Carlsen’s Gun

Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
9th Bilbao Masters Final; Bilbao, July 15, 2016
Sicilian Defence B50

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3. A modest line, though in vogue among some theoretician of fiction. There is only one hope for White – and that’s to reach a Ruy López–like position. 3. ... Nf6 4. Be2 g6 5. 0-0 Bg7 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. d4 Qb6 8. Ba4 cxd4 9. cxd4 0-0 10. d5 Nb8!? Karjakin’s nouvelle vague. But subjectively speaking, 10. ... Na5 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Rac8 appears to give Black a (more) comfortable game, Palit – Gopal, 19th Grandmasters Open, Kolkata 2014. 11. Nc3 Bg4 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Nbd7 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15. Bc2 Ne5 16. Qe2 Nfd7 17. Bg5 h6 18. Bh4. Of course, not 18. Bxe7? on account of 18. ... g5 followed by ... Ne5-g6. 18. ... g5 19. Bg3 Qa6! 20. Qd1! With the patience of an iceberg! The spontaneous 20. Qh5 Ng6 apparently leads nowhere. 20. ... Rc4? This sounds just a bit too optimistic. 20. ... Nc4 (with the threat of ... Nc4xb2) 21. Bd3 Nc5 seems to give Black good play. 21. Kh1! A very elegant premise. The immediate 21. f4 would have been answered by 21. ... Rd4! 22. Qh5 (on 22. Qxd4?? Nf3+ wins the Queen) 22. ... Nf6 with sounder resources for meeting White’s attacking aims. 21. ... Rac8 22. f4 gxf4 23. Bxf4 Qb6 24. Qh5 Nf6 25. Qf5. Probably Carlsen got more than he was hoping for. 25. ... Qd8 26. Bb3 Rd4 27. Bxe5 dxe5 28. Rbd1 Qd7 29. Qf3 Rb4? I suspect Karjakin lost a good chance to exchange a pair of Rooks. 30. Rd2! Rf8

31. g4!! A very difficult move to find, and the first one of a series of astounding attacking moves. Quite incredibly the whole White’s crescendo is almost imparable. 31. ... a5 32. Rg2 Nh7 33. h4 Rb6 34. g5 Kh8 35. Rfg1 f5? This move (together with the next one) cannot be good, and pushes Black into a melodramatic disaster. However, it takes not much time to persuade that Black was doomed anyway, so enjoy Magnus’ work: 36. Qh3 Rb4 37. gxh6 Bxh6 38. Qg3. Carlsen’s Gun. 38. ... Nf6 39. Qg6 Ng4 40. Rxg4 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen (R.) vs. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin (L.)
Photo: Juan Carlos Fernández (@FdezJcfdez)