Empire State Building Cometh

Magnus Carlsen – Pavel Eljanov
4th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, April 29, 2016
Dutch Defence A90

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. a4 a5 10. Rc1 Ne4. Eljanov decides to transpose his anti-Catalan into a Stonewall Dutch – very questionable opening strategy against a superb positional player such as Carlsen. For 10. ... h6 11. Be1 b6 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Nc3 Bb7 14. Nb5 Rc8 see Sandipan – G. Meier, ZMDI Open, Dresden 2012. 11. Be1 f5 12. Nbd2 Bd6 13. e3 Ra7 14. Qd1 b6 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. Nb1! “Magnus says game plan was to get into mutually unknown territory and just (out)play”, Grandmaster Jonathan David Tisdall said. 16. ... Ba6 17. Na3 Qa8. Very involute, very compressed. It will be easy for Magnus making his dream come true. 18. Nb5 Bxb5 19. axb5. Eljanov has got rid of his “bad” Bishop, but at the cost of leaving SuperMagnus the Bishop pair and a much freer game. 19. ... Rc8 20. Bf1! Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Rc7 22. Rxc7 Bxc7 23. Qa4! Qb8 24. b4 axb4 25. Bxb4 h6 26. Qc2! Bd6 27. Qc6? The paralyzing irruption, but too hasty. First he should have played 27. Bxd6. 27. ... Ndf6? Eljanov crashes off. Even worse was 27. ... Qc7? 28. Nd2! winning on the spot. However, Black could defend by 27. ... Qa7! 28. Bd3 (both 28. Bxd6? Qa2! and 28. Qc8+ Nf8 29. Bxd6 Qa2! would lead only to a draw) 28. ... Bxb4 29. Qxe6+ Kh8 30. Qxd5 Qa3 31. Bxe4 fxe4 32. Qxe4 when White has three Pawns for the Bishop, but no win in sight. 28. Bxd6 Qxd6. After 28. ... Nxd6 29. Ne5 White stands much better anyway.

29. Qc8+ Kh7 30. Ne5. That’s (almost) all. 30. ... Qe7 31. Qc6 Ng4 32. Nxg4 fxg4 33. Bd3! g6 34. Bxe4 dxe4 35. Qxb6 1 : 0. “I’m incredibly delighted to be able to win here”, then Magnus said.

Magnus finally propheta in patria!
Photo © Jose Huwaidi 2016