Games
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York ,USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D00"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2016.11.11"]
[SourceTitle "New York, USA"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.11"]
{Actor Woody Harrelson was on hand to make the first move, and the action was
underway.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 {A major surprise to chess viewers at home, but
not one to camp Karjakin. Magnus has essayed the Trompowsky more than 10 times,
including older games against Aronian, Ivanchuk, and Polgar. Do note that he
played some of those games in quick time controls, where less standard
openings are often used to neutralize preparation.} (2. Bf4 {has also been a
Magnus weapon in the past. It is incredibly difficult to prepare for an
opponent who can surprise you on move two.}) 2... d5 3. e3 {The second most
popular move, after} (3. Bxf6 {This is more popular, played in approximately
two out of every three times this position is reached. I don't think there's
any real reason to rush this decision, because in order to avoid doubling his
pawns, Karjakin would have had to made a concession: either lose space by
trying to capture back on f6 with the queen (after 3...e6) or jump around with
the knight and risk allowing White to gain time by attacking it.}) 3... c5 (
3... Ne4 {is a possibility, and one that has been played over one hundred
times. The point is to avoid the exchange on f6, which doubles the f-pawns, as
in the game.} 4. Bf4 c5 5. Bd3 {helps explain the opening choice. The
Trompowsky is all about annoying the black knights with the white bishops.}) 4.
Bxf6 (4. Nc3 {has been tried by GM Dmitry Andreikin.}) 4... gxf6 (4... exf6 {
is also an option, but we tend to prefer to capture toward the center and not
away from it. Capturing with the e-pawn is perfectly playable, but also notice
that the pawn on d5 can become isolated. As we chessplayers know, a pawn's
best friend is another pawn.} 5. dxc5 {and White can claim a large strategic
advantage. In the long term, the pawn on d5 is a major liability.}) 5. dxc5 Nc6
({In the 2013 Tal Memorial, Kramnik lost a complicated battle against Carlsen:
} 5... e6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. c4 dxc4 8. c6 Nb6 9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 bxc6 11. Qc2 Bg7
12. Bd3 f5 13. e4 Qf6 14. Rc1 O-O 15. O-O c5 16. Rfe1 Rd8 17. a4 c4 18. Bf1
fxe4 19. Nxe4 Qf5 20. Nd4 Bxd4 21. cxd4 Bb7 22. Nc5 Qxc2 23. Rxc2 Bc6 24. a5
Rxd4 25. axb6 axb6 26. Nxe6 fxe6 27. Bxc4 Bd7 28. h3 Kf7 29. Bb3 Ke7 30. Rce2
Rd6 31. Re4 Ra3 32. R1e3 h5 33. Rh4 Be8 34. Kh2 Bg6 35. Rb4 Kf6 36. Kg3 e5 37.
Kh4 Rd4+ 38. Rxd4 exd4 39. Re6+ Kg7 40. Rxb6 d3 41. Bd1 Ra2 42. Kg3 h4+ 43.
Kxh4 Rxf2 44. Kg3 Rf6 45. Rxf6 Kxf6 46. Kf4 d2 47. Ke3 Ke5 48. g3 Bf5 49. h4
Be6 50. Kxd2 Ke4 51. Ke2 Bg4+ 52. Ke1 Be6 53. Kf2 Ke5 54. Ke3 Bd7 55. Bc2 Bg4
56. Bg6 Bd7 57. h5 Kf6 58. Kf4 Be6 59. Be4 Kg7 60. Kg5 Bd7 61. h6+ Kh8 62. Kf4
Be6 63. Bf5 Bf7 64. g4 Bh5 65. g5 Kg8 66. Be6+ Kh7 67. Kf5 Bg6+ 68. Kf6 Kh8 69.
Bd7 Bh5 70. Bc6 Kh7 71. Bd5 Bg6 72. Bg8+ {1-0 (72) Carlsen,M (2864)-Kramnik,V
(2803) Moscow 2013}) 6. Bb5 {Technically a novelty, though the position has
occured in Rahman-Mas, from a different move order (5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. dxc5).} ({
A relevant game, and perhaps in retrospect a move Magnus might have wanted to
try, was} 6. c3 e6 7. b4 a5 8. Qb3 f5 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. b5 Nb8 11. Nbd2 O-O 12.
Rc1 Nd7 13. c6 bxc6 14. bxc6 Nb8 15. Bb5 Qb6 16. Ba4 Qc5 17. O-O Nxc6 18. c4
Ne7 19. cxd5 Qxd5 20. Qa3 Qb7 21. Rc4 Rd8 22. Rb1 Qa7 23. Qc1 Ba6 24. Rc7 Rdc8
25. Rxa7 Rxc1+ 26. Rxc1 Rxa7 27. Rc5 Bb7 28. Nb3 Bd5 29. Nfd2 Be5 30. Rxa5 Rxa5
31. Nxa5 Bxa2 32. Bb3 Bc3 33. Bxa2 Bxa5 34. Nf3 Bc7 35. Nd2 Ba5 {Caruana,F
(2787)-Giri,A (2778) London 2015 1/2-1/2}) 6... e6 {Played after a 15-minute
think, Karjakin - likely flustered by the opening surprise - reserves his
right to castle. A viable alternative was} (6... Rg8 {which attacks the pawn
on g2, and now challenges White to figure out how to defend without
compromising the light squares beyond repair.} 7. Nc3 e6 8. g3 Bxc5 9. Qh5 {
is much more pleasant for Carlsen. Material is equal, but there are key
elements that must not be understated: the black kingside is airy and hard to
defend; in return, there are two bishops for Karjakin to work with; Carlsen
can castle in either direction (but queenside is to be preferred), while
Karjakin has difficulty getting his king out of harm's way. The position
should soon open, with a rook on d1 becoming a menacing piece.}) 7. c4 dxc4 8.
Nd2 {Carlsen wisely decided to keep the queens on the board. When your
opponent's king is vulnerable - as the black king currently is stuck in the
center without clear future shelter - it often is imperative refrain from
trading. Queens are much better attackers than they are defenders: they are
worth so much, that they succumb to succumb to the pressure of knights and
bishops.} ({The predecessor was even better for Black:} 8. Nc3 Qxd1+ 9. Rxd1
Bxc5 10. Nf3 Ke7 11. O-O Na5 12. Ne4 Bb6 13. Nfd2 f5 14. Nc3 a6 15. Nxc4 Nxc4
16. Bxc4 Bd7 17. Bd5 Rab8 18. Bf3 Rhc8 19. Rc1 Rc7 20. Ne2 Rbc8 21. Rxc7 Rxc7
22. Rc1 Kd8 23. Rxc7 Kxc7 24. Nf4 Bc5 25. Bh5 f6 26. Kf1 Kd6 27. Nd3 Ba7 28.
Ke2 Bb5 29. Kd2 Bxd3 30. Kxd3 f4 {1/2-1/2 (30) Rahman,Z (2564)-Mas,H (2386)
Kuala Lumpur 2008}) 8... Bxc5 9. Ngf3 O-O 10. O-O (10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qc2 Ba6 {
further ruins the black pawn structure, but Black now has the ability to more
or less force a series of trades:} 12. O-O c3 13. Ne4 Bd3 14. Qxc3 Bxe4 15.
Qxc5 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Qd5 {is just equal.}) 10... Na5 11. Rc1 (11. Nxc4 {is not
recommended, considering that it encourages a queen trade and too much
liquidation. The main promise of the position is that Black's pawn is on f6
rather than g7, which is a much bigger issue when more material is on the
board.}) 11... Be7 {The first move that Magnus did not instantly respond to.}
12. Qc2 {The right decision by Carlsen, played after a 15-minute think. It's
not that this move offers White an advantage; rather, it allows his position
to retain some potential energy. The other main option gives Carlsen
absolutely nothing.} (12. Nxc4 a6 (12... Qxd1 13. Rfxd1 {offers White some
small chances due to the superiority of the rooks.} Nxc4 14. Bxc4 Rd8 15. Rxd8+
Bxd8 16. Rd1 Be7 17. g4 {actually gives White a slight pull. In order to
finish the queenside development, Karjakin would have to push some of his
pawns. An obvious yet important reminder: once they move forward, pawns can't
move back. So, oftentimes we hope to reserve our pawn pushes.}) 13. Qxd8 Bxd8
14. Nd6 Be7 15. Nxc8 Raxc8 16. Bd7 Rxc1 17. Rxc1 Rd8 {is completely equal. The
bishops of opposite color remove all winning chances.}) 12... Bd7 {Trading off
the pesky light-square bishop is necessary. Tempting would have been} (12... a6
{but while the pawn attacks the bishop, it actually helps the piece breathe
new life.} 13. Bxc4 Nxc4 (13... Bd7 14. Bd3 {so why did Black play a6? It
really just helped White!}) 14. Nxc4 {does not feel all that comfortable for
Black, who must contend with a rook quickly coming to d1. While we tend to
prefer two bishops to two knights, only one side has an exposed king. Moreover,
the knights will find themselves situated in the center of the board, where
they limit the mobility of the bishops. A very slight edge here, but
practically much easier for White.}) 13. Bxd7 Qxd7 14. Qc3 Qd5 15. Nxc4 Nxc4
16. Qxc4 (16. Rfd1 {was a possible intermezzo. The knight on c4 is not going
anywhere, so this rook swing is a free developing move. Unfortunately for
Carlsen, it would not change much after} Qb5 17. Qxc4 Qxc4 18. Rxc4 Rac8 {
White has no time to infiltrate on the seventh rank, because allowing a rook
to his unguarded back rank would prove fatal. Thus, the position would remain
slightly better for Carlsen, but just like the game.}) 16... Qxc4 {The
following sequence of trades is best.} 17. Rxc4 {I must stop here and mention
the intentions of the players. Black is slightly worse, so he hopes to curtail
his opponent's activity. White has the superior pawn structure: if you cut the
board to the right of the f-file, you notice that White has two pawns to
Black's one. This could not be more essential to the prospects of the position.
Carlsen would love nothing more than to trade his g-pawn for Black's h-pawn,
thus creating a passed pawn. In endgames, such a passed pawn can decide the
game. Also note the dynamics of bishop versus knight. The knight can hop to
both colors; the bishop is stuck on the dark squares. In open positions we
value our bishops more, but in an endgame like this, it's hugely beneficial to
have a piece that can potentially attack and defend every square on the board.}
Rfc8 18. Rfc1 (18. Rd4 Kf8 {is just fine for Black. White would love to swing
some pieces to the kingside and attack the solitary h-pawn, but the white
queenside remains vulnerable. With all target points covered, Black is just
symbolically worse.}) 18... Rxc4 19. Rxc4 Rd8 {Of course, taking control of
the other open file. Karjakin can hardly afford to give Carlsen unopposed
control of the board. Now, his rook is just in time to stop seventh rank
infiltration.} 20. g3 {providing space for the White king, but not quite
enough!} (20. Rc7 $4 Rd1+ 21. Ne1 Rxe1# {would be a tragic blunder into
checkmate.}) (20. g4 {was a better move, and was recommended in the live
commentary by GM Judit Polgar. The point is that this push prevents Karjakin
from pushing both his f- and h-pawns, which in turn means the bishop can't
find a comfortable home on f6. White can also dream about running his king up
the right flank if the opportunity arises.}) 20... Rd7 (20... Kf8 {would be an
unwise decision. It forces Black to play ultra passively in order to defend.}
21. Rc7 Rb8 {is not the position a rook wants to be in. Granted, Black can
kick the rook from c7 in a few moves (after Ke8 and then Bd6), but a rook is
best stationed for defense when it also has the ability to get active.}) 21.
Kf1 f5 {Now Karjakin defends the h4 square against a rook swing while also
opening up a new diagonal for the bishop.} 22. Ke2 (22. Ne5 Rd5 (22... Rd2 23.
Rc7 {quickly becomes problematic for Black. There are many pawns on the
seventh rank, and not all are defensible. While it looks like} Bd6 {forks a
knight and rook, in reality it just backfires to the pin} 24. Rd7 {and now
White is completely winning, since the pawns can't be saved.}) 23. Rc7 Bd6 24.
Rc8+ Kg7 25. Nc4 Be7 26. Rc7 b5) 22... Bf6 23. b3 (23. b4 {was an intriguing
option. On both knight files, Magnus refrained from pushing his pawn two
squares. I would also be reluctant to put my pawn on the color of my
opponent's bishop, but that might be a necessary trade-off for more control of
the board. Regardless, the bishop now stares into empty space.}) 23... Kf8 {
Natural, the king belongs in the center in the endgame. From there it can head
to either side of the board.} 24. h3 h6 25. Ne1 {From f3, the knight has
nowhere to go. The bishop on f6 covers all possible entry squares. Now the
knight will go on a journey.} Ke7 26. Nd3 Kd8 27. f4 {Gaining space, this move
can prove useful in limiting the scope of the bishop. The two players
discussed the move at the press conference. "Maybe f4 wasn't the best way,"
Karjakin said. "But you cannot say that White missed big chances." Carlsen
said he had thoughts of playing Ne5 and after the trade winning a
king-and-pawn ending. "But that was just a mirage."} h5 {A good move by
Karjakin, stalling White's potential kingside expansion.} (27... b6 28. Ne5
Bxe5 29. fxe5 {is the idea mentioned in the previous note. White aims to
capture the pawn on h6 and create a passed rook pawn. It doesn't seem to give
White an objective advantage, but it does give pose some practical
difficulties for Karjakin.} Rd5 (29... Ke7 30. Rh4 Rc7 {should hold the
balance.}) 30. Ra4 a5 31. Rd4 {needs to be calculated to the very end, since
the pawn endame can prove disastrous for Black without proper calculation.})
28. a4 {Now Carlsen aims to gain space. Better late than never.} Rd5 (28... Rc7
{is tempting, but knight versus bishop endings are not always favorable for
the side with the minor piece that can challenge on only one color. In fact,
this move might just lose:} 29. Rxc7 Kxc7 30. Ne5 Bxe5 {if not, the pawn on f7
falls.} 31. fxe5 Kc6 (31... Kd7 32. Kf3 Ke7 33. Kf4 f6 34. b4 {and with the
more active king, White should win the king and pawn ending.}) 32. Kf3 Kc5 33.
e4 Kd4 (33... fxe4+ $4 34. Kxe4 Kb4 35. h4 Kxb3 36. g4 {and White breaks
through and queens.}) 34. exf5 Kxe5 35. fxe6 Kxe6 (35... fxe6 36. g4 {is
winning because of the nature of the passed pawns. White will use his outside
passer as a decoy, forcing Black's king to step in front. In the meantime, the
White king will go after the e-pawn and then has a direct path to the
remaining queenside pawns.}) 36. Kf4 Kf6 37. a5 b6 38. axb6 axb6 39. h4 {
and White wins the endgame because after} b5 40. b4 {is zugzwang. The black
king has to move, and White's king will run in the opposite direction.} Kg6 41.
Ke5 Kg7 42. Kf5 f6 43. g4 {wins for White, again thanks to the outside passed
pawn. Black is forced to place his king on the h-file, while White will
capture f6 and then run to b5.}) 29. Nc5 b6 {One hole has been provoked, but
it is not enough.} 30. Na6 Be7 31. Nb8 (31. b4 Bd6 32. b5 {appears to provide
benefit, since space is gained and the knight has a stable outpost. But the
position is equal, as the knight really has nowhere to go and Black can just
stay put with} Kd7 {if White is not careful, he can quickly receive a worse
position.} 33. Rd4 Rxd4 34. exd4 h4 $1 {is not what Carlsen is looking for in
the endgame. Now that the f4 pawn is undermined, Karjakin can even claim a
slight edge. The knight on a6 is completely tamed by the bishop on d6, meaning
only Black can win.}) (31. Rc7 Rd7 32. Rc3 Rd5 {has changed nothing.}) 31... a5
{Defending the pawn by pushing it to a protected square.} 32. Nc6+ Ke8 33. Ne5
(33. Nxe7 Kxe7 34. Rc6 Kd7 $1 {is now possible, indirectly defending the pawn
on b6. How? Because} 35. Rxb6 Kc7 36. Rb5 Rxb5 37. axb5 Kb6 {regains the pawn,
with an equal ending.}) 33... Bc5 {The bishop has found footing on c5, and
there is little hope left for Carlsen. He quickly lets the game liquidate into
a draw.} 34. Rc3 Ke7 35. Rd3 Rxd3 36. Kxd3 f6 {What else? That knight on e5 is
really annoying.} 37. Nc6+ (37. Nc4 {is not a better square. There's no target
for White to attack, since there the knight can't ever get to the h5 pawn.
Unfortunately for Carlsen, his king and knight can't share the same square!})
37... Kd6 38. Nd4 Kd5 (38... Bxd4 39. Kxd4 {is still completely drawn, but why
allow White any hope? Because the white king is more advanced, only he can win
such an ending.}) 39. Nb5 Kc6 40. Nd4+ Kd6 41. Nb5+ Kd7 42. Nd4 Kd6 {A draw by
repetition was agreed, as neither side can make progress.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "World Championship 2016"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.11"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D00"]
[WhiteElo "2857"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2016.11.12"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.12"]
1. d4 {[%emt 0:00:00] Magnus Carlsen opens the game with 1.d4. So no surprises
with off beat systems like 1.e3 or 1.b3.} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 2. Bg5 $5 {
[%emt 0:00:00][%cal Gc1g5] The Trompowsky! Wow! When was the last time we saw
this opening being used at the highest level? Wasn't it played by Anand when
he had to equalize the score against Anatoly Karpov in 1998? Many people have
started commenting that after Trump, its now time for the Tromp!} d5 {[%emt 0:
00:13] Karjakin plays in the most solid and classical fashion.} 3. e3 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:39]} 4. Bxf6 {[%emt 0:00:29]} gxf6 $5 {[%emt 0:00:07]
Once Black has played c5, it makes sense to take back with the g-pawn.
Karjakin has played the opening in quite an ambitious fashion.} 5. dxc5 {
[%emt 0:00:12] Carlsen had already tried this against Kramnik in Tal Memorial
2013, so this could not come as a surprise for Team Karjakin.} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:
48] This was played by Giri against Caruana when the latter replied with c3.
Carlsen has different ideas.} (5... e6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. c4 dxc4 8. c6 Nb6 9. Nbd2
c3 10. bxc3 bxc6 11. Qc2 Bg7 12. Bd3 f5 13. e4 Qf6 14. Rc1 O-O 15. O-O c5 16.
Rfe1 $11 {1-0 (72) Carlsen,M (2864)-Kramnik,V (2803) Moscow 2013}) 6. Bb5 {
[%emt 0:00:32] This is a new position with only one game played with the move
Bb5 which was between Ziaur Rahman and Mas Hafizuelmi. Here Karjakin sank into
some thought and after nearly 20 minutes replied..} e6 {[%emt 0:19:58]} 7. c4 {
[%emt 0:01:50] Magnus Carlsen keeps playing quickly.} dxc4 {[%emt 0:01:10]} 8.
Nd2 $5 {[%emt 0:00:25] Objectively this should be no advantage for White, but
the position is a fresh one and Karjakin is out of his prep. Just what the
doctor ordered for Magnus!} Bxc5 {[%emt 0:04:26]} 9. Ngf3 {[%emt 0:01:20]} O-O
$5 {[%emt 0:02:13][%csl Re6,Rf6,Rf7,Gg8][%cal Ge8g8] Although the pawns on the
kingside are doubled on the f-file, there is absolutely no way to reach the
black king and he is quite safe on g8.} 10. O-O {[%emt 0:00:57]} Na5 {[%emt 0:
02:52]} (10... c3 {giving back the pawn and ruining White's structure also
looks like a logical move.} 11. bxc3 Bd7 12. Nd4 {And the queen coming out to
g4, there could be some complications, but Black can go} Nxd4 $1 13. Bxd7 Nc2
14. Qxc2 Qxd7 $11 {with equality.}) 11. Rc1 {[%emt 0:02:20]} (11. Nxc4 Qxd1 12.
Rfxd1 Nxc4 (12... a6 $5 13. Nxa5 axb5 $15) 13. Bxc4 b6 $11 {Once the queens
are exchanged, there are absolutely no dangers for Black.}) 11... Be7 {[%emt 0:
04:25] The bishop was not so well placed on c5 in any case, so dropping it
back to e7 is logical.} (11... a6 12. Bxc4 Nxc4 13. Nxc4 Qxd1 14. Rfxd1 $14 {
White's lead in development gives him a tangible edge.}) 12. Qc2 {[%emt 0:15:
15] Magnus tries to ensure that the queens are not exchanged when he takes the
pawn on c4.} Bd7 {[%emt 0:01:56][%cal Gc8d7] A surprising decision. Usually
the player with the bishop pair tries to keep his bishops on the board. But
here Karjakin tries to exchange one on his own. Well, he would like to develop
quickly, bring his rook to c8, and hence in that respect this is a good
decision.} (12... a6 13. Bxc4 Nxc4 14. Nxc4 b5 15. Rfd1 Qc7 16. Qe4 Bb7 17.
Qg4+ Kh8 18. Nd6 $14) 13. Bxd7 {[%emt 0:03:05]} Qxd7 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 14. Qc3 {
[%emt 0:02:44]} (14. Nxc4 Rac8 $11) 14... Qd5 {[%emt 0:07:44]} (14... b6 {
was also fine.} 15. Ne4 e5 16. Rfd1 Qe6 $11) 15. Nxc4 {[%emt 0:06:38]} Nxc4 {
[%emt 0:00:15]} 16. Qxc4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Qxc4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 17. Rxc4 {
[%emt 0:00:04] When this position was reached, there was confusion amongst the
online viewing spectators. What should be the evaluation of the position? In
general this is just an equal position. There is not much to think about it.
Black's pawn structure is a bit compromised, but it is not so easy to take
advantage of it. Meanwhile the bishop is a good piece when you have pawns on
both the sides of the board. But when it comes to Magnus Carlsen you can never
be sure. This guy has the ability to squeeze water from stone. Hence, the
confusion - position is equal, but will Magnus squeeze something out of it? By
the way there are similar Catalan endgames which are better for White, but
there are two differences, the pawn is usually on e2 and the knight is on d3.
White controls the c-file and Black has no counterplay on the d-line. This is
a pretty dangerous scenario. In the game things are more easy for Black.} Rfc8
{[%emt 0:03:04]} 18. Rfc1 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Rxc4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 19. Rxc4 {
[%emt 0:00:06]} Rd8 {[%emt 0:01:53] Karjakin plays simple and natural
developing moves.} 20. g3 {[%emt 0:05:58]} Rd7 {[%emt 0:02:59] Stopping the
seventh rank penetration.} 21. Kf1 {[%emt 0:00:36]} f5 {[%emt 0:02:10]} 22. Ke2
{[%emt 0:00:37]} Bf6 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 23. b3 {[%emt 0:00:23]} Kf8 {[%emt 0:03:
29] The rook defends, the seventh rank, the bishop is well placed on f6 and
the king now decides to come in the game.} 24. h3 $1 {[%emt 0:06:38] g4 is on
the cards. This will force, fg4 hg4 and then the h7 pawn would be quite weak.}
h6 {[%emt 0:08:06]} 25. Ne1 {[%emt 0:09:35]} Ke7 {[%emt 0:05:16]} 26. Nd3 {
[%emt 0:05:34] I like the way Carlsen is moving around. It gives a feeling
that he is improving the position. But truth be told, he doesn't really have a
good plan to breakthrough and is waiting for Sergey to do something stupid.}
Kd8 {[%emt 0:04:39]} 27. f4 {[%emt 0:02:47] Magnus chages his plans. Instead
of g4, he plays first f4. Now he can threaten to go g4 or e4 depending on the
requirement of the position.} (27. g4 fxg4 28. hxg4 Rc7 $1 29. Rxc7 Kxc7 30. f4
Kd6 $11 {The position is just equal.}) 27... h5 $6 {[%emt 0:08:30] The reason
this move is dubious is because the pawn endings might be completely lost for
Black. Read on further to know why.} (27... Rc7 $5 28. Rxc7 Kxc7 29. Ne5 Bxe5
30. fxe5 Kc6 31. Kf3 Kd5 32. Kf4 $11 {White has no win here. But now imagine
that the pawn was on h5 instead of h6 and you realize that this endgame is
just lost for Black.}) 28. a4 {[%emt 0:13:52]} Rd5 {[%emt 0:07:58]} (28... Rc7
{Exchanging the rook seems like an easy solution, but after} 29. Rxc7 Kxc7 30.
Ne5 $1 Bxe5 31. fxe5 {This pawn ending is just lost for Black.} Kc6 32. Kf3 Kd5
33. Kf4 $18 {The h-pawn is lost and and white queens first.}) 29. Nc5 {[%emt 0:
07:50]} b6 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 30. Na6 {[%emt 0:02:49]} Be7 {[%emt 0:02:54]} 31.
Nb8 {[%emt 0:03:34] The knight is dancing around, but it is not so easy to do
some damage.} (31. Rc7 Rd7 $11) 31... a5 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 32. Nc6+ {[%emt 0:03:
25]} Ke8 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 33. Ne5 {[%emt 0:04:26]} (33. Nxe7 Kxe7 34. Rc6 Rd6
$11) 33... Bc5 {[%emt 0:00:33]} 34. Rc3 {[%emt 0:04:41]} Ke7 {[%emt 0:03:01]}
35. Rd3 {[%emt 0:00:28]} Rxd3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 36. Kxd3 {[%emt 0:00:12]} f6 {
[%emt 0:00:13]} 37. Nc6+ {[%emt 0:04:10]} Kd6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 38. Nd4 {
[%emt 0:00:08]} Kd5 {[%emt 0:00:56] There is no way for White to break in and
the same goes for Black.} 39. Nb5 {[%emt 0:00:27]} Kc6 {[%emt 0:03:17]} 40.
Nd4+ {[%emt 0:00:00]} Kd6 {[%emt 0:01:42]} 41. Nb5+ {[%emt 0:08:05]} Kd7 {
[%emt 0:00:20]} 42. Nd4 {[%emt 0:00:38]} Kd6 {[%emt 0:00:04] A very successful
first World Championship game for Sergey Karjakin. Magnus could not outplay
him in a fresh position. The Russian was upto task on every problem that he
was posed and made the draw with ease. It will be interesting to see game two
where Karjakin will have the white pieces.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 (3... Nf6 {Unlike in the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik
match, Magnus Carlsen is not interested in entering the Berlin Defense. While
Kramnik used the opening to neutralize Kasparov's white pieces, it makes
frequent appearances at all top-level events. Both Karjakin and Carlsen have
enjoyed some success in the opening, but the World Champion - staying true to
his early match strategy - deviates from the most topical line. A potential
concern may have been the developments uncovered by GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave,
who had Carlsen against the ropes before letting him escape in a game this
year.}) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 {According to the database, this move is a
distant second in terms of popularity in this opening. Karjakin, typically
known for his extensive opening preparation, decides to steer clear of the
main line:} (6. Re1 {perhaps was avoided because it was easier for Carlsen to
prepare for. Additionally, Karjakin suffered an uninspiring defeat against GM
Peter Svidler on the white side of this position back in May, so it is
possible his team of seconds did not find enough improvements to justify
repeating the line.} b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 b4 9. d4 d6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nbd2 Bc5
12. a5 h6 13. h3 Qd6 14. Qe2 Be6 15. Nc4 Qe7 16. c3 bxc3 17. bxc3 Nh5 18. g4
Nf4 19. Bxf4 exf4 {eventually resulted in 0-1 (56) Karjakin,S (2779)-Svidler,P
(2762) Sochi 2016}) 6... b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 {This move can be characterized as
"slow," but the point is clear: to keep the light-square bishop on the board.}
(8. a4 {is the most popular continuation, though Carlsen beat Svidler from the
black side of this position during the 2013 Candidates' Tournament.}) 8... O-O
9. Nc3 Na5 (9... Bg4 {is the more popular choice, making use of the fact that
White has yet to play h3. Black of course wants to hop the knight into d4, but
minor pieces get swapped off, and the simplification leads to only a small
plus for White.} 10. Be3 Nd4 11. Bxd4 exd4 12. Nd5 Nd7 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 {
and I don't think White has much at all.}) 10. Ba2 Be6 11. d4 (11. b4 Bxa2 12.
Rxa2 Nc6 13. Bg5 {has been faced by Aronian on a couple of occasions, and he
managed to hold his own. White has a slight pull thanks to better control of
d5 than Black has of d4, and the possibility of breaks with a4 or d4, but with
proper play, Black should be hanging in there.}) (11. Bxe6 {It is perfectly
reasonable to wonder why Karjakin did not initiate the trade of bishops. After
all, the move doubles the black pawns. But it also opens up the f-file for the
rook and gives Carlsen additional control of the key central squares. In many
positions, it is often advised to allow to exchange to come to you when
forcing the issue may change the pawn structure in a way favorable for your
opponent.} fxe6 {The position is level, but much more comfortable to play with
from the black side. Qe8 is a possibilty in the near future, and with Nh5-f4
ideas, Carlsen would not complain.}) 11... Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Re8 {This is the move
that seemed to faze Karjakin, who slowed his pace and spent 15 minutes
figuring out his strategy.} 13. Ra1 {A novelty, but the important deviations
occurred earlier in the game. The only game in this line was a recent one
between players rated nearly a collective 700 points below the ones in this
match. Based on the time spent by both players to get to this position, I
think it is safe to say that neither player was familiar with the predecessor,
which ended in a relatively short draw starting with 13. Qd3.} (13. dxe5 dxe5
14. Nxe5 {does not win a pawn. Black has the simple} Qxd1 15. Rxd1 Bd6 {
and now the knight is attacked by two pieces, so even defending it with} 16. f4
{returns the pawn.} Bxe5 17. fxe5 Rxe5 18. Bf4 Ree8 19. Bxc7 Nc4 {Black again
is a pawn behind, but the white forces are discombobulated, and the e-pawn is
isolated and weak. Black is even to be preferred.}) 13... Nc4 {The knight
reroutes itself into a more central square, but this is merely a temporary
destination. Karjakin will kick the knight out, but at least from b6, the
piece will have some purpose (covering d5, for example).} 14. Re1 Rc8 {A move
which many spectators found curious. The rook moves from a closed file to an
even more closed file. But the purpose of the move is not about the rook; it
is about supporting the push c7-c6.} (14... c6 15. b3 exd4 (15... Nb6 16. dxe5
dxe5 17. Nxe5 {and Carlsen would be forced to prove he has enough compensation
for the sacrificed pawn. The specific variations are less important than the
main theme: The c6-pawn might be a casualty, whereas with the rook on c8 it is
safe.}) 16. Nxd4 {and again, we see the c6-pawn in real trouble. The f5-square
is also a nice place for the knight to station itself. Black is by no means
lost (the game is still complex), but White's advantage is steadily growing.})
15. h3 (15. a4 {is definitely tempting, now that the rook has left its nest.
But moving a pawn leaves the square adjacent to it unprotected, so now Black
can go forth with} b4 (15... c6 {is also a normal way to defend, as in the
game.})) (15. b3 Nb6 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Qxd8 Bxd8 {keeps e5 guarded. Carlsen's
pieces are only temporarily awkard, and despite the slight edge for White, the
balance should be held.}) 15... h6 16. b3 Nb6 17. Bb2 (17. dxe5 {was now the
time to take?} dxe5 18. Qxd8 Bxd8 (18... Rcxd8 {does not work well for Black.}
19. Nxe5 Bc5 20. Nf3) 19. a4 c6 20. axb5 axb5 {and I'm not seeing a clear way
for Karjakin to proceed. I do prefer this to the game variation, because the
bishops' placement currently favors White. Be3 or Bb2 can be played, while its
counterpart on d8 is awkwardly placed.}) 17... Bf8 18. dxe5 {Apparently now is
the time! Karjakin ends the tense central struggle, believing the situation
has turned in his favor.} dxe5 19. a4 (19. Qxd8 Rcxd8 20. Na2 $1 {was a
fantastic idea. Now Carlsen would have to protect e5 while also facing the
annoying idea of Nb4. To me, this was a huge missed opportunity to apply
pressure to the champ.}) 19... c6 20. Qxd8 Rcxd8 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ne2 {
This move is not a blunder, but I consider it an inaccuracy that throws away
any chance at even a symbolic advantage.} (22. Na2 Nbd7 23. Nc1 {was a good
way to position the knight on its best square. The position should still be
equal, but Carlsen would be forced to find a few accurate moves to ensure he
collects the half-point.}) (22. Ra6 Nfd7 {holds everything together.
Importantly, Black can contend on the a-file thanks to the knight on b6.})
22... Bb4 {Carlsen very intelligently avoids getting too eager. Some players
would try too hard to fight for an advantage in a position that warrants quiet
moves. It was good that the world champion lacked ambition in the position,
seemingly having already resigned himself to making a draw rather than seeking
an advantage. Granted, the position is objectively equal, but there are always
traps--for Black to avoid.} (22... Nxe4 23. Bxe5 (23. Nxe5 $2 Bc5 {when
Carlsen lashes out and wins material.} 24. Nd3 Rxd3 25. cxd3 Bxf2+ 26. Kf1 Bxe1
27. dxe4 Bd2 28. Ra6 Be3 29. Bd4 Bxd4 30. Nxd4 Rxe4 31. Nxc6 Nd7 {should still
be a draw, but Karjakin has to fight for it considering he is a pawn down.})
23... Ng5 24. Bc7 Nxf3+ 25. gxf3 Rd2 26. Bxb6 Rdxe2 27. Rxe2 Rxe2 28. Ra8 Rxc2
29. b4 {and with Bc5 coming, Black will be forced to sacrifice his rook for
the bishop. This will result in him desperately hoping for a draw. This is an
important lesson to stay objective rather than seeking a win where one does
not exist.}) 23. Bc3 Bxc3 24. Nxc3 Nbd7 25. Ra6 Rc8 26. b4 Re6 (26... c5 {
is equal, but Karjakin would be forced on the defensive.} 27. Nxb5 cxb4 28. Nd6
Re6 29. Nxc8 Rxa6 30. Rd1 {and optically, White is the one forced to defend
his weaknesses on c2 and e4. The advantage is an illusion, but Black can't
complain.}) 27. Rb1 c5 {Getting all the pieces off the board, forcing the draw.
} 28. Rxe6 fxe6 29. Nxb5 (29. bxc5 Rxc5 30. Nxb5 (30. Rb3 b4 {forces Karjakin
to back pedal, but even here Carlsen lacks winning chances because of his ugly
doubled pawns. That means that winning the e-pawn is nice, but there are no
passed pawns.}) 30... Rxc2 {is similarly equal.}) 29... cxb4 30. Rxb4 Rxc2 31.
Nd6 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Rc2 33. Kg1 {There is no other way to defend the pawn than to
return the king to g1. Carlsen has done well to hold a draw without much
stress.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "WCh 2016"]
[Site "New York USA"]
[Date "2016.11.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.11.11"]
1. e4 {And there we go! 1.e4 on the board! Contrary to what people used to
feel a few years ago, 1.e4 has now become more of a technical opening thanks
to the Berlin and the solid lines in the Ruy Lopez. Gone are the days when
opening the game with 1.e4 would ensure more attacking games than 1.d4 or the
Reti or the English. But every now and then we have some aggressive games and
our heart cries for such an experience to be repeated!} e5 {Of course, this
was expected. Magnus is not going to be motivated by MVL and play the Najdorf!
Or maybe he will at a later point in the Match! Who knows!?} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
a6 $5 {A pleasant feeling to not see the Berlin.} (3... Nf6 {We have to assume
that Carlsen and co. have also worked on this move and Karjakin and co. have
done their homework. I am sure that the Berlin will be tried in one of the
forthcoming games.}) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O (5. d3 {While 5.d3 does exist, this is
not particularly a great move because the bishop is still on f8. It gives
Black an option to develop it on g7.} d6 6. O-O g6 $1) 5... Be7 6. d3 {The d3
variations in Ruy Lopez sometimes look boring and dry. But seeing the games of
top players we understand that White is trying to pose micro problems to Black
with this move. Many times Black ends up in a losing position even without
knowing that he has made an error. The reason for this is that when the pawn
structure is symmetrical, it is difficult to generate counterplay for the
inferior side. Hence, the second player must always remain careful.} b5 7. Bb3
d6 {When Black defends his e5 pawn, it is time to think about the b3 bishop,
because now Na5 is going to be threatened. Hence, players generally go for
either a3, a4 or c3.} 8. a3 {This is currently the most popular move at the
top level. Nikolaos Ntirlis in his excellent book Playing e4 e5 - A Classical
repertoire for Black writes, "This is clearly a top-level system, mostly
suitable for positionally-oriented players, as it contains a lot of subtle
nuances and demands careful handling from both players."} O-O (8... Na5 $5 {
According to Ntirlis, this might be the more accurate way to play, as after} 9.
Ba2 c5 10. b4 Nc6 {White has no knight on c3, to immediately jump to d5. Hence,
he must take care of his b4 pawn.}) 9. Nc3 {Many spectators already start to
yawn at this point. The reason: look at the knights of both sides. They are on
identical squares. Look at the central structure. Again identical! Isn't this
going to be dull, drab draw? Well, look at the biggest difference in the
position. The black bishop is on e7 and the white one on b3. This gives him an
edge.} Na5 (9... Be6 $6 10. Nd5 Na5 {And now White has the positional strong}
11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. b4 $1 Nc6 {and with the pawn still on c7,
this is quite bad for Black.} 14. c3 $14 {[%cal Gc1e3,Ga3a4,Gd1c2,Gc3c4] White
has many ideas in this position, while Black is passive.}) 10. Ba2 Be6 {
A lot of moves have been played by White in this position including b4, Bxe6,
Bg5 etc. Karjakin goes for d4.} (10... c5 {is well met with} 11. b4 $1 Nc6 12.
Nd5 $14 {When White once again has a nagging edge.}) 11. d4 $5 {Six games have
been played with this move and the top level encounters are between
Caruana-Aronian and Topalov-Carlsen! So it can be assumed that all this was
quite well know territory for both the players.} Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Re8 $5 (12...
Nc6 {was played by Magnus aginst Topalov. So the Norwegian has a slight
improvement up his sleeve.} 13. d5 Nb8 14. Qe2 Nbd7 15. Rd1 Qc8 16. Nh4 g6 17.
g3 Ne8 18. Ng2 Ng7 19. Bh6 Nf6 20. Ne3 Qh3 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 $11 {0-1 (41) Topalov,
V (2761)-Carlsen,M (2855) Paris 2016}) 13. Ra1 (13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxd1 15.
Rxd1 Bd6 16. Nd3 Nxe4 $11 {The pawn is regained and it just equal.}) ({The
only other game that reached this position continued} 13. Qd3 exd4 14. Nxd4 Qd7
15. Bg5 g6 16. f4 c5 17. Nf3 Rad8 18. a4 Nc6 $11 {1/2-1/2 (28) Paravyan,D
(2506)-Harutyunian,T (2426) Moscow 2016}) 13... Nc4 (13... Nc6 14. d5 Nb8 {
is usually the way Magnus likes to play. Get his knight from b8-d7 like in the
Breyer.}) 14. Re1 (14. b3 Nb6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nxe5 Bd6 $11) 14... Rc8 $5 {
Is this one of Nimzowitsch's mysterious rook moves? Aren't rooks supposed to
be placed on open files? Well, there are no open files in this position and
the rook on c8 is ensuring that White doesn't go d4-d5. If White does close
the position with the move d5, then c6 would ensure that the rook remains on
the semi-open c-file.} (14... Bf8 {looked like the normal move. Bg5 is not yet
possible because the pawn on b2 would hang.} 15. b3 Nb6 16. Bg5 {This must be
a position that Magnus didn't like.}) 15. h3 (15. b3 Nb6 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Qxd8
(17. Nxe5 Qxd1 18. Rxd1 Bd6 19. Nc6 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Be3 {White could
claim a small edge here, but it is almost nothing and with some more accurate
moves, Black can equalize.}) 17... Bxd8 $11) 15... h6 {Both sides are making
some useful moves in the position before committing to anything. Magnus wants
Sergey to take on e5, while the Russian would like the Norwegian to take on d4.
It's cold war and no one is going to budge easily.} 16. b3 Nb6 17. Bb2 Bf8 18.
dxe5 {Karjakin is the first one to give up the central tension. Usually
decisions of such magnitude are not taken lightly by top class players. It is
only if something concrete is found do they like to release the tension. Hence,
in this position dxe5 has to be followed by energetically by White as we shall
see in the game.} (18. a4 b4 19. Na2 exd4 20. Nxd4 c5 $11) 18... dxe5 19. a4 {
This is what Karjakin was banking on, but it wasn't something terribly special.
} (19. Qxd8 Rcxd8 {And here a4 is also possible, but there could be an
interesting manoeuvre.} 20. Na2 $5 {This move attacks the e5 pawn and now
prepares Nb4.} Nfd7 21. Nb4 Ra8 22. Nc6 $14 {One already gets the feeling that
White is pushing in this position.} f6 23. Bc3 {controlling the a5 square.} Nb8
24. Na5 c5 25. Nh4 Rc8 26. Ng6 Nc6 27. Nxc6 Rxc6 28. Ba5 $14 {This
illustrative line just shows how White can keep up the pressure in this
symmetrical position.}) 19... c6 {This is quite typical Magnus' play in the
Ruy Lopez. He likes to make uncommittal moves and release the tension only
when it is the most appropriate for him.} 20. Qxd8 Rcxd8 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ne2
(22. Ra6 Nfd7 (22... Rb8 {is also possible.}) 23. Rea1 f6 24. Ra7 Ra8 $11 {
And the rooks will come off with handshakes all around.}) 22... Bb4 (22... Nxe4
23. Bxe5 (23. Nxe5 $6 Bc5 $1 24. Nd3 Rxd3 25. cxd3 Bxf2+ 26. Kf1 Bxe1 27. dxe4
Bd2 $15) 23... Ng5 $5 24. Nxg5 Rxe5 25. Nf3 Re6 $11) 23. Bc3 Bxc3 24. Nxc3 {
Black has full equality and Magnus makes the draw without any difficulties.}
Nbd7 25. Ra6 Rc8 (25... Re6 26. b4 Rb8 {With the idea of Nb6-c4.} 27. Rea1 Nb6
28. Ne1 Nc4 29. Nd3 {might be something for White to bite on.}) 26. b4 {
Stopping Nc5.} Re6 27. Rb1 c5 {Magnus finds the quickest way to defuse the
position.} 28. Rxe6 fxe6 29. Nxb5 cxb4 30. Rxb4 Rxc2 31. Nd6 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Rc2
33. Kg1 {This was a great result for team Magnus. White showed no real ideas
in the opening, and Black equalized without any difficulties. It seems as if
Magnus will repeat 3...a6. The ball will be in Karjakin's court.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.14"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "155"]
[EventDate "2016.11.14"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.14"]
{On move one, Magnus Carlsen deviates from his previous game with the white
pieces. Of course this is hardly a surprise, but it shows the World Champion's
willingness -- indeed desire -- to mix it up early and often.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3
Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 {And unlike in round two we see the dreaded Berlin in round
three. Many of the spectators let out a groan, tired of seeing the Berlin
Defense at the upper echelons of chess.} 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 (5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6
dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {is the main line of the Berlin, which Magnus
does not wish to enter against the extremely well prepared Karjakin.}) 5... Nd6
6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re2 $3 {This move deserves
two exclamation points for its psychological effect. Karjakin, clearly
unfamiliar with this idea, spent over 20 minutes trying to come up with a
reasonable response. 10. Re2 has been played just three times prior to this
game, though those occasions likely slipped the sights of top grandmasters.} (
10. Re1 {was used by Kramnik in a classical game from last year's Qatar
Masters to hold a relatively easy draw:} Re8 11. c3 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. Bf4
d5 14. Bd3 g6 15. Nd2 Ng7 16. Nf3 Bf5 17. Bxf5 Nxf5 18. Qe2 c6 19. Re1 Ng7 20.
Be5 Bxe5 21. Nxe5 Qd6 22. Qf3 f6 23. Nd3 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Nxe8 25. Qe3 Ng7 26. h3
Kf7 27. Qh6 Kg8 28. Qe3 Kf7 29. Qh6 Kg8 30. Qe3 Kf7 {1/2-1/2 (30) Carlsen,M
(2834)-Kramnik,V (2796) Doha 2015}) 10... b6 11. Re1 {Also played instantly,
putting Karjakin into a deeper think. What a concept! Compared to the lines
with 10. Re1, which has been played over 150 times, Karjakin has the
"additional" move b6. It's unclear whether this inclusion is actually helpful,
since in lines where Black moves his knight and plays d5, the surrounding
light squares are a bit weaker.} (11. Bf4 Nf5 12. c3 Ba6 {was naturally what
Magnus wanted to avoid. Karjakin would develop his bishop with a tempo,
resulting in a forced exchange. Trades favor Black's drawing chances at this
point, who wishes to consolidate his pieces and minimize the disadvantage due
to the lack of space.}) 11... Re8 ({In the stem game, GM Hrant Melkumyan opted
to fianchetto his knight, which generally is not a recommended idea. He
managed to survive that battle with GM Rustam Kazimdzhanov, though Magnus
likely had improvements ready.} 11... Nb7 12. Na3 d5 13. c3 Nd6 14. Nc2 a5 15.
Ne3 Nf5 16. Ng4 Bg5 17. Bd3 Bxc1 18. Rxc1 Nd6 19. h3 Re8 20. Qf3 Bxg4 21. Qxg4
g6 22. Re5 c6 23. Rce1 Qc7 24. R1e3 Kg7 25. h4 f6 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 27. Rxe8 Nxe8
28. h5 f5 29. Qg5 Nd6 30. hxg6 {1/2-1/2 (30) Kasimdzhanov,R (2704)-Melkumyan,H
(2622) Germany 2016}) 12. Bf4 Rxe1 13. Qxe1 Qe7 (13... Bxd4 $2 {is not the
free pawn it might appear to be. In fact, it simply loses material thanks to
the inclusion of b7-b6!} 14. Bxd6 cxd6 (14... Bxb2 15. Bxc7 Qf8 16. Nc3 Bxa1
17. Qxa1 {two minor pieces quite easily outclass rook and pawn in such a
position. There is a lot of open space, and a queen works better with knight
and bishop than with a rook.}) 15. Qe4 Bxb2 16. Qxa8 Bxa1 (16... Qf8 {looks to
keep the queen defended, and the White rook is still trapped. True, except that
} 17. Nc3 $1 Bxa1 (17... Bxc3 18. Rd1 {leaves White up an exchange and winning
more pawns.}) 18. Nd5 Bf6 {defending against the huge threat of Qxc8 followed
by Ne7+, which would win a piece for White.} 19. Qxa7 {wins the game quite
easily, since the bishop on c8 is entombed by its own pawns.}) 17. Ba6 {
Winning the bishop on c8, and the game. Opposite colored bishops don't always
indicate a draw, particularly in a position when there is an extra minor piece
for just two ugly, unpassed pawns.}) (13... Bb7 {allowing doubled, isolated
pawns looks horrible, but is potentially acceptable? I can't even convince
myself that that is the case, for after} 14. Bxd6 cxd6 15. c3 {I absolutely
detest Black's position. Karjakin's pieces would be tied to the defense of his
weak paws, and in return there are not even any squares to infiltrate. To
illustrate what I mean: look at the entire board, not just the square that
pieces are on. The e2 square is well guarded by bishop and queen, the bishop
on f6 is curently blunted by the pawn b2-c3-d4 pawn chain, and the bishop on
b7 is staring at air. White, on the other hand, can bring the knight out to a3
and then to c4/b5 depending on what Black does. The structure is just
immensely favorable, and Carlsen is renowned for bringing full points home in
such positions.}) 14. Nc3 Bb7 15. Qxe7 Bxe7 16. a4 (16. Re1 {was the most
natural-looking move but Carlsen aims for a queenside initiative. This move
would really beg the question: what to do with the bishop?} Bf6 17. Bxd6 cxd6
18. Nb5 {is strategically horrible. The doubled pawns are a major liability,
and even rook endings with bishop of opposite colors (and an even number of
pawns) will be very hard to defend.} d5 19. c3 {Black has chances to hold, but
it will be an uphill battle.}) 16... a6 17. g3 (17. g4 {as in game one,
Carlsen had the option of pushing two squares. Again he refrained, and this
time I believe it was a good choice. While the pawn on g4 takes away the f5
square from the knight, it actually allows Karjakin some activity.} f5 (17...
g5 18. Re1)) 17... g5 18. Bxd6 {Exchanged because there really isn't anywhere
to run to.} (18. Re1 Kf8 19. Bxd6 (19. Be5 f6 {and the bishop must now take on
d6, which doesn't change anything.}) (19. Bd2 Re8 {and the black pieces are
finally coordinated. The position is equal.}) 19... Bxd6 20. Bg2 Bxg2 21. Kxg2
f5 {essentially is the game continuation with the inclusion of Re1 and Kf8. On
one hand, that sounds like it would benefit White, since in the game the black
king can head closer to the center via f7. On the other, it might not really
matter, since there is no clear way for Carlsen to take advantage of this. If}
22. Nd5 Kf7 {White would have to demonstrate how meaningful the extra tempo is.
}) (18. Bd2 f5 {This position has become slightly preferable for Black, who
has turned the tides. The bishop on d2, once powerfully controlling important
space from f4, now lacks a real future. An eventual Bg2 will trade the
light-square bishops, but Black has more control over the key light squares.
Moreover, once those bishops are exchanged, c6 will be played to cover the d5
square. As that occurs, it becomes unclear where the knight on c3 can find a
worthwhile destination. Black has the ability to expand on the kingside with
an eventual h5, Rh8, h4 and has everything under control on the queenside.})
18... Bxd6 19. Bg2 (19. a5 b5 {is a poor inclusion for White, who must now be
very concerned about the safety of his a5 pawn. This rook pawn might have run
too far, making it a potential liability.}) 19... Bxg2 20. Kxg2 f5 {A
necessary move to corral the white knight. We must always keep in mind that
the advantage a knight has over a bishop is that it can hop to both light and
dark squares, whereas the bishop on d6 can only cover the dark squares. This
means that if Carlsen had ample time, he could have played g4 himself to free
up the e4 square. The clear drawback here is that once the pawn is pushed from
g3 to g4, the f4 square becomes a post for the bishop.} 21. Nd5 Kf7 22. Ne3 Kf6
(22... f4 {would have been a serious (but not totally losing) error. Pushing
the pawn from f5 allows White to take control of the surrounding light squares
(g4, e4, and even f5 itself).} 23. Nf5 Bf8 24. Kf3 {That knight on f5, soon to
be cemented by the pawn on g4, clearly outclasses its minor piece counterpart.}
) 23. Nc4 Bf8 {Avoiding a ruined pawn structure is the visceral reaction of
chess players. But Karjakin missed an opportunity to follow another central
tenet of chess: make sure your pieces are active.} (23... Re8 {was a totally
reasonable move, aiming for activity. In endgames, the quality of ones pieces
is of utmost importance. Sometimes this is indicated by structure; at others,
piece activity is essential.} 24. Nxd6 cxd6 25. Ra3 (25. Kf1 Re4 (25... f4 {
playing for an advantage is not out of the question!}) 26. c3 g4 27. Ra3 d5 28.
Rb3 Re6 {looks like mutual stagnation. A draw is the correct result.}) 25...
Re2 26. Rb3 (26. Rc3 Rd2 {does not change things.}) 26... Rxc2 27. Rxb6 Ke6 {
Black should (easily) hold the draw because his king is very active.}) 24. Re1
Rd8 25. f4 {All of a sudden, Carlsen's initiative is growing. If we analyze
the board piece by piece, we can assess that rook and minor piece placement
favors the champ. Karjakin is now faced with a difficult choice to let the
tension remain or exchange pawns, which seems to favor White.} gxf4 (25... h6
26. Kf3 g4+ {would be a huge strategic mistake by Karjakin. The engines might
not understand, but after this push, White can choose to break the kingside
with h3. Perhaps more importantly, the bishop on f8 has no hope of becoming a
particularly useful piece, since the opposing pawns have formed chains that
can't easily be broken.}) 26. gxf4 b5 {Karjakin lashes out. His position was
solid in that there were no clearly exploitable weaknesses, but his pieces
lacked breathing room. At times players hastily try to gain space in a cramped
position, but this is a good decision by the challenger.} (26... Bh6 27. Kf3
Rg8 28. h3 {is very frustrating for Black. The rook has no penetration squares
on the kingside, and White dominates the center.}) 27. axb5 axb5 28. Ne3 (28.
Ne5 {seems like the best square, but Carlsen wants to avoid trading the minor
pieces.} Bd6 29. Kf3 Bxe5 30. Rxe5 d5 {and scoresheets can be signed, because
the position is completely level.}) 28... c6 29. Kf3 Ra8 30. Rg1 Ra2 (30... h6
{is a more typical way to cover the g5 square, but it loosens up the g6 square.
Now Carlsen would be free to play h4-h5 and present Karjakin with the serious
challenge of defending f5 and the rest of his kingside. In many ways it is a
race - Black is trying to counterattack on the queenside while White goes
forth on the kingside.}) ({These variations are not easy to sort through, so
please analyze carefully. Endgames like this are very complex and nuanced; a
single pawn move can be the difference between saving a game and losing it.}
30... Bh6 31. Rg3 (31. b3 d5 32. Rg3 Re8 33. Rh3 Kg6 34. Nxf5 Bxf4 $1 {is a
very hard move to spot in advance, but this allows Black to keep the material
level. What a concept!} 35. Kxf4 Re4+ 36. Kf3 Kxf5 37. Rxh7 Rxd4 {is an equal
ending.}) (31. d5 Ra4 {hits f4.}) 31... Ra4 {is a move that is easy to
overlook, but it is essential to the defensive task.} 32. c3 Ra2 33. Rh3 Kg6
34. b3 $2 (34. Nxf5 Kxf5 35. Rxh6 Rxb2 36. Rxh7 Rb3 37. Rh5+ Kg6 38. Rc5 b4 39.
h4 bxc3 (39... Rxc3+ $4 {resulting in a lost pawn ending. The king is in the
box.} 40. Rxc3 bxc3 41. Ke3)) 34... Ra3) 31. b3 c5 $2 (31... Bh6 32. d5 (32.
Rg3 Ra1 33. Rh3 Kg6 34. d5 {is uncomfortable for Black. The knight on e3
covers all the vital squares, whereas the bishop is not a promising piece.})
32... Ra8 33. Rd1 Re8 34. dxc6 dxc6 35. Rd7 Re4 36. Rxh7 Rxf4+ (36... Bxf4 37.
Nxf5 $1 {nets a pawn.}) 37. Kg3 Bg5 38. h4 Re4 39. hxg5+ Kg6 40. Rh6+ Kxg5 41.
Nxf5 Kxf5 42. Rxc6 {is a clean pawn for White, but the position (as all rook
endings are said to be) is still a draw.}) (31... d5 {just loses the f5 pawn...
but actually gives Black drawing chances.} 32. Rg5 Bg7 $1 {and d4 will be in
some danger. A pretty amazing defensive resource considering it jettisons a
pawn.} 33. Nxf5 h6 34. Rxg7 Kxf5 35. Rg2 Ra1 {the activity of the king allows
Black to survive. In endgames with reduced material, quality of pieces
outweights quantity of pieces.}) 32. Rg8 {Sergey sunk deep in thought,
uncertain how to best handle the complications.} Kf7 (32... cxd4 33. Rxf8+ Ke7
34. Rxf5 dxe3 35. Rc5 {is a clean extra pawn for White, who will scoop up e3
next. Black still has chances to survive this, but the b-pawn is stranded and
thus also hard to protect.}) 33. Rg2 cxd4 (33... Kf6 {will not be repetition.
Thanks to a cool tactic, White still goes a pawn up.} 34. dxc5 Bxc5 35. Nxf5 $1
Kxf5 36. Rg5+ Ke6 37. Rxc5 {A pawn is a pawn!}) 34. Nxf5 d3 {If Karjakin has
any hope of surviving, this move is a necessity. This pawn was lost regardless,
so breaking up Carlsen's queenside pawns at least allows the underdog a
fighter's chance. The point is that the pawn on c2 did a wonderful job of
defending its neighbor on b3. Now, all remaining white pawns are isolated,
meaning they can no longer support one another.} 35. cxd3 Ra1 36. Nd4 {
Simultaneously defending b3 and attacking b5, thus forcing} b4 {Black is happy
to make this move, as the pawn is protected here by the bishop. Of course, now
the pawn is harder to attack.} 37. Rg5 {The rook has done its work on the
second rank, so now it moves to limit the scope of the bishop.} Rb1 38. Rf5+ (
38. Rh5 {requires a nuanced contemplation -- will having the pawn on h6 (where
it is protected but can be attacked more easily) rather than h7 (where it
lacks defense, but can't be hit by Nf5) make a critical difference? Will
swapping the minor pieces increase Carlsen's chances to win or Karjakin's to
draw? Of course, these questions can only be discussed in their proper context.
Two examples follow.} h6 (38... Bg7 39. Nf5 Kf6 40. Nxg7 Kxg7 41. Rd5 {Black
will capture b3, White will capture d7, but with such little material
remaining, it would be wholly unsurprising if the resulting ending is drawn.
For instance, rook and f4+h2 pawn versus rook is a theoretical draw. Though
proving that draw can be a great pain.}) 39. Rb5 {Where is the bishop on f8
going? Any move invites Nf5.}) 38... Ke8 39. Rb5 Rf1+ 40. Ke4 Re1+ 41. Kf5 Rd1
42. Re5+ (42. Rb8+ Ke7 (42... Kf7 43. Nf3 {the only way to "protect" the pawn,
by threatening a check on e5.} Bd6 44. Ng5+ Ke7 45. Rh8 Rxd3 46. Rxh7+ Kd8 47.
Rh3 $1 {An awkward move to spot five moves in advance, particularly in the
initial position when there was a pawn on h7. But this ending should be won
for White; Carlsen's rook and knight team together perfectly to support the
kingside passers.}) 43. Ke4 {kept Karjakin's position uncomfortably tense. The
b4 pawn is now en prise, the king and bishop would prefer to switch places,
and the knight can reroute as it pleases.}) 42... Kf7 43. Rd5 Rxd3 (43... Ke8
44. Nf3 Rb1 45. Ne5 d6 46. Ng4 Rxb3 47. Ke6 {looks a bit scary for Black. The
king on e6 is incredibly advanced, and let's not forget the pawn on f4. That
pawn now can be supported by the white king and knight.}) 44. Rxd7+ Ke8 (44...
Kg8 {is very bad, since the king is running the wrong way. The king protects
the pawn on h7, but it also is cut off from the rest of the board.} 45. Ke4 Rd1
46. Rb7 {The f-pawn will start running down the board, and the knight can
multitask in attack and defense while the bishop will be stuck trying to
blockade the f-pawn. The king can also head back to f5 to join the party;
meanwhile, the b4 pawn can quickly be attacked.}) 45. Rd5 Rh3 46. Re5+ {
The only way to get the rook access to defend h2.} (46. Ne6 Rh5+ 47. Kf6 Rh6+ (
47... Rxd5 {is completely losing.} 48. Nc7+ Kd7 49. Nxd5 {Without rooks on the
board, the pawns run to the promotion. Does not hurt that the white king is so
advanced.}) 48. Ke5 {remains very uncomfortable. White's cohesion in the
center is intimidating. The suffering will continue for Black, and the
following attempt at liquidation fails in the king and pawn ending:} Rxh2 49.
Rd8+ Ke7 50. Rxf8 Re2+ 51. Kf5 Rxe6 52. Re8+ $1 Kxe8 53. Kxe6 {and White is
won thanks to his advanced king. If the h-pawn tries to promote, the king
catches it and has time to come back to the defense of the f-pawn. If Black
shuffles his king, White will get his king to the seventh rank and queen the
pawn.}) 46... Kf7 47. Re2 Bg7 48. Nc6 {White can hardly afford to trade minor
pieces, lest the draw become nearly guaranteed. The knight on c6 not only
attacks the pawn on b4, but also can put the opposing monarch is grave danger.
Numerous tricks exist, and Black absolutely can't afford to take the b-pawn.}
Rh5+ {Only move.} (48... Rxb3 {allows the knight to become part of a
merry-go-round.} 49. Nd8+ Kf8 ({Here and in every variation, moving to g8
allows Carlsen to pin and win the bishop.} 49... Kg8 50. Re8+ Bf8 51. Ne6 {
and the bishop is taken for free.}) 50. Ne6+ Kf7 (50... Kg8 51. Rg2 {again
scoops up the bishop.}) 51. Ng5+ Kf8 52. Nxh7+ Kf7 (52... Kg8 53. Kg6 {is a
forced mate. Black can't stop Re8.}) 53. Ng5+ Kf8 54. Kg6 {With mate to come.
Nh7+ followed by Re8 is lethal.}) 49. Kg4 (49. Ke4 {is the other choice, but
here the king remains far from the h-pawn and blocks the rook.}) 49... Rc5 50.
Nd8+ (50. Nxb4 {is not a free pawn.} Rb5 51. Re4 h5+ 52. Kf3 Bf8 {wins b3 and
closes in on the half point.}) 50... Kg6 51. Ne6 {What else?} (51. Re6+ {
would be checkmate if the bishop were a pawn, but as it's not, the position
remains level.} Bf6) 51... h5+ 52. Kf3 Rc3+ 53. Ke4 Bf6 54. Re3 h4 55. h3 (55.
Rxc3 {is not right, because after} bxc3 56. Kd3 Kf5 57. Nc7 h3 {it's even
White who has to be careful not to lose.}) (55. Nf8+ Kf7 56. Nd7 {looked good
to me. Black suddenly has to figure out how to best keep pieces on the board,
since king and pawn endings down a whole pawn are lost. The answer for the
time being should be} Rc2 {because White still does not want to trade the
minor pieces.}) 55... Rc1 56. Nf8+ (56. f5+ Kf7 {is not improving anything for
Carlsen. The pawn is one step closer to promotion, but the bishop proves
exceptional at defending.}) 56... Kf7 57. Nd7 {Magnus works to improve his
knight, but there aren't really squares for it.} Ke6 {and then what?} 58. Nb6 (
58. Nxf6 Kxf6 {is a draw; White has no means of making progress. If the king
moves, Kf5 attacks f4. If the rook moves off the third rank, Black has Rc3. In
the meantime, Black will kick the white king when necessary, and then shuffle
the rook between c1 and g1.}) 58... Rd1 59. f5+ Kf7 60. Nc4 Rd4+ {Played with
under ten seconds remaining. Karjakin need not worry about that, since both
players receive 15 minutes (and 30-second increment) following their 60th
moves.} (60... Bc3 {cementing the bishop on c3 while cutting off the rook's
protection of b3 was logical. The main downsides are that the black king
becomes a little more vulnerable and the white king can perhaps inch its way
towards h4.}) 61. Kf3 Bg5 62. Re4 Rd3+ 63. Kg4 Rg3+ $2 {Karjakin invites
Carlsen's king into enemy territory. Not advised.} (63... Bf6 64. Re6 Rg3+ 65.
Kh5 $4 {the king would like to go up the board, but here it gets mated.} (65.
Kf4 {is forced, and White is still better of course, but the king is less
happy here than in the game. Karjakin is far from lost here.}) 65... Rg5+ 66.
Kh6 Rxf5 {and White is lost. There's a mate threat and the rook is now hanging,
so the position is hopeless.}) 64. Kh5 Be7 (64... Bf6 65. Nd6+ {is now more
troublesome.} Kf8 (65... Kg7 66. Rg4+ Kf8 67. Ne4 {is the point. Carlsen
forces his opponent to exchange rooks on the Norwegian's terms, giving him an
easily won position. The h4 pawn quickly falls.}) 66. Rxb4 {is a second pawn.
Black can gobble h3, but once the white king reaches g6, it becomes even
clearer that Karjakin's 63rd move was misguided.}) 65. Ne5+ Kf6 66. Ng4+ Kf7
67. Re6 (67. Nh6+ Kf8 68. Rg4 Ke8 {is not winning. Black will be able to
sacrifice his bishop for the f-pawn, and obtain a drawn rook and knight versus
rook ending.} 69. Kg6 Rxh3 70. f6 Bxf6 71. Kxf6 Rxb3 {with an easy draw.})
67... Rxh3 {Karjakin sacrifices his bishop, not by choice but because Magnus
has improved his position so much that the only way to stop him is to hope
with so few pieces remaining, the position can be savd.} (67... Rxb3 68. Ne5+
Kg7 69. Rxe7+ Kf6 70. Nc6 {is lost for Black. The knight is able to hold the
entire position together.} Rxh3 (70... Kxf5 71. Nd4+ Kf6 72. Nxb3 Kxe7 73. Kxh4
{is winning, as the knight will come deliver checkmate when the Black king
gets trapped in the corner.}) 71. Kg4 {wins, because Carlsen keeps the passed
pawn.}) 68. Ne5+ Kg7 (68... Kf8 69. Ng6+ {is an even nicer way for Carlsen to
win the material.}) 69. Rxe7+ Kf6 70. Nc6 (70. Re8 Kxf5 71. Nc6 Rh1 {is
Black's best shot at holding the half point.}) 70... Kxf5 $2 {The critical
blunder, played with under five minutes left on the clock. Now Carlsen has a
smooth path to victory.} (70... Rc3 71. Re6+ Kxf5 72. Nd4+ Kf4 {magically
holds. The issue is that Carlsen has to spend time capturing the pawn on h4,
after which Karjakin can dislodge the knight and then take b3.} 73. Kxh4 (73.
Ne2+ Kf5 74. Nxc3 Kxe6 {is a draw because the knight has to chase down the
h-pawn and then come back and sacrifice for the b-pawn.} 75. Ne2 h3 76. Nf4+
Ke5 77. Nxh3 Kd4 78. Nf2 Kc3 79. Kg4 Kxb3 80. Nd3 Kc3 81. Nxb4 Kxb4 {with a
draw.}) 73... Rd3 74. Ne2+ Kf3 75. Nc1 Rd1 76. Rc6 Ke3 77. Rc2 Rd2 $3 78. Rc8
Rd1 {and the stupid knight has no way to escape.}) 71. Na5 (71. Re1 {was both
possible and good. The b3 pawn is still immune to capture, and now White can
completely regroup.} Kf4 72. Rf1+ Ke4 73. Na5 Kd4 74. Kg4 Rh2 75. Rf4+ {
and the king can't come to the pawn, because that will lose b4 right away.} Kc5
(75... Kc3 76. Rc4+ Kb2 77. Rxb4) 76. Rc4+ Kb5 77. Nc6 {and the king is
actually boxed out. From d4, the knight restricts the king and protects b3. An
easy win at that point.}) 71... Rh1 72. Rb7 $2 {An inaccuracy by Carlsen, who
has let Karjakin dra the game. Karjakin, with his time dwindling, finds the
correct continuation.} (72. Rf7+ {was the move Magnus needed to find, but he
lets the win slip.} Ke4 (72... Ke6 73. Rf2 {With the rook on f2, Black can't
get to b3. A major issue for Karjakin is that the rooks can never be traded,
since the knight can always sit on a5.}) 73. Kg4 h3 (73... Kd3 74. Nc6) 74.
Rf4+ Kd3 75. Rf3+ Kd4 76. Rxh3 {is totally won. The b3 pawn is safe, so the
rest is history.}) 72... Ra1 73. Rb5+ Kf4 74. Rxb4+ Kg3 {The king finds refuge
in its opponent's camp. Carlsen can't simultaneously defend his knight and
stop Karjakin's pawn from queening!} 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rf4+ Kg3 78.
Rg4+ 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.14"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2857"]
[BlackElo "2769"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "156"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00] After the Trompowsky in game one, Magnus decides that 1.
e4 is what he is going to try for. Is this his main move for the World
Championship Match, or will he keep rotating stuff? Game 5 will tell.} e5 {
[%emt 0:00:09]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:10] The Berlin! Many amateurs ask the reason why top
players more often than not go for the Berlin? The answer is pretty simple. It
is the most solid opening and Black's chances of equalizing are very high.} 4.
O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} (4. d3 {is nowadays the most popular way to avoid the
Berlin.}) 4... Nxe4 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 5. Re1 {[%emt 0:00:05][%cal Gf1e1] The
last time Magnus played this against Vishy it was when he was leading the
match and wanted to ensure that he maintains his lead. This time, however, he
uses the move Re1 for a long game where he has some chances to press for an
edge.} (5. d4 {leads to the main lines of the Berlin Endgame.}) 5... Nd6 {
[%emt 0:00:07]} 6. Nxe5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 7. Bf1 {[%emt 0:
00:06]} Nxe5 {[%emt 0:00:37]} 8. Rxe5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:07]} 9.
d4 {[%emt 0:00:11]} (9. Nc3 Ne8 10. Nd5 Bd6 11. Re2 {This move Re2 was first
played by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave against Anish Giri in Biel 2014. It was for
the first time that someone had retreated their rook to e2 rather than the
natural e1. Maxime wrote in the New in Chess Magazine that he found this idea
against Play Magnus App when he was travelling in the flight. So Magnus was
involved in MVL finding the novelty as well!}) 9... Bf6 {[%emt 0:00:26]} 10.
Re2 $5 {[%emt 0:00:07][%cal Ge5e2] Inspired by MVL? Well Magnus wants to
provoke b6 from Sergey before coming back to e1. But even if b6 is not played
then the e1 square is kept free and can be used by the queen or the rook on a1.
} b6 {[%emt 0:25:08] Sergey thought for a very long time to execute this move.
The idea is clear. He wants to play Ba6.} (10... Nf5 11. d5 (11. c3 d5 {
looks fine for Black.}) 11... d6 12. c3 {has been played in two games by
Kovalenko and Vallejo Pons. Magnus might have had some new ideas here.}) 11.
Re1 $5 {[%emt 0:00:11] This is still not a new move. It has been played in
Kasimdzhanov-Melkumyan, 2016. Many people wondered as to why Magnus retreated
his rook first to e2 and than to e1. Didn't he provoke Sergey into playing b6?
The most common setup for Black in such games is to put his pawn on d5. But
with the move b6 already played the light squares like c6, a6 start to become
a little weak. Magnus found a tempo to be a good investment for provoking
these weaknesses.} (11. b3 Ba6 12. c4 Nf5 13. Bb2 d5 {is already better for
Black.}) 11... Re8 $146 {[%emt 0:04:11] The first new move of the game.} (11...
Nb7 12. Na3 d5 13. c3 Nd6 14. Nc2 a5 15. Ne3 Nf5 16. Ng4 Bg5 17. Bd3 Bxc1 18.
Rxc1 Nd6 19. h3 Re8 20. Qf3 Bxg4 21. Qxg4 g6 22. Re5 c6 23. Rce1 Qc7 24. R1e3
Kg7 25. h4 f6 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 27. Rxe8 Nxe8 28. h5 f5 29. Qg5 Nd6 30. hxg6 {
1/2-1/2 (30) Kasimdzhanov,R (2704)-Melkumyan,H (2622) Germany 2016}) 12. Bf4 {
[%emt 0:02:02] Magnus was still pretty much blitzing his moves which showed
that he was still in prepared territory.} Rxe1 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 13. Qxe1 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} Qe7 {[%emt 0:06:06]} (13... Bxd4 $2 14. Bxd6 cxd6 (14... Bxb2
15. Bxc7 $16) 15. Qe4 Bxb2 16. Qxa8 Bxa1 17. Ba6 $18) 14. Nc3 {[%emt 0:15:08]
The first real think for Magnus. He was surely trying to decide between
whether to first take the queen and play Nc3, or directly Nc3. Now Nd5 is a
threat and hence, this square must be controlled.} Bb7 {[%emt 0:00:33]} 15.
Qxe7 {[%emt 0:02:16]} Bxe7 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 16. a4 {[%emt 0:00:26] So what
have we got here? A symmetrical pawn structured position with equal number of
pieces. Looks like another dull draw, right? Well, pressing in such positions
is an art and Magnus is the best in the business. I call it an art because
take this position and you will find that nothing forcing is happening. Most
of the people would have gone for Re1 because it attacks the bishop. But
Magnus plays a4!? He thinks that the inclusion of a4 will be good for him. If
Black plays a5 then b5 would be weak and if he goes a6 as in the game then he
has to worry about an attack on that pawn later on. Such positions are not
boring. They may be slow but certainly filled with rich ideas.} a6 {[%emt 0:04:
14]} (16... a5 {Sergey didn't want to weaken his b5 square and that's pretty
logical.}) 17. g3 {[%emt 0:05:08]} g5 {[%emt 0:09:00]} ({Perhaps safer was}
17... Re8 18. Re1 (18. Bh3 Bf6 19. Bxd7 Rd8 20. Bh3 Bxd4 $11) 18... Bf6 19.
Rxe8+ Nxe8 $11) 18. Bxd6 {[%emt 0:06:03]} (18. Be3 f5 {Followed by Bf6 and Re8
is an excellent position for Black.}) 18... Bxd6 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 19. Bg2 $1 {
[%emt 0:12:20] Whenever your opponent has the bishop pair, it makes sense to
exchange one of them to diminish the value of the other.} Bxg2 {[%emt 0:00:08]}
20. Kxg2 {[%emt 0:00:02][%csl Gc3,Gd6] Who is better here? Well the position
is dynamically equal. But is it a dead draw? No! The main reason is the
imbalance in the position. White has a knight against Black's bishop. In
principle there is no reason why Black should be worse here. His bishop is not
bad there are no real weaknesses. The better player will get an advantage in a
position like this.} f5 {[%emt 0:10:24] Karjakin doesn't take over the e-file
because he sees that he can do it later with Kf7 and Re8 as well.} 21. Nd5 {
[%emt 0:07:43]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:00:16]} 22. Ne3 {[%emt 0:08:03]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:
39]} (22... f4 23. Nc4 fxg3 24. hxg3 {The bishop cannot move because Ne5 would
be strong and giving up the bishop and doubling the pawns is not what Sergey
would have liked to do.} Re8 25. Nxd6+ cxd6 26. Ra3 $14) 23. Nc4 {[%emt 0:03:
26]} Bf8 {[%emt 0:01:59]} (23... Re8 24. Nxd6 cxd6 25. Ra3 {It's not a
position that you would like to try against Magnus. He will find ways to make
you suffer right until the very end!}) 24. Re1 {[%emt 0:03:47] By some smart
moves with the knight, Magnus has taken over the e-file. Now Kf7, Re8 is not
possible.} Rd8 {[%emt 0:02:05]} (24... b5 25. Ne5 $1 (25. axb5 $6 axb5 26. Ne5
d6 27. Nc6 d5 28. c3 Ra2 $132) 25... d6 26. Nc6 $1 d5 27. c3 {White is clearly
better.}) 25. f4 {[%emt 0:05:43] Fixing the weakness on f5 and preparing to
attack it later on.} gxf4 {[%emt 0:17:26]} 26. gxf4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} b5 {
[%emt 0:00:11]} 27. axb5 {[%emt 0:00:14]} axb5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 28. Ne3 {
[%emt 0:01:31]} (28. Ne5 c5 (28... d6 29. Nc6 Ra8 30. d5 $16) 29. Rd1 cxd4 30.
Rxd4 Ke6 {Black is fine.}) 28... c6 {[%emt 0:01:16]} 29. Kf3 {[%emt 0:00:54]} (
29. Ra1 {could have been an idea, but the rook has nothing much to attack
after penetrating to a7.}) 29... Ra8 {[%emt 0:02:02]} 30. Rg1 {[%emt 0:06:55]
Somehow the knight is doing much more than the bishop. The bishop is just
sitting on f8, while the knight on e3 is constantly putting pressure on f5.
The threat now is Rg5.} Ra2 {[%emt 0:04:53]} (30... Bh6 {seemed pretty good.
The bishop not only defends the g5 square but also attacks the f4 pawn. But it
is true that it is quite passive on h6.}) 31. b3 {[%emt 0:01:22]} c5 {[%emt 0:
02:37]} (31... h6 $6 32. h4 $16 {with the idea of h5 would be pretty strong.})
(31... Bh6 32. Rg8 $1 $14 {That's the reason why the rook should have been on
a8.}) 32. Rg8 {[%emt 0:05:47]} (32. Rg5 cxd4 33. Rxf5+ Ke6 (33... Kg7 34. Ng4
Rxc2 35. Rxb5 $14) 34. Rxf8 dxe3 35. Rc8 $16 {Black will lose a pawn and will
have to suffer in the endgame.}) 32... Kf7 {[%emt 0:04:43]} 33. Rg2 {[%emt 0:
00:59]} cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:27]} (33... Kf6 $2 34. dxc5 Bxc5 35. Nxf5 $1 {Magnus
is always so alert for such tricks!} Kxf5 36. Rg5+ Ke6 37. Rxc5 $16) 34. Nxf5 {
[%emt 0:00:34]} d3 $1 {[%emt 0:00:07] Active defence by Karjakin. By giving up
his d-pawn, he weakens the b3 pawn.} 35. cxd3 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Ra1 {[%emt 0:01:
19]} (35... Ra3 {was better as after} 36. Rb2 Bb4 37. Ne3 Bc3 38. Rb1 Ra2 39.
Nd5 Rd2 40. Ke3 b4 {This seems more active for Black.}) 36. Nd4 {[%emt 0:04:38]
} b4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 37. Rg5 {[%emt 0:03:47] It's so difficult to Magnus in
such positions. He always finds the best way to push. White is not only a pawn
up but also has his eyes set on the weaknesses on d7 and h7.} Rb1 {[%emt 0:10:
06]} 38. Rf5+ {[%emt 0:01:55]} Ke8 {[%emt 0:00:25]} 39. Rb5 {[%emt 0:02:46]} (
39. Rh5 Bg7) 39... Rf1+ {[%emt 0:02:04]} (39... Bg7 40. Rb8+ $1 {A small check
can do big damage! Now Ke7 is met with Nf5+ and Kf7 with Rxb4. Later the d7
pawn will be hanging.} Kf7 41. Rxb4 Bxd4 42. Rxd4 $18 {[%csl Rd7]}) 40. Ke4 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} Re1+ {[%emt 0:02:19]} 41. Kf5 {[%emt 0:02:14]} (41. Kd5 Rd1)
41... Rd1 {[%emt 0:01:52]} 42. Re5+ {[%emt 0:10:59]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:01:57]} 43.
Rd5 {[%emt 0:01:05]} Rxd3 {[%emt 0:06:26]} 44. Rxd7+ {[%emt 0:02:12]} Ke8 {
[%emt 0:01:55]} (44... Kg8 45. Ke4 Rd1 46. Rb7 $18 {All of White's pieces are
active and he is clearly better.}) 45. Rd5 {[%emt 0:00:33]} Rh3 {[%emt 0:00:30]
} 46. Re5+ {[%emt 0:04:21]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:01:16]} 47. Re2 {[%emt 0:00:55] The
dust has settled a bit. White has kept his activity and is a pawn up.} Bg7 {
[%emt 0:13:05]} 48. Nc6 {[%emt 0:05:47]} Rh5+ {[%emt 0:07:28]} (48... Rxb3 $2
49. Nd8+ $1 Kf8 (49... Kg8 50. Re8+ Bf8 51. Ne6 $18) 50. Ne6+ Kf7 51. Ng5+ Kf8
52. Nxh7+ Kf7 53. Ng5+ Kf8 54. Kg6 $18) 49. Kg4 {[%emt 0:06:44]} Rc5 {[%emt 0:
00:14]} 50. Nd8+ {[%emt 0:04:05]} (50. Nxb4 Rb5 51. Re4 h5+ 52. Kf3 Bf8 53. Nd3
Rxb3 {Black is still worse but he is able to get rid of the main pawn. This
should be a draw.}) 50... Kg6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 51. Ne6 {[%emt 0:02:11]} h5+ {
[%emt 0:02:01]} 52. Kf3 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Rc3+ {[%emt 0:00:05]} 53. Ke4 {
[%emt 0:01:51]} (53. Re3 Bf6 {And White would not like to take on c3.}) 53...
Bf6 {[%emt 0:00:18]} (53... Rxb3 54. Rg2+ $18) 54. Re3 {[%emt 0:05:23]} h4 {
[%emt 0:03:06]} 55. h3 {[%emt 0:01:00]} Rc1 {[%emt 0:04:28]} 56. Nf8+ {[%emt 0:
10:56]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 57. Nd7 {[%emt 0:00:05]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:02:25]} 58.
Nb6 {[%emt 0:00:46]} (58. Nxf6 Kxf6 $11) 58... Rd1 {[%emt 0:00:56]} 59. f5+ {
[%emt 0:00:08]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:01:00]} 60. Nc4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Rd4+ {[%emt 0:13:
07]} 61. Kf3 {[%emt 0:01:15]} Bg5 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 62. Re4 {[%emt 0:06:55]}
Rd3+ {[%emt 0:00:14]} 63. Kg4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Rg3+ $6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} (63...
Bf6 {was much better.} 64. Re6 Rg3+ (64... Rxb3 65. Nd6+ Kg7 66. Ne8+ $18) 65.
Kf4 Bg5+ 66. Ke4 Rxb3 $14) 64. Kh5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Be7 {[%emt 0:02:07]} 65.
Ne5+ {[%emt 0:01:28]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:01:14]} 66. Ng4+ {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kf7 {
[%emt 0:03:25]} 67. Re6 {[%emt 0:05:20]} Rxh3 {[%emt 0:05:40]} 68. Ne5+ {
[%emt 0:01:09]} Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:02]} (68... Kf8 69. Ng6+ $18) 69. Rxe7+ {
[%emt 0:03:41]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:02][%cal Ge7e8,Re5c6]} 70. Nc6 $2 {[%emt 0:01:
34][%cal Rf6f5,Gh3c3]} (70. Re8 $1 {was the win that Magnus missed.} Kxf5 71.
Nc6 Rh1 72. Nd4+ Kf4 73. Re2 h3 74. Kh4 h2 75. Ne6+ Kf3 76. Rc2 {And White
simply wins the game.} Re1 77. Ng5+ $18) 70... Kxf5 $2 {[%emt 0:02:25]} (70...
Rc3 $1 {Attacks the knight and after} 71. Re6+ Kxf5 72. Nd4+ Kf4 73. Kxh4 Rd3 {
The b3 pawn will soon be lost and we will be in R vs R+N territory which
should be drawn.}) 71. Na5 $1 {[%emt 0:03:50] Now Magnus is back on track
towards the win.} Rh1 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 72. Rb7 $2 {[%emt 0:00:30]} (72. Rf7+
Ke4 73. Kg4 Ra1 74. Nc6 Rb1 75. Rf4+ Kd5 76. Nxb4+ Kd6 77. Rf3 $18) 72... Ra1
$1 {[%emt 0:03:36]} 73. Rb5+ {[%emt 0:00:29]} (73. Nc6 h3 $11) 73... Kf4 $1 {
[%emt 0:00:04]} 74. Rxb4+ {[%emt 0:00:22]} Kg3 {[%emt 0:00:20] Black has given
up the b-pawn but now his h-pawn supported by the king is extremely strong.}
75. Rg4+ {[%emt 0:03:50]} Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 76. Nc4 {[%emt 0:02:02]} h3 {
[%emt 0:00:09]} 77. Rh4 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Kg3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 78. Rg4+ {
[%emt 0:00:08]} Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:06] A great fight. Magnus pressed as hard as
he could, while Sergey defended with all his might. Just what we were
expecting. Magnus must be kicking himself for missing the win, while Sergey
would be happy with his defensive effort. This fourth game would be crucial.
Because when Anand drew such a marathon endgame against Magnus in game four of
the World Championship 2013, the next game Magnus struck back with a win!
Karjakin must remain careful.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "187"]
[EventDate "2016.11.15"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.15"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 {The most popular
move, played well over 20,000 times. Karjakin fears not entering the main
variation this time around.} (6. d3 {was game 2. was what we saw in the second
game of the match. Karjakin opts for the main line in this one.}) 6... b5 7.
Bb3 O-O 8. h3 (8. c3 {is the main line. But the Marshall Attack after} d5 {
has not been seen in a World Championship match since Peter Leko versus
Vladimir Kramnik. Carlsen has essayed the Marshall on several occasions - and
has even gotten into some trouble. But this opening is among the most heavily
researched, so I would not be surprised if Karjakin's team feels his chances
are better without accepting the gambit. It is also very likely that Team
Carlsen has the popular 8...d6 well prepared.}) 8... Bb7 9. d3 d6 (9... d5 $5 {
is known too. It is similar to the Marshall Attack, where Black sacrifices a
pawn for a tremendous kingside initiative. That ambitious variation has been
seen but once in a World Championship match, when Peter Leko stunned Vladimir
Kramnik.}) 10. a3 Qd7 (10... Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Bf8 14. Ng5
d5 15. exd5 Nc5 16. c4 Nxb3 17. Qxb3 c6 {Zhigalko, S (2656)-Carlsen,M (2850)
Berlin 2015}) ({Relevant:} 10... Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Bf8 14.
Ng5 d5 15. exd5 Nc5 16. c4 Nxb3 17. Qxb3 c6 18. dxc6 Bxc6 19. cxb5 Bd5 20. Qd1
axb5 21. N5e4 h6 22. Qf3 Ra6 23. Bd2 Ba8 24. Bb4 Nd5 25. Bxf8 Rxf8 26. d4 exd4
27. Nf5 Ne7 28. Rad1 Nxf5 29. Qxf5 Re6 30. f3 d3 31. Qxb5 Bxe4 32. Rxe4 Rxe4
33. fxe4 Qd4+ 34. Kh1 Rd8 35. Qb4 Qe3 36. Qa5 Rd4 37. Qd2 Qxe4 38. Re1 Qd5 39.
Re3 Kh7 40. b4 {Zhigalko,S (2656)-Carlsen,M (2850) Berlin 2015 0-1}) 11. Nbd2
Rfe8 12. c3 (12. Nf1 Nd8 13. Ng3 g6 14. Bh6 Ne6 15. Qd2 c5 16. Ba2 Rac8 17. c4
Kh8 18. Ng5 Nxg5 19. Bxg5 Ng8 {Caruana,F (2774) -Kamsky, G (2741) Thessaloniki
2013}) 12... Bf8 (12... d5 {was used by Levon Aronian, who has long among the
world's top ten players. This early break in the center is not one that I'm
always particularly fond of, because it does give White the e4 square for his
knight on d2.} 13. Nf1 (13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nxe5 (14. Ne4) 14... Nxe5 15. Rxe5
Nf4 {is at best asking for trouble, and at worst losing for White. Both d3 and
g2 pawns are hanging, and Black's attack will not be easy to withstand.} 16.
Nf3 Nxh3+ 17. gxh3 Qxh3 {is unnecessarily dangerous, even if your silicon
friend tells you it can be held.}) 13... dxe4 14. dxe4 Qxd1 15. Bxd1 Red8 16.
Bc2 Nd7 17. Ne3 f6 18. b4 a5 {Gashimov,V (2759) -Aronian,L (2781) Linares ESP
2010}) (12... Nd8 {is sensible, rerouting the knight to e6 and allowing Black
to play c7-c5.} 13. d4 Bf8 14. Bc2 c5 15. b4 (15. d5 {is in line with thematic
Ruy Lopez principles.}) 15... cxd4 16. cxd4 exd4 17. Bb2 g6 18. Nxd4 Bg7 {
Inarkiev,E (2645)-Gustafsson,J (2622) Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2009}) 13. Nf1 {
Technically a novelty, though it transposes to a position that has previously
occurred.} (13. Ba2 Nd8 14. Nf1 Ne6 15. Ng3 c5 16. d4 exd4 17. cxd4 d5 18. dxc5
dxe4 19. Nxe4 Qxd1 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 21. Rxd1 Rad8 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. b4 Rd1+ 24.
Kh2 Bh6 25. Bb2 Bf4+ 26. g3 Rd3 27. gxf4 {?-? Anand,V (2779) -Navara,D (2719)
Wijk aan Zee NED 2007}) 13... h6 14. N3h2 (14. Nh4 d5 15. Qf3 {is typical. The
white queen and knight team up to apply pressure on the black kingside.} Na5
16. Ba2 dxe4 17. dxe4 Nc4 {is just like the game continuation, with the
exception that the white knight is on h4 and not h2.}) 14... d5 15. Qf3 (15.
Ng4 {does not make as much sense now, since the queens get traded. White
willingly accepts doubled g-pawns to help launch an attack on the kingside.
With the queens gone, the attack lacks luster.} Nxg4 16. hxg4 dxe4 17. dxe4
Qxd1 18. Rxd1 {is no worse for Black.}) 15... Na5 16. Ba2 dxe4 17. dxe4 {
Interestingly, there is no convenient way for Carlsen to defend his knight on
f6. Moving the knight invites the white knights into the party. Protecting it
with the queen is awkard. So what does Magnus do? He hands Sergey the pawn on
h6.} Nc4 18. Bxh6 {This looks like a free pawn, but looks can be deceiving.
The resulting position is immensely complicated.} Qc6 (18... Bxe4 19. Rxe4 Nxe4
20. Qxe4 gxh6 21. Ng4 (21. Ne3) 21... Bg7 22. Nfe3 {is very dangerous for
Carlsen, if not already much worse. White's attack develops effortlessly, and
the bishops of opposite color certainly favor White at this point (the
diagonal mover on a2 has much greater scope). Moreover, being 'up' the
exchange is moot when you're on the defensive and don't have open files to
exploit. Very hard to defend over the board, even when the position is
defensible.}) 19. Bxc4 $2 {A really poor move, played after a 16-minute think.
I'm tempted to give Karjakin a second question mark here, because hands
Carlsen an overwhelming advantage on a silver platter. A truly shocking moment
during this World Championship, which might cost the challenger the match.} (
19. Bc1 {A necessary move, because giving up the two bishops really favors
Carlsen.} Nxe4 {the pawn is recouped, but there have been drastic changes in
the position that can't be undone. The players have three pawns on both sides
of the board, but their alignment differs. Karjakin has an extra pawn on the
flank, which can serve well in endings where the enemy king is forced to the
side of the board. Carlsen has a bigger center, which is easier to target in
the middlegame but also covers more important squares, preventing pieces from
coming to d4 or f4. With so many pieces on the board, the black king can
become victim to an attack without the h-pawn, though it is hard to see how
that attack gets launched. These dynamics should not be understated, as they
can play a huge role down the stretch.}) 19... bxc4 {Just look at the
positional weaknesses for White. What Karjakin wouldn't do to nudge his pawn
back to a2, so that he could break the stranglehold on the queenside. It is
not fun to have weak light squares when your opponent has a bishop to take
advantage of them and you don't have a bishop to fend it off.} 20. Be3 {
The point behind Karjakin's decision to take on c4. He must have believed that
the shattered black pawn structure (doubled isolani on the c-file, isolated
a-pawn) gives him chances. However, there is no possible attack without the
light-squared bishop, and where you see a ruined pawn structure, Carlsen sees
opportunities of an open b-file.} Nxe4 (20... Qxe4 {is not nearly as powerful.
Black retains an edge, but trading the queens so early is more helpful for
White's chances to survive.} 21. Ng3 Qxf3 22. Nxf3 {the board is a little more
clogged than in the game. The bishop pair still is dominant (just look at that
beauty on b7) but the black knight isn't as happy as it can be. Check out the
game, situated on d6, the knight does far more.}) 21. Ng3 {The right
liquidation is Karjakin's only hope to salvage the wreckage that is his
position, but here Carlsen can make use of the fact that his opponent lacks
defensive chances on the light squares.} Nd6 (21... Qg6 {rates higher
according to the engines, but Carlsen perhaps avoided this move so that he
could choose which diagonal his bishop will use. By that, I mean that from c6,
it can go to a4 and prevent the rooks from reaching d1. It is also very
possible that with such an advantage, the Norwegian player wanted to trade
queens with an improved knight. This piece shuts down any potential white
counterplay on the d-file, supports a future f5 thrust, and defends c4. What
more can a piece do?!}) 22. Rad1 Rab8 23. Bc1 {Sergey undoubtedly regrets his
decision to refrain from playing this retreat before capturing on c4.} f6 (
23... Qxf3 24. Nxf3 Bxf3 25. gxf3 {would be the temptation of many
inexperienced players, since the move ruins the white pawn structure. But the
main source of Carlsen's advantage is that he has a monstrous, unchallenged
bishop on the light squares. With this trade, Karjakin would have a much
easier time consolidating his pieces. For quick examples, now his knight can
go to e4 strategically Carlsen loses some of his trumps.}) 24. Qxc6 {I guess
now is time. It's not like Karjakin had a choice; any queen move off its
current diagonal fell victim to checkmate on g2.} Bxc6 25. Ng4 Rb5 {A good
move, allowing Black to push f5, or double his rooks and take further control
of the position. Karjakin has no choice but to continue with passive defense
and pray that he can once again avoid a loss.} (25... Nb7 {Is the first idea
that came to my mind. While b7 often is an awkward square for a knight, here
it can hop to c5 (with the goal of heading to d3) or a5 (protecting c4).
Importantly, the bishop on f8 now can enter the action as well.}) 26. f3 {
Yikes. This move only creates more weaknesses in the position. Karjakin should
have looked over at the left side of the board and recognized that this pawn
triangle is not helping his case. In fact, this move hands Carlsen an even
greater advantage.} (26. Ne3 g6 27. Nc2 a5 {still is horrible for White, but
Karjakin is a tenacious defender, as he proved in game 3. He'd still be
forcing Magnus to prove the win, though the winning chances are great.}) 26...
f5 27. Nf2 Be7 {here comes the last piece. All of Carlsen's forces are
combining to limit Karjakin's mobility. White has absolutely no space and it's
hard to even suggest a move.} 28. f4 Bh4 29. fxe5 (29. Rxd6 cxd6 30. Nxf5 {
was not a trivial win. White sacrifices a rook for knight and pawn, and his
position is yet to totally collapse. Carlsen would be required to find some
accurate moves, but he is the world champion for a reason: he converts winning
positions like this.} Be7 (30... Bxf2+ 31. Kxf2 Rd5 32. Ne3 Rd3 33. fxe5 Rxe5
34. Nxc4 Rxe1 35. Kxe1 Bxg2 {is great for Black, but prayers have been
answered before.})) 29... Bxg3 30. exd6 Rxe1+ 31. Rxe1 cxd6 {Two bishops, an
open position, a backward opponent pawn on b2, no doubled pawns, your opponent
can hardly move his pieces without making a real concession. If all of that
does not sound like a big advantage for Magnus Carlsen, you're not listening.}
32. Rd1 {This caused Carlsen to spend several minutes in an attempt to find a
best plan to finish Karjakin off.} (32. Re7 {is allegedly an active move. To
me, it looks like one that just allows Black to exploit the back rank
vulnerability.} Kf8 33. Rc7 Re5 34. Kf1 Be8 35. Rc8 Ke7 36. Bg5+ Kd7 37. Rxc4
Bh5 {The bishop has reached a new diagonal, from where it allows the rook to
infiltrate.} 38. Rd4 Be2+ 39. Kg1 Bb5 40. Rd1 (40. Bd2 Re2 41. Nd3 Rxd2 42.
Nc5+ Kc6 43. Rxd2 Kxc5 {is also dead lost. The bishops work together too well,
and the king will help win all the queenside pawns.}) 40... Re2 41. Nh1 Be5 {
and I actually laughed out loud at the knight on h1. At a minimum, Black will
turn his pawn deficit into (at least) a pawn up. The little ones on b2, a3,
and c3 are all going down.}) 32... Kf7 {In the endgame, we are taught to bring
our king to the center. Step one in the right direction.} 33. Rd4 Re5 {Magnus
has put Karjakin on alert: there is mate looming on the back rank. White's
next move is forced.} 34. Kf1 (34. Bd2 Re2 {is curtains. The knight can't be
defended and if the knight moves, g2 falls.}) 34... Rd5 {It might seem strange
that Carlsen invited the enemy king closer to the center, but it was necessary
considering he desired to trade rooks. The decision to swap the final major
piece will either be panned or praised; in many cases, such a decision at the
mercy of chess fans at home who defer to silicon machines and the final
scoreboard.} (34... Ke6 {would be an ideal move, except it allows White to
trade his passive bishop for Black's active one.} 35. Bf4 Bxf4 36. Rxf4 g5 (
36... Rd5 37. g4) 37. Rd4 {is clearly still better for Black -- thanks to the
extra space, powerful bishop, and white weaknesses -- but the win is far from
trivial. It is truly difficult to make progress, given the limited amount of
material.}) 35. Rxd5 (35. Rxc4 {here is impossible, thanks to the resource} Bb5
{which pins the rook to the king. This is why Carlsen played 33... Re5.}) 35...
Bxd5 36. Bg5 {At least this move develops the bishop, but where to next? It is
hard to offer improvements.} Kg6 37. h4 {Wow. For the second straight game,
Karjakin gets antsy and pushes a pawn that perhaps he should not have. This
move is very understandable, giving the knight some renewed life via h3. But
Magnus does well to tame it very quickly.} Kh5 38. Nh3 Bf7 {If the bishop had
gone to, say, c6, the knight would have hopped into e6 via f4. That's not to
say that Karjakin is holding there, but he would finally have obtained some
activity. An important aspect of this endgame is that knights can't lose tempi,
while bishops can.} 39. Be7 {The pawn on d6 requires the attention of the
bishop on g3. Or does it?} Bxh4 $2 {This feels a bit rushed by Magnus and
deserves a question mark because it makes Sergey's life easier. That pawn on
h4 is not going anywhere, and can be captured with better black piece
placement.} (39... Bd5 {it's not too late to admit your mistake. The bishop is
better placed on e4.} 40. Bg5 Be4 {Sure, the knight can venture into e6...but
there's only air up there. The pawn on d6 is needed.}) 40. Bxd6 Bd8 {While
technically there is equal material on the board, Black essentially has an
extra pawn. Two black pawns on the queenside stop the white pawns from moving.
The kingside pawns will gallop down the g- and f-files, and the knight will
continue to be dominated by the enemy bishops (and pawns).} 41. Ke2 g5 42. Nf2
Kg6 {The king has done its job on the kingside. Wouldn't it sit much prettier
over on b3?} 43. g4 {Karjakin does not want to sit and wait for the pawns to
come to him, but this might do Magnus' job for him. I'm curious if Karjakin
has some fantasies of sacrificing a piece to draw, as he did in game three.} (
43. g3 Kf6 {and White does not really have any options to work with here. If
the king ventures over to the queenside, the pawns roam freely. If the king
stays put, the enemy king can centralize and then choose which side to
penetrate. Karjakin's pieces are totally stuck.}) 43... Bb6 {The best move,
which was made after Carlsen's longest think of the game. Do note that Black
has absolutely no intention of taking the knight on f2, as the resulting
ending would be an effortless draw.} 44. Be5 a5 {Why not? The pawn is one
square closer to promotion, and with a5-a4 coming, the queenside pawns are
locked down forever. This will be especially important if the light-squared
bishop is traded for the knight (say, on g4).} (44... fxg4 $6 {feels wrong,
since the newly freed knight keeps Karjakin afloat. But considering the
fortress that arose in the game, Carlsen might have been better served to let
the knight into the wild.} 45. Nxg4 Kf5 {would win the game on the spot,
except for} 46. Nh6+ Ke6 (46... Kxe5 47. Nxf7+ Kf4 48. Nd6 g4 49. Nxc4 Ba7 50.
b4 g3 51. Kf1 Kf3 52. Ne5+ Ke4 53. Nc6 Be3 54. Kg2 {is a drawn ending. White
wins g3 while Black gathers the queenside.}) 47. Nxf7 Kxf7 48. Kf3 Ke6 49. Ke4
{only move! Can't let the Black king in without a fight.} Be3 50. a4 (50. Kxe3
$4 Kxe5 {and the black king will gobble up the remaining pawns while
supporting its own.}) 50... Bc1 51. Kd4 Bxb2 52. Bh2 Ba3 53. Kxc4 Bd6 54. Bg1
g4 55. Kd4) (44... Be6 {Would force an outside passed pawn, but like the game
White might be best served to ignore the tension.} 45. Nd1 (45. Bd4 Bc7 {
is a bad transition for Karjakin, since the bishop on c7 is well placed. It
can support the pawn going to g3, and can go to f4 where it threatens to
undermine the white queenside with Bc1.}) 45... f4 (45... fxg4 46. Ne3 {
is holding.}) 46. Kf3 Bd5+ 47. Ke2 {should look familiar.}) 45. Nd1 (45. gxf5+
Kxf5 {does not lose a pawn, but it invites the king in. The g-pawn rolls and
the king cruises, a bad combination for White.}) 45... f4 $2 {This move
releases the tension on the kingside and makes a fortress more likely. Though
in one's head it looks lost for White as Carlsen's king sprints to b3, the
reality is that when the king gets there, no more progress can be made. This
question mark is less objective than the one I gave half a dozen moves ago,
since a path to victory has not been found.} (45... fxg4 46. Ne3 {was the plan,
hoping to keep Black from progressing. A clear path forward is not a given,
since Carlsen's dark-squared bishop can't make its way to to the b8-h2
diagonal to dislodge the bishop on g3. Unclear how Black would make progress
there, since there is also no access for the black king. Looks like it holds.}
Kh5 47. Bg3) (45... Be6 {was the best move.} 46. Nf2 (46. Bd4 Bc7 47. gxf5+
Kxf5 {again is a difficult task. The king has space to operate in the center.})
46... fxg4 {gets the king to f5, but deep analysis is needed to figure out the
truth of the position.}) 46. Bd4 Bc7 47. Nf2 Be6 48. Kf3 Bd5+ 49. Ke2 (49. Ne4
{is a funny, yet very ugly move. The pawn on g4 prevents Black from getting
his king to attack the knight, but White can only move his bishop back and
forth. Thus, Carlsen would be able to run his king over to the queenside.} Kf7
50. Bc5 Bd8 51. Bf2 Ke6 52. Bc5 Kd7 {and the king's route to victory is
obvious. If White ever plays a4 to keep the king from b5, then the bishop will
go to c6 and scoop it up.}) 49... Bg2 {The knight is dominated by the bishop.
Now it's only a matter of time...} 50. Kd2 {Or is it?! How can Black make
progress? The bishop on d4 is perfectly centralized and prevents Black from
taking the g1-a7 diagonal. Even if the king runs over to b3, White will sit in
this position and place his king on c1.} Kf7 51. Kc2 Bd5 52. Kd2 Bd8 53. Kc2
Ke6 54. Kd2 Kd7 55. Kc2 Kc6 {Here comes the king, but even when it arrives at
its destination, it can get no further.} 56. Kd2 Kb5 57. Kc1 Ka4 58. Kc2 Bf7
59. Kc1 Bg6 60. Kd2 Kb3 61. Kc1 Bd3 62. Nh3 (62. Nxd3 $2 cxd3 {is just wrong.
The fortress looks impenetrable, so why give Black another passed pawn to work
with?}) 62... Ka2 63. Bc5 Be2 64. Nf2 Bf3 65. Kc2 Bc6 66. Bd4 Bd7 67. Bc5 Bc7
68. Bd4 Be6 69. Bc5 f3 {Finally, Magnus pushes the pawn. But the resulting
opposite-colored bishop ending allows Black no progress.} 70. Be3 Bd7 (70...
Bg3 71. Ne4 Bh4 72. Nf2 Bxf2 73. Bxf2 Bxg4 74. Bg3 Bf5+ 75. Kc1 Kb3 76. Bf2 {
holds. The pawns on the kingside can't overwhelm the bishop, and if Black
brings his king back to support the pawns, White does the same to stop them.
It helps that the route of Karjakin's king is much shorter.}) 71. Kc1 (71. Bxg5
$4 Bb6 72. Ne4 (72. Bh4 Be3 {is winning, because Ba4# is a threat, forcing
Karjakin's king away from the defense of b2.}) 72... f2 73. Nxf2 Bxf2 74. Bd2
Bxg4 75. Bh6 Bf5+ 76. Kc1 a4 77. Bf4 Bc5 78. Bh6 Bxa3 {is the winning way.} 79.
bxa3 Kxa3 {and White has to sacrifice the bishop for the a-pawn, leading to a
trivial win.}) 71... Bc8 72. Kc2 Bd7 73. Kc1 Bf4 {Carlsen gets tired of the
back and forth, so he swaps bishops. This is an admission that the point will
be split.} (73... Bg3 74. Ne4 Bh4 75. Nf2 a4 76. Bd4 Be8 77. Kc2 Bg6+ 78. Kc1
Bg3 79. Be3 Bd6 {with the idea of eventually sacrificing on a3 was a
last-ditch effort that required some final precision. The point is that Black
will try to promote the a-pawn, but White can cut it off from behind.} 80. Nd1
Bxa3 81. bxa3 Kxa3 82. Bxg5 Kb3 83. Be7 a3 84. Bxa3 Kxa3 85. g5 {is still a
draw!}) 74. Bxf4 gxf4 75. Kc2 Be6 76. Kc1 Bc8 77. Kc2 Be6 78. Kc1 Kb3 {The
king comes back, but it has nowhere to go. The remaining moves are just
extraneous.} 79. Kb1 Ka4 80. Kc2 Kb5 81. Kd2 Kc6 82. Ke1 Kd5 83. Kf1 Ke5 84.
Kg1 Kf6 85. Ne4+ Kg6 86. Kf2 Bxg4 {Black temporarily goes up a pawn, but of
course now that the knight is free White is holding with ease. Keep in mind
that the queening square (a1) does not match the color of the remaining bishop.
} 87. Nd2 (87. Nc5 Bf5 88. Kxf3 Kg5 89. b4 {was even easier than the game.})
87... Be6 88. Kxf3 Kf5 89. a4 Bd5+ 90. Kf2 Kg4 91. Nf1 Kg5 92. Nd2 Kf5 93. Ke2
Kg4 94. Kf2 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2769"]
[BlackElo "2857"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "187"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
{After playing a fine third game in the match Magnus Carlsen was back on the
board for the fourth encounter. This time with the black pieces. Karjakin had
to make sure that he wouldn't face the same number of problems that he did in
round three.} 1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]
} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:00:00] No Giuoco Piano yet. The players
have stuck to the Spanish.} a6 {[%emt 0:00:04] And Magnus has shown no
interest towards the Berlin yet. He clearly thinks that he can outplay Sergey
in the closed variation of the Ruy Lopez, rather than the Berlin.} 4. Ba4 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 5. O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:
07]} 6. Re1 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (6. d3 {was played by Karjakin in game two.}) 6...
b5 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 7. Bb3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:11]} 8. h3 {
[%emt 0:00:25]} (8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 {is the
Marshall Gambit and could have been Carlsen's idea had Sergey gone for 8.c3.})
8... Bb7 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 9. d3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 10. a3 {
[%emt 0:00:10] Always when d6 is played, the white player should start
thinking about his b3 bishop as Na5 is threatened.} Qd7 {[%emt 0:01:01] This
is the modern treatment of the line. The queen frees up the d8 square for the
knight who can go to e6.} (10... Na5 11. Ba2 c5 {is the main line but the last
game played in it was back in 2013 and it has fallen out of fashion.}) 11. Nbd2
{[%emt 0:00:46]} Rfe8 {[%emt 0:03:52] This was the first real think of the
game by Magnus who thought for nearly four minutes.} 12. c3 {[%emt 0:12:19]} (
12. Ng5 Nd8 $11) 12... Bf8 {[%emt 0:08:23]} 13. Nf1 {[%emt 0:10:28]} h6 {
[%emt 0:01:18]} (13... d5 14. Bg5 {is something that Magnus didn't like.}) 14.
N3h2 $6 {[%emt 0:03:28] This is not particularly a good move because Black can
simply break in the center and get a great position.} (14. Ne3 {looked normal
and good. It prevents d5.}) 14... d5 $1 {[%emt 0:07:19][%cal Gd6d5]} 15. Qf3 {
[%emt 0:00:36]} Na5 {[%emt 0:09:11]} 16. Ba2 {[%emt 0:00:41]} dxe4 {[%emt 0:10:
11]} 17. dxe4 {[%emt 0:00:14] If White can get in the move Ng3, he would be
clearly better. His knights would be on the kingside, the bishops pointing
towards the black king and the queen already in the zone. However, it's Black
to move and Magnus makes sure that nothing of that sort happens.} Nc4 $1 {
[%emt 0:02:36]} (17... Rad8 18. Bxh6 Bxe4 19. Rxe4 Nxe4 20. Qxe4 gxh6 21. Ne3
$44 {White has excellent compensation.}) 18. Bxh6 {[%emt 0:13:07]} (18. Ng3 Qc6
$15) 18... Qc6 $1 {[%emt 0:05:20] With one move Black attacks the e4 pawn and
also defends the f6 knight.} (18... Nxb2 $6 19. Bg5 $14 {White has a great
position.}) 19. Bxc4 $6 {[%emt 0:16:14] After 16 minutes of thought Segey
comes up with a solution that lands him into a poor position.} (19. Bc1 $1 {
This highly anti-intuitive move is the best in the position.} Nxe4 20. Ne3 $13
{The position remains complex.}) 19... bxc4 {[%emt 0:00:38]} 20. Be3 {[%emt 0:
00:10]} Nxe4 {[%emt 0:01:51]} (20... Qxe4 {is also good.} 21. Ng3 (21. Qxe4
Nxe4 $17) 21... Qxf3 22. Nxf3 Bxf3 23. gxf3 Rab8 $15) 21. Ng3 {[%emt 0:00:49]}
Nd6 {[%emt 0:06:27]} (21... Qg6 $5 {was also strong and after} 22. Nxe4 Bxe4
23. Qg4 Qxg4 24. Nxg4 f5 $17 {Black is better.}) 22. Rad1 {[%emt 0:11:57]} (22.
Qxc6 Bxc6 $17 {Let's assess this position. Black gets the central pawn
majority and also the open b-file. At the same time he has the bishop pair and
a completely dominating position. It's not something that Sergey would want to
go into.}) 22... Rab8 $1 {[%emt 0:00:34] This one is not such a mysterious
move by Magnus. The b-file is semi open and he parks the rook there. However,
I like the way he does it. He keeps the tenstion and asks White to take the
queen on c6.} 23. Bc1 {[%emt 0:05:54]} f6 {[%emt 0:04:16]} 24. Qxc6 {[%emt 0:
00:34]} Bxc6 $17 {[%emt 0:00:02] As previously explained, Black is clearly
better because of his bishop pair, central majority and the weak b2 pawn. This
is bread and butter for Magnus. But like in game three he fails to convert his
advantage.} 25. Ng4 {[%emt 0:01:05]} Rb5 $1 {[%emt 0:04:45] An original way to
force through the move f5.} 26. f3 {[%emt 0:07:09]} f5 {[%emt 0:05:34]} 27. Nf2
{[%emt 0:01:52]} (27. a4 Ra5 $19) 27... Be7 {[%emt 0:00:53] The bishop will
stand well on f6 and can also threaten Bh4.} 28. f4 {[%emt 0:07:58]} Bh4 {
[%emt 0:03:15]} 29. fxe5 {[%emt 0:00:28]} (29. Rxd6 $5 cxd6 30. Nxf5 Bxf2+ 31.
Kxf2 Rd5 $17) 29... Bxg3 {[%emt 0:03:43]} 30. exd6 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Rxe1+ {
[%emt 0:00:07]} 31. Rxe1 {[%emt 0:00:04]} cxd6 {[%emt 0:00:59] Many pieces
have been exchanged but Black's advantage still remains intact.} 32. Rd1 {
[%emt 0:03:59]} (32. Re7 Re5 33. Rxe5 dxe5 $17) 32... Kf7 {[%emt 0:08:31]} 33.
Rd4 {[%emt 0:00:57]} Re5 {[%emt 0:02:40]} 34. Kf1 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Rd5 {
[%emt 0:00:36]} 35. Rxd5 {[%emt 0:01:08]} (35. Rxc4 Bb5 $19) 35... Bxd5 {
[%emt 0:00:01] The material is even, but the two bishops are a deadly combo.
The pawn on g2 is permanently weak and it is easy to increase the space
advantage by pushing the pawns.} 36. Bg5 {[%emt 0:04:52]} Kg6 {[%emt 0:07:59]}
(36... Ke6) 37. h4 $6 {[%emt 0:05:19] Now the h4 pawn is weak and the black
king can immediately attack it.} (37. Be3 Kf6 {Followed by g5 is the idea.} 38.
Bd4+ Be5 $17) 37... Kh5 {[%emt 0:03:27]} 38. Nh3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Bf7 {[%emt 0:
00:41]} (38... Bxh4 39. Nf4+ Kxg5 40. Nxd5 $11) (38... Kg4 39. Nf2+ Kh5 40. Nh3
) (38... Bc6 $1 {was a much better square for the bishop, but what he played
in the game was not bad because he could reach this position again.}) 39. Be7 {
[%emt 0:03:52]} Bxh4 {[%emt 0:01:29]} (39... Bd5 $1 {Accepting the error and
getting the bishop back to the important diagonal was the key. Keeping the
bishops in the position and also maintaining the maximum number of pawns is
the best idea. We are also preparing the move Kg4.} 40. Bg5 Bc6 $1 41. Be7 (41.
Nf4+ Kg4 42. Ne2 Bxh4 43. Bxh4 Kxh4 $17) 41... Be4 {Now White is in a zugzwang.
} 42. Kg1 g6 43. Bd8 d5 44. a4 Bc2 45. a5 Be4 46. Kf1 Be5 $19 {And d4 comes in
and White is in huge trouble.}) (39... Kg4 40. Nf2+ {makes no progress.}) 40.
Bxd6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Bd8 {[%emt 0:00:31]} 41. Ke2 {[%emt 0:12:12] White can
breathe a bit now, but it goes without saying that Black is better.} g5 {
[%emt 0:04:25]} 42. Nf2 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Kg6 {[%emt 0:04:32]} 43. g4 {[%emt 0:
03:04]} Bb6 {[%emt 0:22:59]} (43... f4 {closing down the position makes less
sense, because although the pawn on f4 is a protected passer, White can hope
to blockade it.}) 44. Be5 {[%emt 0:05:06]} a5 {[%emt 0:04:02]} (44... Bxf2 45.
Kxf2 fxg4 46. Ke3 $11) 45. Nd1 {[%emt 0:04:41]} f4 $6 {[%emt 0:05:48] Closing
the structure with the move f4 was not a good idea. Magnus now finds it really
difficult to breakthrough.} (45... Be6 $1 {is winning.} 46. Ne3 (46. gxf5+ Kxf5
47. Bd6 Bf7 48. Ne3+ Ke4 49. Nc2 (49. Ng4 Bh5 $19) 49... Bh5+ 50. Ke1 Kd3 {
With these two bishops and the active king it seems like White is in huge
trouble.} 51. Nd4 a4 52. Be5 Be8 53. Kf2 (53. Kd1 Bd7 54. Bf6 g4 55. Be5 Bd8 {
Slowly and steadily Black will convert this.}) 53... Kd2 {followed by Kc1 wins.
}) (46. Bd4 Bc7 $19) 46... f4 $19) 46. Bd4 {[%emt 0:01:20]} Bc7 {[%emt 0:00:09]
} 47. Nf2 {[%emt 0:01:30]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 48. Kf3 {[%emt 0:01:37]} Bd5+ {
[%emt 0:00:12]} 49. Ke2 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Bg2 {[%emt 0:01:14]} 50. Kd2 {[%emt 0:
01:53]} Kf7 {[%emt 0:03:57] The king begins his journey twoards the b3 square.}
51. Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Bd5 {[%emt 0:00:27]} 52. Kd2 {[%emt 0:01:18]} Bd8 {
[%emt 0:01:08]} 53. Kc2 {[%emt 0:01:18]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:00:21]} 54. Kd2 {[%emt 0:
00:12]} Kd7 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 55. Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:40]} Kc6 {[%emt 0:00:35]} 56.
Kd2 {[%emt 0:00:20]} Kb5 {[%emt 0:00:37]} 57. Kc1 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Ka4 {
[%emt 0:07:00]} 58. Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Bf7 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 59. Kc1 {[%emt 0:
00:08]} Bg6 {[%emt 0:01:10]} 60. Kd2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Kb3 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 61.
Kc1 {[%emt 0:00:28] Black has maximally improved his position and must now
find a way to breakthrough.} Bd3 $6 {[%emt 0:03:33]} (61... a4 62. Ba7 Bf6 63.
Bd4 Be7 64. Ba7) (61... f3 {doesn't really help to win because after} 62. Be3
Be7 63. Nh3 Bd3 64. Nf2 a4 65. Nd1 Be4 66. Nf2 Bc2 67. Nh3 Be4 68. Nf2 {
White just keeps moving his knight and it is impossible to improve.} Bb7 69.
Nh3 Bc8 70. Nf2 Bd6 71. Ne4 $1 Bf4 $4 {I even found a way for Black to lose!}
72. Bxf4 gxf4 73. Kb1 $1 {And there is no way to stop Nd2#}) 62. Nh3 {[%emt 0:
01:04]} (62. Nxd3 cxd3 63. Kd2 Kc4 64. a4 $11 {is a drawn position.}) 62... Ka2
{[%emt 0:06:06]} 63. Bc5 {[%emt 0:01:14]} Be2 {[%emt 0:01:08]} 64. Nf2 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} Bf3 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 65. Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:22]} Bc6 {[%emt 0:00:
31]} 66. Bd4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:01:14]} 67. Bc5 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Bc7
{[%emt 0:01:03]} 68. Bd4 {[%emt 0:01:08]} Be6 {[%emt 0:04:37]} 69. Bc5 {
[%emt 0:00:26]} f3 {[%emt 0:01:55]} 70. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:33]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:00:
23]} 71. Kc1 {[%emt 0:00:48]} (71. Bxg5 Bb6 $19) 71... Bc8 {[%emt 0:02:06]} 72.
Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:17]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 73. Kc1 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Bf4 {
[%emt 0:02:21]} (73... Bg3 74. Kc2 Bxf2 75. Bxf2 Bxg4 76. Bg3 Bh5 77. Bf2 g4
78. Bg3 Bg6+ 79. Kc1 Kb3 80. Bf2 $11) 74. Bxf4 {[%emt 0:00:19]} gxf4 {[%emt 0:
00:01] The position remains a draw and Black is unable to break through.} 75.
Kc2 {[%emt 0:02:50]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 76. Kc1 {[%emt 0:02:21]} Bc8 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} 77. Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:29]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 78. Kc1 {[%emt 0:
00:05]} Kb3 {[%emt 0:00:22]} 79. Kb1 {[%emt 0:03:11]} Ka4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 80.
Kc2 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kb5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 81. Kd2 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Kc6 {
[%emt 0:00:17]} 82. Ke1 {[%emt 0:01:34]} Kd5 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 83. Kf1 {[%emt 0:
00:07]} Ke5 {[%emt 0:00:33]} 84. Kg1 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:42]} 85.
Ne4+ {[%emt 0:05:20]} Kg6 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 86. Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Bxg4 {
[%emt 0:00:20]} 87. Nd2 {[%emt 0:00:28]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 88. Kxf3 {
[%emt 0:00:07]} Kf5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 89. a4 {[%emt 0:00:22]} Bd5+ {[%emt 0:01:
22]} 90. Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Kg4 {[%emt 0:00:36]} 91. Nf1 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kg5
{[%emt 0:01:59]} 92. Nd2 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Kf5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 93. Ke2 {
[%emt 0:00:10]} Kg4 {[%emt 0:01:59]} 94. Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:08] A highly
disappointing result for Magnus who, by his standards, should have easily
converted the advantage into a full point.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.17"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2016.11.17"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.17"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {Magnus Carlsen must be the hardest player in the
world to prepare for. Not only is he the strongest player, but he alters his
repertoire for every game. Note that in the first game he played 1. d4 and in
round two he played into the Ruy Lopez. Here, he plays the Italian game.} (3.
Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6
10. Re2 {was the bombshell dropped in the third game of the match. Carlsen
eventually achieved a winning position (not due to the opening, but his
superior middlegame play) before Karjakin escaped.}) 3... Bc5 4. O-O (4. c3 {
is by far the most popular move in the opening, played at least three times as
frequently 4.0-0. The game enters familiar waters, but a different move order
is always important: there are nuances in every distinct position!}) 4... Nf6
5. d3 O-O 6. a4 {is a relatively rare move, but a thematic idea. White presses
forward on the queenside, expanding his pawn structure and restricting the
black pieces.} d6 7. c3 a6 {More or less forced. If you make a developing move,
you lose your bishop.} (7... Bg4 $2 8. b4 Bb6 9. a5 {traps the piece.}) (7...
a5 {is possible, but a move players tend to dislike making on the black side
of the Giuoco Piano. The light squares on the queenside (in particular b5)
become a little soft, and while it feels like an outright success to steal
control of the b4 square and restrain Carlsen's pawns from advancing, the
dynamics of the position often make White feel a bit more comfortable. I
believe this continuation needs more testing at the higher levels, as it truly
is a matter of preference: be solid with less space or surrender control of
some squares while maintaining freedom for your minor pieces.}) 8. b4 (8. Bg5 {
was played with great success by the young 2600+ GM Jordan van Foreest in a
recent win over former World Championship challenger Peter Leko.} h6 9. Bh4 g5
10. Bg3 Ba7 11. Nbd2 Kg7 12. Re1 Nh7 13. d4 g4 14. Nh4 exd4 15. cxd4 Bxd4 16.
Nf1 Bf6 17. Nf5+ Bxf5 18. exf5 h5 19. Bf4 Bg5 20. Ng3 Kh6 21. Bc1 $1 {and the
youngster eventually beat the veteran in fine style. 1-0 (54) Van Foreest,J
(2615)-Leko,P (2709) Douglas 2016}) 8... Ba7 9. Re1 (9. Bg5 {was what Anand
chose in a Leuven blitz game against Nakamura. That game resulted in a draw,
but the position itself was immensely complex. Black has to choose whether or
not he wants to break the pin at the expense of his king's safety. The
four-time American champion opted for} h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 {with mutual
chances. Black's pursuits on the kingside will either provide him great
fighting chances, as the pawns restrict the white minor pieces, or leave his
king overly exposed.} (11. Nxg5 hxg5 12. Bxg5 {is too crazy to venture into if
you're not extremely well prepared. It's often much easier to attack in such a
position than it is to defend.})) 9... Ne7 {Thematic. The knight finds
stability on g6, where it protects e5 without fear of getting booted. On c6,
at any moment b4-b5 is looming.} 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4 {Both players have been
blitzing out their moves. Carlsen feels it is the proper time to lash out in
the center.} c6 {Karjakin spends his first minutes of the game before making
this subtle pawn move. It appears a bit pointless (what is he trying to do,
move his queen to c7? Cover d5 from an imaginary knight jump?), but it's
purpose is really just to situate himself well before advancing.} (11... exd4
12. cxd4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 d5 14. Bd3 dxe4 15. Bxe4 {will require Black to play
c7-c6 anyways. A key difference is that after} c6 {Carlsen would not be forced
to waste time with h3. Instead, he could make a useful move like} 16. b5 $1 {
The position is slightly better for White, and the board appears to open up
for Carlsen's pieces.} (16. d5 cxd5 17. Bxd5 {causes Black some difficulties,
as Karjakin is underdeveloped and lacking the space his opponent has. One fun
example:} Bf5 18. Bxb7 Bxf2+ 19. Kxf2 Qb6+ 20. Nd4 Rad8 21. Bf3 Rxd4 22. Be3 $1
Rfd8 23. Kg1 $3)) 12. h3 {Preventing 12...Bg4, but allowing the unexpected}
exd4 {Normally Black hates to make this exchange, for it hands White the
center. Conceptually, the exchange is an e-pawn for a c-pawn, so the center
favors White. But Carlsen's pawns are actually overextended and his bishop on
c4 would much prefer to be on another square (say, b3). On c4, the bishop
invites the following temporary sacrifice.} 13. cxd4 (13. Nxd4 {is playable,
but I hate this recapture.} d5 {and there's no way that Black stands worse.
The pawn on c3 is ugly, and it gets no prettier after an eventual Bxd4.}) 13...
Nxe4 14. Bxf7+ {Carlsen aims to mix up the action. Now the dynamics
drastically change: Karjakin's king loses some of its fort, a knight can jump
to g5 and then apply pressure to some vulnerable light squares (e6, h7), and
the minor pieces can come alive. In return, White has what is generally
considered a disadvantage in only having one bishop and the pawn on d4 is
isolated (but hard to get at!). The f-file can also potentially come in handy
for Karjakin.} (14. Nxe4 d5 15. Bd3 dxe4 16. Bxe4 {was what I would have
preferred if I was playing. The reason why is not immediately obvious, but it
is all because of one piece. Not either bishop or rook, but the knight on g6.
With no intention of patronizing, a knight on the g-file only targets six
squares while the knight on f3 hits eight. Moreover, Carlsen's pieces clearly
have better control of the center. Black would continue with} Be6 17. b5 Bd5 {
and it becomes a matter of whose isolated pawns (a6 and c6 versus a4 and d4)
are worse off. The answer becomes clearer only when you recognize that the
knight on f3 can both play defense (protecting d4) and attack (hop to e5 or g5
when the time calls for it). Its counterpart on g6 will have to hop to e7 if
it hopes to aid in the defense of the c6 pawn, but it can always get pinned
via Ba3. White would like to trade his bishop for the enemy knight, because
his knight will outclass the bishop on a7. It boils down to: a6 and c6 are
harder to keep well guarded than a4 and d4 are.} 18. bxa6 bxa6 19. Qc2 {
with a nagging edge for Carlsen.}) 14... Rxf7 15. Nxe4 d5 (15... Bf5 {develops,
but invites} 16. b5 {The light squares remain a bit weak and White needs to
create some concrete weaknesses in order to make progress. I prefer White's
chances.}) 16. Nc5 (16. Neg5 Rf6 {is awkward for White. With h6 coming to kick
- currently trap - the knight from g5, Carlsen would be forced to move his
knight from f3 to free space. In the meantime, Karjakin would be able to
complete his development. If given time, the bishops can flourish.}) 16... h6
17. Ra3 {A smart rook lift, reminiscent of Carlsen-Anand in 2014. The e-file
is White's for the taking and if the timing works out, that rook might swing
to g3 and aid in an attack.} Bf5 {Natural development. The pawn on b7 is
covered, so Karjakin continues to get his remaining pieces into the action.}
18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. dxe5 {This recapture (in my eyes) is more or less forced if
Magnus hopes to win. Which, knowing him, there's no question he does. Taking
with the rook does not lead to anything with proper play. Here, at least,
White gets a passed pawn. The kingside appears to be in Carlsen's favor: four
pawns against two from the e- through h-files is a pleasant majority. However,
where pawns are absent pieces can fly. The f-file is open for only one player,
and Karjakin seizes the opportunity to fight.} (19. Rxe5 Bb8 {starts to turn
the tables if Carlsen is not careful. Black's bishops thrive in open space.
Retreating the rook (say, to e2) gives White nothing. But the exchange
sacrifice has to be considered here, for the resulting middlegame with bishops
of opposite color is very double-edged.} (19... Qf8 20. a5 {is a bit annoying,
though also fine for Black. Just is not fun to remain cramped. The position is
incredibly solid, but the knight on c5 is a nuisance.}) 20. Nxb7 Qf6 (20... Qf8
21. Nc5 a5 (21... Bxe5 22. dxe5 a5 {any other move welcomes Qd4 and dark
square domination, leading to an initiative.} 23. e6 $1 {is uncomfortable for
Black. Despite his miraculous draws in games three and four, Karjakin would
have a nightmare task of defending a dynamically inferior position.}) 22. Rb3
axb4 23. Ree3 Bd6 24. Rxb4 Bxc5 25. dxc5 Qxc5 {with equality.}) (20... Rxb7 21.
Rxf5 {even when Black recovers the pawn, his position is very difficult. It is
much easier to fall apart than defend a position with weak pawns and an airy
kingside.}) 21. Re8+ Kh7 22. Nc5 Bh2+ 23. Kxh2 Rxe8 {I don't see how White can
possibly be worse here, considering that the pawn structure is favorable and
the rooks lack a clear future. From a practical standpoint, White is to be
preferred.}) 19... Qh4 {Played after a deep think, Karjakin goes on the
offensive. Magnus is in danger.} 20. Rf3 (20. e6 $2 {would be good if it works,
but it doesn't. It just loses a pawn.} Bxe6 21. Rxe6 (21. Be3 {is forced...so
a pawn was just lost.}) (21. Nxe6 Bxf2+ 22. Kh2 Bxe1 {is disastrous for White.}
) 21... Qxf2+ 22. Kh1 Qf1+ 23. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 24. Kh2 Rxc1 {is an easy win for
Black. Extra material and continuing pressure on the enemy king should lead to
swift victory.}) 20... Bxc5 {Karjakin transitions into a middlegame
(eventually an endgame) with bishops of opposite colors. For the second
straight game, he releases the tension too early and is forced to grovel for a
draw. This has become a theme for the Russian GM: when faced with a passive
position he lashes out in an attempt to improve his pieces. Perhaps here he is
relying on the fact that many opposite-colored bishop endings are drawn, even
when one side is a pawn or two down. But the bishop situation REALLY favors
White here, with many pieces still on the board. But Karjakin might just see
deeply into the position, understanding that there are fewer opportunities for
him to lose.} (20... Qxb4 $2 21. e6 {Karjakin would have no way to save his
material. The bishop is in trouble, and if the black rook moves, we see the
benefit of the rook vacating the a3 square. The bishop arrives into the action
with a tempo, and then White gains material.} Rf6 22. Ba3 Qh4 23. Nd7 Rxe6 (
23... Rg6 24. Rxf5 Qxh3 25. Qf3 Rxg2+ 26. Qxg2 Qxf5 {Three pawns often are
sufficient compensation for a sacrificed piece, but not when facing an
onslaught and a passed pawn simultaneously.} 27. Bb2 {And Black is toast.}) 24.
Rxf5 {is an extra piece for not enough pawns.}) (20... Bg6 21. Rxf7 Bxf7 {
was a reasonable option, but psychologically is not easy to play. The rook
trade invites the e-pawn forward; it is difficult to evaluate this trade-off.
On one hand, White has the best pawn on the board. On the other, Black's pawns
are much easier to defend. The pawns on b4 and f2 in particular will need to
be watched.}) (20... Re8 21. Rf4 {This is necessary. The queen is pestersome,
but this rook move cuts its access off from the b4 pawn and keeps f2 safe.
Karjakin must retreat.} Qe7 22. e6 {wins material. If the rook moves up, the
bishop attacks it from b2. If it moves back, the knight traps it from d7.}) 21.
bxc5 Re8 {Karjakin stops the e-pawn before it can roll forward.} 22. Rf4 Qe7
23. Qd4 {Everyone pause. Don't make any more moves, and take a few moments to
evaluate this position. What do you think? To me, I notice several important
characteristics of this position. White's pieces are more active, with the
exception of the bishop on c1. White's pawns are better, mainly because there
is a backward pawn on b7 and the c5 pawn stops any queenside progress. White's
rooks are better, because Karjakin's are merely defensive whereas Carlsen has
three legitimate files to work with (b-file, e-file, g-file). Black's lone
open file will be shut down shortly when White plays either f3 or f4. And, in
typical pawn majority fashion, Carlsen can eventually try to steamroll his
opponent with pawn push after pawn push. The queen on d4 is a model piece: it
can't possibly be kicked from its throne and protects many vital squares.
Carlsen has again managed to obtain a plus from what looked like a neutral
position. Whether or not that edge is large enough to squeeze out a victory is
up to the players.} Ref8 24. Rf3 Be4 25. Rxf7 Qxf7 26. f3 (26. f4 {will come
eventually. Rushing is the last thing Magnus should do when his opponent has
no stategy other than to sit, wait, and see what happens.}) 26... Bf5 (26...
Bxf3 27. gxf3 Qxf3 {is a sham sacrifice.} 28. Qe3 {and there's no attack.}) 27.
Kh2 {Ideally Magnus could have run his king over to the left side of the board
and then made progress on the kingside by pushing pawns and expanding, but
tactically it does not pan out.} (27. Kf2 $2 {would have been a tragic bunder
because} Bxh3 {scoops up a pawn. The bishop is immune:} 28. gxh3 Qxf3+ 29. Kg1
Qg3+ 30. Kh1 Qxe1+ {is lights out.}) 27... Be6 {The next phase of the game
will include a lot of shuffling as Magnus looks to press forward.} 28. Re2 Qg6
29. Be3 Rf7 30. Rf2 (30. Rb2 {would have prevented the queen's entry, but what
next? Black will keep shuffling his pieces.}) 30... Qb1 {The queen reaches the
other side of the board, and while there are no targets to attack (all of
White's pieces are protected), the infiltration can still be annoying.} 31. Rb2
Qf5 (31... Qa1 $2 32. Rxb7 Qxd4 33. Rb8+ Rf8 34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. Bxd4 {might
still wrong, but Karjakin has no reason to sacrifice (or blunder) a pawn.}) 32.
a5 {This move forever closes off the possibility of bringing the king to a5.
Sure, that was a long trek, but it could have been a useful one to keep
available. The main positive of having the pawn on a5 is that it is easier to
defend if it somehow is attacked.} Kf8 33. Qc3 Ke8 34. Rb4 g5 {This is a
committal move, that allows White to break with a future f4 or h4.} (34... Kd8
35. Rf4 Qg6 36. Rxf7 Qxf7 37. g4 {would require some care from Black. Of
course the pawn on f3 is "protected" by the threat of Bg5+, but the essential
point is that without the rooks, White's king can't get into any danger after
the kingside pawn storm. Thus, Karjakin would be forced to defend with
expansion, though it's not the end of the world.} g5 38. Kg3 {and the position
is slightly better for White, but nothing major. It is easier to conceive of
Carlsen progress in this position than in the game.}) 35. Rb2 Kd8 36. Rf2 Kc8
37. Qd4 Qg6 38. g4 {Magnus is just pushing pawns, but he has nothing here.} h5
39. Qd2 Rg7 (39... hxg4 40. fxg4 (40. hxg4 $2 {is really not smart for White.
The open h-file spells trouble.} Qh6+ 41. Kg1 Qh3 {and now would be White who
would be thrilled to hold the draw.}) 40... Rh7 41. Rf8+ Kc7) (39... Rh7 40.
Bxg5 hxg4 41. fxg4 Bxg4 42. h4 {can only be bad for Black. White's king is
surprisingly safe and Black's is shockingly unsafe, considering it is the one
with the pawn mass around it.}) 40. Kg3 Rg8 41. Kg2 $2 {Careless, playing with
his hand and not with his head. Carlsen surely thought that he had no chances
of losing no matter what move he made. Blocking the rook's access to the
h-file, Magnus Carlsen will regret making this move. He is now forced onto the
defensive.} (41. Rh2 {was one of several moves that kept the position
completely level.}) 41... hxg4 42. hxg4 (42. fxg4 {would be a horrible
decision. That king exposes itself on the diagonal and would lose a pawn
immediately if Black wants it.} Qe4+ (42... d4 43. Qxd4 Bd5+ 44. Kg3 {is
clearly better for Black. At best, White escapes by the skin of his teeth.})
43. Kg1) 42... d4 (42... Qh6 {also has promise for Karjakin, but the choice in
the game offers a less foggy continuation.} 43. Bd4 Rh8 44. Kf1 {and
annoyingly the bishop can't get involved just yet.}) 43. Qxd4 Bd5 {It is
psychologically difficult - and indeed, counterintuitive - to (correctly)
sacrifice a pawn to open up a diagonal for your bishop and then not move your
bishop to that diagonal. The engines might suggest a different 43rd move, but
I feel like those moves are not human.} (43... Rh8 {needs to be examined at
length. White's queen was drawn off the second rank, which means he's unable
completely unable to get his rook to h2 once the major pieces form a battery.
Reading engine evaluations often are misleading in such positions. While there
is no question that Karjakin is the only one with winning chances and an edge
for him comes as no surprise, even a reasonably high evaluation can fail to
take the prospects of an opposite-colored bishop endgame into account. Even
two pawns down, many such endgames are drawn, so there must always be context
given to a number.}) 44. e6 (44. Kg3 Qb1 45. Qd2 Qg1+ 46. Rg2 Qh1 {looks
really, really scary. A series of only moves might save White, but to find the
following sequence over the board is hard.} 47. Bxg5 Rh8 48. Kf4 Rh3 49. Rg3 $2
{doesn't actually defend the pawn on f3. Mate ensues.} (49. Bf6 Rxf3+ 50. Kg5
Qh7 {and White can alledgedly escape with} 51. Rh2 Qg8+ 52. Kh4 Qh7+ 53. Kg5
Qg8+ {with a draw by repetition. Insanity!}) 49... Qxf3+ 50. Rxf3 Rxf3#) 44...
Qxe6 45. Kg3 Qe7 46. Rh2 {The rook has arrived on the h-file at long last.
Carlsen's mistake five moves earlier has not come back to haunt him.} Qf7 (
46... Qc7+ 47. f4 Qxa5 (47... Be6 48. Rh8 $1 {and the switch has flipped.
White protects his pawn on g4 by pinning the rook to the king. Only White can
be better here.}) 48. fxg5 {is risky. The a-pawn is far less important to the
position than the g-pawns are.}) 47. f4 gxf4+ 48. Qxf4 {The position is equal,
but it's clear that Carlsen is once again gaining confidence.} Qe7 (48... Qxf4+
49. Bxf4 {is unpleasant for Karjakin. White has a passed pawn and a
well-placed king, whereas Black can't create a passer of his own and his king
has no true home. Black probably should still be holding, but practically that
pawn is hard to keep under control.}) 49. Rh5 Rf8 {The white queen is under
attack, but only rook moves can save White. An amusing fact.} 50. Rh7 Rxf4 51.
Rxe7 Re4 {The players agree for a draw, since the White king is not far enough
up the board to support the g-pawn. The opposite-colored bishops decide the
issue.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.17"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2857"]
[BlackElo "2769"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {
[%emt 0:00:04]} 3. Bc4 {0 The first time that the players didn't opt for a Ruy
Lopez after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. Magnus had got an advantage in the
Berlin with the benign 5.Re1 but decided that Guioco Piano was a much better
attempt for an advantage.} Bc5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 4. O-O {0 c3 is the most
popular move order. However, Magnus doesn't always like to go down the road
that has been visited often.} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 5. d3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} O-O {
[%emt 0:00:07]} 6. a4 $5 {13 This move gains space and in general is followed
up with the moves c3 and b4.} (6. h3 {is the new favourite of many players.
Kramnik beat Anand by using it at the Tal Memorial.}) 6... d6 {[%emt 0:00:43]}
7. c3 {33 Whenever d6 and 0-0 have been played by Black, I am always
apprehensive about the move Bg5. How to get rid of the pin?} (7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4
g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 {This doesn't quite work because the bishop on c5
prevents White from going f4. And in general it is not so easy to strengthen
the position.} Kg7 11. Kh1 Rh8 12. f4 Rxh2+ $1 13. Kxh2 Qh8+ 14. Kg3 exf4+ 15.
Rxf4 Nh5+ $19 {is just an illustrative variation of how Black can win the game.
}) 7... a6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 8. b4 {[%emt 0:00:21]} Ba7 {[%emt 0:00:21]} 9. Re1
$146 {6 This is the first new move of the game.} Ne7 {139 The transfer of the
knight from c6 to g6 is a very common theme in this opening.} 10. Nbd2 {68} Ng6
{[%emt 0:00:50]} 11. d4 {81 Black looks much more harmoniously developed.
However, White has the center. The position is round about even.} c6 {431
Black's idea with the move c6 is clear. He would like to take on d4 followed
by Nxe4 and the d5 pawn fork.} 12. h3 {194} (12. Bb3 Re8 13. h3 Be6 {Overall
the position is quite pleasant for Black. One of the things that White would
like to do is transfer the knight from d2-f1-g3. But this is not so easy as
the e4 pawn is always under pressure.}) 12... exd4 {1070} 13. cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:
13]} Nxe4 $5 {497} 14. Bxf7+ {525 Usually giving up the bishop in this fashion
is not a good idea. You not only lose the bishop pair, but also give your
opponent a strong centre. Magnus, however, has seen deeper.} (14. Nxe4 d5 15.
Bd3 {would be the most natural way to play, preserving the bishop.} dxe4 16.
Bxe4 {White has a big threat of playing b5 and opening up the queenside. Black
cannot really do much about it.} Be6 17. b5 Bd5 18. bxa6 bxa6 19. Rb1 $14 {
Black is solid, but it goes without saying that White is slightly better.})
14... Rxf7 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 15. Nxe4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} d5 {217} 16. Nc5 {
937 This is Carlsen's idea. The knight is extremely well placed on c5 and it
greatly limits the scope of both the bishops: a7 is blocked and c8 needs to
constantly look after b7. At the same time taking the knight would not be a
great idea, as after a move like dxc5 White would have a clear edge.} h6 {312}
17. Ra3 {93 There is no way to determine which is the most useful square for
the bishop on c1. But we know that the rook would be great on squares like e3
or g3.} Bf5 {160} 18. Ne5 {1262} (18. Rae3 Qf8 (18... Bxc5 19. dxc5 Be4 20. Nd4
Nf4 21. Rg3 Qh4 22. Bxf4 Qxf4 23. Re2 $14 {is a very pleasant edge for White.})
19. Qb3 Kh7 20. Ne6 Bxe6 21. Rxe6 {White looks to be pressing in this position.
} Rxf3 22. Qxf3 Qxf3 23. gxf3 Bxd4 {is an interesting exchange sacrifice, but
it falls short as after} 24. Re8 $1 $16 {The rooks are exchanged and White
keeps the edge.}) 18... Nxe5 {[%emt 0:00:37]} 19. dxe5 {[%emt 0:00:51]} Qh4 {
1586} 20. Rf3 {971} Bxc5 {327} (20... Qxb4 $2 21. Ba3 $1 Qh4 22. e6 Rf6 23. Nd7
$18 {The rook is lost.}) 21. bxc5 {2 We now have an interesting opposite
coloured bishop scenario where Black's pawn structure is much more compact,
but White has space and the passed e-pawn.} Re8 {8 It was important to block
the advance of the e-pawn.} 22. Rf4 {88} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:25]} 23. Qd4 {46
White starts his dark squared dominance.} Ref8 {[%emt 0:00:33]} 24. Rf3 {
233 Now Magnus would like to give back the pawn with e6 and shift his rook to
g3. In this way he would have excellent compensation in the opposite coloured
bishop endgame.} (24. e6 Bxe6 {And there are no real tricks. Black is fine.}
25. Rg4 Bxg4 26. Rxe7 Rxe7 27. hxg4 Re1+ $19) 24... Be4 {332} (24... -- 25. e6
Bxe6 26. Rg3) 25. Rxf7 {154} (25. Rg3 Rxf2 26. Qxf2 Rxf2 27. Kxf2 Qxe5 $19)
25... Qxf7 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 26. f3 {70} Bf5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 27. Kh2 $1 {
237 A huge threat awaits Black - the white pawn avalanche starting with the
moves g4 and f4 and f5. Black must do something about it.} Be6 {82} 28. Re2 {
114 Just probing Black.} (28. f4 h5 {keeps things under control.}) 28... Qg6 {
96} 29. Be3 {67} Rf7 {92} 30. Rf2 {71} Qb1 {122} 31. Rb2 {364} Qf5 {141} 32. a5
{210} Kf8 $5 {132 The king plans to go to c8. In this way, he would not only
be safe from the attack but also defend the b7 pawn.} 33. Qc3 {[%emt 0:00:37]}
Ke8 {328} 34. Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:37]} g5 {160} 35. Rb2 {179} Kd8 {[%emt 0:00:33]}
36. Rf2 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Kc8 {75} 37. Qd4 {[%emt 0:00:51]} (37. f4 g4 $15)
37... Qg6 {74} 38. g4 {167} h5 {56 In general White cannot really hope for
much because he always has to take care about his king on h2.} 39. Qd2 {62} Rg7
{215} 40. Kg3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Rg8 {175} 41. Kg2 $6 {665} (41. Qd4 {It was
better to keep the d4 square blocked and accept a draw. Magnus tries to fool
around, but Sergey is alert.}) 41... hxg4 {446} 42. hxg4 {[%emt 0:00:30]} d4 $1
{231 Excellent decision. By giving the pawn up, Black activates the bishop. As
we all know, in opposite coloured bishops scenarios it is much more important
to have an active bishop than an extra pawn.} 43. Qxd4 {577} Bd5 {511} 44. e6 {
378} Qxe6 {[%emt 0:00:52]} (44... Qh7 45. e7 Qxe7 {would nearly transpose to
the same thing.}) 45. Kg3 {122} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:43]} (45... Kb8 {Getting the
king to a8 and then continuing the attack was also a sound idea.} 46. Rh2 Ka7 {
Now White has to be careful as exchanging the queens is nearly impossible and
the white king is much weaker than its counterpart.}) 46. Rh2 {208} Qf7 {548}
47. f4 $1 {14 This ensures that the queens are exchanged and the game ends in
a draw.} gxf4+ {[%emt 0:00:04]} 48. Qxf4 {[%emt 0:00:26]} Qe7 {200} 49. Rh5 {
179} Rf8 {544} (49... Re8 50. Qf5+ Kb8 51. Qe5+ $1 Qxe5+ 52. Rxe5 Rxe5 53. Bf4
$11) 50. Rh7 {214} Rxf4 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 51. Rxe7 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Re4 {
[%emt 0:00:04]} (51... Re4 52. Rxe4 Bxe4 53. Kf4 Bd3 54. Ke5 {This position is
drawn because Black will just bring his king to e8. The g-pawn is going
nowhere and even if White manages to win the b7 pawn, the bishop on b5 would
control everything.} Bc2 (54... Kb8 $2 55. Kf6 Ka8 56. g5 Bc2 57. g6 Bxg6 58.
Kxg6 Ka7 59. Kf7 Ka8 60. Ke7 Ka7 61. Kd7 Ka8 62. Kc8 Ka7 63. Bf4 Ka8 64. Bb8 $1
$18) 55. Kf6 Kd7 56. g5 Bd3 57. g6 Ke8 $11) 1/2-1/2
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.18"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 {Once again we see
the main line. Once again Sergey is in for a surprise.} b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 Bb7
9. d3 d5 {Magnus has no qualms sacrificing a pawn in the opening. This is a
very risky decision, since there is no guarantee that Black will have adequate
long-term compensation for the pawn. In the imminent future, Carlsen's pieces
become very active, but if that activity fizzles out, Karjakin's surplus pawn
could prove pivotal.} (9... d6 10. a3 Qd7 11. Nbd2 Rfe8 12. c3 Bf8 13. Nf1 h6
14. N3h2 d5 15. Qf3 Na5 16. Ba2 dxe4 17. dxe4 Nc4 18. Bxh6 Qc6 19. Bxc4 bxc4
20. Be3 Nxe4 {was what occurred in game four, where Carlsen had an advantage
before Karjakin built a fortress. ?-? (94) Karjakin,S (2772)-Carlsen,M (2853)
2016 World Championship | New York, USA 2016}) 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 {
This position is very familiar to me, because I actually helped GM Alex
Onischuk prepare this against Sergey Karjakin back at the 2010 Olympiad.
Karjakin won that battle, but with some improvements Black could have been
just fine.} (11... Nxe5 12. Rxe5 Qd6 {has seen success by elite players like
Evgeny Tomashevsky. Black has sacrificed a pawn in exchange for rapid
development and easy piece placement, and White must parry off threats (the
bishops will enjoy their diagonals, the rooks are connected and ready to join
the action).}) 12. Nc3 (12. Bd2 c5 13. Nc3 Nxb3 14. axb3 Nb4 15. Ne4 f5 16. Ng3
Qd5 17. Nf3 Qd7 18. Ne5 Qd5 19. Nf3 Qd7 20. Bxb4 cxb4 21. d4 Rac8 22. Qd3 Bd6
23. Ne5 Qc7 24. Nxf5 Bxe5 25. Rxe5 Qxc2 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. Qg3 Rcd8 28. Rae1 Qd2
29. R1e3 Qxb2 30. Qh4 Rd6 31. Rf5 Ra8 32. Qf4 Rdd8 33. Rf7 {1-0 (33) Karjakin,
S (2747)-Onischuk,A (2688) Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2010}) 12... Nb4 (12... Nxb3 13.
axb3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 {does not justify the pawn sacrifice. The bishop on b7 is
sitting particularly pretty, but does not provide enough compensation for a
full pawn. Black is by no means lost, though the pawn mass on the queenside is
hard to attack and easy to keep protected. Carlsen would suffer in such a
position.}) 13. Bf4 Nxb3 14. axb3 c5 {A novelty, though the idea is not new.
See the game above between Karjakin and Onischuk. It takes total control of
the d4 square, protects the knight on b4, and generally gives Black some
additional space. Space is good when you have bishops.} 15. Ne4 f6 (15... f5 {
immediately was also possible, and indeed good. But this continuation leaves
the tension on the central squares, which often favors the side up material
because it is hard to prove long-term compensation without letting it slip. In
this case, Carlsen, still in his fantastic preparation, prefers to open the
board up and increase his piece activity rather than let his opponent
comfortably continue.}) 16. Nf3 f5 {A second straight f-pawn push, which
successfully kicks both knights out of the center. It appears one of these
knights will hop into e6 with great effect, but not so fast.} 17. Neg5 (17.
Ned2 {is possible but passive.} Bf6 18. Be5 Re8 {is more or less equal, but
the position is a bit cluttered. It's not even easy to suggest a move for
White in the current position other than a waiting move like Re2 or Rc1. Black
will exchange bishops on e5 and develop his queen. The knight on b4 can't be
kicked, because c2-c3 will leave the pawn on d3 en prise.}) 17... Bxg5 18. Nxg5
h6 19. Ne6 (19. Nf3 {is not a peaceful retreat. Carlsen would quickly snap off
the knight, shattering White's kingside pawn structure.} Bxf3 20. gxf3 (20.
Qxf3 Nxc2 {is over. Black goes up a full exchange, and should convert without
any issues.}) 20... Qh4 {with an initiative, and an edge.}) 19... Qd5 20. f3
Rfe8 21. Re5 (21. Nc7 {would be a lovely fork, but} Qd4+ 22. Kh1 Rxe1+ 23. Qxe1
Qxf4 24. Nxa8 Nxc2 {results, somehow, in a draw. White has to split the point
or else suffer defeat.} 25. Qe8+ Kh7 26. Nb6 (26. Rf1 Qd6 {is great for Black,
because that knight has no way to escape. Meanwhile, White's kingside is full
of holes.}) 26... Nxa1 27. Nd7 {will end in a draw by force:} Qd6 28. Nf8+ Kg8
29. Ne6+ Kh7 30. Nf8+ {with a repetition. A forced draw.}) 21... Qd6 22. c3 (
22. Re1 Qd7 {is a huge problem for White. That knight on e6 now has nowhere to
go. If it moves, the fork on c2 will be disastrous.} 23. Nc7 Rxe1+ 24. Qxe1
Nxc2 {is lost for White, because the queen will come to d4 with check and pick
up the bishop on f4.} 25. Qd1 Nxa1 26. Nxa8 Qd4+ 27. Kh1 Bxa8 28. Qxa1 Qxf4 {
is a full extra bishop for Black.}) 22... Rxe6 (22... Nxd3 $2 23. Re3 {and all
the pins and discoveries work in White's favor.} Qd7 (23... Nxf4 {would
blunder a queen to} 24. Qxd6) 24. Nf8 $3 {is just a cool move to play. The
point is that when White captures the knight on d3 next move, Black was forced
to waste an important move capturing the white knight.} Rxf8 25. Rxd3 {White
controls the d-file, and the opposite-colored bishops help him seize the
iniative.}) 23. Rxe6 Qxe6 24. cxb4 cxb4 {The position is dead equal. The
bishops of opposite color mean that both sides struggle to protect pawns. For
instance, White can hardly keep the pawn on b3 safe, while Black won't be able
to keep the pawn on b4 (if a5 is played, that pawn can be come a target).} 25.
Rc1 Rc8 (25... Bd5 {wins the pawn on b3, but that pawn is a goner anyway. In a
position like this, the quality of one's pieces is far more valuable than a
single, doubled, stationary pawn.} 26. Qd2 a5 27. Rc5 Rc8 28. Qc1 Rxc5 29. Qxc5
{is still very equal, but it is Karjakin who would dictate the final course of
the game.}) 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 {The rest of the game is straightforward. The draw
is only a few moves away.} 27. Qe1 Qd7 28. Kh2 a5 29. Qe3 Bd5 30. Qb6 Bxb3 31.
Qxa5 Qxd3 32. Qxb4 Be6 1/2-1/2
[Event "World Championship"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.18"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Tiger Hillarp Persson"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
{Notes by Tiger Hillarp Persson -} 1. e4 e5 {I spent my entire life as a chess
player, trying to find assymetry where I can find it. Magnus and Sergey
operate from a more elevated view-point than mine, and although they both
occasionaly flirt with assymmetry, I do not get the feeling that they believe
it merits a proper relationship.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 ({In a sense the Ruy Lopez
is a little more ambitious than the G-whatever Piano (In Swedish we call it
"the Italian", so I'm excused for not acing the spelling bee). If we continue
down the rabbit hole with} 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O {, there is a big
difference between... this position, compared to the more easily spelled
sibling; that Black has still not moved the pawns on the queenside. This
difference means that Black has fewer weaknesses to take care of and it could
turn out to be the whole difference between a win and a big advantage (for
White) later in the game.}) 3... a6 ({I believe it was Julian Hodgson who said
that the only problem with 1.e4, compared to 1.d4, is that the e4-pawn is
hanging. After} 3... Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 {we reach one such position, the Berlin
Defence. (The Petroff is another)} 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5
O-O {was seen in game three of the match. Black argues that a reasonably
symmetrical position makes White's extra tempo less important. Time has told
it is a decent argument.}) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 (6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
a3 {was played in the second game of the match. The main difference here is
that Black can play d6 before 0-0 with having to fear a rapid c3/d4, which
would lead to the one of the old main lines.} (8. a4 {is also played
frequently, but after} Bd7 {has been doing quite well lately.})) 6... b5 7. Bb3
O-O {It sounds ridiculous to call such a move "critical", but in a sense it is.
} ({The reason is that} 7... d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 {leads to a one of the biggest
theoretical tablelands in chess, whereas the game move avoids that altogether
by meeting 8.c3 with 8...d5. In days of old, this line, the "Marshall Attack",
led to sluggerfest bonanzas, but in the age of engine-guided preparations it
has a tendency to end in draws. This explains why a defensively minded wielder
of the dark forces is naturally drawn to the Marshall Attack.}) 8. h3 {The
consequences of Karjakin's last move is that White is forced to play this move,
unless he is happy to enter the "old" lines after 8...d6 9.c3.} (8. a4 {After}
Bb7 9. d3 Re8 (9... d6 {is more popular.}) 10. Nc3 Nd4 11. axb5 Nxb3 12. cxb3
axb5 13. Rxa8 Bxa8 14. Nxb5 d5 {, Black equalized with ease, in Dominguez
Perez,L (2730)-Carlsen,M (2850) World Rapid 2015.}) (8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10.
Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 {is the starting position of the above mentioned
Marshall Attack. I'm too old to try to get familiar with it. Perhaps I would,
if jailed by nazis and left with only a monograph (written by Peter Svidler)
to fend for my sanity, eventually be able to say something sensible about this
position. And although the likelyhood of this scenario has increased lately,
I'm afraid that you'll have to wait until some time next year, at least.
(Seeing the draw looming twenty moves ahead, you'll have to excuse me for
trying to pump up the drama a bit.)}) 8... Bb7 {The most natural move if Black
wants to avoid} 9. d3 (9. c3 $6 d5 $1 {is nice for Black. It is not
recommended to play} 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 $2 (11. d4) 11... Nxe5 12. Rxe5 Nf4
{, when catastrophy strikes the white camp. Reading about the unredeemed
expectations of some kibitzers, I get the feeling that they expect something
like this, and nothing less. Sorry guys. You should stick with risk.}) 9... d5
$5 {This Marshall Attack-inspired gambit can hardly have come as a surprise
for Karjakin, partly because it is a main line and partly because it is played
to draw. Especially the latter reason should have appealed to Magnus after
yesterdays rather wobbly performance.} ({In a rapid game against Zhigalko last
year, Magnus played} 9... d6 10. a3 Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13. Ng3 Bf8
14. Ng5 d5 15. exd5 Nc5 16. c4 {and had to fight to equalize.}) 10. exd5 Nxd5
11. Nxe5 ({None of the players has room to deviate. Here} 11. a4 Nd4 $1 {
equalizes immediately.}) 11... Nd4 $1 {Compared to the Marshall Attack, Black
doesn't have as much of an attack here. The compensation is a more positional
character. While the bishop on b7 roams freely, Black's queenside pawns
doesn't have to worry about a2-a4 (since Nxb3 would completely ruin White's
pawn structure) and c7-c5 will take a lot of space. From a White perspective,
the c2-pawn has to be taken care of and the knight on e5 turns out to be in a
rather awkward position...} 12. Nc3 Nb4 ({An instructive illustration of my
last comment about the knight on e5:} 12... Nxb3 13. axb3 Nb4 14. Bd2 f6 $1 15.
Ng4 f5 $1 {The pawn is accelerated forward as it attacks the knight.} 16. Ne5
Bd6 17. Na2 Bxe5 18. Rxe5 Nc6 19. Re1 f4 20. Bc3 $6 ({Black also has a strong
attack after} 20. f3 Nd4 21. Rf1 Rf6) 20... f3 21. Re4 a5 $5 22. b4 {and now,
instead of} axb4 {which was unclear, in Timofeev,A (2658)-Sokolov,I (2655)
Sarajevo 2007, Black should have played} (22... Ne7 $1 {, with a very strong
attack.})) 13. Bf4 {Perhaps there is nothing better here, but this move
doesn't feel right to me. Why? There is something about putting the bishop in
the line of fire (g5/Nd5) and striving to tuck it in on h2, that rings false.
I'd prefer to put it on c3. On the other hand the bishop is not obstructing
the queen and could come to e5. After weighing the pros and cons, I must
disagree with my first instinct. It does indeed make sense.} ({I'd probably
spend some time on} 13. Bd2 {according to the principle "less is more" (and
"don't put the bishop on square where it is likely to be attacked").}) (13. Ne4
{has been played a number of times and the lines after} Nxb3 14. axb3 Qd5 15.
Nf3 f5 {seem to hold no danger to Black.}) 13... Nxb3 14. axb3 c5 15. Ne4 {
Karjakin is trying to prove that the inclusion of Bf4 and c5 somehow favours
White.} f6 $1 {According to the reports I read, Carlsen continued to blitz out
the moves even now, so it's pretty clear that this was all part of his
preparations.} 16. Nf3 f5 $1 {A recurring idea leaving White with little
choice.} 17. Neg5 $1 (17. Ng3 Bxf3 $1 {and it becomes obvious why the attack
on the c2-pawn is a problem for White:} 18. gxf3 (18. Qxf3 Nxc2 $19) 18... Bf6
$36) (17. Ned2 {is the most ambitious move, since it keeps some pieces on the
board. After} Bf6 18. Be5 Re8 19. Rc1 h6 20. Re2 {What else?} Bxe5 21. Nxe5 Nd5
{White cannot let the knight land on f4 and} 22. g3 f4 {gives Black a nasty
initiative. So, it seems that the most ambitious move was less than good.})
17... Bxg5 18. Nxg5 h6 $1 19. Ne6 Qd5 20. f3 Rfe8 {The last five moves have
basically been forced, but now White has two alternatives; one human and one
non human.} 21. Re5 (21. Nc7 Qd4+ 22. Kh1 Rxe1+ 23. Qxe1 Qxf4 24. Nxa8 Nxc2 {
looks like absolute disaster for White from afar, but in fact White can get a
draw in more than one way. One pretty line is} 25. Qe8+ Kh7 26. Nb6 $3 Nxa1 27.
Nd7 {and Black has no defence against the Nf8/ Nd7-pendulum.}) 21... Qd6 22. c3
{The challenger goes for the draw in the most solid manner.} ({The more
complicated} 22. Re2 {also ends up in equlity after} Qd7 23. Nc7 (23. Nxc5 $2
Qd4+) 23... Rxe2 24. Qxe2 Rc8 25. Re1 Qd4+ 26. Qe3 Nxc2 27. Qxd4 Nxd4 28. Re7 {
Alas, how forced!} Nc6 29. Rd7 Rd8 30. Rxd8+ Nxd8 31. Bd6 Kf7 32. Bxc5 Ne6 33.
Nxe6 Kxe6 {is a most drawish draw.}) 22... Rxe6 23. Rxe6 Qxe6 24. cxb4 cxb4 {
If White was allowed to play d4, Be5 and then put the queen or rook in such a
place from where it would keep an eye on g7; then White would be better.} 25.
Rc1 Rc8 {But Carlsen will not let White have three moves for free.} 26. Rxc8+
Qxc8 27. Qe1 Qd7 28. Kh2 a5 29. Qe3 Bd5 30. Qb6 Bxb3 31. Qxa5 Qxd3 32. Qxb4 Be6
{Next Black will put the queen on d7 and the position will reach a state of
zero entropy. So, draw agreed.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D27"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.20"]
1. d4 {After three unsuccessful attempts with the White pieces, Sergey
Karjakin decides that he's had enough with 1. e4. After all, Carlsen was the
one directing the course of the openings in the first half of the match, so
the challenger must have felt some pressure to switch things up. In their
head-to-head history, Karjakin has played 1. d4 just three times against the
World Champion.} d5 {Already Carlsen differs from his opening choice in Bilbao.
It's a certainty that Karjakin would not repeat that line, because Magnus was
able to secure a quick repetition without much stress.} (1... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.
Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 O-O 7. Qc2 Re8 8. Bd2 a6 9. a3 Bd6 10. h3
Bd7 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Bd3 Na7 13. Qb3 c6 14. Qxb7 Nb5 15. Nxb5 axb5 16. Ne5 Rb8
17. Qa6 Ra8 18. Qb7 Rb8 19. Qa6 Ra8 {1/2-1/2 (19) Karjakin,S (2773)-Carlsen,M
(2855) Bilbao 2016}) 2. c4 c6 {We enter the Slav, generally considered a very
solid opening for black. White often develops with more ease and hopes to
create weaknesses on the queenside, but Black is able to expand with a future
a6, dxc4, b5, c5 idea (as we see in the game). Carlsen essayed the Slav once
in this year's Olympiad, but before that he had not played the opening since
2014. Thus, Karjakin's team might not have been expecting it from Norwegian,
leading me to believe this is another opening battle win for Carlsen.} 3. Nc3
Nf6 4. e3 (4. Nf3 {is also popular, but this changes the trajectory of the
game, in some lines steering the position into more complicated waters. A
variation that has been played over 5000 times:} dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7.
Bxc4 Bb4 {and White has made a legitimate concession on the queenside in
handing Black the b4 square, but White aims to eventually play e3-e4 and
strike in the center. There is a certain tension in this line with a heavy
concentration of minor pieces that is not present in the game continuation.
Perhaps Karjakin regrets the direction he took the game.}) 4... a6 5. Bd3 {
Now that the bishop has developed, Black does not "waste" a move by playing} (
5. Nf3 {is much more popular than 5. Bd3. Black can respond with 5...b5 or Bf5,
the latter having been played by Carlsen in a couple of games back in 2012.})
5... dxc4 {If this move had been played without White first developing his
bishop, Karjakin would have been able to play Bf1-c4 in one motion.} 6. Bxc4 e6
7. Nf3 c5 {Challenging the center and giving Black's pieces more space to
breathe. While pushing pawns on six of the first seven moves counters one of
the fundamental tenants of chess, White has no way to take advantage of this.
In fact, Black hopes that by delaying the development of his pieces, he can
find improved placement for them.} (7... b5 {is popular but less flexible than
the game continuation. Putting the pawn on b5 is very committal, and allows
White to play a4, which chips at the queenside.} 8. Bd3 c5 9. a4) 8. O-O (8. a4
Nc6 {has scored quite well for Black in high-level games. White has done well
to stop his opponent from playing b7-b5, but it comes at a cost: the b4 square
now can never be covered by a pawn, which means Black will have full control
over it. The square may not seem important at the moment, but it is always
annoying to cede defense of a square with no real way to fight for it in the
future.}) (8. Bd3 {of course needs to be examined. The point is that now Black
does not have b7-b5 with tempo, and if} b5 9. a4 {there is already a challenge
on the queenside.}) 8... b5 {Now is the time for Carlsen to make this advance,
since he has already included c6-c5. The position is equal.} 9. Be2 Bb7 10.
dxc5 Nc6 {A rare move, played just a handful of times before. Carlsen made
this knight jump quickly, so clearly he was still in his preparation. The pawn
on c5 can't be protected, so Black chooses to develop before recouping the
material.} (10... Qxd1 11. Rxd1 Bxc5 {is balanced, but White at least can play
on.} 12. Nd2 {has a very high success rate in the two dozen games played. GM
Vladimir Kramnik showed elite class in his win over Evgeny Tomashevsky from
this position.}) 11. Nd2 $2 {Not a blunder, but it gets White nothing but a
slightly worse position. Karjakin continues to play hesitant chess.} (11. e4
Bxc5 12. e5 Nd7 13. Bf4 {was a possible variation, where White is actually
fighting for an advantage. There are clear drawbacks in that the pawn on e5 -
for now an asset - can become a liability.}) (11. a3 {with a calm approach
leads to no advantage.}) (11. Qc2 Nb4 12. Qb3 Bxc5 13. Rd1 {is unclear, but
adventurous.}) 11... Bxc5 12. Nde4 (12. a4 b4 13. Nce4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Be7 {
is advantageous for Black, who has control of more space and has superior
bishops (the bishop on c1 is extremely restricted and lacking a bright future).
The loose squares on the queenside do not help White's cause, as the black
knight will jump to a5 and threaten to expose some of the unprotected squares.}
) 12... Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Be7 14. b3 Nb4 (14... Nd4 {with the intention of either
leaving White with an isolated pawn (after exd4) or facing two bishops (say,
15. Ng3 Nxe2+) does not pan out. The simple} 15. Bd3 {keeps everything under
control.}) 15. Bf3 O-O (15... f5 $1 {was a strong move. We often want to be
the owners of two bishops when the board is wide open, but here the pawn on a2
is a weakness that requires attention.} 16. Nd6+ (16. Ng5 Qxd1 17. Rxd1 Bxf3
18. Nxf3 Bf6 19. Nd4 Bxd4 20. exd4 Kd7 {is strategically awful for White.
Black will sit his knight on d5, trade at least one pair of rooks, and then
try to nurse his advantage into a full point. The knight outmaneuvers the
bishop, and the isolated pawn is a burden.}) 16... Qxd6 17. Bxb7 Ra7 18. Qxd6 (
18. Bf3 Qxd1 19. Rxd1 Bf6 {is once again painful to see. The a2 pawn is lost.}
20. Rb1 Nxa2 {with a huge edge.}) 18... Bxd6 19. a3 Be5 20. Rb1 Rxb7 21. axb4
Bc3 {And White will grovel for a draw. Black is much better, thanks to the
superior queenside pawn structure and more active bishop.}) 16. Ba3 Rc8 $2 {
Another inaccuracy. Carlsen must have underestimated his position, because
many other moves would have led to a favorable endgame for him.} (16... Rb8 {
keeps the bishop defended, but White can finally coordinate with} 17. Qe2 Qa5
18. Bb2 {and Carlsen can claim a slight advantage.}) 17. Nf6+ {Now this series
of trades is forced.} Bxf6 18. Bxb7 Bxa1 19. Bxb4 {Both rooks are under attack,
so the best Black can do is liquidate into a pawn-down ending with bishops of
opposite color.} Bf6 (19... Qxd1 20. Rxd1 Rc7 21. Bxf8 (21. Bxa6 Rb8 22. Bxb5
Bc3 23. Bxc3 Rxc3 24. Bc4 {should be a draw, but only White can win such a
position.}) 21... Rxb7 22. Bb4 Bf6 {and Black is worse, but likely holding.
Such is the nature of endings with few remaining pieces.}) 20. Bxf8 Qxd1 21.
Rxd1 Rxf8 22. Bxa6 b4 {We enter an ending where Karjakin is a pawn up, but the
chances Magnus draws are close to 97%. It would take an epic meltdown for a
player of world championship caliber to lose this position. The reason is that
White has no targets to exploit, and Black's pawn on b4 clamps down on the
queenside pawns.} 23. Rc1 g6 {Now that the black king has space, there is no
threat of checkmate on the back rank. The rest of the game is a
straightforward draw.} 24. Rc2 Ra8 25. Bd3 Rd8 26. Be2 Kf8 27. Kf1 Ra8 28. Bc4
(28. Rc4 $2 Bc3 {wins the a-pawn. White normally could push his pawn to
undermine the bishop, but with the rook on a8 this just loses:} 29. a4 $4 bxa3
30. Rxc3 a2 31. Rc1 a1=Q 32. Rxa1 Rxa1+ {winning not just the exchange, but
the final bishop too.} 33. Bd1 Rxd1+ {with an easy win.}) 28... Rc8 29. Ke2 Ke7
30. f4 h6 31. Kf3 Rc7 32. g4 g5 33. Ke4 Rc8 {The players agree for a draw,
because no progress can be made. White has no access to attack the black pawns,
and if rooks are traded it is immediately a draw. The rooks can remain on the
board, but all Carlsen needs to do is shuffle his pieces around and a draw is
secured.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D27"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
{After the rest day, both players were back on the board re-energized. And
Sergey Karjakin changed the entire dynamics of the match by going 1.d4!} 1. d4
{[%emt 0:00:00] Unable to find anything against Carlsen's 1...e5, Sergey makes
the shift to the queen pawn opening.} d5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 2. c4 {[%emt 0:00:00]
} c6 {[%emt 0:00:05] The solid Slav Defence comes as no surprise.} 3. Nc3 {
[%emt 0:00:28]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:02:14]} 4. e3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:06]
With 12000 odd games 4...e6 is clearly the popular choice but 4...a6 is also
played often. Nearly 5,000 games with it. The last time Carlsen played this
move was back in 2007 against Ruslan Ponomariov.} 5. Bd3 {[%emt 0:03:18] The
third most popular move in the position after 5.Nf3 and 5.Qc2.} dxc4 {[%emt 0:
07:10]} 6. Bxc4 {[%emt 0:00:13]} e6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 7. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} c5
{[%emt 0:00:23][%cal Gc6c5] From Slav we have now moved into Queen's Gambit
Accepted territory. But hasn't Black wasted a tempo with c7-c6 and c6-c5. Well,
White also has had to waste time with Bf1-d3 and Bd3xc4. Just to give you an
idea of how versatile Magnus is: this position has never been reached in his
over the board play before.} 8. O-O {[%emt 0:00:35]} (8. a4 {is the other main
line.}) 8... b5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 9. Be2 {[%emt 0:00:11] This idea of
retreating the bishop back to e2 has become popular recently.} Bb7 {[%emt 0:00:
06]} 10. dxc5 {[%emt 0:00:25]} Nc6 $5 {[%emt 0:00:08][%cal Gb8c6] This was
played in eight seconds by Magnus, so he was clearly prepared. This has never
been played at the top level, and hence it came as a surprise to Karjakin. As
always Magnus comes up with some nice off beat ideas that have never been
tried before.} (10... Bxc5 11. Qxd8+ Kxd8 12. Nd2 $1 {The knight goes to b3
and creates some issues for Black.} Ke7 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. a4 b4 15. a5 $1 $14) (
10... Qxd1 11. Rxd1 Bxc5 12. Nd2 Nbd7 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. a4 b4 15. a5 $14 {
So this idea of Nd2-b3 and a4-a5 is quite common in this opening.}) 11. Nd2 $6
{[%emt 0:18:09] Karjakin knows his way around in this opening. He has studied
that the knight will be well placed on b3. However, in this particular case,
this will not work so well.} (11. Qc2 {If this opening happens again, the
chances of which are pretty miniscule, then Team Sergey will have to look at
an improvement in this direction.} Nb4 12. Qb3 Bxc5 13. Rd1 Qe7 14. a4 $13)
11... Bxc5 {[%emt 0:01:49]} 12. Nde4 {[%emt 0:02:42]} (12. Nb3 Bd6 {is a very
bad opening result for White. He is poorly developed and the knight on b3 does
nothing much as the a5 and c5 squares are clearly controlled. If he had to go
to d4, then why waste two moves!}) 12... Nxe4 {[%emt 0:01:14]} 13. Nxe4 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:59] What an excellent opening result for
Carlsen. By just introducing a rarely played move 10...Nc6 he has been able to
achieve a very comfortable position.} 14. b3 {[%emt 0:00:27]} Nb4 $1 {[%emt 0:
09:11] This move not only attacks the guy on e4 but the white knight is also
looking at the juicy squares on c2 and d3.} (14... f5 15. Ng3 (15. Bb2 $2 fxe4
16. Bxg7 Qxd1 17. Rfxd1 Kf7 $1 18. Bxh8 Rxh8 $17) 15... Bf6 16. Rb1 $11 {
Followed by Bb2 and White has a fine position.}) 15. Bf3 {[%emt 0:00:46]} O-O {
[%emt 0:02:07]} (15... f5 $5 {This also would have been pretty strong as there
is no good discovered check at White's disposal.} 16. Nd6+ Qxd6 17. Bxb7 Ra7
18. Qxd6 Bxd6 19. a3 (19. Bf3 Be5 20. Rb1 Nxa2 $17) 19... Be5 20. Rb1 Rxb7 21.
axb4 Bc3 $15) 16. Ba3 {[%emt 0:05:25]} Rc8 $2 {[%emt 0:08:32][%cal Ga8c8] Pure
carelessness by Magnus. In just one move he has spoilt a a very comfortable
opening position into a minus one.} (16... Rb8 $1 $15) 17. Nf6+ $1 {[%emt 0:04:
45]} Bxf6 {[%emt 0:00:39] A very complicated and confusing position with so
many pieces hanging and being attacked. But once you look at it carefully you
will realize that it is forced to pick up the bishop on b7.} (17... gxf6 18.
Bxb7 Rb8 19. Qg4+ Kh8 20. Bxb4 Rxb7 21. Rfd1 $14 {White is better.}) 18. Bxb7 {
[%emt 0:02:21]} (18. Bxb4 $2 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Bxa1 20. Bxf8 Be5 21. Ba3 (21. Bb4
$2 Qh4 $19) 21... Qa5 $17) 18... Bxa1 {[%emt 0:00:21]} (18... Rc7 19. Bxb4 Bxa1
20. Bxf8 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Rxb7 22. Bb4 (22. Rd8 f5 $11 {And Black is fine.}) 22...
Bf6 23. Rc1 $14 {White has the initiative here.}) 19. Bxb4 {[%emt 0:01:29]} (
19. Qxa1 $6 Nc2 20. Qc1 Nxa3 21. Bxc8 Qxc8 22. Qxa3 Rd8 $11) 19... Bf6 {
[%emt 0:09:27]} (19... Rc7 {was also possible.} 20. Bxf8 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Rxb7 22.
Bb4 Bf6 23. Rc1 $14 {is what we just looked at. White is slightly better here
as his rook is penetrating inside the position.}) 20. Bxf8 {[%emt 0:01:52]} (
20. Bxc8 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Rxc8 $11) 20... Qxd1 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 21. Rxd1 {[%emt 0:
00:03]} Rxf8 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 22. Bxa6 {[%emt 0:12:21] White has won a pawn,
but it will not be enough because the Black pawn will move to b4 and clamp
down the two white pawns.} (22. b4 Rb8 23. Bxa6 Kf8 {is also within the
drawing margin for Black.}) 22... b4 {[%emt 0:00:01][%csl Ra2,Rb3,Gb4][%cal
Gb5b4]} 23. Rc1 {[%emt 0:04:06]} g6 {[%emt 0:00:46]} 24. Rc2 {[%emt 0:03:29]}
Ra8 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 25. Bd3 {[%emt 0:01:16]} Rd8 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 26. Be2 {
[%emt 0:00:07]} Kf8 {[%emt 0:01:40]} 27. Kf1 {[%emt 0:00:38]} Ra8 {[%emt 0:00:
29]} 28. Bc4 {[%emt 0:05:08]} Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:27]} 29. Ke2 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Ke7
{[%emt 0:00:10]} 30. f4 {[%emt 0:00:33]} h6 {[%emt 0:01:18]} 31. Kf3 {[%emt 0:
02:22]} Rc7 {[%emt 0:00:59]} 32. g4 {[%emt 0:04:56]} g5 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 33.
Ke4 {[%emt 0:01:59]} Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:28] The computer shows an edge for White.
But truth be told it is not possible to make much progress. Hence, Sergey
takes the pragmatic decision of accepting the draw and getting prepared for
the next game.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.21"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E14"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2016.11.21"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.21"]
1. d4 {Carlsen plays the queen's pawn opening for the first time since game
one. However, unlike that game - in which he played an offbeat line of the
Trompowsky - Carlsen continues with a typical game plan. It seems his
intention is to outplay Karjakin from a standard position, with a slight plus
for White.} Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 {By no means a rare move, but played eight
times less frequently than 3. c4. This move order avoids the Queen's Gambit
Accepted, which is essentially what Carlsen himself transposed to in game
seven.} e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 (5. c3 {would be ultra solid. White keeps the
center extremely well defended and waits before progressing. It often is easy
to equalize (in computer terms, at least) for Black, but there is also a
tendency for win-hungry players to try to break open the position too soon,
which can turn the game in White's favor. This is not really in Carlsen's
style, as it is overly simplistic and lacking in ambition.}) 5... Be7 (5...
cxd4 {is a perfectly logical move, with the intention of asking White where
the dark-squared bishop will go. If 6. exd4, the bishop will be blunted when
it goes to b2.}) 6. O-O O-O 7. Bb2 b6 {Giving the bishop a new diagonal to
venture to, since a bishop on d7 had absolutely no future. Now the piece can
sit on b7 and not block files for the black pieces.} 8. dxc5 {White releases
the tension, with the idea to challenge the center. The position was very
closed, and now Carlsen can choose how to break with his pawns.} Bxc5 9. Nbd2
Bb7 10. Qe2 Nbd7 11. c4 (11. e4 {was another natural way to challenge for the
center. If all pieces are exchanged on e4 (which is by no means forced), the
resulting position has an imbalanced pawn structure, which tends to favor
white's queenside majority.} dxe4 (11... Nh5 {with the idea of provoking} 12.
g3 {in principle favors Black. The knight can retreat, but the white kingside
will have permanent holes. It's not pleasant to soften the light squares
around your king when your opponent has a bishop fianchettoed on the newly
weakened diagonal.}) 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 {It's not that Black
is so much worse in the current situation, but rather that the pawns on the
queenside are generally easier to mobilize. The bishop on b2 might be the best
piece on the board, with unrestricted access on its diagonal. Whereas Karjakin
would find it difficult to make progress in the center, White can much more
easily make dents on the queenside. There is nagging advantage here, and it's
especially frustrating to fight from a position with limited active
counterplay.}) 11... dxc4 {It appears that this is the new move, but it's very
natural. Black opens the diagonal for the bishop on b7. However, a drawback is
that it welcomes the white knight into an improved square.} (11... Qe7 {
seems to suggest iself, but there is a subtle issue. Now Carlsen would be able
to capture on d5 and make the recapture a truly difficult decision.} 12. cxd5
exd5 {results in an isolated pawn that is easily blockaded (13. Nd4 seems like
a lovely move). The more prescient point is that isolated pawns can't be
protected by other pawns, making them inherently more vulnerable to attack. A
tremendous benefit of this pawn on d5 is that it controls the vital c4 and e4
squares (restricting the mobility of the knight on d2), but a clear downside
is that the bishop on b7 is blunted.} (12... Nxd5 13. a3 a5 14. Ne4 {gives
White the two bishops, which can prove critical on an open board. The bishop
on b2 reaps in the benefits of an unopposed diagonal, giving White a long-term
advantage.})) 12. Nxc4 {The correct capture, taking full control of the e5
square and opening the d-file.} Qe7 13. a3 {This little pawn push forces
Karjakin to make a critical decision on the queenside, one with a lasting
impact. If Black does not play 13...a5, Carlsen expands with b4. If Black
continues as he does in the game, the b5 square is forever under Carlsen's
control.} a5 {The better response from a practical standpoint. It's
uncomfortable to invite b3-b4, which would force Black to part with his
dark-squared bishop. As I mentioned in a previous note, this hands White
control of the a1-h8 diagonal, which is a nuisance to counter.} 14. Nd4 Rfd8 (
14... e5 15. Nb5 (15. Nf5 Qe6 16. e4 {also looks very promising for White. In
order to kick the knight from its frustrating post on f5, Black has to make a
potentially huge concession with g7-g6.}) 15... e4 16. Bc2 {is either a
terrific space-gainer for Black or pushing the pawn into a vulnerable position.
Objectively the position is approximately level, but I prefer White here. The
white minor pieces are better coordinated, and the bishop on b2 is just a
monster.}) 15. Rfd1 Rac8 16. Rac1 {Both sides have naturally placed their
rooks on the open files. But now what? Carlsen has b5 under control, but
Karjakin's bishop on b7 is sitting pretty. There is a lot of tension in the
center of the board. A clear plan is not so easy to find for either player.}
Nf8 (16... e5 $2 {is a horrible move, due to a discovery tactic.} 17. Nf5 Qe6
18. Ncd6 {and Black can't capture the on d6 twice.} Bxd6 19. Rxc8 (19. Nxd6 $2
{is the wrong move order, allowing Black to escape and even take over the
advantage.} Rxc1 (19... Qxd6 $4 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Rxd6 {where White ends up
with a large material advantage.}) 20. Bxc1 Bd5) 19... Bxc8 20. Nxd6 {is very
ugly. At best Black will grovel for a draw. At worst, Carlsen would defeat
Karjakin in short order. White has two bishops, a superior structure, and
easier choices to make. Remember,} Qxd6 {is still impossible because of the
same tactic} 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Rxd6 {with an easily winning game.}) 17. Qe1 {
This retreat allows increases the likelihood of a future b3-b4 push and allows
the bishop to remove itself from blocking the d-file, but it also helps Black
gain some activity on the kingside.} Ng6 18. Bf1 Ng4 19. Nb5 Bc6 {Karjakin, as
has been typical of him throughout the match, chooses a "safe" continuation
rather than seeking active counterplay. He has proven that he can defend tough
decisions, but at some point he should probably exit his comfort zone and make
moves into enemy territory. It just seems like Karjakin is not even processing
some of the more aggressive moves, because a player of his caliber should have
found the most challenging continuation.} (19... Qg5 {sets many traps in the
position. The white king lacks ample defenders - the bishop on f1 is the only
piece on the kingside. If Carlsen was not careful here, his position could
fall apart at any turn. Just some examples to emphasize how difficult it can
be to play with White in this position (and do not take these lines as forced
or anything of the sort; it is just to show how tricky the position can become,
with the advantage in Karjakin's favor)} 20. Nbd6 (20. h3 N4e5 21. Nxe5 Nxe5 {
can only be better for Black. The pressure on the kingside might force White
to part with the bishop with Bxe5, but then Black is the only one who can
press for a win.}) (20. b4 $2 Nf4 $1 {With sacrifices on h2, g2, and
potentially f2 coming, White succumbs to the attack.} 21. exf4 (21. g3 Nxh2 $1
{and both knights are immune. If Kxh2 Qh5+ followed by Qh1 checkmate ends the
game. If exf4 Nf3+, at the very minimum the queen on e1 will be captured with
a discovered check, since the king will be forced to g2. Yikes!}) (21. bxc5
Nh3+ 22. Kh1 {with a forced mate in under ten moves. 22...Qh4 is mate in six,
but the much more natural} Ngxf2+ 23. Qxf2 Nxf2+ {also results in mate in just
seven more moves. Alternatively, Black can take all of White's pieces and
prolong the suffering.}) 21... Qxf4 {is disastrous. Mate threats are
everywhere (particularly on f2 and h2), and White has no way to defend his
kingside without giving up a lot of material.}) 20... Nh4 21. Nxb7 Nf3+ 22.
gxf3 (22. Kh1 Qh4 (22... Nxe1 {would do, but is not as aesthetically pleasing.}
) 23. h3 Qxf2 24. Bd3 Qxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Nf2# {is just about the prettiest mate
you can see.}) 22... Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Ne5+ 24. Bg2 (24. Kh1 Nxf3 {does not save
the queen, for it is under attack as is mate on g1.}) 24... Nxf3+ 25. Kh1 Nxe1
26. Rxe1 {White has three minor pieces for a queen and pawn. The position is
complicated, but here it does not feel easier to play with the pieces rather
than the queen.}) 20. a4 {Allowing the knight to remain on b5, but also
creating a hole on b4. Karjakin now goes after the other knight.} Bd5 (20...
Bxb5 21. axb5 {is an unfavorable exchange for Karjakin. The doubled pawns are
not weak at all, and the b5 pawn helps White control vital queenside squares.
The bishop on f1 may eventually find itself cemented on c6. Preferably the
knight makes its way there, but that journey is harder to envision at the
moment.}) 21. Bd4 {And now a series of trades. The liquidation makes it harder
for Carlsen to press, because he has fewer pieces with which to attack the
loose squares on the queenside.} Bxc4 22. Rxc4 Bxd4 23. Rdxd4 Rxc4 24. bxc4 (
24. Rxc4 {Would have kept the pawn structure intact, but Carlsen did not want
to cede control of the d-file. Sure, he has the c-file, but what progress can
be made? White is to be preferred, but whether or not it is enough is not the
real question. It is whether or not there are enough chances to keep Karjakin
defending until he eventually goes wrong.}) 24... Nf6 25. Qd2 Rb8 {It's clear
that Karjakin did not want to swap rooks.} (25... Rxd4 26. exd4 {is a
favorable shift in pawn structure for Carlsen. The are now possibilities to
create a passed pawn via d4-d5, and also to undermine the protection of a5
with c4-c5. That would result in a passed a-pawn, far away from the kingside.
The minor pieces will struggle to come to the rescue, making White's task of
promoting the pawn much simpler than Black's job of preventing it from running
down the board.}) 26. g3 {Getting the bishop to the long diagonal.} Ne5 27. Bg2
{What else? Nf3+ was threatening to fork the house.} h6 {A good move,
preventing all future back rank checkmate ideas.} (27... Ned7 28. Na7 $1 {
would be a horrific sight for Karjakin. That knight is heading to c6.} Ne5 (
28... Qa3 29. Rxd7 Nxd7 30. Qxd7 {is winning, as the two minors are far more
valuable than the rook.}) (28... Qe8 29. Bc6 Rd8 {is just lost for Black. All
of the pieces are tied down to the protection of the d7 knight, and White has
forever to make progress.}) 29. f4 Qxa7 30. fxe5 Ne8 31. Rd7 Qa6 (31... Nc7 32.
Qd6 Rc8 33. Rd8+ {picks up every piece, since Black can't exchange on d8 or
suffer a back rank mate.}) 32. Rd8 Qa7 33. Bc6 {wins the knight on e8.}) 28. f4
{This pawn thrust might be a little rushed, but Carlsen did not have infinite
time to make progress. A slow move like} (28. h3 {allows Black to counter with}
Qb4 $1 29. Qc2 {still keeps the game complex, but a future Nd7-c5 now is
worrisome with the a4 pawn so vulnerable. Also, the queen would prefer to stay
on the d-file, but the c4 pawn is also a target.}) 28... Ned7 29. Na7 Qa3 {
Unlike in the variation after 27...Ned7, this knight retreat now works for
Karjakin because the pawn on e3 lacks protection. The two minor pieces will be
won for the cost of the rook, but the white king will be left without
defenders. At the very least, Black should be able to secure a draw.} 30. Nc6 (
30. Rxd7 Nxd7 31. Qxd7 Qxe3+ 32. Kf1 Qc1+ 33. Kf2 Qxc4 {if White is not
careful and tries too hard to win, it's very plausible he loses a position
like this. The white king lacks shelter and a rook and two pawns here provides
sufficient compensation for the knight and bishop.}) 30... Rf8 31. h3 {Carlsen
plays on rather than allowing the likely draw after all the exchanges on d7.
Here there is still much to play for, particularly with both players running
low on the clock.} Nc5 (31... Qxa4 32. Qb2 {is uncomfortable for Black because
the queen on a4 currently lacks an escape square. Black has no choice but to
play} Nc5 {or else White will push his pawn there, trapping the queen on a4.
But White recoups the pawn and gets an iniative with} 33. Qxb6) 32. Kh2 Nxa4 (
32... Qxa4 33. Rd8 {quite worrisome. Black's king is quite vulnerable. An easy
position for computers to emotionlessly defend, but not for humans.} Rxd8 34.
Qxd8+ Kh7 35. Ne5 {and the engines may say all zeroes, but with f7 falling
Black is on the unhappy side of that fight for a draw.}) 33. Rd8 g6 (33... Rxd8
34. Qxd8+ Kh7 (34... Qf8 $4 {would lose to the simple removing-the-guard tactic
} 35. Ne7+ Kh7 36. Qxf8) 35. Ne5 Qxe3 36. Nxf7 {feels really unsafe for
Karjakin, but the cool} Kg6 37. Ne5+ Kh7 {apparently is just a draw. Again,
this isn't so comfortable to play from the black side.}) 34. Qd4 Kg7 {Karjakin
coolly steps into the pin. White's knight is too slow to attack the knight on
f6, so the king protects the hanging piece.} (34... Nh7 35. Rd7 {would
suddenly be decisive. Ne7+ is a killer threat, and there's a beautiful mate in
the following line:} Re8 36. Ne7+ Rxe7 37. Rd8+ Nf8 38. Rxf8+ Kxf8 39. Qh8#)
35. c5 $2 {Objectively a really suspect move that turns the position even more
into Karjakin's favor. Karjakin goes under a minute on his clock before
playing accurately by trading rooks.} (35. Ne5 Rxd8 (35... Qc5 36. Rxf8 Qxf8 (
36... Qxd4 $4 37. Rxf7+ {is an intermezzo that allows White to keep the rook
and then recapture the rook.}) 37. Nd7 Qe7 {should still keep Black as the
preferred side, but White is making progress towards a draw.} (37... Qd8 38.
Bc6 Nc5 39. Nxc5 Qxd4 40. Nxe6+ fxe6 41. exd4 {with a slight White edge due to
the extra space, but what should be a drawn ending.})) 36. Qxd8 Qf8 37. Qc7 {
keeps Black a bit paralyzed. Karjakin can retreat with Nc5, after which
Carlsen would first capture on b6 and then place his queen on a7, preventing
the pawn from advancing and applying pressure on the a7 square.}) 35... Rxd8 {
The best move, and the only one that keeps Black (well) ahead.} 36. Nxd8 Nxc5
37. Qd6 Qd3 $4 {In time trouble, Karjakin errs horribly. Black throws away
great chances to win by missing the beautiful tactic:} (37... Qa4 {was the
precise move needed to keep the advantage alive.} 38. Qxb6 Ncd7 {allows Black
to regroup, a pawn to the good. A win here is far from trivial, but Karjakin
clearly is in the driver's seat.}) 38. Nxe6+ $1 {The shot heard round the
chess world. Karjakin clearly overlooked this tactic, which takes advantage of
the overloaded knight on c5.} fxe6 (38... Kh7 39. Nf8+ Kg7 (39... Kg8 40. Qxf6
Kxf8 41. Qxb6 Qxe3 42. Qxa5 {and the scoresheets can be signed. This is an
easy draw.}) 40. Ne6+ {is a draw by repetition.}) 39. Qe7+ Kg8 40. Qxf6 a4 {
Black has nothing better to do than push his passed pawn. Karjakin would love
for it to reach its square of promotion, but Carlsen quickly cuts off his
opponent's queen's protection of the kingside, salvaging him a half point.} (
40... Qf5 41. Qd8+ {allows Carlsen to pick off the pawn on b6. With material
equal, despite the passed pawn on the queenside, White claims an advantage.
Karjakin's king lacks shelter and the pawn will be stopped in its tracks.}) 41.
e4 {There was no other move, and Carlsen played this instantly.} Qd7 {Now the
draw is forced, lest Karjakin invite trouble.} (41... a3 42. Qxg6+ {is asking
for trouble. Black loses pawn after pawn, and the threat of mate is more
dangerous than a passed pawn} Kf8 43. f5 {and now Black has to fight tooth and
nail to salvage the half point.}) 42. Qxg6+ Qg7 43. Qe8+ Qf8 (43... Kh7 {
might (and I say might very cautiously) not change the evaluation, but Black
now has to be very careful. If that bishop finds its way to the b1-h7 diagonal,
the black king could be in for a world of hurt.} 44. f5) 44. Qc6 {With the
worst behind him, Carlsen desires to play on! The material count is even, but
now the tide has turned in Carlsen's favor. It is Karjakin who must be
cautious not to succumb to a kingside onslaught, and any careless move can
result in the loss of a pawn (like b6).} (44. Qg6+ Kh8 45. e5 a3 46. Qb1 Qb8
47. Qg6 {should result in a draw as well. This emphasizes the essential
problem: the black queen is needed to help the a-pawn promote, but as soon as
it departs the kingside the white king jumps back to g6.}) 44... Qd8 45. f5 a3
{played instantly by Karjakin. If his pawn does not start rolling down the
board, the king will find itself in danger.} 46. fxe6 Kg7 (46... a2 $2 47. e7
Qxe7 48. Qa8+ {is the problem. White wins the a2 pawn, leaving him a pawn up
and with an ongoing attack on the black king.}) 47. e7 (47. Qb5 {is a brave
move, as it does not appear to actually help White in any way. But from this
square, the queen can simultaneously play defense and offense. Karjakin has
difficulty keeping his pawns guarded since the pawn on e6 acts as a decoy.
Black's drawing chances are still quite high, but it feels like there are
traps available for Carlsen in this variation that keep Karjakin on edge. For
instance,} Nxe6 48. Qb3 Qe7 49. Qxb6 {keeps the knight from getting to e5. The
position likely should still be held, but here White has some hope of playing
on, which was the clear intention of Carlsen's 44th move. In the game, White
is the one defending without any counterplay, merely the endless threat of
perpetual check. Engine evaluations can often be misleading for spectators,
precisely because they can't compute how difficult it is to defend positions
like these.}) 47... Qxe7 48. Qxb6 Nd3 {White goes up a pawn, but it is not
enough to claim an advantage. The knight on e5 will dominate Carlsen's bishop,
and there's no way to make use of the extra pawn. In fact, it is Carlsen who
needs to be somewhat cautious.} 49. Qa5 {Carlsen gets his queen behind the
passed pawn, but Karjakin wisely presses forward.} Qc5 50. Qa6 Ne5 {The bishop
on g2 can do nothing but defend the king. In this ending, the quality of pawns
is far more important than the quantity of pawns.} 51. Qe6 $4 (51. Qb7+ Nf7 52.
Qa6 {was necessary, though still not easy for White. Carlsen is hoping that
the exposed black king is enough compensation for a draw to be held, but it
remains an uphill battle.}) 51... h5 $1 {The only move that reels in the full
point for Karjakin. The black knight and queen do well to limit the white
queen's mobility, and now Carlsen does not have a single useful move.} 52. h4 (
52. Bf1 Qf2+ 53. Bg2 Nf3+ 54. Kh1 Qg1#) (52. Qa2 Qc1 53. Qe6 Qb2 54. Qe7+ Nf7 {
and the a-pawn reaches the promised land.}) (52. Qf5 Ng4+ 53. hxg4 Qxf5 54.
gxf5 a2) 52... a2 (52... a2 53. Qxa2 Ng4+ 54. Kh3 Qg1 {and amazingly there is
no perpetual for Carlsen to escape with!} 55. Qb2+ Kg6 56. Bf3 Nf2+ 57. Qxf2
Qxf2 {is easily won.}) 0-1
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.21"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E14"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
1. d4 {[%emt 0:00:00] After 1.d4 in round 1, Magnus played two games with 1.e4.
In the third game he had the upper hand and was very nearly winning, but in
the next encounter, his Italian game was calmly neutralized by Karjakin. This
time he has a new weapon up his sleeve.} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:31]} 3. e3 $5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} (3. Bf4 {could be
expected from Carlsen because he has played it quite a bit in the past. But
Colle?! Well, that's truly a novelty at the World Championship level.}) 3... e6
{[%emt 0:03:01] Quite an umambitious move. Usually when you have the
opportunity to develop the bishop outside the pawn chain you must do it. Here,
for example the move Bg4 or Bf5 would have been natural, but Sergey prefers to
remain solid.} 4. Bd3 {[%emt 0:00:19]} c5 {[%emt 0:01:55] The nice thing about
Colle is that it would lead to a position that Karjakin has not studied in
great depth. But the sad part is that if Black keeps making natural moves,
there is just no way to get the advantage. And this is exactly what Sergey
does: Control the centre and develop the pieces.} 5. b3 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Be7 {
[%emt 0:03:39] 3 minutes 39 seconds is quite a lot of time to think on the
fifth move.} 6. O-O {[%emt 0:01:14]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:06]} 7. Bb2 {[%emt 0:01:
41]} b6 {[%emt 0:02:35] By delaying the development of the b8 knight on what
looked like the most natural square - c6, Karjakin keeps an option to develop
it to d7.} 8. dxc5 {[%emt 0:11:58] Played after twelve minutes of thought. We
are now in terra incoginta.} Bxc5 {[%emt 0:00:19]} (8... bxc5 9. c4 Bb7 10. Nc3
{And a later cxd5, playing against the hanging pawns is what Carlsen wuld have
been trying for.}) 9. Nbd2 {[%emt 0:02:21]} Bb7 {[%emt 0:01:07]} 10. Qe2 {
[%emt 0:05:59]} Nbd7 {[%emt 0:01:02] In this position the knight belongs to
the d7 square. It defends the f6 knight, freeing the queen to go anywhere it
would like to. It also keeps the diagonal of the b7 bishop open.} 11. c4 {
[%emt 0:03:17]} (11. e4 dxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qe2
Qd5 $11 {With the idea of Qe4 should give Black a fine position.}) 11... dxc4 {
[%emt 0:03:38]} 12. Nxc4 {[%emt 0:00:24] The position is overall symmetrical
in nature. But White has the more active pieces and the chances of fighting
for an opening edge.} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 13. a3 {[%emt 0:12:16]} a5 {[%emt 0:
00:30] This move weakens the b5 square, but it has to be made. The bishop on
c5 doesn't have too many squares to go to.} 14. Nd4 {[%emt 0:03:14]} Rfd8 {
[%emt 0:03:40] The most impressive thing about Karjakin's play is always the
simplicity. He makes the most natural and centralizing moves.} (14... e5 15.
Nb5 (15. Nf5 Qe6 {is fine for Black.}) 15... e4 16. Bc2 Nd5 {and with N7f6
coming up, Black has a fine position.}) 15. Rfd1 {[%emt 0:00:17]} Rac8 {
[%emt 0:07:33]} 16. Rac1 {[%emt 0:01:02]} Nf8 $1 {[%emt 0:02:55] A great idea
by Sergey. The knight would be well placed on g6.} 17. Qe1 {[%emt 0:07:14]
Carlsen is looking to somehow make b3-b4 possible in the future.} Ng6 {[%emt 0:
04:50]} 18. Bf1 {[%emt 0:00:39]} Ng4 {[%emt 0:08:03]} 19. Nb5 {[%emt 0:15:13]}
(19. h3 N4e5 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 $11 {The a3 pawn is hanging and Black is really
comfortable.}) 19... Bc6 {[%emt 0:07:45]} (19... Qg5 $1 {would have unleased
some mindboggling tactics.} 20. Nbd6 (20. h3 N4e5 21. Nxe5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Qxe5
$15) 20... Bxd6 21. Nxd6 (21. Rxd6 Rxd6 22. Nxd6 Rxc1 23. Bxc1 (23. Qxc1 Qh4
$19) 23... Qe5 $1 $19 {Mate on h2 and d6 piece is lost.}) 21... N4e5 $1 {
Nf3+ is not an easy threat to meet.} 22. f4 Nf3+ 23. Kh1 Qh5 24. Qg3 Rxc1 25.
Rxc1 (25. Bxc1 Nxh2 $19) 25... Rxd6 26. gxf3 Rd2 $17) 20. a4 {[%emt 0:02:29]}
Bd5 {[%emt 0:22:24]} 21. Bd4 {[%emt 0:09:26]} Bxc4 {[%emt 0:01:32]} (21... Bxd4
$1 22. Rxd4 N4e5 $1 23. Nxe5 (23. Nxb6 $2 Qg5 $1 {Not at all an easy move to
foresee.} 24. Kh1 Nf3 $19) 23... Nxe5 $11) 22. Rxc4 {[%emt 0:04:08]} Bxd4 {
[%emt 0:08:41]} 23. Rdxd4 {[%emt 0:05:14]} (23. Rcxd4 $14 {was also pretty
strong.} Rxd4 24. Rxd4 Nf6 25. g3 {And White can push a bit in this position.})
23... Rxc4 {[%emt 0:01:24]} 24. bxc4 $6 {[%emt 0:04:10] Overall this decision
by Magnus isn't so great. He creates a weakness on c4 and in return has no
concrete threats. So, then why did he take with the pawn instead of the bishop.
Well, Magnus has been using the psychology of not making the best possible
moves on many instances in this match in order to avoid drawish positions. But
then he lands into even worse positions. Like he did in game six and now game
eight.} (24. Bxc4 Rxd4 25. Nxd4 $11) 24... Nf6 {[%emt 0:06:47]} 25. Qd2 {
[%emt 0:05:46]} Rb8 {[%emt 0:00:45]} (25... Rc8 26. Nd6 {The rook anyway has
to go to b8.} Rb8) 26. g3 {[%emt 0:02:07]} Ne5 {[%emt 0:02:45]} 27. Bg2 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} h6 {[%emt 0:07:52] Making a luft on the backrank, is never a
priority when there are no threats, but making it surely reduces the stress in
your calculations! Many of your pieces free up.} 28. f4 {[%emt 0:04:18]} Ned7 {
[%emt 0:02:10] The knight has a nice home on c5.} 29. Na7 {[%emt 0:00:50]} Qa3
$1 {[%emt 0:00:10] The knight on d7 could be taken but that just results in
equality. As always Magnus tries for more.} 30. Nc6 {[%emt 0:01:32]} (30. Rxd7
Nxd7 31. Qxd7 Qxe3+ 32. Kf1 Qc1+ 33. Kf2 Qxc4 $11) 30... Rf8 {[%emt 0:00:31]}
31. h3 $6 {[%emt 0:02:09] It was time to just take on d7 and accept the draw.}
Nc5 $15 {[%emt 0:01:12]} 32. Kh2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Nxa4 {[%emt 0:03:20]} 33. Rd8
{[%emt 0:03:57]} g6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} (33... Rxd8 34. Qxd8+ Kh7 {was als
possible and after} 35. Ne5 Qxe3 36. Nxf7 Kg6 37. Ne5+ Kh7 38. Nf7 $11 {
The game would end in a draw.}) 34. Qd4 {[%emt 0:00:57]} Kg7 $1 {[%emt 0:01:12]
} (34... Qc3 35. Rxf8+ Kxf8 36. Qd8+ Kg7 37. Ne5 {Now Black has to be really
careful as f7 is very soft.} Qb4 38. Qc7 $1 Qf8 39. Bc6 Nc5 40. Qxb6 $14) 35.
c5 $2 {[%emt 0:00:58] Aesthetically this is a pleasing move. Queen cannot take
on c5 as a4 is hanging. Knight cannot take on c5 because after Rxf8 the knight
on f6 is hanging. However, it is a clear blunder and Karjakin shows why.} Rxd8
{[%emt 0:02:13]} 36. Nxd8 {[%emt 0:00:01]} (36. Qxd8 Qxc5 $19) 36... Nxc5 {
[%emt 0:00:28] So what exactly was Magnus thinking? Did he just miss that
Black could first take the rook on d8 and then the pawn? He is now two pawns
down for almost no compensation.} 37. Qd6 {[%emt 0:00:13] Qe7 is a big threat
now.} Qd3 $2 {[%emt 0:00:20] A very bad move by Sergey. But near the time
control, you always tend to make mistakes.} (37... Qa4 $1 {The queen is
planning to come back to d7.} 38. Qxb6 Ncd7 $19) 38. Nxe6+ $1 {[%emt 0:00:19]
Carlsen had this trick already prepared.} fxe6 {[%emt 0:00:59]} 39. Qe7+ {
[%emt 0:00:02]} Kg8 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 40. Qxf6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} a4 {[%emt 0:01:
23] Forty moves have been made and the position is intense. Black's king is
weak, but White has no real time to play against that because the a-pawn is
running. The logical finish to the game should be a perpetual check somewhere,
but when Magnus Carlsen wants to win, he takes risks and shuns such drawish
lines.} 41. e4 {[%emt 0:01:51] The pawn on g6 cannot be saved.} Qd7 {[%emt 0:
08:33]} 42. Qxg6+ {[%emt 0:01:58]} Qg7 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 43. Qe8+ {[%emt 0:00:
08]} Qf8 {[%emt 0:00:04]} (43... Kh7 {was also possible.}) 44. Qc6 {[%emt 0:10:
34]} Qd8 {[%emt 0:04:48] The queen on d8 defends the b6 pawn. The knight on c5
defends the pawn on a4 and e6. So overall everything is well defended.} 45. f5
{[%emt 0:01:23]} a3 {[%emt 0:00:12]} (45... exf5 $2 46. exf5 $18 {Now the
queen+bishop+pawn will checkmate the black king.}) 46. fxe6 {[%emt 0:01:03]}
Kg7 {[%emt 0:00:13] Karjakin maintains his cool. The pawn on e6 is two squares
away from queening and so is the pawn on a3. The computer keeps giving 0.00 as
the evaluation, but on the board the pressure is soaring to unimaginable
levels.} (46... a2 $2 47. e7 $1 Qxe7 48. Qa8+ $1 (48. Qd5+ $2 Qf7 49. Qa8+ Kg7
$19) 48... Kg7 49. Qxa2 $16) 47. e7 {[%emt 0:07:19]} Qxe7 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 48.
Qxb6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Nd3 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 49. Qa5 {[%emt 0:02:59]} (49. Qd4+
Ne5 $15) (49. e5 {giving back the pawn could have been a good idea to free the
g2 bishop.} Nxe5 50. Qd4 $11) 49... Qc5 {[%emt 0:03:18]} 50. Qa6 {[%emt 0:08:
51]} Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 51. Qe6 $2 {[%emt 0:04:17] A crucial error.} (51.
Qb7+ Kg6 52. Qa6+ Kf7 53. Qxh6 a2 54. Qh7+ Ke6 55. Qg8+ Nf7 56. Qg6+ Ke7 57.
Qa6 $11 {This should end in a draw now.}) 51... h5 {[%emt 0:05:20] One of the
big threat in this position is h4 gxh4 and Qc7! The queen+ knight and the
a-pawn team up excellently to create som real headaches for White.} 52. h4 $2 {
[%emt 0:02:08] The final mistake of the game.} (52. Qa6 {was the only defence.}
h4 53. gxh4 Qc7 54. Kh1 Qc1+ 55. Bf1 (55. Kh2 Qb2 56. Qa7+ Nf7 $19) 55... a2
56. Qxa2 Qxf1+ 57. Kh2 {Most probably this would end in a draw.}) 52... a2 $1 {
[%emt 0:01:59] Karjakin pushed the pawn and Magnus had no option but to extend
his hand in resignation. The Challenger now leads 4.5-3.5.} (52... a2 53. Qxa2
Ng4+ 54. Kh3 Qg1 55. Bf3 Nf2+ 56. Qxf2 Qxf2 $19) 0-1
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C78"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "148"]
[EventDate "2016.11.23"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.23"]
1. e4 {Sergey Karjakin, fresh off a win and rest day, reverts back to his main
weapon.} e5 {Magnus Carlsen remains solid, despite the fact that he faces a
one-game deficit. A number of journalists expected a Sicilian or more
aggressive opening, but Carlsen sticks to his principles.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 {The first deviation from earlier Spanish games in the
match where Karjakin had the white pieces.} (5... Be7 6. Re1 (6. d3 {was game
two.}) 6... b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 (9... d6 {was game four.}) 10.
exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 {was game six.}) 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 (7. c3 {is the most
played move, and McShane played this aganst Carlsen five years ago. That game
transposed into the game variation, but the English grandmaster chose a
different 11th move.} d6 8. a4 Rb8 9. d4 Bb6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Qd3 {1/2-1/2
(83) McShane,L (2671)-Carlsen,M (2826) London ENG 2011}) 7... Rb8 8. c3 {
Played to support the d2-d4 push, challenging for the center. Black can hardly
afford to capture the "hanging" pawn on e4, since greed tends not to be
recommended when your king is in the center.} d6 (8... Nxe4 9. Qe2 Nf6 (9...
Nxf2 10. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 11. Qxf2 {is not enough compensation. A rook and two pawns
for two minors sounds sufficient, but the black kingside lacks defenders.
White can simply develop and with so many pieces on the board, the two minor
pieces are superior.}) 10. d4 {feeds White the center and a powerful
initiative.}) 9. d4 {And here comes a series of forced exchanges:} Bb6 (9...
exd4 10. cxd4 {is the wrong idea for Black. Carlsen would never voluntarily
cede the center, handing White a substantial advantage.}) 10. axb5 axb5 11. Na3
O-O (11... b4 {protects the pawn by moving it, but the newly opened c4 square
is even more valuable than a pawn. White achieves a totally dominant position
after} 12. Nc4) 12. Nxb5 Bg4 (12... Nxe4 $4 13. Bd5 {is a familiar motif in
the Ruy Lopez. The e4 pawn often is "defended" by the threat of Bd5,
simultaneously hitting both knights. At least one will be lost.}) 13. Bc2 exd4
14. Nbxd4 (14. cxd4 {is also possible, and was the choice of GM Anish Giri
against Nakamura. This position requires further practical testing.}) 14...
Nxd4 15. cxd4 Bxf3 16. gxf3 (16. Qxf3 $2 Bxd4 {and Black regains the
sacrificed pawn with interest. The pawn structure certainly favors Black,
whose minor pieces have more promise.}) 16... Nh5 {The players rushed to this
position, which has occurred over thirty times in the database. In fact,
Karjakin beat longtime super-GM Michael Adams from this very position.} 17. Kh1
(17. Ra4 {was once played by Karjakin, though Shirov held him to a draw. In
fact, this position has been played six times according to my database, with
all games ending with the point split. Oh, and all six games included players
rated above 2535.}) 17... Qf6 18. Be3 c5 {Challenging for the center before
White can consolidate.} (18... Ra8 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. Rg1 Nf4 21. Bb3 Ne6 22.
Bxe6 fxe6 23. Rg3 Kh8 24. Kg2 e5 25. dxe5 dxe5 26. Bxb6 cxb6 27. Qd7 {
eventually saw Karjakin pull through with his extra pawn in 1-0 (66) Karjakin,
S (2732)-Adams,M (2729) Baku AZE 2008}) 19. e5 {Karjakin follows Nakamura's
decisive game over Kazimdzhanov from the 2014 Olympiad.} (19. dxc5 {is not a
good move, as it hands Black far too much activity. For instance:} dxc5 20. b3
Rfd8 21. Qe2 Bc7 {looks promising. Black may be down a pawn, but piece count
does not dictate which side is better. With the exposed kingside and superior
square control, the black position is to be preferred.}) 19... Qe6 {And
Carlsen follows Kasimdzhanov's play.} 20. exd6 ({Expanding with} 20. f4 {
fails tactically.} cxd4 21. Qxh5 g6 {stops checkmate while attacking the queen.
Black will capture the bishop on e3 next, resulting in a clear advantage.})
20... c4 {Black is more or less forced to make this move. We see a pretty
unique pawn structure featuring two sets of isolated doubled pawns and two
more isolani. Black's compensation comes in the form of an exposed white king
and compensation on the dark squares. The pawn on d6 will be scooped up in the
near future, leaving White one pawn up. That pawn, though, is an easy target.}
(20... cxd4 21. Bxd4 Qxd6 22. Bc3 {is not what Carlsen wants to give his
opponent. The two bishops now reign supreme, and White would be happy to swap
queens (even if it cost an f-pawn to do it). That protected b-pawn is very
critical. White has a safe long-term advantage.}) 21. b3 cxb3 {Finally a new
move!} (21... c3 22. d5 Qxd6 23. Ra6 Nf4 24. Ra4 Ng6 25. Qd3 Bc7 26. f4 Rfd8
27. Rd1 Qf6 28. Rc4 Bd6 29. Qxc3 Qxc3 30. Rxc3 Nxf4 31. Rc6 Be5 32. d6 Ne6 33.
Bf5 Rxb3 34. Bb6 Rxb6 35. Rxb6 Nd4 36. f4 Bf6 37. Bh3 Ne2 38. Rb4 g6 39. d7 Kf8
40. Rc4 Nc3 41. Rd3 Ke7 42. Rc8 {1-0 (42) Nakamura,H (2787)-Kasimdzhanov,R
(2700) Tromso NOR 2014}) 22. Bxb3 Qxd6 23. Ra6 {Pinning the bishop, thus
preventing Bc7.} Rfd8 24. Rg1 {Natural, as there is an open file. Up a pawn,
Karjakin should keep as much tension in the position as possible. His winning
chances rely on his ability to nurse his extra pawn. Ideally, White will
exchange queens and keep the d-pawn defended with the hopes it is enough for
victory. Keep an eye on the bishop on b3 - Black has no light-squared bishop
to counter it, and the f7 square can potentially become vulnerable.} (24. d5 {
feels rushed. This shuts down the bishop on b3 and does not make the pawn feel
any more protected. Additionally, trading the bishops (on b6) will leave
behind many holes on the dark squares.}) 24... Qd7 {Stepping out of the pin,
the pawn on d4 now is under attack. The queen can also aim for the h3 square
in the future.} 25. Rg4 {Defending the pawn and blocking the queen's
infiltration square. White hopes to make progress without conceding anything
at all.} Nf6 26. Rh4 {the rook looks misplaced, but it can't be kicked from
the square. This allows the piece to continue its defense of the d4 pawn, and
if that pawn were to push forward, it now has an entire rank to manuever on.} (
26. Rf4 Qb5 {allows Black to jump into the offensive.} 27. Ra3 {sadly a move
required to defend the bishop on b3.} (27. Ra1 Bc7 {attacks both bishop and
rook. White is forced to part with rook, sacrificing an exchange for what
appears to be insufficient compensation.} 28. Rxf6 gxf6 {At best White might
be able to find a draw, but it is an uphill battle. For example:} 29. Bxf7+
Kxf7 30. Qc2 Rb7 31. Qxh7+ Ke6) 27... Bc7 {is unpleasant. White's pieces are
discombobulated and will lack comfortable squares.}) 26... Qb5 27. Ra1 (27. Ra3
) 27... g6 {Giving the king space to breathe.} (27... Bxd4 {Simplifies the
position for Black...to an immediate loss. The issue remains on the back rank,
since Black's king has no escape square.} 28. Rxd4 Rxd4 29. Bxd4 Qxb3 30. Qxb3
Rxb3 31. Ra8+ {Oops. Otherwise the position would be level, but this move ends
the game on the spot.}) 28. Rb1 Qd7 29. Qd3 (29. Bg5 Bxd4 (29... Qf5 {is a
stronger move that keeps the game going. Then again, White can always
liquidate:} 30. Bh6 Nd5 31. Bxd5 {with a draw.}) 30. Rxd4 Qxd4 31. Qxd4 Rxd4
32. Bxf7+ (32. Bxf6 Rdb4 {is a big issue for White.}) 32... Kxf7 33. Rxb8 Rd7 {
and the position should be a simple draw. White's extra pawn is pretty useless.
}) 29... Nd5 30. Rg1 {Karjakin swings his rook to the kingside, obtaining
activity. Carlsen now has to be careful; it's clear that the challenger is
taking control of the game.} Bc7 31. Bg5 (31. Rh5 {was more aggressive and
would have caused Carlsen numerous problems. The position is incredibly tricky,
with tactics at every turn.} Qe6 (31... Qc6 {is a more natural square,
avoiding a pin. But here, too, Carlsen would not be out of the woods just yet.}
32. Rc1 (32. Bd2 {or a rook move like Rh6 keeps the game extremely tense,
which should work in White's favor.}) 32... Qd6 33. Bxd5 (33. Rxd5 $4 Qxh2#)
33... gxh5 34. Bxf7+ Kh8 (34... Kxf7 $2 35. Rxc7+ {is trouble, since Qxh7 is
coming with devastating effect.}) 35. Rxc7 (35. f4 {allows White to play on,
with real winning chances.}) 35... Qxc7 36. Qf5 Qe7 37. d5 Rg8 {The only move,
preventing checkmate by returning some material. The game, somehow, is equal.}
38. Bxg8 Kxg8) 32. Rgg5 f5 (32... Qf6 33. Bxd5 Rxd5 34. Kg2 $1 (34. Rxd5 Qxf3+
35. Kg1 Ra8 $1 {secures the draw. White can only cover the back rank with 36.
Qf1 or Qc3 (Qb3 invited gxh5, with an advantage for Black), after which the
queen delivers perpetual check via the yoyo Qd1-g4+.}) 34... Rxg5+ 35. Bxg5 Qe6
36. Rh4 {And with the blockade on d5 listed, Karjakin would be able to safely
press for the win.}) 33. Rg1 {needs to be analyzed in depth. White has to be
better, but the rook on h5 will permanently remain stuck on the rim, with
little hopes of returning to the rest of the board. However, an attack feels
possible. Just one bizarre example:} Kh8 34. Rh6 {Threatening Rgxg6, since the
h-pawn is pinned.} Kg7 {Stepping out of the pin.} 35. Bg5 Rd7 36. Bc4 {with
the crazy idea of playing Qf1-h3 is immensely difficult to foresee. Moreover,
it's just a chaotic position.}) 31... Re8 32. Qc4 Rb5 (32... Qe6 {was an
extremely weird way to "protect" the knight on d5. The point: once the knight
on d5 is removed, the queen suddently applies pressure to the bishop on b3.
The ensuing exchanges increase Carlsen's drawing odds.} 33. Rc1 Bd6 34. Qxd5
Rxb3 35. Qxe6 fxe6 {and the fight rages on, with Karjakin in the driver's seat.
}) 33. Qc2 (33. Ba4 {skewers all the heavy pieces on the a4-e8 diagonal, but
Black escapes with a wonderful sacrifice.} Qf5 34. Qf1 Rb1 $1 35. Qxb1 Qxf3+
36. Rg2 Nc3 37. Qc1 Nxa4 {because of numerous threats, White likely needs to
bail out with} 38. Be3 Nc3 39. Qxc3 Qd1+ 40. Rg1 Qf3+ 41. Rg2 Qd1+ 42. Rg1 Qf3+
{with a repetition.}) 33... Ra8 (33... Rb4 {stopping Ba4 with the other rook
seemed reasonable, too.}) 34. Bc4 (34. Ba4 Rxa4 35. Qxa4 Qf5 {liquidates the
position. White might have no better than to accept the draw with} 36. Qxb5
Qxf3+ 37. Rg2 Qd1+ 38. Rg1 Qf3+) 34... Rba5 35. Bd2 Ra4 36. Qd3 Ra1 37. Rxa1
Rxa1+ 38. Kg2 {Karjakin has done well to trade a pair of rooks, leaving him
with a risk-free position. From here, Karjakin can safely press his advantage
until Carlsen proves his defense is enough to survive.} Ne7 {Played with under
two minutes left, Carlsen aims to reroute the knight to f5. The knight was
hoping to reach this square many moves ago, but there was never time. It may
seem that the time is now, but there are tactical issues on the seventh rank.}
(38... Ba5 39. Bh6 {is annoying. That bishop parks itself on h6, limiting the
black king and creating future checkmating threats.}) (38... Bd8 {swings the
bishop back to the kingside, but does not eliminate the white advantage.}) 39.
Bxf7+ {And Karjakin plays - to my eyes - the incorrect continuation. He finds
a way to regain the piece and go up a pawn, but must have underestimated
Carlsen's drawing chances.} (39. Qb3 {Was the other option that Karjakin was
weighing. This variation had to offer better winning chances than the game
continuation, which is easy to hold.} Nf5 40. Bxf7+ Kg7 (40... Qxf7 41. Qxf7+
Kxf7 42. Rxh7+ Ke6 43. Rxc7 Nh4+ (43... Nxd4 44. Rg7 {is the main issue here.
The bishop gets to c3 and prevents the king from protecting the g-pawn.}) 44.
Kg3 Nf5+ 45. Kf4 Nxd4 {Still gives Black a ton of hope. This is the nature of
a endgame with isolated pawns - even being two pawns up is not a done deal in
such an ending. Karjakin should opted for this line, as there are good winning
chances in the endgame.}) 41. Rh3 Qxf7 $4 (41... Qe7 {leads to a ridiculous
series of moves that keeps the position better for White.} 42. Bg8 h5 (42...
Nh4+ 43. Rxh4 Qxh4 44. Qf7+ Kh8 45. Qxc7 Kxg8 46. Qb8+ Kf7 47. Qb3+ Kf8 48. d5
{is winning for White. The king is too exposed.}) 43. d5 {is the epitome of an
engine line. White is well ahead, but there are so many odd variations to find.
}) 42. Rxh7+ {wins the queen.}) 39... Kxf7 40. Qc4+ (40. Rxh7+ Kg8 41. Qxg6+ (
41. Rh6 Kg7 42. Qc3 Ra6 {White is a piece down and does not seem to have
sufficient compensation. If the attack does not work out, Karjakin would be in
trouble.}) 41... Nxg6 42. Rxd7 {is four (ugly) pawns for the sacrificed piece.
This isn't a legitimate winning chance.}) 40... Kg7 {The only move that does
not lose immediately.} (40... Nd5 41. Rxh7+ {is an immediate loss.}) (40... Qd5
41. Qxc7 {is easy to win for White. Down two pawns and facing a blistering
attack, Carlsen would be toast.}) 41. d5 {Threatening a devastating check on
the long diagonal. Black's king is begging for protection. With Thanksgiving
tomorrow, Carlsen is thankful for the move} Nf5 (41... g5 $6 {is an insane
move, especially considering the circumstances. Engines may play like this,
but we humans prefer simplicity.} 42. Bc3+ Kg6 43. Qd3+ Qf5 44. Re4 Ra4 {
is ABSURD.} 45. d6 Rxe4 46. fxe4 Qg4+ 47. Kf1 Bd8 48. dxe7 (48. Qd4 Kh5 $1 {
keeping good chances to hold.}) 48... Bxe7 {Black has decent chances to hold
such an ending, but Karjakin would be able to play this out for a long time.})
42. Bc3+ {Nothing else works, so this series of moves is forced.} Kf8 (42...
Kg8 $2 43. d6+ {would be lights out.}) 43. Bxa1 Nxh4+ 44. Qxh4 Qxd5 {Carlsen
has survived the worst. This should be a relatively easy draw thanks to the
ruined kingside pawn structure. With the queens on the board, the king is
never safe. With the queens off the board, there is no way to create a passed
pawn without trading off the remaining pawns. For example, if we remove the
queens, and White eventually trades all pawns on g6 (via f4-f5 and h4-h5), the
one pawn is not enough to win. The king will sit in front of the remaining
pawn and the bishop will always attempt to sacrifice itself.} 45. Qf6+ (45.
Qxh7 Qg5+ {is a draw. The white king can't escape all the checks.}) 45... Qf7
46. Qd4 Ke8 47. Qe4+ Qe7 48. Qd5 (48. Bf6 {forces the exchange of queens on
Karjakin's terms, but the proper result does not change.} Qxe4 49. fxe4 Kf7 50.
Bd4 Ke6 {is still a draw. There are not enough pawns remaining on the board
for Karjakin to maintain legitimate winning chances. To illustrate the point,
if White ever plays f4 and e5, there is no way to make progress. The black
bishop will remain on the d8-h4 diagonal and prevent any infiltration. With
the bishop on that diagonal, Carlsen could play h5 and make sure that Karjakin
can't get in f5.}) 48... Bd8 49. Kf1 Qf7 50. Qe4+ Qe7 51. Be5 {This moves at
least allows Karjakin to pretend like he's going for a win. But there is no
safety for the White king and no targets to exploit.} Qe6 52. Kg2 Be7 53. Qa8+
Kf7 54. Qh8 h5 {The only safe square for the pawn. White can pretend like the
pawn leaving h7 is progress, but g6 is impossible to get to. Even if the
queens are traded, this pawn advance should not harm Carlsen's drawing chances.
} 55. Qg7+ Ke8 56. Bf4 Qf7 57. Qh8+ Qf8 58. Qd4 ({After} 58. Qe5 Qf5 {was
still possible. If White trades on f5, the clocks can immediately be stopped.}
59. Qxf5 gxf5 {and the king runs to g6, after which the bishop moves forever.})
58... Qf5 {This is a nice square for the black queen. It defends the pawn on
g6 and is defended by it. Karjakin will continue to shuffle.} 59. Qc4 Kd7 60.
Bd2 Qe6 61. Qa4+ Qc6 {The only move.} (61... Kc8 $2 62. Qe8+ Kc7 63. Ba5+ Kb7
64. Bb4 {picks up the bishop on e7 thanks to the pin.}) (61... Kc7 62. Ba5+ {
spells trouble with the queen coming to e8.}) 62. Qa7+ Qc7 63. Qa2 Qd6 64. Be3
Qe6 65. Qa7+ Ke8 66. Bc5 Bd8 (66... Bxc5 67. Qxc5 {can only improve White's
winning chances, since the game is an easy draw.}) 67. h3 Qd5 68. Be3 Be7 69.
Qb8+ Kf7 70. Qh8 {Karjakin keeps moving pieces, but he has the "I know this is
a draw, but you would make me play on too" face on.} Qe6 {As long as Carlsen
keeps his g6 pawn protected, nothing can go wrong.} 71. Bf4 Qf6 72. Qb8 Qe6 73.
Qb7 Kg8 74. Qb5 Bf6 {Avoiding the cheapo Qe8+, the players now sign the
scoresheets.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "WCh 2016"]
[Site "New York USA"]
[Date "2016.11.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C78"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[PlyCount "148"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
{Notes by Fabiano Caruana - The game after Carlsen's loss wasn't guaranteed to
be exciting, but viewers were in for a surprise. I had expected a fairly tame
draw, but instead we were treated to an extremely complex fighting game with
an opening not usually seen at the top level.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4.
Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {The Archangel variation was certainly not
expected from most people, and probably not from the Karjakin camp as well.
Playing it requires a tremendous amount of knowledge, so it's likely that
Carlsen prepared it before the match as a backup to his main defenses. I have
some experience playing this as black against Karjakin, as it was my mainstay
opening for a time, and we played several interesting games. As an attempt to
win, it can work if the opponent is poorly prepared or surprised, but Karjakin
proved up to the task.} 7. a4 Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Na3 {
Karjakin decided to go for the main and most principled line, immediately
grabbing the b-pawn. It is what he recently played against Svidler and the
most forcing variation, so he probably felt playing this way avoided the most
amount of risk.} O-O 12. Nxb5 Bg4 13. Bc2 exd4 14. Nbxd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 Bxf3 16.
gxf3 Nh5 17. Kh1 {I always felt that this line was one of the most unpleasant
for Black to face. White avoids any risk and hopes to prove the advantage of
the bishop pair after the center opens up, usually when White sacrifices a
pawn with e5 or f4. Meanwhile, Black has to constantly be on the lookout for
tactics.} Qf6 18. Be3 c5 $5 {Years ago, as Rustam Kasimdzhanov was frying some
plantains, he explained to me that this move was the best chance for Black to
equalize. After we analyzed it, he tried it against Nakamura in the 2014
Tromso olympiad. Carlsen and his team also must have felt this was the best
way for Black to approach the position.} 19. e5 Qe6 20. exd6 c4 $1 {This
unusual move is the point behind 18...c5. Black keeps the center closed, and
plans on capturing d6 next and creating mating threats after with ...Bc7.} 21.
b3 cxb3 (21... c3 {was how Rustam approached the position, and although it may
be playable, he lost the game. Carlsen's choice is perhaps a better way to
equalize.} 22. d5 Qxd6 23. Ra6 Nf4 24. Ra4 Ng6 25. Qd3 Bc7 26. f4 {and Black
was outplayed in Nakamura-Kasimdzhanov, Tromso ol 2014}) 22. Bxb3 Qxd6 23. Ra6
{After 23 moves, we have reached a critical position, and one which was
certainly analyzed by both players and their teams. Magnus sank into thought
here, which perhaps means that he forgot what he had prepared, or that he was
deciding between two roughly equivalent options.} Rfd8 ({Another option was to
play} 23... Qd7 {immediately, and considering the Bxf7 tactics which happened
later in the game, keeping the rook on f8 for now was worthy of consideration.}
24. Rg1 g6 {I have a feeling that this would have offered Black better chances
for equality.}) 24. Rg1 Qd7 25. Rg4 {I thought that placing the rook on h4 was
very strange, but there was no other convenient way of defending the d4-pawn.
The next dozen or so moves are very difficult to explain. The position is
highly concrete and it's likely both players were creating and reacting to
immediate threats; the end result being very computeresque play.} ({The
tempting sacrifice} 25. Rg5 g6 26. Rxh5 gxh5 {seems to lead nowhere.}) ({
The computer suggestion of} 25. Bc4 Bxd4 26. Bg5 {would lead to a very drawish
ending:} Rdc8 27. Ra4 Rc7 28. Bxf7+ Qxf7 29. Rxd4 Rf8 30. Rd8 Rc8 31. Rxc8 Rxc8
{, and White's winning chances are minimal}) 25... Nf6 26. Rh4 Qb5 27. Ra1 g6 {
This move is generally useful, providing luft for Black's king.} 28. Rb1 Qd7
29. Qd3 Nd5 30. Rg1 {Now White's plans are clear. Rooks on the open files and
a bishop on b3 pave the way for an eventual rook sacrifice on g6, h7 or a
bishop sacrifice on f7. The immediate threat is Bg5.} Bc7 31. Bg5 Re8 32. Qc4
Rb5 $1 {An excellent move, but I'm not sure it was one which was accurately
calculated by either player.} (32... Nb6 $4 33. Qxf7+ Qxf7 34. Bxf7+ Kxf7 35.
Rxh7+ {shows the tactics available at White's disposal.}) 33. Qc2 (33. Ba4 {
is of course critical. White seems to win a rook, but Black has a sneaky
response:} Qf5 $1 34. Qf1 $1 {Interposing with the queen on g2 is the only way
to save White. Now Black has only one move to stay in the game:} Rb1 $3 (34...
Qxf3+ 35. Qg2 Qxg2+ 36. Kxg2 {wins for White.}) 35. Qxb1 Qxf3+ 36. Rg2 Nc3 37.
Qf1 Nxa4 {, and Black has very decent compensation for the exchange in the
form of White's discordinated forces and a mighty queen on f3. However, White
could still try to regroup and play this for a win, even though a draw is the
most likely result.}) 33... Ra8 $6 {After this, Black again experiences
difficulties.} (33... Rb4 {is the machine recommendation, the point being to
keep the rook on the e-file for} 34. Bd2 Re2 $1) 34. Bc4 Rba5 35. Bd2 Ra4 36.
Qd3 Ra1 37. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 38. Kg2 Ne7 $2 {Almost the decisive mistake, but
practically this move was difficult to punish.} ({After something like} 38...
Bd8 39. Re4 Nf6 {, Black is still clearly worse, but he has decent chances to
hold on due to counterplay against White's king.}) 39. Bxf7+ {Very tempting,
but not correct. After this sacrifice everyone in the spectator's lounge got
very excited and started predicting a win for Karjakin. However, the whole
line becomes very forcing and leads to a drawish position.} (39. Qb3 $1 {
was more critical:} Nf5 (39... Qf5 40. Re4 Bd6 41. Qb7 {just wins material -
the knight is trapped.}) 40. Bxf7+ Kg7 (40... Qxf7 41. Qxf7+ Kxf7 42. Rxh7+ Ke6
43. Rxc7 {, and this ending is most likely lost or at least very difficult to
hold.}) 41. Rh3 {It feels like Black should have counterplay here, but there
is no path to create threats to White's king. It turns out Black's king is the
terminally weak one.} Qe7 42. Bg8 h5 43. d5 {, and Bc3 is coming. Of course,
this would not guarantee a win, as the position remains very complicated,
especially in time trouble, but objectively Karjakin would have good winning
chances like this.}) 39... Kxf7 40. Qc4+ Kg7 41. d5 ({My first thought during
the game was} 41. Rxh7+ Kxh7 42. Qf7+ Kh8 43. Bh6 {, with mate I thought, but
then I saw} Qxd4 {and the tables are turned. Black wins.}) (41. Bh6+ Kf6 $1 {
is surprisingly also bad for White, as the attack leads nowhere.}) 41... Nf5 {
Now everything is forced.} (41... Be5 $2 42. Bc3 Qd6 43. Qf4 $1 {is a very
study-like win, with a double pin on Black's king and queen.}) 42. Bc3+ Kf8 43.
Bxa1 Nxh4+ 44. Qxh4 Qxd5 {And here is became clear that Carlsen would not lose
the game. White is not winning h7 and his pawn advantage is not enough to
cause Black significant problems. Karjakin tried hard to create progress here,
but to no avail.} 45. Qf6+ Qf7 46. Qd4 Ke8 47. Qe4+ Qe7 48. Qd5 Bd8 49. Kf1 Qf7
50. Qe4+ Qe7 51. Be5 Qe6 52. Kg2 Be7 53. Qa8+ Kf7 54. Qh8 h5 55. Qg7+ Ke8 56.
Bf4 Qf7 57. Qh8+ Qf8 58. Qd4 Qf5 59. Qc4 Kd7 60. Bd2 Qe6 61. Qa4+ Qc6 62. Qa7+
Qc7 63. Qa2 Qd6 64. Be3 Qe6 65. Qa7+ Ke8 66. Bc5 Bd8 67. h3 Qd5 68. Be3 Be7 69.
Qb8+ Kf7 70. Qh8 Qe6 71. Bf4 Qf6 72. Qb8 Qe6 73. Qb7 Kg8 74. Qb5 Bf6 {Finally
Karjakin gave up trying to win. Magnus survived a difficult position! If he
had lost the match would have been practically decided, but now it is still a
wide open contest. Tomorrow Carlsen has a critical game with White to try and
win; he hasn't managed to convert his advantages so far in the match, so we'll
see if he can pull through in the crucial last games.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.24"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "149"]
[EventDate "2016.11.24"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.24"]
1. e4 {Magnus, down 5-4 after nine games, reverts back to the king's pawn
opening. Carlsen's openings have not been a problem all match, so the World
Champion likely chose 1. e4 because he feels most comfortable in the Spanish
structure.} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 {Magnus does not want to allow
Karjakin to rest easy, thus his decision to avoid the main Berlin lines. Sure,
white can obtain an advantage, but the Berlin is highly theoretical. With 4.
d3, Magnus and his team must have found variations that would make it hard for
the challenger to fully equalize.} Bc5 5. c3 (5. Bxc6 {is playable, doubling
the c-pawns. But Carlsen has no desire to part with the two bishops in this
game.} dxc6 {Carlsen has a ridiculously impressive record in games stemming
from this position, with wins over Aronian, Caruana, Karjakin, Kramnik,
Nakamura, and So mostly in shorter time controls. I don't care what the time
control was, wins over those guys indicate that Carlsen feels at home. But I
also understand why, when down a game with just three remaining, the Norwegian
looks to delay this capture.}) 5... O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 {Two (unforced)
bishop moves in the early going tends not to recommended strategy. But
Karjakin breaks the pin, and considering he is ahead in development, he's not
worried about the "wasted" tempo used to play Bc5-e7.} (7... g5 8. Bg3 d6 {
is possible, but Karjakin sticks to his match strategy. He has refrained from
playing overly ambitious moves, and while g7-g5 is played to end the pin on
the knight, it exposes his king. Because Carlsen has yet to castle, this move
feels particularly risky. Although there haven't been too many games in this
line, Topalov did use it to neutralize Anand's white pieces back at the
super-tournament in San Luis.} 9. Nbd2 a6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. O-O Ba7 12. d4 g4
13. Bh4 gxf3 14. Qxf3 Kg7 15. Qg3+ Kh7 16. Qf3 Kg7 17. Qg3+ {1/2-1/2 (17)
Anand,V (2788)-Topalov,V (2788) San Luis ARG 2005}) 8. O-O d6 9. Nbd2 Nh5 {
Forcing the bishop trade. Karjakin gains space for his pieces, as the knight
will soon hop to f4.} 10. Bxe7 (10. Bg3 {The capture on g3 is not yet required,
but I don't see much for White after it.} Nxg3 11. hxg3 {Sure, White can claim
a small edge thanks to the extra space and the fact that the bishops don't
have much room to work with. Still, I'm just not seeing much here.}) 10... Qxe7
11. Nc4 Nf4 12. Ne3 Qf6 {A cautious move, allowing Karjakin to remain totally
solid. The Russian grandmaster refrains from making any commitments, but this
strategy has its limits.} (12... f5 {must always be considered when the
opportunity presents itself. But the clear drawback is that the light squares
become somewhat loose. For example,} 13. g3 Nh3+ 14. Kg2 fxe4 15. dxe4 {
White has much better control over vital squares. The light squares on the
kingside are a little soft, but Black has a hard time truly taking advantage
of them. The knight on h3 is a nuisance, but can be traded soon with Ng1 (if
necessary).}) 13. g3 Nh3+ 14. Kh1 (14. Kg2 {feels more natural to me, but
Carlsen likely chose the corner to avoid any future Nf4+ tactics.} Qg6) 14...
Ne7 15. Bc4 {The bishop has no purpose on b5 anymore, so it retreats to a more
centralized square.} (15. d4 {Was too early. Black strikes quickly:} exd4 16.
cxd4 c5 $1 {and because of the loose light squares, Black is to be preferred.})
15... c6 (15... b5 {here is possible because of the unprotected b2 pawn. The
essential question is: who is this pawn advance beneficial for? Does Karjakin
pick up much-needed space, or has he left behind a target and weak squares?}) (
15... Be6 {This move allows White to transition into a significantly better
middlegame. The light squares feel far less vulnerable when the bishops are
traded.} 16. Bxe6 Qxe6 (16... fxe6 17. Kg2 {is of course a favorable pawn
structure for White. The f-file is well guarded, and all endings will require
Black to defend.}) 17. Nh4 {immediately launches a dangerous initiative. If} g6
{to prevent Nf5, then} 18. f4 {is clear progress. Black must be incredibly
careful not to just lose in a few moves, especially because the knight on h3
is offsides.}) 16. Bb3 {Karjakin played c6 to threaten breaks via b5 or d5.
Carlsen coolly retreats his bishop, again leaving the major decision-making to
his opponent. Considering Karjakin spent about 30 minutes on the previous move,
it is wise for Carlsen to make his opponent come up with a legitimate strategy.
} (16. d4 {was a natural way to challenge for the center, but the e4 pawn can
feel a little loose. Also, the simple} Ng6 {keeps everything under control.} (
16... exd4 17. cxd4 Ng6 {White has weakened his own center, so why not
exchange one pair of pawns and then attack the center?})) 16... Ng6 {Karjakin
remains calm, but perhaps it was time to strike.} (16... d5 17. Kg2 {is the
way to go. White keeps the tension, without making any concessions whatsoever.
If Black tries to keep going in the center, there are clear consequences.} (17.
exd5 $6 cxd5 18. Bxd5 (18. Nxd5 {asks for trouble.} Nxd5 19. Bxd5 Rd8 20. Be4
Bg4 21. Kg2 Ng5 22. Re1) 18... Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Qd6 20. Qb3 Be6 21. c4 Rfd8 {
should be no worse for Black.}) 17... d4 18. Nc4 Ng6 19. cxd4 exd4 20. e5 {
with a growing initiative. Once that knight moves from f3, the pawn will be
heading to f4.}) 17. Qe2 {Remember that Kg2 is now impossible in the near
future, because Nf4+ will fork the king and queen.} a5 {A logical move, though
Karjakin still lacks a concrete plan.} 18. a4 Be6 19. Bxe6 $2 {I'm really not
a fan of this decision. Magnus admittedly underestimated the resources Black
has in this position, that the pawn on f2 is legitimately under fire.} (19. Nd2
{made much more sense. The position remains very tense, and it's actually
unclear how Karjakin should proceed. I believe White is legitimately better in
this position, especially considering the pawn on a5 is vulnerable.}) 19...
fxe6 20. Nd2 (20. Kg2 $4 Ngf4+ 21. gxf4 Nxf4+) 20... d5 {Played quickly, an
effect of poor clock management by Karjakin. Had he spent less time in the
opening, he would have found the resource that every member of the peanut
gallery was clamoring to be played.} (20... Nxf2+ $1 {would have allowed
Karjakin to run off with a draw or enter the (slightly) better side of a
dynamically unbalanced position. is a repetition, though Black can even
consider playing on with a move like 22...Qe7 or Qg5.} 21. Kg1 (21. Kg2 {
looks to win the knight on f2, but Black can escape with a draw.} Nh4+ 22. Kg1
(22. gxh4 $2 Qg6+ 23. Ng4 Nxg4 {with an extra pawn and huge advantage.}) 22...
Nh3+ 23. Kh1 Nf2+ {with a draw by repetition.} (23... Qf2 {is a cooler way to
split the point, though that is all it does.} 24. Rxf2 Nxf2+ 25. Kg1 Nh3+ {
and White is forced to accept the draw.})) 21... Nh3+ 22. Kg2 (22. Kh1 Nf2+ {
is a repetition, though Black can even consider playing on with a move like 22.
..Qe7 or Qg5.}) 22... Ngf4+ {Moving one of the knights to f4 is non-negotiable,
considering the knight on h3 was otherwise lost.} 23. gxf4 Nxf4+ 24. Rxf4 exf4
25. Nc2 {or 25. Nd1 is a complex battle. Two knights for a rook and two pawns
is a bit better for the side with the heavy piece, but the position is
incredibly unbalanced. Carlsen's king is exposed, for now, but if Black is not
quick, the minors maintain a longterm advantage over a rook. Karjakin has
shown all match that he wishes to avoid such unclear positions, and perhaps
with a one-game lead this was the right choice. The engines slightly prefer
Black, but that edge is reliant on dynamism. A few innocuous moves and all of
a sudden, the tides turn. Hindsight is 20/20, but it is not clear to me that
Karjakin would have been able to sustain the advantage against Carlsen, who
has long shown a knack for understanding where his pieces belong in difficult
positions.} (25. Nec4 {is more active, but invites a nasty counterattack on
the queenside.} b5 $1 26. axb5 cxb5 27. Nxa5 b4 {with an ongoing initiative.}))
21. Qh5 (21. f3 {would have preserved the slow battle. Considering both
players failed to see the depth of the Nxf2+ tactics, the decision made in the
game turned out to be an excellent one.}) 21... Ng5 {Carlsen now is free to
play an advantageous position for the rest of the game. Karjakin, who to this
point has been a resourceful maestro, will face an uncomfortable defensive
task.} (21... Nxf2+ {again was the move to play, but had to be calculated out
fully. The engines may scream zeroes, but for a player heading towards time
trouble, this is a risky decision.} 22. Kg2 (22. Kg1 $2 Qg5 23. Qxg5 Nh3+ 24.
Kg2 Nxg5) 22... Qf7 23. Kg1 (23. Qe2 Nh4+ {is the same drawing motif. The
knight is immune, so perpetual check ensues.} 24. Kg1 Nh3+ 25. Kh1 Nf2+ {
and the merry-go-round continues.}) 23... Qf6 {The only move, once again
threatening Qg5. Not the easiest idea to see, but we expect players like
Karjakin to find such ideas. However, Carlsen still has ideas to play on here,
as Black's extra pawn is meaningless for the time being. White might strike in
the center with} 24. Rae1 (24. h4 {attempting to trap the knight doesn't work
because the white king is far too exposed. The only move that saves the game -
and indeed should win - is} Nf4 25. gxf4 Qxf4 26. Qe2 Qg3+ 27. Ng2 Ng4 28.
Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. Nf1 Qh3 {and the white pieces are quite frozen. If Karjakin had
managed his time better earlier in the game, he might have been able to
calculate these variations more fully, but considering he had dropped under 20
minutes for nearly 20 moves, he had to hustle.}) (24. c4 $6)) 22. h4 {played
instantly. All rook and knight endings favor Carlsen because of the doubled
e-pawns. Moreover, h4-h5 will be a threat, threatening to undermine the
protection of the pawn on e5. Karjakin might have wished his queen's pawn
could back up one square.} (22. Rae1 {could have been the place to start.
There's no rush to play h2-h4.}) 22... Nf3 {This move forces a series of
trades, simplifying into a double rook and knight ending. If Carlsen is to
retain his world championship title, he will need to convert this ending,
which is very difficult for Karjakin.} 23. Nxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Rxf3 25. Kg2 Rf7
(25... Raf8 $2 26. h5 Ne7 27. Rad1 {is losing for Black. The pawn on e5 can't
be defended from the threat of Ng4. The only way to actually protect the pawn
is by freeing the c6 square for the knight, but that fails tactically.} c5 28.
Nf5 $1 {forcs Black to sacrifice an exchange, since the rooks are disconnected.
The resulting ending should probably be winning for White. Karjakin would have
had to pull off yet another miracle to hold.}) 26. Rfe1 h5 {This move is
necessary at some point, stopping White from playing h4-h5 himself. While that
is a big deal, so is the fact that the g5 square can never be covered. When
Magnus gets his knight to g5, Karjakin will be further restricted. This is the
fatal flaw of having doubled e-pawns and no f-pawn: the g5 square is
permanently weak.} ({Karjakin was focused on getting his king to the center,
but why not} 26... Raf8 {? White can barely get away with 27. Re2, though Nd1
keeps Carlsen ahead.} 27. Nd1 {is prudent, just to keep the position static.} (
27. Re2 dxe4 (27... Nf4+ {is a move too early.} 28. gxf4 exf4 29. Nf5 $1 exf5
30. exd5 {and the extra pawn for Black is only a temporary reality. White's
next several moves will include h5, Kf3, and Re5 in some order. White is
definitely better in the ending, but it is unclear if it is winning.}) 28. Rd2
$5 (28. dxe4 Nf4+ 29. gxf4 exf4 {is now favorable for Black. These Nf5 ideas
no longer leave Black with weaknesses.} 30. Nf5 (30. f3 fxe3 31. Rxe3 {should
be a draw, but Black is slightly better because the d-file falls under his
control.}) 30... exf5 31. e5 g5) 28... exd3 29. Nc4 {and despite being down
two pawns, White is absolutely fine here because Black can't keep all of the
weaknesses on the board.})) 27. Nf1 Kf8 28. Nd2 Ke7 29. Re2 {Preparing Nf3-g5
while protecting f2 and also allowing Carlsen to double on the e-file.} (29.
Nf3 $2 Raf8 30. Re3 d4 {and Karjakin crashes through. This would have been a
horrendous blunder.} 31. cxd4 exd4 32. Nxd4 Rxf2+ 33. Kg1 Rxb2 {A pawn up and
with control of most of the board, Black should be winning.}) 29... Kd6 {
In the endgame, it is typically advised to run the king to the center. But
this is not a typical endgame, as rooks will be barreling down the e-file.
Carlsen's advantage is so huge for three main reasons. First, the champ
controls when the tension will be released. Second, if we cut the board in
terms of the final three files, White has three pawns to two for Black, which
can help create a passed pawn. Third, the white knight is an attacking piece,
whereas the black knight is stuck in defense. That being said, the game is far
from over, though it is incredibly unpleasant for Black to sit and defend. If
anyone can sit and do nothing, it is Sergey Karjakin.} (29... Raf8 {
temporarily prevents Nf3, but also invites b2-b4. White can play on both sides
of the board. Some deliberation is necessary (perhaps Rb1 before b4), but
Carlsen is able to build up the pressure before committing to a plan of action.
}) 30. Nf3 Raf8 31. Ng5 {The knight has reached its outpost.} Re7 (31... Rf6 $2
{allows the fork} 32. Nh7) 32. Rae1 (32. d4 exd4 33. cxd4 {transitions the
advantage from facing doubled pawns (a more potential advantage) to opening up
the position on favorable terms (a kinetic advantage). Black has to be
cautious, but the move} e5 $6 {might somehow be acceptable. I'd be hesitant to
play this considering the king should be concerned about rooks coming to the
d-file, but sometimes the best defense is countering with offense.}) 32... Rfe8
33. Nf3 Nh8 {You never like to play a move like this, but the knight is a
better defender on f7. Black remains cramped.} 34. d4 (34. b4 {has clear
merits as well. But Carlsen first takes aim in the center of the board before
making moves on the flanks.} axb4 35. cxb4 Nf7 {is tense. Black will struggle
to determine when the right moment is to play a move like b6 or g5 (if/when
the knight goes to d2). These are not easy decisions; in fact, the nuances are
critical. I'm a pretty firm believer that in order to optimize winning chances,
a player must sit on an advantage and time breaks well. The fewer the amount
of reasonable moves your opponent can play, supposedly it is easier to play.
But it's also easier to choose the less precise continuation, which can result
in unfortunate inaccuracy after hours of defending.}) 34... exd4 35. Nxd4 g6
36. Re3 Nf7 {Slowly maneuvering pieces to better squares, Karjakin's knight -
just on h8 - threatens to get active.} (36... e5 $2 37. Nb3 b6 38. Rd1 {
demonstrates the problem with having the king in the center. Black will be
fortunate to survive as the position opens up for the white rooks.} Ke6 39.
exd5+ cxd5 40. Nc1 {and with Ne2-f4+ being a pretty deadly threat, Karjakin
would be in big trouble.}) 37. e5+ {The advantage has changed forms. Black no
longer is stuck defending doubled pawns, but Karjakin still lacks space.
Carlsen now will infiltrate with Rf3-f6, applying pressure on both e6 and g6.
With b2-b4 coming, White is controlling both sides of the board.} Kd7 38. Rf3
Nh6 (38... c5 {feels so wrong, but it appears to be a perfectly reasonable
move. Black can spaces and importantly boots the knight from its very
important post on d4. Karjakin sets up a bunker and can play Kc6 next. I don't
think Black is so much worse in this line, and certainly it should be easier
to play than the game continuation.} 39. Nb3 b6 {Carlsen would have tough
sledding ahead to prove a concrete advantage. White can aim to play c4, but
Black can always cement the pawn structure with d4. Unlike in the game, here
there will be a protected passed pawn.}) 39. Rf6 Rg7 40. b4 (40. c4 {Was also
a perfectly good way to gain space and force Karjakin to figure out how to
avoid getting squeezed.} c5 (40... Ng4 41. cxd5 $1 exd5 (41... cxd5 42. Rf3 {
and the queenside is White's for the taking. Black is held back by his
backward pawns; since none of them can be protected by other pawns, pieces are
required to keep them safe.}) (41... Nxf6 42. exf6 {is immediately winning for
White. After dxe6+ next move, Black has no means of stopping two passers on
the sixth rank.}) 42. Rd6+ Kc8 43. f4) 41. Nb3 {and we see the huge drawback
of not playing c5 earlier. Now both a5 and c5 are en prise, while the center
is in the process of collapsing.}) 40... axb4 41. cxb4 Ng8 42. Rf3 Nh6 43. a5 {
Pawns are locked on opposite colors, but expect pawn breaks in the
not-too-distant future.} Nf5 {The knight successfully cuts off the f-file,
which is certainly in Black's favor. However, Karjakin must now stay on the
lookout for a future g3-g4 break.} 44. Nb3 {Of course not exchanging the
knights. Carlsen's is heading for c5.} Kc7 45. Nc5 {These moves would be
played at some point, so why not start with them? Black is still horribly
cramped, and a rook will forever be tied down to the defense of the e6 pawn.}
Kb8 {Heading for a7. Now it is time for White to set up the b4-b5 break.} 46.
Rb1 Ka7 47. Rd3 {It was necessary to cover the d4 square before pushing b5.
The choice between 47. Rd3 and Rf4 was not easy. Both allow White to aim for
the f3-g4 push. With the rook on d3, the d-pawn is never a threat and the e3
square is covered. With the rook on f4, the rook protects the g4 square and
can attempt to penetrate with an eventual Rf6.} (47. Rf4 Rc7 {might not
actually change much, but now the knight on f5 has more trouble moving.}) 47...
Rc7 48. Ra3 (48. b5 cxb5 49. Rxb5 Ree7 {How to make progress from here is not
very clear. Since that's the case, better to not be hasty. Haste makes waste.})
48... Nd4 49. Rd1 Nf5 50. Kh3 {Slowly but surely, Magnus aims to break on the
kingside.} Nh6 51. f3 {Now every move has to be carefully calculated, since
White has the option of playing an eventual b5, g4, Nd3-f4, Rd4-f4, and a
number of other moves. Because Carlsen controls all the possible breaks,
Karjakin is continuously forced to figure out where his pieces belong when his
opponent pushes forward.} Rf7 {Preventing g4 for the time being.} 52. Rd4 (52.
g4 $4 Rxf3+ 53. Rxf3 hxg4+ 54. Kg3 gxf3) (52. Rc1 {with the idea of supporting
an eventual a5-a6 was also possible. Just goes to show how many options
Carlsen has, while Karjakin is forced to shuffle back and forth.}) 52... Nf5 (
52... Rf5 {was certainly possible. White does not want to commit with f3-f4,
as a breakthrough on the kingside then would be very hard to initiate.} 53. b5
(53. Re3 {is also good.}) 53... cxb5 54. Rb4 Re7 55. Rxb5 Rxe5 56. Rb6 {
has a devilish threat. The natural looking} d4 {runs into complications after}
57. a6 Kxb6 58. a7 Re8 59. Nd7+ Kc7 60. Nxe5 Ra8 61. Nxg6 {with a pawn race.
Engines can evaluate if the position can be saved, but this is not what
Karjakin wants from the start. His rooks are tending to the seventh rank.}) 53.
Rd2 Rh7 {stopping g4 by indirectly attacking h4. Karjakin is holding on for
dear life.} 54. Rb3 Ree7 55. Rdd3 Rh8 56. Rb1 Rhh7 $4 {Oh no. After defending
for many moves, Karjakin cracks. This is the mistake Carlsen was waiting for.
Black is totally stuck, and can't defend b7 and e6.} (56... Nh6 {kept the
status quo. White would love to play g4, but it doesn't quite pan out:} 57. g4
(57. b5 cxb5 58. Rxb5 Rc8 {is needed to keep the rook from entering on b6.})
57... g5 $1 {and Karjakin would exchange kingside pawns, giving him necessary
activity and a clear path towards equality.}) 57. b5 $1 {Crashing through.}
cxb5 58. Rxb5 d4 (58... Rh8 {is not quick enough. Both rooks can't protect
both e6 and b7, so White crashes through.} 59. Rb6 Rhe8 (59... Rc8 60. Nxe6 Rc6
61. Nf4 (61. Rxc6 bxc6 62. Nd8 {indirectly protects e5 via the threat of Nxc6+.
}) 61... Rxe5 62. Nxg6 {with g4 coming, White is cruising.}) 60. g4 hxg4+ 61.
fxg4 Nh6 62. Rdb3 {and pawns are falling everywhere.}) 59. Rb6 Rc7 {Activity
is Karjakin's only hope for survival.} 60. Nxe6 Rc3 61. Nf4 {Simultaneously
protecting the rook on d3 while doubling down on the pawn on g6.} Rhc7 (61...
Rg7 62. Rb3 {allows White to regroup before consolidating with his extra pawn.}
) 62. Nd5 {Carlsen must have calculated that exchanging the rooks in this
manner -- where the black king gets stuck on the back rank -- was superior to
capturing the pawn on g6. This is not a purely objective assessment, but that
there are fewer pitfalls along the way to victory.} (62. Rxg6 Rxd3 63. Nxd3 Rc3
64. Rf6 {is an important inclusion, protecting the pawn on f3.} (64. Nf4 Rxf3
65. Nxh5 Rf1 {allows drawing chances. The passed d-pawn and the threat of Ne3
followed by Rh1 (mate) keeps Black in the game.})) 62... Rxd3 63. Nxc7 Kb8 64.
Nb5 Kc8 (64... Rxf3 65. a6 Rxg3+ 66. Kh2 {and the a-pawn decides the game. I
say this every time: the quality of pawns often is more influential than the
quantity of pawns.}) 65. Rxg6 Rxf3 66. Kg2 Rb3 67. Nd6+ {This rook ending is
winning, since Karjakin's king gets cut off from the action. Importantly, the
swap of the d-pawn for the e-pawn occurs with Carlsen capturing first, thus
allowing him to take over the fifth rank. The black rook gets forced into
passive defense, and all that's left is the white king invading.} Nxd6 68. Rxd6
Re3 (68... Rb5 69. e6 Kc7 70. e7 Re5 71. Rxd4 Rxe7 72. Rd5 {has changed
nothing.}) 69. e6 Kc7 70. Rxd4 Rxe6 71. Rd5 Rh6 72. Kf3 Kb8 ({For some reason,
the engines initially think that} 72... b6 {is the best move. But it does not
change anything, since Carlsen's king is so close to the remaining pawn.} 73.
axb6+ Kxb6 74. Kf4 Kc6 75. Rg5 Kd6 76. Rg8 {and Kg5 comes next. Winning the
second pawn ends the game.}) 73. Kf4 Ka7 74. Kg5 Rh8 75. Kf6 {And just like
that, Carlsen catches up to Karjakin. The score is tied 5-5 with two games
remaining, and the match has very much turned in Carlsen's favor.} 1-0
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.24"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C65"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[PlyCount "149"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 {
LiveBook: 10 Games} 8. O-O d6 9. Nbd2 Nh5 {The position is equal.} 10. Bxe7
Qxe7 11. Nc4 Nf4 12. Ne3 Qf6 13. g3 Nh3+ 14. Kh1 Ne7 15. Bc4 c6 16. Bb3 Ng6 17.
Qe2 a5 18. a4 Be6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Nd2 d5 (20... Nxf2+ 21. Kg2 Nh4+ 22. Kg1
Nh3+ 23. Kh1 Nf2+ $11) 21. Qh5 Ng5 (21... Nxf2+ $11 22. Kg2 Qf7) 22. h4 $36 {
White has the initiative.} Nf3 23. Nxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Rxf3 25. Kg2 Rf7 26.
Rfe1 h5 27. Nf1 Kf8 28. Nd2 Ke7 29. Re2 Kd6 30. Nf3 Raf8 31. Ng5 Re7 32. Rae1
Rfe8 33. Nf3 (33. Rb1 $14) 33... Nh8 34. d4 exd4 35. Nxd4 g6 36. Re3 Nf7 37.
e5+ Kd7 38. Rf3 (38. b4 $14) 38... Nh6 (38... c5 $11 39. Nb3 b6) 39. Rf6 Rg7
40. b4 axb4 41. cxb4 Ng8 42. Rf3 Nh6 43. a5 Nf5 44. Nb3 Kc7 45. Nc5 Kb8 46. Rb1
Ka7 47. Rd3 Rc7 48. Ra3 Nd4 49. Rd1 {[#]} Nf5 $1 50. Kh3 Nh6 51. f3 Rf7 52. Rd4
Nf5 53. Rd2 Rh7 54. Rb3 Ree7 55. Rdd3 Rh8 56. Rb1 Rhh7 ({Better is} 56... Nh6
$14) 57. b5 $1 $16 cxb5 58. Rxb5 d4 59. Rb6 Rc7 60. Nxe6 Rc3 61. Nf4 Rhc7 (
61... Rg7 $16) 62. Nd5 (62. Rxg6 $18 {Strongly threatening Rf6.} Rxd3 63. Nxd3)
62... Rxd3 63. Nxc7 {Endgame KRN-KRN} Kb8 (63... Rxf3 $2 64. Nb5+ (64. Rxg6 Kb8
65. Nb5 Kc8 $18) 64... Kb8 65. a6 (65. Rxg6 Kc8 66. Kg2 Rb3 67. Nd6+ Nxd6 68.
Rxd6 Kc7 69. Rxd4 Rb5 $16) 65... Rxg3+ 66. Kh2 $18) 64. Nb5 Kc8 ({Not} 64...
Rxf3 $2 65. a6 (65. Rxg6 Kc8 66. Kg2 Rb3 67. Nd6+ Nxd6 68. Rxd6 Kc7 69. Rxd4
Rb5 $16) 65... Rxg3+ 66. Kh2 $18) 65. Rxg6 Rxf3 66. Kg2 Rb3 67. Nd6+ Nxd6 68.
Rxd6 {KR-KR} Re3 (68... Kc7 $16 {was called for.}) 69. e6 $18 ({Don't play} 69.
Rxd4 Rxe5 70. Ra4 Kd7 $16) 69... Kc7 70. Rxd4 {[#] Hoping for Rd5.} Rxe6 (70...
Kc6 $142 71. Rc4+ Kd6) 71. Rd5 Rh6 72. Kf3 Kb8 (72... Rh7 $142 73. g4 hxg4+ 74.
Kxg4 Kc6) 73. Kf4 Ka7 (73... Kc7 $142 74. Kg5 Rh8) 74. Kg5 Rh8 (74... Rh7 $142
75. Kg6 Rh8 76. Rxh5 Rg8+ 77. Kf7 Rg4) 75. Kf6 1-0
[Event "WCC"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.27"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Nihal Sarin"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2003.06.08"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {No Berlin Wall! Magnus did not play Berlin in
any black games in this WC Match.} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 {After the loss in
the eighth round, Magnus had tried the Arkhangelsk variation, but Sergey
played well and Magnus was worse.} 6. d3 {Karjakin goes for this tricky system
with Nc3.} (6. Re1 O-O 7. c3 b5 8. Bb3 {is the main line, but maybe Karjakin
wanted to avoid the Marshall.}) 6... b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 {Important move,
freeing a square for the bishop.} (8. h3 $6 Na5 $1 {Black is OK here, as he
gets the bishop on b3.}) 8... O-O 9. Nc3 Be6 (9... Bg4 10. Be3 {and the pin is
nothing to worry about. White could play h3 and g4 somewhere.} Qd7 11. h3 Bh5
12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 {And g4.}) 10. Nd5 {I think the idea of Nc3 is to meet
Be6 with Nd5.} Nd4 {Magnus strikes back in the center with his knight.} 11.
Nxd4 (11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Bg5 Bxb3 {ended 0-1 (41) Ivanchuk,V
(2755)-Svidler,P (2769) Thessaloniki 2013}) 11... exd4 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Bxe6
fxe6 {Many pieces have been exchanged off.} 14. f4 {With the idea to get some
pawn thrusts. But this also leads to mass exchanges as we shall see.} (14. Qg4
{is the precise move according to Peter Svidler.} Qd7 ({Here,} 14... Qc8 {
was played by Gabriel Sargissian.}) 15. b3 c5 16. a4 {is Svidler's suggestion.
He himself suffered with the black pieces in 2013 against Dominguez from this
position.}) (14. a4 {was tried by Anand and Dominguez against Svidler, both
the games occurring in 2013. While Svidler held the former, he lost to the
latter.} c5 ({Svidler tried} 14... Qd7 {against Dominguez} 15. b3 c5 16. Qg4 {
reaching a position which he thinks is the best chance for white as suggested
in the previous note.}) 15. Qg4 Qd7 16. axb5 axb5 17. Bd2 {A somewhat similar
structure arose in the game as well.} c4 {1/2-1/2 (35) Anand,V (2783)-Svidler,
P (2747) Paris/St Petersburg 2013}) 14... c5 {Black does the same. He wants to
play c4.} 15. Qg4 Qd7 16. f5 Rae8 17. Bd2 c4 {The position is balanced} 18. h3
{White plays a sensible move, protecting the queen in future and also clearing
the h2 square for the king (also in future!)} c3 {Black is aiming to change
the pawn structure.} (18... d5 {looks interesting as well.} 19. fxe6 (19. Bb4
Rf7 20. fxe6 Rxe6 21. exd5 Qxd5 22. Rae1 Rxe1 23. Qc8+ Qd8 24. Qxd8+ Bxd8 25.
Rxe1 Rd7 26. Re6 a5 $11) 19... Rxe6 20. Rae1 dxe4 21. Rxe4 Re7 $11) (18... e5
$5 {was suggested by Anish Giri online.} 19. b3 d5 20. a4 $13 {/=}) 19. bxc3 d5
$1 {Black strikes in the centre.} 20. Bg5 {Now the complications fizzle out to
be a draw.} Bxg5 21. Qxg5 dxe4 22. fxe6 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Qxe6 24. cxd4 e3 {
After an almost forced sequence, black is a pawn down, but he has a very
strong passed pawn.} 25. Re1 h6 26. Qh5 e2 27. Qf3 a5 28. c3 {Holding back
Black's pawn thrusts.} ({A note for kids: White cannot win the e2 pawn with
something like} 28. Kf2 $4 Rf8 $19) 28... Qa2 29. Qc6 Re6 30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. c4
$1 {This move breaks the connection between the queen and the rook, forcing a
draw.} Qd2 32. Qxe6 Qxe1+ 33. Kh2 Qf2 34. Qe4+ $11 {Black can't avoid a
perpetual. A high-quality game full of precise moves. The h3 move became
useful after all! Magnus' d5 was an interesting move almost forcing a draw. An
accurate game. It remains to be seen how much longer can they remain accurate.}
1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.26"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.26"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 {Magnus reverts back to
the move order he used in the earlier rounds when he was tied in the match.
There's no point in playing the risky variation he chose in round 9, when he
was down a game.} (5... b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {was the variation chosen by Carlsen in
that game; after thisw he found himself in a difficult ending.}) 6. d3 b5 7.
Bb3 d6 8. a3 O-O 9. Nc3 Be6 (9... Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 {was what Carlsen essayed in
the second game of the match. He found himself slightly worse early on, but
the game fizzled out early.}) 10. Nd5 Nd4 {Played instantly by Carlsen.} 11.
Nxd4 exd4 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Bxe6 fxe6 {According to the database, this
position has occurred in a number of high-level games. On the white side have
been players like Viswanathan Anand, Lenier Dominguez, and Peter Leko. With
black, Peter Svidler (twice) and Fabiano have tested their hand with this
opening. It's a certainty that both players have seen those games.} 14. f4 (14.
Qg4 {was Leko's choice.}) (14. a4 {is what Anand preferred.}) 14... c5 {
This move is a novelty, but it is thematic. White hopes to use his kingside
pawn majority (three on two on the f through h-files), so Black hopes to gain
quick activity on the queenside with the eventual break c5-c4.} 15. Qg4 {
Attacking the e6-pawn and putting Magnus' strategy to the test. Black has to
decide how to deal with the pawn on e6. Does he simply defend it? Move it to
e5? Defend it first, and time the e6-e5 push? If Black goes e5 too early, a
huge drawback is that White then considers the advance f5, followed by g4-g5
with a dangerous attack. Of course, that's a long story, but it must be kept
firmly in mind.} Qd7 {Through a different move order, we've reached a position
that has previously occurred. Carlsen is content to sit and see what Karjakin
has in store. The typical break a3-a4 is now prevented, since the queen covers
the square. Karjakin's position is absolutely fine here, but he does need to
remain alert for the timely c4break. White can't be singularly focused on his
ideas in the center.} 16. f5 {Karjakin advances his pawn, but this should
result in equality.} (16. Bd2 {Didn't get the white side any advantage to
speak of. White poked and prodded, but Black was able to hold the balance.} c4
17. Rae1 c3 18. Bc1 cxb2 19. Bxb2 Rad8 20. e5 dxe5 21. fxe5 Be7 22. Rxf8+ Bxf8
23. Re4 Bc5 24. h4 a5 25. h5 a4 26. h6 g6 27. Rf4 Qe7 28. Rf6 Re8 29. Qg5 Rf8
30. Qf4 Bxa3 31. Bxd4 Bc5 32. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 33. d4 Qe7 34. d5 exd5 35. Rxf8+ Qxf8
36. Qd4 Qxh6 37. Qxd5+ Kf8 38. Qd6+ Ke8 39. Qe6+ Kf8 40. Qd6+ Ke8 41. Qe6+ Kf8
42. Qd6+ {1/2-1/2 (42) Schroeder,J (2519)-Schoppen,C (2220) Hoogeveen 2015})
16... Rae8 (16... e5 {feels like a risky move, though perhaps that is just
unnecessary caution speaking. Black has committed his queen to d7, making the
eventual g4-g5 launch even more welcome. However, Carlsen can aim to strike
quickly via d5 and/or c4. Speaking conceptually, an attack on the king is more
dangerous than a pawn break, so I'd strongly advise against allowing an
impending pawn storm. But it is not very clear how Karjakin can get the pawn
to g5 quickly. After all, the queen has to move from g4, say to f3. Black can
then team the queen and bishop up on the d8-h4 diagonal, meaning the push
h2-h4 is prevented for the time being. Black's strike with c4-c4 is not deadly,
but it allows him activity. All in all, a lot needs to be considered (and
foreseen) before committing the pawn to e5.}) (16... exf5 17. Rxf5 (17. Qxf5
Qxf5 18. Rxf5 Be5 {is very equal.}) 17... Rf7 {should be completely level.} (
17... Be5 $4 {blunders the queen.} 18. Rxf8+ Rxf8 19. Qxd7)) 17. Bd2 (17. fxe6
Qxe6 18. Qxe6+ Rxe6 {is maybe slightly, slightly better for White, but there's
nothing here.}) (17. a4 {is possible, trying to create action on the other
flank. The rook has left the a-file, so its opening can only favor White.} exf5
(17... b4 {generally is not what Black wants to play, for it makes it harder
to play c5-c4. But here it's perfectly fine since the tension can be released
in the near future. White has no way to get at any potential targets.}) (17...
bxa4 $2 {now would be a huge mistake, as Karjakin would pick that pawn up with
interest.} 18. fxe6 Rxe6 19. Rxa4 {The rook on a4 is not hanging because the
rook on e6 would be left undefended. White has a huge plus here.}) 18. Qxf5
Qxf5 19. Rxf5 Be5) 17... c4 {Carlsen goes for the break. While this is a
perfectly reasonable move, the world champion might have seen a quick draw by
playing like his challenger and making a calm move. But maybe he's looking to
press Karjakin?} (17... exf5 18. Rxf5 Rf7 (18... g6 {with the idea of playing
Qg7 also should be considered.}) 19. Raf1 Be5 {The rook on f7 is immune
because the queen on g4 is unguarded, and the position should be approximately
equal. White is very slightly better, but not more.}) 18. h3 (18. fxe6 Qxe6 19.
Qxe6+ Rxe6 {At least leaves White in a comfortable spot. The doubled pawns do
not harm Carlsen at all here, as they are guarded and hard to attack. Karjakin
can always sit his bishop on b4. The position should be level.}) 18... c3 {
And Carlsen presses forward. White's queenside is getting shattered as Black
starts to take the initiative.} 19. bxc3 d5 $1 {Most players would have
immediately recaptured the pawn, but Carlsen wants more from the position.
With this move, he forces Karjakin into a deep think. This is definitely not
what Karjakin, perhaps still reeling from his Thanksgiving loss, wanted out of
the opening with the white pieces. Magnus has received all the dynamic
opportunities the position offers, whereas Karjakin is stuck playing defense.}
(19... dxc3 20. Be3 {allows the bishop a new diagonal, which makes his next
few decisions easier than the game continuation. Black has the advantage on
the queenside; in the long run, the three on two from the a- through c-files
will prove bothersome. If all major pieces are exchanged, progress with a5-b4
will be hard to meet. Note that in many endgames, Black can actually jettison
his b-pawn, for when White captures the a-pawn roams free. The center is less
of an issue in the endgame, when the king is happier to meet a convoy of pawns
in the middle of the board than on the flanks.}) 20. Bg5 (20. fxe6 {required
very deep calculation, but it seems acceptable with proper play. For example:}
Qxe6 21. Qxe6+ Rxe6 22. exd5 Re2 23. Rf2 {invites discovered checks, yet it is
still not too problematic!} Rxf2 24. Kxf2 dxc3 (24... Bg5+ 25. Ke2 Bxd2 26.
Kxd2 Rf2+ 27. Ke1 Rxc2 (27... Rxg2 $6 28. Kf1 {importantly freeing the e-file
for the white rook.} Rxc2 $4 (28... Rh2 29. Kg1 Re2 {is no worse than a draw
for White if he follows the rook with Kf1, but even 30.a4 is hard to evaluate.}
) 29. d6) 28. c4 bxc4 29. dxc4 Rxc4 30. Rb1 {only White can be better here,
though it's likely still a draw.}) 25. Be1 {looks awkward, but White is
holding.} (25. Be3 $2 Bd4+ 26. Ke2 Re8 {wins a full piece.})) (20. c4 {gives
the bishop new life.} dxc4 (20... dxe4 21. Qxe4 exf5 22. Qxf5 Qxf5 23. Rxf5
bxc4 {slightly favors Black whose pawns are further down the board. Note that
the pawn on c4 is not truly under attack because of discoveries.} 24. dxc4 (24.
Bb4 Rf7 25. Rd1 (25. dxc4 d3 26. Rxf6 Rxf6 27. cxd3 Re2 {still favors Black,
but White is kicking.})) 24... d3 {attacking the rook on a1. If the rook
protects the pawn hanging on c2 with} 25. Rc1 (25. Rxf6 Rxf6 26. cxd3 Rd6 {
wins the d3-pawn. If White is going to survive a position like this, some
fortune will be needed.}) 25... Bd4+ {picks up the rook on f5.}) 21. Bb4 {
allows the bishop out before the queenside break.} Rf7 22. fxe6 Qxe6 23. Qxe6
Rxe6 24. a4 {White is a bit better, with no risk whatsoever.}) 20... Bxg5 21.
Qxg5 dxe4 {Now there are many pawn captures available. For Karjakin, he is
looking for a way to not end up worse.} 22. fxe6 (22. dxe4 exf5 23. exf5 (23.
Rxf5 dxc3 24. Rxf8+ Rxf8 25. Qd5+ Qxd5 26. exd5 Rf4 {and White needs to be
careful. The black king is quick to the center, and the queenside structure is
much to Black's advantage. Your engine may scream draw, but this is the type
of endgame where White is forced to play accurately to hold the balance, while
Black has many more options.} ({Or} 26... Rf5)) 23... dxc3 24. Rad1 {is
dynamically balanced.}) 22... Rxf1+ (22... Qxe6 {allows White to trade rooks
on his terms, when the position should still be approximately level, but now
Black is the one who needs to be careful. In the game Karjakin is the one on
the defensive.} 23. Rxf8+ Rxf8 24. Re1) 23. Rxf1 Qxe6 24. cxd4 {Carlsen has a
big decision to make. After a forced series of exchanges, he has the better
side of what should be a drawable ending. Or he can push his pawn, wishing to
keep Karjakin on the defensive. As I always say, the quality of pawns (in this
case a protected passer) usually is more important than the quantity of pawns.
(White is up one.)} e3 {Carlsen must have calculated the other variation to a
draw and decided to play on. With that passed pawn holding all of White's
forces down, Black is in no danger of being worse. Barring any big
inaccuracies, that is.} (24... exd3 25. cxd3 Qe3+ 26. Qxe3 Rxe3 {Begs the
question: What happens if White goes for all the kingside pawns and loses all
of his queenside pawns?} 27. Rd1 (27. Rf3 $2 Rxf3 28. gxf3 a5 {is just winning
for Black. The queenside pawns run fast, and White's passed pawns are doubled
and useless.}) 27... Re2 28. d5 Kf8 29. Rc1 {again leaves White fighting for
the draw.} Ra2 30. Rc8+ Ke7 31. Rc7+ Kd8 (31... Kd6 32. Rc6+ {is the problem.
White snags the a6-pawn rather than going for the kingside pawns. The position
is equal.} (32. Rxg7 {is a favorable way for Black to push forward, since the
king is nicely centralized.} Rxa3 33. Rxh7 b4 {is a true pawn race. Black is
on the better (but not yet winning) side of this one.}) 32... Kxd5 33. Rxa6)
32. Rxg7 Rxa3 33. Rxh7 Rxd3 34. Ra7 {Is now better for White. This is just one
sample variation, but it goes to show that you have to be very careful before
entering an ending with pawns running on opposite flanks.}) 25. Re1 h6 26. Qh5
e2 27. Qf3 {Necessary to stop the queen from infiltrating.} (27. Kf2 $4 {
with the idea of corralling the e2-pawn, gets mated immediately.} Qe3#) (27. d5
Qe3+ 28. Kh2 Qf4+ 29. Kg1 Re5 30. Qf3 Qd2 31. Kf2 Qxc2 32. Rxe2 Qc5+ 33. Kg3
Rxe2 34. Qxe2 Qxd5 {Thanks to the outside pawns, only Black can win.}) 27... a5
{Magnus dreams of playing the following moves: a4, b4 (axb4 by White), a3, a2,
a1=Q (Karjakin must capture) and then getting a new queen with e1=Q. Of course,
this is merely a fantasy. But a boy can dream...} 28. c3 {Well, this stops
Carlsen from trying to break with an outside passed pawn.} ({It should be
noted that White can never play} 28. Kf2 {because the queen gets pinned to the
king with} Rf8) 28... Qa2 {Since the pawn left c2, the queen now protects the
passed pawn from the second rank.} 29. Qc6 {In goes the White queen, attacking
the rook on e8. That's solved quickly with} Re6 30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. c4 {Cutting
off the queen's protection of the rook on e6. Now Carlsen simply bails with a
forced draw.} Qd2 32. Qxe6 Qxe1+ 33. Kh2 Qf2 34. Qe4+ {No matter how Black
gets out of check, the draw is forced. The queen can't come back to block
because the pawn on e2 needs her protection.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.28"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Robert"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.11.28"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.28"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 {Sergey Karjakin looks for the
Berlin, but once again Carlsen has no interest in entering the topical lines.}
5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 {In the third
game of the match, Carlsen stumped Karjakin with the strange 10. Re2. That
game ended in a draw, but not before the World Champion secured a
nearly-winning advantage (OK, he had a tricky win as the game approached its
conclusion).} (10. Re2 $5 b6 11. Re1 Re8 12. Bf4 Rxe1 13. Qxe1 Qe7 14. Nc3 Bb7
15. Qxe7 Bxe7 16. a4 a6 17. g3 g5 18. Bxd6 Bxd6 19. Bg2 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 f5 21.
Nd5 Kf7 22. Ne3 Kf6 23. Nc4 Bf8 24. Re1 Rd8 25. f4 gxf4 26. gxf4 b5 27. axb5
axb5 28. Ne3 c6 29. Kf3 Ra8 30. Rg1 Ra2 31. b3 c5 32. Rg8 Kf7 33. Rg2 cxd4 34.
Nxf5 d3 35. cxd3 Ra1 36. Nd4 b4 37. Rg5 Rb1 38. Rf5+ Ke8 39. Rb5 Rf1+ 40. Ke4
Re1+ 41. Kf5 Rd1 42. Re5+ Kf7 43. Rd5 Rxd3 44. Rxd7+ Ke8 45. Rd5 Rh3 46. Re5+
Kf7 47. Re2 Bg7 48. Nc6 Rh5+ 49. Kg4 Rc5 50. Nd8+ Kg6 51. Ne6 h5+ 52. Kf3 Rc3+
53. Ke4 Bf6 54. Re3 h4 55. h3 Rc1 56. Nf8+ Kf7 57. Nd7 Ke6 58. Nb6 Rd1 59. f5+
Kf7 60. Nc4 Rd4+ 61. Kf3 Bg5 62. Re4 Rd3+ 63. Kg4 Rg3+ 64. Kh5 Be7 65. Ne5+ Kf6
66. Ng4+ Kf7 67. Re6 Rxh3 68. Ne5+ Kg7 69. Rxe7+ Kf6 70. Nc6 Kxf5 71. Na5 Rh1
72. Rb7 Ra1 73. Rb5+ Kf4 74. Rxb4+ Kg3 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rf4+ Kg3 78.
Rg4+ {1/2-1/2 (78) Carlsen,M (2853)-Karjakin,S (2772) 2016 World Championship
| New York, USA 2016}) 10... Re8 11. Bf4 Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 13. c3 d5 14. Bd3 {
Magnus has played this line three times, resulting in three draws.} g6 {
Anand and Kramnik (twice) responded to Magnus with this fourteenth move. The
plan is to blunt the bishop on d3, while also freeing the g7 square for either
the knight or bishop (and eventually the king). Black would like to gain
greater control of the board.} 15. Na3 {A novelty. 22 times players had chosen
15. Nd2, developing the knight in the center of the board. But the knight on
a3 actually has plans to reroute to the center via the e3 square, binding
Karjakin's pieces.} (15. Nd2 {Led to a draw that resembles the game
continuation, except with knights instead of bishops.} Ng7 16. Nf3 Bf5 17. Bxf5
Nxf5 18. Qe2 c6 19. Re1 Ng7 20. Be5 Ne6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Ne5 Re8 23. Ng4 Qd8
24. Qe5 Ng7 25. Qxe8+ Nxe8 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8 27. Nf6+ Kf8 28. Nxe8 Kxe8 29. f4 f5
30. Kf2 Kf7 31. b4 b5 32. g3 Kf6 33. Kf3 Ke6 34. Ke3 Kf6 35. Kf3 Ke6 {1/2-1/2
(35) Carlsen,M (2872)-Anand,V (2773) Zurich SUI 2014}) 15... c6 (15... Ng7 {
was possible, and I see no issues with the move. Perhaps Karjakin - who wasted
no time in a seemingly straightforward position - wanted to avoid any possible
Nb5 ideas, which can force the knight to e6 rather than supporting the bishop
trade on f5.} 16. Nb5 Ne6 {is perfectly adequate defense.}) 16. Nc2 Ng7 17. Qd2
(17. Ne3 {prevents Nf5, but forces the exchange of the dark-square bishops.}
Ne6 (17... c5 18. dxc5 d4 {would be very ambitious, and against Karjakin's
style. This kind of pawn sacrifice is thematic, but I would not recommend it,
particularly in a game 12 when Black needs to hold.} 19. Nc4 dxc3 20. Rd1 {
would scare me away from this line. White's pieces are perfectly harmonious,
and Black needs to be incredibly careful not to simply lose in a few moves.})
18. Bh6 Bg7 {keeps the balance.}) 17... Bf5 18. Bxf5 (18. Re1 Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Ne6
{keeps the game even. The knight is well placed on e6, shutting down the open
file.}) 18... Nxf5 19. Ne3 {This knight trade was what Carlsen, who to this
point has more time than he started with, was aiming for in this variation. He
must have wanted a slight but stable advantage with absolutely zero risk.} Nxe3
{This move is forced and obvious. If the knight retreated, say to d6, Carlsen
would have hopped his knight to g4. It'd be an unnecessary initiative to
provide Carlsen.} 20. Qxe3 (20. fxe3 $2 {would be very silly, simply handing
an advantage to Karjakin. The backward pawn on e3 is a major liability.}) 20...
Qe7 21. Qxe7 {With the queens traded and no targets for either side, the
position is an easy draw.} Bxe7 22. Re1 Bf8 (22... Kf8 $4 {would have been
disastrous.} 23. Bh6+ Ke8 24. Bg5 f6 25. Bxf6 Kf7 26. Rxe7+ Kxf6 27. Rxb7 {
is an easy win for White.}) (22... Re8 {does not lose any material from the
pin on the e-file, and should result in a similar position as in the game.} 23.
Bg5 Kf8 {and f6 is coming soon.}) 23. Kf1 f6 24. g4 Kf7 25. h3 Re8 26. Rxe8
Kxe8 27. Ke2 Kd7 28. Kd3 Ke6 29. a4 a6 30. f3 Be7 {The players shake hands,
splitting the point. Magnus Carlsen is clearly content taking this contest to
the quicker time controls, where he remains the favorite.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
{Notes by Wesley So - After wining Round 10 both players are tied now 5-5 but
I have a sneaking suspicion that Magnus is gaining in control. If he achieves
two more draws and they end tied, it's clear he won't be unhappy with rapid
playoffs. Sergey just hasn't played as much Rapid and Blitz recently ... but
then again ... this is the powerful Sergey Karjakin ... so we could be very
surprised. Okay two games left to go and this is Number 11.} 1. e4 {This first
move is expected, as Sergey sticks to the type of positions that he knows the
best - 1.e4 gives him the best results based on his previous games. At least
here he achieves playable and fighting positions, which are not easy to get
against a well-prepared Magnus. A good idea I'm sure, as Sergey tried serving
with 1.d4 back in Round 7, but was worse as early as move 11.} e5 {Did you
expect something else? Magnus replies with this almost 90% of the time lately,
so obviously he feels at home with it. Garry Kasparov once advised that in
important games it's best to stick to the opening in which you have the most
experience.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {The Ruy Lopez may be the most classical
opening in chess history, with references to it going all the way back to the
year 1490.} a6 {Magnus' preference.} (3... Nf6 {was Sergey's choice in Rounds
3 and 10.}) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 {The main line. Black wants to keep the
tension. Magnus has already played like this in Rounds 2, 4, and 6 of the
match, so I guess this is what I expected him to play today. Naturally he is
hoping to outplay White again like he did in Round 4 and in general his
results with Black here are very good. (Which is why I was surprised he went
for 5...b5 in Round 9.)} (5... Nxe4 {leads to very forcing variations, where
prepration and memory play a huge part. However, the problem is that Black has
to play very exact moves, and chances to win are almost non existent.}) (5...
b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {was played in Round 9. But why is there a need for this when 5..
.Be7 is serving him well?}) 6. d3 {Aiming for a closed setup, White hopes for
a long game and plenty of manuevering and the reason White aims for the Closed
Ruy Lopez these days, is because it has become increasingly difficult to gain
anything in the Marshall Attack.} (6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5
10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 {is the starting position of the Marshall Attack.
Black goes ...Bd6 and ..Qh4 next, gaining compensation for the sacrificed pawn
based on the fact that White's queenside pieces are still undeveloped.}) 6...
b5 7. Bb3 d6 ({I always thought that} 7... O-O {is slightly more accurate to
keep open options of playing d7-d5 in one move, but still after} 8. Nc3 d6 9.
a3 {it just transposes to the game anyway.}) 8. a3 {Reserving the a2-square
for the bishop and controlling the b4-square.} (8. a4 {is an active
alternative here and it leads to a slightly unusual position. I think the main
difference is b4 is not controlled and Black may consider gaining space with}
b4) 8... O-O 9. Nc3 Be6 {Clever Magnus! He never plays the exact same line
twice in a row. Just when Sergey is ready to face 9...Na5 again, as in Round 2,
Black chooses a different move.} 10. Nd5 (10. Bxe6 fxe6 {is an interesting
possibility. Black has firm control of the center, but at the same time he has
permanent doubled-pawns. Now I like the regrouping} 11. Ne2 {with the idea of
preventing any kingside attacks by posting a knight on g3. Not sure if going
for quiet positions like this is enough to beat the World Champion though.})
10... Nd4 {This move is well-known as Black's best here. It was first played
by Peter Svidler of Russia back in 2013. I myself remember spending many, many
hours of analysis work on this move back in 2014 (how fast time flies) however,
not ever really being able to use it. After that, I decided not to waste so
much time on lines that have a low chance of appearing in my games. I
sometimes think perhaps that's what Magnus does as well. He knows how to be
time-efficient. In this regard Anatoly Karpov is a good example, as he is
well-known for being the most practical of the World Champions. He didn't
really spend hundreds of hours researching the openings, but instead focused
on the skill of selecting and absorbing new ideas. Anyway let's go back to the
game.} (10... Bxd5 {is not recommended as in general you shouldn't give up
your bishop pair at an early stage of the game. After} 11. exd5 Nd4 12. Nxd4
exd4 13. Bd2 {White is slightly better.}) ({If} 10... Na5 {White does not
retreat his bishop, but instead goes} 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Bxe6 fxe6 {when the
doubled e-pawns give him a head start.} 13. b4 Nc6 14. c3 $14 {White is much
better.}) 11. Nxd4 exd4 12. Nxf6+ {I was a little surprised to see this move,
which is thought to be harmless, appear in this game.} ({In my notes I had} 12.
Nxe7+ Qxe7 13. Bg5 {as the most critical and the only way to trouble Black.
For example:} Bxb3 (13... c5 14. f4) 14. cxb3 h6 (14... Rac8 15. b4 c5 16. f4)
15. Bh4 {The pin is highly unpleasant and after} Qe6 16. f4 {White has chances
for an attack on the kingside.} c5 (16... Nd7 17. f5 Qe5 18. b4 $14) 17. b4
Rfe8 (17... Rac8 18. Rc1) 18. f5 $5 (18. Rc1 Rac8 19. Re1 c4 $13) 18... Qe5 19.
Bg3 Qe7 20. bxc5 dxc5 21. e5 Nd5 22. f6 Qe6 23. fxg7 Ne3 24. Qd2 Nxf1 25. Rxf1
$13 {with a really complicated position. It's very possible though that my
notes are outdated. However it seems to me that Black still has to play
extremely accurately to equalize.}) 12... Bxf6 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. f4 {Sergey
makes a natural move, while keeping all of his options open. Options such as
Qg4, g4-g5, or Rf3-h3. White is basically up a pawn on the kingside right now
(3 vs 2), so it is clear he should focus his attention there. But I thought
that Black showed the way to equalize after two top level games played in 2013,
when everyone was still using the chess engine 'Houdini' and computers and the
Internet were significantly slower. In those two games, Black made easy draws.}
(14. a4 c5 15. Qg4 Qd7 16. axb5 axb5 17. Bd2 c4 18. Bb4 Ra4 $1 {The best way
to force exchanges.} 19. Rxa4 bxa4 20. dxc4 Rc8 21. Qg3 (21. Qe2 Qc6 $11) 21...
Rxc4 22. Bxd6 Rxc2 $11 {and the game ended in a draw soon in Anand-Svidler,
Alekhine Memorial 2013.}) (14. Qg4 Qc8 15. f4 e5 16. f5 c5 {Black has a 'pawn
diamond' in the center and quick counterplay along the c-file. His king's
position is quite shaky but White does not have enough time to exploit this.}
17. Bg5 (17. Rf3 c4 18. Rh3 Qe8 $13 {prevents Qh5, and prepares Rc8-c2.}) 17...
Kh8 (17... c4 18. Bxf6 Rxf6 $11 {might be easier.}) 18. Rf3 c4 19. Rh3 (19.
Raf1 {might be a possible improvement to allow defence of the 2nd rank later
in some cases with R1f2.}) 19... Bxg5 20. Qxg5 Rf6 21. g4 cxd3 22. cxd3 Qc2 23.
Rc1 Qe2 $1 24. Rc7 Qe1+ 25. Kg2 Qe2+ 26. Kg1 Qe1+ 27. Kg2 Qe2+ 28. Kg1 {
½-½ Leko -Caruana, Dortmund 2013.}) 14... c5 {Preparing queenside
counterplay later with c5-c4.} (14... e5 {is an alternative, but perhaps
Magnus didn't want to close the center right away. After} 15. f5 c5 16. Rf3 c4
17. Rh3 {looks quite scary for Black, and if} Qe8 18. g4 $5 {with some
attacking chances.}) (14... Qd7 15. Qg4 c5 {just transposes to the game.}) 15.
Qg4 (15. Rf3 c4 16. Rh3 {can simply be met by} Rf7 {to meet} ({Or} 16... Qd7)
17. Qh5 {with} g6) 15... Qd7 (15... Qc8 $5 {like in Leko-Caruana was a good
option. Later after the opening of the c-file, a quick Qc2 is in the agenda.
After} 16. Bd2 (16. f5 exf5 17. exf5 Be5 18. Qf3 Ra7 $13) 16... e5 17. f5 c4 {
Black has sufficient counterplay.}) 16. f5 {Releasing the tension and allowing
trades. I feel that Sergey no longer believes that White has much going on and
decides to loosen up the position. After all, in the event of an endgame Black
still has his doubled d-pawns to worry about (though it's hard for White to
make use of his better pawn structure).} ({If White wants to keep fighting
chances then perhaps he should go for 16.Bd2 or 16.Rf3. So here I can
recommend for White} 16. Bd2 c4 {And now} 17. b3 (17. Rf3 c3 $1 18. bxc3 dxc3
19. Be3 d5 20. e5 Be7 21. Rh3 Rf7) 17... Rac8 18. h3 cxb3 19. cxb3 Rc2 20. Bb4
Be7 21. a4 {with a small advantage.}) (16. Rf3 c4) ({Or} 16. b3 c4 {and the
overall position of the picture does not change.}) 16... Rae8 {Already, Black
has more than one way to equality.} (16... exf5 {Is just fine, to clarify the
situation right away.} 17. exf5 (17. Rxf5 Rf7 18. Bd2 g6 $11) 17... Rae8 (17...
Rf7 18. Bd2 Re8 (18... c4) 19. Rae1 Be5 20. Rf2 c4 $11) 18. Bd2 {And now} g6 {
to eliminate White's spearhead.} 19. h3 (19. Bh6 Bg7 20. Bxg7 Rxf5 21. Rxf5
gxf5 22. Qg3 Qxg7 $11) 19... Be5 20. fxg6 Qxg4 21. gxh7+ Kxh7 22. hxg4 Bg3 $1 {
And with control over the open file, Black should be able to play ...Re2 in
the near future. Control of the 2nd rank should give him enough compensation
for the pawn.}) ({Even} 16... e5 {although it's no longer necessary to go for
a complicated middlegame.}) 17. Bd2 c4 18. h3 {Protecting the queen on g4 so
he can take on f5 later with the rook. It also puts a pawn on a light-square
to ensure that in case they go into some deep endgame, Black cannot capture
this h-pawn with his bishop.} (18. fxe6 Qxe6 19. Qxe6+ Rxe6 20. Bb4 Rd8 {
followed by posting a bishop on e5, hence guarding his doubled-pawns. The
endgame is level.}) (18. b3 exf5 19. exf5 Be5 (19... cxb3 20. cxb3 Re5 $11) 20.
Rf2 cxb3 21. cxb3 Rc8 $11 {in general, Black's play is quite easy and he has
many options to choose from in each move.}) 18... c3 $5 {The most unbalanced
continuation. Black disrupts the coordination of White's queenside before he
has the time to consolidate with b3 and a4.} ({Many paths lead to equality. A
normal continuation would be} 18... Be5 19. fxe6 Rxf1+ 20. Rxf1 Qxe6 $11) (
18... exf5 19. Rxf5 {and now Black just has to avoid} g6 $2 20. Rxf6 {when the
White queen is protected.}) (18... e5 $13 {also gives an unclear position, but
as I said, there is no more point to keeping the center closed, when Black has
easier alternatives.}) 19. bxc3 d5 $5 {Perhaps trying to confuse White, but as
usual, Sergey keeps his nerve.} (19... dxc3 20. Be3 d5 21. Bc5 Rf7 $11) 20. Bg5
{What follows now is another series of exchanges, where each side takes away
material from the board consecutively.} ({The most obvious continuation is} 20.
fxe6 {but after} Qxe6 21. Qxe6+ Rxe6 22. exd5 Re2 {White has some tricky
problems to solve.} 23. Rf2 Rxf2 24. Kxf2 Bg5+ (24... dxc3 25. Be1 Rd8 $11 {
is perhaps just equal too.}) 25. Ke2 Bxd2 26. Kxd2 Rf2+ 27. Ke1 Rxc2 {White's
position looks scary, but according to the calculator, White holds the balance
with:} 28. c4 $1 (28. cxd4 $2 Rxg2 29. Kf1 Rh2 30. d6 Kf7 $19 {looks like a
typical Carlsen grind.}) (28. d6 Kf7 {and the difference in the activity of
the kings will be crucial.})) (20. c4 $5 {is fine, since the pawn on c3 was
lost anyway. White now gets some stability in the center and after} dxc4 (20...
dxe4 21. Bb4) 21. Bb4 Rf7 22. fxe6 Qxe6 23. Qxe6 Rxe6 24. Rf5 $11 {the ending
is just equal.}) ({Though not} 20. exd5 exf5 21. Qf3 dxc3 22. Be3 {when White
is slightly worse, as now it is he who has the doubled-pawns.} Re5 $15) 20...
Bxg5 (20... dxc3 21. Bxf6 Rxf6 22. exd5 exd5 23. a4 $11) 21. Qxg5 dxe4 22. fxe6
Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Qxe6 24. cxd4 e3 $5 {Perhaps trying to put psychological stress
on the opponent. There is always pressure when you have to make a draw from a
defensive point of view. Now instead of making natural moves, White has to
remain alert that the passed e-pawn does not become unstoppable.} ({Instead of
24...e3, Black has at least three ways to make a relatively easy draw.} 24...
exd3 25. cxd3 Qe3+ (25... h6 26. Qc5 Qe3+ 27. Kh2 Qxd3 $11 {is another way.})
26. Qxe3 Rxe3 27. Rd1 Re2 $1 {And because of the control of the 2nd rank and
counterplay on the a3-pawn, Black makes a draw by straightforward moves.} 28.
Rc1 (28. d5 Kf7 29. Rc1 Ra2 $11) 28... Ra2 29. Rc3 Kf7 $11) ({Or} 24... Qd6 25.
Qc5 (25. Qe3 Qxa3) 25... Rd8 26. Qxd6 Rxd6 27. dxe4 Rxd4 28. e5 Re4 29. Rf5 Re3
$11 {as they say, all rook endings are drawn.}) 25. Re1 (25. Qg4 Qe7 26. Qf3
$11) (25. d5 $6 {is an example of how things can go wrong for White.} Qb6 26.
Re1 e2+ 27. Kh1 Qf2 28. Qd2 Re3 29. d6 Kf7 {and there is some problems with
the White king immobile in the corner.}) 25... h6 (25... e2 26. Qd2 g6 27. Qf4
(27. d5 $11) 27... Qe7 28. Qd2 $11) 26. Qh5 e2 27. Qf3 a5 $5 {Pushing the
a-pawn one step closer to promotion, just in case a pawn race happens down the
line. Is Magnus still trying to win? Surely he's hoping for Sergey to make a
small mistake or better, a major blunder, but really that doesn't happen often.
Also, Black's problem is that his king lacks a fortress, meaning it is going
to be hard to escape from queen checks later on.} ({Almost all moves lead to a
draw now.} 27... Qd6 28. Rxe2 Qxd4+ 29. Kh1 Rxe2 30. Qxe2 Qa1+ 31. Kh2 Qxa3 $11
) 28. c3 (28. d5 Qe5 (28... Qe7 29. d6 Qxd6 30. Rxe2 $11) 29. d6 $11) 28... Qa2
{Protecting the e2-pawn while at the same time threatening to take the guy on
a3, or play Qd2, attacking the rook on e1.} 29. Qc6 $1 {But Black's queen
escapade has left his rook and king a little vulnerable too.} Re6 (29... Re7
30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. Qf5+ {Hoping for perpetual check.} g6 32. Qf8 $11 {There is
no way for Black to make progress, as he cannot attack and defend at the same
time.}) 30. Qc8+ ({Now is not the time to grab pawns:} 30. Qxb5 $2 Qd2 31. Qb1
Qxc3 $17 32. d5 Qd4+ 33. Kh2 Qxd5 $17 {and White's greed has got him nothing
but trouble.}) 30... Kh7 31. c4 Qd2 32. Qxe6 Qxe1+ 33. Kh2 Qf2 34. Qe4+ {
Draw. A quiet but well-played game by two experienced players. Today they
decided to go for the Closed Ruy Lopez with 6. d3. Sergey played the same
moves as in Round 2, but Magnus decided to deviate with 9...Be6 just in case
his opponent prepared something viscious against his pet line with 9...Na5.
What followed after 9...Be6 was a series of liquidations, with each player
trading three minor pieces each, though Black had to accept doubled d-pawns.
Moves 14-16 were critical to see if White can prove an advantage, but in the
end Sergey decided to release the tension with 16.f5. What followed was a
series of exchanges and with even Magnus trying to spice up the game a bit
with 18...c3!? and 19...d5!? Sergey held fast, exchanged a few more pieces,
and in the end the game never really left the boundaries of equality. Tomorrow
is the last Round and let's see if Magnus' sister's prediction that he will
win his last two White games comes true. Maybe this game is just the deep
breath before the explosion.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
{Notes by Yasser Seirawan - While both players have much to lament, each
receiving a sympathetic ear, let's face it: The Arbiters have been brilliant.
They have been out of sight and nary a word about them has been spoken. Out of
the spotlight they have trebled checked that bane of all chess players - the
clock. The battery is functioning (good), the time control has been set to the
right one (very good), the board and pieces have been set up correctly (most
excellent). And so it all comes down to this: After eleven hard fought games
the twelfth and final game would be played for all the marbles. I wanted to
describe the situation as high drama. But my 'Spidey sense' began to tingle as
I considered the word. Blessed with a heightened sense of caution I decided to
look up the current definition of the word. You see the English language
changes. Nearly every day in fact. Just like the FIDE rules committee that
loves to change the rules of chess, so to do the committees that define words
in the English language. It can get pretty confusing. To assuage my internal
warnings I double-checked and learned something new while bringing myself
up-to-date: drama: Top definition: "Something women and especially teenage
girls thrive on. Consisting of any number of situations that have an easy
solution, which would bring a fairly good outcome, but these girls choose
another, shitty, bad way to deal with it, again consisting of backstabbing,
blackmailing/gossiping/betraying their friends, or the all-too-common, "I want
to break up with him but I still love him!" It drives men and what I like to
call "normal" girls nuts." Urban Dictionary. Hmm. Right. Just as expected a
surprising change. Oh boy, I'm already in trouble and this is before
annotating move one. Somehow, I can't quite put my finger on it but the (for
me) new definition just feels a tiny bit to be politically incorrect. I
confess I'm not the most astute in such matters. Therefore, let us put high
drama aside for a moment and instead set up the situation from a different
point of view... Many fans and even none-fans have asked me the question,
"What makes one grandmaster stronger than another?" A fair question. Once when
describing himself against his colleagues World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik saw
himself, "As first amongst equals." It seems the top grandmasters know all the
various chess skills and instead to find an answer to such a question we
should consider the intangibles: Confidence; ambition; determination; good
health; a supportive team; good food; a strong stomach; a working internet
connection; staying regular and other key factors. The twelfth game would
require a supreme effort by both players featuring nerves of steel coupled
with boundless energy. They would before the gong imagine a long, hard fought
game where conquering their nerves and remaining calm at those crucial moments
is vital. They would review their preparation to the best of their abilities
while hoping to out-calculate their opponent in the heat of battle. Doing all
the things that grandmasters do so well. But there is another intangible to
consider as well: At such a moment are you capable of getting a good night's
sleep? Don't laugh. It is an important question. Imagine yourself in the role
of Challenger Sergey Karjakin. You are to have a career defining moment. An
opportunity to become World Chess Champion. A dream come true. With so many
thoughts and emotions racing through your mind, will you be able to recharge
your battery for the biggest contest of your life? But which player is
carrying the bigger pressure? Same questions for Magnus Carlsen, the World
Champion. Experts, pollsters and fans had all been unanimous predicting an
easy match win. They were stone-cold wrong. Lucky to be at a level score, what
risks should Magnus take to try to clinch the match? To go all in as White in
the final game? As did Veselin Topalov with White against Viswanathan Anand in
2010? A decision which cost him the match... So many questions. So many
worries and all you really want is to rest and recharge your battery. To sleep
peacefully with pleasant dreams of victory. Perhaps such an ability, that one,
to cast aside your concerns and get a good night sleep, is what makes one
grandmaster stronger than another? Before the battle commenced, I wondered,
would we see a real drama? Wait, now I'm certain that's not the word I want to
use. In this preamble I've got it all wrong entangling myself in knots. I
think National Basketball Association legend Michael Jordan said it best at
such moments, "Go out and just enjoy the game. Don't think about the
consequences. If you do, you'll freeze."} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O
{A first indication that perhaps the "decisive" final Classical game in the
match might not be all that decisive after all. For Game 10, Magnus played:} (
4. d3 {Keeping all the pieces on the board.}) 4... Nxe4 5. Re1 {Uh oh. The
second indication the game is about to fizzle.} Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8.
Rxe5 O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 {Not repeating Game 3, where Magnus tried:} (10. Re2
$5 {A move that didn't promise much but almost brought him great success.})
10... Re8 {All according to modern theory as well as strategic principles. The
e-file is open and therefore the chopping block for the major pieces.} 11. Bf4
Rxe1 12. Qxe1 Ne8 {The first moment of "excitement" quickly passes. I'm a
notorious pawn-grubber but the d4-bait is poisonous:} (12... Bxd4 $6 13. Bxd6
cxd6 (13... Bxb2 $4 14. Bxc7 {Simply wins for White.}) 14. Nc3 {When I much
prefer White's position. Black has difficulties developing while White's moves
play themselves:} Rb8 15. Rd1 Be5 16. Nd5 {White's initiative is getting
serious.}) 13. c3 d5 14. Bd3 g6 {Practice has proven that the symmetry in the
position is hard to crack. With a draw being the most likely result.} 15. Na3
$6 {A confounding move. After all, where is the Knight heading? I will
certainly not claim that after the standard:} (15. Nd2 Ng7 16. Qe2 c6 17. Re1
Bf5 18. Bxf5 Nxf5 19. Nb3 {It is all "blue sky" for White. Truly, there is not
much in the position but the chances for a pull lay in this direction.}) 15...
c6 16. Nc2 Ng7 17. Qd2 {This one also had me perplexed. Trying my best to
channel my "inner Magnus" I wrongly thought his Knight maneuver was designed
to cover the f5-square:} (17. Ne3 {Seemed to be his intended follow-up. True,
it does stop Black's: ...Bc8-f5, plan but allows another in its stead:} Nh5 $1
18. Bh6 Bg5 19. Bxg5 Qxg5 {With a Knight coming to the f4-square Black has
solved all his Opening problems.}) 17... Bf5 18. Bxf5 Nxf5 19. Ne3 Nxe3 20.
Qxe3 Qe7 21. Qxe7 Bxe7 {The mutual hacking continues. The board is nearly
empty. Just one last trade along the chopping block remains.} 22. Re1 Bf8 {
I'm sorely tempted to give this move an exclamation mark. After all I'm a paid
commentator and I have to earn my keep. That would make one for the whole game.
In truth Black had a perfectly decent alternative as well.} (22... Re8 {
Grandmasters do not make such moves: Walking into a "self-pin." However, there
is no way for White to exploit the moment:} 23. Bg5 Kf8 24. Bh6+ Kg8 {Black is
ready to play: ...f7-f6, and ...Kg8-f7, releasing the pin, with the time
honored ritual of signing the scoresheets to follow.}) 23. Kf1 f6 24. g4 {
This bold thrust does not hold the promise of a vicious attack, so hold the
trumpets. Actually it is actually quite safe.} Kf7 25. h3 $1 {At last, I'm in
a generous mood, "Give the man an exclam!" The text shows "understanding." In
a Bishop ending, pawns should be on the opposite colored squares from the
Bishop. The text also insures against adversity: The possibility of blundering
a pawn is greatly reduced.} Re8 26. Rxe8 Kxe8 {The tasks along the chopping
block have all been completed. The play must continue until move thirty. At
least.} 27. Ke2 Kd7 28. Kd3 Ke6 29. a4 a6 30. f3 Be7 {Draw agreed. Oh boy. My
preamble was longer than my notes to the game. Likely for good reasons. I'll
leave it to other more gifted writers to share their thoughts on this downer.
Instead, I'll just boldly state the obvious: A very disappointing conclusion
to an intense World Championship match. Such games do not kindle interest in
our glorious sport. Maybe I pegged it right after all? Perhaps Magnus did not
get enough sleep? Now another rest day follows and on Wednesday the tension
will be at its zenith as the title of who will be World Chess Champion will be
decided by tiebreaks.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016-Tiebreak"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Europe Echecs"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
{La soirée des tweets a débuté avec celui du GM anglais Nigel Short : «
Saumon fumé, vin blanc et beaucoup de gaffes à venir. Une soirée parfaite :)
» — Après ce que l'on pourrait presque appeler 12 parties classiques «
d'échauffement », le Championnat du Monde d'échecs va enfin pouvoir
commencer... et se terminer ! Rappelons le système de départage : quatre
parties rapides à la cadence de 25 minutes + 10 secondes par coup. Si le
score est toujours égal, et après un nouveau tirage au sort des couleurs, un
match de deux blitz à la cadence de 5+3. Si l'égalité persiste, un autre
match de blitz de 5+3, et ainsi de suite jusqu'à un maximum de 10 parties. Et
s'il n'y a toujours pas de vainqueur, on aura recours à un blitz « mort
subite » : le joueur qui gagne le tirage au sort choisit sa couleur. Les
Blancs reçoivent 5 minutes, les Noirs 4 minutes - avec un incrément de 3
secondes par coup pour chaque joueur après le 60e coup. En cas de partie
nulle, le joueur avec les pièces noires est déclaré vainqueur. — Quelques
minutes avant le début du départage, Judit Polgar, interviewée dans les
studios, déclarait : « Psychologiquement, avantage pour Sergey Karjakin ! »
D'un autre côté, Magnus Carlsen fête ses 26 ans ! Ainsi, pour le Norvégien,
ce soir peut être le meilleur anniversaire de sa vie, ou alors le pire !} 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 O-O
9. Nc3 Nb8 10. Ne2 c5 11. Ng3 Nc6 12. c3 Rb8 {Dans cette variante Breyer d'une
partie espagnole avec d3, c'est le premier coup hors-théorie.} (12... Be6 13.
Bxe6 fxe6 14. b4 Qd7 15. Qb3 Rab8 16. h3 Rfc8 17. Be3 a5 18. bxc5 dxc5 19. a4
b4 20. cxb4 cxb4 21. Rac1 h6 22. Rc4 Kh7 23. Rfc1 Bd6 24. Nf1 Ne7 25. N1d2 Rc6
26. Qb2 Rxc4 27. Nxc4 Nc6 28. Qc2 b3 29. Qb2 Bc7 30. Rc3 Nd4 31. Bxd4 exd4 32.
Rxb3 Qxa4 33. Nxd4 Rxb3 34. Nxb3 Nxe4 35. Ne3 Qb4 36. Qc2 a4 37. Nc1 Qe1+ 38.
Nf1 Nc3 39. d4+ Kh8 40. Qg6 Qxc1 41. Qxe6 Qf4 42. g3 Qxd4 43. Ne3 a3 44. Nf5
Qe5 {0-1 (44) Malakhov,V (2706)-Ding Liren (2755) Chiva CHN 2015}) 13. h3 a5
14. a4 b4 15. Re1 Be6 {Selon une capture d'écran publiée du direct de NRK,
Magnus Carlsen possède plus de temps qu'au démarrage de la partie, 25'47" !
Sergey Karjakin 19'19".} 16. Bc4 h6 17. Be3 Qc8 18. Qe2 Rd8 {Très peu de
commentaires jusqu'à maintenant sur Twitter; le format rapide se prête mal
à la réfléxion.} 19. Bxe6 {Premier échange de pièces !} fxe6 $5 {La
machine préférait reprendre avec la Dame, mais on le sait depuis longtemps,
Magnus n'hésite jamais à jouer avec sa structure de pions.} 20. d4 bxc3 21.
bxc3 cxd4 22. cxd4 exd4 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Bxd4 Rb4 25. Rec1 Qd7 26. Bc3 Rxa4
27. Bxa5 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Ra8 29. Bc3 Rxa1+ 30. Bxa1 Qc6 31. Kh2 Kf7 32. Bb2 Qc5
33. f4 Bd8 34. e5 dxe5 35. Bxe5 Bb6 {Menace mat en g1 :)} 36. Qd1 Qd5 37. Qxd5
Nxd5 {Et voilà, la première partie s'achève par la nulle !} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016-Tiebreak"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Europe Echecs"]
[PlyCount "167"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {La partie Italienne.} 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6.
a4 a6 7. c3 d6 8. Re1 (8. b4 Ba7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4 c6 12. h3 exd4
13. cxd4 Nxe4 14. Bxf7+ Rxf7 15. Nxe4 d5 16. Nc5 h6 17. Ra3 Bf5 18. Ne5 Nxe5
19. dxe5 Qh4 20. Rf3 Bxc5 21. bxc5 {1/2-1/2 (51) Carlsen,M (2853)-Karjakin,S
(2772) New York 2016}) 8... Ba7 9. h3 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 c6 (11... h6 12.
Bf1 Re8 13. a5 Bd7 14. b4 Bc6 15. d5 Bd7 16. c4 Nf4 17. c5 g5 18. Nc4 Qe7 19.
Be3 Bb5 20. Rc1 Nxe4 21. cxd6 Nxd6 22. Bxf4 gxf4 23. Ncxe5 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 Nb5
25. Qd2 Qf6 26. Re4 Qg7 27. Rxf4 Rxe5 28. Rg4 Rh5 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. g4 Rxh3
31. Kg2 Rxf3 32. Kxf3 Rd8 33. g5 Rd6 34. gxh6+ {1-0 (34) Kramnik,V (2808)
-Radjabov,T (2722) Baku AZE 2016}) 12. Bf1 {Un nouveau coup.} (12. dxe5 dxe5
13. a5 h6 14. b4 Nh5 15. Bf1 Ng3 16. c4 Be6 17. c5 Nxf1 18. Nxf1 Qf6 19. Ng3
Rad8 20. Nh5 Qe7 21. Qc2 Bb8 22. Ng3 Rd7 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. exf5 Nh4 25. Nxh4
Qxh4 26. Re4 Qh5 27. Rg4 Rd4 28. Rxd4 exd4 29. Qd3 Qh4 30. Bd2 Re8 31. Re1
Rxe1+ 32. Bxe1 Be5 33. Kf1 Qd8 34. Qe4 Bf6 35. Ke2 d3+ 36. Qxd3 Qe7+ 37. Qe3
Qd7 {1/2-1/2 (72) Yu Yangyi (2721)-Matlakov,M (2691) Novi Sad SRB 2016}) 12...
a5 $5 {Une idée qui reste obscure...} 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Qc2 Be6 15. Nc4 Qc7 {
Pour le moment, la totale symétrie de la position n'accorde aucun avantage à
qui que ce soit. De plus, l'aile-Dame peut être complètement liquidée à
coups de b4 des Blancs et ...b5 des Noirs.} 16. b4 axb4 17. cxb4 b5 18. Ne3 {
Nous n'avions pas tout-à-fait raison; l'aile-Dame est toujours en place.} bxa4
19. Rxa4 Bxe3 $14 {Peter Svidler : « Magnus a eu la première nouvelle idée
beaucoup, beaucoup plus souvent que Sergey pendant le match, je ne m’y
attendais pas. » Sergey Karjakin commence à prendre pas mal de retard à la
pendule, alors que Magnus Carlsen est maintenant mieux. 0h16-0h07 !} 20. Bxe3
Rxa4 21. Qxa4 {Le Norvégien offre un pion !} Nxe4 22. Rc1 {[%csl Yc7][%cal
Yb4b5,Yc1c7,Rc6b5]} Bd5 23. b5 {[%csl Yb5,Yc7][%cal Yc1c7,Yb5b6,Yc6b5] La
position est devenue tranchante en quelques coups.} cxb5 $6 24. Qxe4 Qxc1 {
13 minutes pour les Blancs; 3 pour les Noirs.} 25. Qxd5 {Avec ici un clair
avantage blanc !} Qc7 26. Qxb5 Rb8 27. Qd5 {Une position parfaite pour Magnus
Carlsen - en conservant les Dames : de quoi jouer longtemps et une confortable
avance à la pendule !} Rd8 28. Qb3 Rb8 29. Qa2 h6 {Peter Svidler : « Je ne
voudrais vraiment pas avoir à tenir cette position avec les Noirs, même avec
des temps égaux à la pendule. »} 30. Qd5 Qe7 31. Qe4 {Anish Giri n'y allais
pas de main morte et tweetait un terrrible : « Game Over!»} Qf6 32. g3 Rc8
33. Bd3 Qc6 34. Qf5 Re8 {Sur Twitter l'avis est unanime : en rapide, Sergey
Karjakin ne sauvera pas cette partie !} 35. Be4 Qe6 36. Qh5 Ne7 37. Qxe5 Qxe5
38. Nxe5 Ng6 39. Bxg6 Rxe5 40. Bd3 {Quelle défense encore du Russe ! Sergey a
donné un pion pour atteindre son objectif d'échanger les Dames.} f6 41. Kg2
Kh8 42. Kf3 Rd5 43. Bg6 Ra5 44. Ke4 Rb5 45. h4 Re5+ 46. Kd4 Ra5 47. Kc4 Re5 48.
Bd4 Ra5 49. Bc5 Kg8 50. Kd5 Rb5 51. Kd6 Ra5 52. Be3 Re5 53. Bf4 Ra5 {Karjakin
aurait-il réussi, une fois encore, à construire une forteresse ?} 54. Bd3 Ra7
55. Ke6 Rb7 56. Kf5 Rd7 57. Bc2 Rb7 {Sur Twitter l'opinion est que Carlsen
doit absolument gagner cette partie sous peine de se retrouver en
infériorité psychologique. D'un autre côté, si Karjakin perd celle-ci, il
ne devrait pas pouvoir s'en remettre.} 58. Kg6 Rb2 59. Bf5 Rxf2 60. Be6+ Kh8
61. Bd6 Re2 {Les pions noirs vont tomber, c'est fini pour Sergey.} 62. Bg4 $2 (
62. Kf7 $1 {[%csl Rg7,Yh8][%cal Yd6f8,Yf8g7]}) 62... Re8 {La Tour est revenue
en défense de sa première rangée.} 63. Bf5 Kg8 64. Bc2 Re3 65. Bb1 Kh8 {
Peter Svidler : « Nous sommes en train de voir pourquoi battre Karjakin n'est
pas facile du tout. »} 66. Kf7 Rb3 67. Be4 Re3 68. Bf5 Rc3 69. g4 Rc6 70. Bf8
Rc7+ 71. Kg6 Kg8 72. Bb4 Rb7 73. Bd6 Kh8 74. Bf8 Kg8 75. Ba3 Kh8 76. Be6 Rb6
77. Kf7 Rb7+ 78. Be7 h5 $1 79. gxh5 f5 $2 80. Bxf5 Rxe7+ 81. Kxe7 Kg8 82. Bd3
Kh8 83. Kf8 g5 84. hxg6 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016-Tiebreak"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Europe Echecs"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
{Judit Polgar, après la deuxième partie annulée miraculeusement par Sergey
Karjakin : « Magnus a peut-être perdu le match à cause de cette partie. »}
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3
O-O 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Nc6 (11... Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Nc6 13. Bg5 Nd7 14.
Be3 Nf6 15. Qb1 d5 16. Bg5 d4 17. Bxf6 dxc3 18. Bxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 {1/2-1/2
(67) Caruana,F (2794)-Aronian,L (2786) Moscow RUS 2016}) 12. Nd5 Nd4 (12... a5
13. c4 bxc4 14. b5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Nb8 16. Bxc4 Nbd7 17. a4 Nb6 18. Qb3 Qc8 19.
Bg5 Qb7 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Rac1 Rfe8 22. Rfe1 Nd7 23. Qd1 Nc5 24. Ba2 Qa7 25.
Qc2 g6 26. Re2 Bg7 27. Rce1 Nd7 28. Qb3 Re7 29. Rc2 Rae8 30. Qc4 Nb6 31. Qb3
Nd7 32. Qc4 Nb6 33. Qb3 {1/2-1/2 (33) Sadzikowski,D (2546)-Gledura,B (2557)
Katowice POL 2016}) 13. Ng5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15. Ne4 f5 $5 {Peter Svidler :
« Extrêmement risqué ! »} 16. Nd2 f4 17. c3 Nf5 18. Ne4 Qe8 {L'avancée du
pion "f" et l'affaiblissement qui va avec risque de coûter cher à Magnus
Carlsen.} 19. Bb3 {Jonathan Rowson : « Après 18...De8, c'est une position
avec les trois résultats possibles : les Blancs sont stratégiquement
beaucoup mieux, mais ce n'est jamais clair en rapide. »} Qg6 20. f3 Bh4 21. a4
Nf6 22. Qe2 a5 {Magnus Carlsen a pris les commandes de la partie.} 23. axb5
axb4 {Jonathan Tisdall mettait le doigt sur un point essentiel : « De
nouveau, Magnus Carlsen a obtenu une position confortable et avec plus de
temps. Combien de fois Karjakin pourra-t-il tenir comme ça ? Peut-on
s'emparer d'un titre comme ça ? »} 24. Bd2 bxc3 25. Bxc3 Ne3 26. Rfc1 {
Sergey Karjakin se retrouve encore une fois très en retard la pendule.} Rxa1
27. Rxa1 Qe8 28. Bc4 Kh8 {Se débarrasse d'un possible sacrifice de Fou en e5
suivi d'un échec à la découverte par d5-d6+.} 29. Nxf6 Bxf6 $6 (29... gxf6
$1 {était beaucoup plus logique avec une colonne "g" très dangereuse.}) 30.
Ra3 e4 31. dxe4 {L'avantage noir s'est en grande partie évaporé, il reste la
pendule.} Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Qe5 33. Rc1 Ra8 34. h3 (34. Qd2 $5) 34... h6 35. Kh2
Qd4 36. Qe1 $6 (36. e5 Qxe5 37. Bd3 {[%csl Gd3]}) 36... Qb2 37. Bf1 Ra2 {
Carlsen a repris l'avantage sur le manque de temps de son adversaire.} 38. Rxc7
$4 {Et ce qui devait arriver arriva, la gaffe !} Ra1 $1 0-1
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016-Tiebreak"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.4"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B55"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Europe Echecs"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
1. e4 c5 {Obligé de jouer pour le gain, Sergey Karjakin revient à la
défense Sicilienne ! All-In !} 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6.
Nb3 Be7 (6... Be6 7. c4 Nbd7 8. Be3 Rc8 9. Nc3 a6 10. Nd5 Bxd5 11. cxd5 Be7 12.
Be2 Nh5 {1/2-1/2 (12) Magem Badals,J (2589)-Karjakin,S (2747) Khanty Mansiysk
2010}) 7. c4 a5 8. Be3 a4 9. Nc1 $5 {Fidèle à son style, Magnus Carlsen
échappe aux grandes lignes théoriques de la Sicilienne.} (9. N3d2 O-O 10. Be2
Qa5 11. O-O Bd8 12. Kh1 Be6 13. Nc3 a3 14. b4 Qxb4 15. Nd5 Qa4 16. Rb1 Qxd1 17.
Rfxd1 Bc8 18. c5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Nd7 20. cxd6 Nf6 21. Nc4 e4 22. Bb6 exf3 23.
Bxf3 Bf5 24. Bc7 Bxb1 25. Rxb1 Nd7 26. Rxb7 Ra4 {1/2-1/2 (53) Rublevsky,S
(2702)-Gelfand,B (2719) Almaty 2008}) 9... O-O (9... Qa5+ 10. Qd2 Bd8 11. Ne2
Be6 12. Na3 Qxd2+ 13. Kxd2 Ba5+ 14. Nc3 Nc6 15. Nab5 Ke7 16. Be2 Rhc8 17. Rhc1
Bb4 18. Rab1 Nd7 19. Ke1 Bc5 20. Bf2 Na5 21. Nd5+ Bxd5 22. cxd5 g6 23. Bh4+ f6
24. Kd2 g5 25. Bg3 f5 26. exf5 Nf6 27. Nc3 Bb4 28. Kd3 Rc4 29. Bf2 Rac8 30. Be3
a3 31. Nb5 axb2 32. Rxc4 Nxc4 33. Bxg5 e4+ 34. Kd4 Na3 35. Nxa3 Bc5+ 36. Kc3
Bxa3+ 37. Bc4 b5 38. Kb3 bxc4+ 39. Kxa3 c3 40. fxe4 Rb8 {0-1 (40) Ivanchuk,V
(2768)-Sutovsky,E (2700) Khanty Mansiysk 2011}) 10. Nc3 {Paco Vallejo : « Une
ligne très intéressante et complexe. Un des plans pour les Noirs est de
passer le Fe7 par d8 et b6. »} Qa5 11. Qd2 Na6 (11... Be6 12. b4 Qd8 13. Bd3
Nfd7 14. Nd5 h6 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. Ne2 Rc8 17. Rc1 a3 18. O-O Nc6 19. Rc2 Qd8
20. Rb1 Nb6 21. Qc1 Ra4 22. Bd2 Rc7 23. Rb3 Rc8 24. Rb1 Rc7 25. Qe1 Qc8 26. Qf2
Nd4 27. Nxd4 exd4 28. Rbc1 Nxc4 {1/2-1/2 (117) Piorun,K (2685)-Socko,B (2599)
Warsaw POL 2016}) (11... Nc6 12. Rb1 Be6 13. b4 axb3 14. Nxb3 Qd8 15. Be2 h6
16. O-O Ne8 17. Qb2 Bg5 18. Bf2 h5 19. Rfd1 Qf6 20. c5 Bxb3 21. Qxb3 Nd4 22.
Qxb7 Nxe2+ 23. Nxe2 Rxa2 24. Nc3 Rxf2 25. Nd5 Be3 26. Nxe3 Re2 27. Nf5 dxc5 28.
Qb5 Ra2 29. Qc4 Ra5 30. Qc3 Ra2 31. Qc4 Ra5 32. Qc3 Ra2 {1/2-1/2 (32) Kokarev,
D (2636)-Oparin,G (2617) Novosibirsk RUS 2016}) 12. Be2 Nc5 13. O-O Bd7 {
La position blanche est très solide. Un excellent choix d'ouverture de la
part de Carlsen en fonction de la situation du match.} 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15. b4 axb3
16. axb3 Qd8 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 Bc6 19. Rfd1 {Comme à la parade, les Blancs
ont gagné la fameuse case d5.} h5 20. Bf1 h4 21. Qf2 Nd7 22. g3 $5 {On ne
peut que partager l'avis de Peter Svidler : « Il y avait mieux comme idée...
»} Ra3 $5 ({Peter Svidler suggérait de jouer} 22... Bg5 $1 {pour affaiblir
les cases noires.} 23. Rxd6 $6 hxg3 24. hxg3 Qf8 {[%cal Yf8d6,Yd6b4]}) 23. Bh3
Rca8 24. Nc2 R3a6 25. Nb4 $5 {Proposition tacite de nulle :)} Ra5 {Evidemment
refusée...} 26. Nc2 b6 {L'avantage blanc augmente petit à petit, mais les
Noirs n'ont plus le choix, il faut tenter quelque chose.} 27. Rd2 {
L'expression qui colle le mieux à cette situation est : Carlsen joue sur du
velours...} Qc7 28. Rbd1 {C'est du béton du côté des Blancs, Sergey
Karjakin va devoir se résoudre à la nulle ou brûler ses vaisseaux.} Bf8 29.
gxh4 Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 {Peter Svidler sur 29.gxh4, 30.Fxf4 et 31.
Fxd7 : « Ce sont des bons coups, mais les Noirs ont maintenant quelque chose
à viser. »} 32. Nb4 ({On ne voit pas ce qui pouvait empêcher de prendre le
pion par} 32. Qxb6) 32... Ra3 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34. Nb5 Rxb3 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3
Qxb3 37. Qe2 {Magnus Carlsen ne gagnera peut-être pas cette partie, mais
Sergey Karjakin non plus !} Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3 Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3
42. Rd3 Ra7 43. Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 Ra7 $18 {C'est
terminé, la position noire s'écroule.} 47. Qxf4 Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 49. Rc8+ Kh7
50. Qh6+ $3 {Le dernier coup du Match de Championnat du Monde d'échecs entre
Magnus Carlsen et Sergey Karjakin; un superbe 50.Dh6+!! avec un mat en 2 coups
imparable ! Conclusion : malgré les extraordinaires qualités défensives de
Sergey Karjakin, défendre est insuffisant pour s'emparer d'un titre mondial
et Magnus Carlsen conserve sa couronne !} (50. Qh6+ Kxh6 (50... gxh6 51. Rxf7#)
51. Rh8#) 1-0
[Event "2016 World Ch. Tiebreak | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2818"]
[BlackElo "2894"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.30"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. Nc3
O-O 9. a3 Na5 (9... Be6 10. Nd5 Nd4) 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Nc6 12. Nd5 Nd4 {
Sergey takes his first think and plays} 13. Ng5 {Which aims to dislodge the
bishop from e6.} Bxd5 (13... Nxd5 14. Nxe6 Nc3 15. Nxd8 Nxd1 16. Nc6 $1 {
is an important inclusion. The difference is very subtle.} (16. Rxd1 Bxd8 {
protects the pawn on c7.}) 16... Nxc6 17. Rxd1 Nd4 18. Bb2 {is now possible,
because} Nxc2 {is met nicely by} 19. Rac1 {when the c7 pawn is left undefended.
}) 14. exd5 Nd7 (14... c6 $6 15. c3 Nxd5 16. Nxf7 Rxf7 17. cxd4 {is dangerous
for Black. There is a huge risk on the unopposed a2-g8 diagonal.}) 15. Ne4 f5
16. Nd2 (16. c3 {is messy. Carlsen has avoided tactics like this all match,
and apparently he did not feel this was the time to start entering complicated
territory.} fxe4 17. cxd4 exd3 18. Qxd3 exd4 (18... Bf6 19. f4 {will still be
played.}) 19. f4 {is extremely dynamic. White can regain the pawn via Bb2.
Meanwhile, Black has to be careful since his kingside (and queenside, on the
c6 square in particular) has weaknesses.}) 16... f4 17. c3 Nf5 {White has two
bishops, but the black pawns lock in the dark-squared one. The bishop on a2 is
staring into a friendly pawn, meaning it lacks scope. Meanwhile, Carlsen is
aiming to make progress on the queenside. His advanced pawn structure provides
him an initative, but it also has provided an outpost on e4 for the White
knight.} 18. Ne4 Qe8 {This move is natural, heading toward the kingside. White
would love to play c3-c4 and open the c-file for a rook, but then the d4
square is Black's to exploit.} 19. Bb3 {Karjakin, likely not seeing an
immediate strategy to improve his position, aims to play an eventual a3-a4 and/
or bishop to c2 and play d4. Carlsen should not fear these plans, but simply
be cognizant of his opponent's intentions.} Qg6 20. f3 {Hmmmm. The e3 square
is where Black wants to infiltrate, but for the moment Karjakin's bishop on c1
has it covered.} Bh4 {The bishop now operates on an odd diagonal, and may soon
find itself weaponized as a sacrificial piece. A bishop on g3 is thematic when
White has a dearth of kingside defenders. Additionally, if the knight on e4
gets traded (when Carlsen plays Nf6), he can then play Ne3 and secure the f2
square for his bishop.} (20... a5 {with the idea of taking the initiative on
both sides of the board seemed smart to me.}) 21. a4 Nf6 22. Qe2 {Karjakin
made this move with just over 11 minutes on his clock. Carlsen has a
five-minute time advantage, and so plays actively on the queenside with} a5 {
Causing Karjakin to spend three minutes. Carlsen, who fumbled away several
wins in the preceding game, is creating pressure on both sides of the board.
Magnus is in the driver's seat.} 23. axb5 $2 {In a tough position, this is
just a poor judgment call. Karjakin has had trouble with his time management,
leaving Carlsen well ahead on the clock.} (23. bxa5 Rxa5 24. Ra2 $1 {should
keep White in the game. Black certainly looks better, but there's no clear way
to break through.}) 23... axb4 {is now disastrous for White. Once again,
quantity of pawns is nowhere near as meaningful as the quality of pieces.} 24.
Bd2 {Rather than go up a pawn, Sergey chooses to keep the material even and
get some much-needed development. He must feel that a knight on e3 is far less
dangerous than one cemented on d4.} ({If White plays} 24. Rxa8 Rxa8 25. cxb4 {
Then the extra pawn exists in the form of two sets of doubled isolani on the
queenside. With the knight hopping to d4, White is in massive trouble.} Nd4 26.
Qb2 {is just hideous for White.}) 24... bxc3 (24... Rfb8 {or Kh8 were
interesting ways to keep tension and force White to play his hand.}) 25. Bxc3
Ne3 26. Rfc1 {Ok, so now what? The pawn on d5 is immune from capture thanks to
the bishop on b3. Kh8 to step away from the pin feels natural.} Rxa1 (26...
Rab8 $2 27. Bxe5 $1 {is a painful tactic to overlook. White sacrifices a
bishop for some very quick passed pawns.} dxe5 28. d6+ Kh8 29. dxc7 Rbc8 30.
Nd6 {is a winning advantage for White.}) 27. Rxa1 Qe8 28. Bc4 (28. g3 $2 {
simultaneously attacking the bishop on h4 and attempting to undermine the
knight on e3 does not work out.} Qxb5 29. Bc4 Nxc4 30. dxc4 Qb6+ 31. c5 Qb3 {
and the bishop lives, because the knight on e4 is overloaded. If the bishop is
captured, the bishop on c3 loses its protector.} 32. gxh4 Nxe4 {Recapturing on
e4 means losing the bishop on c3. Black is clearly ahead here.}) (28. Ra5 Qb8 {
is a possibility. Carlsen aims to bring his queen into the attack via the b6
square.}) 28... Kh8 {Now the pawn on d5 can be captured, as the king has
ventured out of the pin. Karjakin is down under three minutes, while Carlsen
has nearly 11.} 29. Nxf6 Bxf6 (29... gxf6 $5 {should have been given more
consideration by Carlsen. The open g-file would have created additional
pressure, and in time trouble Karjakin would have an extremely tough defensive
task. It's important to note that the bishop on d2 can't keep d4 and e3 under
control.}) 30. Ra3 e4 $1 {A great shot. Karjakin's last move defended his
bishop, but that's not the point. For the price of just a pawn, Carlsen gains
total control of the board's dark squares. He can't possibly lose now, and his
winning chances have drastically improved.} 31. dxe4 Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Qe5 33. Rc1
Ra8 34. h3 {More dark square weaknesses. Now Carlsen has a big decision to
make: does he swap rooks with Ra1 or try to use his to infiltrate?} (34. Qd2 {
Looks stronger, just to keep everything in order.} Ra1 35. Be2) 34... h6 35.
Kh2 Qd4 {The bishop on c4 has no range to speak of. Practically speaking, this
position is incredibly hard to defend.} 36. Qe1 Qb2 37. Bf1 (37. Be2 Ra2 38.
Rxc7 Qxe2 39. Qxe2 Rxe2 {does not give White enough compensation. The white
king is ensnared in a mating net, so the pawn can't roam free.} 40. b6 Nf1+ 41.
Kg1 Ng3 42. Rc1 (42. b7 Re1+ 43. Kf2 Rf1#) 42... Rb2 {gobbles up the b-pawn.})
37... Ra2 {Carlsen has over seven minutes, Karjakin has dropped to 20 seconds.
The position is hopeless.} 38. Rxc7 (38. Rb1 Qf6 39. Be2 Kh7 40. Kg1 Qd4 41.
Kh1 Rd2 42. Bf1 g5 {and Black has a slight but enduring advantage.}) 38... Ra1
{A huge win for Carlsen, who now just needs a draw with White to retain his
title!} (38... Nxg2 {is good enough, but the game continuation wins a piece
for free. Karjakin is busted.}) 0-1
[Event "2016 World Ch. Tiebreak | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B55"]
[WhiteElo "2894"]
[BlackElo "2818"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.30"]
{As Magnus Carlsen won with Black in round three, Sergey Karjakin is forced to
throw everything he's got at his opponent. The solid-to-a-fault Karjakin is
out of his element when forced to play hyper-aggressive variations. We'll see
what kind of trouble he can stir up.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. f3 {A smart decision when you the need just a draw. Karjakin is forced to
go out guns blazing.} e5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. c4 a5 {Black intends to disrupt White's
queenside, but it comes at a legitimate cost: the b5 square is a permanent
weakness.} 8. Be3 {Carlsen ignores the pawn, looking to complete his
development.} ({Being unnecessarily risk averse with} 8. a4 {is just
incredibly weakening. Check those dark squares on the queenside.}) 8... a4 9.
Nc1 O-O 10. Nc3 Qa5 11. Qd2 {Defending against the threat of a4-a3.} Na6 12.
Be2 (12. Nd5 {is the wrong idea. When you try too hard to simplify, you stop
playing chess. Playing solely for a draw derails you from playing objective
moves. Subjective play is no longer chess, which relies on concrete
calculation and strategy.} Qxd2+ 13. Kxd2 Nxd5 14. cxd5 {and with Bd7 or f5,
it's clear that White is on the worse side of things.}) 12... Nc5 13. O-O Bd7
14. Rb1 {A good choice by Carlsen, which provides the additional opportunity
of pushing b2-b4.} (14. Nd3 Ne6 {White is still to be preferred, but plans are
less clear.}) 14... Rfc8 15. b4 axb3 16. axb3 Qd8 (16... Qb4 {is typical in
this structure, and now Carlsen can offer a trade with} 17. Nd3 {after which
White is still better.}) 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 {Lovely knight dancing by Carlsen.
The d5 square is begging to be invaded.} Bc6 19. Rfd1 (19. Nbd5 Bxd5 (19... Nc5
20. b4 {isn't fun either.}) 20. exd5 {would probably require Black to
sacrifice a pawn after Nd4 or Nf4. White can feel free to scoop it up and play
on.}) 19... h5 {Uncharacteristically aggressive play by Karjakin, but
desperate times call for desperate measures. The move is not absurd, but White
is much better here.} 20. Bf1 h4 {With a win required from Karjakin, he
bravely marches on.} 21. Qf2 {Eyeing both h4 and b6. Completely understandable,
but I'm not sure why Carlsen has refused to put his knight on d5.} (21. Nbd5 {
remains a good option.}) 21... Nd7 22. g3 {The bishop previously was a dud on
f1, and now it breathes new life. Karjakin, head in hands, is fully aware of
his position's shortcomings.} Ra3 (22... Bg5 23. Bxg5 {leaves Black at a bad
crossroads. The pawn on d6 is permanently weak and there is no kingside attack
to speak of.}) 23. Bh3 Rca8 {Normally doubling rooks on an open file is a
great decision. Here, however, the more advanced rook gets hit.} 24. Nc2 R3a6
25. Nb4 Ra5 26. Nc2 {Carlsen maintained an advantage with a large number of
moves, but this is intelligent decision-making. Now b3-b4 is a deadly threat.
The bishop on c6 has no room to breathe.} b6 {Creating a retreating square,
but not coming close to solving Karjakin's many problems. Now the knight
should journey back to b4 and then finally hop to d5.} 27. Rd2 {Why not? Black
has no means of breaking through. Karjakin, his time dwindling, knows this is
the end. It is hard to swindle the best chess player in the world when he has
not a single weakness to speak of.} (27. Nb4 Bb7 28. Nbd5 {again had merit.})
27... Qc7 {Bizarre time management by Karjakin; this move could have been
played more or less instantly. I feel for him, but he has done himself no
favors but constantly spending precious minutes when he should just make a
move.} 28. Rbd1 {The instant reply. Karjakin has no way to adequately stop the
knights from wreaking havoc.} Bf8 {Karjakin now has under two minutes left,
while Carlsen enters his move with ten.} 29. gxh4 {This is a free pawn. With
the g-file open, White is also soon launching an attack.} Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 {
Black hopes to get counterplay on the dark squares, but Carlsen has everything
under control.} 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Nb4 {This is move demonstrates a major
advantage of having two knights over two bishops. While only one bishop is
capable of covering the d5 square, both knights have their sights set on this
important central square.} (32. Qxb6 {likely is just good, but you're asking
for trouble when you make a move like this. Your kingside is exposed adn
you're getting greedy? Psychologically difficult when all you need is a draw
to win the match.} Be7 (32... d5 {with the threat of Bc5+ is coolly met by} 33.
b4)) (32. Nd4 {eyeing f5, b5, c6, was also very strong.}) 32... Ra3 (32... d5
$5 {does not pan out here.} 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34. Nxd5 {looks like it blunders the
queen, but because of the check on e7, White can just calmly step out of the
pin.} Bc5 35. Kh1) 33. Nxc6 (33. Rb1 {Was risky, but works out to a draw.} d5
34. Nxc6 Qxc6 35. exd5 (35. Nxd5 Rxb3 36. Rxb3 Ra1+ 37. Kg2 Qg6+ 38. Kh3 Qe6+
39. Kg2)) 33... Qxc6 34. Nb5 Rxb3 (34... d5 35. exd5 Qg6+ 36. Qg2 {will not
end in Karjakin's favor.}) 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3 Qxb3 {Karjakin has no chance
to play for a win if not for this exchange sacrifice. A bishop and a pawn is
good compensation for a rook, particulaly when the enemy king is exposed. That
being said, Carlsen still is ahead.} 37. Qe2 Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 (38... Bxh4 39.
Qd3 {forces the exchange of queens, after which the endgame is significantly
better - if not winning - for White.}) 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3 Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3 42.
Rd3 {The standoff now ends. Karjakin is forced into passivity because he can't
accept a draw. In any other game, he'd be groveling for half a point.} Ra7 43.
Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 (46. Qxf4 Rc2+ 47. Kh1 {was perfectly
safe.} Qf2 48. Rg1 {and the Black king is the one getting mated.}) 46... Ra7
47. Qxf4 Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 49. Rc8+ Kh7 50. Qh6+ $3 {What an amazing way to cap
off a world title defense. Sacrificing your queen for one of the most
beautiful checkmates I've ever seen. If the king takes, Rh8 is mate. If the
pawn captures, Rxf7 does the trick. Just wow!} 1-0
[Event "2016 World Ch. Tiebreak | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2894"]
[BlackElo "2818"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "167"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.30"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {Carlsen chooses to play the Italian rather than
the Spanish. We saw him do this in game 5, where the opening led to immense
complications before Karjakin simplified into a slightly worse but holdable
position, only to achieve a big advantage after Carlsen slipped up. That game
is in the notes after move eight.} Bc5 4. O-O (4. c3 {is most popular, and can
lead directly to the game continuation.}) 4... Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 a6 7. c3 d6
8. Re1 (8. b4 Ba7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4 c6 12. h3 exd4 13. cxd4 Nxe4
14. Bxf7+ Rxf7 15. Nxe4 d5 16. Nc5 h6 17. Ra3 Bf5 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qh4 20.
Rf3 Bxc5 21. bxc5 Re8 22. Rf4 Qe7 23. Qd4 Ref8 24. Rf3 Be4 25. Rxf7 Qxf7 26. f3
Bf5 27. Kh2 Be6 28. Re2 Qg6 29. Be3 Rf7 30. Rf2 Qb1 31. Rb2 Qf5 32. a5 Kf8 33.
Qc3 Ke8 34. Rb4 g5 35. Rb2 Kd8 36. Rf2 Kc8 37. Qd4 Qg6 38. g4 h5 39. Qd2 Rg7
40. Kg3 Rg8 41. Kg2 hxg4 42. hxg4 d4 43. Qxd4 Bd5 44. e6 Qxe6 45. Kg3 Qe7 46.
Rh2 Qf7 47. f4 gxf4+ 48. Qxf4 Qe7 49. Rh5 Rf8 50. Rh7 Rxf4 51. Rxe7 Re4 {
1/2-1/2 (51) Carlsen,M (2853)-Karjakin,S (2772) 2016 World Championship | New
York, USA 2016}) 8... Ba7 9. h3 Ne7 {Thematic, rerouting the knight to the g6
square.} 10. d4 {Blunting the bishop on a7 while competing for the center,
this move gains White important space.} Ng6 11. Nbd2 c6 12. Bf1 a5 {This move
prevents White from playing b2-b4, which would be a nice expansion on the
queenside. I'm not a huge fan of this move, because White was not really
threatening to push to a5 himself and now b7-b5 is out of the question.
Karjakin might have been better off playing in the center with} (12... Re8 {
after which White has to keep an eye on the e4 pawn. For instance,} 13. Nc4 $2
{just hangs a pawn.} exd4 14. Nxd4 Nxe4 {is problematic for White.}) 13. dxe5 {
Carlsen ends the central tension, and will naturally go forward with Qc2, Nc4,
etc. White just has more comfort here, in no small part because the knight on
g6 is a worse piece than the knight on d2.} dxe5 14. Qc2 Be6 {Natural
development. Carlsen should remain unnerved and continue with his natural plan.
} 15. Nc4 {Karjakin really, really, really does not want to capture the knight.
Handing Carlsen the two bishops in a reasonably open position is incorrect. A
seasoned grandmaster like Sergey knows better, thus plays the calm} Qc7 {
which keeps both e5 and a5 covered.} 16. b4 $1 {By no means a difficult move
to play, but it receives an exclamation point because it emphasizes Carlsen's
intentions. He is not content with passively playing for an advantage; rather,
he is looking to get his challenger into time trouble before applying the
pressure.} axb4 17. cxb4 b5 $5 {Karjakin strikes back. The backward pawn on c6
now looks very weak, but Black hopes that his counterplay is quick enough to
keep the material even.} (17... Nh5 {with the idea of heading to f4 was
possible, but uninspiring. White can choose between a5 or Be3, with a slight
but long-term advantage.}) 18. Ne3 (18. Na5 Rfc8 (18... bxa4 19. Nxc6 {is the
wrong idea for Black. The a-pawn is falling and a quick pawn push to b5 will
cement that knight on c6, where it hampers the coordination of the black
pieces.}) 19. axb5 cxb5 20. Qxc7 Rxc7 21. Bxb5 Rb8 {and it seems that Black
regains his pawn. The position does not offer tremendous hope for a win.})
18... bxa4 (18... Bd4 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Nf5 {is clear progress for White.}) 19.
Rxa4 Bxe3 (19... Bd4 20. Rxa8 Rxa8 21. Nxd4 exd4 22. Nf5 {again is
uncomfortable for Karjakin. The bishops are extremely powerful on the open
board.}) 20. Bxe3 $1 {The right capture. Karjakin now is under some very real
pressure.} (20. Rxe3 Rxa4 21. Qxa4 {keeps e4 guarded, with only temporary
discomfort for the White pieces. The rook on e3 is actually not poorly placed,
for it can swing to either a3 or c3.}) 20... Rxa4 21. Qxa4 Nxe4 {Black goes up
a pawn, but the quality of pawns is often more important than their quantity.
At this juncture, Karjakin had no superior options, but his position is
hanging on by a thread.} 22. Rc1 Bd5 23. b5 {Karjakin drops well under five
minutes, and his position is incredibly difficult. If he holds this, he really
is a magician. Carlsen has over 13 minutes remaining.} cxb5 {Karjakin feared
the b-pawn, so he exchanges some pieces. Carlsen gets two bishops for a rook
and pawn, leaving Karjakin begging for a draw.} (23... c5 24. Ng5 $1 {
undermines the Black defense. The passed b-pawn is a menace.} (24. Bc4 {
might be even more powerful. The bishop on d5 is the piece holding the
position together, so once that goes, Black is in grave danger.})) 24. Qxe4 {
The point. Karjakin can't capture the queen, or else end up down a bishop for
two pawns in an ending.} Qxc1 (24... Bxe4 25. Rxc7 {is winning for White.}) 25.
Qxd5 Qc7 (25... Qb2 {doesn't actually defend the pawn, so Black remains in
trouble after} 26. Bxb5) 26. Qxb5 (26. Bxb5 Rd8 27. Qe4 {was certainly
possible.}) 26... Rb8 27. Qd5 Rd8 28. Qb3 {Carlsen is zig-zagging with his
queen, trying to get out of range of the enemy rook. If the queens get traded,
Karjakin's drawing chances increase exponentially.} Rb8 29. Qa2 {Safety at
last.} h6 {Necessary, preventing Ng5 ideas.} 30. Qd5 Qe7 (30... Rd8 31. Qe4 Rd1
32. g3 {And slowly but sure, the white pieces will find their way into the
action. The pin isn't problematic because the queen can't find its way into
the attack of f1.}) 31. Qe4 {The perfect square for the queen. Now white is
aiming to play h3-h4-h5, dislodging the knight from its defense of the e5 pawn.
Another idea is Bc4, pressuring the vulnerable f7 square.} Qf6 {Played with 26
seconds left (gaining 10 seconds to get to 36). If Magnus keeps pressure on
both the board and on the clock, the win should be his.} 32. g3 {Carlsen takes
his time. His plan is very simple and the move order is not of significance
because Karjakin has no active counter attack.} Rc8 33. Bd3 Qc6 34. Qf5 Re8 {
After this move, Karjakin has 48 seconds. Carlsen intelligently uses his time,
since he is well ahead on the clock. With a few precise moves, the game and
the inside track to the title are his.} 35. Be4 {Carlsen misses a beautiful
opportunity. But his winning chances remain excellent. Still, the start of a
wrong plan.} (35. h4 e4 36. Nd4 (36. Bb5 Qe6 {keeps Karjakin in the game.
Queen trades increase drawing chances for black, since the white queen is
useful in the attack and queens are poor defenders since they are so valuable.}
) 36... Qa8 37. Bc2 {has not changed the evaluation. White is well ahead, with
Black praying for survival.}) (35. Nh4 $1 {Is now possible, breaking open the
diagonal to launch an attack.} Nxh4 36. Qh7+ Kf8 37. Be4 $1 {Black's queen is
under attack and must defend the c5 square or else checkmate ensues. The
knight will be taken next move, since} Nf3+ 38. Bxf3 Qxf3 39. Bc5+ Re7 40. Qh8#
{is checkmate.}) 35... Qe6 36. Qh5 Ne7 37. Qxe5 $6 {Wow, a surprising decision.
White is still nearly won, but this makes life harder. Why trade queens when
you have a massive time edge and are better on the board? It just makes
Karjakin's decision-making easier.} (37. Ng5 {was a possible attacking chance.
The knight is immune, because} hxg5 38. Qh7+ Kf8 39. Qh8+ Ng8 40. Bc5+ Re7 41.
Bh7 {nets White at least an extra piece.}) 37... Qxe5 38. Nxe5 Ng6 39. Bxg6
Rxe5 40. Bd3 {And Carlsen has to prove a win once again. He will need his king
to join the attack, preferably on g6.} f6 41. Kg2 Kh8 42. Kf3 Rd5 43. Bg6 Ra5
44. Ke4 Rb5 45. h4 Re5+ {The rook aims to cut the king off from the fifth rank,
but it is outmaneuvered by two bishops.} 46. Kd4 Ra5 47. Kc4 Re5 48. Bd4 Ra5
49. Bc5 Kg8 50. Kd5 Rb5 51. Kd6 Ra5 52. Be3 Re5 53. Bf4 Ra5 54. Bd3 Ra7 55. Ke6
Rb7 56. Kf5 {Here comes the king.} Rd7 57. Bc2 Rb7 58. Kg6 {The king has
reached its destination. Now Black is lost, but Carlsen likely did not have to
give up the f-pawn.} Rb2 59. Bf5 Rxf2 60. Be6+ Kh8 61. Bd6 Re2 {After this
move, Carlsen dipped below two minutes. He seems nervous.} 62. Bg4 $4 {The
culprit. Moving the king up was winning.} (62. Kf7 {was winning. The engines
can see this position to mate.}) 62... Re8 63. Bf5 Kg8 64. Bc2 Re3 65. Bb1 {
Carlsen is now dilly-dallying, hoping Karjakin will go wrong in time trouble.
The position is easier to attack than defend.} Kh8 66. Kf7 Rb3 67. Be4 {
Karjakin drops under 10 seconds. A huge time scramble.} Re3 {Played with 7
seconds on the clock.} 68. Bf5 Rc3 69. g4 (69. Bf8 {can't be played, but not
because it hangs the pawn, while allowing the rook to defend g7.} Rc7+ (69...
Rxg3 70. h5)) 69... Rc6 70. Bf8 Rc7+ 71. Kg6 Kg8 72. Bb4 Rb7 73. Bd6 (73. Be6+
{was winning, easily. The king is boxed into the corner.} Kh8 74. Bf8 f5 {
Black has nothing better.} 75. gxf5 h5 76. f6 gxf6 77. Bf7 Rxf7 78. Kxf7) 73...
Kh8 74. Bf8 Kg8 75. Ba3 Kh8 76. Be6 Rb6 77. Kf7 Rb7+ 78. Be7 {The king has
surrounded itself with defenders. But can progress be made?} h5 $3 {draws!
This is Karjakin's move this match!The point is that if white captures,
Karjakin can capture the bishop on e7 with a theoretical draw. Wrong color
bishop remains! Just wow!!} 79. gxh5 f5 80. Bxf5 Rxe7+ 81. Kxe7 Kg8 82. Bd3 Kh8
83. Kf8 g5 84. hxg6 {Unbelievable! Karjakin holds the draw thanks to stalemate.
} 1/2-1/2
[Event "2016 World Ch. Tiebreak | New York, USA"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2818"]
[BlackElo "2894"]
[Annotator "Hess, R"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2016.11.30"]
{Following a quick draw in the 12th and final classical game of the match,
challenger Sergey Karjakin gets the white pieces against Magnus Carlsen in the
first game of the rapid time control. This would seem to be an advantage,
except that the victorious party in their decisive match-ups is more
frequently the player moving second.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6
5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 O-O 9. Nc3 {This isn't their first rodeo
in this line. Both players are familiar with the intricacies of the variation,
considering this has appeared in several games already.} Nb8 {The move might
seem strange, but White has not exactly been pushing hard. Carlsen hopes to
control the center with his next move, c5. In game 2 he played 9...Na5 and in
game 11 he went for 9...Be6.} 10. Ne2 (10. d4 exd4 (10... Nbd7 {is solid, but
if that's Black's best then why not expand?}) 11. Nxd4 c5 12. Nde2 {This
includes mutual concessions. Black will have a permanently weak d5 square,
while White might find his bishop running facing a wall of pawns after Black
plays c4.}) 10... c5 11. Ng3 Nc6 12. c3 Rb8 13. h3 {Karjakin briefly hesitated
before making this push, preventing the bishop from heading to g4. This pin
would be annoying, for at some point White would like to play d3-d4.} a5 {
Carlsen looks to break on the queenside with b4. Karjakin does not hesitate
before creating some loose light squares.} 14. a4 b4 15. Re1 Be6 16. Bc4 {
Smart. Karjakin refuses to end the tension on the diagonal, as both sides play
chicken. Carlsen can ruin White's pawn structure, but the repercussions are
quite great.} (16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. d4 bxc3 18. bxc3 exd4 19. cxd4 Nxd4 20. Nxd4
cxd4 21. Qxd4 {is pleasant for Black. White has the advantage of just two pawn
islands, though the benefit of having three for Black is a semi-open f-file to
work with. The position, objectively, is level.}) 16... h6 (16... Bxc4 17. dxc4
bxc3 18. bxc3 {is not aesthetically pleasing, but looks can be deceiving.
White's pawns control all the vital squares, while White's knights have many
holes to work with. Nf5 can come, eventually a knight might find its way to d5,
and, amusingly, Nd2-b1-a3-b5 is not out of the question. Black's bishop on e7
is a dud and Carlsen's other pieces do not have squares to flourish.
Counterplay down the b-file is not easy to come by; thus, Karjakin would hold
all the strategic pluses.}) 17. Be3 {Keeping the tension. Now Black has to
keep the idea of Bxe6 followed by d3-d4 firmly in mind.} Qc8 18. Qe2 {Both
players defend their bishops} Rd8 (18... d5 {Has to be considered, but
unfortunately for Carlsen it undermines the defense of the pawn on e5.} 19. Bb5
{creates discomfort in the black camp.}) 19. Bxe6 {Apparently now is the right
time to swap bishops. Now the choice is Carlsen's: to capture with the pawn,
restricting the knight's access to the f5 square but compromising the pawn
structure or to capture with the queen, which keeps the pawns undoubled but
allows the knight on g3 to hop into f5.} fxe6 {A drawback of Carlsen's 18th
move is that his rook is not able to take advantage of the newly opened f-file.
} (19... Qxe6 {is not impossible, but the game continuation feels more natural.
}) 20. d4 bxc3 {Needed, or else Black lacks space. There is little point to
have the rook on b8 if the file is left closed. Now a series of trades is
forced.} (20... cxd4 21. cxd4 {gives Karjakin an annoying edge. Black's pieces
struggle to find better squares, whereas White's gameplan is more
straightforward.}) 21. bxc3 cxd4 22. cxd4 exd4 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Bxd4 Rb4 {
Necessary counterplay, lest White quickly strike with e4-e5.} (24... Qd7 25. e5
dxe5 26. Bxe5 Rbc8 {leaves Black with two weak pawns, indicating a nice edge
for White. The pawn on e6 is not easy to defend and the black kingside is a
bit loose (the g6 square is unprotected, the bishop on e5 controls most vital
squares, the white minor pieces are simultaneously attacking and defending).})
25. Rec1 (25. Qe3 Qc6 {or Qa6 or Rd7 and maybe even d5 (and a few others moves)
all keep the balance.}) 25... Qd7 {Now rapid exchanges occur, liquidating the
board of all four rooks and the queenside rook pawns.} 26. Bc3 Rxa4 27. Bxa5
Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Ra8 29. Bc3 Rxa1+ 30. Bxa1 Qc6 31. Kh2 Kf7 {Why not bring the
king into the center? White does not have an army of pieces to attack with,
and from here the king both protects the pawn on e6 and ensures that the white
queen will never find its way to g6.} 32. Bb2 (32. f4 Qc1 {Attacking both the
bishop on a1 and the pawn on f4, thus forcing} 33. Bxf6 Bxf6 34. e5 (34. f5 {
is too risky because the bishop can sit on e5 with a nasty pin.}) 34... dxe5
35. fxe5 Bg5 36. h4 Bf4 37. Qf3 {should lead to a draw, but only White can be
in trouble here.}) (32. e5 dxe5 33. Bxe5 Bd6 {keeps the balance.}) 32... Qc5 (
32... d5 $6 {has to be considered. It does feel a bit weakening, and Black
must consider both the pawn push to e5 and the capture on f6. Because the
black kingside is somewhat vulnerable, a move like this requires proper
calculation.}) 33. f4 {Now Sergey launches his pawn forward, as it is
untouchable. The important question is how dangerous is the threat of e4-e5,
attacking the knight on e5 and cutting the black queen's protection of the h5
square.} Bd8 {Carlsen demonstrates that he is unafraid of the consequences of
Karjakin's advance. He is imitating his opponent: sitting tight in a slightly
worse position.} 34. e5 (34. Qd1 {was a bit more deliberate. But Karjakin
likely did not want to waste time when his own king can become victim to an
attack if things go awry.} Bb6 {already starts to feel like the game is
turning in black's favor.}) 34... dxe5 35. Bxe5 Bb6 {This move threatens
checkmate with Qg1. Moreover, Carlsen's king can hardly be considered to be in
danger with so few pieces remaining.} 36. Qd1 {covering the g1 square and
maintaining hopes of infiltrating on the d-file. Carlsen now can just follow
his queen to the file of his opponent. The game should be a simple draw.} Qd5
37. Qxd5 Nxd5 {And with that the players shake hands. Carlsen holds
comfortably.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "AGON FWCM 2016-Tiebreak"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} a6 {2 Magnus has stuck to the closed
variation of the Ruy Lopez throughout the match and sees no reason to deviate.}
4. Ba4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 5. O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} Be7 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} 6. d3 {0 This has been Karjakin's main weapon in this match.
Truth be told, in none of the classical games he got an advantage.} b5 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} 7. Bb3 {[%emt 0:00:01]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 8. a3 {[%emt 0:00:
02]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:03]} 9. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:01]} Nb8 $5 {10 In the style of
the Breyer. The knight will reroute itself to d7 and the bishop will go to b7.
However, in the game when Karjakin moved his knight from c3, Carlsen changed
his idea to c5 followed by Nc6 as then the d5 square is not so weak.} (9... Na5
{was played by Carlsen in the third classical game of the match which was
easily drawn.}) 10. Ne2 {135 Karjakin thought for two minutes here which meant
that he was trying to recollect his analysis.} c5 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 11. Ng3 {
[%emt 0:00:15]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 12. c3 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Rb8 {[%emt 0:00:
48]} 13. h3 {[%emt 0:00:46]} (13. Nf5 $6 Bxf5 $1 14. exf5 d5 $15 {Black has a
very comfortable position.}) 13... a5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 14. a4 {100} b4 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} 15. Re1 {214} Be6 {101} 16. Bc4 {177} (16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. d4
bxc3 18. bxc3 cxd4 19. cxd4 exd4 20. Nxd4 Nxd4 21. Qxd4 Rb4 $132 {And Black
has good counterplay.}) 16... h6 {128} 17. Be3 {117} Qc8 {184} 18. Qe2 {110}
Rd8 {[%emt 0:00:52]} 19. Bxe6 {92} fxe6 {83} 20. d4 {2 This leads to mass
exchanges and an equal position.} bxc3 {[%emt 0:00:41]} 21. bxc3 {[%emt 0:00:
01]} cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 22. cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} exd4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 23.
Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 24. Bxd4 {1 Structurally White is
slightly better, but it is nothing much. Black has the activity beginning with
Rb4. He can also put pressure on the a4 pawn and hence, this shouldn't be much
for White.} Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 25. Rec1 {149} Qd7 {[%emt 0:00:26]} 26. Bc3 {
[%emt 0:00:09]} Rxa4 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 27. Bxa5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Rxa1 {[%emt 0:
00:07]} 28. Rxa1 {2 After this exchange of the queenside pawns and a pair of
rooks the game peters out to a draw.} Ra8 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 29. Bc3 {[%emt 0:00:
23]} Rxa1+ {[%emt 0:00:07]} 30. Bxa1 {[%emt 0:00:01]} Qc6 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 31.
Kh2 {[%emt 0:00:38]} (31. Bxf6 Bxf6 {Black cannot be worse in such a position
as he always has the opportunity to create a passer with d5.}) 31... Kf7 {284}
32. Bb2 {161} Qc5 {[%emt 0:00:33]} 33. f4 {[%emt 0:00:44]} Bd8 {77} 34. e5 {119
} dxe5 {[%emt 0:00:49]} 35. Bxe5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Bb6 {150} 36. Qd1 {[%emt 0:
00:01]} Qd5 {[%emt 0:00:26]} 37. Qxd5 {[%emt 0:00:49]} Nxd5 {2 White seemed
ever so slightly better in this game, but the advantage never really went out
of proportion and Magnus was able to draw without too many difficulties.}
1/2-1/2
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.4"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B55"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} c5 {1 Finally a Sicilian! Well in a must win situation
Berlin wouldn't be the ideal choice, would it?} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} d6 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 3. d4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 4. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 5. f3 $5 {0 Sergey was ready to go for a Najdorf,
but Magnus decides to take the game into a Maroczy bind territory.} e5 {
[%emt 0:00:25]} 6. Nb3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:40]} (6... d5 7. Bg5 $1
) 7. c4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} a5 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 8. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} a4 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} 9. Nc1 {[%emt 0:00:04]} O-O {64} 10. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:26]} Qa5 {
85} 11. Qd2 {99 This is just the kind of position Magnus needs in the last
game.} Na6 {296} 12. Be2 {[%emt 0:00:55]} Nc5 {[%emt 0:00:28]} 13. O-O {
[%emt 0:00:56]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:00:37]} 14. Rb1 {[%emt 0:00:56]} (14. Nd3 $14)
14... Rfc8 {113} 15. b4 $1 {[%emt 0:00:29]} axb3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 16. axb3 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} (16. Nxb3 $5 {looks ugly but is clearly possible.} Qa3 17. Nxc5
dxc5 18. Rxb7 $16) 16... Qd8 {[%emt 0:00:55]} 17. Nd3 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Ne6 {
19 Karjakin has to retain pieces in order to play for a win.} 18. Nb4 {[%emt 0:
00:04]} Bc6 {[%emt 0:00:24]} 19. Rfd1 {[%emt 0:00:27]} h5 {27 This is
practically the only active plan that Black has at his disposal - h5-h4 and
Nh5-f4.} 20. Bf1 {258} h4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 21. Qf2 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Nd7 {
[%emt 0:00:30]} 22. g3 {136} Ra3 {286} 23. Bh3 {[%emt 0:00:58]} Rca8 {[%emt 0:
00:04]} 24. Nc2 {[%emt 0:00:57]} R3a6 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 25. Nb4 {[%emt 0:00:05]}
Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 26. Nc2 {53 Magnus enjoys this little knight dance as
Karjakin is in a must win situation.} b6 {[%emt 0:00:35]} 27. Rd2 {136} Qc7 {
383} 28. Rbd1 {[%emt 0:00:21]} Bf8 {71} 29. gxh4 {64} Nf4 {[%emt 0:00:47]} 30.
Bxf4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} exf4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 31. Bxd7 {[%emt 0:00:28]} Qxd7 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} 32. Nb4 {91} Ra3 {80} (32... Bb7 33. Nbd5 $18) 33. Nxc6 {239}
Qxc6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 34. Nb5 {14 Black has overstretched and White has a
clear advantage.} Rxb3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 35. Nd4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Qxc4 {[%emt 0:
00:01]} 36. Nxb3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Qxb3 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 37. Qe2 $16 {25 A very
pleasant position to be in for Magnus. Absolutely no chances to lose the game.}
Be7 {[%emt 0:00:28]} 38. Kg2 {[%emt 0:00:50]} Qe6 {[%emt 0:00:38]} 39. h5 {
[%emt 0:00:08]} Ra3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 40. Rd3 {[%emt 0:00:49]} Ra2 {[%emt 0:00:
01]} 41. R3d2 {[%emt 0:00:05]} Ra3 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 42. Rd3 {[%emt 0:00:02]}
Ra7 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 43. Rd5 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Rc7 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 44. Qd2 {
[%emt 0:00:28]} Qf6 {[%emt 0:00:27]} 45. Rf5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Qh4 {[%emt 0:00:
01]} 46. Rc1 {[%emt 0:00:21]} Ra7 {[%emt 0:00:18]} 47. Qxf4 {61} Ra2+ {[%emt 0:
00:10]} 48. Kh1 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Qf2 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 49. Rc8+ {[%emt 0:00:29]}
Kh7 {2 How should White finish off the game?} 50. Qh6+ $3 {2 What a nice way
to become the World Champion!} 1-0
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2853"]
[BlackElo "2772"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "167"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 3. Bc4 {0 Carlsen understands that going for Bb5 would land
into Berlin territory. Giuoco Piano seems to be the right choice to play for a
win.} Bc5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 4. O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 5. d3 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:03]} 6. a4 {2 Bg5, c3, Nc3 are the main moves
in this position.} a6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 7. c3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:
24]} 8. Re1 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Ba7 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 9. h3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Ne7 {
6 The knight is rerouted to g6 and is a common manoeuvre in such positions.}
10. d4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} Ng6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 11. Nbd2 {[%emt 0:00:09]} c6 {88}
12. Bf1 {[%emt 0:00:24]} a5 {236 This was perhaps not the smartest of moves as
it now allows White to exchange on e5 and plant his knight on c4.} (12... Re8 {
was better.}) 13. dxe5 {373} dxe5 {75} 14. Qc2 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Be6 {159} 15.
Nc4 $14 {[%emt 0:00:38]} Qc7 {[%emt 0:00:49]} 16. b4 $1 {73 Carlsen expands on
the queenside and takes some space.} (16. Be3 {is possible but pretty
unamabitious.}) 16... axb4 {166} 17. cxb4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} b5 {[%emt 0:00:01]}
18. Ne3 {116} (18. axb5 $6 Bxf2+ $1 19. Qxf2 Rxa1 20. b6 Qb8 21. Ncxe5 Nxe5 22.
Nxe5 Qxe5 23. Bb2 Qxb2 $1 24. Qxb2 Rxe1 $19) 18... bxa4 {423} 19. Rxa4 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} Bxe3 {14 Karjakin tries to simplify the position.} 20. Bxe3 $5
{233 It's moves like these that confuse your opponent. By giving up the e4
pawn, Magnus spiced up the game.} (20. Rxe3 Rxa4 21. Qxa4 $16 {White has an
excellent position and is better, but maybe Magnus was expecting more.}) 20...
Rxa4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 21. Qxa4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Nxe4 {[%emt 0:00:36]} 22. Rc1 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} (22. b5 Nc3 23. b6 Nxa4 24. bxc7 Rc8 $11 {and Black can make a
draw.}) 22... Bd5 {[%emt 0:00:40]} 23. b5 $1 {[%emt 0:00:07]} cxb5 $2 {140
This is obviously a mistake.} (23... c5 {was the most obvious move but with
the outside passer, white has great compensation.} 24. Bc4 $14) (23... Nd6 24.
b6 Qb7 25. Nd2 $14) 24. Qxe4 $1 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Qxc1 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 25. Qxd5
{1 White has two pieces for a rook and a clearly preferable position.} Qc7 {73}
26. Qxb5 {[%emt 0:00:30]} Rb8 {4 If Black can exchange the queens then it
would be a clear draw. However Magnus makes sure to keep them on the board.}
27. Qd5 {[%emt 0:00:18]} Rd8 {70} 28. Qb3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Rb8 {[%emt 0:00:20]}
29. Qa2 {[%emt 0:00:13]} h6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 30. Qd5 {63} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:51]}
31. Qe4 {[%emt 0:00:44]} Qf6 {[%emt 0:00:49]} 32. g3 {[%emt 0:00:49]} Rc8 {
[%emt 0:00:06]} 33. Bd3 {63} Qc6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 34. Qf5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Re8
{[%emt 0:00:07]} 35. Be4 {287} Qe6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 36. Qh5 {66} Ne7 {[%emt 0:
00:03]} 37. Qxe5 $6 {65 This queen exchange eases Sergey's defensive task.
Objectively Magnus must still be winning but Black's moves are now easier to
make.} (37. Ng5 $5 {This move would have been tricky for Karjakin to meet as
he had very little time on his clock.} Qc4 $1 (37... hxg5 38. Qh7+ Kf8 39. Qh8+
Ng8 40. Bc5+ Re7 41. Bh7 $18) 38. Bh7+ Kf8 39. Ne4 Qe6 (39... Qd5 40. Nf6 $1
$18) 40. Nc5 Qd5 41. Be4 $18) 37... Qxe5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 38. Nxe5 {[%emt 0:00:
02]} Ng6 $1 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 39. Bxg6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Rxe5 {1 Sergey who was
very short of time was relieved to reach this endgame. He now made a few quick
rook moves and gained time on his clock.} 40. Bd3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} f6 {63} 41.
Kg2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 42. Kf3 {[%emt 0:00:22]} Rd5 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 43. Bg6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 44. Ke4 {[%emt 0:
00:09]} Rb5 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 45. h4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Re5+ {[%emt 0:00:02]} 46.
Kd4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 47. Kc4 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Re5 {
[%emt 0:00:21]} 48. Bd4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 49. Bc5 {[%emt 0:
00:02]} Kg8 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 50. Kd5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} Rb5 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 51.
Kd6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 52. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:17]} Re5 {
[%emt 0:00:08]} 53. Bf4 {[%emt 0:00:29]} Ra5 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 54. Bd3 {[%emt 0:
00:38]} Ra7 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 55. Ke6 {[%emt 0:00:05]} Rb7 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 56.
Kf5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Rd7 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 57. Bc2 {[%emt 0:00:13]} Rb7 {
[%emt 0:00:09]} 58. Kg6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} (58. Be4 $1 {not losing the f2 pawn
made more sense.}) 58... Rb2 {23 White loses the f2 pawn, but he is able to
launch an attack on the Black king.} 59. Bf5 $1 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Rxf2 {[%emt 0:
00:16]} 60. Be6+ {[%emt 0:00:01]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 61. Bd6 {31 There is no
easy way to prevent Bf8.} Re2 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 62. Bg4 $2 {122} (62. Kf7 $1 {
followed by Bf8 would have sealed the game in white's favour.} Rb2 63. Bf8 Rb7+
64. Kg6 $18 {with Bf7 coming up.} f5 65. Bc5 $1 (65. Bxf5 Rb6+ 66. Kh5 Rf6 $11)
65... h5 66. Bd4 Rc7 67. Bxf5 $18) 62... Re8 $1 {17 Now it is not so easy to
win for White.} 63. Bf5 {[%emt 0:00:25]} Kg8 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 64. Bc2 {[%emt 0:
00:28]} Re3 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 65. Bb1 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:28]} 66.
Kf7 {[%emt 0:00:17]} Rb3 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 67. Be4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Re3 {
[%emt 0:00:27]} 68. Bf5 {[%emt 0:00:23]} Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 69. g4 {[%emt 0:
00:17]} Rc6 {[%emt 0:00:16]} 70. Bf8 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Rc7+ {[%emt 0:00:03]} 71.
Kg6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Kg8 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 72. Bb4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Rb7 $2 {
[%emt 0:00:06]} (72... Rc6 $1) 73. Bd6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} (73. Be6+ Kh8 74. Bf8
$18) 73... Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 74. Bf8 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Kg8 {[%emt 0:00:02]}
75. Ba3 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 76. Be6 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Rb6 {
[%emt 0:00:06]} 77. Kf7 {[%emt 0:00:16]} Rb7+ {[%emt 0:00:02]} 78. Be7 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} h5 {58 This is precisely the reason why Sergey is considered
to be one of the best defenders in the world. He instantly spots the drawing
fortress.} 79. gxh5 {[%emt 0:00:39]} f5 {[%emt 0:00:03]} (79... Rxe7+ $1 80.
Kxe7 f5 $11) 80. Bxf5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} Rxe7+ $1 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 81. Kxe7 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} Kg8 {1 There is no way for White to make progress.} 82. Bd3 {
[%emt 0:00:03]} Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 83. Kf8 {[%emt 0:00:02]} g5 {[%emt 0:00:
05]} 84. hxg6 {A fantastic defensive effort by Sergey.} 1/2-1/2
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.30"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 4. Ba4 {[%emt 0:00:
00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 5. O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 6. d3 {
[%emt 0:00:00]} b5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 7. Bb3 d6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 8. a3 {[%emt 0:
00:00]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:05]} 9. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Na5 {2 After a brief
stint with Nb8 in game one of the rapids, Magnus goes back to Na5.} 10. Ba2 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 11. b4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:
24]} 12. Nd5 {[%emt 0:00:32]} Nd4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 13. Ng5 {196} Bxd5 {248} 14.
exd5 {3 Black has the kingside pawn majority in return for giving up his
bishop.} Nd7 {[%emt 0:00:31]} (14... Nxd5 $2 15. Nxf7 $18) 15. Ne4 {[%emt 0:00:
37]} f5 {[%emt 0:00:38]} 16. Nd2 {[%emt 0:00:08]} f4 {6 Magnus goes for a full
throttle attack. True this looks dangerous, but White has the bishop pair and
can push away the knight from d4 with c3 and should be fine.} 17. c3 {136} Nf5
{[%emt 0:00:18]} 18. Ne4 {204} Qe8 $1 {24 The queen makes its way to the
kingside.} 19. Bb3 {170 This move prepares ideas like a4 or even Ra2 defending
the kingside along the second rank.} Qg6 {90} 20. f3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} Bh4 {194}
21. a4 {90} Nf6 {11 The knight could jump to h5 and later sacrifice itself on
g3.} 22. Qe2 {149} a5 $1 {35 An excellent move by Magnus made almost without
thinking. He makes full use of the chess board. One of the main reasons why
this move works is because if the c3 pawn moves then Nd4 is a strong move.} 23.
axb5 {256} (23. bxa5 Rxa5 $1 $11 (23... b4 24. cxb4 Nd4 25. Qb2 $16)) 23...
axb4 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 24. Bd2 {135} bxc3 {84} 25. Bxc3 {2 White's pawns are
ugly, but he has the bishop pair. Black should be slightly better but nothing
terrible.} Ne3 {[%emt 0:00:42]} 26. Rfc1 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Rxa1 {154} 27. Rxa1 {
[%emt 0:00:13]} Qe8 {[%emt 0:00:36]} 28. Bc4 {[%emt 0:00:29]} Kh8 {73} (28...
Nfxd5 29. Qa2 $44) 29. Nxf6 {134} Bxf6 {[%emt 0:00:18]} (29... gxf6 $17 {
would have been an excellent decision to get the open g-file for the rook to
attack.}) 30. Ra3 {[%emt 0:00:23]} e4 $1 {85 A superb positional pawn
sacrifice by Carlsen.} 31. dxe4 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Bxc3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 32. Rxc3
{[%emt 0:00:01]} Qe5 {2 White has complete domination on the dark squares and
the bishop on c4 looks pretty silly.} 33. Rc1 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Ra8 {[%emt 0:00:
20]} 34. h3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} h6 {84} 35. Kh2 {[%emt 0:00:13]} Qd4 {[%emt 0:00:
28]} 36. Qe1 $5 {72} Qb2 $1 {[%emt 0:00:39]} (36... Nxc4 37. Qb4 $16) 37. Bf1 {
[%emt 0:00:05]} Ra2 {15 Black has tremendous pressure on the position. The
only way to defend here was Rb1 but Karjakin didn't find it.} 38. Rxc7 $2 {94}
(38. Rb1 Qf6 $17 {And Black has the initiative and the attack but the game is
not over yet.}) 38... Ra1 $1 {20 The bishop is lost and so is the game.
Karjakin resigned. Magnus leads 2.0-1.0.} 0-1