[Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.11"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B40"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "103"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,103,27,19,51,42,79,21,22,26,15,16,32,33,55,50,34,52,61,61,58,56,57,48, 55,66,60,54,52,65,56,77,29,26,29,44,44,17,18,0,114,78,126,113,163,0,0,0,124, 119,150,133,133,121,123,160,160,100,166,160,137,99,89,78,122,82,141,151,157, 171,195,206,198,190,212,190,213,207,209,175,182,154,159,167,148,146,175,171, 171,170,174,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Nf6 6. Na3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nb5 Qd8 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 $6 (9... Nd5 $142) 10. Bxd4 $14 {/+/-} Be7 11. Bd3 O-O 12. Qc2 h6 13. O-O-O $16 Qa5 14. Kb1 b5 (14... Rd8 15. Ne5 Bd7 16. Qe2 Bc6 17. Rhe1 Bd5 18. c4 Bxg2 19. Bc3 Qb6 20. Rg1 Bc6 21. Nxf7 Kxf7 22. Rxg7+ Kxg7 23. Qxe6 Qxf2 24. Qxe7+ Kg8 25. Bh7+ { 1-0 (24) So,W (2773)-Akobian,V (2615) Saint Louis 2016}) 15. Be4 $2 (15. Qe2) ( 15. a3) 15... Rb8 $11 16. Ne5 Bb7 17. Bxb7 Rxb7 18. Rd3 Rc8 (18... Qc7) (18... Nd5) 19. Rg3 b4 $2 {This is of course what Black really, really wants to do, but he's underestimating his opponent's attack.} (19... Bf8) 20. Nxf7 $1 bxc3 ( 20... Kxf7 $4 21. Qg6+ Kf8 22. Qxg7+ Ke8 23. Qg6+ $1 (23. Bxf6 $4 Qf5+ 24. Ka1 Qxf6 $19) 23... Kd7 24. Bxf6 $18) 21. Nxh6+ (21. Rxc3 {was both better and simpler.} Rxc3 22. Bxc3 $18) 21... Kf8 22. Rxc3 $2 (22. Bxc3 Rxc3 23. Rxc3 gxh6 24. Rf3 $16) 22... Rxc3 23. Bxc3 $11 Qd5 $2 (23... Qb5 $11) (23... Qd8 $11) 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Qc8+ Bd8 26. Ng4 $18 {White is winning, but with the board as open as it is Black will keep good chances for counterplay for a long time. Ultimately, that's what saves him.} Rc7 27. Qb8 Kf7 28. Ne3 (28. f3 $142) 28... Qd3+ 29. Ka1 Qd6 30. Qb3 Bf6 31. Rb1 (31. a3 $142) 31... a5 32. a4 Qd7 (32... Qxh2 $142) 33. Ka2 (33. Nc4 $142) 33... Rb7 34. Qc2 Kg8 (34... Rb4 $142) 35. b3 Rc7 36. Nc4 Rc5 37. Rd1 Qc6 38. f3 Kh8 39. h3 Rd5 40. Rxd5 {In general, fewer pieces means fewer problems for the side with a material advantage, but this gives Black another trump with which to annoy White - the passed d-pawn. (An important added bonus: it kicks the knight off its beautiful perch on c4.)} ( 40. Rc1 $142) 40... exd5 41. Ne3 Qe6 42. Ng4 Bd4 (42... Bg5 $142) 43. Qd3 Bc5 44. f4 $2 (44. Kb2 $18) (44. Qd2 $18) 44... Qe1 {With that, White's advantage is gone. It's very surprising, but it's because of some nasty tactical tricks that this is the case.} 45. Qxd5 (45. Kb2 Ba3+ $1 {is one of the aforementioned tricks. The king can't run to c2 because 46...Qc1 is mate, and taking the bishop allows 46...Qa1#. So the king must return to a2, where its vulnerability immobilizes much of the rest of White's army.}) 45... Qc3 $1 { Threatening perpetual with ...Qc2+, ...Qc1+, ...Qc2+ etc., and even more than that, threatening ...Bd4. So White has nothing better than to force a draw himself.} 46. Qh5+ Kg8 47. Qe8+ Kh7 48. Qe4+ Kh8 49. Qa8+ Kh7 50. Qe4+ Kh8 51. Qa8+ Kh7 52. Qe4+ 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.11"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C46"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "45"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,45,27,19,20,27,62,20,14,-5,-11,-63,-29,-33,-26,-39,-56,2,-5,-5,28,28, 28,-76,-76,-63,-33,-18,-82,-191,-174,-183,-60,-190,-101,72,232,232,501,144,180, -312,401,109,29995,29996,29997,29998]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. a4 { Okay...} (4. Bb5 Bd6 {This is not Black's most popular choice, but it is well known and has been used by such luminaries as Carlsen, Caruana, Aronian, Svidler, Yu Yangyi, Harikrishna, Tomashevsky, Malakhov, and Vidit, to name just players with ratings over 2700.}) 4... Bb4 5. Bd3 {This looks like a second helping of ridiculousness, but in fact it's a normal move for Black in the Spanish Four Knights (i.e. the same first three moves, then 4.Bb5 [the Spanish Four Knights] Bd6).} d6 6. O-O O-O 7. Nd5 Bc5 8. c3 {This at least puts 4.a4 to work, as White threatens to "Noah's Ark" Black's bishop with 9.b4 Bb6 10.a5.} a5 9. Bc2 (9. Bc4) 9... Nxd5 10. exd5 Ne7 11. Ng5 (11. d4 $142) 11... h6 (11... Bf5 $142 $15) 12. d4 Bb6 13. Nh7 Re8 14. Nf6+ {This doesn't merit an exclamation point, as (a) it's the whole point of White's last four moves, and (b) Black is at least equal as a result of this plan and could have had the advantage with 11...Bf5. All the same, it's a very nice idea, and it quickly bears fruit.} gxf6 15. Qh5 e4 $1 16. Re1 $1 f5 $2 {Natural, but bad. While it does shut out the bishop on c2, and maybe slows down the e1-rook, it weakens a bunch of dark squares around Black's king while taking f5 away from his own pieces. Thanks to this one error, plausible though it appears, Black has gone from equal to lost.} (16... Bf5 17. Re3 $8 Qd7 18. g4 Bg6 19. Qxh6 $8 Qxg4+ $8 20. Rg3 $8 Nf5 $8 {For those who aren't au courant with all the symbols, the box means "only move".} 21. Rxg4 Nxh6 {The last two half moves were also forced, but it's rare to use the box when the moves are so obviously forced.} 22. Bxh6 c5 $11) (16... c5 {is more dangerous, but also seems possible.}) 17. Bxh6 Nxd5 18. Bg5 f6 (18... Nf6 19. Qh4 $1 Re6 20. Re3 Kf8 21. f3 d5 22. fxe4 dxe4 23. Rf1 Rd6 24. Bxe4 $1 $18 {and White ccrashes through.}) 19. Bb3 c6 (19... fxg5 20. Qg6+ $1 Kf8 21. Bxd5 Be6 (21... Qe7 22. Qg8#) (21... Qd7 22. Qf6+ Qf7 23. Qxf7#) 22. Bxe6 Rxe6 23. Qxe6 $18) 20. Re3 Kf8 (20... fxg5 21. Bxd5+ cxd5 22. Qg6+ Kf8 23. Rh3 $18 {mates shortly.}) 21. Qg6 f4 (21... Nxe3 22. Qf7#) (21... fxg5 22. Bxd5 cxd5 23. Rh3 $18 {reaches the same position that we already saw at the end of the 20...fxg5 variation. By Leibniz's Law (but not only by this law), we're justified in declaring this position won for White.}) 22. Bh6+ Ke7 23. Qh7+ (23. Qh7+ Ke6 24. Rxe4# { Enterprising play by Carlsen, and it's not that So played terribly; rather, he was in a position where an inaccuracy could prove fatal. In g/15'+10", it's very hard to play anywhere near perfect chess, especially on the eighth straight day of play.}) 1-0 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.12"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B97"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "124"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,124,27,20,47,41,99,64,64,37,32,36,75,43,90,17,27,15,-3,-3,18,-7,9,9, 66,59,79,109,138,85,97,86,71,71,92,93,64,64,46,-21,-12,-18,-9,-19,-10,-10,13, -5,-10,-15,0,-16,-9,-12,-2,-11,-5,0,12,7,3,0,0,0,-13,0,19,19,22,24,25,8,8,8,23, 14,12,25,19,11,13,19,20,0,0,-32,-7,-25,-28,-23,0,0,15,30,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. f5 Nc6 11. fxe6 Bxe6 (11... fxe6 {is the overwhelmingly most common choice, but Giri recaptured with the bishop both this time and in their fourth game as well.}) 12. Rxb7 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. Bd3 (14. Bc4 {was played in all the previous games.}) 14... h6 15. Bd2 Qc5 16. Ne2 Qxd4 17. Nxd4 Bc8 18. Rb1 O-O 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. exf5 d5 $11 {Black is fine, and goes on to hold without any problems.} 21. Be3 Ng4 22. Bd4 Rfe8 23. O-O Bf6 24. Bxf6 Nxf6 25. Rb4 a5 26. Rd4 Reb8 27. a3 Kf8 28. Re1 Re8 29. Rb1 Rab8 30. Rxb8 Rxb8 31. Ra4 Ra8 32. c4 Ke7 33. cxd5 Kd6 34. Kf2 Kxd5 35. Bc4+ Ke5 36. Bxf7 Kxf5 37. Kf3 Ra7 38. Ba2 Ke5 39. h4 g5 40. hxg5 hxg5 41. Rc4 g4+ 42. Kf2 Rb7 43. Rc2 Kf4 44. g3+ Ke5 45. Ke3 Ne4 46. Rc4 Nxg3 47. Rxg4 Nf5+ 48. Kd3 Rd7+ 49. Kc3 Rc7+ 50. Rc4 Rxc4+ 51. Kxc4 Ne3+ 52. Kb5 Nc2 53. a4 Nb4 54. Bb3 Nd5 55. Bxd5 Kxd5 56. Kxa5 Kc5 57. Ka6 Kc6 58. a5 Kc7 59. Ka7 Kc8 60. a6 Kc7 61. Ka8 Kc8 62. a7 Kc7 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.12"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C88"] [PlyCount "113"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 Bb7 9. d3 Re8 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 d6 12. Nc3 Na5 13. Ba2 b4 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 c6 17. Ba2 Rb8 18. Nd2 Bg5 19. Nb3 Nxb3 20. Bxb3 a5 21. g3 Qd7 22. Qh5 Rf8 23. Rad1 Rbe8 24. h4 Bd8 25. d4 exd4 26. Rxd4 Bb6 27. Rdd1 Qa7 28. Qf3 Bc5 29. Kg2 Re5 30. Re2 Qe7 31. Rde1 Re8 32. Bc4 Qf6 33. Qxf6 gxf6 34. f4 R5e7 35. Kf3 Kg7 36. g4 Bd4 37. Rd1 Bc5 38. Rdd2 Kf8 39. b3 Kg7 40. Bd3 d5 41. exd5 Re3+ 42. Rxe3 Rxe3+ 43. Kg2 cxd5 44. Bf5 d4 45. Bd3 Bd6 46. Rf2 Bc7 47. Rf3 Re1 48. h5 Re3 49. Rxe3 dxe3 50. Kf3 Bb6 51. Ke4 Bc5 52. Kd5 Bb6 53. Kc6 Bd8 54. Kd7 Bb6 55. Kc6 Bd8 56. Kd7 Bb6 57. Kc6 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.13"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B48"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,74,27,20,47,56,52,28,28,28,28,28,85,69,104,72,89,79,92,92,101,81,73, 64,75,27,46,45,46,15,34,43,41,41,47,46,40,36,38,64,68,24,31,30,22,24,60,60,60, 84,109,109,103,93,97,110,89,51,51,51,51,18,21,-50,39,29,29,18,22,22,22,22,27, 22,29,35,32]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Nxc6 Qxc6 8. Be2 b5 9. e5 Bb7 10. Bf3 Qc7 11. Bxb7 Qxb7 12. Qd3 Bb4 13. O-O Bxc3 14. Qxc3 Ne7 15. Bc5 Rc8 16. b4 O-O 17. a4 Rfe8 18. axb5 axb5 19. Qd3 Nd5 20. f4 Ra8 21. Rxa8 Rxa8 22. f5 f6 $2 {Black doesn't want to allow f6, but it appears that it was better to allow that set of problems than the ones he could have had in the game.} 23. exf6 (23. Qf3 $1 $16) 23... Nxf6 24. Bd4 Rf8 25. fxe6 dxe6 26. Qg3 (26. Re1 $142) (26. Qe2 $142) 26... Nd5 27. Rxf8+ Kxf8 28. Bc5+ (28. Qh3 $142 $1 Nf4 29. Qg4 Ng6 (29... Qe4 30. Qxg7+ Ke8 31. Kh1 $1 Nxg2 32. Qg8+ Kd7 33. Qf7+ Kc6 34. Qe8+ Kc7 35. Qe7+ Kc8 36. Qc5+ Kb7 37. Qxb5+ Kc8 38. Qe5 $18) 30. c4 $1 bxc4 31. Bc5+ Kf7 32. Qxc4 $16) 28... Kg8 29. Qe5 ( 29. Qg4 $142) 29... Qd7 30. Qd4 Nf6 $11 {Finally, Black is OK.} 31. c4 bxc4 ( 31... Qxd4+ $142 32. Bxd4 bxc4 $11) 32. Qxc4 Qd1+ 33. Qf1 Qc2 34. Qf2 (34. h3 $14) 34... Qb1+ 35. Qf1 Qc2 36. Qf2 Qb1+ 37. Qf1 Qc2 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.13"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C46"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. h3 Bb4 5. Nd5 Nxd5 6. exd5 e4 7. dxc6 exf3 8. Qxf3 dxc6 9. Bc4 Qe7+ 10. Kd1 O-O 11. Re1 Be6 12. Re2 Bc5 13. d3 Qh4 14. Qf4 Qh5 15. Qg5 Qxg5 16. Bxg5 Bxc4 17. dxc4 Rfe8 18. c3 Kf8 19. Bf4 Rad8+ 20. Ke1 Bd6 21. Be3 a6 22. c5 Be5 23. Rd1 f5 24. Rxd8 Rxd8 25. Bd2 Re8 26. Kd1 Kf7 27. Kc2 Bf6 28. Rxe8 Kxe8 29. Bf4 Kd7 30. Kd3 h5 31. f3 g6 32. g4 Be7 33. gxf5 gxf5 34. Kd4 Bf6+ 35. Be5 Bd8 36. Bf4 Bf6+ 37. Be5 Bd8 38. Bf4 Bf6+ 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.14"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B97"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,80,27,20,52,52,81,64,64,32,49,36,45,43,98,23,15,15,-3,-3,-7,-7,9,9,74, 59,46,105,125,89,84,-125,136,41,41,91,18,0,48,57,57,54,85,46,27,44,44,48,49,22, 41,0,0,21,0,0,6,10,6,28,1,0,0,1,0,0,0,20,4,0,3,9,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. f5 Nc6 11. fxe6 Bxe6 {Repeating this offbeat move, instead of playing the extremely well-trodden paths starting with} (11... fxe6 {.}) 12. Rxb7 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. Bc4 {playing the known move this time around (though it's still very much a minor line).} (14. Bd3 {was Nepo's choice in his previous White game vs. Giri.}) 14... Rc8 (14... h6 {has also been tried, with theoretical success.} 15. Bd2 (15. Be3 Rc8 16. Bb3 Bxb3 17. Rxb3 Qa5 18. O-O O-O 19. Qd3 Qc7 20. Bd4 Qc4 21. Rb6 d5 22. Nxd5 Nxd5 23. exd5 Qxd5 24. Rf5 Qc4 25. Qxc4 Rxc4 {1/2-1/2 (25) Deforel,J (2161)-Mirkowski,P (2383) ICCF email 2017}) 15... Rc8 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. Ke2 Rf8 18. Rf1 (18. Rhb1 Nd7 19. R1b4 Rf7 20. Rc4 Nc5 21. e5 d5 22. Rxe7+ Rxe7 23. Nxd5 exd5 24. Qxd5 Qb2 {1/2-1/2 (24) Pommrich,R (2254)-Fees,D (2133) ICCF email 2016}) 18... Rf7 19. Rf3 Qc5 20. Qxc5 Rxc5 21. Rb6 a5 22. Nb5 e5 23. a3 a4 24. h3 Bf8 25. Rb8+ Ke7 26. Nc3 Ke6 27. Kd3 d5 28. exd5+ Rxd5+ 29. Nxd5 e4+ 30. Kd4 exf3 31. Nf4+ Kd7 32. gxf3 Kc6 33. Rc8+ Kb7 34. Rc4 Rd7+ 35. Kc3 g5 36. Nd3 Nd5+ 37. Kb2 Rc7 38. Rxa4 Nb6 39. Re4 Nc4+ 40. Kc1 Nxa3 41. Ne1 Nc4 42. Kd1 Nb2+ 43. Ke2 Nc4 44. Bc1 Nd6 45. Re6 Nf5 46. Kd1 Nd4 47. Re4 Rd7 48. Bd2 Be7 49. f4 gxf4 50. Rxf4 Bg5 51. Rf2 Ne6 52. Nd3 Rd4 53. Rf7+ Kc6 54. Ne5+ Kd6 55. Nf3 Ra4 56. Bc3 Nf4 {1/2-1/2 (56) Tonisson,P (2382)-Ponomarjov,R (2314) ICCF email 2015}) 15. Nd5 ({Was played in the stem game, and apparently the only one featuring human beings in their natural habitat.} 15. Bb3 Qc5 16. Qxc5 Rxc5 17. Nd5 Nxd5 18. exd5 Bxg5 19. dxe6 fxe6 20. O-O Bf6 21. Rb8+ Bd8 22. Bxe6 Rf8 23. Bd7+ Ke7 24. Rxf8 Kxf8 25. Rxd8+ Ke7 26. Rh8 Kxd7 27. Rxh7 Rg5 28. h4 Rg4 29. Kh2 Ke6 30. Kh3 Rg6 31. a4 Ke5 32. g4 Kf6 33. Rh5 Ke7 34. Kg3 Re6 35. Rg5 g6 36. Kf3 Rf6+ 37. Ke4 Ke6 38. c4 Kd7 39. Kd5 a5 40. c5 Kc7 {1-0 (40) Beliavsky,A (2595)-Buljovcic,I (2430) Novi Sad 1979}) 15... Bxd5 16. Bxd5 Nxd5 17. Qxd5 {If White's king were castled, Black could resign. This is a very big and meaningful "if", however.} (17. Qxg7 Rf8 18. exd5 Bxg5 19. Qxg5 Qc3+ 20. Kf2 Qxc2+ 21. Kg3 Qe4 22. Rf1 h6 23. Qg7 Rc3+ 24. Rf3 Rxf3+ 25. gxf3 Qe1+ 26. Kh3 Qf1+ 27. Kh4 Qf2+ 28. Qg3 Qd2 29. f4 Kd8 30. a3 Re8 31. Rxf7 Qxd5 32. Qg7 Qe6 33. f5 Qe3 34. Kh5 Qf3+ 35. Kg6 Kc8 36. Rf8 {1-0 (36) Epiney,F (2273)-Koteski,L (2116) IECG email 2003}) 17... Qc3+ 18. Ke2 Qxc2+ 19. Bd2 Rc5 20. Rc1 Qxc1 21. Bxc1 Rxd5 22. exd5 h5 $1 {White certainly has enough for the pawn, but nothing more, and the game and the first day's match finishes in a draw.} 23. g3 h4 24. g4 f5 25. Kf3 fxg4+ 26. Kxg4 Rf8 27. Bf4 g6 28. Rb8+ Kf7 29. Rb6 Rc8 30. Rxa6 Rc4 31. Kf3 g5 32. Bxd6 Bxd6 33. Rxd6 g4+ 34. Ke3 Rc2 35. Kf4 Rxa2 36. Kxg4 Rxh2 37. Rh6 Ke7 38. Rxh4 Rxh4+ 39. Kxh4 Kd6 40. Kh3 Kxd5 1/2-1/2 [Event "Magnus Carlsen Inv KO 2021"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2021.03.20"] [Round "3.14"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C53"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "2021.03.16"] {[%evp 0,50,20,14,14,27,26,14,14,11,7,-12,18,-6,28,-31,7,-30,-8,-44,-30,-52, -26,-4,13,-4,26,0,0,24,24,-9,-11,-35,9,-64,-52,-46,-37,-37,-29,-112,-99,-107, -201,-357,-357,-329,-329,-329,-329,-329,-329]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. h3 a6 8. Bb3 Be6 9. Bc2 d5 10. Ng5 Bc8 11. exd5 Qxd5 12. O-O Bf5 13. Nde4 Be7 14. Qf3 Qd7 15. b4 {Presumably intending to play Bb3 at some moment without having to worry about ...Na5.} (15. Nxf6+ $142 Bxf6 16. Ne4 Be7 17. Qg3 {followed by Be3 or f4 gives White a slight pull.}) 15... Rad8 {Preventing the aforementioned idea for the moment, and So's reply insists on making it happen. But it was an error, and he should have returned to the plan mentioned in the note to his 15th move.} 16. Rd1 $2 Nd5 $17 17. d4 (17. Bb3 Bg6 $17 {White's problem is that his knights are overextended rather than useful. Moves like ...h6 or ...f6, and ...f5 are are going to embarrass the knights and potentially White's c- and d-pawns as well.}) 17... Bg6 $1 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Qg3 Nc4 20. h4 $2 {Too optimistic.} ({It was time to call the troops home.} 20. Nf3) 20... Qc6 $1 $19 21. Rd4 $2 {White was already lost, but now he goes down in flames.} Nxb4 $1 22. Rxd8 (22. Rxc4 Qxc4 23. Bb3 Qe2 24. cxb4 Bxe4 $19) (22. Bb3 Rxd4 23. cxd4 Bxe4 24. Nxe4 Qxe4 25. Bxc4 Qxd4 $19) 22... Nxc2 $1 23. Rxf8+ Bxf8 {For the moment White is up the exchange for a pawn, but with the rook on a1 and the knight on e4 both hanging, material is lost (and with it the game and the first day's match).} 24. Rb1 Bxe4 25. Nxe4 Qxe4 0-1