How Not to Say Goodbye

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen
5th Grand Chess Tour; 2nd stage; Zagreb, June 28, 2019
Spanish Game C84

The result of a single game cannot change, of course, the overall relationship strength between the two strongest players on the planet (so far), but it may serve to confirm (or disconfirm) the reliability of Fabiano Caruana as a most likely challenger to Magnus Carlsen even for the next world cycle. Thus, the resilience Caruana showed in his last 16 classical games against the mighty Carlsen may still constitute a powerful argument in his own favour. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 Be7. The Walbrodt Variation. 7. Re1 b5 8. Rxe4 d5 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. Rxe5 bxa4 11. Nc3 0-0. An illustrious reference is 11. ... Be6? 12. Qh5! g6 13. Qf3 Bf6? (this leads to a quick catastrophe, but also after 13. ... c6 14. Bh6 White stands better — Em. Lasker’s analysis) 14. Rxd5! Bxd5 15. Nxd5 Bg7 16. Bg5!+− Em. Lasker – Tarrasch, Berlin 1916, match game 6. 12. Re1!? Here is something of a novelty. Likewise after 12. Rxd5 Bd6 13. Bg5 Qe8 the game is complex with chances for both colours, Kruppa – Ivanchuk, Semifinal of 54th Championship of USSR, Irkutsk 1986. 12. ... Bd6 13. Qh5 a3 14. Nxd5 axb2 15. Bxb2 Rb8 16. Rab1 Re8 17. Ne3 Bf4 18. d5 Rb4 19. c4 Bxe3 20. Rxe3 Rxe3 21. fxe3 Rxc4 22. Bd4 c5 23. Ba1 f6 24. h3 Qe7 25. Qf3 h6 26. Re1 Re4 27. Kf2 Bd7. That is what happened so far, and it is enough to guess the result. 28. Rd1 Kh7 29. Rd2 Qe8 30. Bb2 Ra4 31. a3 Rc4 32. Re2 Qg6 33. e4 Ba4 34. d6 Bc6 35. Qg3 Qxg3+ 36. Kxg3 Kg6 37. e5 fxe5 38. Bxe5 h5 39. Bb2 h4+ 40. Kh2

40. ... Kf5!? 41. Bxg7 Re4!? Carlsen is just pretending not to accept the draw outcome or what? 42. Rxe4 Kxe4 43. Bf6. Two united passed Pawns won’t prove to be enough for Caruana to score a victory, since, in the end, he will end up with the wrong colour Rook Pawn for his Bishop. 43. ... c4 44. Bxh4 c3 45. Bf6 c2 46. Bb2 Kd5 47. g4 Kxd6 48. Kg3 Bb5 49. Kf3 Ke7 50. h4 Kf8 51. h5 Be8 52. Kg3 Kg8 53. Kh4 Kh7 54. Kg5 Bd7 55. Kf4 a5 56. Kg5 a4 57. Kf4 Be6 58. g5 Bf7 59. g6+ Bxg6 60. hxg6+ Kxg6 61. Ke5 Kf7 62. Kd6 Ke8 63. Bc1 Kd8 64. Kc6 Kc8 65. Bf4 c1=Q+ 66. Bxc1 Kb8 67. Kb6 Ka8 68. Bf4 stalemate.

Today’s draw raises to 16 the number of consecutive draws between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour.