[Event "Carlsen Inv Final 4"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.05.03"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A29"] [WhiteElo "2863"] [BlackElo "2736"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "167"] [EventDate "2020.05.01"] {[%evp 0,167,19,-20,-20,-42,-19,-27,-19,-33,-25,-25,-37,-27,-7,-7,0,-3,-10,-14, -8,-21,1,8,0,0,26,-4,18,27,28,4,30,30,30,-48,-28,-26,-15,7,0,-37,-34,-19,-17, -29,-20,-15,-9,-18,-11,-7,-8,-18,-11,-12,-8,-6,26,45,52,62,70,0,0,18,33,10,10, 37,46,27,9,9,13,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,14,14,14,15,0,22,25,25,7,19,14,11,33,27, 28,27,38,40,35,26,18,19,19,19,18,19,0,7,7,48,48,62,57,96,0,7,14,27,11,24,19,24, 19,23,78,93,90,101,88,92,73,105,149,158,172,163,166,166,179,159,144,262,260, 255,248,255,257,255,337,341,341,341,273,273,276,273,273,273,273,273,273,273, 299,341,341]} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. Be3 Be6 10. Rc1 Nd5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. a3 Re8 13. Qc2 Bf6 14. Nd2 Nd4 15. Bxd4 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 exd4 17. Qxc7 Rxe2 18. Qxd8+ Rxd8 19. Nc4 {With a good knight against a mediocre bishop, White has a very small advantage, but the sort that can last forever. That's what happens, and after a very, very long time Nakamura finally cracks.} Rde8 20. Kf3 Bg5 21. Rb1 R2e6 22. a4 h5 23. b4 g6 24. b5 Kg7 25. Rb2 Be7 26. Rc1 g5 27. Kg2 g4 28. Rcc2 Bg5 29. b6 axb6 30. Rb5 Kg6 31. f4 gxf3+ 32. Kxf3 Bd8 33. Rd5 Bf6 34. Rb2 Ra8 35. Rxb6 Rxa4 36. Rxe6 fxe6 37. Rb5 Ra1 38. Rxb7 Rf1+ 39. Ke2 Rh1 40. h4 Rg1 41. Kf2 Rd1 42. Rb3 Ra1 43. Nd6 Be5 44. Ne4 Ra5 45. Kf3 Kf5 46. Nd2 Bf6 47. Nc4 Ra1 48. Nd6+ Kg6 49. Ne4 Re1 50. Kf2 Re3 51. Nd2 Re5 52. Ne4 Rf5+ 53. Ke2 Ra5 54. Rb6 Kf5 55. Kf3 Be5 56. Rb3 Ra1 57. Rb5 Re1 58. Nd6+ Kg6 59. Nc4 Bf6 60. Rb6 Kf5 61. Kf2 Rd1 62. Nd6+ Kg4 63. Ne4 Be5 $6 (63... Bd8 $1 $11 {is best. Nakamura is right to put the bishop on the b8-g3 diagonal, but needs to do it with tempo. White wants to win the e-pawn for nothing, but not as a trade for d3, and if he wants to keep the d-pawn Black then gets the bishop to c7 without any repercussions.}) 64. Rxe6 Kf5 65. Ke2 Rg1 66. Rh6 Bxg3 67. Rxh5+ Kf4 $2 {Surprisingly, this loses.} (67... Kg4 $8 {There's no danger for Black in the king and pawn ending (in fact, he's winning there), and if the h-pawn falling the draw should still be routine.} 68. Rh8 $1 (68. Rg5+ Kxh4 69. Rxg3 $4 Rxg3 70. Nxg3 Kxg3 71. Kd2 Kf3 72. Kd1 Ke3 73. Kc2 Ke2 74. Kc1 Kxd3 75. Kd1 Kc3 76. Kc1 d3 77. Kd1 d2 $19) 68... Re1+ $1 (68... Bxh4 $4 69. Rg8+ $18) 69. Kd2 Re3 70. h5 Bf4 71. Kc2 Re2+ 72. Kb3 Rh2 73. Kc4 Be3 $11 {White has a choice: stay stuck defending the h-pawn forever, and make no progress, or give it up...and then be unable to make any progress. Black's draw is in reach.}) 68. Rh8 $1 {The only winning move, but when you find it one is enough.} Re1+ 69. Kd2 Re3 70. h5 $1 Be1+ 71. Kc2 Rh3 72. h6 $1 Kf5 73. h7 (73. Rf8+ {also wins.}) 73... Kg6 (73... Bb4 74. Rb8 Rxh7 75. Rxb4 $18) 74. Rg8+ ({The funny} 74. Ng5 $18 {also wins.}) 74... Kxh7 75. Nf6+ Kh6 76. Rh8+ Kg6 77. Rxh3 Kxf6 { The rest is easy.} 78. Kb3 Ke5 79. Kc4 Bf2 80. Rf3 Be3 81. Rf8 Ke6 82. Kc5 Bg1 83. Kc6 Be3 84. Re8+ (84. Re8+ Kf5 85. Kd5 Kf6 86. Re4 Kf7 87. Rxd4 Bxd4 88. Kxd4 Ke6 89. Kc5 $18) 1-0 [Event "Carlsen Inv Final 4"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.05.03"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2736"] [BlackElo "2863"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "113"] [EventDate "2020.05.01"] {[%evp 0,113,19,24,26,-16,-19,-11,4,-11,22,12,5,17,45,27,31,7,0,0,-11,-13,0,1, 1,1,28,14,18,18,26,21,24,20,32,36,33,-12,-20,-37,-23,-37,-34,-61,-30,-26,0,13, 22,18,34,22,33,40,36,35,37,52,46,46,51,49,50,43,68,70,52,54,44,51,51,57,55,39, 37,37,45,49,88,84,147,79,102,101,147,147,171,177,177,177,190,197,191,180,186, 186,186,186,186,189,186,225,225,249,249,275,309,336,350,351,368,336,511,649, 800,983]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 Nh5 8. Bd3 Nxf4 9. exf4 b6 10. b4 a5 11. a3 c6 12. O-O Ba6 13. Qe2 Bxd3 14. Qxd3 g6 15. Rfc1 Qc7 16. g3 axb4 17. axb4 Qb7 18. Rab1 Ra3 19. Qc2 Rfa8 20. Kg2 Bf6 21. Ne2 Ra2 22. Qd1 bxc5 $2 {This was criticized by all the commentators as a known positional error in lines of this sort. It's surprising that Carlsen would make such an error, and one might wonder if the commentators were mistaken. This was not the case: the course of the game, together with engine evaluations and earlier games all confirm their claim. So while Carlsen's error is surprising, it's just a healthy reminder that even the best players make misjudgments and/or have gaps in their understanding.} 23. bxc5 Qa6 24. Rc2 Rxc2 25. Qxc2 Rb8 26. Rxb8+ Nxb8 27. Nc1 $16 Nd7 28. Nd3 Qb5 29. Qc3 h5 30. Qa3 Kg7 31. Nde5 Bxe5 32. fxe5 Qe2 33. Ng5 Qg4 34. h4 Nf8 35. Qd3 Qf5 36. Qxf5 $2 exf5 $2 (36... gxf5 $1 $11 {Despite the obvious weakness of the h5-pawn, it seems that White is unable to make serious progress. Black puts his knight on g6 (to e7, if White's knight runs to a5, b4, or some other square hitting the c-pawn) and his king shadows White's. It's a draw.}) 37. Kf3 f6 38. exf6+ Kxf6 39. Ke3 Nd7 (39... Ke7 $142) 40. Nf3 (40. f4 $142 $18) 40... Ke6 (40... Ke7 $142 {is better, keeping e6 for the knight (...Nf8-e6).}) 41. Ne1 $18 Nb8 42. Nd3 Kf6 43. f4 Nd7 44. Ne5 Nf8 45. Nxc6 {The rest is simple.} Ke6 46. Ne5 Ke7 47. Kd3 Kd8 48. Kc3 Kc7 49. Nd3 Nd7 50. Nb4 Nf6 51. Kb3 Kb7 52. Ka4 Ne4 53. Nxd5 Nxg3 54. Kb5 Ne4 55. c6+ Kc8 56. Kb6 Nd6 57. Ne7+ 1-0 [Event "Carlsen Inv Final 4"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.05.03"] [Round "2.3"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2863"] [BlackElo "2736"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "103"] [EventDate "2020.05.01"] {[%evp 0,103,19,24,26,-11,-11,1,1,5,18,5,23,18,30,26,26,-19,73,38,52,60,44,-1, -13,13,13,-34,6,26,0,0,12,15,15,7,31,33,39,39,46,47,23,43,45,30,33,35,49,35,41, 36,48,52,52,56,59,59,79,81,81,65,80,68,84,54,68,65,68,60,136,111,156,155,192, 147,157,155,154,185,209,214,187,142,152,166,166,166,192,217,323,516,592,1014, 1142,1015,1183,1183,1205,1272,1282,1292,1300,1292,1311,1352]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Be2 dxc4 8. O-O c5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 (9... Nxc5 {is also playable, when White will fight for an edge after} 10. Bxc4 {. Will he succeed? Who knows; the jury is out. Black has two main lines here:} Qxd1 ({or} 10... a6 11. Ne5 Ncd7) 11. Rfxd1 b6) 10. Bxc4 a6 11. Ng5 $1 { This has been played before, but not often. It was played in a high-level game, but Nakamura started thinking here, either unaware of the earlier game or unable to remember his analysis. It's also possible that this is just strong, and poses Black serious problems.} b5 (11... h6 12. Nge4 {should be at most a little better for White after} Be7 ({or} 12... b5 {. I'd recommend that Black go for one of these options or 9...Nxc5 at this point.})) 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Nxe6 Qe7 (13... Qe8 14. Nxf8 Bxf8 (14... Nxf8) 15. Bd6 Bb7 (15... Ne5) 16. Bxf8 Nxf8 17. a4 b4 18. Qb3+ $16 {/+- White is doing swimmingly, even if he subsequently faltered and let Black off the hook.} Ne6 19. Qxb4 Rb8 20. Qc4 Rc8 21. Qb3 Rb8 22. Qc2 Ng5 23. Rae1 Bf3 24. Qf5 Qh5 25. h4 Qxh4 26. Qf4 Nh3+ 27. gxh3 Qxh3 28. Qxb8+ Kf7 29. Qc7+ Kg8 30. Qb8+ Kf7 31. Qh2 Qg4+ 32. Qg3 Qh5 33. Qc7+ Kg8 34. Qh2 Qg5+ 35. Qg3 Qh5 36. Qh2 {1/2-1/2 (36) Wojtaszek,R (2725) -Andreikin,D (2724) Jerusalem 2019}) 14. Nxf8 Qxf8 (14... Nxf8 {is better, though White is doing well after} 15. Nd5 Qe4 16. Nxf6+ gxf6 17. Rc1 Ne6 18. Kh1 $1 Bb7 19. f3 Qd5 20. Qc2 $14 {/+/-}) 15. Ne4 (15. a4 $16) 15... Bb7 16. Nxc5 Qxc5 17. Rc1 $16 {Two minor pieces are often more than a match for a rook and a pawn, but here it's a rook and two pawns and the two minors are knights. White will soon play f3 and e4, killing Black's bishop and the f6-knight, and with opposite-colored bishops he's able to achieve dominance on the dark squares. Carlsen went on to win a very good game.} Qd5 18. f3 Qxa2 19. e4 Nf8 20. Rf2 Rc8 21. Rxc8 Bxc8 22. Qd8 Qe6 23. Bd6 Qe8 24. Qxe8 Nxe8 25. Bb4 Ne6 26. Rd2 Kf7 27. Kf2 Nf6 28. Ke3 g5 29. Rd6 Nd7 30. g3 Ne5 31. b3 h5 32. h4 gxh4 33. gxh4 Ng6 34. Be1 a5 35. Rd5 a4 36. Rxh5 Nef4 37. Rg5 axb3 38. h5 Nf8 39. Bc3 b4 40. Bb2 N8e6 41. Rf5+ Kg8 42. Rxf4 Nxf4 43. Kxf4 Ba6 44. Kg5 Bd3 45. Kg6 Bb5 46. f4 Be8+ 47. Kg5 Bc6 48. e5 Bd5 49. f5 Kh7 50. e6 Bc4 51. Kf6 Be2 52. Ke7 1-0 [Event "Carlsen Inv Final 4"] [Site "chess24.com INT"] [Date "2020.05.03"] [Round "2.4"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D52"] [WhiteElo "2736"] [BlackElo "2863"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "114"] [EventDate "2020.05.01"] {[%evp 0,114,19,30,30,1,6,6,6,6,44,11,11,35,22,-6,51,59,51,69,53,52,40,6,1,14, 5,-13,-11,1,9,14,10,6,11,14,0,16,16,-17,-26,-35,73,97,78,61,78,88,65,86,85,75, 101,98,86,51,44,46,33,40,53,53,46,50,64,59,61,54,85,89,93,77,74,74,59,67,89,75, 90,92,89,92,82,73,60,73,98,71,84,56,58,75,77,80,80,50,49,48,40,48,39,48,40,26, 26,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5 7. Nd2 dxc4 8. Bxf6 Nxf6 9. Nxc4 Qc7 10. Be2 Be7 11. a3 O-O 12. b4 Rd8 13. O-O b6 14. Bf3 Ba6 15. Qb3 Rac8 16. Rac1 c5 17. dxc5 Bxc4 18. Qxc4 bxc5 19. Na4 Nd7 20. Qb5 {White needs a win to stay alive in the match, but Black is very close to liquidating all the tension out of the position and achieving an easy draw. There aren't too many key moments left before that happens, and this is one of them.} Qb8 $6 (20... Rb8 21. Qa6 Qe5 $1 {was the way to do it. (Incidentally, Black's moves could also have been played the other way around.) Thanks to some nice tactics White won't win a pawn, and the queenside will be safely neutralized in a very few moves. For example:} 22. b5 {The best try.} ( 22. bxc5 Nxc5 23. Qxa7 (23. Nxc5 Bxc5 24. Qa5 Bd6 25. Qxe5 Bxe5 $11 {There's nothing to discuss here: I would be ashamed to lose this to Carlsen (at least in a classical game).}) 23... Rd7 24. Qa5 Nd3 $1 25. Qc3 (25. Qxe5 Nxe5 26. Ra1 Ra7 27. Nc3 Rxa3 $11) 25... Bd6 26. Qxe5 Nxe5 27. Rc3 Ra7 28. Nc5 Rc7 29. Ne4 Rxc3 30. Nxc3 Bxa3 $11) 22... Qc7 23. Bc6 Rdc8 $1 24. Rfd1 Ne5 $1 25. Nxc5 Nxc6 26. Nd7 Nb4 $3 27. Qxc8+ Rxc8 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 29. axb4 Bxb4 $11) 21. Qxb8 Rxb8 22. bxc5 (22. Nxc5 $142 Nxc5 23. bxc5 Rdc8 24. c6 Bxa3 {is even better. Black has reestablished material equality, the pawn on c6 is enough of a beast that Black will suffer; the draw is not automatic. (Neither is a White win.)}) 22... Rdc8 23. c6 Ne5 24. Rc3 Nxf3+ 25. gxf3 Kf8 $6 (25... Rc7 $142) 26. Rd1 $6 (26. Nc5 $1 {takes advantage of the king's being on f8 (26...Rxc6?? 27.Nd7+ and 28. Rxc6+-).}) 26... Ke8 27. Rd7 Bf6 28. Rc5 Rxc6 29. Rxa7 Rxc5 $6 (29... Rbc8) 30. Nxc5 Be7 31. Ne4 f5 32. Ng3 (32. Nd2 $142 $16) 32... g6 (32... f4 $1) 33. a4 $16 {Now Black is in trouble.} (33. f4 $16) 33... Kf7 (33... Rb2 $142) 34. Ne2 Kf6 35. Ra6 Rb2 36. Nf4 Kf7 37. Nd3 Ra2 (37... Rd2 $142) 38. Ra7 (38. a5 $142) 38... Kf6 $2 (38... Rd2 $142) 39. f4 $18 {The comeback is complete? Not yet. As all chess players know, it's one thing to have a won game, another to win it.} Bd6 40. Ra6 Ke7 41. Ne5 $2 {Eventually, yes, but this is too hasty.} (41. h4 $1 h6 42. a5 $18 {and maybe Kg2-f3. These are all moves White should play later, too, but it's best to get them in now. Why? Because with pawns on both h4 and f4, Black can't go for counterplay based on ...g5. The Ne5 idea isn't running away, so White should remember the Dvoretskian "do not hurry" rule (not that he invented it, but he often emphasized it), making all the little improving moves first and only then undertaking committal action. White is clearly winning here.}) 41... Bxe5 42. fxe5 Kd7 43. Kg2 $2 {After this second hasty move the win is definitely gone.} (43. h4 $1 h6 44. Kg2 g5 45. h5 $1 { keeps a serious advantage. An obvious point is that White can (and most likely will have to) go after the h6-pawn, and once he does that he'll both have further kingside targets and will have a valuable passed h-pawn. I don't know if it's enough to win if Black plays} Ra3 $1 {, which is forced. White has two main tries in the short term: push the a-pawn or (try to) bring the king to the queenside.}) 43... g5 $1 {Very soon after allowing ...g5, Nakamura realized what an error he had made and began pulling all sorts of faces. Unfortunately, it's already too late. Black has too much freedom after this, and his kingside pawns even promise him some counterplay.} 44. Rd6+ Ke7 45. Ra6 Kd7 46. a5 h5 $6 {This doesn't lose, but it puts Black in danger again.} (46... g4 $142) 47. Rd6+ (47. h4 $1 g4 48. Kg3 Ra4 $8 49. Rd6+ Ke7 50. a6 Ra2 $8 { Black is living a little dangerously, but it's still a draw.}) 47... Ke7 48. a6 h4 {Now the danger has passed.} 49. Rb6 Kd7 $1 50. Rd6+ Ke7 51. h3 Ra5 52. f4 g4 {This exact position, but with the h-pawns off the board (see move 43) would be lost for Black.} 53. Rb6 Ra2+ 54. Kh1 Ra1+ 55. Kg2 Ra2+ 56. Kf1 Ra1+ 57. Kg2 Ra2+ 1/2-1/2