[Event "ch-USA 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.17"] [Round "10"] [White "Lenderman, Aleksandr"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E62"] [WhiteElo "2607"] [BlackElo "2800"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "118"] [EventDate "2021.10.05"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 c6 7. O-O Bf5 { The Kavalek Variation, if I recall correctly.} 8. Ng5 $5 {Intending e4.} (8. Nh4) (8. Ne1) (8. Re1) ({and} 8. b3 {are all far more common.}) 8... e5 9. d5 a5 10. e4 Bc8 $146 ({In limited outings, though all involving GMs, Black has preferred} 10... Bg4 {.}) 11. h3 {The engine prefers to dispense with this logical move, which aims to play Be3 without worrying about ...Ng4.} (11. Re1) 11... cxd5 12. cxd5 Na6 $11 13. Be3 Bd7 14. a4 Rc8 15. Nf3 ({It was possibly better, and certainly safer, to play} 15. Qb1 {, overprotecting the e4-pawn so that ...Rxc3 ideas are off the table.}) 15... Rxc3 $1 16. bxc3 Nxe4 {Black's sacrifice is not particularly risky. In addition to his material compensation, the coming ...f5 gives him a strong center, while White's sickly a- and c-pawns and the outpost on c5 offer Black compensation on the queenside as well.} 17. Qc2 Nec5 18. Nd2 Qc7 (18... Bf5 $142 $15) (18... f5 $142 $15) 19. Ra3 (19. Rfd1 $11) 19... f5 20. f4 Re8 (20... exf4 21. Bxf4 b5 22. axb5 Bxb5 $44) 21. fxe5 Bxe5 22. Bf2 b5 23. axb5 Bxb5 24. Rfa1 (24. Qa2 $5) 24... Nd3 { Natural, but Black needed to make sure that 25.Rxa5 was tolerable for him.} 25. Qb1 (25. Rxa5 $142 Nxf2 26. Rxb5 (26. Kxf2 $4 Qc5+ $19) 26... Qa7 $8 27. Nc4 ( 27. Kh2 $4 f4 $19) 27... Bxc3 $1 28. Rab1 Nb4 29. Rb7 Qxb7 30. Qxc3 Nfd3 31. Kh2 $11) 25... Nab4 $1 26. Rxa5 (26. cxb4 $2 Nxf2 $17 27. Kxf2 $4 Bd4+ 28. Kf3 Be2+ 29. Kf4 Qe7 {and it's mate in two more moves.}) 26... Qxc3 27. Be3 $2 (27. Nf3 {had to be played.} Nxf2 28. Nxe5 $8 {Black has several promising-looking options, but it seems that White equalizes in each case (but only with precise play).} Qxg3 (28... Nxh3+ 29. Bxh3 Rxe5 30. Rxb5 Qxg3+ 31. Bg2 Qe3+ 32. Kh2 f4 33. Qd1 $8 Nc2 34. Ra7 $3 Qxa7 (34... Rh5+ 35. Qxh5 gxh5 $4 (35... Qg3+ 36. Kh1 Qe1+ 37. Kh2 Qg3+ 38. Kg1 Qe3+ $11) 36. Rb8+ Qe8 37. Rxe8# {is the point of White's 34th move.}) 35. Qxc2 Kg7 $11) 29. Rxb5 Nxh3+ 30. Kh1 Nf2+ 31. Kg1 Qxe5 32. Rxb4 Ng4 33. Ra3 $1 Qh2+ 34. Kf1 Qh4 35. Rxg4 $8 Qxg4 $11) 27... Bd4 $2 ( 27... Bxg3 $19) 28. Bxd4 Qxd4+ 29. Kh2 f4 30. g4 Re2 31. Ra8+ Be8 32. Qg1 Qb2 33. Nf3 Kf8 {Both sides are walking a tightrope since the exchange of errors on move 27.} 34. R1a7 h6 $2 (34... Nc2 $1 35. Ng5 f3 $8 36. Ne6+ Rxe6 37. dxe6 Qe5+ 38. Kh1 fxg2+ 39. Qxg2 Qe1+ 40. Kh2 Qe5+ 41. Kh1 Qe1+ 42. Qg1 Qe4+ 43. Kh2 Qe5+ 44. Qg3 Qe2+ 45. Kh1 Qf1+ 46. Kh2 Qe2+ $11 {Black must give the perpetual, as Rf7+ Kg8 Rxe8# is hanging over his head.}) 35. Rb7 $6 (35. g5 $1 hxg5 36. Nxg5 f3 $8 37. Rf7+ Kg8 38. Rxf3 Qe5+ 39. Rg3 Nf4 40. Qa7 $1 Rxg2+ 41. Rxg2 Nxg2+ 42. Kh1 Qe1+ 43. Qg1 Kg7 44. Qxe1 Nxe1 45. Rxe8 {Is White winning? The +2 evaluation does not mean that he is - material is so limited that it may reflect nothing more than White's material advantage. With limited material, it's safer to assume a draw when the evaluation is essentially a reflection of the material count; once the engine sees a win it will either kick in a tablebase count (mate in x moves) or give the winning side a huge positive evaluation. In any case, Caruana is in trouble here, while White faces no real dangers at all.}) 35... Ne5 36. Kh1 $1 Nxf3 37. Bxf3 Re5 $2 (37... Re3 $1 38. Qa1 $1 Qxa1+ 39. Rxa1 Nd3 40. Bg2 Ne5 $14 {Black is probably drawing this, but it's still White who enjoys the better chances.}) 38. Rc8 $2 (38. Qa1 $1 Qxa1+ 39. Rxa1 $18) 38... Qd2 {Now Black is better.} 39. Rc1 $6 (39. Qg2 $142 Qe1+ 40. Kh2 Nd3 41. Rc2 Re3 42. Re2 Rxe2 43. Bxe2 Ne5 $15 {Black is a touch better, but White will survive.}) 39... Re3 $6 (39... Nd3 40. Rf1 Re3 41. Rb3 g5 42. Qg2 Qxg2+ 43. Kxg2 Ne1+ 44. Rxe1 Rxe1 $17) 40. Rf1 $2 {A mistake on the last move of the time control. Who has this not happened to?} (40. Rd1 Qc3 41. Rc1 $11) 40... Nd3 $17 (40... Bf7 $17) 41. Qg2 $2 {One last error, and now Black is winning.} (41. Rb3) 41... Qc3 $19 42. Qh2 g5 43. Bg2 Ne5 44. Rbb1 Bf7 45. Rbc1 Qd4 46. Rcd1 Nd3 47. Rd2 Kg7 48. h4 Qc4 $1 49. Rfd1 Ne5 (49... f3 50. Bf1 f2 {is a little fancy, probably unnecessarily so, but it's a nice way to win.}) 50. hxg5 hxg5 51. Rd4 Qc3 52. Qg1 Nxg4 53. R1d2 Qc8 (53... Re8 $1 {is even stronger, likewise intending to use the h-file.}) 54. Qa1 Qh8+ 55. Kg1 Qh2+ 56. Kf1 Rf3+ $1 57. Bxf3 (57. Ke1 Qg1+ 58. Ke2 Re3#) 57... Ne3+ 58. Ke1 Qg1+ 59. Ke2 Qxa1 {Not a perfect game by Caruana, but generally a good one, and one played in the right way: steady pressure on White's position led to his eventual collapse.} 0-1