Being There

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana
78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 17, 2016
King’s Indian Attack A07

1. g3 g6 2. Bg2 Bg7 3. e4 e5 4. Ne2 c5. “Playing ... e7-e5 and ... c7-c5 was not smart”, then Caruana said. 5. d3 Nc6 6. Be3 d6 7. Qd2 Nd4 8. c3. For the over-sophisticated alternative 8. Ng1 Ne7 9. Nc3 0-0 10. h4 b5 see Sofieva – Gaprindashvili, Women’s Interzonal Tournament, Subotica 1991. 8. ... Nxe2 9. Qxe2 Ne7 10. h4 h6!? Fabiano goes in a fighting mood! The symmetrical 10. ... h5 would have led to a quite balanced position. 11. h5 g5 12. f4. “Very fruity move by Magnus”, Grandmaster Daniel W. Gormally said. 12. ... exf4 13. gxf4 gxf4 14. Bxf4 Nc6 15. Na3 Be5 16. Be3 Be6 17. Nc4 Bg3+ 18. Kd2 Qd7 19. d4. “Something has gone wrong for Caruana. It’s possible that he underestimated the Pawn push”, Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer said. 19. ... cxd4 20. cxd4. “Magnus will win today. His position is easier to play than Black’s and he has more time on the clock”, Hammer said.

20. ... Ne5!! Very ingenious and evidently foreseen by Fabiano when he played 17. ... Bg3+. 21. Nxe5. Of course 21. dxe5 dxe5+ 22. Qd3 Bxc4 gives Black no problem at all. 21. ... dxe5 22. d5 Bg4! Absolutely best move. 23. Bf3 Bxf3 24. Qxf3 Qb5 25. Rac1. After 25. Qxg3 Qxb2+ 26. Kd3 Qb5+ Black would have at least a draw by perpetual check. Probably best was 25. b3, but even then 25. ... Qb4+ 26. Kd3 Bf4! should provide Black with more than adequate counter-play. 25. ... Qxb2+ 26. Kd1 Bf4! 27. Bxf4 exf4 28. Qxf4 Rg8. The storm is now over and Carlsen must be content with just surviving. 29. Rf1 Qd4+ 30. Ke1 Qb4+ 31. Kd1 Qd4+ 32. Ke1 Qb4+ ½ : ½. Bravo! Never trust a doctor who tells you you’re dead.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Fabiano Caruana
Photo: Tata Steel Chess (Facebook)