Friends for Hard Times

Fabiano Caruana – Hikaru Nakamura
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 21, 2018
Catalan Opening E05

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. g3 dxc4 6. Bg2 0-0 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qe8 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Qa4 c5 12. dxc5 Qxc5 13. Be3 Qc7 14. 0-0-0!? This is something Nakamura was still missing: a) 14. 0-0 Nd5 15. Bd4 Bd7 16. Qa3 a5 17. Rad1 Nb4 18. Bc5 Qxc5 19. Rxd7 Rab8 20. Rfd1 h6 21. Qa4 Nd5 22. Nxd5 exd5 23. R7xd5 Qb4 24. Qc2 Qxb2 25. Qxc4 Rb4 26. Qc5 Qxa2 27. Qxa5 Rb2 28. Qxa2 Rxa2 29. e3 g6 30. g4 Rfa8 31. Kg2 R8a5 32. h4 Kg7 33. Kg3 R2a3 34. Kf4 R3a4+ 35. e4 Rxd5 36. Rxd5 Ra3 37. f3 Rc3 38. Ra5 Rb3 39. Rc5 Ra3 40. Rb5 Rc3 41. Kg3 Ra3 42. g5 hxg5 43. hxg5 Rc3 44. Kg4 Ra3 45. Rb7 Ra4 46. Kf4 Ra5 ½ : ½ Svidler – Nakamura, Grand Prix 2017, 4th stage, Palma de Mallorca 2017; b) 14. Rd1 Bd7 15. Qa3 Nd5 16. Bd4 a5 17. Rd2 Nb4 18. 0-0 Qb7 19. Na4 Bxa4 20. Qxa4 Rfc8 21. Rc1 f6 22. f3 Qa6 23. Bf2 Nd5 24. Rdc2 Nb4 25. Rd2 Nd5 26. Rdc2 Nb4 27. Rc3 h6 28. Kg2 Rab8 29. b3 cxb3 30. Rxc8+ Rxc8 31. Rxc8+ Qxc8 32. Qxb3 Kf7 33. Qa4 Qa6 34. Qd7+ Kg8 35. Qd2 Qc4 36. Qd8+ Kh7 37. Qxa5 Nxa2 38. Qd2 Nb4 39. Qb2 Nc6 40. Qb1+ Kg8 41. Qb7 Ne5 42. Qb8+ Kh7 43. Qb1+ Kg8 44. Qb8+ Kh7 45. Qb1+ Kg8 ½ : ½ 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – Nakamura, 9th Grand Slam Masters Final, Bilbao 2016. 14. ... Ng4 15. Rd2 Nxe3 16. fxe3 Rb8 17. Rhd1 a5 18. Kb1 h6 19. Ka1 Rb4 20. Qc2 Rb8 21. Qe4 Bb7 22. Qd4 Ba8 23. e4 Rfc8 24. Qf2 Bc6 25. Qc5 Be8 26. Qxc7 Rxc7 27. Rd6 Kf8 28. Ra6 Rc5 29. Ra7 Rbc8 30. Kb1 Rh5 31. h4 Re5 32. Kc2 g5 33. Rf1 Kg7 34. Rb7 Kg6 35. Kd2 f5 36. hxg5

36. ... fxe4? Nakamura macabrally manages to run his King into a mating net. 36. ... hxg5? 37. Rh1! could also stage similar scenarios, so 36. ... Kxg5 was Black’s best and perhaps only move, with a difficult but still tenable ending. 37. Ke3 Bc6 38. Re7 Rxg5 39. Rxe6+ Kg7 40. Re7+ Kg6 41. Rd1 Kf6 42. Ra7 Ke6 43. Rh1 h5 44. g4! Be8? Always insisting on playing for the self-mate. Other moves, however, would have condemned Black to a lost endgame anyway. 45. gxh5 Bxh5 46. Nxe4 Rf5 47. Ra6+ Ke7 48. Nd6 Re5+ 49. Kd4 1 : 0.