Lose to Win

Fabiano Caruana – Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk
62th U.S. Chess Championship; Saint Louis, April 29, 2018
Spanish Game C88

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Be7 8. Re1 0-0 9. a4 Re8 10. Nbd2 Bf8 11. Nf1 Na5 12. Ba2 d5!? An interesting idea which brought 12th Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk good luck in 2008. 13. axb5. If 13. Ng3 then 13. ... h6 14. Bd2 b4 15. exd5 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 Qxd5 17. b3 Rad8 and Black is fine, T. Kosintseva – Kosteniuk, Knockout Women’s World Chess Championship Tournament, Nalchik 2008, match game 2. 13. ... axb5 14. exd5 Bxd5. 14. ... Nxd5 seems much better (16. Nxe5 Nb3!).

15. Bg5! Bxa2? Black is anxious to prevent Ba2xd5 followed by Bg5xf6, but his solution, implying a Pawn sacrifice, doesn’t work. 16. Rxa2 e4 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Rxe4 Rxe4 19. dxe4 Rd8 20. Qe2 Nc4 21. c3. White came out a Pawn up, for which Black can claim no compensation. 21. ... Bc5 22. Ra1 g6 23. e5 Qc6 24. Ng3 Re8 25. b3 Nb6 26. Ra5 Bf8. 26. ... b4 27. Ne4 Be7 29. c4 gave White a great advantage, but, if nothing else, it would have not allowed him to gain a second Pawn. 27. Qxb5 Qxb5 27. Rxb5 Ra8 28. h4 1 : 0. Onischuk has had enough.

Fabiano Caruana. Photo: Lennart Ootees/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (@STLChessClub).