Ice sheet

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So
9th Bilbao Masters Final; Bilbao, July 16, 2016
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Qe2!? Qe7 7. Nbd2 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. a3!? For 9. Nc4 Nd7 10. g4 Bg6 11. Be3 0-0-0 12. 0-0-0 Rhe8 see Mendoza – Bruzón Bautista, Zonal Tournament, Santo Domingo 2007. 9. ... Nd7 10. b4 Bd6 11. Nc4 f6 12. Ne3 a5 13. Nf5 Qf8 14. bxa5 Rxa5. “It was very interesting and consistent 14. ... Kd8! 15. Bd2 Kc8 and Black might be able to hold his own”, writes Leontxo García for El País, July 18, 2016. 15. 0-0 Qf7 16. a4 Nc5

17. Qe1! A very clever, indirect defence of the a4-Pawn, for now, after 17. ... Rxa4?? 18. Rxa4 Nxa4 19. Qa5 Nb6 20. Nxd6+ cxd6 21. Qxb6 White would emerge a clear piece ahead. 17. ... b6? This seems a serious error. Perhaps So should have played 17. ... Ra8, although after 18. Nd2! 0-0 19. Nc4 White stands better. 18. Nd2! A powerful Pawn sacrifice. 18. ... Rxa4. Not 18. ... 0-0? on account of 19. Nc4 Rxa4 20. Rxa4 Nxa4 21. Bh6! winning easily. 19. Nc4 Bf8. In his notes for MARCA, July 16, 2016, Jesús J. Boyero recommends 19. ... Be7 20. Be3 Kd7 21. Rxa4 Nxa4 22. f4 exf4 23. Bxf4 (but I’d prefer 23. Rxf4) 23. ... Ra8 as more tenable. 20. Be3 Kd7. Most chess engines regard 20. ... Rg8 as more stubborn, but after 21. Qc3! (all the same) 21. ... Nxe4 22. Ncd6+! White should get enough material to aim for a win. 21. Qc3. Black is busted. 21. ... Nxe4 22. Nxb6+ cxb6 23. dxe4 Qc4. 23. ... Rxa1 24. Rxa1 is no better at all. 24. Qd2+ Kc7 25. g4 Bg6 26. Rfd1 1 : 0. Carlsen mounted a mating attack by very simple means; for instance, if 26. ... Bc5 then 27. Qd7+ Kb8 28. Bxc5 Bxf5 29. exf5 bxc5 30. Qxc6 finis.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Wesley So
Photo: bilbaochess2016.com