[Event "8th Norway Chess 2020"] [Site "Stavanger NOR"] [Date "2020.10.16"] [Round "10.1"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2863"] [BlackElo "2767"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "115"] [EventDate "2020.10.05"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 c6 7. Qc2 g6 8. e3 Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. h4 {Only played once before, and that was by. ..Carlsen himself, against Nakamura.} a5 $146 (11... Nb6 12. Ne5 Qc8 13. O-O-O Qe6 14. Kb1 Ne4 15. Qc2 Bb4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. h5 g5 18. Bxg5 f6 19. Rh4 fxg5 20. Rxe4 O-O 21. Ng6 Qf7 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 23. Re5 h6 24. g4 Bd6 25. Rf5 Qe6 26. e4 Re8 27. f3 Bf4 28. Rd3 Nc4 29. Qc3 Nd6 30. d5 Qe7 31. Rf6 Be5 32. Rg6+ Kh7 33. Qc2 c5 34. Re6 Qc7 35. Rxe8 Nxe8 36. d6 Nxd6 37. Rd5 Nf7 38. Rxc5 Qb6 39. a4 a6 40. a5 Qe6 41. Rd5 Kg7 42. Qc5 Qf6 43. Rd7 Bxb2 44. Rxb7 Bc3 45. Kc2 Be1 46. Qd5 Qxf3 47. Qe5+ Kg8 48. Qe8+ Kg7 49. Qe5+ Kg8 50. Qe8+ Kg7 51. Qe5+ {1/2-1/2 (51) Carlsen,M (2863)-Nakamura,H (2736) chess24.com INT 2020}) 12. Kf1 $5 a4 13. a3 Qb6 14. Qc2 h5 15. Bg5 (15. g3 {was insistent upon this move, and the engine agrees with him. It takes care of the king and connects the rook, but of course it prevents the Rh1-h3-g3 idea. One can't have everything.}) 15... O-O 16. Ne5 (16. g3) (16. Kg1) (16. g4 $5 hxg4 17. h5 gxf3 18. hxg6 {forces an immediate draw, but nothing more than that.} Kg7 (18... Bd6 19. Qf5 Qxb2 20. Rb1 Qxc3 21. g7 Rfe8 (21... Kxg7 $4 22. Bxf6+ Nxf6 23. Qg5#) 22. Bxf6 Nxf6 23. Rh8+ Kxg7 24. Qg5+ Kxh8 25. Qxf6+ Kg8 26. Qg5+ Kf8 27. Qh6+ Kg8 ({Black cannot escape with} 27... Ke7 $4 {, as} 28. Rxb7+ $18 {mates in two more moves.}) 28. Qg5+ $11) 19. Bh6+ Kg8 20. Bg5 $11) 16... Rfe8 17. Bxf6 (17. Nxg6 fxg6 18. Qxg6+ Kh8 19. Ne2 Qxb2 20. Rb1 Qa2 21. Nf4 {gives White enough play for a draw, but not more.} Ne4 22. Qxh5+ Kg8 23. Qg6+ Kh8 $11) 17... Nxf6 18. Rh3 Qb3 19. Qb1 $6 {Carlsen is trying too hard to make the attack fly.} (19. Qxb3 axb3 20. Nd3 Ne4 21. Rc1 $11) 19... Ne4 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Qxe4 Bd6 $15 22. Rg3 $6 (22. Rf3 Bxe5 23. dxe5 Rad8 24. g3 Qb5+ 25. Kg2 Rxe5 $15) 22... Bxe5 23. dxe5 Qb5+ 24. Kg1 Rxe5 $15 {/-/+} 25. Qd4 Rd5 26. Qf6 Rf5 27. Qd4 Qe2 (27... Qd5 $142) 28. e4 (28. Rf1 $142) 28... Rb5 (28... Rf4 $142 $17) 29. Rb1 Qc2 30. Qd3 Rc5 ( 30... Qxd3 31. Rxd3 Kf8) 31. Qxc2 (31. b4) 31... Rxc2 32. b3 b5 33. Rd3 axb3 34. Rbxb3 Ra4 {Carlsen has fought his way back to (objective) equality, though it's still Black who is pressing here. But he was short of time, and as we saw in his game from the previous round, being short of time can lead to the loss of even an elementary drawn ending.} 35. Rdc3 (35. Rbc3 $142) 35... Rc4 36. Rxc2 Rxc2 37. f3 $6 (37. Rb4 $142) 37... Kf8 $17 38. Kh2 Ke7 39. Kh3 $2 (39. Kg3) 39... Ke6 $17 {/-+} 40. Rd3 Rc4 $2 (40... Ke5 $142) 41. Kg3 $6 (41. g4 $15 ) 41... Ke5 42. Rd7 Rc3 $17 43. Ra7 (43. Re7+ $1 Kd4 44. Rd7+ Kc4 45. Ra7) 43... f6 $19 44. Ra8 Kd6 $2 {Letting Carlsen into the game one last time.} ( 44... Rb3 45. Rc8 Kd6 46. Rf8 Rxa3 47. Rxf6+ Kc5 48. Rf8 b4 49. Rb8 b3 $19) 45. Kf4 $11 Kc7 46. g4 Kb7 47. Rg8 $1 hxg4 48. fxg4 Rxa3 49. Rxg6 b4 {Aronian was sure that he was winning here, but Carlsen had a last chance to save the game.} 50. Rxf6 $2 (50. Rg7+ Kb6 51. Rg8 b3 {Now 52.Rb8+ loses, but} 52. h5 {draws, e. g.} Kb7 53. Rg7+ Kb6 54. Rg8 Ra7 55. Rb8+ Rb7 56. Rxb7+ Kxb7 57. h6 b2 58. h7 b1=Q 59. h8=Q $11 {with a draw - but only because Black's queen can't give check - and mate! - on f2.}) (50. h5 {also draws, similarly:} b3 51. Rg7+ Kb6 52. Rg8 {etc.}) 50... b3 51. Rf7+ Kb6 52. Rf8 Ra7 53. Rb8+ Rb7 {The tempo White could have spent pushing his h-pawn (see the alternatives on move 50) was far more valuable than Black's f-pawn. Here, Black wins.} 54. Rd8 c5 55. Ke3 c4 56. Rd1 (56. Kd2 {loses in a very nice way:} b2 57. Kc2 b1=Q+ $1 58. Kxb1 Kc7+ $19) 56... c3 57. Rb1 Kc5 58. Kd3 {and White resigned in this hopeless position.} (58. Kd3 Kb4 59. g5 Rd7+ 60. Ke2 c2 61. Rf1 (61. Rc1 b2 62. Rxc2 b1=Q $19) 61... b2 $19) 0-1