Carnivine

Fabiano Caruana – Baadur Jobava
FIDE Grand Prix; Khanty-Mansiysk, May 19, 2015
Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 f6!? Baadur’s specialty. 6. 0-0 fxe5 7. Nxe5. For 7. dxe5 Bc5 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9. Nb3 Bb6 10. Nfd4 0-0 11. c4 Nd7 see Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Baadur Jobava, FIDE Grand Prix, Khanty-Mansiysk, May 14, 2015. 7. ... Nd7 8. Bd3 Ngf6 9. Re1 Be7 10. Nf3 Ne4 11. Nc3 Ndf6 12. Bg5 0-0 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bxf6 exd3 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. c3. “I thought White was better. I didn’t prepare it very deeply. I think I misplayed this position”, then Caruana said. 16. ... c5 17. dxc5 Qxc5 18. Qd2 Bg4. Jobava once more demonstrates his artistic genius. Here he breaks the law and initiates a powerful Pawn sacrifice! 19. Qxd3. On 19. Nd4 e5 20. Qg5? Black had prepared the following pretty refutation: 20. ... d2! 21. Rxe5 Rae8! (Jobava’s analysis). 19. ... Bxf3 20. gxf3 Qg5+ 21. Kh1 Rad8. The position is dynamically balanced, as despite Black’s Pawn minus and his isolated e-Pawn.

22. Qe4 Qf5 23. Qxf5. After 23. Qxe6+ Qxe6 24. Rxe6 Rd2 Black should hold. 23. ... Rxf5 24. Rad1 Rfd5 25. Rxd5 Rxd5 26. Re2 Kf7 27. f4 Rd1+ 28. Kg2 Rb1 29. Kf3 g6 30. b3 Rc1 31. c4 Rc3+ 32. Ke4 Ke7 33. Rd2 Rc1 34. Kf3 b6 35. Rd3 Ra1 36. a4 Ra2 37. Ke3 a5 38. Kf3 Rb2 39. h3 Rc2 40. Kg3 Rb2 41. Re3 Kf6 42. f3 Ke7 43. Kh4 h6 44. Kg3 Rb1 45. h4 h5 46. Rc3 Kd6 47. f5. Caruana makes a last-ditch attempt to win, but Baadur keeps everything under control. 47. ... gxf5 48. Kf4 Ke7 49. c5 ½ : ½.

Fabiano Caruana vs. Baadur Jobava
Photo: Kirill Merkurev