West Side Story

Fabiano Caruana – Hikaru Nakamura
Candidates Tournament; Moscow, March 20, 2016
Spanish C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 0-0 7. Qe2 Re8 8. Nc4 Nd7 9. Bd2 Bd6 10. 0-0-0. For 10. h4 Nf8 11. h5 Ne6 12. 0-0-0 c5 see Caruana – Karjakin, 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016. 10. ... b5. For 10. ... c5 11. Kb1 Nb8 12. c3 Nc6 see Pérez Candelario – Sargissian, 4th Ruy López Masters, Villafranca de los Barros 2010. 11. Ne3 a5 12. Nf5 a4 13. Bg5! “It looks odd to give Black a tempo to play ... f7-f6, but this ‘extra’ move gives White a target for his g-Pawn – and the opening of a file against Black’s King”, says luzhin. 13. ... f6 14. Be3 Nc5 15. g4 Be6 16. Kb1 b4 17. g5 b3. Later Nakamura regretted this decision, but it’s not clear how he could have played better. “The tricky 17. ... Bxa2+? 18. Kxa2 b3+ doesn’t work on account of 19. Kb1! (but not 19. cxb3? because of 19. ... axb3+ 20. Kb1 Ra1+‼ 21. Kxa1 Qa8+ 22. Kb1 Qa2+ 23. Kc1 Nxe4 24. dxe4 Qa1+ 25. Kd2 Bb4+ 26. Kd3 Qa6 mate) 19. ... a3 20. cxb3 Nxb3 21. Kc2! with a decisive advantage to White”, writes Leontxo García. 18. Rhg1 bxa2+ 19. Ka1 Bxf5 20. exf5 a3 21. b3 Na6. “There’s no reason to reject 21. ... Kh8”, says Leontxo García. 22. c3! “Black’s a2 and a3 Pawns are like hitmen bribed by the White King to become bodyguards!”, Jaideep Unudurti ‏said. 22. ... Bf8 23. Nd2! fxg5 24. Rxg5 Nc5

25. Rg3! A terrific move that proves to be absolutely winning. 25. ... e4. Also 25. ... Nd7 26. Ne4 leaves Black no resource. 26. Bxc5 Bxc5 27. Nxe4 Bd6 28. Rh3 Be5 29. d4 Bf6 30. Rg1 Rb8. On 30. ... Bxd4? 31. Rd3 wins. 31. Kxa2 Bh4 32. Rg4 Qd5 33. c4 1 : 0.

Fabiano Caruana
Photo: GQ Russia