Garfield Goes Hollywood

Alexander Igorevich Grischuk – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament; Berlin, March 27, 2018
Russian Defence C43

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. dxe5 d5 5. Nbd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 Be7 7. Bd3 c5 8. c3 Nc6 9. 0-0 Bg4 10. Re1 Qd7 11. h3 Bh5! Caruana improves on 11. ... Bf5 that caused Black to cede some ground after 12. Qc2 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 0-0 14. Rad1 Qe6 15. a3 a6 16. Be3 Rad8 17. b4 cxb4 18. axb4 Rd7 19. Bd4 Re8 20. Re3 Bd8 21. Rde1 h6 22. Kh2 Bc7 23. g3 Bd8 24. Kg2 Be7 25. R3e2 Bd8? (after this White’s space advantage quickly gains overwhelming strength) 26. Bc5 Be7 27. Nd4+− Nxd4 28. Bxd4 Bf8 29. f4 Qc6 30. f5 Qc4 31. Qd2 Qc6 32. Qf4 b6 33. Qg4 a5 34. e6 fxe6 35. b5 Qxb5 36. fxe6 Rde7 37. Bf6 Qc6 38. Bxe7 Bxe7 39. Kh2 Rf8 40. Qd4 Bf6 41. Qd3 Be7 42. Rd1 Rf6 43. Qxd5 Qxc3 44. Qb5 Qf3 45. Rdd2 Rg6 46. Qe5 a4 47. Qf4 1 : 0 Vallejo Pons – Perez Garcia, 53rd Spanish Team Chess Championship (División de Honor), Lugo 2009. 12. Bf4 Qe6 13. a3 0-0 14. b4 h6 15. Bg3!? b6(!) 16. Nd4? Thus, White forces a simplification into a bit uncomfortable position, where Black can safely play on a definite edge. However, because White got exactly nothing out of the opening I wouldn’t know what to do here and now, except than playing slowly (in Ruy López style). Maybe. 16. ... Bxd1 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Raxd1 c4! 19. Bc2 b5 20. a4 a6 21. f3 Bg5. With 21. ... Nxb4!? 22. cxb4 Bxb4 Black would have gotten two Pawns for the Knight and three passed and united Pawns, and maybe under other circumstances Caruana would have played this way. In the actual situation, however, he quite rightly prefers a more “moderate” approach. 22. Bf2 Bf4 23. Bc5 Rfd8 24. Bd6 Bg3 25. Re2 g5 26. Kf1 Kf7 27. Bc7 Re8. Another way up was 27. ... Rd7 28. Bd6 Rad8 eventually followed by the Exchange sacrifice on d6, but, for the reasons above given, Black is not in a hurry. 28. Bd6 Rac8 29. Ra1 Red8 30. Bb1 Rd7 31. Ra3? Grischuk is playing only on increment as usual, so no wonder he ended up mistaking an open door for a prohibition of access. Best was 31. axb5 axb5 32. Ra6, though after 32. ... Ra7 it is probably easier to play with Black.

31. ... d4! 32. axb5 axb5 33. cxd4 Nxd4 34. Rea2 Nc6 35. Be4 Bxe5 36. Bxc6 Rxd6 37. Bxb5 Rd1+ 38. Ke2 Rg1 39. Ke3 Rb1? 39. ... c3! 40. Ra7+ Kf6 was all another way for Black to reach time control, but by now Caruana too was tremendously short of time. 40. Ra7+? And luckily Grischuk did not play 40. Ra8! Rxa8 41. Rxa8 Rxb4 leaving Black a Pawn ahead in a still drawable Rook and Bishops of opposite colour endgame. 40. ... Kf6 41. Bd7 Bf4+ 42. Ke2 Rd8 43. Rc2. Stockfish’s 43. R2a6 Rb2+ 44. Kf1 Rxd7 45. Rxd7 c3 will force White to give a Rook for the c-Pawn, eventually remaining a Bishop down (but two Pawns up) and, however bad the prospect, it was probably Grischuk’s best chance to keep holding on to hope (for a draw). 43. ... Rxb4. 43. ... Rg1! is preferred by almost all chess engines, but who is in the mood to quibble? 44. Bc6 c3 45. Rd7 Rc8 46. Be4 h5. Since Kramnik and Mamedyarov agreed a draw just now, Caruana can finally play for the sake of play, with the certainty that he is Magnus Carlsen’s challenger! 47. Kd3 Rb2 48. Ke2 h4 49. Rd1 Ke5 50. Ra1 Rd8 51. Rd1 Rdb8 52. Ra1 Bd2 53. Ra6 Rd8 54. Rc6 Rb1 55. Kf2 Ra1 56. Rc4 Rd4 57. Rc8 Rb4 58. Ke2 Kf4 59. Kf2 Rbb1 60. Rf8+ Ke5 61. Bd3 Rb2 62. Ke2 Re1+ 63. Kf2 Rc1 64. Rxb2 cxb2 65. Rb8 Bc3 66. Be4 Bd4+ 67. Ke2 Kf4 68. Rb4 e5 69. Rb7 Kg3 0 : 1.

American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana will challenge Magnus Carlsen’s World Chess Championship in November. Photo: World Chess.