The Tenth Muse

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championship match game 10; London, November 22, 2018
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. a4 Be7 10. Be2 0-0 11. 0-0 Nd7 12. b4!? In the 8th game Caruana preferred 12. Bd2. 12. ... a6 13. Na3 a5! A powerful prophylaxis against White’s Queenside ambitions. 14. bxa5 Rxa5 15. Nc4 Ra8 16. Be3 f5 17. a5 f4 18. Bb6 Qe8 19. Ra3. So unnatural and yet so deep. Grandmaster Nikita Kirillovich Vitiugov argued that 19. Bh5 was worth considering, so as to induce Black to reply with 19. ... g6. Whatever it is, now Carlsen takes his time to spread his initiative all over the board. 19. ... Qg6 20. Bc7 e4 21. Kh1 b5! “The following play on both wings is very instructive and, I believe, typical of my style”, Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine wrote, commentating on one of his games. 22. Nb6. Clearly not 22. axb6? because of 22. ... Rxa3 23. Nxa3 f3! with vehement attack. 22. ... Nxb6 23. Bxb6

23. ... Qg5!? Black could, of course, safely continue with 23. ... b4 followed by ... Be7-f6 easily holding his own, but how to resist the temptation of comparing himself with Anderssen and Morphy? 24. g3!? Caruana decides not to take the Pawn, fearing that his opponent could have launched a successful attack on the Kingside. His decision was lovingly criticised by his fans, but he might well have been wise to go his way. An indicative variation is 24. Bxb5 Rf6 25. Re1 (25. Bc6? Rh6! 26. Bxa8? Qh4 27. h3 Bg4! makes Black’s dreams come true) 25. ... Rg6 26. Bf1 Bf5 27. a6 Rh6 28. Bd4 (28. a7 Bf6!↑) 28. ... Qh4 29. h3 f3! 30. a7 Bxh3! 31. gxh3 Qg4! 32. Kh2! Qf4+ and draw by perpetual check. 24. ... b4! 25. Rb3 Bh3. Vitiugov suggests 25. ... f3!? 26. Bb5 Qg4∞ as a potentially more appealing option for Black. 26. Rg1 f3 27. Bf1! Bxf1 28. Qxf1 Qxd5 29. Rxb4 Qe6 30. Rb5 Bd8! 31. Qe1 Bxb6 32. axb6 Rab8 33. Qe3 Qc4 34. Rb2 Rb7 35. Rd1 Qe2 36. Re1 Qxe3 37. Rxe3 d5 38. h4 Rc8 39. Ra3 Kf7 40. Kh2 Ke6. The time control is reached and White cannot yet rest on his laurels. 41. g4! Rc6 42. Ra6 Ke5 43. Kg3 h6 44. h5 Kd4!? This velleitary attempt to win an impossible victory is the only concession made by Carlsen, who — curiously enough — will end up forcing a draw from a position of symbolic material inferiority. 45. Rb5! Rd6 46. Ra4+ Ke5 47. Rab4 Ke6 48. c4 dxc4 49. Rxc4 Rdxb6 50. Rxe4+ Kf7 51. Rf5+ Rf6 52. Rxf6+ Kxf6 53. Kxf3 Kf7 54. Kg3 ½ : ½.

Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen agreed to a draw in the tenth game of their World Chess Championship match in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Nadia Panteleeva/World Chess.