[Event "World Championship"] [Site "Dubai"] [Date "2021.11.26"] [Round "1"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C88"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2855"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2021.11.26"] [EventCountry "UAE"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O { Threatening the Marshall Gambit.} 8. h3 (8. a4 {has been the more common anti-Marshall these days.}) (8. c3 d5 {is the Marshall Gambit, with colossal amounts of theory after} 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6) 8... Na5 { Extremely rare and as far as I can tell it had never even been played in a GM vs. GM game. Nevertheless, Carlsen found it and Nepo was prepared for it! That's what World Championship preparation is all about.} (8... Bb7 {is usual, preparing to play ...d5 anyway.} 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 {etc. 8.h3 is called an Anti-Marshall, but it doesn't prevent a similar ...d5 pawn sac.}) 9. Nxe5 Nxb3 10. axb3 Bb7 11. d3 d5 12. exd5 Qxd5 13. Qf3 {Black's score from here is abysmal, but Carlsen has obviously analyzed this far more deeply than any of the previous players who had tried the position. Incidentally, *this* position did arise in one previous all-GM game, which White won.} Bd6 14. Kf1 $1 (14. Nc3 $4 Qxe5 $19) 14... Rfb8 {Nepo acknowledged being prepared to at least this point. He did slow down here, however.} (14... Qxe5 $146 15. Qxb7 Qh2 {may also be playable.}) 15. Qxd5 {Forced.} (15. Nc3 $4 Qxe5 16. Rxe5 (16. Qxb7 Qxe1+ $19) 16... Bxf3 $19) 15... Nxd5 16. Bd2 c5 17. Nf3 $146 {Here Carlsen finally started to think.} (17. Nc3 Nb4 18. Rac1 {happened in the two previous games to reach the position after 16...c5. Both were correspondence games, and both finished in white wins.}) 17... Rd8 {Both sides have plenty of options here; it's primarily about finding setups and plans one finds attractive.} 18. Nc3 {Speaking generally about White's aims, he has two. First, to swap pieces, if he can do so until neutral-to-favorable circumstances. Second, to achieve d4.} Nb4 19. Rec1 Rac8 20. Ne2 {Building for d3-d4.} Nc6 { I suspect that this move was inaccurate, but it is logical. It prevents the immediate d4 and looks to reroute the knight to f5.} (20... Be7 {may improve.}) 21. Be3 (21. d4 $2 {doesn't work -} cxd4 22. Nexd4 Nxd4 23. Nxd4 Be5 24. c3 Bxd4 25. cxd4 Rxd4 $11) ({However,} 21. Rd1 {may be a better way to build for d4, waiting to see what Black's next move is before making further commitments. }) 21... Ne7 $1 22. Bf4 $6 {/? Criticized by all of the commentators, and by Nepomniachtchi himself after the game. Swapping a bunch of pieces when up material is normally the thing to do, and getting Black to eliminate both of his bishops is nice as well. But it turns out that it's Black who has the better play after all the swaps, his small material deficit notwithstanding.} ( 22. Ng3) (22. Rd1) ({and} 22. d4 {were all decent alternatives.}) 22... Bxf3 23. gxf3 Bxf4 24. Nxf4 Rc6 {With ...Nf5-d4 and ...Rf6 coming up, Black is doing great.} 25. Re1 Nf5 26. c3 Nh4 27. Re3 $6 ({The unobvious} 27. Rad1 $1 { was better, returning the pawn immediately in exchange for activity.} Nxf3 28. Re3 Nh4 29. d4 Nf5 30. Re5 $11) 27... Kf8 $6 {An inaccuracy in turn by Carlsen. } (27... g6 $1 $15 {was the right way to take care of the back rank problem, because it also prevents 28.Ng2. (Or rather, makes it cost White his d-pawn.)} 28. Ng2 $2 (28. Ke2) 28... Nf5 29. Re5 {The knight is defended, so Black can take on d3.} Rxd3 $15 {/-/+}) 28. Ng2 $1 Nf5 29. Re5 g6 30. Ne1 $6 $11 (30. Ke2 $142) 30... Ng7 $1 {Heading to f4. It's a rare chess game that sees a player "fianchetto" his knight, and in this game both players do it!} 31. Re4 $6 { To induce ...f5, it seems, but this helps Black.} (31. f4 {was probably better, intending to meet} Ne6 {with} 32. f5 $11) 31... f5 $1 32. Re3 Ne6 33. Ng2 { Nepo thought he was fine here, but had to sweat a bit after seeing Carlsen's reply.} b4 $1 $11 {/=/+ Now White has some troubles on the queenside, but Carlsen realized, and Nepomniachtchi came to realize that bringing his king to the queenside should hold the game, even if it costs White his extra pawn.} 34. Ke2 Rb8 35. Kd2 bxc3+ 36. bxc3 Rxb3 37. Kc2 Rb7 38. h4 {Preventing ...Ng5, so the rook can leave e3.} Kf7 (38... Nd4+ 39. Kd1 $8) (38... Rcb6 39. Re2) (38... a5 39. Rxa5 $4 Nd4+ $1 40. Kd1 Rb1+ 41. Kd2 Rcb6 42. cxd4 cxd4 $19 {was offered GM Erwin L'Ami, on Twitter.}) 39. Ree1 $11 Kf6 40. Ne3 {Making the time control with 14 minutes to spare.} (40. Ra2 {seems more precise to me.}) 40... Rd7 {With 11 minutes to spare. My thought during the game was that Carlsen had just given up on the game and was inviting the repetition that ensues. That's half right; what's wrong is that he apparently missed the tactical trick that justifies 40...Nf4, and would have played it if he had seen it.} ({It's not that Black is better after} 40... Nf4 {, but it does stop the otherwise desirable 41.Ra4.} 41. Ra4 $4 (41. Nc4 $11) 41... Rb2+ $1 $19) 41. Nc4 ({White could try} 41. Ra4 {, but prefers to call it a day.}) 41... Re7 42. Ne5 Rd6 43. Nc4 Rc6 44. Ne5 Rd6 45. Nc4 1/2-1/2