Coming to America

Fabiano Caruana – Michael Roiz
30th European Club Cup; Bilbao, September 17, 2014
Spanish C95

Notes by Grandmaster Ian Rogers, Chess Life Online, September 19, 2014

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0 9. h3 Nb8. The Breyer Variation, an old Spassky favourite. The chess world has seen so many Berlin variations (3. ... Nf6) in recent years that the old main line seems like a pleasant novelty. 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. a4 Nb6!? 15. ... c5 is more usual, though Roiz was no doubt expecting the standard reply to 15. ... Nb6, 16. b3. 16. a5!? Ed. Note: For 16. b3 Bg7 17. a5 Nbd7 18. d5 see Motylev – Ivanchuk, Russia vs. Rest of the World, Moscow 2002. 16. ... Nbd7 17. b4 Bg7? A serious mistake according to Caruana; the d6 Pawn needs support. 18. d5! Qb8 19. Bb3! Nf8 20. Ra2 c6. Without this Black will have no plan; with it, he activates White’s pieces. 21. dxc6 Bxc6 22. Rd2 Rd8 23. Rd3! Rd7. The more harmonious 23. ... Ra7 loses to 24. Nxe5!. 24. Ng5! Qc7 25. Be3 h6

26. Nxf7!! The point behind Caruana’s plan. Black will be tied in knots. 26. ... Rxf7 27. Rxd6 Be8 28. Bb6 Qb7. After 28. ... Qxc3 29. Bc5! the Black Queen will be trapped. 29. f4! N6d7 30. f5 Nxb6 31. axb6 Kh7 32. Bd5 Qb8 33. Bxa8 Qxa8 34. Rf1 gxf5 35. Rxf5 Qb8 36. Rxf7 Bxf7 37. Nf5 1 : 0. An early resignation, but White dominates the board.

• Leontxo García, Caruana es el príncipe, El País, September 19, 2014