Spassky-style

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen
2nd Qatar Masters Open; Doha, December 26, 2015
Spanish C97

1. e4 e5. Carlsen decides on the Ruy Lopez (as Black), just to confirm the universalization of his chess style. 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 0-0 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. Nf1 Nc4 14. b3 Nb6 15. Ne3 c4 16. Ba3 Rfe8 17. Qd2 Bf8 18. bxc4 Nxc4 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Rab1 Rab8! Far more convincing than 20. ... Bc6 21. Qe3 exd4 22. Qxd4 Qa5 23. Qxc4 Qxa3 24. Qxc6 Rac8 25. Qb7 Qxc3 26. Bb3 Rc7 27. Qxa6 Rxe4 28. Bxf7+ Rxf7 29. Rec1 Rb4 30. Rxc3 Rxb1+ 31. Kh2 Rb2 32. Rc8 h6 33. Qxd6 1 : 0 Timofeev – Krylov, 17th Russian Team Chess Championship, Dagomys 2010. 21. Rxb8 Rxb8 22. Bb4 h6 23. Rd1 a5 24. Ba3 Bc6. The position seems fairly equal. 25. Qe2 exd4 26. Qxc4 dxc3 27. Qxc3 Rc8 28. Qd4 Bd5. Carlsen elegantly repositions his Bishop. 29. Bb1 Be6 30. Qe3 Rb8 31. Nd4 Bd7 32. Rc1 Qb6 33. Qd2 Re8 34. Re1 a4 35. Bc2 Qb7 36. Qd3 Qc7 37. Qd2 Qb7 38. Qd3 Qc7 39. Qd2 ½ : ½.

Wesley So vs. Magnus Carlsen
Photo: Katerina Savina