The Tartar Steppe

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship match game 9; New York, November 23, 2016
Spanish Game C78

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. axb5 axb5 11. Na3 0-0 12. Nxb5 Bg4 13. Bc2 exd4 14. Nbxd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 Bxf3 16. gxf3 Nh5 17. Kh1 Qf6 18. Be3 c5. For 18. ... Ra8 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. Rg1 Nf4 21. Bb3 Ne6 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Rg3 see Karjakin – M. Adams, Grand Prix (first stage), Baku 2008. 19. e5 Qe6 20. exd6 c4 21. b3 cxb3. Carlsen improves (but only up to a certain extent) on 21. ... c3 22. d5 Qxd6 23. Ra6 Nf4 24. Ra4 Ng6 25. Qd3 Bc7 26. f4 Rfd8 27. Rd1 Qf6 28. Rc4 Bd6 29. Qxc3 Qxc3 30. Rxc3 Nxf4 31. Rc6 Be5 32. d6 Ne6 33. Bf5 Rxb3 34. Bb6 Rxb6 35. Rxb6 Nd4 36. f4 Bf6 37. Bh3 Ne2 38. Rb4 g6 39. d7 Kf8 40. Rc4 Nc3 41. Rd3 Ke7 42. Rc8 1 : 0 Nakamura – Kasimdzhanov, 41st Chess Olympiad, Tromsø 2014. 22. Bxb3 Qxd6 23. Ra6. “This is an ‘old’ theoretical line. Even I’m familiar with it, and I haven’t worked on openings for about a decade”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson said. 23. ... Rfd8 24. Rg1 Qd7 25. Rg4 Nf6 26. Rh4 Qb5 27. Ra1 g6 28. Rb1 Qd7 29. Qd3 Nd5 30. Rg1. “After 30. Rg1 Magnus needs a chunky concept, and fast. If he drifts White’s attack unfolds, for instance with Rh4-g4 & h2-h4-h5”, Rowson said. 30. ... Bc7. “So I’m fairly sure the main point of 30. ... Bc7 is to play ... Qd7-d6-a3 and try to force the exchange of Queens”, Rowson said. 31. Bg5 Re8 32. Qc4!? Rb5!? Suddenly sharply alert. 33. Qc2. 33. Ba4 Qf5! 34. Qf1 Rb1! 35. Qxb1 Qxf3 36. Rg2 Nc3 37. Qf1 Nxa4 is quite a crazy line, even if 38. Bd2! (with the tricky threat of Rh4-h3) could have been interesting for White. 33. ... Ra8 34. Bc4! Karjakin refuses his opponent’s draw offer: 34. Ba4 Rxa4 35. Qxa4 Qf5 36. Qxb5 Qxf3+ 37. Rg2 Qd1+ with perpetual check. 34. ... Rba5 35. Bd2 Ra4 36. Qd3. Black’s position is getting more and more unpleasant. 36. ... Ra1 37. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 38. Kg2 Ne7? Surely a questionable move, by which Carlsen presents his opponent the royal crown on a golden plate. But indeed he was short of time as well as good moves. “Wonder if it’s worth considering the slightly passive 38. ... Nf6 just to prevent Sergey settling in for a grind after Rh4-e4”, says Rowson.

39. Bxf7+!? After very long thought Karjakin goes for the most exciting way! 39. Qb3! Nf5 40. Bxf7+ Kg7 41. Rh3 was the most “scientific” line, possibly better and easier, but it’s understandable that Sergey Alexandrovich wants to prove his detractors wrong playing like Tal! 39. ... Kxf7 40. Qc4+ Kg7 41. d5! Nf5. “Black holds after 41. ... Nf5 now. And it’s much easier for the human than 41. ... g5”, Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov said. 42. Bc3+ Kf8 43. Bxa1 Nxh4+ 44. Qxh4 Qxd5. “When considering 39. Bxf7+ personally I missed that here 45. Qf6+ is met with 45. ... Qf7. It’s possible Sergey did too”, Rowson said. 45. Qf6+ Qf7 46. Qd4 Ke8 47. Qe4+ Qe7 48. Qd5. “After 48. Bf6 Black exchanges Queens, places his King on e6 and Pawn on h5. Draw, I think”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short said. 48. ... Bd8 49. Kf1 Qf7 50. Qe4+ Qe7 51. Be5 Qe6 52. Kg2 Be7 53. Qa8+ Kf7 54. Qh8 h5 55. Qg7+ Ke8 56. Bf4 Qf7 57. Qh8+ Qf8 58. Qd4 Qf5 59. Qc4 Kd7 60. Bd2 Qe6 61. Qa4+ Qc6 62. Qa7+ Qc7 63. Qa2 Qd6 64. Be3 Qe6 65. Qa7+ Ke8 66. Bc5 Bd8 67. h3 Qd5 68. Be3 Be7 69. Qb8+ Kf7 70. Qh8 Qe6 71. Bf4 Qf6 72. Qb8 Qe6 73. Qb7 Kg8 74. Qb5 Bf6 ½ : ½.

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin vs. Magnus Carlsen
Photo: Max Avdeev for World Chess by Agon Limited