The Guy I Left Behind

Fabiano Caruana – Hikaru Nakamura
10th London Chess Classic; London, December 11, 2018
Queen’s Gambit Declined D37

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4. Caruana just can’t forget Carlsen! 5. ... 0-0 6. e3 b6 7. Qc2 Bb7 8. Rd1 Bd6 9. Bg3!? A game from one of Caruana’s helpers continued: 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Be2 a6 11. 0-0 Qb8 12. cxd5 exd5 13. Bh4 Re8 14. Bg3 c5 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. b3 Bxg3 17. hxg3 Qd6 featuring a typical hanging Pawn position in which Black seems to be fine, Chirila – Orosz, PRO League Group Stage, Chess.com 2017. 9. ... Nbd7 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. e4 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Bxg3!? Very bold, as Black exposes himself to the fire of White’s Rook on the h-file. 13. hxg3 e5 14. Bb5! White seizes the initiative with both hands! 14... c6 15. Be2 Qc7 16. g4! The key to the door. 16. ... Rfe8 17. g5 Rad8 18. Kf1! b5 19. Rh4! a6 20. a4 Qa5 21. g6! Too strong a temptation. 21. ... hxg6 22. Ng5. With the basic threat of Qc2-b3 eventually followed by Rd1-d3-f3-h3. 22. ... Nf8? This scholastic defence might well be worse than 22. ... c5!∞ (Δ ... c5-c4), which would have lead to an unclear and double-edged game. Now Caruana launches his powerful offensive: 23. Rd3! Bc8 24. Qb3 Qc7 25. axb5! axb5

26. Rf3? Yet Caruana seems oblivious to the fact that no other key than the g-Pawn, of course, could open that door! Let’s consider, for example: 26. g4! (simply threatening Rd3-h3) 26. ... Ne6 (26. ... Be6?? 27. Rdh3!! illustrates even better the virulence of White’s threats) 27. Rdh3 still leaving White with a very formidable attack. 26. ... Be6 27. d5 cxd5 28. exd5 Rxd5 29. Nxe6. Now after 29. g4 Nd7! Black’s King manages to escape just in time. 29. ... fxe6 30. Rfh3 e4! 31. Rxe4 Ra8 32. g3 Qc5 33. Re3 Ra3. Now White must be content with a draw. 34. Qb2 Qd6 35. Rh4 Ra4 36. Rhe4 Qa3 37. Qxa3 Rxa3 38. Bg4 Rc5 39. Bxe6+ Nxe6 40. Rxe6 Raxc3 41. Rxc3 Rxc3 42. Rxg6 b4 43. Rb6 b3 44. Kg2 Kf7 45. f4 g5 46. fxg5 Rc2+ 47. Kf3 b2 48. Kg4 Kg7 49. Rb7+ Kg6 50. Rb6+ Kg7 51. Rb7+ Kg6 ½ : ½.

Fabiano Caruana (left) vs. Hikaru Nakamura (right). Photo: Daniel John King (@DanielKingChess).