Easy As Life

Magnus Carlsen – Daniil Aleksandrovich Yuffa
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 22, 2015
King’s Indian Defence E62

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 0-0 5. 0-0 d6 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. d4 Bf5 8. Bg5 Ne4 9. Nxe4 Bxe4 10. d5 Bxf3 11. exf3 Nd4 12. Re1 Re8 13. Re4. Instead of 13. Be3 Nf5 as in P. H. Nielsen – Ivanchuk, 1st SportAccord World Mind Games; Blindfold Event; 北京 (Beijīng) 2011. 13. ... c5 14. dxc6 Nxc6 15. h4! Very brilliant! 15. ... Qb6 16. Rb1 a5 17. Be3 Qc7 18. h5 e5 19. Qd2 Nd4 20. h6 f5

21. Rxd4! Another brilliant solution! The diagonal a1-h8 suddenly becomes the Road to Death for Black’s King. 21. ... exd4 22. Bxd4 Bf8? This is tantamount to resignation. The lesser evil was 22. ... Bxd4, although after 23. Qxd4 White retains a manifest advantage. 23. Bc3! Qxc4 24. f4. With the trivial threat of Bg2-d5+. 24. ... Re4!? Sheer desperation! 25. b3! Qc5 26. Ba1! d5. Or 26. ... Bxh6 27. Bxe4 fxe4 28. Rc1 and wins. 27. Rc1 1 : 0. A superb display of skill.

Carlsen vs. Yuffa. Photo: Katerina Savina.