc6 bxc6 29. Rxc3 Bxa2 30. Rcxc6 Re7 31. Rxa6 Re2 32. Rd2 Re1+ 33. Kb2 Be6 {The position has simplified, and both players have benefited (in different ways). White benefits in that Black has no counterplay, so he can just grind away on the kingside. For Black, his defensive structure is nice and compact; he doesn't have to worry about defending weaknesses on both sides of the board. From here White's first order of business is getting his king to the kingside. One important thing to keep in mind is that a rook trade results in a textbook win for White - Black absolutely needs to retain his rook for the sake of counterplay.} 34. Ra1 Re5 35. Kc3 h6 36. Kd4 Rb5 37. Ke3 Rb3+ 38. Kf2 {First job done. The next step - a much more difficult one - is to figure out how to push the kingside pawns. In general, pawn exchanges help Black, so White must be very careful about this.} Rb4 39. Ra5 Rh4 40. h3 Rb4 41. Kg3 Kf6 42. Re2 Bf5 43. Ree5 Bg6 44. Reb5 Rc4 45. Rb6+ Kg7 46. Rab5 Rc2 47. Rb2 Rc4 48. R2b4 Rc5 49. R6b5 Rc2 50. Rd5 Ra2 {White has not been in any hurry - which is smart - but that doesn't mean he hasn't been doing anything. Critically, he's now ready to make his next bit of progress:} 51. h4 $1 {If Black could safely maintain the pawn on g5, he would prefer to do so. But he can't: pushing the f-pawn is suicide, and 51...Kf6 loses a pawn after 52.Rb6+ drives Black's king back to the 7th rank. So Black must take, even though it compromises his structure.} gxh4+ 52. Rxh4 h5 {This would be forced sooner or later, before White can play g2-g4. Now Caruana has to come up with another idea, and he was ready.} 53. Rb4 Rc2 (53... Re2 $6 {seems to makes sense, to meet} 54. f4 {with} Be4 $2 {. Unfortunately for Black, it not only doesn't work, but it's a mistake.} 55. Rg5+ $1 Kf6 56. Rb6+ Ke7 57. Re5+ Kd7 58. Kh4 $18 {All Black has done is to walk into a deadly pin and weakened his pawns; as for White's g-pawn, it's immune from capture.}) 54. f4 {Not messing around.} Kf6 55. Rg5 $1 {An excellent practical move. Now Abasov sank into thought, but couldn't figure out the only way to keep the game going.} Rc6 $2 {Stopping Rb6+, but the move has another drawback.} (55... Rc1 $3 {was the only move. The point, as Peter Leko noted in his commentary, is that after} 56. Rb6+ Kg7 $1 57. f5 $2 (57. Kh2 $1 Rf1 $1 58. Rb4 Ra1 {and while White is still (presumably) winning, the game goes on.}) 57... Kh6 $8 58. Rbxg6+ fxg6 59. Rxg6+ Kh7 60. Kh4 {and Black holds on by a thread:} Rf1 $1 61. Kg5 Rf2 $1 62. g3 Rf3 $1 $11 {and White will not be able to win the h-pawn for free (e.g. with Rh6+ and Rxh5), so it's a draw with correct play.}) 56. Kh4 $1 Re6 57. f5 $1 Bxf5 58. Rf4 Re5 59. Rxh5 (59. Rxh5 {White threatens g4, so the only sensible idea for Black is} Ke6 60. g4 Bg6 {(This is why Black played the rook to e6 on move 56, so it would be defended here.)} 61. Rxe5+ Kxe5 62. Kg5 $1 {and Black has no good defense to the threat of Rf6(+) and Rxg6. If the bishop flees, then the f-pawn falls and that's an elementary win as well. An excellent, clutch win by Caruana, who showed resilience in rebounding from yesterday's defeat.}) 1-0