[Event "World Championship"]
[Site "Dubai"]
[Date "2021.12.07"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "2782"]
[BlackElo "2856"]
[Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2021.11.27"]
[EventCountry "UAE"]
1. c4 {Finally varying from 1.e4.} e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 d4 (3... Nf6 {and}) (3...
dxc4 {are important alternatives.}) 4. Nf3 Nc6 (4... c5 {is also playable,
inviting a reversed Modern Benoni.}) 5. O-O Bc5 (5... Nf6) (5... Nh6 $5) 6. d3
Nf6 7. Nbd2 a5 8. Nb3 Be7 9. e3 dxe3 $146 (9... e5 $6 10. exd4 exd4 11. Re1 O-O
{1-0 (45) Gabuzyan,H (2587)-Bellahcene,B (2497) Krasnaya Polyana 2021} 12. a4
$14 {/+/- White has better control over the center.}) 10. Bxe3 Ng4 {Carlsen
remembered that this was the key move, but couldn't remember what to do from
here.} 11. Bc5 O-O 12. d4 {The first move where Nepo thought, and it was for a
considerable 24 minutes.} a4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nc5 a3 (14... e5 $142 {was an
important alternative, and after} 15. Re1 Rd8 16. b4 $1 {leads to unusual play.
This would have been entertaining, seeing the players battle it out in this
nonstandard position.} (16. Nxa4 Qb4 17. b3 exd4 $11)) 15. bxa3 {Played after
only five minutes' thought. Nepo missed a very good practical chance here.} (
15. b4 $142 $1 Nxb4 16. Rb1 b6 {Best. Carlsen briefly discussed this
possibility in the press conference, opining that the line was a good try for
White, though certainly not winning. He was right on both counts.} 17. Rxb4
bxc5 18. Rb5 Ra6 19. Rxc5 Bb7 20. Qb3 Bc6 21. Rb1 Qd6 22. Qd3 {is a possible
continuation that favors White, though not too much if Black plays accurately.}
) 15... Rd8 {Threatening to take on d4.} (15... Rxa3 {is also possible.}) 16.
Nb3 Nf6 17. Re1 (17. Qe2 {followed by Rfd1 looks (more) natural.}) 17... Qxa3
18. Qe2 h6 19. h4 {To me, the most fascinating and instructive moment of the
game. The positive idea is to create the possibility of Nf3-somewhere
(probably e5) followed by g4-g5, with an attack.} Bd7 {Carlsen spent 12
minutes on this move, or rather on the idea of ...Bd7-e8.} 20. Ne5 Be8 21. Qe3
Qb4 {Carlsen felt good about this, even if it was based in part on lines that
omitted 24.Qe1. It puts a little pressure on c4 and clears the way for ...Ra3.}
22. Reb1 (22. Bxc6 Bxc6 23. Nc5 Ra3 24. Reb1 {is an interesting alternative,
while} Rxa2 25. Nxc6 Rxa1 26. Ne7+ Kf8 27. Ng6+ fxg6 28. Rxa1 Re8 29. Ra7 Qxc4
30. Rxb7 e5 31. Rxc7 Qd5 32. Qb3 Qxb3 33. Nxb3 exd4 34. Nxd4 $11) (22. Rab1 {
was a possible alternative to the text.}) 22... Nxe5 23. dxe5 Ng4 (23... Nd7 {
was also playable.}) 24. Qe1 $1 {Carlsen overlooked this when playing ...Nxe5.
The problem is that White has three threats here: to take the queen, to take
on b7, and to play f3 trapping Black's knight.} (24. Qe2 h5 $15) 24... Qxe1+ (
24... Qxc4 $2 25. f3) 25. Rxe1 {Threatening to win the knight with f3, so
Black must give up the b-pawn.} h5 26. Bxb7 Ra4 $44 27. c5 $4 {A blunder,
played after only four minutes and with 49 minutes left on his clock. Nepo
told Carlsen right after the game that he wasn't concerned about ...c6 because
there's always Nc5, but of course once one plays c5 the knight can't go there.}
(27. f3 Nh6 28. Be4 Nf5 (28... Rxc4 $143 29. Rec1 Ra4 (29... Rxc1+ $2 30. Rxc1
$18) 30. Rxc7 Nf5 31. Kf2 $14) 29. Kf2 Kf8 {should equalize.} (29... Ne7) (
29... Rxc4)) 27... c6 $19 {The bishop is trapped, and after ...Ra7 and/or ...
Rb8, will be lost. Nepo didn't return to the board for eighteen minutes.} 28.
f3 Nh6 29. Re4 Ra7 30. Rb4 Rb8 31. a4 (31. Bxc6 Rxb4 32. Bxe8 Rxb3 {is an
important tactical point.} 33. axb3 Rxa1+ $19) 31... Raxb7 32. Rb6 $1 Rxb6 33.
cxb6 Rxb6 34. Nc5 Nf5 35. a5 Rb8 36. a6 Nxg3 $1 {This greedy move is best,
though unnecessary.} 37. Na4 $1 (37. a7 Ra8 38. Ra5 {The last hope: Na4-b6 is
the idea.} Ne2+ 39. Kf2 Nd4 40. Na4 Nb5 $19) 37... c5 $1 (37... Ra8 $4 38. Nb6
Ra7 39. Nc8 Ra8 40. Nb6 $11) 38. a7 Rd8 $8 (38... Ra8 $4 39. Nb6) 39. Nxc5 (39.
Nb6 Bc6 40. a8=Q Bxa8 41. Nxa8 Nf5 $19 {is hopeless for White.}) (39. Rb1 {
was trickier.} Ra8 $8 (39... Bc6 $4 {looks as if it could also be playable,
but it isn't. Not only does it not win, it *loses*.} 40. Rb8 Rf8 41. Nxc5 {
followed by Nb7 (and sometimes Nd7) wins for White.} Nf5 (41... Ne2+ 42. Kf2
Nd4 43. Nd7 $18) 42. Nb7 $18) 40. Rb8 Rxa7 41. Rxe8+ Kh7 42. Nxc5 Nf5 $19)
39... Ra8 {The tricks are over, and so therefore is the game - and probably
the match.} 0-1
