Strangenesses and Inconsistencies

Fabiano Caruana – Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov
4th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 6, 2016
Spanish Game C84

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bd7 9. c3 Na5 10. Ba2. For 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qb8 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. dxc5 dxc5 15. Qd5 see Navara – Caruana, 29th European Club Cup, Rhodes 2013. 10. ... c5 11. Bg5 0-0 12. axb5 axb5 13. Na3 Qb8 14. Nc2 h6 15. Bh4 c4 16. Nb4 Be6 17. Re1 Qb7 18. d4 Bg4 19. Bb1 Nb3 20. Rxa8 Rxa8 21. Ba2. Fabi is not at his ease, and in his decision he gives Veselin Aleksandrov the chance to work in the movie in the role of a prince!

21. ... Nxe4! Very pretty tactics by which Black wins a Pawn. 22. Bxe7 Ned2! 23. Bxb3? Now matters worsen dramatically. White should have contented himself with 23. Qc2 Bxf3 24. Bxb3 Nxb3 25. gxf3 Qxe7 26. f4 struggling to mitigate damages. 23. ... Nxf3+ 24. gxf3 Bxf3 25. Bxd6. Desperation. 25. ... Bxd1 26. Bxd1 exd4 27. cxd4 Qd7 28. Bg3 Qxd4 29. Bf3 Qxd4?? This “mighty” move, played almost instantly (under no time pressure!), will give Black a bitter epilogue. So easy and ready was instead 28. ... Re8, forcing the exchange of Rooks and then penetrating with the Queen. 29. Bf3 Qd2 30. Rd1 Qxd1+. In retrospective 30. ... Qxb2 31. Bxa8 Qxb4 might give White (as well as Black) one more (problematic) chance for dying or living. 31. Bxd1 Ra1 32. Kg2 Rxd1 33. Be5 f6 34. Bc3 Kf7 35. Nc2 g5 36. h3 Kg6 37. Na3 Rd5 38. Kf3 f5 39. Kg3 f4+ 40. Kg2 Kf5 41. f3 h5 ½ : ½. Not today’s Sofia Rules.

Hikaru Nakamura watching Fabi’s game
Photo: Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour)

Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov’s “Unfinished Symphony”
Photo: Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour)