Thru the Curtain

Fabiano Caruana – 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng)
63rd U.S. Open Chess Championship; Saint Louis, March 25, 2019
Spanish Game C65

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. 0-0 Qe7 7. Nbd2 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. a3 a5 10. Nc4 Nd7 11. g4 Bg6 12. b4 Bb6. A pondered novelty — which, however, is not necessarily an improvement over 12. ... axb4 13. Bg5 f6 14. axb4 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 Bd6 16. Qa8+ Dd8 17. Qxd8+ Kxd8 18. Ra1 Ke7 19. Bd2 Bf7 20. Ne3 g6 21. g5 fxg5 22. Nxg5 b6 23. Kg2 Be6 24. h4 Nf6 25. Bc3 Rf8 26. Nf3 Nd7 27. Ng5 Nf6 28. Nf3 Nd7 29. Ng5 Nf6 30. Nf3 Nd7 ½ : ½ Anand – Nakamura, 3rd Grand Chess Tour, 4st stage, Saint Louis Blitz Chess Tournament, Saint Louis 2017. 13. bxa5 Bxa5 14. Bb2 f6 15. Nxa5 Rxa5 16. Nh4 0-0 17. Nf5 Qe6. Afterwards, Caruana suggested that Black should, perhaps, take the Knight off with 17. ... Bxf5, though even then 18. gxf5 c5 19. Kh2 Kh8 20. Rg1↑ allows White to keep some initiative. 18. Kh2 c5 19. h4 c4 20. h5 Bf7 21. Rg1 cxd3 22. cxd3 Rb5 23. Bc1 Kh8 24. Be3 Rb3 25. Rg3 c5 26. Qe2

26. ... g5? 熊 (Xióng) was certainly worried by the eventuality of Ra1-g1 followed by g4-g5, but in this case the cure seems worse than the disease. 27. hxg6 Bxg6 28. a4 Qa6 29. Bh6 Rg8 30. Rag1 Qxa4. Black finally decides to accept the Pawn, but White’s attack is by now overwhelming. 31. Ne7 Qd4 32. Qd1 c4 33. Nxg8 Kxg8 34. dxc4 Rxg3 35. Qxd4 exd4 36. Kxg3 Bxe4 37. Rd1 d3 38. f3 Bg6 39. Ra1 Kf7 40. Ra7 Nc5 41. Be3 Ke8 42. Bxc5 d2 43. Ra8+ Kd7 44. Bb6 Kc6 45. Ba5! 1 : 0.

Fabiano Caruana vs. 熊奕韬 (Jeffery Xióng). Photo © Lennart Ootes/Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.