Carolingian Empire

Magnus Carlsen – Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik
2nd Vugar Gashimov Memorial; Shamkir, April 24, 2015
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. 0-0 d6 7. h3 Ne7 8. d4 Bb6 9. Bd3. If 9. Re1 then 9. ... d5 10. Nxe5 Nxe4 11. Nd2 Nd6 12. Bf1 c6 with equality, Movsesian – Karjakin, FIDE World Rapid Championship, Dubai 2014. 9. ... d5!? A novelty. After 9. ... Ng6 10. Re1 Nh5 11. Bg5 f6 12. Be3 Nhf4 13. Bf1 c6 14. Nbd2 Bc7 the position is double-edged, Areshchenko – Ragger, Warsaw 2014. 10. Nbd2. 10. Nxe5 Nxe4 leads nowhere. 10. ... dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Bxe4 exd4 13. Qc2 h6 14. a4 c6 15. Rd1 Nd5 16. Nxd4 Re8

17. a5!? “Very interesting Pawn sacrifice now with Carlsen playing 17. a5!?”, Tarjei J. Svensen said. 17. ... Bxa5. “Kramnik accepts the challenge, although as he noted after the game, 17. ... Bc7 was also fine”, the guys of Chess-News.ru said. 18. Nf3! “Many tricks in Carlsen – Kramnik after 17. ... Bxa5 18. Nf3!; for instance: 18. ... Qc7 19. Bxd5 cxd5 20. Qa4! winning a piece”, Grandmaster Erwin l’Ami said. 18. ... b5! “Apparently Kramnik has to find 18. ... b5! when I think Carlsen will continue 19. c4 bxc4 20. Qxc4 Bb7 21. Bb1!? with good attacking chances”, l’Ami said. 19. Nd4 Bc7? “Kramnik succumbed to the pressure; better was 19. ... Bb7 and I see nothing special: 20. Bxd5 (20. Nf5 Bc7) 20. ... cxd5 21. Nxb5 a6 22. Nd4 Bc7 it is all fine”, Grandmaster Aleksander Delchev said. “That is what I planned. Why I changed my mind I cannot explain. I started calculating the consequences of 19. ... Bc7 but I seem to be in such poor form that I missed a great deal”, then Kramnik said. 20. Nxc6 Qd6 21. g3 Bb7 22. Bf4! A powerful zwischenszug! Black was hoping really for 22. Bxd5 Bxc6 23. Bxf7+?? Kxf7 24. Rxd6?? Re1+ 25. Kh2 Rh1 mate? 22. ... Qxc6. After 22. ... Qd7 23. Nb4 Bxf4 24. Nxd5 Bd6 25. Nf6+ gxf6 26. Bxb7 Qxb7 27. Rxd6 White stands clearly better, but now Black is simply lost. 23. Bxd5 Re1+ 24. Kh2 Qxd5 25. Rxd5 Rxa1 26. Rd1 Rxd1 27. Qxd1. “Wow! Carlsen should have a completely winning position against Kramnik now. Magnus on 5½/7!”, Svensen exulted. 27. ... Rd8 28. Qe2. “Kramnik has no chances for saving the game here, I think soon Black will resign. He falls as another victim of the energy and power play of the World Champion”, Delchev said. 28. ... Bb6 29. Be3 Bxe3 30. Qxe3 Rd1 31. g4 Bc6 32. Qc5 Bd7 33. Qxa7 Rd2 34. Kg3 Rd3+ 35. Kf4 Kh7 36. Qb7 Rd2 37. Ke3 Rd6 38. f4 g6 39. Qb8 Rd5 40. Ke4 Be6 41. Qb7 Rc5 42. Kd4 Rc4+ 43. Ke5 b4 44. cxb4 Rc2 45. Kf6 Rxb2 46. Qb8. With the threat of Qb8-f8-g7 mate. 46. ... Rf2 47. f5! Magnus forces mate in the most elegant manner. 47. ... gxf5 48. Qg3 Rf1 49. g5! 1 : 0. “It could not be any better”, then Carlsen said.

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)