[Event "Champ Showdown 9LX 2020"] [Site "lichess.org INT"] [Date "2020.09.11"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Kasparov, Garry"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2812"] [BlackElo "2863"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [Variant "chess 960"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "rnkqbbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKQBBNR w HAha - 0 1"] [PlyCount "110"] [EventDate "2020.09.11"] 1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e6 4. c4 a6 5. Nc3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Bd3 Ke7 10. O-O-O Nc6 {The early play has looked a lot like a dxc5 QGA, but this is a better version for Black as White's h1-rook is out of the game. But it's nothing serious - the game is equal.} 11. Ng5 (11. h3) 11... Rd8 12. Nge4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bb6 (13... Bb4 $15) 14. Bc3 f6 (14... f5 15. Ng3 Rg8 ) 15. g4 $6 (15. a3 $142) 15... Ba5 16. Bxa5 Nxa5 $17 17. Bc2 Bc6 18. Rhg1 Nc4 19. Rxd8 Rxd8 20. g5 f5 $19 {It's amazing that even Kasparov can be quickly outplayed by Carlsen. Positions like this weren't the strongest part of his game, even in his salad days, but it's still a tribute to Carlsen's tremendous strength. All that said, material is equal, and Carlsen still has to prove the win.} 21. Nc3 Ne5 ({While he clearly wanted to retain the square for the knight, the prophylactic} 21... Bf3 $1 {was better, preventing f2-f4 and Rd1, too.}) 22. f4 $17 Nf3 23. Rg2 g6 24. Rf2 (24. Rg3 $1 Nxh2 $2 25. Rh3 $11) 24... e5 25. e4 $2 fxe4 26. Nxe4 Nd4 $19 {Now only a "miracle" can save Kasparov. And he gets one!} 27. Ng3 Nxc2 28. Kxc2 Rf8 29. Ne2 Ke6 30. Kd2 Bb5 31. Rf3 Rf7 $4 (31... Bxe2 32. Kxe2 exf4 {is completely lost for White. I'd beat Kasparov (at least) nine times out of ten from here--not because I'm so great, but because it's that winning even for an ordinary master like me. For these guys, they can win every time just played off of the increment.}) 32. Re3 $1 Bxe2 33. Rxe5+ Kd6 34. Rxe2 Rxf4 $15 {Black is still better, but it's not enough to win against best play. But this was a 20'+10" game, and the task is "only" manageable, not trivial.} 35. Ke3 Rg4 36. Rd2+ $2 (36. Rf2) 36... Ke6 37. Rc2 Rxg5 38. Rc7 Rb5 $2 (38... Rh5 {was the right way, going for a 2-0 majority.}) 39. Rxh7 $2 (39. b3) 39... Rxb2 40. a4 a5 $1 41. h4 Rb4 {Black is again completely winning. Will "Caissa" shine on Kasparov again?} 42. Rh6 Kf7 $2 { Yes! There was no point to this move at all. Having the king here doesn't prevent the kingside pawns from being exchanged, and it didn't need to stay there in any case. (Rxg6 will be met by ...Rxh4, at least until White's king goes over to defend the h-pawn.)} (42... Kd7 43. Kf3 Rxa4 44. Kg3 Ra1 45. Kg2 a4 46. Rxg6 Rd1 $19 {will win very easily.}) 43. h5 $11 gxh5 44. Rxh5 b6 { Maybe Carlsen thought that this was the end. White cannot draw with 45.Rh6, and what else is there? Kasparov demonstrates the answer.} 45. Re5 $1 (45. Rb5 $1 {also draws, believe it or not.} Rxb5 46. axb5 Ke6 47. Ke4 $1 Kd6 48. Kd4 a4 49. Kc4 Ke5 50. Kb4 Kd5 51. Kxa4 Kc5 52. Ka3 Kxb5 53. Kb3 $11) (45. Rh6 $2 { loses, however. Black's king strolls to the b-pawn's defense, while White's king cannot do the same with his a-pawn.} Ke7 46. Kd3 Kd7 47. Kc3 Kc7 $19) 45... Kf6 46. Re4 $1 Rb3+ (46... Rxe4+ 47. Kxe4 Ke6 48. Kd4 Kd6 49. Kc4 Kc6 50. Kd4 $11) 47. Kd2 Kf5 48. Rh4 Ke5 49. Kc2 Rf3 50. Rh6 Rf6 51. Rxf6 Kxf6 52. Kd3 Ke5 53. Ke3 Kd6 54. Kd4 Kc6 55. Kc4 b5+ 1/2-1/2