Taming the Chaos

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Magnus Carlsen
6th Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 18, 2018
Sicilian Defence B30

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5. Morphy is probably turning in his grave. 4. Bc4 g6 5. h4!? This super-aggressive approach may well give Carlsen credit for his opening oddity. 5. ... h6! 6. h5 g5 7. Nh2!? Quite an obvious improvement over 7. d3 Bg7 8. a3 d6 9. Nd2 Nf6 10. f3 Be6 11. Nf1 Ne7 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Be3 b6 with Black enjoying a comfortable equality (and probably earlier he could have aimed for more), Gulamali – Marosi, Budapest 2015. 7. ... Nf6 8. d3 d6 9. Nf1 Bg4 10. f3 Be6 11. Ne3 Bg7 12. Ncd5 0-0 13. c3. “Really poor opening for Magnus. Making a draw would be a success with those squares on d5 and f5”, three-time Norwegian Chess Champion Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer tweeted. 13. ... Rb8 14. a4 a6 15. g4. White seems to have no clear idea about what to do of his “dogmatic advantage”, and, of course, his opponent seizes the opportunity of aiming for the most convenient coordination possible. 15. ... b5! 16. axb5 axb5 17. Bb3 Ne7! 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Qb7! 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. c4. White seems to lack of any will to win, and with the text move he even concedes his opponent a venial strategic triumph. 21. ... b4. Now, curiously, it is White who has a hole in d4, as Black’s doubled e-Pawn has nullified both the holes on d5 and f5. Black stands better, but probably not that much to score the goal.

22. b3 Nd7 23. Qe2 Rbd8 24. Nc2 Nb8 25. Be3 Nc6 26. Kg2 Rf7 27. Ra4. The a-file is White’s lucky saving clause. 27. ... Rdf8 28. Bg1 Bf6 29. Rfa1 Bd8 30. Ra8 Rxf3 31. Qxf3 Rxf3 32. Kxf3 Kg7 33. Ke2 Bb6 34. R8a6 Kf7 35. Ra8 Kg7 36. R8a6 Kf7 37. Ra8 Kg7 ½ : ½.