Europeana

Magnus Carlsen – Hikaru Nakamura
7th London Chess Classic; London, December 11, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Ne5 Nfd7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bg2 Nc6 12. e4. More convincing than 12. 0-0 f5 13. Ne2 Bd6 14. Nf4 Bxf4 15. exf4 Nf6 as occurred in the game Tregubov – Anand, 18th Corsican Circuit, Bastia 2014, match game 2. 12. ... dxe4 13. Nxe4 Bb4+ 14. Nc3 Nb6 15. 0-0 0-0 16. d5 exd5 17. Nxd5 Bc5 18. Nc3 Bd4 19. Qf3 Qf6 20. Qxf6 Bxf6 21. Bf4 Rad8 22. Rad1 Bxc3!? Nakamura challenges the danger of having two Knights against Carlsen’s two Bishops!? 23. bxc3 Na4 24. c4 Nc3 25. Rd2 Rxd2 26. Bxd2 Ne2+. Clearly not 26. ... Nxa2?? on account of 27. Bxc6 bxc6 28. Ra1 and the Knight is trapped. 27. Kh2 Rd8 28. Be3 Nc3 29. a3 Rd3 30. Rc1 Nd1 31. Be4 Rd7 32. Bc5 Nb2 33. Rc2 Na4 34. Be3 Nb6 35. c5 Nd5 36. Rd2 Nf6 37. Rxd7 Nxd7 38. Kg3 Kf8 39. f4 Nf6 40. Bf3 Ke7

41. f5! A very powerful move, aimed at confining Black’s King to the seventh or eighth rank. 41. ... gxf5 42. gxf5 Kd7 43. Kf4 Ne8 44. Kg5 Ke7 45. Bf4 a6 46. h4 Kf8 47. Bg3 Nf6 48. Bd6+ Ke8 49. Kf4 Nd7 50. Bg2 Kd8 51. Kg5 Ke8 52. h5 Nf6 53. h6 Nh7+ 54. Kh5 Nf6+ 55. Kg5 Nh7+ 56. Kh4 gxh6 57. Kh5 Nf6+ 58. Kxh6 Ng4+ 59. Kg7 Nd4 60. Be4 Nf2 61. Bb1 Ng4 62. Bf4 f6? Black will soon regret this weakening. 63. Be4 Nf2 64. Bb1 Ng4 65. Be4 Nf2 66. Bxb7 Nd3 67. Kxf6! Very elegant. 67. ... Nxf4 68. Ke5 Nfe2 69. f6? Magnus lets the position slip in time trouble. According to all chess engines 69. c6! Nxc6+ 70. Bxc6+ Ke7 71. f6+ Kf8 72. Bd5 led to a clear win for White. 69. ... a5 70. a4 Kf7 71. Bd5+ Kf8? “71. ... Kg6 72. c6 Nxc6+ 73. Bxc6 Kf7! 74. Bd5+ Kf8 Black’s Knight comes to c3 next, after which White is unable to make progress. The instant his King gets two moves away from his f-Pawn Black plays ... Nc3xa4 [...] and ... Kf8-f7xf6, and otherwise there’s nothing for White to do”, Dennis Monokroussos said. 72. Ke4! No second chance! 72. ... Nc2 73. c6 Nc3+ 74. Ke5 Nxa4 75. Bb3! Nb6 76. Bxc2 a4 77. c7 Kf7 78. Bxa4! 1 : 0. Magnus conducted the ending with masterly technique.

Magnus Carlsen
Photo: Ray Morris-Hill

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)