A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Broadway

Fabiano Caruana – Gataulla Rustemovich Kamsky
60th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 24, 2016
Sicilian Defence B31

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Re1 d6 7. e5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 Qc7 9. d4!? Maybe a novelty. For 9. Qe2 Be6 10. d3 Nf6 11. h3 Nd5 12. Na3 0-0 see Leventić – Zelenika, 16th Croatian Team Chess Championship, Šibenik 2007. 9. ... cxd4 10. Qxd4 Nf6 11. Nc3 Be6 12. Qc5 Rc8 13. Bf4 Qb7 14. Na4 0-0 15. Qa3 Qa6 16. Nd3 Bf5 17. Ndc5 Qc4 18. Be5 Rfd8 19. c3 Rd2 20. Qb4 Qxb4 21. cxb4 Rcd8 22. Bc3 Rc2. White’s position is all but easy, and furthermore Caruana is dangerously short of time. 23. h3

23. ... h5! Kamsky doesn’t hesitate to give up a Pawn for penetrating on the second rank (the seventh, from his point of view). 24. a3. If 24. Rxe7 then 24. ... Nd5 25. Rxa7 Nxc3 26. bxc3 Rdd2 and White can seriously start worrying for his future. 24. ... h4 25. Rxe7. Alea iacta est! 25. ... Nd5 26. Rd1 Ra8 27. Bxg7!? Fabi sacrifices the Exchange, after a few minutes of tought. It appears a risky gamble, especially in time shortage. Apparently, the consequences of 27. Ree1 Nxc3 28. bxc3 a5 looked tenable for White. 27. ... Nxe7 28. Bf6 Nd5 29. Bxh4 Re8 30. b5! Searching for maximum activity. 30. ... cxb5 31. Rxd5 bxa4 32. Bf6 Rc4 33. Bc3 Rc8 34. Nd7 Rxc3! Even if almost forced, it is the best solution. 35. bxc3 Rxc3 36. g4 Bxd7. Played almost instantly. The philosophical alternative was 36. ... Be6 37. Rd4 Rxa3 38. Nc5 Bb3 trying to capitalize on the extra Pawn in the endgame of Rook and Bishop vs. Rook and Knight. 37. Rxd7 Rxh3 38. Rxa7 Rxa3. Now the ending is drawn, and Caruana, of course, knows how to draw it. 39. g5 Ra1+ 40. Kg2 Kf8 41. Kf3 a3 42. Kf4 Ra2 43. Kg3 Ke8 44. Kf3 Ra1 45. Kf4 Kd8 46. Rxf7 Rf1 47. Ra7 Rxf2+ 48. Kg3 Ra2 49. Ra6 Ra1 50. Kg2 a2 51. Ra8+ Kc7 52. Ra7+ Kb6 53. Ra8 Kb5 54. Rb8+ Kc4 55. Rc8+ Kd3 56. Rd8+ Ke3 57. Ra8 Kf4 58. Ra5 Kg4 59. Kh2 Kf3 60. Ra3+ ½ : ½.

Fabiano Caruana. Photo: Lennart Ootes.