The Taming of Chance

Fabiano Caruana – Alexander Igorevich Grischuk
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 18, 2018
Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. Re1 d6 7. a4 Kh8 8. Nc3 Ng8 9. Nd5 f5 10. h3 fxe4 11. dxe4 Nf6 12. a5 a6 13. Ra3. Here’s just a brevity: 13. Ng5!? Nxd5 14. Nxh7 Nf4?? (14. ... Rf4! 15. Qxd5 Nb4!) 15. Nxf8 1 : 0 A. Rombaldoni – Timmermans, 14th Unive Open, Hoogeveen 2010. 13. ... Be6!? Not surprisingly, Grischuk provides a providential improvement on 13. ... Nxd5? 14. exd5 Nb8 15. Bd3 Nd7 16. c4± Howell – Pavlidis, 22nd World Youth Chess Championship U18, Vũng Tàu 2008. 14. Nxf6 Bxc4 15. Nd5 Bb5 16. Be3 Qd7 17. Nd2 Nd8 18. c4 Bc6 19. Qg4 Ne6 20. b4 Rae8 21. Nf3 Bd8 22. h4 h6 23. h5. Caruana pushes hard for a win. 23. ... Nd4 24. Qxd7 Nxf3+ 25. gxf3 Bxd7 26. Kg2 Rf7 27. Rh1 Ref8 28. Bc1 c6 29. Nb6 Be6 30. Rd1 Bxb6. Grischuk, very short of time as usual, judges — perhaps too hastily — the ensuing Rook and Bishops of opposite colours is drawn; he may be right, but White can hold the cards as long as he pleases. 30. ... Bc7(!) seems to offer ground for interesting complications. 31. axb6 Rf6 32. Rad3 Bxc4. 32. ... Rd8(!) 33. f4 Bxc4 34. fxe5 Bxd3 35. exf6 Bxe4+ 36. f3 Bd5 37. Bb2 Re8 38. fxg7+ Kg8 may be a simpler way of drawing (Stockfish’s analysis). 33. Rxd6 Rxf3 34. Be3 R3f7 35. R1d2 Kh7 36. Rd7 Rxd7 37. Rxd7 Rf7 38. Rc7! Be6 39. Bd2 g6 40. Bc3 g5 41. Bxe5 Kg8 42. f3 Bb3? With the tricky threat of ... Bb3-d1, but it could have proved to be a lost tempo.

43. Kf2? However strange it may appear, Stockfish’s mandatory transition to a pure ending with Bishops of opposite colour with 43. Bd6! (Δ Bd6-e7) 43. ... Rxc7 44. bxc7 Be6 45. f4! gxf4 (otherwise f4-f5 follows) 46. Bxf4 Kg7 47. Be3! followed by the penetration of White’s King along the dark squares could well have been White’s best chance to win. 43. ... Be6. Gone crazy and back again. Suddenly Grischuk realises that after 43. ... Bd1? 44. Bd6! White would win on the spot. 44. Ke3 Kf8 45. f4 gxf4+ 46. Bxf4 Ke8 47. Bxh6 Bg4 48. Bf4 Bxh5 49. Rc8+ Kd7 50. Rh8 Bg4 51. Bc7 Rf3+ 52. Kd4 Rh3 53. Rb8 c5+ 54. bxc5 Kc6 55. Bd6 Bd7 56. Ke5 Rh6 57. Rg8 a5 58. Kf4 a4 59. Ra8 Rh4+ 60. Ke3 Kb5 61. e5 Bc6 62. Kd3 Rh3+ 63. Kd2 Rh2+ 64. Kd3 Rh3+ 65. Kd2 Rh2+ 66. Kd3 Rh3+ 67. Kd2 ½ : ½.