Alpha Beta

Anish Giri – Magnus Carlsen
5th Gashimov Memorial; Şəmkir, April 27, 2018
English Opening A29

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. a3 a5 9. d3 0-0 10. Be3 Be6 11. Rc1 a4 12. Nd2 f5 13. Bxb6 cxb6 14. Nxa4 Bg5 15. Nc3. After a long thought, Giri has found nothing better than to follow in the footsteps of Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi. 15. ... e4 16. Kh1. This novelty adds nothing to 16. Rb1 Ne5!? 17. Nb3 Ng4 18. Qc2 Be3! which should have been quite annoying for White (even though somehow wasn’t), Nepomniachtchi – Aronian, FIDE Grand Prix 2017, third stage, Geneva 2017. 16. ... Qd7 17. Rb1 Rad8 18. Nc4 Qf7 19. b3 exd3 20. exd3 f4! Black quickly seized a powerful initiative already, and Carlsen will give his opponent no chance to cope with it. Black will get methodically chopped by an inexorable crescendo. 21. Ne4 Be7 22. gxf4 Qxf4 23. a4 Nb4 24. Qe2 Qh6 25. Rbd1 Nd5 26. Rg1 Kh8 27. Bf1 Rf4 28. Ne5 Rdf8 29. f3 Rh4 30. d4 Nf4! 31. Qd2 Bxb3 32. Rb1 Bxa4 33. Bb5 Bxb5 34. Rxb5 Qe6 35. Qb2 Bd8

36. Ng5. In order to untie Her Majesty from the defence of the second rank, not allowing Black to play 36. ... Rxh2+ 37 Kxh2 Qh3 mate. 36. ... Qe8 37. Rb3 Bxg5. 37. ... Rf5 38. Ne4 Rxh2+ is the computer’s mode of finishing the game, by capturing the White Queen. Carlsen plays it another way. 38. Rxg5 Ne6 39. Rg4 Rxg4 40. fxg4 Qd8 41. Rh3. White was harmless, however it might appear. If 41. Rd3 then 41. ... Qd5+ 42. Kg1 Rf1+! winning handily, whilst after 41. Rf3 Rxf3 42. Nxf3 Qd5 43. Kg2 Ng5 White couldn’t prevent Black from forcing a won King and Pawn ending. 41. ... Qd5+ 42. Kg1 Qe4! 43. Qb4 Rf6 0 : 1.

Anish Giri (left) vs. Magnus Carlsen (right). Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.